The nation kept in view the principles of liberty.

perfonal fecurity at the expence of public liberty; and in reading the hiftory of the two first kings of the houfe of Tudor, we imagine ourselves reading the relation given by Tacitus, of Tiberius and the Roman senate,

"The time therefore feemed to be arrived, at which England must submit in its turn to the fate of the other nations of Europe; all those barriers, which it had raised for the defence of its liberty, feemed to have only been able to poftpone the inevitable effects of power.

"But the remembrance of their ancient laws, of that great charter fo often and so folemnly confirmed, was too deeply imprefsed on the minds of the English to be effaced by tranfitory evils. Like a deep and extenfive ocean, which preferves an equability of temperature amidst all the viciffitudes of feafons, England ftill retained thofe principles of liberty, which were fo univerfally diffused through all orders of the people, and they required only a proper opportunity to manifeft themselves.

"England befides flill continued to poffefs the immenfe advantage of being one undivided ftate.

"Had it been like France divided into feveral diftinct dominions, it would also have

had

had feveral national affemblies. These affemblies being convened at different times and places, for this and other reasons never could have acted in concert; and the power of withholding fubfidies, a power fo important, when it is that of difabling the fovereign, and binding him down to inaction, would then have only been the destructive privilege of irritating a mafter, who would have easily found means to obtain fupplies from other quarters.

fons for parlia

ment fubmit

ting to Hen.

"The different parliaments or affemblies of Prudential reathese several states having thenceforth no means of recommending themfelves to their fovereign, but their forwardnefs in complying with his demands, would have vied with each other in granting what it would not only have been fruitless, but even highly dangerous to refuse. The king would not have failed foon to demand as a tribute a gift he must have been confident to obtain; and the outward form of confent would have been left to the people only, as an additional means of oppreffing them without danger,

"But the king of England continued, even in the time of the Tudors, to have but one afsembly, before which he could lay his wants, and apply for relief. How great foever the increase of his power was, a fingle parliament

alone

They never gave up the

ing fubfidies.

alone could furnish him with the means of exercifing it; and whether it was, that the right of grant- members of this parliament entertained a deep fenfe of their advantages, or whether private intereft exerted itself in aid of patriotism, they at all times vindicated the right of granting, or rather refusing subsidies; and, amidst the general wreck of every thing they ought to have held dear, they at least clung obftinately to the plank, which was destined to prove the inftrument of their prefervation.

Henry VIII. laws of treason abolished by Edward V1.

"Under Edward the Sixth the absurd tyrannical laws against high treafon instituted under Henry the Eighth his predeceffor were abolished. But this young and virtuous prince having foon paffed away, the blood-thirsty Mary aftonished the world with cruelties, which nothing but the fanaticism of of her fubjects could have enabled her

a part

to execute.

"Under the long and brilliant reign of Elizabeth England began to breath anew; and the proteftant religion being feated once more on the throne brought with it fome more freedom and toleration.

"The ftar chamber, that effectual inftrument of the tyranny of the two Henrys, yet continued to fubfift; the inquifitorial tribunal of

the

the high commiffion was even inftituted; and the yoke of arbitrary power lay ftill heavy on the fubject. But the general affection of the people for a queen, whofe former misfortunes had created fuch a general concern, the imminent dangers, which England escaped, and the extreme glory attending that reign leffened the sense of fuch exertions of authority, as would in these days appear the height of tyranny, and ferved at that time to justify, as they ftill do excufe a princess, whofe great talents, though not her principles of government, render her worthy of being ranked among the greatest sovereigns.

of the king's

"Under the reign of the Stuarts the nation began to recover from its long lethargy. James the First, a prince rather imprudent James 1, boafts than tyrannical drew back the veil, which prerogatives. had hitherto difguifed fo many ufurpations, and made an oftentatious difplay of what his predeceffors had been contented to enjoy.

"He was inceffantly afferting, that the authority of kings was not to be controuled, any more than that of God himfelf. Like him they were omnipotent; and those privileges, to which the people fo clamorouily laid claim, as their inheritance and birthright,

were

Publication of

thefe high no

tions of royalty caufed them to

be canvaffed.

Storm gathered under James which burft upon Charles I.

Improvements

in the conftitution under Charles I.

were no more than an effect of the grace and toleration of his royal ancestors*.

"Thofe principles hitherto only filently adopted in the cabinet, and in the courts of justice had maintained their ground in confequence of this very obfcurity. Being now announced from the throne, and refounded from the pulpit from the pulpit they fpread an univerfal aların. Commerce befides with its attendant arts, and above all that of printing, diffused more falutary notions throughout all orders of the people; a new light began to rife upon the nation; and the spirit of oppofition frequently difplayed itself in this reign, to which the English monarchs had not for a long time past been accustomed.

"But the ftorm, which was only gathering in clouds during the reign of James, began to mutter under Charles the Firft his fucceffor; and the scene, which opened to view on the acceffion of that prince presented the most formidable aspect.'

"By the famous act, called the petition of right, and another pofterior act, to both which he affented, the compulfory loans and taxes disguised under the name of benevo

* See his declaration made in Parliament, in the years 1610 and 1621.