n the
aversion that the English nation naturally has to a French interest,
spoiled the hopefullest session the court had had of a great while,
before the court was well aware of it.--_Swift_. Rare style!

P. 409. _Burnet_, Lord Danby, speaking to King Charles II., said:--If
they saw his [the Duke of York's] daughter given to one that was at the
head of the Protestant interest, it would very much soften those
apprehensions, when it did appear that his religion was only a personal
thing, not to be derived to his children after him. With all this the
King was convinced.--_Swift_. Then how was the King for bringing in
Popery?

P. 413. _Burnet_. His friend answered, He hoped he did not intend to
make use of him to trepan a man to his ruin. Upon that, with lifted up
hands, Sharp promised by the living God, that no hurt should come to
him, if he made a full discovery.--_Swift_. Malice.

Ibid. _Burnet_, upon the examination of Mitchell before the
privy-council for the intended assassination of Archbishop Sharp, it
being first proposed to cut off the prisoner's right hand, and then his
left:--Lord Rothes, who was a pleasant man, said, "How shall he wipe his
breech then?" This is not very _decent_ to be mentioned in such a work,
if it were not necessary.--_Swift_. As decent as a thousand other
passages; so he might have spared his apology.

P. 414. _Burnet_, in the last article of the above trial, observes:--
But the judge, who hated Sharp, as he went up to the bench, passing by
the prisoner said to him, "Confess nothing, unless you are sure of your
limbs as well as of your life."--_Swift_. A rare judge.

Ibid. _Burnet_, mentioning Mackenzie's appointment as king's advocate,
says of him:--He has published many books, some of law, but all full of
faults; for he was a slight and superficial man.--_Swift_. Envious and
base.

P. 416. _Burnet_, speaking of the execution of the above Mitchell for
the attempt against Sharp, says:--Yet Duke Lauderdale had a chaplain,
Hickes, afterwards Dean of Worcester, who published a false and partial
relation of this matter, in order to the justifying of it--_Swift_. A
learned, pious man.[4]

[Footnote 4: The "Ravillac [_sic_] Redivivus" of Hickes, is,
notwithstanding his learning and piety, in every respect deserving of
the censures passed upon it by Burnet. [S.]]

P. 425. _Burnet_. [Titus Oates] got to be a chaplain in one of the
king's ships, from which he was dismissed upon complaint of