James never thought of summoning any member, male or female, of the family of Hyde; nor was the Dutch Ambassador invited to be present.
Posterity has fully acquitted the King of the fraud which his people imputed to him.

But it is impossible to acquit him of folly and perverseness such as explain and excuse the error of his contemporaries.
He was perfectly aware of the suspicions which were abroad.

[378] He ought to have known that those suspicions would not be dispelled by the evidence of members of the Church of Rome, or of persons who, though they might call themselves members of the Church of England, had shown themselves ready to sacrifice the interests of the Church of England in order to obtain his favour.

That he was taken by surprise is true.

But he had twelve hours to make his arrangements.