g laws and bestowing public money, the
members acquired not upon that account, either with prince or people,
much more weight and consideration. What powers were necessary for
conducting the machine of government, the king was accustomed of himself
to assume. His own revenues supplied him with money sufficient for his
ordinary expenses. And when extraordinary emergencies occurred, the
prince needed not to solicit votes in parliament, either for making laws
or imposing taxes, both of which were now became requisite for public
interest and preservation.

The security of individuals, so necessary to the liberty of popular
councils, was totally unknown in that age. And as no despotic princes,
scarcely even the Eastern tyrants, rule entirely without the concurrence
of some assemblies, which supply both advice and authority, little but
a mercenary force seems then to have been wanting towards the
establishment of a simple monarchy in England. The militia, though more
favorable to regal authority than the feudal institutions, was much
inferior in this respect to disciplined armies; and if it did not
preserve liberty to the people, it preserved at least the power, if ever
the inclination should arise, of recovering it.

But so low at that time ran the inclination towards liberty, that
Elizabeth, the last of that arbitrary line, herself no less arbitrary,
was yet the most renowned and most popular of all the sovereigns that
had filled the throne of England. It was natural for James to take the
government as he found it, and to pursue her measures, which he heard
so much applauded; nor did his penetration extend so far as to discover,
that neither his circumstances nor his character could support so
extensive an authority. His narrow revenues and little frugality began
now to render him dependent on his people, even in the ordinary course
of administration: their increasing knowledge discovered to them
that advantage which they had obtained; and made them sensible of the
inestimable value of civil liberty. And as he possessed too little
dignity to command respect, and too much good nature to impress fear, a
new spirit discovered itself every day in the parliament; and a party,
watchful of a free constitution, was regularly formed in the house of
commons.

But notwithstanding these advantages acquired to liberty, so extensive
was royal authority, and so firmly established in all its parts, that
it is probable the patriots of th