tions. As he had it in his power to make either fcale preponderate, each courted his favour with the moft obfequious fubmiffion, and, in trimming the balance, he kept them both in fubjection. In accuftoming them to thefe abject compliances, they degenerated into flaves, and he from their proftitution acquired the most defpotic authority. He became rapacious, arbitrary, froward, fretful, and fo cruel that he feemed to delight in the blood of his fubjects.

their hatred; he feems even, in fome degree, to have poffeffed their love and affection. His exterior qualities were advantageous, and fit to captivate the multitude; his magnificence and perfonal bravery, rendered him illuftrious to vulgar eyes; and it may be faid with truth, that the English in that age were fo thoroughly fubdaed, that, like eaftern flaves, they were inclined to admire even those acts of violence and tyranny, which were exercifed over themselves, and at their own expence.

Died January 28th, 1547, anno ætatis 57, regni 37. Hume.

483. Another Character of HENRY VIII. Henry VIII. before he became corpulent, was a prince of a goodly perfonage, and commanding afpect, rather imperious than dignified. He excelled in all the exorcifes of youth, and poffeffed a good understanding, which was not much improved by the nature of his education. Inftead of learning that philofophy which opens the mind, and extends the qualities of the heart, he was confined to the study of gloomy and fcholaftic difquifitions, which ferved to cramp his ideas, and pervert the faculty of reafon, qualifying him for the difputant of a cloifter, rather than the lawgiver of a people. In the first years of his reign, his pride and vanity feemed to domineer over all his other paflions; though from the beginning he was impetuous, headstrong, impatient of contradiction and advice. He was rafh, arrogant, prodigal, vain-glorious, pedantic, and fuperftitious. He delighted in pomp and pageantry, the baubles of a weak mind. His paffions, foothed by adulation, rejected all reftraint; and as he was an utter ftranger to the finer feelings of the foul, he gratified them at the expence of juftice and humanity, without remorfe or compunction.

He wrefted the fupremacy from the bishop of Rome, partly on confcientious motives, and partly from reafons of state and conveniency. He fuppreffed the monafteries, in order to fupply his extravagance with their fpoils; but he would not have made thofe acquifitions, had they not been productive of advantage to his nobility, and agreeable to the nation in general. He was frequently at war; but the greatest conqueft he obtained was over his own parliament and people.-Religious difputes had divided them into two fac

He never feemed to betray the leaft fymptoms of tendernefs in his difpofition: and, as we already obferved, his kindness to Cranmer was an inconfiftence in his character. He feemed to live in defiance of cenfure, whether ecclefiaftical or fecular; he died in apprehenfion of futurity; and was buried at Windfor, with idle proceffions and childish pageantry, which in thofe days paffed for real tale and magnificence. Smollett.

§ 84. Character of EDWARD VI. Thus died Edward VI. in the fixteenth year of his age. He was counted the wonder of his time; he was not only learned in the tongues and the liberal fciences, but he knew well the state of his kingdom. He kept a table-book, in which he had written the characters of all the eminent men of the nation: he ftudied fortification, and understood the mint well He knew the harbours in all his dominions, with the depth of the water, and way of coming into them. He understood foreign affairs fo well, that the ambafladors who were fent into England, published very extraordinary things of him, in all the courts of Europe. He had great quickness of apprehension; but being diftrustful of his memory, he took notes of every thing he heard (that was confiderable) in Greck characters, that thofe about him might not understand what he writ, which he afterwards copied out fair in the journal that he kept. His virtues were wonderful: when he was made to believe that his uncle was guilty of confpiring the death of the other counfellors, he upon that abandoned him.

Barnaby Fitz Patrick was his favourite; and when he fent him to travel, he writ oft to him to keep good company, to avoid excefs and luxury; and to improve himself in thofe things that might render him capable of employment at his return. He was afterwards made Lord of Upper Of fory in Ireland, by Queen Elizabeth, and.

Burnet.

