n has contradicted Burnet more frequently or with
more asperity than Dartmouth. Yet Dartmouth wrote, "I do not think
he designedly published anything he believed to be false." At a later
period Dartmouth, provoked by some remarks on himself in the second
volume of the Bishop's history, retracted this praise but to such a
retraction little importance can be attached. Even Swift has the justice
to say, "After all, he was a man of generosity and good nature."--Short
Remarks on Bishop Burnet's History.

It is usual to censure Burnet as a singularly inaccurate historian;
hut I believe the charge to be altogether unjust. He appears to be
singularly inaccurate only because his narrative has been subjected to a
scrutiny singularly severe and unfriendly. If any Whig thought it worth
while to subject Reresby's Memoirs, North's Examen, Mulgrave's Account
of the Revolution, or the Life of James the Second, edited by Clarke, to
a similar scrutiny, it would soon appear that Burnet was far indeed from
being the most inexact writer of his time.]

[Footnote 219: Dr. Hooper's MS. narrative, published in the Appendix to
Lord Dungannon's Life of William.]

[Footnote 220: Avaux Negotiations, Aug. 10/20 Sept. 14/24 Sept 28/Oct 8
Dec. 7/17 1682.]

[Footnote 221: I cannot deny myself the pleasure of quoting Massillon's
unfriendly, yet discriminating and noble, character of William. "Un
prince profond dans ses vues; habile a former des ligues et a reunir
les esprits; plus heureux a exciter les guerres qu'a combatire; plus a
craindre encore dans le secret du cabinet, qu'a la tete des armees; un
ennemi que la haine du nom Francais avoit rendu capable d'imaginer de
grandes choses et de les executer; un de ces genies qui semblent etre
nes pour mouvoir a leur gre les peuples et les souverains; un grand
homme, s'il n'avoit jamais voulu etre roi."--Oraison funebre de M. le
Dauphin.]

[Footnote 222: For example, "Je crois M. Feversham un tres brave et
honeste homme. Mais je doute s'il a assez d'experience diriger une si
grande affaire qu'il a sur le bras. Dieu lui donne un succes prompt et
heureux. Mais je ne suis pas hors d'inquietude." July 7/17 1685. Again,
after he had received the news of the battle of Sedgemoor, "Dieu soit
loue du bon succes que les troupes du Roy ont eu contre les rebelles. Je
ne doute pas que cette affaire ne soit entierement assoupie, et que le
regne du Roy sera heureux, Ce que Dieu veuille." July 10/20]

[Footnote 223: