Elizabeth, he gradually abated the rigour of those laws, CHA P. which had been enacted against that church, and which XLVII. were fo acceptable to his bigotted fubjects. But the effects of thefe difpofitions on both fides became not very fenfible, till towards the conclufion of his reign. 1606. AT this time, James feems to have poffeffed the affections even of his English fubjects, and, in a tolerable degree, their esteem and regard. Hitherto their complaints were chiefly levelled against his too great conftancy in his early friendships; a quality, which had it been attended with more economy, the wife would have excufed, and the candid would even, perhaps, have applauded. His parts, which were not defpicable, and his learning, which was great, being highly extolled by his courtiers and gownmen, and not yet tried in the management of any delicate affairs, for which he was unfit, raised a high idea of him in the world; nor was it always through flattery or infincerity, that he received the title of the fecond Solomon. A report, which was fuddenly spread about this time, of his being affaffinated, vifibly ftruck a great confternation into all orders of men1. The commons alfo abated, this feffion, A parliafomewhat of their exceffive frugality, and granted him ment. an aid of three fubfidies and fix fifteenths, which, Sir Francis Bacon faid in the house K, might amount to about four hundred thousand pounds: And for once the king and parliament parted in friendship and good humour. The hatred, which the catholics feemed to bear him, gave him, at this time, an additional value in the eyes of the people. The only confiderable point, in which the commons gave him difpleasure, was by difcovering their conftant good will to the puritans, in whose favour they defired a conference with the lords: Which was rejected. THE aid, granted by parliament, was payable in four years; and the king's profufion, joined to the necessary charges of the government, had already much anticipated this fupply, and difpofed him to diffipate, in a little time, among his friends and courtiers, the refidue of it. To engage him farther into expence, his brother-in-law, the king of Denmark, paid him a visit this fummer; and VOL. VI. the I Kennet, p. 676. 5 April, 1606. D 1606. CHA P. the whole court was employed in feafting and revelry, in XLVII. masques and interludes M. Great erudition and profound morality, with little taste or pleasantry, prevail in all thefe entertainments: Mystery, allegory, and allusion reign throughout. Italy was then the model for wit and ingenuity among the European nations. France herself, who afterwards fet fo much better patterns of elegance and pleasure, was at that time contented to copy fervilely the laboured.and romantic inventions of her southern neighbour. Νυ. 18. THE chief affair which was tranfacted next feffion, was the intended union of the two kingdoms. Nothing could exceed the king's paffion and zeal for this noble enterprize, but the parliament's prejudice and reluctance against it. There remain two excellent fpeeches in favour of the union, which it would not be improper to compare together; that of the king, and that of Sir Francis Bacon. Thofe, who affect in every thing such an extreme contempt for James, will be furprized to find, that his difcourfe, both for good reasoning and eloquent compofition, approaches very near that of a man, who was undoubtedly, at that time one of the greatest geniuses of Europe. A few trivial indifcretions and indecorums may be faid to characterize the harangue of the monarch, and mark it for his own. And in general, fo open and avowed a declaration in favour of a measure, where he had taken no care, by any precaution or intrigue, to enfure fuccefs, may fafely be pronounced an indifcretion. But the art of managing parliaments by private intereft or cabal, being found hitherto of little ufe or neceffity, was not as yet become a part of English politics. In the common courfe of affairs, government could be conducted without their affiftance ; and when their concurrence became requifite to the measures of the crown, it was, generally fpeaking, except in times of great faction and difcontent, obtained without much difficulty. THE king's influence feems to have rendered the Scots parliament cordial in all the steps, which they took towards the union. Though the advantages, which Scotland might hope from that measure, were more confiderable; yet were the objections too, with regard to that kingdom, more ftriking and obvious. The benefit, which muft have м Kennet, p. 676. N K. James's Works, p. 509. 1606. have refulted to England, both by acceffion of strength and CHA P. fecurity, was not despicable; and as the English were, XLVII. by far, the greater nation, and poffeffed the feat of government, the objections, either from the point of honour or from jealoufy, could not reasonably have any place among them. The English parliament indeed feem to have been fwayed merely by the vulgar motive of national antipathy. And they perfifted fo obftinately in their prejudices, that all the efforts for a thorough union and incorporation, ended only in the abolition of the hoftile laws, formerly enacted between the kingdoms o. Το SOME precipitant fteps, which the king, a little after his acceffion, had taken, in order to promote his favourite project, had been here obferved to do more injury than fervice. From his own authority, he had affumed the title of king of Great-Britain; and had quartered the arms of Scotland, with thofe of England, in all coins, flags, and enfigns. He had alfo engaged the judges to make a declaration, that all those, who, after the union of the crowns, fhould be born in either kingdom, were, for that reafon alone, naturalized in both. This was a nice question, and according to the ideas of those times, fufceptible