ing to great orators and
philosophers, and which is often found in persons who, if judged by
their conversation or by their writings, would be pronounced simpletons.
Indeed, when a man possesses this tact, it is in some sense an advantage
to him that he is destitute of those more showy talents which would
make him an object of admiration, of envy, and of fear. Sidney was a
remarkable instance of this truth. Incapable, ignorant, and dissipated
as he seemed to be, he understood, or rather felt, with whom it was
necessary to be reserved, and with whom he might safely venture to be
communicative. The consequence was that he did what Mordaunt, with
all his vivacity and invention, or Burnet, with all his multifarious
knowledge and fluent elocution never could have done. [415]

With the old Whigs there could be no difficulty. In their opinion there
had been scarcely a moment, during many years, at which the public
wrongs would not have justified resistance. Devonshire, who might
be regarded as their chief, had private as well as public wrongs to
revenge. He went into the scheme with his whole heart, and answered for
his party. [416]

Russell opened the design to Shrewsbury. Sidney sounded Halifax.
Shrewsbury took his part with a courage and decision which, at a later
period, seemed to be wanting to his character. He at once agreed to
set his estate, his honours, and his life, on the stake. But Halifax
received the first hint of the project in a way which showed that it
would be useless, and perhaps hazardous, to be explicit. He was indeed
not the man for such an enterprise. His intellect was inexhaustibly
fertile of distinctions and objections; his temper calm and
unadventurous. He was ready to oppose the court to the utmost in the
House of Lords and by means of anonymous writings: but he was little
disposed to exchange his lordly repose for the insecure and agitated
life of a conspirator, to be in the power of accomplices, to live in
constant dread of warrants and King's messengers, nay, perhaps, to end
his days on a scaffold, or to live on alms in some back street of the
Hague. He therefore let fall some words which plainly indicated that
he did not wish to be privy to the intentions of his more daring and
impetuous friends. Sidney understood him and said no more. [417]

The next application was made to Danby, and had far better success.
Indeed, for his bold and active spirit the danger and the excitement,
which were insu