n that in most governments it is better
to forbear. Surely that question was not determined before the age of
James. The rising spirit of the parliament, together with that king's
love of general, speculative principles, brought it from its obscurity,
and made it be commonly canvassed. The strongest testimony that I
remember from a writer of James's age in favor of English liberty, is in
Cardinal Bentivoglio, a foreigner, who mentions the English government
as similar to that of the Low Country provinces under their princes,
rather than to that of France or Spain. Englishmen were not so sensible
that their prince was limited, because they were sensible that no
individual had any security against a stretch of prerogative: but
foreigners, by comparison, could perceive that these stretches were at
that time, from custom or other causes, less frequent in England than
in other monarchies. Philip de Comines, too, remarked the English
constitution to be more popular in his time than that of France. But in
a paper written by a patriot in 1627, it is remarked, that the freedom
of speech in parliament had been lost in England since the days of
Comines. Franklyn, p. 238. Here is a stanza of Malherbe's Ode to Mary de
Medicis, the queen regent, written in 1614.

Entre les rois a qui cet age Doit son principal ornement, Ceux de la
Tamise et du Tage Font louer leur gouvernement: Mais en de si calmes
provinces, Ou le peuple adore les princes, Et met au gre le plus haut
L'honneur du sceptre legitime, Sauroit-on excuser le crime De ne regner
pas comme il faut.

The English, as well as the Spaniards, are here pointed out as much
more obedient subjects than the French, and much more tractable and
submissive to their princes. Though this passage be taken from a poet,
every man of judgment will allow its authority to be decisive. The
character of a national government cannot be unknown in Europe; though
it changes sometimes very suddenly. Machiavel, in his Dissertations on
Livy, says repeatedly, that France was the most legal and most popular
monarchy then in Europe.]

[Footnote 62: NOTE KKK, p. 499. Passive obedience is expressly and
zealously inculcated in the homilies composed and published by authority
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The convocation, which met in the very
first year of the king's reign, voted as high monarchical principles as
are contained in the decrees of the University of Oxford during the
rule of the Tories. Th