85. Another Character of EDWARD VI. All the English hiftoriars dwel! with pleasure on the excellencies of this young prince, whom the flattering promiles of hope, joined to many real virtues, had made an object of the most tender affections of the public. He poffeffed mildness of difpofition, application to ftudy and bufinefs, a capacity to learn and judge, and an attachment to equity and juftice. He feems.only to have contracted, from his education, and from the age in which he lived, too much of a narrow prepoffeffion in matters of religion, which made him incline fomewhat to bigotry and perfecution. But as the bigotry of Proteftants, lefs governed by priests, lies under more refraints than that of Catholics, the effects of this malignant quality were the lefs to be apprehended, if a longer life had been granted to young Edward. Hume. § 86. Another Character of EDWARD VI. Edward is celebrated by hiftorians for the beauty of his perfon, the iwcetnefs of his difpofition, and the extent of his know ledge. By that time he had attained his fixteenth year, he underflood the Greek, Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish languages; he was verfed in the fciences of logic, mufic, natural philofophy, and mafter of all theological disputes; infomuch that the famous Cardanus, in his return from Scotland, viliting the English court, was aftonished at the progrefs he had made in learning; and afterwards extolled him in his works as a prodigy of nature. Notwithstanding thefe encomiums, he feems to

have had an ingredient of bigotry in his difpofition, that would have rendered him very troublesome to thofe of tender confciences, who might have happened to dif fer with him in religious principles; nor can we reconcile either to his boasted humanity or penetration, his confenting to the death of his uncle, who had ferved him faithfully; unlefs we fuppofe he wanted refolution to withstand the importunities of his minifters, and was deficient in that vigour of mind, which often exifts independent of learning and culture. Smollett.

§ 87. Character of MARY.

It is not neceffary to employ many words in drawing the character of this princefs. She poffeffed few qualities either eftimable or amiable, and her perfon was as little engaging as her behaviour and addrefs. Obitinacy, bigotry, violence, cruelty, malignity, revenge, and tyranny; every circumitance of her character took a tinture from her bad temper and narrow understanding. And amidst that complication of vices which entered into her compofition, we fhall fcarcely find any virtue but fincerity; a quality which the feems to have maintained throughout her whole life, except in the beginning of her reign, when the neceflity of her affairs obliged her to make fome promifes to the Proteftants, which he certainly never intended to perform. But in thofe cafes a weak bigoted woman, under the government of priests, eafily finds cafuitry fuffi cient to justify to herfelf the violation of an engagement. She appears, as well as her father, to have been fufceptible of fome attachment of friendship; and that without caprice and inconftancy, which were fo remarkable in the conduct of that monarch. To which we may add, that in many cirof refolution and vigour of mind; a quacumftances of her life, the gave indications lity which feems to have been inherent in her family.

Died Nov. 7, A. D. 1558.

Hume.

§ 88. Another Character of MARY. We have already obferved, that the characteristics of Mary were bigotry and revenge: we fhall only add, that the was proud, imperious, froward, avaricious, and wholly deftitute of every agreeable qualification. Smollett.

89. Character of ELIZABETH. Elizabeth had a great deal of wit, and

Her enemies pretend that her abilities confited wholly in overtrained diffimulation, and a profound hypocrify. In a word, they fay he was a perfect comedian. For my part, I don't deny that the made great ufe of diffimulation, as well with regard to the courts of France and Spain, as to the queen of Scotland and the Scots. I am alfo perfuaded that, being as much concerned to gain the love and eleem of her fubjects, the affected to speak frequently, and with exaggeration, of her tender affection for them. And that the tad a mind to make it believed that the cid fome things from an exceffive love to ter people, which he was led to more by her own intereft.

Avarice is another failing which her cwn friends reproach her with. I will not deny that the was too parfimonious, and upon fome occafions tuck too close to the xims the had laid down, not to be at any expence but what was abfolutely neceifary. However in general I maintain, that if her circumstances did not require her to be covetous, at leaft they required that the fhould not part with her money but with great caution, both in order to preferve the affection of her people, and to keep herself always in a condition to withstand her enemies.

She is accufed alfo of not being fo chale, as the affected to appear. Nay, fume pretend that there are now in Englard, the defcendants of a daughter the had by the Earl of Leicester; but as Eitherto nobody has undertaken to produce any proofs of this accufation, one may fafely reckon it among the flanders which they endeavoured to itain her reputation with, both in her life-time and after

he: decease.

