ith their penitent to break off so criminal an attachment.

How little inclination soever the king, as well as his queen and
priests, might bear to an English parliament, it was absolutely
necessary, at the beginning of the reign, to summon that assembly. The
low condition to which the whigs, or country party, had fallen during
the last years of Charles's reign, the odium under which they labored on
account of the Rye-house conspiracy; these causes made that party meet
with little success in the elections. The general resignation, too,
of the charters had made the corporations extremely dependent; and the
recommendations of the court, though little assisted at that time
by pecuniary influence, were become very prevalent. The new house of
commons, therefore, consisted almost entirely of zealous tories and
churchmen; and were, of consequence, strongly biased by their affections
in favor of the measures of the crown.

The discourse which the king made to the parliament was more fitted to
work on their fears than their affections. He repeated, indeed, and with
great solemnity, the promise which he had made before the privy council,
of governing according to the laws, and of preserving the established
religion: but at the same time, he told them, that he positively
expected they would settle his revenue, and during life too, as in the
time of his brother. "I might use many arguments," said he, "to
enforce this demand; the benefit of trade, the support of the navy, the
necessities of the crown, and the well-being of the government itself,
which I must not suffer to be precarious, but I am confident, that your
own consideration, and your sense of what is just and reasonable, will
suggest to you whatever on this occasion might be enlarged upon. There
is indeed one popular argument," added he, "which may be urged against
compliance with my demand: men may think, that by feeding me from time
to time with such supplies as they think convenient, they will better
secure frequent meetings of parliament: but as this is the first time
I speak to you from the throne, I must plainly tell you, that such an
expedient would be very improper to employ with me; and that the best
way to engage me to meet you often, is always to use me well."

It was easy to interpret this language of the king's. He plainly
intimated, that he had resources in his prerogative for supporting the
government independent of their supplies; and that, so long as they