wife, or rather honest, those were who admitted him without any limitations, or restrictions, is not over difficult to guefs (w). Elizabeth "of the fame nature on the Cecilian fide, much more "pleasant but lefs chargeable, for it cost nothing but "wit. The queen having for a good while not heard any thing from Scotland, and being thirfty of news, "it fell out that her majefty going to take the air to"wards the heath (the court being then at Greenwich) "and master secretary Cecil then attending her, a post "came croffing by, and blew his horn; the queen out "of curiofity afked him from whence the dispatch. 66 came; and being answered, from Scotland, the stops "the coach, and calleth for the packet. The fecreta66 ry, though he knew there were in it fome letters "from his correfpondents, which to discover were as "fo many ferpents; yet made more fhew of diligence, "than of doubt to obey; and afks fome that stood by "(forfooth in great haste) for a knife to cut up the "packet (for otherwife perhaps he might have awaked "a little apprehenfion) but in the mean time approach"ing with the packet in his hand, at a pretty distance "from the queen, he telleth her, it looked and fmel"led ill favouredly, coming out of a filthy budget, "and that it should be fit first to open and air it, be-> "cause he knew fhe was averfe from ill fcents. And "fo being difmiffed home, he got leifure by this fea"fonable thift, to fever what he would not have feen.". (b) Reliquiæ (b) Wottonianæ, p. 168. 8vo. Lond. introduction (w) How wife, or rather how honeft, thofe were 1672. See who admitted him without any limitations or reftricalfo Birch's tions, is not over difficult to guess.] No time can be fo to his hifto proper for a people to claim their juft rights and privirical view, ledges, and curb the regal power within proper bounds, as the acceffion of a ftranger king, who, it may natu-. rally be fuppofed, at such a time will do any thing reafonable, rather than difguft those whom he is abo it to. P. 21. rule Elizabeth, after having reigned with the year rule over, or impede his own advancement; for the defire of rule is fo very natural, that few will ftand upon trifles in order to enjoy it; nor will any refufe to grant the juft conditions of it. A people therefore, when about to place a foreign prince on the throne, ought well to confider what grievances they have laboured under, what exorbitances have been committed, and what reftrictions of the regal power, prone always to extend itself, are neceffary, in order to fecure the happiness of the fociety. By thefe confiderations proper laws might be formed, which will be as a rule to a prince how to behave, and reftrain him within the bounds of equity. Nor will the moft ambitious prince, who has a regard to his own fafety, dare break through what he has confented to, as the terms of his admiffion. And therefore the lords and commons, February 13, 1688, with great wifdom prefented to the then prince and princefs of Orange, a declaration of the rights and liberties of the fubject, previous to the fetting the crown on their heads; the feveral articles of which they "claim"ed, demanded and infifted upon as their undoubted "rights and priviledges; and it was declared and en"acted, that all and fingular the rights and priviledges "afferted and claimed in the faid declaration, are the "true, antient, and undubitable rights and liberties of "the people of this kingdom, and fo fhall be efteemed, "allowed, adjudged, deemed and taken to be; and "that all and every the particulars therein contained, "fhall be firmly and ftrictly holden and obferved; and "all officers and minifters whatfoever, fhall ferve their (c) Vid, flat. "majefties and their fucceffors, according to the fame feff. fecund. "in all times to come." (c) And the event fhewed Gulielmi & how wifely this was enacted; for it produced a reign Mariæ, cap. most 2. per totum. E anno primo 1700. year of her age, and thereby made way for James, to the incredible joy of his Scottish fubjects, and to the no lefs pleasure of his English ones, who in fuch crouds haftened to see him, that he iffued out a proclamation against their thronging about him. In 1 moft happy to the fubject, and laid a foundation for all the bleffings we now enjoy. But when the death of the (d) July 30, duke of Gloucefter (d) rendered it neceffary to provide for the fucceffion to the crown, in order to prevent all imaginable inconveniencies, it was thought proper ftill farther to pass an act for the better fecuring the rights and liberties of the fubject; and accordingly many excellent conditions were laid down on which the stranger (e) Statutes prince was to fucceed (e). I call them excellent conanno duode- ditions, though Burnet tells us, "King William was cimo & de-not pleased with them, fuppofing they implied a re"flection on him and his adminiftration." (f) 'Tis III. regis, not improbable the knowledge of the perfons who proc. 2. fect. 3. pofed these conditions, and the oppofition he had many times undeservedly met with from them, might make that truly good prince have no favourable opinion of this act enacted by them. But, whatever were the motives of the framers of this act, I think all impartial perfons must allow that it was a good one in itself, productive of much happiness to these kingdoms. Every particular I approve not, but, in general, highly applaud it. cimo tertio Gulielmi (f) Burnet, Vol. v. P. 523. Thefe were inftances of wifdom, prudence and difcretion, and as fuch they will be admired and praised through all generations.