broke's

ters on the

Vol. II p.

vantage. Though he was not a catholic in perfuafion, he favoured those that were, pro

vided

"have been taken of the divifions which religion oc

cafioned; and fupporting the proteftant party in. "France, would have kept that crown under restraints, "and under inabilities, in fome measure equal to those "which were occafioned anciently by the vaft aliena

6

tions of its demefnes, and by the exorbitant power of "its vaffals. But James the first was incapable of (*) Boling-thinking with fenfe, or acting with spirit." (k) And the writer of Tom Tell-Troath, addreffed to Audy and ufe James, and printed about the year 1622, has the folof hiftory, lowing paffage. "They (the French proteftants) are 181. 8vo. "indeed fo many hostages which God almighty has Lond. 1752. put into your majefties hands to fecure you, and your "majefties dominions, from all danger of that coun"try; and to lofe them were no other (in my opi"nion) than wilfully to tempt God, to deliver us into "the hands of our enemies. As long as God hath any "children in France, we fhall be fure to have bre"thren there. But they once gone, your brother of "France will quickly fhew whofe child he is, and how "incompatible the obedience he owes him (the pope) is "with any good will he can bear your majestie. Since "then the Tye you have upon that prince's friendfhip is " of fo loose a knot, what can your majefty do better "for yourself, and yours, than to keep his enmity ftill "clogged, by cherishing and maintaining fo good a (Harleian party in his country, as thofe of the religion." (1) Mifcellany, What Mr. Kelly means by faying James made the intereft of the proteftants his own, on more than one occafion, I know not. He refers us indeed to the em(m) See Kel. baffies of Sir Edward Herbert, and the earl of Carlisle iv's fupple into France, in order to intercede for the Hugonots, marks on the latter of whom he obferves from Rapin, spent vast the life of fums, and confequently his mafter must be much in earnest to do them service. (m) But what service did James do them? what fuccefs had his applications?

Vol. II.

512.

'mental re

James I. P.

7. fol. Lond.

none

1

vided they would fwear allegiance unto him;
and he not only relaxed [4 c] the rigour of
the

none; and therefore we may be fure, he very little re-
garded them. Had this gentleman known the charac
ter of the earl of Carlifle as one of the most expensive,
luxurious men then living, he would have interpreted
the words of Rapin as he ought. The vaft fums spent
by Carlisle, were not on the bufinefs of the Hugonots,
or to promote their affairs; but in dress, equipage and
house-keeping, in which he knew no bounds. But I
afk pardon for taking so much notice of the mistakes of
a writer of fo little confequence, either as to know-
ledge or judgment.

[4 c] He not only relaxed the rigor of the laws in their favour, but confented to fuch terms for them in the marriage articles with Spain and France, as few of his proteftant's fubjects approved.] It appears from a letter of Matthew Hutton, archbishop of York, to Cecyll, lord Cranborne, dated December 18, 1604, that the papifts by" reafon of some extraordinary favour "were grown mightily in number, courage, and in"fluence." (a) They were in great hopes of a tolera- (a) Wintion, when they faw fames fet against the puritans; wood, Vol. and it became fo much the general expectation among them, that in order to clear himself of having inten tions of granting it to them, his majefty thought proper to declare that he never intended it, and would spend the last drop of his blood before he would do it, "and uttered that imprecation on his pofterity, if they "fhould maintain any other religion, than what he "truly profeffed and maintained," of which I have before taken notice. (b)

66

(b) Id. p. Not content herewith, he ordered the laws against 49. and note [II] them to be put in execution, and they underwent many of them great hardships. (c) Upon the difcovery (c) See of the popish plot, there was a general profecution of all papists set on foot, as might well be expected:"but

Ofborn, p.

481.

(d) Burnet, Vol. I. p.

(e) See Wood's Athenæ Oxon. Vol.

1. col. 553. (f) Winwood, Vol.

the laws in their favour, but confented to fuch

"king James was very uneafy at it, fays Burnet, "which was much encreased by what Sir Dudley Carl"ton told him upon his return from Spain, where he "had been ambaffador; (which I had from lord Hollis, "who faid to me, that Sir Dudley Carlton told it to "himself, and was much troubled when he saw it had "an effect contrary to what he had intended.) When "he came home, he found the king at Theobald's, "hunting in a very careless and unguarded manner : "and upon that, in order to the putting him on a "more careful looking to himself, he told the king he "muft either give over that way of hunting, or stop "another hunting he was engaged in, which was priest "hunting: For he had intelligence in Spain, that the "priests were comforting themselves with this, that if " he went on against them, they would foon get rid of "him. The king fent for him in private to en"quire more particularly into this; and he faw it had "made a great impreffion on him, but wrought other"wife than he intended. For the king refolved to gra"tify his humour in hunting, and in a careless and ir"regular way of life, did immediately order all that "profecution to be let fall. I have the minutes of the "council books of the year 1606, which are full of or"ders to discharge and transport priests, fometimes ten in a day." (d)-I was inclined at first to call this whole ftory of Burnet's into queftion, by reason that Carleton was never ambaffador into Spain: (e) but on further fearch find it probable enough.

