The San Francisco call., 1898-04-10

ed. only to end in exposure and the de- capitation of the chief movers on Tower Hill
 Ii is marvellous how William managed to escape all these dangers, and to maln- tain his hold on the affections or the EAS- fish people. It may be that he was only accepted as a pis aller. that the memory of Stuart tyranny and nlisruie was too recent in the minds of men to allow or the revival of this dynasty or II may ee' If Mir. Weyman's picture of the King IS correct that the was much in the man to command admiration and respect; that he had the inborn dignity of royalty ana a full share Of that mysterious magnetic power which compels allegiance.
 We see William first just at the tlme or the great assassination plot. "heh a scheme to waylay and murder him While out hunting came perilousiy near sue cess Our first glimpse or the monarch is at Kensington Court, when the mar rator of the story. a humble clerk. IS brought unexpectedly into the presence or the King.
 we stood upon the threshold of Wlde and splendid gallery, set here ana there with huge china vases and hung with pictures, which even then l discerned ID be of great beauty and afterwards learned were of no less value. Letting my eyes travel down this vista they paused na- turally on a spot under one of the win dows. where with his back to us and ribbons in his hands a slight gentleman, who stopped somewhat and was dressed in black ambled and paced in front or child of four or five years old. The Wihtry sunlight which fell in cold bars on the floor proved his progress to be more showy than real; nevertheless the cilliu shrieked in it's joy, and dancing, 1erheo -ad inU IT answer the gentleman, whose long curled periWig bobbed oddly on his shoulders he had his back to us-pranced more ana more stoutly, though on legs little thin and bent.
 Quite a pretty picture of royal relaxa- ton, illustrating the human side or klnsly life. It is the more remarkable when con trasted with the following description or Williams personal appearance: "He had a long. sallow face, which seemed the sal lower for the dark heavy wig that fell round it; a large hooked nose and fuil, peeyish lips, with eyes both bright ana morose. I am told that he seldom smiled and never laughed"
 Later on in the volume the hero, an insignificant individual of the name or Price, is again brought into personal con- tact with his monarch and thls tine we get an outline of the sterner side Of Will liam's character. The state council Is in uuiring into the abortive assassination plot and one of its prime instigators, Sir John Fenwick, is under examination. The King enters unannounced and very Quiet- ly. His entrance and words, abrupt, II not awkward lacked alike the grace which all remembered in Charles and the gloomy majesty which the second James had at his command. And men felt the lack. Yet as he took his stand, one hand lightly resting on the back of the Lord Stewards chair, the stopping, somber figure and sallow, withered face staring out of its great peruque had dignity of their own. For it could not be forgotten that he was that which no Stuart King of England from boyhood-at home, in all the camps of Flanders and the Rhine, familiar with every peril of battle and breach; at his ease anywhere, where other men blanched and drew back"
 These quotations illustrate MT. Wey- mans facile gift of character delineation. The Duke of Shrewsbury, Sir John Fen wick and various other notables of the time are pictured with equal strength But 1t is upon that mysterious parsonage known as Ferguson the Kingmaker that our author lavishes most of his talent. This master of bac5stairS intrigue plays a prominent part in the story, though 1t is impossible within the limits of a brief notice to unravel all the complications of plot and counterplot which crowd the pages of the book. Here is Ferguson as he first appears to the narrator: Such