666 ENGL 
with the fortitude of a Chriftian hero. So compofed was 
he, that he clofed his own eyes in the 1 aft druggie, 
March 27, 1625, in the fifty-ninth year of his age, after 
a reign over England of twenty-two years and foine days. 
In the annals of nations, it is fcarcely podible to find a 
reign;-more unfpotted and unblemifhed than that of 
Janies ; yet it contained nothing that could render it 
illuftrious in liidory, and therefore it has been mentioned 
with obloquy and contempt. But if a king is only the 
father df .1 large family, and is equally bound with a na¬ 
tural parent, to watch over the welfare and fafety of 
thofe committed to his bare, James will deferve the high- 
ed panegyric, where unrefledting prejudice has aflailed 
him the mod. Still it mud be owned, that though 
James pofleffed many virtues, fcarcely one of them was 
free from the contagion of fome neighbouring vice. His 
generality bordered on profufio.n, his learning on pedant¬ 
ry, his love of peace on pufillanimity, and his wifdom on 
cunning. He ruled over a people who delighted in war, 
from which they had feldom been long exempted before 
Iris time, and who valued high blood and trealure, lefs 
than the fplendour of battles and conqueds. 
James, in his dature, was of the middle fize, of a fine 
complexion, fmooth fkin, and fcanty beard ; yet his ap¬ 
pearance was mean, and his gait awkward from a weak- 
nefs in the knees, which often gave him the appearance 
of a cripple. He valued himfelf.much upon his polemi¬ 
cal writings; and fo fond was he of theological deputa¬ 
tions, that to keep them alive, he founded, for this ex- 
prels ufe, Chelfea-college ; which was converted to a 
much more benevolent purpofe by Charles II. His 
Baiilicon Doron, Commentary on the Revelation, writ¬ 
ings againd Bellarmine, and his Daemcnologia, or dobtrine 
of witchcraft, are fufficiently known. There is a collec¬ 
tion of his writings and fpeeches in one folio volume. 
Several pieces of his are extant in the Caballa, others in 
manufcript in the Britifh Mufeum, and others i,n How¬ 
ard’s collection. He had ifiTue, Henry, who died Nov. 6, 
1612, in his nineteenth year; Charles, who lucceeded 
him; Elizabeth, married, Feb. 14, 1613, to Frederic 
eleCtor palatine of Germany. James’s queen died in 
March 1618 ; Rufhworth fays in November. 
Charles I. attended the throne of his father, A.D. 
1625, with every apparent advantage; and yet no prince 
ever encountered more real difficulties. He found him- 
felf, upon coming to the crown, podetfed of a peaceful 
and flourifhing kingdom, his title tindifputed by all the 
world, his power drengthened by an alliance with one of 
the mod potent nations in Europe, his absolute authority 
tacitly acknowledged by one part of his fubjefts, and en¬ 
forced from the pulpit by the reft. To add to all this, 
lie was loved by his people, whofe hearts he had gained 
by his princely virtues, his humility, and his candour. 
But on the other fide we are prefented with a very dif¬ 
ferent fcene. Men had begun to think on the different 
rights of fociety, and found that all had an equal claim 
to the ineftimaible bleflings of freedom. The fpirit of 
liberty was roufed; and it was refolved to oppofe the 
ancient claims of monarchs, who ufurped their power in 
times of ignorance, and who pleaded, in fucceeding ages, 
former depredations as prefcriptive rights. Charles had 
been taught from his infancy to confider the royal prero¬ 
gative as a facred pledge, which it was not his duty to 
abridge. He had been brought up, as he himfelf ex- 
preffed it, “ at the feet of Gamaliel,”—and had early 
imbibed unfortunate prejudices. His father, who had 
contributed fo much to fink the claims of the crown, 
had, neverthelefs, boldly defended them in his writings, 
and taught his fon to defend by the fword what he had 
only inculcated by the prefs. Charles, though a prince 
of tolerable underfianding, had not comprehenfion enough 
to fee that the genius and difpofition of his fubje&s had 
received a total change ; he refolved therefore to govern 
by old maxims which the people had difcovered to have 
been eflablilhed on the foundations of flayery. 
