ing to establish James at the head of an
independent Kingdom in Catholic Ireland. But that would-be King of
Ireland was humiliated and sent {127} back to France by the battle of
Boyne (1690).

As important as was all this, things of even greater moment were going
on in the life of England at this time. As a wise householder employs
the hours of sunshine to repair the leaks revealed by the storm, just
so Parliament now set about strengthening and riveting the weak spots
revealed by the storms which had swept over England.

What the "_Magna Charta_" and "_Petition of Right_" had asserted in a
general way, was now by the "_Bill of Rights_," established by specific
enactments, which one after another declared what the King should and
what he should not do. One of these Acts touched the very central
nerve of English freedom.

If _religion_ and _money_ are the two important factors in the life of
a nation, it is _money_ upon which its life from day to day depends! A
Government can exist without money about as long as a man without air!
So the act which gave to the House of Commons exclusive power to grant
supplies, {128} and also to determine to what use they shall be
applied, transferred the real authority to the people, whose will the
Commons express.

The struggle between the Crown and Parliament ends with this, and the
theory of Pym is vindicated. The Sovereign and the House of Lords from
that time could no more take money from the Treasury of England, than
from that of France. Henceforth there can be no differences between
King and people. _They must be friends_. A Ministry which forfeits
the friendship of the Commons, cannot stand an hour, and supplies will
stop until they are again in accord. In other words, the Government of
England had become a Government _of the people_.

William regarded these enactments as evidence of a lack of confidence
in him. Conscious of his own magnanimous aims, of his power and his
purpose to serve England as she had not been served before, he felt
hurt and wounded at fetters which had not been placed upon such Kings
as Charles I. and his sons. We wonder that a man so exalted and so
superior, did not {129} see that it was for future England that these
laws were framed, for a time when perhaps a Prince not generous, and
noble, and pure should be upon the throne.

William was silent, grave, cold, reserved almost to sternness. He had
none of the qualities which awaken person