The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-04-26
TBE GOSSIP OF HISTORY.

Some novelists, If no serious historians,
have attempted to draw hattering like
nesses of James H., but most men will be
of opinion that he was fairly gibbeted by
Macaulay. The man LOOKS so contempti-
BILE, desertinga young and pretty wife for
ugly mistresses. II can't find what he
admires in me-" said Catharine Sedley (;
Certainly 'tis not for my beauty, and as
to my wit, he has not enough to see that
/ have any" The accomplished Marquis
of Halifax had an equally poor opinion
of his intellect, and was wont to say of
Charles and James, that "the elder could
see things II 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 had some good
qualities, for he was devotedly served in
the days of his exile, and men rarely de-
vote themselves for principle which is
not more or less amiCably 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 Kneller for q portrait inten'
ded as present to Pepys, when the news
of the landing of the Prince of Orange
was brought to him. The King comman-
ded the painter to proceed and finish the
portrait, that his friend might not be dis
appointed. OF Jamess successful rival,
on the other hand, Macaulay's portrait
must not be considered too hattering,
especially by contrast. William was not
only an unfaithful husband, but as
ostentatious in his fidelities, as careless
of conventionalities, as little regardful Of
his wife's feelings as Charles II. Now,
Macaulay gives one a good deal Of pre-
else information about the private life
of the two last Stuart Kings, and touches
but lightly on the failings of William. He
even goes out of the way to praise the lat
ter 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 q man whose morals were in
no wise above the level of the age in
which he lived. There IS an anecdote
told of our Dutch ruler which reflects
some little credit on him, though not
much-for he could hardly have acted
otherwise which is chiefly worth
relating for the curious light in which it
sets the first constitutional King of Eng
land, William had sentenced an insu-
bordinate regiment to be deCimated The
soldiers accordingly drew lots, every
tenth man, of course, drawing prize, the
prize of death. Not unnaturally ore of
the winners felt disposed to sell the lot
he had drawn, if haply he could find a
purchaser. One poor fellow at length
agreed to be shot in his stead, if 100 pis-
toles were paid to his relatives after his
execution. William, having been inform
ed of the bargain, sent for the soldier,
and asked whether what he had been
told was true. eyes" replied the man,
sulkily, 81 have run the risk all my life
for next to nothing day, and now | can
secure my wife and children something
substantial. l am ready to die" Will
liam pardoned the mamie could hard
ly do less, and gave him the hundred
pistoles. Martial was formally recognll-
zed by Parliament in 1899, but the deci'
mated regiment must have been a Dutch
or German one, for English public opin'
ion would at no time have tolerated such
a barbarous mockery of justice. Dutch
ideas of liberty, however, were always
curious, or at any rate exhibited strl'
king discrepancy on some points from
English ideas; and, somehow or other,
we incline to the latter as the sounder.
Yet there was much that was lovable IN
the character of William, who was a gen.
erous foe and staunch friend; and per-
haps he is the most estimable in the long
line of our sovereigns, with the excep'
ton of Alfred, and perhaps of Cromwell
-COrnbB Magazine