OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. 419 



for the rest, we must repose ourselves upon the good 

 pleasure of God. So it is an unjust charge in the 

 libeller to impute an accident of state to the fault of 

 the government. 



It pleaseth God sometimes, to the end to make 

 men depend upon him the more, to, hide from them 

 the clear sight of future events ; and to make them 

 think that full of uncertainties which proveth certain 

 and clear : and sometimes, on the other side, to 

 cross men s expectations, and to make them full of 

 difficulty and perplexity in that which they thought 

 to be easy and assured. Neither is it any new thing 

 for the titles of succession in monarchies to be at 

 times less or more declared. King Sebastian of 

 Portugal, before his journey into Afric, declared no 

 successor. The cardinal, though he were of extreme 

 age, and were much importuned by the king of 

 Spain, and knew directly of six or seven competitors 

 to that crown, yet he rather established I know not 

 what interims, than decided the titles, or designed 

 any certain successor. The dukedom of Ferrara is 

 at this day, after the death of the prince that now 

 liveth, uncertain in the point of succession : the 

 kingdom of Scotland hath declared no successor. 

 Nay, it is very rare in hereditary monarchies, by any 

 act of state, or any recognition or oath of the people 

 in the collateral line, to establish a successor. The 

 duke of Orleans succeeded Charles VIII. of France, 

 but was never declared successor in his time. 

 Monsieur d Angulesme also succeeded him, but 

 without any designation. Sons of kings themselves 



