narch by the poniard
of the fanatical Ravaillac. With his death, the glory of the French
monarchy suffered an eclipse for some years; and as that kingdom fell
under an administration weak and bigoted, factious and disorderly,
the Austrian greatness began anew to appear formidable to Europe. In
England, the antipathy to the Catholics revived a little upon this
tragical event; and some of the laws which had formerly been enacted, in
order to keep these religionists in awe, began now to be executed with
greater rigor and severity.[***]

* King James's Works, p. 531.

** See note ZZ at the end of the volume.

*** Kennet, p. 684.

{1611.} Though James's timidity and indolence fixed him, during most
of his reign, in a very prudent inattention to foreign affairs, there
happened this year an event in Europe of such mighty consequence as to
rouse him from his lethargy, and summon up all his zeal and enterprise.
A professor of divinity, named Vorstius, the disciple of Arminius was
called from a German to a Dutch university; and as he differed from his
Britannic majesty in some nice questions concerning the intimate essence
and secret decrees of God, he was considered as a dangerous rival in
scholastic fame, and was at last obliged to yield to the legions of that
royal doctor, whose syllogisms he might have refuted or eluded. If vigor
was wanting in other incidents of James's reign, here he behaved even
with haughtiness and insolence; and the states were obliged, after
several remonstrances, to deprive Vorstius of his chair, and to banish
him their dominions.[*] The king carried no further his animosity
against that professor; though he had very charitably hinted to the
states, "That, as to the burning of Vorstius for his blasphemies and
atheism, he left them to their own Christian wisdom; but surely never
heretic better deserved the flames."[**] It is to be remarked, that, at
this period, all over Europe, except in Holland alone, the practice
of burning heretics still prevailed, even in Protestant countries; and
instances were not wanting in England during the reign of James.

To consider James in a more advantageous light, we must take a view of
him as the legislator of Ireland; and most of the institutions which he
had framed for civilizing that kingdom being finished about this period,
it may not here be improper to give some account of them. He frequently
boasts of the management of Ireland as his masterpi