Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/434

 430 MOLESWORTH. in 1688, he distinguished himself by an early and zealous appearance for the Revolution, which rendered him so obnoxious to King James, that he was attainted and his estate sequestered by that King's Parliament, May 2nd, 1689. But when King William was settled on the throne, he called this sufferer, for whom he had a particular esteem, into his privy council, and in 1692, sent him envoy extraordinary to the court of Denmark. There he resided above three years, till some particulars in his conduct disobliging his Danish majesty, he was forbidden the court: pretending business in Flanders, he retired thither without any audience of leave, and came from thence home, where he was no sooner arrived, than he drew up “An Account of Denmark,” in which he represented the government of that country as arbitrary and tyrannical. This piece was greatly resented by Prince George of Denmark, consort to the Princess, afterwards Queen Anne; and Scheel the Danish envoy, first presented a memorial to King William, complaining of i t , and then furnished materials for a n answer, which was executed by Dr. William King. From King's account, i t appears that Molesworth's offence i n Denmark was his boldly pretend ing t o some privileges which, b y the custom o f the country, are denied t o every body but the king, a s travelling the king's road, and hunting the king's game; the doing which, a s i s represented, i n defiance o f oppo sition, occasioned the rupture between the envoy and that court. I f this allegation have any truth, the fault lay certainly altogether o n the side o f Molesworth, whose disregard o f the customs o f the country t o which h e was sent, i t i s impossible t o defend. I n the mean time, this book was well received b y the public, reprinted thrice (once a s lately a s 1758), and trans lated into several languages. The spirit o f i t was parti cularly approved b y the Earl o f Shaftesbury, author o f the “Characteristics,” who from thence conceived a great esteem for him, which afterwards ripened into a close friendship.