Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 36.djvu/361

Mary II upon that policy. As early as 1672 the scheme of a marriage between William, then in his twenty-third year, and Mary seems to have been discussed in Holland and known in France (, p. 75 and note). After the termination of the Dutch war which began in that year, the plan was revived (1674), as yet, however, without being countenanced by the English court. For since 1673 French diplomacy had begun to flatter the Duke of York with hopes of the dauphin's hand for his eldest daughter ; and as William was disliked by both the duke and Charles II, they declined to negotiate with him on the subject of a marriage, at all events till peace should have been concluded between the United Provinces and France (, i. 148. 158, 178 seqq.; and cf. ib. p. 159; Jones's Secret History of Whitehall). In 1675, however, the Dutch marriage scheme was taken up by Danby and his colleagues as part of their policy for pacifying parliament and public feeling (Life of James II, i. 500-502) ; and Charles II sanctioned the despatch of a special mission to Holland. The Prince of Orange, however, in his turn gave a cold reception to the overtures of the English envoys, who promised him the hand of the Princess Mary if he would agree to the general peace for which conferences were then opening ; nor was it till the autumn of 1677 that, taxing the negotiation into his own hands, he paid a visit to the English court. Though Mary was still so young — she had only in this year been confirmed by Bishop Compton — her father, who had at first refused his consent, yielded to the king's command (ib. i. 503;, Original Papers, i. 82). William probably thought there was no time to be lost; for in addition to the French designs there seems to have been talk of a Swedish suit ( ap., ii. 75). The peace of Nimeguen was still unsigned; and both in Holland and in England, where William was personally unpopular, it was feared that he might betray the interests of the alliance against France, without gaining the hand of the English princess. Barillon was assured by the Duke of York that no resolution concerning her marriage should be taken without the advice of Louis XIV, and the Austrian ambassador was perplexed by an inquiry whether the young king Charles II of Spain might be regarded as a possible suitor. But on 18 Oct. William, with the consent of the king, asked the duke for his daughter's hand, and on the 21st the duke, after excusing himself as best he could to Barillon, signified his approval of the match, which was announced by Charles to a privy council held on the following day as a proof of his care for 'religion' (Life of James II, i. 509). The publication of the announcement, though generally well received in England and celebrated by bonfires, seems to have aroused some suspicions that William had been caught in the toils of the royal policy ; but it was not till after the marriage articles had been promptly drawn up by Danby within three days that the prince entered into negotiations concerning the peace. The only hindrance to the speedy conclusion of the marriage was the delay caused by the ordering of the wedding dresses at Paris, a step which gave so much offence in the city that it was resolved to order no public festivities.

On the afternoon of 21 Oct. Mary was at St. James's Palace informed by her father of his assent to the match, ' whereupon she wept all that afternoon and the following day' (, p. 5). Divers complimentary audiences followed (ib. pp. 5, 24) ; and on 4 Nov. the wedding was solemnised by Bishop Compton in the bride's apartments. Waller composed the epithalamium (Works, ed. R. Bell. 1854, p. 200) : the jocosity was supplied by King Charles ; and there seems to have been no lack of loyal demonstrations in London (ib. p. 6). But the news of the engagement had excited great wrath in Louis XIV, who stopped the pension which he was paying to Charles II (, i. 181 seqq.) On the day after the wedding William, through Bentinck, presented his bride with a morgengabe of jewels, valued at 40,000l. (Lake). But the bitter experiences of her married life were not long in beginning. On 7 Nov. the Duchess of York gave birth to a son, and though he only survived for ten days, it was not an event likely to put Wiliiam in good humour. About the same time the Princess Anne was laid up with small-pox, and Mary could not be induced by her husband to leave the infected palace of St. James's, where she sought comfort from her chaplain, Dr. Lake (Diary, p. 9). Contrary winds delayed the departure of the prince and princess, and in the interval William, who was absorbed in the peace negotiations, took little notice of his bride. There was a discrepancy of twelve years between their ages, he was in feeble health and taciturn, and the prospect of leaving England seemed full of wretchedness to her in her solitude.

On the morning of 19 Nov. the prince and princess took boat from Whitehall, in the company of the entire royal family, but unfavourable weather obliged them to make a détour by Canterbury, where they remained from 23 to 26 Nov. On the 28th they at last set sail from Margate (Lake, pp. 9-12 ; cf.