own
handwriting; which before he read, he said he would acquaint
us with a pleasant conceit of his majesty. As concerning the
number of ninescore thousand pounds, which was our number,
he could not affect, because nine was the number of the
poets, who were always beggars, though they served so many
muses; and eleven was the number of the apostles, when the
traitor Judas was away; and therefore might best be affected
by his majesty: but there was a mean number, which might
accord us both; and that was ten: which, says my lord
treasurer, is a sacred number; for so many were God's
commandments, which tend to virtue and edification." If the
commons really voted twenty thousand pounds a year more, on
account of this "pleasant conceit" of the king and the
treasurer, it was certainly the best paid wit, for its
goodness, that ever was in the world.

Amidst all these attacks, some more, some less violent, on royal
prerogative, the king displayed, as openly as ever, all his exalted
notions of monarchy and the authority of princes. Even in a speech to
the parliament where he begged for supply, and where he should naturally
have used every art to ingratiate himself with that assembly, he
expressed himself in these terms: "I conclude, then, the point touching
the power of kings, with this axiom of divinity, that, as to dispute
what God may do, is blasphemy; but what God wills, that divines may
lawfully and do ordinarily dispute and discuss. So is it sedition in
subjects to dispute what a king may do in the height of his power. But
just kings will ever be willing to declare what they will do, if they
will not incur the curse of God. I will not be content that my power be
disputed upon; but I shall ever be willing to make the reason appear of
my doings, and rule my actions according to my laws."[*] Notwithstanding
the great extent of prerogative in that age, these expressions would
probably give some offence. But we may observe, that, as the king's
despotism was more speculative than practical, so the independency
of the commons was, at this time, the reverse; and, though strongly
supported by their present situation, as well as disposition, was too
new and recent to be as yet founded on systematical principles and
opinions.[**] [52]

This year was distinguished by a memorable event, which gave great alarm
and concern in England; the murder of the French mo