AND. 
The king had as yet only efpoufed the princefs Hen¬ 
rietta of France by proxy ; iris marriage and coronation 
therefore were no fooner celebrated in England, than he 
battened to call a parliament, whom lie addreded in lan¬ 
guage of candour and cordiality. He had been loaded 
with a treaty for defending the palatinate, and the war 
for that purpofe was to be carried on with vigour. But 
war was more eafily declared, than fupplies granted. 
After fome reluctance, the commons voted him two fub- 
(idies, but far from being fufficient to fupport him in his 
intended equipment; and to this was tacked a petition 
for punching papifts, and for redrafting the grievances of 
the nation. Buckingham, who had been the late king’s 
favourite, and who was carefl'ed by the prefent monarch, 
did not efcape their cenfures ; fo that, inftead of granting 
the Aims requifite, they employed the time in deputa¬ 
tions and complaints, till the feafon for profecuting the 
campaign was elapfed. Charles, therefore, wearied with 
their delays, and otfended at the refufal of his demands, 
thought proper to dilfolve them. 
To fupply the want of parliamentary aids, Charles had 
now recourfe to fome of the ancient methods of extortion, 
praftifed by fovereigns in neceftitous circumflances. That 
kind of tax called a benevolence was ordered to be exadted, 
and privy-feals were id'ued for that purpofe. In order to 
cover the rigour of this ftep, it was commanded that none 
Ihould be afked for money but fuch as were able to fpare 
it ; and he diredted letters to different perfons, mentioning 
the fu.ms he defired. With this the people were obliged 
to comply ; it-had been authorized by many precedents; 
but it was contended that no precedents whatfoever could 
give a fandlion to injultice. With the money thus raifed 
a fleet was equipped againd Spain, carrying ten thoufand 
men ; the command of which was entrufted to Edward 
Cecil, created lord Wimbleton, who failed diredfly to 
Cadiz, and found the bay full of fhips of great value. 
But he failed in making himfelf mailer of the harbour, 
while his undifciplined army landing, inftead of attack¬ 
ing the town, could not be reftrained from indulging 
themfelves in the wine, which they found in great abun¬ 
dance on fhore. Further ftay, therefore, appeared fruit- 
lefs ; they were re.embarked ; and the plague attacking 
the fleet, they were obliged to abandon the enterprize, 
and return to England. Loud murmurs were made againft 
the court, for entrufting fo important a command to a 
perfon unqualified for the undertaking. 
This ineft’edtual expedition was a great blow to the 
popularity of Charles; and, to retrieve the glory of the 
nation, another attempt was to be made. With this view 
a new parliament was called, A.D. 1626; and though 
fome fteps were taken to exclude the more popular leaders 
of the laft houfe of commons, by nominating them as (he- 
ritfs of counties, y'et the prefent parliament feemed more 
refradtory than the former. When tl>e king laid before 
the houfe his necefiities, and afked for a fupply, they 
voted him only three fublidies, which amounted to about 
i6o,oool. a Aim no way adequate to the importance of 
the war, or the necefllties of the ftate. But even this 
was not to be levied until the grievances of the ftate 
were redrafted. Their chief indignation was levelled 
againft Buckingham, a minifter who had no real merit, 
and who laboured under the great infelicity of being the 
king’s favourite. The commons undertook to impeach 
him in the lower houfe, while the earl of Briftol, who 
had returned from his einbalfy in Spain, accufed him 
among his peers. The purport of the charge amounted 
to little more than that he had engrafted too much power 
to himfelf and his relations; that he had negjedted to 
guard the feas with a fleet; and that he had applied a 
plafter to the late king’s fide, to haften his end. Thefe 
frivolous accufations mult have funk of themfelves, had 
they not been intemperately oppofed by the royal autho¬ 
rity. The king gave orders to the lord-keeper to com¬ 
mand the commons exprefsly in his name not to meddle 
with his minifter Buckingham. The more to inflame 
them. 
