INTRODUCTORY. 37 



Charles, and was goaded to a final resistance against despotism by 

 the stupid and rash bigotry of James, the ancient spirit of which 

 the Long Parliament was the representative and the exponent, 

 which began its battle when the younger Cecil published the 

 Book of Rates, and which succeeded in achieving permanent 

 results in the history of the English constitution, despite its 

 failures and excesses, was invoked successfully to make that 

 settlement which endured from 1688 till 1832, when the govern- 

 ment which the Revolution constructed, having become obso- 

 lete and obstructive, the aristocracy was constrained to submit 

 to the nation, or at least to acquiesce in a surrender of a part 

 of that power which it had so long enjoyed. 



The legislation of the period before me, in so far as it 

 has a distinct economical bearing, will be discussed in con- 

 nection with those economical facts on which I am about 

 to comment. 



