256 
endangering the people from the encroach- 
-ments of prerogative. How far England was 
in these circumstances at the period in ques- 
tion, I shall not pretend to determine.” 
The character of Cromwell is dis- 
cussed with interesting detail, and his 
reign examined with curious severity ; 
but it will be more instructive to hear 
our author on the topic of the revolu- 
tion settlement. 
<¢ Of all the great revolutions recorded in 
the history of ancient or of modern times, 
that which happened in England, in the 
year 1688, appears to have been productive 
of the least eeeice, and to have been con- 
ducted in a manner the most rational, and 
consistent with the leading principles of civil 
society. When a sovereign has violated the 
fundamental laws of the constitution, and 
shewn a deliberate purpose of _ persever- 
ing in acts of tyranny and oppression, there 
cannot be a doubt but that the people are 
entitled to resist his encroachments, and to 
adopt such precautions as are found requi- 
site for the preservation of their liberty. 
To deny this, would be to maintain that 
government is intended for the benefit of 
those who govern, not of the whole com- 
munity; and, that the general happiness of 
the human race ought to be sacrificed to 
the private interest, or caprice, of a few in- 
dividuals. It cannot, however, be i 
posed, that such resistance will ever be 
effected without some disturbance, and with- 
out a.deviation from those fojrms and rules 
which are observed in the ordinary course 
of administration. When the machine is 
out of order, it must be taken to pieces ; and 
in the repareing and cleaning of the wheels 
and springs, there must be some interrup- 
tion and derangement of its movements. 
When a general reformation of govern- 
ment has become indispensible, it must be 
conducted according to the exigency of times 
and circumstances ; and few situations will 
occur, in which it is practicable without 
many temporary inconveniences, or even 
without violence and bloodshed. It is the 
part of pradence and of justice, in those 
cases, to adopt such measures as are likely 
to produce the end in view with the least 
possible hardship ; so that, although violent 
and irregular, they may be justified by the 
great law of necessity. 
«© In consequence ‘of a very general and 
pressing invitation from the English nobility 
and gentry, the prince of Orange, about the 
end of the year 1688, landed, with an armed 
force, in England ; and immediately pub- 
lished a declaration, that the sole purpose of 
his undertaking, was to obtain the dismis- 
sion of the roman catholics from those 
offices of trust which they held contrary to 
law, and the calling of a free parliament for 
the redress of grievances, ‘Though the na- 
tion was in some measure apprised of this 
HISTORY, POLITICS, AND STATISTICS. 
event, yet, intimidated by the unusual situ- 
ation, they remained, -for a short time, irre- 
solute and in suspense; but soon after, an 
universal approbation of the enterprise was 
manifest from the conduct of the people in 
all quarters, who resorted to the prince, and 
formed an association to support his mea- 
sures. ‘The king found himself deserted by 
those upon whose fidelity he had most rea- 
son to rely; even by his own family, the 
prince and princess of Denmark, and by a 
reat part of that army which he had pro- 
vided to enforce his authority. 
«¢ In this alarming conjuncture, it might 
have been expected that James, to extricate 
himself from the difficulties in which he was 
involved, would haye embraced one or other 
of two diflerent plans. By encountering 
the present danger with firmness and reso- 
lution, by collecting the forces that were 
still faithful to him, and by endeavouring to 
scatter dissension among his enemies, who, 
ndétwithstanding their union in demanding a 
free parliament, were far from coinciding in 
their political opinions, he might perhaps 
have been successful, in defending his crown, 
at least, in protracting the war, ull he might 
obtain assistance from France. By conci- 
liatory measures,- on the other hand, by 
giving way to the complaints of the people, 
by assembling a new parliament, and sub- 
mitting to certain restraints upon the prero- 
gative, he might have endeavoured to lull 
the nation in security, trusting to some fu- 
ture opportunity of retracting or evading 
those concessions. If either of these plans, 
however liable to censure, ‘had been pursued, 
it is likely that the consequences to the pub- 
lic would have been fatal. But, happily, 
James was thrown into such consternation 
as to be incapable of persisting in any settled 
resolution. Yielding to the impressions of 
fear and despondency, he quitted entirely 
the field of action, and witha for the 
present, into a foréign country. By this 
imprudent step, the remains of his party be- 
came quite disheartened, and were no longer 
in a condition to oppose the new settlement. 
«* The prince of Orange, having thus no 
enemy to cope with, proceeded to execute 
the task he had undertaken, by referring to 
the people themselves, the relies of their 
own grievances, and by employing the power 
which he possessed, for no other purpose 
than that of securing to them the privilege 
of settling their own government. As, in 
the absence of the king, the ordinary powers 
of the constitution could not be exerted, the 
most rational and proper expedients were 
adapted to supply the deficieney. The 
prince invited all those who had been mem- 
bers of any of the three last parliaments, to 
hold a meeting for the purpose of giving 
their advice in the present conjuncture. By 
their direction, he called a convention, com- 
posed of the usual members of the house of 
peers, and of the representatives of the coun- 
ties and boroughs, elected in the same man. 
