It was soon announced by authority that, before the beginning of
summer, two hundred and twenty thousand men would be in the field
against France.7 The contingent which each of the allied powers
was to furnish was made known. Matters about which it would have
been inexpedient to put forth any declaration were privately
discussed by the King of England with his allies. On this
occasion, as on every other important occasion during his reign,
he was his own minister for foreign affairs. It was necessary for
the sake of form that he should be attended by a Secretary of
State; and Nottingham had therefore followed him to Holland. But
Nottingham, though, in matters concerning the internal government
of England, he enjoyed a large share of his master's confidence,
knew little more about the business of the Congress than what he
saw in the Gazettes.

This mode of transacting business would now be thought most
unconstitutional; and many writers, applying the standard of
their own age to the transactions of a former age, have severely
blamed William for acting without the advice of his ministers,
and his ministers for submitting to be kept in ignorance of
transactions which deeply concerned the honour of the Crown and
the welfare of the nation. Yet surely the presumption is that
what the most honest and honourable men of both parties,
Nottingham, for example, among the Tories, and Somers among the
Whigs, not only did, but avowed, cannot have been altogether
inexcusable; and a very sufficient excuse will without difficulty
be found.

The doctrine that the Sovereign is not responsible is doubtless