several years in retirement at his hereditary seat in Cumberland.  He had planted forests round his house, and had employed Verrio to decorate the interior with gorgeous frescoes which represented the gods at their banquet of ambrosia.  Very reluctantly, and only in compliance with the earnest and almost angry importunity of the King, Lonsdale consented to leave his magnificent retreat, and again to encounter the vexations of public life.

Trumball resigned the Secretaryship of State; and the Seals which he had held were given to Jersey, who was succeeded at Paris by the Earl of Manchester.

It is to be remarked that the new Privy Seal and the new Secretary of State were moderate Tories.  The King had probably hoped that, by calling them to his councils, he should conciliate the opposition.  But the device proved unsuccessful; and soon it appeared that the old practice of filling the chief offices of state with men taken from various parties, and hostile to one another, or, at least, unconnected with one another, was altogether unsuited to the new state of affairs; and that, since the Commons had become possessed of supreme power, the only way to prevent them from abusing that power with boundless folly and violence was to intrust the government to a ministry which enjoyed their confidence.

While William was making these changes in the great offices of state, a change in which he took a still deeper interest was taking place in his own household.  He had laboured in vain during many months to keep the peace between Portland and Albemarle.  Albemarle, indeed, was all courtesy, good humour, and submission; but Portland would not be conciliated.  Even to foreign ministers he railed at his rival and complained of his master.  The whole Court was divided between the competitors, but divided very unequally.  The majority took the side of Albemarle, whose manners were popular and whose power was evidently growing.  Portland’s few adherents were persons who, like him, had already made their fortunes, and who did not therefore think it worth their while to transfer their homage to a new patron.  One of these persons tried to enlist Prior in Portland’s faction, but with very little success.  “Excuse me,” said the poet, “if I follow your example and my Lord’s.  My Lord is a model to us all; and you have imitated him to good purpose.  He retires with half a million.  You have large grants, a lucrative employment in Holland, a fine house.  I have nothing of the kind.  A court is like those fashionable churches into which we have looked at Paris.  Those who have received the benediction are instantly away to the Opera House or the wood of Boulogne.  Those who have not received the benediction are pressing and elbowing each other to get near the altar.  You and my Lord have got your blessing, and are quite right to take yourselves off with it.  I have not been blest, and must fight my way up as well as I can.”  Prior’s wit was his own.  But his worldly wisdom was common to him with multitudes; and the crowd of those who wanted to be lords of the bedchamber, rangers of parks, and lieutenants of counties, neglected Portland and tried to ingratiate themselves with Albemarle.