to foresee it might prove very fatal to our English prince and people, and lay in a vengeance to future generations. "Father Orleans, who was a confident of king James II. and whose history archdeacon Echard recommends, says, I must, in justice to the queen, declare, that she, being a daughter of France, was full of that spirit which warms the blood of absolute monarchs, and as such looked on a limited authority as no better than servitude and therefore made the utmost efforts to rescue the king her husband from all restrictions of laws, oaths, &c."-Hist. Stu. p. 107. "She was a great bigot to her religion. Her conscience was directed by her confessor, assisted by the pope's nuncio, and a secret cabal of priests and jesuits. These directed the queen, and she the king so that in effect the nation was governed by popish councils, till the long parliament." -Neal, Vol. 1. p. 155. Having thus seen an unhappy foundation laid, let us go on to view the structure which was afterwards built upon it. CHAP. II. The KING helps his Brother, LEWIS XIII. to root out and destroy the brave Protestants of France. IN the beginning of his reign, when the French Protestants were struggling to maintain their liberties and religion against a most perfidious and cruel oppression, king Charles lent the French monarch a squadron of eight ships to help to "The king was so devoted to her (his zealous apologist acknowledges) that he would do nothing without communicating it to her he assures her in a letter, that he would not make a peace with the rebels (the parliament) without her approbation."- Coke Det. p. 171, 182. The first compliment with which his majesty received her at Dover seeins to have been prophetic, viz. That he could be no longer MASTER of himself, than while he was a SERVANT to her. This was very sadly verified in the event. For the king ruled not his three kingdoms in a more absolute and despotic manner than himself was ruled by the queen. His history affords abundant proof of this: let it suffice here only to observe, that to that desperate and rash act, his going with an armed force to seize and haul the five members from the house of commons, he was entirely hurried on by the haughty spirit of the queen; for when his Majesty would have declined it," and retired with her into her closet, urging many reasons against it, she broke out into a passion-Allez poltron,-Go, cowARD, and pull those rogues out by the ears, or never see my face any more."-Echard, p. 419, 520.--The obsequious monarch went; burst into the house at the head of his little army, and pulled down upon his own ears the fabric of our constitution, which at last buried him in its ruins. "That Bishop Kennet therefore well observes, the king's match with this lady was a greater judgment to the nation than the plague, which then raged in the land; for considering the malignity of the popish religion, the imperiousness of the French government; the influence of a stately queen over an affectionate husband; the share she must needs have in the education of her children (till thirteen years old,) it was then easy to foresee it might prove very fatal to our English prince and people, and lay in a vengeance to future generations. "Father Orleans, who was a confident of king James II. and whose history archdeacon Echard recommends, says, I must, in justice to the queen, declare, that she, being a daughter of France, was full of that spirit which warms the blood of absolute monarchs, and as such looked on a limited authority as no better than servitude and therefore made the utmost efforts to rescue the king her husband from all restrictions of laws, oaths, &c."-Hist. Stu. p. 107. "She was a great bigot to her religion. Her conscience was directed by her confessor, assisted by the pope's nuncio, and a secret cabal of priests and jesuits. These directed the queen, and she the king so that in effect the nation was governed by popish councils, till the long parliament." -Neal, Vol. 1. p. 155. Having thus seen an unhappy foundation laid, let us go on to view the structure which was afterwards built upon it. CHAP. II. The KING helps his Brother, LEWIS XIII. to root out and destroy the brave Protestants of France. IN the beginning of his reign, when the French Protestants were struggling to maintain their liberties and religion against a most perfidious and cruel oppression, king Charles lent the French monarch a squadron of eight ships to help to "The king was so devoted to her (his zealous apologist acknowledges) that he would do nothing without communicating it to her-he assures her in a letter, that he would not make a peace with the rebels (the parliament) without her approbation."- Coke Det. p. 171, 182. The first compliment with which his majesty received her at Dover seems to have been prophetic, viz. That he could be no longer MASTER of himself, than while he was a SERVANT to her. This was very sadly verified in the event. For the king ruled not his three kingdoms in a more absolute and despotic manner than himself was ruled by the queen. His history affords abundant proof of this: let it suffice here only to observe, that to that desperate and rash act, his going with an armed force to seize and haul the five members from the house of commons, he was entirely hurried on by the haughty spirit of the queen; for when his Majesty would have declined it," and retired with her into her closet, urging many reasons against it, she broke out into a passion-Allez poltron,-Go, cowARD, and pull those rogues out by the ears, or never see my face any more."-Echard, p. 419, 520.--The obsequious monarch went; burst into the house at the head of his little army, and pulled down upon his own ears the fabric of our constitution, which at last buried him in its ruins. Bishop Kennet therefore well observes, "That the king's match with this lady was a greater judgment to the nation than the plague, which then raged in the land; for considering the malignity of the popish religion, the imperiousness of the French government; the influence of stately queen over an affectionate husba share she must needs have in the edu children (till thirteen years old,) to foresee it might prove very fatal to our English prince and people, and lay in a vengeance to future generations. "Father Orleans, who was a confident of king James II. and whose history archdeacon Echard recommends, says, I must, in justice to the queen, declare, that she, being a daughter of France, was full of that spirit which warms the blood of absolute monarchs, and as such looked on a limited authority as no better than servitude and therefore made the utmost efforts to rescue the king her husband from all restrictions of laws, oaths, &c."-Hist. Stu. p. 107. "She was a great bigot to her religion. Her conscience was directed by her confessor, assisted by the pope's nuncio, and a secret cabal of priests and jesuits. These directed the queen, and she the king: so that in effect the nation was governed by popish councils, till the long parliament." -Neal, Vol. 1. p. 155. Having thus seen an unhappy foundation laid, let us go on to view the structure which was afterwards built upon it. CHAP. II. The KING helps his Brother, LEWIS XIII. to |