AMES, the fixth of Scotland and the first of

J and the

England, the fon of Mary, came to the throne with the univerfal approbation of all orders of the ftate, as in his perfon were united every claim, that either defcent, bequest, or parliamentary fanction could confer. He had every reason, therefore, to hope for an happy reign; and he was taught, from his infancy, that his prerogative was uncontrolable, and his right tranfmitted from heaven. These fentiments he took no care to conceal; and he even published them in many parts of those works, which he had written before he left Scotland.

But he was greatly mistaken in the spirit of thinking of the times; for new fyftems of government, and new ideas of liberty, had, for fome time, been stealing in with the reformation; and only wanted the reign of a weak or merciful monarch, to appear without control. In confequence of the progrefs of knowledge, and a familiar acquaintance with the governments of antiquity, the old gothic forms began to be defpifed; and an emulation took place, to imitate the freedom of Greece and Rome. The fevere, though popular government of Elizabeth, had confined this rifing fpirit within very narrow bounds; but when a new fovereign, and a new family appeared, lefs dreaded, and lefs loved by the people, fymptoms immediately began to be feen of a more free and independent genius in the nation.

James scarce was entered into England when he gave difguft to many. The defire in all to fee their new fovereign was ardent and natural; but the

king, who loved retirement, forbid the concourse that attended on his journey from Scotland, pretending that this great refort of people would produce a fcarcity of provifions. To this offence to the people he added, foon after, what gave offence to the higher orders of the ftate, by proftituting titles of honour, so that they became so common as to be no longer marks of diftinction. A pafquinade was fixed up at St. Paul's, declaring that there would be a lecture given on the art of affifting fhort memories, to retain the names of the new nobility.

But though his countrymen fhared a part of these honours, yet justice must be done the king, by confeffing, that he left almost all the great offices in the hands he found them. Among these, Cecil, created earl of Salisbury who had been fo active in the last reign, against his own interests, was continued now prime minister and chief counfellor. This crafty statesman had been too cunning for the rest of his affociates; and while, during Elizabeth's reign, he was apparently leagued against the earl of Effex whom James protected, yet he kept up a fecret correfpondence with that monarch, and fecured his interefts without forfeiting the confidence of his party.

But it was not fo fortunate with lord Grey, lord Cobham, and Sir Walter Raleigh, who had been Cecil's affociates. They felt immediately the effects of the king's difpleafure, and were difmiffed their employments. Thefe three feemed to be marked out for peculiar indignation, for foon after they were accufed of entering into a confpiracy against the king; neither the proof of which, nor its aims, have reached pofterity: all that is certain is, that they were condemned to die, but had their fentence mitigated by the king. Cobham and Grey were pardoned, after they had laid their

heads

heads on the block. Raleigh was reprieved, but remained in confinement many years afterwards, and at laft suffered for this offence, which was never proved.

This mercy, fhewn to thefe fuppofed delinquents, was very pleafing to the people; and the king, willing to remove all jealousy of his being a ftranger, began his attempts in parliament by an endeavour to unite both kingdoms into one. However, the people were not as yet ripe for this coalition; they were apprehenfive that the posts and employments, which were in the gift of the court, would be conferred on the Scotch, whom they were as yet taught to regard as foreigners. By the repulfe in this inftance, as well as by fome exceptions the house of commons took to the form of his fummons to parliament, James found that the people he came to govern, were very different from those he had left behind; and perceived that he muft give reafons for every measure he intended to enforce.

He now therefore attempted to correct his former mistake, and to peruse the English laws, as he had formerly done thofe of his own country, and by these he refolved to govern. But even here he again found himself disappointed. In a government fo fluctuating as that of England, opinion was ever deviating from law; and what was enacted in one reign, was contradicted by custom in another. The laws had all along declared in favour of an almoft unlimited prerogative, while the opinions of the people were guided by inftructors, who began to teach oppofite principles. All the kings and queens before him, except fuch as were controlled by inteftine divifions, or awed by foreign invafion, iffued rather their commands to parliament, than gave their reasons. James, unmindful of the alteration in the opinions of the people,

people, refolved to govern in the ancient manner; while the people, on the contrary, having once got an idea of the inherent privileges of mankind, never gave it up, fenfible that they had reafon and power alfo on their fide.

Numberless, therefore, were the disputes between the king and his parliament during his whole reign; one attempting to keep the privileges of the crown entire, the other aiming at abridging the dangerous part of the prerogative; the one labouring to preferve customs established for time immemorial, the other equally affiduous in defending the inherent privileges of humanity. Thus we fee laudable motives actuating the difputants on both fides of the queftion, and the principles of both founded either in law or in reafon. When the parliament would not grant a fubfidy, James had examples enough among his predeceffors, which taught him to extort a benevolence. Edward the fourth, Henry the eighth, and queen Elizabeth herself, had often done fo; and precedent undoubtedly entitled him to the fame privilege. On the other hand, the houfe of commons, who found their growing power to protect the people, and not fuffer the impofitions of the crown, confidered that this extorted benevolence might at length render the fovereign entirely independent of the parliament, and therefore complained against it as an infringement of their privileges. Thefe attempts of the crown, and thefe murmurings of the commons, continued through the whole reign, and first gave rife to that fpirit of party, which has ever fince fubfifted in England; the one for preferving the ancient conftitution, by maintaining the prerogative of the king; the other for trying an experiment to improve it, by extending the li berties of the people,

During these contefts, James, who fuppofed no arguments fufficient to impair the prerogative, feemed entirely fecure that none would attempt to allege any. He daily continued to entertain his parliament with fet fpeeches, and florid harangues, in which he urged his divine right and abfolute power as things inconteftable; to these the commons made as regular anfwers, not abfolutely denying his pretenfions, but flowly and regularly abridging his power.

However, tho' James perfevered in afferting his prerogative, and threatened those who should prefume to abridge it, yet his juftice and clemency were very apparent in the toleration which he gave to the teaching of different religions throughout the kingdom. The minds of the people had long been irritated against one another, and each party perfecuted the reft, as they happened to prevail; it was expected, therefore, that James would ftrengthen the hands of that which was then uppermoft; and that the catholics and fectaries fhould find no protection. But the monarch wifely observed, that men fhould be punished for actions, and not for opinions; a decifion which gave general diffatisfaction but the univerfal complaint of every fect was the beft argument of his moderation towards all.

Yet mild as this monarch was, there was a project contrived in the very beginning of his reign. for the re-establishment of popery, which, were it not a fact known to all the world, could fcarcely be credited by pofterity. This was the gun-powder plot, than which a more horrid or terrible scheme never entered into the human heart to conceive, and which fhews at once the most determined courage may be united with the most execrable intentions.

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