14 DE FOE AND HIS SOVEREIGN.

royal regiment of volunteer horse, made up of the chief citizens,” who at-
tended William and Mary on their first visit to Guildhall. Between William
and the sturdy political Dissenter there was a striking resemblance of char-
acter. Both were self-reserved, self-controlled men, masters of their emo-
tions, able to. preserve silence and to “stand alone.” Both had a sincere
respect for the principles of an enlightened toleration. Both shared the
same opinions on the necessity of counter-checking the preponderant power
of France. Even in religious matters the views and thoughts of the Luth-
eran King must have closely approximated to those of his Nonconformist
subject. Certain it is that the sympathy between the two was considerable.
William honoured De Foe with his confidence, and De Foe looked up to his
King with esteem and admiration. To the close of his life he celebrated as
a festival the memorable 4th of November, the day on which William landed
at Torbay,—‘“a day,” he exultingly wrote, ‘‘ famous on various accounts, and
every one of them dear to Britons who love their country, value the Pro-
testant interest, or have an aversion to tyranny and oppression. On this
day he was born; on this day he married the daughter of England; and on
this day he rescued the nation from a bondage worse than that of Egypt—
a bondage of soul as well as bodily servitude—a slavery to the ambition and
raging lust of a generation set on fire by pride, avarice, cruelty, and blood.” *

* Review, vol. iv. p. 453.