- But James had no limitations or reftrictions laid on him; he without any ceremony was proclaimed king, and by that title thought he had a right to do as he pleafed. Whatever had been done by the prerogative royal in aforetimes, whatever the most enterprizing princes had attempted on the liberties of the fubject, he had liberty to do likewife; and accordingly exerted himself in a very extraordinary manner, In his coming to London he difplayed fomething of his arbitrary difpofition, by ordering (a) a cutpurfe to be hanged without (4) Coke's any legal procefs; as quickly afterwards he vol. I. p. did his revenge on one (x) Valentine Thomas, Lond. 1695. who manner, as I fhall hereafter fhew. Whereas had he been tied up, whatever had been his weakness, whatever his depravity of heart, he could have done but little mifchief; and the miferies brought on the people by his fucceffors, might have been prevented. This Sir Walter Raleigh, Lord Cobham, Sir John Fortescue, &c. were fenfible of, and therefore defired he might be obliged to articles; but Cecil, Northumberland, and others over-ruled them, and permitted him to enter uncontrouled (g). detection, 8vo. (g) Oborn, To these men then, the nation in a good part owed P. 470. the calamities it fuffered from the Stuart race. They might eafily have prevented them, but they would not attempt it; doubtless hoping hereby to make their court to James, and enjoy his favour, from whence what they wished for muft flow. Wretched meannefs of fpirit this inexcufable difregard for the public! 'Tis allowable for minifters to avail themfelves of their own fervices, and their prince's favour; but the man who facrifices the intereft of his country, or neglects taking thofe fteps which are necessary to establish its happinefs, when he has it in his power, deserves to be treated with hatred and contempt, let his abilities be ever fo great. The good of the people is the fupream law. By this the actions of all minifters are to be tried, and he, who, to please a prince or obtain wealth and honour for himfelf, fhall act inconfiftent therewith, merits the higheft punishments; for he must be loft to liberty, virtue, and his country. (x) Valentine Thomas, &c.] "In the year 1598, "this man being in cuftody for theft, charged the Scots E 2 66 king who had many years before accufed him of having ill defigns against Elizabeth; hereby making good the obfervation that cowards never forgive. દર ઃઃ He "king with ill defigns against the queen. But her majefty (fays fecretary Cecil, in a letter to Mr. Ed"mondes) deferred his arraignment, and fupprefseth "the matter, to avoid offence to the king of Scots, "who hath very vehemently denied it with deteftation. "The king of Scots had wrote to the queen on the "30th of July 1598, upon this affair, in these terms: my fuit only is, that, while ye hear further from me (which fhall be with all diligence) ye would favour me so far as to delay the fellow's execution, if "he be yet alive, to the effect, that by fome honour"able means, wherein I am to deal with you, my un"deferved flander may be removed from the minds of "men." The queen, on the other hand, fent in"ftructions to Sir William Bowes, her embaffador at "Edinburgh, to affure king James, that fhe had ftayed "Thomas's arraignment, and would do fo as long as "the king fhould give no caufe to the contrary."But that king kept a fevere memory of the accufa"tion caft upon him by Valentine Thomas; and upon "his acceffion to the crown of England, and within a "month after his arrival in London, in the beginning "of June 1603, ordered him to be brought to his (a) Birch's trial and executed." (a) This every one will eafily negotiations fee was revenge, and a very mean revenge too, England, five years to take away a fellow's life for an accufaFrance, and tion against himself, (for that 'tis eafily feen was the Bruffels, p. caufe, though the former theft was the pretence) could proceed from nothing but fo cowardly a principle. I fay cowardly; for fames himfelf tells us, rancor and revenge proceeds from bafenefs and want of cou"rage in men, and even amongst beafts and creeping things, it proceeds of a defect and want of courage between 177-179. After |