fion her diffimulation was blame-worthy. This first piece of injuftice, drew her in afterwards to use a world of artful devices to get a pretence to render Mary's imprifonment perpetual. From hence arofe in the end, the neceffity of putting her to death on the feaffoid. This doubtless is Elizabeth's great blemish, which manifeftly proves to what degree the carried the fear of lofing a crown. The continual fear and uneafinefs fhe was under on that account, is what characterifes her reign, because it was the main fpring of almost all her actions. The best thing that can be faid in Elizabeth's behalf is, that the queen of Scots and her friends had brought matters to fuch a país, that one of the two queens muft perish, and it was natural that the weakest fhould fall. I don't believe anybody ever queftioned her being a true Proteftant. But, as it was her intereft to be fo, fome have taken occafion to doubt whether the zeal the expreffed for her religion, was the effect of her perfuafion or policy. All that can be faid is, that fe happened fometimes to prefer her temporal concerns, before thofe of religion. To fum up in two words what may ferve to form Elizabeth's character, I thall add, the was a good and illuftrious queer, with many virtues and noble qualities, and few faults. Bat what ought above all things to make her memory precious is, that the caufed the English to enjoy a ftate of felicity unknown to their ancestors, under most part of the kings, her predeceffors.

Died March 24, 1603, aged 70, having reigned 44 years, 4 months, and 8 days.

Rapin.

§ 90. Another Character of ELIZABETH,

There are few great perfonages in hif tory who have been more expofed to the calumny of enemies, and the adulation of friends, than queen Elizabeth; and yt there is fcarce any whole reputation has been more certainly determined, by the

unanimous

unanimous confent of pofterity. The unufual length of her administration, and the ftrong features of her character, were able to overcome all prejudices; and obliging her detractors to abate much of their invectives, and her admirers fomewhat their panegyricks, have at laft, in spite of political factions, and, what is more, of religious animofities, produced an uniform judgment with regard to her conduct. Her vigour, her conftancy, her magnanimity, her penetration, and vigilance, are allowed to merit the highest praife, and appear not to have been furpaffed by any perfon who ever filled a throne. A conduct lefs vigorous, lefs imperious; more fincere, more indulgent to her people, would have been requifite to form a perfect character. By the force of her mind, the controuled all her more active and stronger qualities, and prevented them from running into excefs. Her heroifm was exempt from all temerity, her frugality from avarice, her friendship from partiality, her active fpirit from turbulency and a vain ambition. She guarded not herself with equal care, or equal fuccefs from leffer infirmities; the rivalship of beauty, the defire of admiration, the jealoufy of love, and the fallies of anger.

Her fingular talents for government were founded equally on her temper and on her capacity. Endowed with a great command of herself, the obtained an uncontrouled afcendant over her people; and while fhe merited all their efleem by her real virtues, she also engaged their affection by her pretended ones. Few fovereigns of England fucceeded to the throne in more difficult circumftances: and none ever conducted the government with fuch uniform fuccefs and felicity. Though unacquainted with the practice of toleration, the true fecret for managing religious factions, the preferved her people, by her fuperior providence, from thofe confufions in which theological controversy had involved all the neighbouring nations: and though her enemies were the most powerful princes in Europe, the most active, the most enterprizing, the leaft fcrupulous, fhe was able by her vigour to make deep impreffions on their ftate; her own greatnefs mean while untouched and unimpaired.

The wife minifters and brave warriors, who flourished during her reign, fhare the praife of her fuccefs; but instead of leffening the applaufe due to her, they make great addition to it. They owed all of

them their advancement to her choice, they were fupported by her conftancy; and with all their ability they were never able to acquire any undue afcendant over her. In her family, in her court, in her kingdom, fhe remained equally mistress. The force of the tender paffions was great over her, but the force of her mind was ftill fuperior; and the combat which her victory vifibly coft her, ferves only to difplay the firmness of her refolution, and the loftinefs of her ambitious fentiments.

The fame of this princefs, though it has furmounted the prejudices both of faction and bigotry, yet lies ftill exposed to another prejudice which is more durable, becaufe more natural, and which, according to the different views in which we furvey her, is capable either of exalting beyond meafure, or diminishing the luftre of her character. This prejudice is founded in confideration of her fex. When we contemplate her as a woman, we are apt to be ftruck with the higheft admiration of her great qualities and extenfive capacity; but we are apt alfo to require fome more foftnefs of difpofition, fome greater lenity of temper, fome of those amiable weaknesses by which her fex is diftinguished. But the true method of eftimating her merit is, to lay afide all thofe confiderations, and confider her merely as a rational being, placed in authority, and entrusted with the government of mankind. We may find it difficult to reconcile our fancy to her as a wife, or a miftrefs; but her qualities as a fovereign, though with fome confiderable exceptions, are the object of undisputed applause and approbation.

$91. Another Character of ELIZABETH.

