reign; so desirous were they to continue their meritori ous distress!

In the midst of so many domestic difficulties, and utterly destitute of money, it was impossible for any prince to conduct with vigour the operations of war. Sensible of this, Charles submitted to necessity, and concluded a peace with France and Spain. The situation of his affairs A. D. 1630. did not entitle him to demand from Lewis any conditions for the Hugonots, nor from Philip any stipulation in favour of the elector Palatine; yet he obtained from the latter a promise of his good offices toward the restoration of that unfortunate prince'. Thus was lost, through her internal dissensions, the happiest opportunity that England ever enjoyed, of humbling the house of Bourbon by means of its Protestant subjects, or of dismembering the Spanish monarchy by the assistance of France, and of acquiring a permanent superiority over both.

A cautious neutrality was henceforth the study of Charles, who had neither leisure nor inclination to interest himself farther in foreign affairs: happy in relinquishing every ambitious project, had he been able to recover the affections of his people, and the confidence of his parliament! But unfortunately, though possessed of many amiable and respectable qualities, both as a king and as a man, and though he now adopted more moderate counsels than during the administration of Buckingham, he was never able to attain these desirable ends a degree of jealous distrust remained. The causes and the consequences of this want of confidence it must now be our business to trace.

6. Whitlocke, p. 13. Rushworth, vol. i Kennet, vol. iii. 7. Rushworth, vol. ii.

8. He was an affectionate husband, an indulgent father, a gentle master, and a firm friend. His manner and address, though perhaps rathar too stately, corresponded well with his natural gravity and reserve. He was not deficient in political knowledge; he possessed great moderation of temper; his taste in all the fine arts was excellent, and his learning and literary talents were much beyond what are common to princes. Sanderson. Clarendon,

The

The high idea that Charles entertained of his own authority, not only made him incapable of yielding to that bold spirit of liberty, which had diffused itself amongst his subjects, but to continue an invasion on their constitutional rights, whilst he thought himself only engaged in the defence of his own. He considered every petition of the commons as an attempt to encroach on his prerogative; and, even when he granted their requests, he disgusted them by his ungra. cious reluctance: he complied without obliging. His concessions were not received as marks of royal kindness; as indications of justice or generosity, but as so many sacrifices to necessity. The representatives of the people saw themselves, when assembled, regarded merely in the light of taxlayers; and, therefore, resolved to make use of this power of withholding supplies, or administering to the necessities of the crown, in order to convince the king of their political consequence, as well as to obtain a ratification of their ancient rights. The royal authority was likewise too high, in ecclesiastical matters, for a limited government, being altogether absolute; the parliament had discovered an inclination to restrain it; the king had resented the affront by a dissolution; and thus was produced an incurable jealousy between the parties.

Other causes conspired to increase the jealousy of the nation in regard to religion. Charles ever strongly, attached to his queen, had favoured her with his whole friendship and confidence, after the death of Buckingham. Her sense and spirit entitled her to share his counsels, while her beauty justified his excessive fondness; but, as she was rather of a hasty temper, she sometimes precipitated him into rash measures: and her religion, to which she was much devoted, induced her to procure such indulgencies for the Catholics, as gave general dissatisfaction, and increased the odium against the court. Nor was this all. Laud, bishop of London, had acquired great influence over the king, and directed him in all ecclesiastical, and even in many civil affairs.

Though

Though a man of learning and virtue, he was a superstitious bigot, zealously set on the exhaltation of the priesthood, and on imposing on the obstinate Puritans, by the most rigorous measures, new ceremonies and observances, unknown to the church of England; and that too at a time, when the ancient ceremonies, to which men had been accustomed, and which had been hallowed by the practice of the first reformers, could with difficulty be retained in divine service. Yet this man, who, in the prosecution of his holy enterprize, overlooked all human considerations, and the heat and indiscretion of whose temper made him neglect the plainest dictates of prudence, was raised by Charles to the see of Canterbury, and invested with uncontrouled authority over the consciences of the people.

