terity of freemen." Little furely does it become a loyal fubject of Great Britain triumphantly to revel in the remembrance of fuch scenes; let him rather put on the awful feelings of the noble hiftorian of this rebellious and bloody tragedy. * "The feveral unheard of infolencies, which this excellent prince was forced to submit to, at the other times he was brought before that odious judicatory; his majestic behaviour, and refolute infifting upon his own dignity, and defending it by manifest authorities in the law, as well as by the cleareft deductions from reafon; the pronouncing that horrible sentence upon the most innocent perfon in the world; the execution of that fentence by the most execrable murther, that was ever committed fince that of our bleffed Saviour, and the circumstances thereof; the application and interpofition, that was used by fome noble perfons to prevent that woful murther, and the hypocricy, with which that interpofition was eluded; the faint-like behaviour of that bleffed martyr, and his chriftian courage and patience at his death, are all particulars fo well known, and have been + Clarendon's Hift. of the Civil War, vol. iii. lib. xi. p. 197. The true and ments upon the Charles. proper fenti death of king Reafons for not entering into of the rebel. lion. fo much enlarged upon in a treatise peculiarly writ to that purpose, that the farther mentioning it in this place would but afflict and grieve the reader, and make the relation itself odious, as well as needless, and therefore no more shall be said here of that deplo rable tragedy, fo much to the dishonour of the nation, and the religion profeffed by it, though undeservedly." The publisher of Lord Clarendon's history the particulars has furnished me with a reason, which fully warrants me in paffing over the particular scenes, which were effected by the levelling party of the last century. "It is a difficult province to write the history of the civil wars of a great and powerful nation, where the king was engaged with one part of his fubjects against the other, and both fides were fufficiently inflamed, and the neceffity of speaking the truth of feveral great men, that were engaged in the quarrel on either fide, who may ftill have considerable relations defcended from them now alive, makes the task invidious as well as difficult." The avowed purport of this publication is to prove, that the present establishment of our • Preface to the Hiftory of the Civil War, p. 11. fol. Edition of Oxford. conftitution conftitution and government is admirably calculated to enfure the fubordination, and preserve the welfare and happiness of all British fubjects. I hope the philofophers and politicians of the present illuminated day will again forgive me for recurring (after the example of Mr. Burke*) to the fentiments of the last century. Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs, p. 84. "It is current, that these old politicians knew little of the rights of men; that they loft their way by groping about in the dark, and fumbling among rotten parchments and mufty records. Great lights, they fay, are lately obtained in the world; and Mr. Burke, instead of shrowding himself in exploded ignorance, ought to have taken advantage of the blaze of illumination, which has been fpread about him. It may be fo. The enthufiafts of this time, it feems, like their predeceffors in another faction of fanaticism, deal in lights. Hudibras pleasantly says of them, they Have lights, where better eyes are blind, « The author of the Reflections has heard a great deal concerning the modern lights; but he has not yet had the good fortune to see much of them. He has read more than he can juftify to any thing but the fpirit of curiofity, of the works of thefe illuminators of the world. He has learned nothing from the far greater number of them, than a full certainty of their fhallowness, levity, pride, petulance, prefumption, and ignorance. Where the old authors, whom he has read, and the old men, whom he has converfed with, have left him in the dark, he is in the dark ftill. If others however have obtained of this any extraordinary light, they will use it to guide them in their researches and their conduct," "There A How the old parties of this country have become extinct. *«There hath been within the compass of few years much talk, and God knows, too many ill effects too of factions in this kingdom; and we have lived in our days to fee the two great parties of late known by the names of Whig and Tory directly change their ground; and thofe, who were formerly the anticourtiers become as pliant and obfequious, as ever they were, who had been the most found fault with on that score. But we are humbly of opinion, that at this time of day neither of those parties have the game in their hands, as they have formerly perhaps fancied to themselves. But they, who fhall be fo honeft and fo wife conftantly to prefer the true intereft of England to that of any other country or people, preferve the religion and the laws, protect and promote the trade of the nation, thriftily and providently administer the publick treasure, and ftudy to maintain the fovereignty of our feas, fo naturally, fo anciently, and fo juftly the true defence of this kingdom; that body, whomfoever it shall be compofed of, fhall have the weight of England on its fide; and if there can be any of another frame, they muft in the end prove fo many miferable rotten reeds." Preface to Clarendon's Hift. p. 8. The The general idea of these horrid fcenes of blood and devastation, which for twenty years together overwhelmed this unfortunate land, is faithfully expreffed by the noble historian, who reports them. Though the hand and judgment of God will be very visible in infatuating a people (as ripe and prepared for + Clarendon's Hift. of the Civil Wars, vol. i. p. 3 & 4. actions |