Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-09
The Gossip of History.

OOlH6 HONellstt IL uOb bGTlOun lis
torians, have attempted to draw flat
tering likenesses of James III, but
most men will be of the opinion that
he was fairly gibbeted by Macaulay.
The man looks SO contemplate, de
sorting young and pretty wife for
ugly mistresses. Il can't find what he
sees to admire in me- said Catherine
Sedley certainly it's not for my
beauty-and as to my wit, he has not
enough to see that l have any, The
accomplished Marquis of Halifax had
an equally poor opinion Of his intel
lect, and was wont to say to Charles
and James, that 'the elder could see
things if he would, while the younger
would see things if he could;' a cruel
sentence, which is yet something of a
compliment to the moral nature of
James. He must, indeed, have some
good qualities, for he was devotedly
served in the days of his exile, and
men rarely devoted themselves for a
principle which is not more or less
amiable incarnate. There is little
story told of James, which shows
that he possessed at least some of the
Stuart urbanity. He was sitting to
Sir Godfrey Kneiler for a portrait de-
signed as present to Pepys, when
the news of the landing of the Prince
of Orange was brought to him. The
king commanded the painter to pro.
coed and finish the portrait, that his
friend might not be disappointed. Of
James successful rival, on the other
hand, Macaulay's portrait must be
considered too fattering, especially
by contrast. William was not only
an unfaithful husband, but as osten-
tatious in his infidelities, as careless
of conventionalities, as little regardful
of his wife's feelings, as Charles III.
Now Maculay gives one a good deal
of precious information about the pri-
vate life of the two last Stuart Kings,
and touches but lightly on the fail
ings of William. He even goes out
of the way to praise the latter for
trying to compel one of his officers to
marry young lady whom he had
wronged-excellent counsel,no doubt,
but which must have come with bad
grace from man whose morals were
in no wise above the level of the age
in which he lived. There is an anec-
dote told of our Dutch ruler which re-
fleets some little credit on him, though
not much--for he could not hardly
have acted otherwise but which is
chiefly worth relating for the curious
light in which it sets the first consti-
tutional King of England. William
had sentenced an insubordinate regi-
ment to be decimated. The soldiers
accordingly drew lots, every tenth
man, Of course, drawing a prize-the
prize of death. Not unnaturally one
of the winners felt disposed to sell the
lot be had drawn, if haply he could
find a purchaser. One poor fellow
at length agreed to be shot in his
stead for hundred pistoles to be
paid to his relatives after his execu.
ton. William, having been informed
of the bargain, sent for the soldier,
and asked whether what he had been
told was true, Yes replied the man,
sulkily, 4 have run the risk of being
killed all my life for next to nothing
day, and now | can secure my wife
and children something substantial.
| am ready to de- William pardoned
the mamie could hardly do less,
and give him the hundred pistoles.
Martial law was formerly recognized
by Parliment in 1869, but the deci-
mated regiment must have been a
Dutch or German one, for English
public opinion would at no time have
tolerated such a barbarous mockery
of justice. Dutch ideas of liberty,
however, were always curious, and at
many times exhibited striking dis
crepancy on some points from English
ideas, and somehow or other, we in
cline to the latter as the sounder.
Yet there was much that was loyea-
bic i'll the character of William, who
was staunch friend and generous
foe, end perhaps he is the most esti-
mable in the long limo of our sover-
eigns, with the exception of Alfred,
and perhaps of Cromwell. -Cornhiu
Magazine.