Not only such of the clergy as neglected to observe every superstitious ceremony, enjoined by Laud and his brethren were suspended, and deprived of their benefices by the high commission court; oaths were even imposed on churchwardens, binding them to inform against any one who acted contrary to the ecclesiastical canons; and all who did not conform to the new mode of worship, were treated with the utmost rigour. The religion which the archbishop wanted to establish, differed very little from that of the church of Rome. The Puritans therefore regarded him as the forerunner of Antichrist.

Nor were the Puritans singular in this opinion. A court lady, daughter of the earl of Devonshire, having turned catholic, was asked by Laud her reason for changing her religion" it is chiefly," answered she, "because I hate to "travel in a crowd." The meaning of these words being demanded, she replied, "I perceive your grace and many "others are making haste to Rome; and therefore, in order "to prevent my being jostled, I have gone before you." In a word, Laud's chief objection to popery seems to have been the supremacy of the Holy sce, to which he did not choose

9. Rushworth, vol. i.

to

to subject his metropolitan power. For although he himself tells us, "That," when offered a cardinal's hat by the pope, "something dwelt within him, which would not suffer his "compliance, till Rome was other than it is," the genius of his religion appears to have been the same with the Romish. The same profound respect was exacted by him to the sacerdotal character: the same submission was required to the creeds and decrees of synods and councils; the same pomp and ceremony was affected in worship; and the same superstitious respect to days, postures, meats, and vestments1o.

mony

As a specimen of the new ceremonies, to which Laud sacrificed the peace of the kingdom,; it will be sufficient to relate those he employed in the consecration of St. Catharine's church. This church had been rebuilt by the parishioners, and profanely made use of, for some time, without the cereof a new consecration; a circumstance which, coming to the superstitious prelate's ear while bishop of London, filled him with horror, and made him suspend it from all divine service, until he had performed that holy office. On his approach to the west door of the church, a loud-voice cried, "Open! open ye everlasting doors, that the king of "glory may enter in." The doors of the church instantly flew open: the bishop entered ; and falling on his knees, with his eyes lifted up, and his arms expanded, he exclaimed in a solemn tone," This place is holy! the ground is holy! in "the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I pronounce "it holy!" Then going to the chancel, he several times took up some dust from the floor, and threw it in the air. When he approached the communion-table, he bowed frequently toward it. On returning he and his attendants went round the church in a kind of procession, repeating the hundredth Psalm and then said a form of prayer, concluding with these words: We consecrate this church, and separate it 10. Rushworth, vol. ii. Hume, vol. vi.

" unto

"unto THEE, as holy ground, not to be profaned any more "to common uses." The bishop standing near the communian-table, now denounced imprecations on all who shoud pollute that holy place, by musters of soldiers, keeping in it profane law courts, or carrying burdens through it. On the conclusion of every curse, he bowed toward the east, and cried, "Let all the people say Amen!" When the imprecations were ended, he poured out blessings on all who had any way contributed to the framing and building that sacred and beautiful edifice, and on those who had given, or should hereafter give to it, any chalices, plate, ornaments, or utensils. On the conclusion of every benediction, he also bowed toward the east, and cried, "Let all the people say "Amen!"

These ceremonies were followed by a sermon ; after which the bishop thus consecrated and administered the sacrament. As he approached the communion-table, he made many low reverences; and coming up to that side of the table where the bread and wine were placed, he bowed seven times. After reading many prayers, he approached the sacramental elements, and gently lifted up the corner of the napkin in which the bread was placed. When he beheld the bread, he suddenly let fall the napkin, fell back a step or two, and bowed three several times toward the bread; then drew near again, opened the napkin, and bowed as before. He next laid hold of the cup, which had a cover upon it, and was filled with wine; then let it go, fell back, and bowed thrice toward it. He approached again, and lifting up the cover, peeped into the cup: but on seeing the wine, he let fall the cover, and bowed as before. He then received the sacrament, and administered it to others; and the fabric being now supposed sufficiently holy, the solemnity of the consecration was concluded with many formal prayers". The same pious farce was repeated at the consecration of St. Giles's, in the

11. Rushworth, vol. ii. Hume, vol. vi.

Fields,