180 The Bishop’s Palace at Salisbury. 
Then the King had time to reflect upon what might have happened 
if he had gone west. Macaulay continues :— 
“There could no longer be any doubt that Kirke too was in league with the 
Prince of Orange. It was rumoured that he had actually gone over with all 
his troops to the enemy, and the rumour, though false, was for some hours 
fully believed. A new light flashed on the mind of the unhappy King. He 
thought he understood why he had been pressed, a few days before, to visit 
Warminster.” 
Oppressed by some such reflections as Macaulay puts into his mind, 
the King fled from Salisbury on 22nd November, and finally went 
down the Thames. But only a few days later, on Tuesday, 4th 
December, another visitor came to the palace, William of Orange, 
so that Salisbury was at that time almost the central point of the 
great events of the year 1688. There were other things which took 
place in the house of very great interest. Perhaps the most im- 
portant, though I dare say it was thought very little of at the time, 
was the ordination as deacon of Joseph Butler, afterwards Bishop 
of Durham, in the palace chapel, 28th October, 1718. When Butler 
was at Oriel College, he had become, like many others, a warm 
friend of Edward Talbot, then a fellow of the College, who intro- 
duced him to his father. Butler was ordained quite alone, and only 
a few months before his ordination as a priest. We may imagine 
the scene in that little chapel, which has been, comparatively 
speaking, very slightly altered since that time, and realize the im- 
portance of the vows and resolutions then made as the young man 
knelt before the holy table. Lastly, I will mention that, when 
I had the happiness of being presented to Her Gracious Majesty at 
Balmoral in 1885, I ventured to remind her that she had once been 
1 Tarpot Rearister, 1718, fol. 4a. 
“‘Ordines sacri et generales per dictum Reverendum patrem in oratorio 
infra Palatium Episcopale Sarum celebrati die Dominico Vicesimo sexto silicet 
die mensis Octobris anno domini millesimo septingentesimo decimo octavo scilicet. 
“Josephus Butler Artium Baccalaureus e coll. Oriel . Oxon. 
“ ordinatus fuit in diaconum.” 
On 21st December in the same year Joseph Butler was the only priest 
ordained by the same bishop, at St. James’ Church, Westminster, with several 
other deacons. 
