Whilst parliament had been engaged with the measures just noticed, king James, prostrated by the defeat of his schemes of invasion and assassination, had gone to do penance amongst the monks of La Trappe, and was fasting and flagellating himself to bring back, if possible by such moans, the favour of heaven. But every hope was really growing further off from him. Louis, sick of the war, was already making secret overtures to William for a peace, and admiral Russell and Sir Cloudesley Shovel were committing fresh devastations on the French ports, which made the French people curse the war and James to boot. Early in March Sir Cloudesley Shovel bombarded Calais and blockaded the coast, and the unfortunate inhabitants ascribed all their miseries to the protection of James, under whose imbecile management they declared no enterprise could ever succeed.
Arrest of Sir John Fenwick.
Whilst our fleet was thus distressing the French coast, our army in Flanders, equally indignant at the attempted murder of the king, determined to show their resentment by some decisive blow. Louis, in expectation that all the energies of England would be required to defend its own coast from the proposed invasion, had calculated on being able to make advantage of it in the Netherlands. He had, therefore, collected vast supplies of arms, ammunition, and provisions at Givet, intending, while the allies were left in feebleness by the absence of the English troops, to make himself master of a good many towns in Flanders. But in the beginning of March the earl of Athlone and Cohorn, the great engineer.
