There were honest men of the other party who would have answered, To stand by the liberties of England and the Protestant religion, and, if necessary, to die for them like Sidney.
But such consistency was unintelligible to many of the noble and the powerful.

Their object was to be safe in every event.

They therefore openly took the oath of allegiance to one King, and secretly plighted their word to the other.

They were indefatigable in obtaining commissions, patents of peerage, pensions, grants of crown land, under the great seal of William; and they had in their secret drawers promises of pardon in the handwriting of James.
Among those who were guilty of this wickedness three men stand preeminent, Russell, Godolphin and Marlborough.

No three men could be, in head and heart, more unlike to one another; and the peculiar qualities of each gave a peculiar character to his villany.