Ayrshire > Volume 2

igo HISTORY OF AYRSHIRE
Meanwhile events in Great Britain were moving
steadily onwards towards revolution. No warnings, no
experience, could teach James VII. wisdom, and William
of Orange began to prepare against eventualities, so that
he might be ready to respond to the call of his friends
in this country as soon as they should reckon the time
opportune for striking a blow at the Stuart dynasty, and
for civil and religious liberty. There was much
negotiating to be done with the German Princes so as to
ensure the success of the enterprise, and in these
Bentinck played a prominent part. Events reached a
head in t688, and the final arrangements had to be
carried through with great speed. Here again Bentinck
rendered yeoman service. In three days he succeeded
in collecting a transport fleet of three hundred vessels ;
and when these put to sea, he was in close attendance
upon the Prince. King James made haste to escape,
and there was no desire on the part of the revolutionists
— revolutionists only in name, for as soon as they
reached the shores of England they were welcomed as
the defenders of the constitutional liberties of the
people — to stay his going. He was captured, none the
less. The news was communicated to the Prince by
Bentinck, who advised him to take measures to ensure
James's safety. This was done, James was allowed to
embark for France, and the Revolution was complete.
Bentinck was now at the opening of a long, a useful,
and a varied career in the service of his Sovereign and of
his adopted country ; a career not by any means without
its attendant difficulties, accompanied throughout by
the jealousies and the rivalries that were inseparable
from the fact that he was of another race from the
politicians and statesmen by whom he was for the most
part surrounded, but which nevertheless was marked by
great devotion to the service of the Crown and by
scrupulous honesty and straightforwardness. At its
very opening he received signal marks of his Sovereign's
regard. He was created Baron Cirencester, Viscount
Woodstock, and Earl of Portland, and appointed Groom