Queen Elizabeth ever put to death the holders of those monopolies without trial, in order to seize their ill-gotten wealth? In fact, the authority of the House of Commons made some advances during the reign of Elizabeth. The very weight of the power that was used to crush their remonstrances shows the strength of their resistance. The debates of the House of Commons during this reign, fill a volume and a half of the old parliamentary history. An attentive observer of this country at that period, would scarcely have failed to remark, that the force of free institutions was suspended, but not destroyed, by the personal influence of Elizabeth, and whilst he acknowledged that no sovereign ever carried the art of reigning farther, he would perceive that the nation had granted her a lease for life of arbitrary power, but had not alienated for ever the inheritance of freedom.

45

CHAP. VI.

JAMES THE FIRST.

Every one pointed to her (Queen Elizabeth's) white hairs, and said with that peaceable Leontius, When this snow melteth, there will be a flood.'

HALL'S Sermons.

DURING the latter years of Elizabeth, all classes of people were impatient for the accession of her successor. There is nothing so irksome to mankind as continued demands for a long series of years from the same person upon their admiration and their gratitude. In proportion as the novelty wears out, weariness succeeds to wonder, and envy to weariness. There might perhaps, however, be other causes why the English nation should desire the reign of James. A new spirit had arisen during the latter years of Elizabeth, both in religion and politics. A large party, known by the name of Puritans, had

been formed, or rather increased and united, who aimed at a further reformation in the church. The Romish ceremonies, which had been preserved in our forms of worship, found no pardon in the minds of this stern sect; and had they ventured to disclose at once all their views, the power and revenues of the bishops would have been submitted to their crucible. Their bold and uncompromising principles led them also to free principles of government; their reason quickly stripped a king of his divinity, and their hearts raised the subject to a level with the sovereign. Besides the progress of these opinions, a new standard of political right had been introduced by the general study of Greek and Roman authors. Not only had the glories of the ancient republics kindled a flame in the breasts of generous men, but the diffusion of classical knowledge had prepared the upper classes of society to require more enlightened methods of proceeding, and a more regular distribution of powers and privileges than had ever before been found necessary.

The reforms which this new world manifestly demanded, were naturally postponed till after

the death of Elizabeth. Her age and her reputation merited, her vigour and experience enjoined forbearance. But James, a foreign king, without reputation of glory or of firmness, did not enforce by his character the same submission. A resolution seems to have been taken to insist upon all the ancient privileges of parliament, and all the legal liberties of the subject; and if these should be found incompatible with the old prerogatives of the crown, or the new pretensions of the Tudor dynasty, to make the King yield to his people, not the people to the King.

James soon had ample occasion to remark the disposition of his subjects. Not all the rejoicing which attended his march, nor the new honours which he so lavishly threw away, could disguise the truth. A petition from upwards of a thousand clergymen of the puritan persuasion, was presented to the king on his road to London, praying for "a reformation in the churchservice, ministry, livings, and discipline." He issued writs for the calling of a Parliament, accompanied with instructions to the people what kind of persons they should elect, com

room.

manding them not to chuse outlaws, and bidding them send the returns to his court of chancery there to be examined and judged. In pursuance of these instructions, the election of a Sir Francis Goodwin, elected for the county of Buckingham, an outlaw, was declared to be void; a new writ was issued from the chancery, and Sir John Fortescue was returned in his The Commons declared the election of Sir Francis Goodwin to be valid, and that all matters concerning the election of members of Parliament were cognizable in the House of Commons only. This had been an old subject of dispute with Queen Elizabeth; the precedents were assertions on both sides, and no decisive conclusion. The Commons had voted that the "discussing and adjudging of such like differences belonged only to the House;" and had passed a resolution that outlaws might be elected the Judges had declared they could not, and Queen Elizabeth had complained to her last House of Commons that outlaws were admitted. James, after contesting the point, proposed that both Goodwin and Fortescue should be set aside, and a new writ should be