The coffeehouse politicians were confident that he was about to hold some high office.

As yet, however, he had the wisdom to be content with the reality of power, and to leave the show to others.

[475] His opinion was that, as long as the King tried to balance the two great parties against each other, and to divide his favour equally between them, both would think themselves ill used, and neither would lend to the government that hearty and steady support which was now greatly needed.

His Majesty must make up his mind to give a marked preference to one or the other; and there were three weighty reasons for giving the preference to the Whigs.
In the first place, the Whigs were on principle attached to the reigning dynasty.

In their view the Revolution had been, not merely necessary, not merely justifiable, but happy and glorious.