Perhaps Queen Mary might not have objected to a provision being made for her sister, had it not been the decision of parliament that the fifty thousand pounds they granted Anne should be deducted from King William's income. But she did not get it, for her brother-in-law managed to postpone the payment of the money throughout the summer, and Anne became deeply involved in debt. So much ill-feeling had grown up between her and her sister in consequence of this pecuniary difficulty that she resolved {379}to remove from Hampton Court. An excellent excuse offered itself in the illness of her baby, for he did not thrive for the first two or three months of his existence, and it was thought change of air would benefit him. Lord Craven offered his fine house at Kensington for the prince's nursery; and just before his removal a young Quakeress, named Mrs. Pack, was engaged to nurse him. Anne was soon gratified by seeing a decided improvement in her child, who was taken out every day to get the air in a little carriage drawn by a pair of ponies no larger than goodsized dogs. These animals were led by Dick Drury, the Prince of Denmark's coachman. Meanwhile the Earl of Marlborough returned from Holland, when he and his wife put their heads together and took such decided steps in favor of Anne's income that before the end of the year the Commons intimated to the king the propriety of allowing her fifty thousand pounds. The Protestant branch of the royal family firmly held the reins of government in England at last but they were no happier than the exiled Catholic portion, and dissatisfaction had grown steadily among the masses. James II. had left his country free from debt. One year after his deposition the revenue was minus three millions of pounds. The king had not spent it all; but dishonesty was the order of the day, and whoever could obtain a government contract, whether for raising a regiment, provisioning, or clothing the army in Ireland, or providing ammunition for the navy, stole more than half the sum they received. They took advantage of the unsettled state of public affairs to enrich themselves. Thus the English navy--the pride of the sailor-king, James--sustained a shameful defeat, and the seamen were perfectly well aware that it was not lack of skill and bravery on their part that caused it. The soldiers in Ire land {380}were supplied with bad food and damaged clothing, and many of them died of disease. [Illustration: 0386] James had never permitted the merchant ships to be taxed for the protection they received from war-vessels; but now the convoy money reached such an enormous sum that the merchants sent an appeal to parliament to relieve them of such a dreadful tax. One of the worst offenders in exacting this extortion was Captain Churchill, brother to the Earl of Marlborough, and so serious was the charge brought against him that he {381}was expelled from the House of Commons, of which he was a member, and deprived of his vessel.