who was
therefore more eager than most of those who had been born Protestants to
take arms in defence of Protestantism. [421]

During June the meetings of those who were in the secret were frequent.
At length, on the last day of the month, the day on which the Bishops
were pronounced not guilty, the decisive step was taken. A formal
invitation, transcribed by Sidney but drawn up by some person more
skilled than Sidney, in the art of composition, was despatched to the
Hague. In this paper William was assured that nineteen twentieths of the
English people were desirous of a change, and would willingly join
to effect it, if only they could obtain the help of such a force from
abroad as might secure those who should rise in arms from the danger of
being dispersed and slaughtered before they could form themselves into
anything like military order. If his Highness would appear in the
island at the head of some troops, tens of thousands would hasten to
his standard. He would soon find himself at the head of a force greatly
superior to the whole regular army of England. Nor could that army
be implicitly depended on by the government. The officers were
discontented; and the common soldiers shared that aversion to Popery
which was general in the class from which they were taken. In the navy
Protestant feeling was still stronger. It was important to take some
decisive step while things were in this state. The enterprise would
be far more arduous if it were deferred till the King, by remodelling
boroughs and regiments, had procured a Parliament and an army on which
he could rely. The conspirators, therefore, implored the Prince to come
among them with as little delay as possible. They pledged their honour
that they would join him; and they undertook to secure the cooperation
of as large a number of persons as could safely be trusted with so
momentous and perilous a secret. On one point they thought it their
duty to remonstrate with his Highness. He had not taken advantage of the
opinion which the great body of the English people had formed respecting
the late birth. He had, on the contrary, sent congratulations to
Whitehall, and had thus seemed to acknowledge that the child who was
called Prince of Wales was rightful heir of the throne. This was a grave
error, and had damped the zeal of many. Not one person in a thousand
doubted that the boy was supposititious; and the Prince would be wanting
to his own interests if the suspicious