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and affectionate. With a disposition naturally good, she was kind and generous; warm in her friendships; but easily imposed upon by the artful and designing. A natural indolence, united with great timidity, unfitted her for the arduous duties she was called upon to exercise; whilst her passion for favorites, which rendered her little better than a slave in her own house, and subjected her to constant affronts and mortifications, removed her at a distance from her people, and exposed her to all the turbulence of faction. In her private habits, she was regular and exemplary; correct in her manners; and strict in the observance of the religious forms in which she had been educated. In a lower station, her virtues would have intitled her to respect; but they were inadequate to procure her the distinction of a wise and enlightened princess. With a capacity unequal to the weight of government, particularly the government of a people torn by parties, and inflamed by religious fanaticism, she yielded too readily to the arts of the ambitious, who encircled her in their toils, and rendered her subservient to the purposes of faction and intolerance.

It was the misfortune of this princess to be tutored in principles flattering to her vanity, and fostered by the prevailing clergy, to whom she was accustomed to pay a superstitious deference. (P) From the Tories and Highchurchmen, she imbibed the most injurious errors upon religion and government; being taught to identify the former with the interests of the hierarchy, and to associate the latter with those notions of the prerogative that proved fatal both to her father and her grandfather. Under the influence of these prejudices, she looked upon Whigs and Dissenters as enemies to church and state; and when necessity called the former to her councils, she gave her confidence to their opponents. Her real principles, which

(P) When the Queen was receiving the Sacrament at Windsor, she reproved the Clergyman administering, for giving it to her before the Clergy who were present.-Coke's Detection, iii. 481.

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began to be developed at the opening of her reign, but were kept in abeyance by the wise and prudent conduct of Godolphin, had full play during the latter and most inglorious portion of it, which will be remembered as one of the most ignoble periods of English history. Mistaking the real objects of government, she administered it for the exclusive benefit of a powerful and intolerant party, whose leader she was proud to declare herself, and was not ashamed to avow the monstrous anomaly to her parliament. Flattered by an early declaration in their favour, the high clergy took every advantage of it, in order to accomplish the ruin of other sects. As she was their queen, they were willing to be thought the only people entitled to government, and were for subjecting the remainder to the condition of Helots, fit only for servile offices under their ecclesiastical regimen. Imitating the policy of the Spartans, who excluded those unfortunate persons from the recitations of their poets, lest they should catch from their odes the precious spark of liberty; so these modern tyrants were for separating from the community of citizens, all who were not initiated in their sacred mysteries. The necessities of the war rendering the assistance of the proscribed people of some consequence, their doom was deferred; although not without strong remonstrances from those who were unable to grasp its policy, the motive for which was coolly avowed by some of their own writers. The day they sighed for at length arrived, when all Protestants, save those of the episcopal persuasion, were to be branded with infamy, shut out from the state, and deprived of their natural rights as parents and members of civil society. Under this hopeful regimen, the grossest absurdities were passed off to the people for religion; Christianity was made subservient to superstition and slavery; the most despotic doctrines were inculcated in favour of rulers; and the clergy were clothed with the power of tormenting their neighbours under the pretext of heresy. It may seem extraordinary to those who are unread in ecclesias

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tical matters, that so quiet a thing as religion should be made the instrument for conspiring against the liberties of mankind. But it must be recollected, that those who have been the most noisy in their zeal, have had political motives to gratify; and that it has been less for religion than for the temporalities annexed to it, that they have turned the world upside down. Without these incentives to ambition, men would have had fewer inducements to persecute each other; and having an interest in common, would have been satisfied to contend for what is really valuable in religion, without the sacrifice of those kindly feelings which are the most unequivocal proof of its reality.

No period of time was more distinguished for illustrious men in all professions, than that we have been reviewing. In military reputation, it rivalled the age of the Edwards and the Henrys, and was equally conspicuous for the arts as for arms. Yet, in no reign was the human character more debased by a spirit of party, engendered by sordid ambition, and scattering the seeds of discord and enmity between man and man. In contemplating the causes that led to this result, a comparison between this and the former reign, places in the strongest light, the importance of enlightened principles in those who are called to preside over the destinies of nations. When princes are tutored in sectarian feelings, or with a bias to political parties, it narrows the mind, and damps the ardour of those generous feelings which are essential to the distribution of justice. Prejudices acquired in early life are not easily surmounted afterwards, particularly by persons in high stations, who are usually surrounded by an atmosphere inimical to improvement, and whose occupations and engagements indispose them to deliberate inquiry. With this queen, ended the line of the Stuarts, who, for more than a century, had plagued the nation with their tyranny and their bigotry; entailing upon posterity but little respect for their government, and an odiousremembrance of their vices.

CHAPTER XV.

Accession of George I.-Inactivity of the Pretender.—Subversion of the Tories.-Coronation, and Riots.—Exasperated feelings of Political Parties. -De Foe's Treatment by the Whigs.-His Claims to Favour.- Disregarded by the new Government.-Complains of his hard Measure.—Secret History of the White Staff-Pamphlets produced by it.—Dissolution of Parliament.-Contest of Political Parties.-Atterbury's " English Advice.”De Foe's Reply." Hymn to the Mob."-De Foe's Political Life draws to a Close.-Reflections upon his Services.—He publishes “ An Appeal to Honour and Justice."-Extracts from the Work, in Defence of his Political Conduct.-He is struck with Apoplexy.

1714-1715.

THE accession of George the First took place in a more peaceable manner than was generally expected. Although the measures pursued during the latter years of the queen, and her known sentiments in favour of the Pretender, had given strength to the Jacobite interest, yet, as no decisive step had been taken to change the succession, it was suffered to take its legal course. Upon the first notice of the queen's death, the privy-council assembled, and issued orders for the proclamation of the king, which was performed with the usual solemnities. The suddenness of the event shed a deep gloom over the Jacobites, who had realized triumphs in their imagination, which were now dashed to the ground. Their hopes from the French king were cut off by his acknowledgment of the Elector, and a formal declaration of his intention to keep the peace. The Pretender, instead of appearing im

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mediately in England, where he would have found a sufficient number of partizans to embarrass the new government, remained inactive in Lorraine. The impolicy of his conduct was the more glaring, as the new king did not arrive in England until the 18th of September, seven weeks after the death of the queen. But a prince, who had not sufficient courage and enterprize to venture himself for such a stake, under such favourable circumstances, showed a meanness of soul unworthy of a crown, and held out a rebuke to his followers. Although, without the assistance of France, his final success was problematical, yet the prejudice in his favour amongst the Tories, and the assistance he would have derived from the clergy, were sufficient to invite a contest, whatever might have been its result.

One of the most important consequences resulting from a change of dynasty, was the subversion of those political theories which had been hitherto the support of the Tories, but of which they at length grew ashamed; and losing their credit with the people, found refuge only in a few of the clergy. In effecting this change, the character of the new government had a decided influence. Before the arrival of the king, Bolingbroke was dismissed with marks of disgrace; and the other ministers were replaced by persons better affected to the Protestant interest, and more agreeable to the wishes of the nation. The government being now restored to a healthy state, after a long season of turbulence and faction, the coronation was performed with great magnificence upon the 20th of October, and celebrated with demonstrations of joy in most parts of the kingdom. In some few places, indeed, attempts were made to raise mobs and tumults for the church; but they were quickly suppressed by the civil power, which was lampooned in libels and seditious ballads, according to the cant of the former reign. These, however, were but the overflowings of gall from a disappointed party, greedy of the prey that had escaped from its fangs.