( 3'7 ) 



government were loft, and the Britons were driven to the 

 weftern extremities of the ifland. 



The Saxons therefore made a new nation in Britain, 

 retaining the Saxon language, Saxon manners, and Saxon 

 laws ; and England in their pofleflion was truly German. 

 Their ancient fyftem of government in their native wilds, 

 was incompatible in fome degree with their' new fituation ; 

 but they receded from it no farther than was neceffary 

 for the purpofes of their eftablimment ; indeed not fo far. 

 For the vice of the Anglo-Saxon government at the 

 Norman conqueft was the prevalence of a democracy, 

 which had degenerated into an oligarchy, and placed 

 Harold on the throne ; and perhaps an accurate invefti- 

 gation of the fubjecT: will lead to the conclufion, that 

 the effects of the Norman conqueft probably preferved 

 the true balance of the conftitution, and prevented the 

 government from finking into fuch a republic as the late 

 republic of Poland. 



In the administration of their government the two firft 

 Norman princes were indeed tyrants, tho of very oppofitc 

 Characters. So was James the fecond ; and yet few men 

 will fay that the conjlitution of our government under 

 that prince was a fyjlem of flavery. There is a great 

 difference between the fpirit of a conftitution, and the 

 fpirit of thofe who direct the powers of government. 

 The laft often is enabled, by extraordinary concurrence 

 of circumftunces, to act in diredl: contradiction to the 

 fpirit of the conftitution. Thus did James for near two 

 years. But the fpirit of the conftitution at length pre- 

 vailed. 



William the Conqueror, and his fon William Rufus, 

 did not overturn the Saxon government; they exprefsly 

 adopted it j but they engrafted upon it a portion of the 

 feudal fyftem, and they oppreffed it's fpirit by the fupc- 



riority 



