e Infanta, daughter of the King
of Spain, making abject promises of legislation in his Kingdom
favorable to the Catholics; and when an indignant House {100} of
Commons protested against the marriage, they were insolently
reprimanded for meddling with things which did not concern them, and
were sent home, not to be recalled again until the King's necessities
for money compelled him to summon them.

During the early part of his reign the people seem to have been
paralyzed and speechless before his audacious pretensions. Great
courtiers were fawning at his feet listening to his pedantic wisdom,
and humoring his theory of the "Divine right" of hereditary Kingship.
And alas!--that we have to say it--Francis Bacon (his Chancellor), with
intellect towering above his century,--was his obsequious servant and
tool, uttering not one protest as one after another the liberties of
the people were trampled upon!

But this Spanish marriage had aroused a spirit before which a wiser man
than James would have trembled. He was standing midway between two
scaffolds, that of his mother (1587), and his son (1649). Every blow
he struck at the liberties of England cut deep into the foundation of
his throne. {101} And when he violated the law of the land by the
imposition of taxes, without the sanction of his Parliament, he had
"sowed the wind" and the "whirlwind," which was to break on his son's
head was inevitable. Popular indignation began to be manifest, and
Puritan members of the Commons began to use language the import of
which could not be mistaken. Bacon was disgraced; his crime,--while
ostensibly the "taking of bribes,"--was in reality his being the
servile tool of the King.

In reviewing the acts of this reign we see a foolish Sovereign ruled by
an intriguing adventurer whom he created Duke of Buckingham. We see
him foiled in his attempt to link the fate of England with that of
Catholic Europe;--sacrificing Sir Walter Raleigh because he had given
offense to Spain, the country whose friendship he most desired. We see
numberless acts of folly, and but three which we can commend. James
did authorize and promote the translation of the Bible which has been
in use until to-day. He named his double Kingdom of England and
Scotland "Great Britain." {102} These two acts, together with his death
in 1625, meet with our entire approval.

Charles I., son of James, was at least one thing which his father was
not. He was a gentleman.