gay,
sprightly, polite, elegant, courteous, devoted to their prince, and
attached to the Catholic faith; and for these reasons he cordially loved
them. The opposite character of the Dutch had rendered them the objects
of his aversion; and even the uncourtly humors of the English made him
very indifferent towards them. Our notions of interest are much warped
by our affections, and it is not altogether without example, that a man
may be guided by national prejudices, who has ever been little biased by
private and personal friendship.

The character of this prince has been elaborately drawn by two great
masters, perfectly well acquainted with him, the duke of Buckingham and
the marquis of Halifax; not to mention several elegant strokes given
by Sir William Temple. Dr Welwood, likewise, and Bishop Burnet have
employed their pencil on the same subject; but the former is somewhat
partial in his favor, as the latter is by far too harsh and malignant.
Instead of finding an exact parallel between Charles II. and the emperor
Tiberius, as asserted by that prelate, it would be more just to remark
a full contrast and opposition. The emperor seems as much to have
surpassed the king in abilities, as he falls short of him in virtue.
Provident, wise, active, jealous, malignant, dark, sullen, unsociable,
reserved, cruel, unrelenting, unforgiving these are the lights under
which the Roman tyrant has been transmitted to us. And the only
circumstance in which it can justly be pretended he was similar to
Charles, is his love of women, a passion which is too general to form
any striking resemblance, and which that detestable and detested monster
shared also with unnatural appetites.

CHAPTER LXX.

[Illustration: 1-846-james2.jpg JAMES II.]

JAMES II.

{1685.} THE first act of James's reign was to assemble the privy
council; where, after some praises bestowed on the memory of his
predecessor, he made professions of his resolution to maintain the
established government, both in church and state. Though he had been
reported, he said, to have imbibed arbitrary principles, he knew that
the laws of England were sufficient to make him as great a monarch as he
could wish; and he was determined never to depart from them. And as
he had heretofore ventured his life in defence of the nation, he would
still go as far as any man in maintaining all its just rights and
liberties.

This discourse was received with great applause, not o