Their wealth excited the cupidity of the whole alliance; and to that wealth their zeal was the key.

They were persecuted with sordid importunity by all their confederates, from Caesar, who, in the pride of his solitary dignity, would not honour King William with the title of Majesty, down to the smallest Margrave who could see his whole principality from the cracked windows of the mean and ruinous old house which he called his palace.

It was not enough that England and Holland furnished much more than their contingents to the war by land, and bore unassisted the whole charge of the war by sea.

They were beset by a crowd of illustrious mendicants, some rude, some obsequious, but all indefatigable and insatiable.

One prince came mumping to them annually with a lamentable story about his distresses.