Shehadconceivedstrongsuspicionswhichweredailyconfirmedbycircumstancestriflingorimaginary。ShefanciedthattheQueencarefullyshunnedherscrutiny，andascribedtoguiltareservewhichwasperhapstheeffectofdelicacy。377InthistemperAnnehaddeterminedtobepresentandvigilantwhenthecriticaldayshouldarrive。Butshehadnotthoughtitnecessarytobeatherpostamonthbeforethatday，andhad，incompliance，itwassaid，withherfather’sadvice，gonetodrinktheBathwaters。
Sancroft，whosegreatplacemadeithisdutytoattend，andonwhoseprobitythenationplacedentirereliance，hadafewhoursbeforebeensenttotheTowerbyJames。TheHydesweretheproperprotectorsoftherightsofthetwoPrincesses。TheDutchAmbassadormightberegardedastherepresentativeofWilliam，who，asfirstprinceofthebloodandconsortoftheKing’seldestdaughter，hadadeepinterestinwhatwaspassing。Jamesneverthoughtofsummoninganymember，maleorfemale，ofthefamilyofHyde；norwastheDutchAmbassadorinvitedtobepresent。
PosterityhasfullyacquittedtheKingofthefraudwhichhispeopleimputedtohim。Butitisimpossibletoacquithimoffollyandperversenesssuchasexplainandexcusetheerrorofhiscontemporaries。Hewasperfectlyawareofthesuspicionswhichwereabroad。378HeoughttohaveknownthatthosesuspicionswouldnotbedispelledbytheevidenceofmembersoftheChurchofRome，orofpersonswho，thoughtheymightcallthemselvesmembersoftheChurchofEngland，hadshownthemselvesreadytosacrificetheinterestsoftheChurchofEnglandinordertoobtainhisfavour。Thathewastakenbysurpriseistrue。Buthehadtwelvehourstomakehisarrangements。HefoundnodifficultyincrowdingSt。James’sPalacewithbigotsandsycophantsonwhosewordthenationplacednoreliance。ItwouldhavebeenquiteaseasytoprocuretheattendanceofsomeeminentpersonswhoseattachmenttothePrincessesandtotheestablishedreligionwasunquestionable。
Atalaterperiod，whenhehadpaiddearlyforhisfoolhardycontemptofpublicopinion，itwasthefashionatSaintGermainstoexcusehimbythrowingtheblameonothers。SomeJacobiteschargedAnnewithhavingpurposelykeptoutoftheway。Nay，theywerenotashamedtosaythatSancrofthadprovokedtheKingtosendhimtotheTower，inorderthattheevidencewhichwastoconfoundthecalumniesofthemalecontentsmightbedefective。379
Theabsurdityoftheseimputationsispalpable。CouldAnneorSancroftpossiblyhaveforeseenthattheQueen’scalculationswouldturnouttobeerroneousbyawholemonth？Hadthosecalculationsbeencorrect，AnnewouldhavebeenbackfromBath，andSancroftwouldhavebeenoutoftheTower，inampletimeforthebirth。AtalleventsthematernalunclesoftheKing’sdaughterswereneitheratadistancenorinaprison。Thesamemessengerwhosummonedthewholebevyofrenegades，Dover，Peterborough，Murray，Sunderland，andMulgrave，couldjustaseasilyhavesummonedClarendon。IftheywerePrivyCouncillors，sowashe。HishousewasinJermynStreet，nottwohundredyardsfromthechamberoftheQueen。YethewaslefttolearnatSt。