ions of allegiance, but by
military honour, by personal gratitude, and, as appeared to superficial
observers, by the strongest ties of interest. But Churchill himself was
no superficial observer. He knew exactly what his interest really was.
If his master were once at full liberty to employ Papists, not a single
Protestant would be employed. For a time a few highly favoured servants
of the crown might possibly be exempted from the general proscription in
the hope that they would be induced to change their religion. But even
these would, after a short respite, fall one by one, as Rochester had
already fallen. Churchill might indeed secure himself from this danger,
and might raise himself still higher in the royal favour, by conforming
to the Church of Rome; and it might seem that one who was not less
distinguished by avarice and baseness than by capacity and valour
was not likely to be shocked at the thought of hearing amass. But so
inconsistent is human nature that there are tender spots even in seared
consciences. And thus this man, who had owed his rise to his sister's
dishonour, who had been kept by the most profuse, imperious, and
shameless of harlots, and whose public life, to those who can look
steadily through the dazzling blaze of genius and glory, will appear a
prodigy of turpitude, believed implicitly in the religion which he had
learned as a boy, and shuddered at the thought of formally abjuring it.
A terrible alternative was before him. The earthly evil which he most
dreaded was poverty. The one crime from which his heart recoiled was
apostasy. And, if the designs of the court succeeded, he could not
doubt that between poverty and apostasy he must soon make his choice. He
therefore determined to cross those designs; and it soon appeared that
there was no guilt and no disgrace which he was not ready to incur, in
order to escape from the necessity of parting either with his places or
with his religion. [270]

It was not only as a military commander, high in rank, and distinguished
by skill and courage, that Churchill was able to render services to the
opposition. It was, if not absolutely essential, yet most important, to
the success of William's plans that his sister in law, who, in the order
of succession to the English throne, stood between his wife and himself,
should act in cordial union with him. All his difficulties would have
been greatly augmented if Anne had declared herself favourable to the
Indulge