the King and his few adherents, misled by their wishes, were disposed to
believe.

On the sixteenth of October, according to the English reckoning, was
held a solemn sitting of the States of Holland. The Prince came to bid
them farewell. He thanked them for the kindness with which they had
watched over him when he was left an orphan child, for the confidence
which they had reposed in him during his administration, and for the
assistance which they had granted to him at this momentous crisis. He
entreated them to believe that he had always meant and endeavoured to
promote the interest of his country. He was now quitting them, perhaps
never to return. If he should fall in defence of the reformed religion
and of the independence of Europe, he commended his beloved wife to
their care. The Grand Pensionary answered in a faltering voice; and in
all that grave senate there was none who could refrain from shedding
tears. But the iron stoicism of William never gave way; and he stood
among his weeping friends calm and austere as if he had been about to
leave them only for a short visit to his hunting grounds at Loo. [496]

The deputies of the principal towns accompanied him to his yacht. Even
the representatives of Amsterdam, so long the chief seat of opposition
to his administration, joined in paying him this compliment. Public
prayers were offered for him on that day in all the churches of the
Hague.

In the evening he arrived at Helvoetsluys and went on board of a frigate
called the Brill. His flag was immediately hoisted. It displayed the
arms of Nassau quartered with those of England. The motto, embroidered
in letters three feet long, was happily chosen. The House of Orange had
long used the elliptical device, "I will maintain." The ellipsis was now
filled up with words of high import, "The liberties of England and the
Protestant religion."

The Prince had not been many hours on board when the wind became fair.
On the nineteenth the armament put to sea, and traversed, before a
strong breeze, about half the distance between the Dutch and English
coasts. Then the wind changed, blew hard from the west, and swelled into
a violent tempest. The ships, scattered and in great distress, regained
the shore of Holland as they best might. The Brill reached Helvoetsluys
on the twenty-first. The Prince's fellow passengers had observed with
admiration that neither peril nor mortification had for one moment
disturbed his composure. He