1625. 153 and to extend his care towards the unhappy family CHA P. of the Palatine". With decency and courage he pre- XLIX. pared himself for his end; and he expired on the 27th of March, after a reign over England of twenty- Death of two years and some days; and in the fifty-ninth year the King. of his age. His reign over Scotland was almost of equal duration with his life. In all history, it would be difficult to find a reign less illustrious, yet more unspotted and unblemished, than that of James in both kingdoms. No Prince, so little enterprising and so inoffensive, His chawas ever so much exposed to the opposite extremes racter. of calumny and flattery, of satire and panegyric. And the factions, which began in his time, being still continued, have made his character be as much disputed to this day, as is commonly that of Princes who are our contemporaries. Many virtues, however, it must be owned, he was possessed of; but scarce any of them pure, or free from the contagion of the neighbouring vices. His generosity bordered on profusion, his learning on pedantry, his pacific disposition on pusillanimity, his wisdom on cunning, his friendship on light fancy and boyish fondness. While he imagined that he was only maintaining his own authority, he may perhaps be suspected, in a few of his actions, and still more of his pretensions, to have somewhat encroached on the liberties of his people: While he endeavoured, by an exact neutrality, to acquire the good-will of all his neighbours, he was able to preserve fully the esteem and regard of none. His capacity was considerable; but fitter to discourse on general maxims than to conduct any intricate business: His intentions were just; but more adapted to the conduct of private life, than to the government of kingdoms. Awkward in his person and ungainly in his manners, he was ill qualified to command respect; partial and undiscerning in his m Rushworth, vol. i. p. 155. affections, 1625. CHAP. affections, he was little fitted to acquire general love. XLIX. Of a feeble temper more than of a frail judgment: Exposed to our ridicule from his vanity; but exempt from our hatred by his freedom from pride and arrogance. And upon the whole, it may be pronounced of his character, that all his qualities were sullied with weakness and embellished by humanity. Of political courage he certainly was destitute; and thence chiefly is derived the strong prejudice which prevails against his personal bravery: An inference, however, which must be owned, from general experience, to be extremely fallacious. He was only once married, to Anne of Denmark, who died on the 3d of March 1619, in the fortyfifth year of her age; a woman eminent neither for her vices nor her virtues. She loved shows and expensive amusements; but possessed little taste in her pleasures. A great comet appeared about the time of her death; and the vulgar esteemed it the prognostic of that event. So considerable in their eyes are even the most insignificant Princes. He left only one son, Charles, then in the twentyfifth year of his age; and one daughter, Elizabeth, married to the Elector Palatine. She was aged twentynine years. Those alone remained of six legitimate children born to him. He never had any illegitimate; and he never discovered any tendency, even the smallest, towards a passion for any mistress. THE Archbishops of Canterbury, during this reign, were Whitgift, who died in 1604; Bancroft, in 1610; Abbott, who survived the King. The chancellors, Lord Ellesmore, who resigned in 1617; Bacon was first lord keeper till 1619; then was created chancellor, and was displaced in 1621: Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, was created lord keeper in his place. The high treasurers were, the Earl of Dorset, who died in 1609; the Earl of Salisbury, in 1612; the Earl of Suffolk fined, and displaced for bribery in 1618; Lord Mandeville resigned in 1621; the Earl of Mid dlesex displaced in 1624; the Earl of Marlborough CHAP. succeeded. The lord admirals were, the Earl of XLIX. Nottingham, who resigned in 1618; the Earl, afterwards Duke of Buckingham. The secretaries of state were, the Earl of Salisbury, Sir Ralph Winwood, Nanton, Calvert, Lord Conway, Sir Albertus Moreton. THE numbers of the house of lords, in the first parliament of this reign, were seventy-eight temporal peers. The numbers in the first parliament of Charles were ninety-seven. Consequently James, during that period, created nineteen new peerages above those that expired. THE house of commons, in the first parliament of this reign, consisted of four hundred and sixty seven members. It appears, that four boroughs revived their charters, which they had formerly neglected. And as the first parliament of Charles consisted of four hundred and ninety-four members, we may infer that James created ten new boroughs. 1625. APPENDIX TO THE REIGN OF JAMES. I.* Civil Government of England during this Period. Manufactures.-Colonies. T may not be improper at this period, to make the kingdom with regard to government, manners, finances, arms, trade, learning. Where a just notion is not formed of these particulars, history can be little instructive, and often will not be intelligible. WE may safely pronounce, that the English go- Civil government, at the accession of the Scottish line, was vernment of Eng. much more arbitrary than it is at present; the prerogative less limited, the liberties of the subject less Without mentionaccurately defined and secured. ing other particulars, the courts alone of high com *This history of the house of Stuart was written and published by the author before the history of the house of Tudor. Hence it happens that some passages, particularly in the present Appendix, may seem to be repetitions of what was formerly delivered in the reign of Elizabeth. The author, in order to obviate this objection, has cancelled some few passages in the foregoing chapters. mission land. |