James estimated the force with which he should be able to meet the invaders at near forty thousand troops, exclusive of the militia.

[482] The navy and army were therefore far more than sufficient to repel a Dutch invasion.

But could the navy, could the army, be trusted?
Would not the trainbands flock by thousands to the standard of the deliverer?
The party which had, a few years before, drawn the sword for Monmouth would undoubtedly be eager to welcome the Prince of Orange.

And what had become of the party which had, during seven and forty years, been the bulwark of monarchy?
Where were now those gallant gentlemen who had ever been ready to shed their blood for the crown?
Outraged and insulted, driven from the bench of justice and deprived of all military command, they saw the peril of their ungrateful Sovereign with undisguised delight.

Where were those priests and prelates who had, from ten thousand pulpits, proclaimed the duty of obeying the anointed delegate of God?
Some of them had been imprisoned: some had been plundered: all had been placed under the iron rule of the High Commission, and had been in hourly fear lest some new freak of tyranny should deprive them of their freeholds and leave them without a morsel of bread.