Elizabeth, in her perfon, was mafculine, tall, ftraight, and ftrong-limbed, with an high round forehead, brown eyes, fair complexion, fine white teeth, and yellow hair; fhe danced with great agility; her voice was firong and thrill; the underflood mufic, and played upon feveral inftruments. She poffeffed an excellent memory, and understood the dead and living languages, and made good proficiency in the fciences, and was well read in hiftory. Her converfation was fprightly and agreeable, her judgment folid, her apprehenfion acute, her application indefatigable, and her cou rage invincible. She was the great bul

wark

wark of the Proteftant religion; she was highly commendable for her general regard to the impartial adminiftration of justice; and even for her rigid œconomy. which faved the public money, and evinced that love for her people which the fo warmly profeffed. Yet the deviated from juftice in fome inftances when her intereft and paffions were concerned; and, notwithfanding all her great qualities, we cannot deny the was vain, proud, imperious, and in fome cafes cruel: her predominant paffion was jealoufy and avarice; though the was alfo fubject to fuch violent gufts of anger as overwhelmed all regard to the dignity of her station, and even hurried her beyond the common bounds of decency. She was wife and steady in her principles of government, and above all princes fortunate in a ministry.

Smollett.

$92. Character of JAMES L.

James was of a middle ftature, of a fine complexion, and a foft fkin; his perfon plump, but not corpulent, his eyes large and rolling, his beard thin, his tongue too big for his mouth, his countenance difagreeable, his air awkward, and his gait remarkably ungraceful, from a weaknefs in his knees that prevented his walking without affiftance; he was tolerably temperate in his diet, but drank of little elfe than rich and ftrong wines. His character, from the variety of grotefque qualities that compofe it, is not eafy to be delineated. The virtues he poffeffed were fo loaded with a greater proportion of their neighbouring vices, that they exhibit no lights, to fet off the dark fhades; his principles of generofity were tainted by fuch a childish profufion, that they left him without means of paying his juft obligations, and fubjected him to the neceffity of attempting irregular, illegal, and unjuft methods of acquiring money. His friendship, not to give it the name of vice, was directed by fo puerile a fancy, and fo abfurd a caprice, that the objects of it were contemptible, and its confequences attended with fuch an unmerited profufion of favours, that it was perhaps the most exceptionable quality of any he poffeffed. His diftinctions were formed on principles of felfishness; he valued no perfon for any endowments that could not be made fubfervient to his pleasures or his intereft; and thus he rarely advanced any man of real worth to preferment. His

familiar converfation, both in writing and in fpeaking, was ftuffed with vulgar and indecent phrafes. Though proud and arrogant in his temper, and full of the importance of his ftation, he defcended to buffoonry, and fuffered his favourites to addrefs him in the most disrespectful terms of grofs familiarity.

Himfelf affected a fententious wit, but rofe no higher in those attempts than to quaint, and often ftale conceits. His education had been a more learned one than is commonly bestowed on princes; this, from the conceit it gave him, turned out a very difadvantageous circumftance, by contracting his opinions to his own narrow views; his pretences to a confummate knowledge in divinity, politics, and the art of governing, expofe him ing, expofe him to a high degree of ridicule; his conduct fhewing him more than commonly deficient in all these points. His romantic idea of the natural rights of princes, caufed him publicly to avow pretenfions that impreffed into the minds of the people an incurable jealoufy; this, with an affectation of a profound skill in the art of diffembling, or kingcraft, as he termed it, rendered him the object of fear and diftruft; when at the fame time he was himfelf the only dupe to an impertinent, useless hypocrify.

If the laws and conftitution of England received no prejudice from his government, it was owing to his want of ability to effect a change fuitable to the purpose of an arbitrary fway. Stained with thefe vices, and fullied with these weaknesses, if he is even exempt from our hatred, the exemption muft arife from motives of contempt. Defpicable as he appears through his own Britannic government, his behaviour when king of Scotland was in many points unexceptionable; but, intoxicated with the power he received over a people whofe privileges were but feebly established, and who had been long fubjected to civil and ecclefiaftical tyranny, he at once flung off that moderation that hid his deformities from the common eye. It is alledged, that the corruption he met with in the court of England, and the time-ferving genius of the English noblemen, were the great means that debauched him from his circumfpect conduct. Among the forwardeft of the worthlefs tribe was Cecil, afterwards Earl of Salisbury, who told him on his coming to the crown, that he should find his Englifh fubjects like affes, on whom he might lay any burden, and fhould need neither 3 C

bit