CHAP. III - Reduction of the Army in the Session of 1698, 1699

Summary

King William as yet did not feel himself seriously imperilled by the parliamentary opposition he had met with. The steps agreed on even proved useful to him in his European position, although they had not originally met his wishes. It made a general impression on the world, when it was seen that England by the late subscriptions proved herself still so wealthy after a long war, which had utterly exhausted all the other powers. This was one of the reasons why France was conciliatory and yielding over the first Partition-Treaty: and, besides, he thought there need be no hurry over the disbandment of the troops: for the funds set apart for this object had not yet begun to come in. Accordingly, when he left for Holland, the King gave orders that a far larger number of men than Parliament had voted should be retained. He held that this was sufficiently justified by the necessity of having the country properly defended with an army in the case of a vacancy to the Spanish throne. With the self-confidence of a good conscience he rose above the anxieties which Parliament had expressed about the security of the common freedom. For what had any one to fear from him? He had no children, no successor to care for: he was alone; he had nothing but the good of the nation at heart: for its own good the country must be armed.