the king should be
petitioned in an address to remove such persons from his presence and
councils. This was a stroke aimed at the earl of Nottingham, whose
office of secretary Hambden desired to possess; but his motion was not
seconded, the court-members observing that James did not depute these
lords to the prince of Orange because they were attached to his own
interest, but for a very different reason, namely, that they were well
known to disapprove of his measures, and therefore would be the more
agreeable to his highness. The house however voted an address to the
king, desiring that the authors of the miscarriages might be brought to
condign punishment.

{WILLIAM AND MARY, 1688--1701.}

WILLIAM IRRITATED AGAINST THE WHIGS.

In the sequel, the question was proposed, Whether a placeman ought to
have a seat in the house? and a very warm debate ensued: but it was
carried in the affirmative, on the supposition that by such exclusion
the commonwealth would be deprived of some of the ablest senators of the
kingdom. But what chiefly irritated William against the whigs was their
backwardness in promoting the public service, and their disregard of the
earnest desire he expressed to see his revenue settled for life. He said
his title was no more than a pageant, and the worst of all governments
was that of a king without treasure. Nevertheless, they would not grant
the civil list for a longer term than one year. They began to think
there was something arbitrary in his disposition. His sullen behaviour
in all probability first infused this opinion, which was strengthened
and confirmed by the insinuations of his enemies. The Scots who had come
up to London to give an account of the proceedings in their parliament,
were infected with the same notion. One Simpson, a presbyterian of that
country, whom the earl of Portland employed as a spy, had insinuated
himself into the confidence of Nevil Payne, an active and intelligent
partisan and agent of king James; by which means he supplied the earl
with such intelligence as raised him to some degree of credit with that
minister. This he used in prepossessing the earl against the king's best
friends, and infusing jealousies which were soon kindled into mutual
distrust and animosity.

PLOT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

Sir James Montgomery, who had been a warm advocate for the revolution,
received advice that the court suspected him and others of disaffection,
and was employed