the hands of any subject.  More than a century before Elizabeth had bestowed a part of the same territory on her favourite Leicester.  On that occasion the population of Denbighshire had risen in arms; and, after much tumult and several executions, Leicester had thought it advisable to resign his mistress’s gift back to her.  The opposition to Portland was less violent, but not less effective.  Some of the chief gentlemen of the principality made strong representations to the ministers through whose offices the warrant had to pass, and at length brought the subject under the consideration of the Lower House.  An address was unanimously voted requesting the King to stop the grant; Portland begged that he might not be the cause of a dispute between his master and the Parliament; and the King, though much mortified, yielded to the general wish of the nation.651

This unfortunate affair, though it terminated without an open quarrel, left much sore feeling.  The King was angry with the Commons, and still more angry with the Whig ministers who had not ventured to defend his grant.  The loyal affection which the Parliament had testified to him during the first days of the session had perceptibly cooled; and he was almost as unpopular as he had ever been, when an event took place which suddenly brought back to him the hearts of millions, and made him for a time as much the idol of the nation as he had been at the end of 1688.652

The plan of assassination which had been formed in the preceding spring had been given up in consequence of William’s departure for the Continent.  The plan of insurrection which had been formed in the summer had been given up for want of help from France.  But before the end of the autumn both plans were resumed.  William had returned to England; and the possibility of getting rid of him by a lucky shot or stab was again seriously discussed.  The French troops had gone into winter quarters; and the force, which Charnock had in vain demanded while war was raging round Namur, might now be spared without inconvenience.  Now, therefore, a plot was laid, more formidable than any that had yet threatened the throne and the life of William; or rather, as has more than once happened in our history, two plots were laid, one within the other.  The object of the greater plot was an open insurrection, an insurrection which was to be supported by a foreign army.  In this plot almost all the Jacobites of note were more or less concerned.  Some laid in arms; some bought horses; some made lists of the servants and tenants in whom they could place firm reliance.  The less warlike members of the party could at least take off bumpers to the King over the water, and intimate by significant shrugs and whispers that he would not be over the water long.  It was universally remarked that the malecontents looked wiser than usual when they were sober, and bragged more loudly than usual when they were drunk.653 To the smaller plot, of which the object was the murder of William, only a few select traitors were privy.