The English naval commander, Admiral Russell, like many of William's
pretended friends and supporters, had been engaged in treasonable
correspondence with James II. If the latter succeeded in recovering
his crown, the Admiral hoped to bask in the sunshine of royal favor;
but he later changed his mind and fought so bravely in the sea fight
off La Hogue that the French supporters of James were utterly beaten.
King William, however, continued his Continental wars for the next
five years, until, by the Peace of Ryswick, in Holland, 1697, Louis
XIV bound himself to recognize William as King of England, the
Princess Anne[1] as his successor, to withdraw all support from James,
and to place the chief fortresses of the Netherlands, or Low
Countries, in the hands of the Dutch garrisons. The Peace of Ryswick
marked the end of the conspiracy between Louis and the Stuarts to turn
England into a Roman Catholic country dependent on France (SS477,
488). When William went in solemn state to return thanks for the
conclusion of the war, it was to the new cathedral of St. Paul's,
which Wren had nearly completed (S474), and which was then first used
for public worship.
[1] The second (Protestant) daughter of James II. See Genealogical
Table, p. 323.