royal author, the reformation of religion being extraordinarily wrought by God, and many things being inordinately done by a popular tumult and rebellion, of such as were blindly doing the work of God, but clogged with their own passions and particular respects, as well appeared by the destruction of our policy, and not proceeding from the prince's order, as it did in our neighbour coun try of England, as likewise in Denmark, and sundry parts of Germany; some fiery-spirited men in the ministry got such guiding of the people in that time of confusion, as, finding the guste of govern ment sweet, they begouth to fantasie to themselves a democratic form of government; and, having by the iniquity of the time, been over-well baited in the wrack, first of my grandmother, and next of mine own mother, and after usurping the liberty of the time in my long minority, settled themselves so fast in that imagined democracy, as they fed themselves with the hope to become tribuni plebis; and so in a popular government to bear the sway of all the rule. And for this cause there never rose faction in the time of my minority, nor trouble sen-syne, but they that were upon that factious part were ever careful to persuade and allure these unruly spirits among the ministry, to spouse that quarrel as their own: where-through I was oft calumniated in their popular sermons, not for any evil or vice in me, but because I was a King, which they thought the highest evil. And because they were ashamed to profess this quarrel, they were busy to look narrowly in all my actions; and I warrant you a mote in my eye, yea a false report, was matter enough for them to work upon : and yet, for all their cunning, whereby they pre

tended to distinguish the lawfulness of the office from the vice of the person, some of them would sometimes snapper out well grossly with the truth of their intentions, informing the people that all kings and princes were naturally enemies to the liberty of the church, and could never patiently bear the yoke of Christ: with such sound doctrine fed they their flocks. And because the learned, grave, and honest men of the ministry, were ever ashamed and offended with their temerity and presumption, pressing, by all good means, by their authority and example, to reduce them to a greater moderation, there could be no way found out so meet in their conceit as parity in the church: whereby the ignorants were emboldened (as bairdes) to cry the learned, godly and modest, out of it: parity, the mother of confusion, and enemy to uni ty, which is the mother of order. For, if, by the example thereof, once established in the ecclesiastical government, the politick and civil estate should be drawn to the like, the great confusion that thereupon would arise may be easily discerned. Take heed, therefore, my son, to such Puritans, very pests in the church and common-wealth, whom no deserts can oblige, neither oaths or promises bind, breathing nothing but sedition and calumnies, aspiring without measure, railing without reason, and making their own imaginations, without any warrant of the word, the square of their consciences. I protest before the great Godand, since I am here as upon my testament, it is no place to lie in-that ye shall never find in any Hieland or Border thieves greater ingratitude, and moe lies and vile perjuries, than with these fanatick spirits, And suffer not the principals of them

to brooke your land, if ye like to sit at rest; except ye would keep them for trying your patience, as Socrates did an evil wife.'

He concludes this department of the subject, by recommending it to his son to establish, or continue the establishment of a moderate Episcopacy, as the only form of church-government which could consist with order among the clergy themselves, ' or the peace of a commonwealth and well-ruled monarchy.' 'Cherish no man,' says he, 'more than a good pastor; hate no man more than a proud puritan.'. . . 'What is there,' he exclaims at another place, betwixt the pride of a glorious Nebuchadnezzar, and the preposterous humility of one of the proud Puritans, claiming to their parity, and crying, "We are all but vile worms," and yet will judge and give law to their King, but will be judged nor controuled by none? Surely there is more pride under such a one's black bonnet, than under Alexander the Great his diadem, as was said of Diogenes in the like case.'

Many amusing and many wise instructions occur in the third part of the work, which refers to personal conduct. He recommends frequent dining in public, and says, 'In the form of your meat-eating, be neither uncivil like a gross Cynic, nor affectedly mignarde like a dainty dame; but eat in a manly, round, and honest fashion.' He tells the prince, to take no heed of his dreams;' to wear his clothes in a careless, yet comely form;' to use, in common speech, no booke language, or pen and ink-horn terms; and never to stake more in gaming than he would choose to cast among pages. Among a multitude of other advices, he insists, with a vehemence which goes far

to prove the purity of his own life, upon the vir tue of continence, and, in a particular manner, implores his son, in the event of his marriage, to pay an inviolable regard to the nuptial vow. Every such transgression he esteems as a serious mischief to society, and also to the parties concerned, besides being, what few ever remember that it is, an infraction of the divine law. And, as a mere proof of the inexpediency of such vices, he instances the illegitimate children of his grandfather James V., one of whom (the Earl of Moray) bred the wrack of the lawful daughter and heir' of that monarch, while the child of another (the Earl of Bothwell) had been the pest of his own life for several years.

Such are a few of the more remarkable passages in the Basilicon Doron, selected rather with the view of affording historical light, or mere amusement to the reader, than with the hope of giving a favourable impression of the literary merit of the work. To claim in this age any approbation for King James as an author, may perhaps excite a smile. Yet, there is a good deal of truth in what Mr D'Israeli says regarding him, that he has more critics than readers. Johnson said of a dull novel by Congreve, that he would rather praise it than read it; but the public seems to have been animated by less benevolent reasons in regard to King James, and resolved rather to condemn than to peruse. It must at least be said, that, in his own age, before Bacon and Cowley had improved the national taste in English prose composition, the literary efforts of this monarch were among the very best extant. It is an historical fact, that this very Basilicon Doron communicated to the English people an impression of the author's abilities

and character, which was highly favourable to his views of becoming their sovereign. There is a degree of nervousness, precision, and smoothness in the style, which marks it as the production of a good intellect. Occasionally, too, there is play of fancy, that shows the wit and the poet. Piety is abundant; but it has the merit, rare in that age, of being a tranquil, rational sort of piety, the piety of a gentleman and a man of genius. In the Basilicon Doron, good sense, and a shrewd observation of life and its ways, are the predominant features. And, assuredly, it would be difficult to point out any code of morality in that age, or for a century and a half later, which is either purèr in its sentiments, or more elegant in its diction. Indeed, but for the limited nature of its objectthe instruction of a young prince-even at this day it might be put into the hands of youth, as a safe guide to virtue and happiness.