252 HUME. 



HENRY III. 

 "I reckon not among the violations of the great charter 



arbitrary 



some practices A Exertions of Prerogative, which Henry's 



without producing any discontents 



necessities oblig'd him to practice, and which A were uniformly 



continued 



-practiced by all his successors till the last century. As the par- 



that aomctimcs- in a manner somewhat 

 liament often refusd him supplies, and A often in a very- rude 



and indecent manner-, he obliged his opulent subjects, parti- 

 cularly the citizens of London, to grant him loans of money : 



want of economy 



and it is natural to imagine, that the same trcccaaitica which 

 reduced him to the necessity of borrowing him from 

 obliged him to bcrroy-, would prevent -feitt being very rogular 



He demanded benevolences, or pretended voluntary 



their contributions from his nobility & prelates, 



iii 4ke- payment of his debts A He was the first King of 



England since the Conquest who could be fairly said to 



also 

 lye under the restraint of law : and he was A the first who 



practicd the dispensing power, and employ'd the famous 



Patents 

 clause of non obstantc in his grants and charters. The Princes 



notwithstanding the great power of the monarchs, 



both of the Saxon & Norman line own country 



of Wales A still preserved authority in their ffiauntauis; and 



had often -feed been constraind to pay tribute 

 tho' they continued to do homage to the crown of England, 



in subordination or even in peace 



they were with difficulty retaind in oubjcction, and almost 

 throughout 

 4ft- every reign since the conquest had infested the English 



inroads 

 frontiers with petty incursions and sudden iuourcions, which 



-doscrvod to bo mentioned merited to have place 

 seldom merited to havo place in a general history." 



" The behaviour of John show'd him not unworthy of 

 -generous courteous never 



this treatment. His present abject fortune A made him 

 never forget a moment that he was a King, More sensible 



Edward's 

 to hio the Frincco generosity than to his own calamities, he 



