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war which ended in the death of Charles, and the over- 

 throw of the monarchy. 



But the great bafis of the conflitution, the internal ad- 

 minlftration of the government, remained. Even Crom- 

 well dared not touch it ; was compelled to refpecl it ; 

 frequently to fubmit to it's controul ; and on his death 

 it's influence reflored the monarchy. 



The profligacy of Charles the fecond kept him poor, 

 dependent, and defpifed ; but towards the clofe of his 

 reign deep laid plans of tyranny feemed to threaten the 

 country with entire fubjugation to arbitrary fuay, and 

 James the fecond thought they had paved his way to 

 abfolute monarchy. He foon found that he and his coun- 

 fellors had been very fhort-fighted ; that they had not 

 looked to the deep root of the conftitution, and finding 

 fome of the branches withered, had miltakenly imagined 

 the tree was in decay. James was driven from the throne ; 

 and the prevalent party feated William and Mary in his 

 place. 



This revolution has been afFedledly held out of late as 

 a change in the principles of the conftitution. The prin- 

 ciples of the conftitution were alTcrtcd, not changed ; 

 they remained as at the eftabliftiment of the monarchy ; 

 and the leaders of the revolution, at the moment that 

 they vindicated by it the true fpirit of the ancient govern- 

 ment, took great pains to declare that they held facred 

 its principles : that the government of England was a 

 monarchy ; that the crown was hereditary ; and that the 

 lords and commons aflembled in parliament were the 

 council of the crown, and a controul on it's exertions ot 

 power, but formed no part of the executive government 

 of the country, while the king remained on the throne, 

 and the fyftem of the eftablilhed government continued 

 entire. 



The 



