Under his majeity s the earl of STRAFAUD, the people felt and ecclefiaftical ty as Lord Prefident of ncil of the North, on the most imporople; and in Ireland, that kingdom, he inole nation against him duct. LAUD, in the ed fo much unjust sewhose religious fentiworship were not exthe established hierar of the Ro which in th block, I ha as are of th able nature. have been b Firft, but I d queftionable f have produced you, Sir, thou of Modern H difprove. An apprehend, fu the charge of brought agains chy, chy, that great numbers of worthy and confcientious perfons quitted their native country for ever, rather than be subjected to fuch grofs oppreffion. In this fhort sketch of fome of the principal transactions of the blessed reign of the ROYAL MARTYR, tranfactions which in the event brought him to the block, I have mentioned no facts but fuch as are of the most public and unquestion able nature. Other very criminal charges have been brought against Charles the First, but I did not chuse to introduce any questionable facts. And those which I have produced, I will venture to fay, even you, Sir, though His Majesty's Profeffor of Modern History, are utterly unable to` difprove. And what I have offered, is, I apprehend, fufficient to demonftrate, that the charge of BASENESS, which you have brought against the defenders of the oppo fition fition to Charles the First, can reflect dif honour only on yourself; and that, when you affert that Charles I. wás THE BEST OF PRINCES, you have been guilty of a grofs violation of truth; or the neceffary confequence muft be, that, from the first establishment of the regal office to the prefent hour, there never yet was a prince, who deferved the crown of which he was in poffeffion. To You intimate, that you do not mean to vindicate every measure taken by Charles and his ministers; though it is evident that you labour to defend them to the utmost, But, you fay, p. 19, 20, fuppofe that they were exempt from the common paffions, infirmities, or errors • of human nature, would be to forget • that they were men; to pretend that in • thofe difficult and perplexing conjunctures they exactly regulated every mo • tion tion by the even hand of juftice and • prudence, would be in effect to attribute to them a degree of perfection far beyond the reach of human wisdom, or virtue, to attain.' But, unfortunately, the charge against Charles the First, and his minifters and favourites, is, not that their administration was not completely perfect, but that it was in a very high degree criminal. Charles might certainly have avoided trampling on the rights of his subjects, and injuring and oppreffing them `in the manner that he evidently did; and yet have been far enough from fuch a degree of perfection as is" beyond the reach "of human wisdom, or virtue, to attain." As to your intimation, that his unjustifiable proceedings arofe from the House of Commons refusing the fupplies he wanted: furely their declining to grant those large supplies which he might wish for, or his VOL. II. O extra extravagant courtiers think needful, could not give him a right to over-turn the conftitution, or to act in diametric oppofition to the rules of law and juftice. The very idea is abfurd. Unhappily, parliaments, in later times, have been too ready to grant the most exorbitant fupplies, without making the neceffary inquiries whether fuch fums have been properly applied, and whether the people on whom they were levied were able to bear fuch burthens: and fuch parliaments have undoubtedly been guilty of a grofs and shameful breach of trust. SPEAKING of the calamities occafioned by the civil war, p. 15. you fay, In vain • fhall we look for the beginning of these evils from any real or pretended grievfrom undue ftretches of pre ances, any ⚫ rogative, from any abuse of royal power, thofe favourite topics upon which the 4 ENEMIES OF OUR CONSTITUTION fo ve hemently |