Just as, after ascending range beyond range we pause with some anxiety before the last mountain peak, as it comes into view, so, as this work went on, I became somewhat anxious when I came to the reign of William III. There are no more of those invaluable French despatches, which enable us to hold an almost personal interview with the two last Stuart kings; even the Venetian Reports break off at this point. The Dutch and English narratives, which serve as the basis of Macaulay's history, proved insufficient from the point of view which I had gained during the progress of my researches. It may be thought that the successful work of that great master in the art of descriptive history would have deterred me from my attempt; but, on the contrary, it acted as an incentive, since it breaks off just at the point where the great difficulties of the new government began, and the new system finally consolidated itself. I should not have been contented with my work had I not (to keep up the simile) attempted the ascent of this last height, from which I might hope to survey the past and the future, the whence and the whither of the history.

In this embarrassment I was fortunate enough to find actually at Berlin in the Secret Archives a hitherto unknown collection of despatches, which encouraged me to continue my labours.