For Carleton, in the year 1605, accompanied the lord Norris into Spain, and there might hear what he is faid to have spoken to James. (f) So that there is only a fmall mistake in Burnet, and his account is very probable. For tho' laws were enacted against the catholics, Birch's and the judges commanded on occafion to put them in negotiation, execution, yet James had a great affection for them, and conferred on them many marks of his favour.

11. p. 54, 57. and

view of the

8.227.

Let

fuch terms for them, in the marriage articles

with

Let us hear an indifputable writer on this matter, even James himself. "Not only, fays he, the papifts themfelves grew to that hight of pride, in confidence of

my mildness, as they did directly expect, and "affuredly promife to themselves libertie of conscience, "and equalitie with other of my subjects in all things; "but even a number of the best and faithfullieft of my " said subjects, were caft in great fear and amazement "of my courfe and proceedings, ever prognosticating "and justly fufpecting that fowre fruit to come of it, "which fhewed itself early in the powder-treason. "How many did I honor with knighthood, of known "and open recufants? how indifferently did I give au"dience, and acceffe to both fides, beitowing equally "all favours and honors on both profeffions? How free "and continual acceffe had all ranks and degrees of pa"pifts in my court and company? and above all, how

frankly and freely did I free recufants of their ordi"nary paiments? Befides, it is evident what ftrait or"der was given out of my own mouth to the judges, to "fpare the execution of all priefts (notwithstanding "their conviction) joining thereunto a gracious procla"mation, whereby all priefts that were at liberty, and "not taken, might goe out of the country by fuch a day my general pardon having been extended to all "convicted prie fts in prifon: whereupon they were set

86

at libertie as good fubjects: and all priests that were "taken after, fent over, and fet at libertie there. But "time and paper will fail me, to make enumeration of "all the benefits and favours that I bestowed in general, and particular upon papists." (g). There is a (g) King The Howards, moft works, P. James's great deal of truth in thefe lines. of them catholics, were advanced to honors and power 253. by him; the families of Petre, and Arundel, of the fame perfuafion, were admitted into the peerage; and in the latter part of his reign, we find Villiers his mother made a countefs, and Calvert, fecretary of state,

created

(b) Record

of fome worthy

proceedings in the howife, and

nourable,

with Spain and France, as but very few of his

66

created lord Baltimore, though they were openly of the Romifh communion. In the year 1610, we find the commons complaining of the "non execution of the "laws against the priests, who, fay they, are the corrupters of the people in religion and loyalty," and, continue they, in a petition to James," many recu"fants have already compounded, and (as it is to be feared) more and more (except your majefty, in your great wildom, prevent the fame) will compound with "thofe that beg their penalties, which maketh the laws altogether fruitlefs, or of little or none effect, and "the offenders to become bold, obdurate, and uncon"formable. Wherefore they entreat his majestie to lay "his royal commands upon all his minifters of juftice "both ecclefiaftical and civil, to fee the laws made "against Jefuits, feminarie priefts and recufants (of "what kind and fect foever) to be duly and exactly exe"cuted, without dread or delay. And that his ma

66

jeftie would be pleafed likewife to take into his own "hands the penalties due for recufancie, and that the fame be not converted to the private gain of fome, to his majefties infinite lofs, the emboldening of the papifts, and decay of true religion." (b)(b)-But notwithstanding thefe complaints of the parliament; notwithstanding James's own heart bled, when he heard of the increafe of popery, by the marriage articles with Spain and France, many things were granted in their favour, and confequently the papifts were mightily encouraged. The Infanta was to be allowed a chapel in the palace, the late parand a public church in London; all her fervants were liament, p. to be catholics, under the authority of a bishop, or his 19. printed vicar; they were not to be liable to the laws of England with regard to religion; though the children begot on her body fhould be catholics, they might not lofe the right of fucceeding to the kingdom and dominions of Great Britain; and they were to be brought up by her till the age of ten years. Befides thefe articles,

faithful houfe of

commons, in

in 1611.

12mo.