of fubtile reafoning on both fides. The king was the fame: The parliament were different. render the people therefore the fame, we must fuppofe, that the fovereign authority refided chiefly in the prince, and that these popular affemblies were rather instituted to affist with money and advice, than endued with any controuling or active powers in the government. It is evident, fays Bacon in his pleading on this fubje&t, that all other commonwealths, monarchies only excepted, do fubfift by a law precedent. For where authority is divided among ft many officers, and they not perpetual, but annual or temporary, and not to receive their authority but by election, and certain perfons to have voices only in that election, and the like; thefe are bufy and curious frames, which of neceffity D 2 • The commons were even fo averfe to the union, that they had complained in the former feffion to the lords of the bishop of Bristol, for writing a book in favour of it; and the prelate was obliged to make fubmiffions for this offence. The crime imputed to him feems to have confifted in his treating of a fubject, which lay before the parliament. So little norion had they as yet of general liberty! See parliamentary hiftory, vol v. p. 108, 109, 110. тбоб. CHAP. ceffity do prefuppofe a law precedent, written or unwritten, XLVII. to guide and direct them: But in monarchies, especially hereditary, that is, when feveral families or lineages of people do fubmit themselves to one line, imperial or royal; the fubmiffion is more natural and fimple; which afterwards, by law fubfequent, is perfect and made more formal; that is grounded upon nature. It would feem from this reafoning, that the idea of an hereditary, limited monarchy, though implicitly fuppofed in many public tranfactions, had scarce ever, as yet, been exprefsly formed by an English lawyer or politician. 1607. but EXCEPT the obftinacy of the parliament with regard to the union, and an attempt on the king's ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, most of their measures, during this feffion, were fufficiently respectful and obliging; though they ftill difcover a vigilant fpirit, and a careful attention towards public good and national liberty. The votes also of the commons ftill fhew, that that house contained a mixture of puritans, who had acquired great authority among them R, and who, together with religious prejudices, were continually fuggefting ideas, more suitable to a popular than a monarchical form of government. The natural appetite for rule, made the commons lend a willing ear to every doctrine, which tended to augment their power and influence. A PETITION was moved in the house for a more rigorous execution of the laws against popish recufants, and an abatement towards protestant clergymen, who scrupled to observe the ceremonies. Both thefe points were equally unacceptable to the king; and he fent orders to the house to proceed no farther in that matter. The house was inclined, at first, to confider these orders as a breach of privilege: But they foon acquiefced, when told, that this measure of the king's, was fupported by many precedents, during the reign of Elizabeths. Had they been always difpofed to make the precedent of that reign the rule of their condu&t, they needed never have had any quarrel with any of their monarchs. R P Bacon's Works, vol. iv. p. 190, 191. THE Edit. 1730. Journ. 2 December, 5 March, 1606. 25, 26 June, 1607. 17 June, 1607. $ Journ. 16, 17 June, 1607. XLVII. 1607. THE Complaints of Spanish depredations were very CHA P. loud among the English merchants". The lower houfe fent a message to the lords defiring a conference with them, in order to their presenting a joint petition to the 5th June. king on that fubject. The lords took fome time to deliberate on this meffage; because, they faid, the matter was weighty and rare. It probably occurred to them, at first, that the parliament's interpofing in affairs of state would appear unusual and extraordinary. And to fhew, that in this fentiment they were not guided by court inAuence; after they had deliberated, they agreed to the conference. The house of commons began now to feel themselves of fuch importance, that, on the motion of Sir Edwin Sandys, a member of great authority, they entered, for the first time, an order for the regular keeping of their journals u When all bufinefs was finished, the king prorogued the parliament. ABOUT this time, there was an infurrection of country people in Northamptonshire, headed by one Reynolds, a man of low condition. They went about deftroying inclosures; but carefully avoided committing any other outrage. This infurrection was easily suppressed, and, 4th July. though great lenity was used towards the rioters, yet were fome of the ringleaders punished. The chief cause of that trivial commotion feems to have been, of itself, far from trivial. The practice still continued in England to difufe tillage and throw the land into inclosures for the fake of pasture. By this means, the kingdom was depopulated, or at least, prevented from increasing so much in people, as might have been expected from the daily increase of industry and commerce. 1608. 1609. the United NEXT year prefents us with nothing memorable: But in the spring of the fubfequent, after a long negociation, was concluded, by a truce of twelve years, that war, Truce bewhich, for near half a century, had been carried on tween with fuch fury, between Spain and the states of the Unit- Spain and ed Provinces. Never contest seemed, at first, more unequal: Never contest was finished with more honour to the weaker party. On the fide of Spain were numbers, riches, authority, difcipline: On the fide of the revolted provinces were found the attachment to liberty and the enthusiasm T Journ. 25th of Feb. 1606. Journ. 3d of July, 1607. Provinces. |