hich the king reaped, both from wards and from
respite of homage, was estimated; and it was intended to compound for
these prerogatives by a secure and independent revenue. But after some
debates in the house, and some conferences with the lords, the affair
was found to contain more difficulties than could easily, at that time,
be surmounted; and it was not then brought to any conclusion.

The same fate attended an attempt of a like nature, to free the nation
from the burden of purveyance. This prerogative had been much abused
by the purveyors;[v] and the commons showed some intention to offer the
king fifty thousand pounds a year for the abolition of it.

* Journ. 21st May, 1604.

** Journ. 21st May, 1604.

*** A remonstrance from the Trinity House, in 1602, says,
that in a little above twelve years after 1588, the shipping
and number of seamen in England decayed about a third.
Anglesey's Happy Future State of England, p. 128, from Sir
Julius Caesar's Collections. See Journ. 21st May, 1604.

**** Journ. 1st June, 1604.

v Journ. 30th April, 1604.

Another affair of the utmost consequence was brought before the
parliament, where the commons showed a greater spirit of independence
than any true judgment of national interest. The union of the two
kingdoms was zealously, and even impatiently, urged by the king.[*] He
justly regarded it as the peculiar felicity of his reign, that he had
terminated the bloody animosities of these hostile nations; and had
reduced the whole island under one government, enjoying tranquillity
within itself, and security from all foreign invasions. He hoped that,
while his subjects of both kingdoms reflected on past disasters, besides
regarding his person as infinitely precious, they would entertain the
strongest desire of securing themselves against the return of like
calamities, by a thorough union of laws, parliaments, and privileges.
He considered not, that this very reflection operated, as yet, in a
contrary manner on men's prejudices, and kept alive that mutual hatred
between the nations, which had been carried to the greatest extremities,
and required time to allay it. The more urgent the king appeared
in promoting so useful a measure, the more backward was the English
parliament in concurring with him; while they ascribed his excessive
zeal to that partiality in favor of his ancient subjects, of which they
thought that, on other occasio