THE CHARACTER AND CONDUCT OF JABIES I. 145 



belief, that Somerset was in possession of some important secret, 

 the disclosure of which would deeply affect the honour of the king, 

 even they will scarcely venture to deny whose grand principle is to 

 doubts facts and to differ from generally received opinions. Carte, 

 with his accustomed partiality to the house of Stuart, overlooks the 

 matter altogether ; and Hume treats it as a thing of no moment. 

 Truth is not easily dug up ; but if Hume had been resolved to toil 

 for it, we question much whether he would have allowed his readers 

 to reap the benefit of his search at the expence of James' character, 

 being so strongly prepossessed in his favour. 



Supposing the nature of Prince Henry's disease had not been as- 

 certained beyond the possibility of cavil, it might be fairly conjec- 

 tured that the idea of being in any way suspected of conniving, 

 though not of participating in the death of his son, was the source 

 of such misery and apprehension to the king. It therefore strikes 

 us, we own, that the threat made by Somerset in his petition to 

 James, the dread * of the king lest he should address the court — his 

 ordering him to be hood-winked and removed from the bar in case he 

 made the attempt, his engaging Bacon the attorney-general so to 

 manage the trial, as to prevent the judges from getting into the 

 real clue of it, are so many concurrent circumstances for the proba- 



fallen fortunes when on parting with the king he kissed his hand, and James 

 in return, hung about his neck," says Weldon, " slabbering his cheeks, saying, 

 ' For God's sake when shall I see thee again. On my soul I shall neither eat 

 nor sleep until you come again. The earl told him on Monday, (this being 

 on the Friday). For God's sake let me said the king. Shall I, shall I ? Then 

 lolled about his neck. Then for God's sake, give thy lady this kiss for me." 

 Mr. Hallam has observed, " that James was all his life rather a bold liar than 

 a good dissembler'.' — Const. Hist. vol. i, p. 319, note. With all due deference 

 to this high authority, we would say that no Joseph Surface could have 

 played both parts more effectively on the stage, than did this royal actor in 

 his palace. 



* For prevention thereof, he the king, had two servants placed on each 

 side of him with a cloak on their arms, giving them withall a peremptory or- 

 der, if that Somerset did any way fly out orrthe king, they should instantly 

 hood-wink him with that cloak, take him violently from the bar, and carry 

 him away ; for which he would secure them from any danger, and they should 

 not also want a bountiful reward. But the earle finding himselfe over- 

 reached, recollected a better temper, and went on calmly in his tryall, where 

 he held the company untill seven at night. But who had seene the kinges 

 restlesse motion all that day, sending to every boat he saw landing at the 

 bridge, cursing all that came without tidings, would have easily judged all was 

 not right, and there had been some grounds for his fears of Somerset's bold- 

 ness ; but at last one bring him word he was condemned, and the passages 

 all was quiet. This is the very relation from Moore's owne mouth, and this 



VOL. VIII., NO. XXIII. 20 



