nteenth
century, the meetings of parliament were precarious, and were not
frequent. The sessions were short, and the members had no leisure
either to get acquainted with each other, or with public business. The
ignorance of the age made men more submissive to that authority which
governed them. And above all, the large demesnes of the crown, with
the small expense of government during that period, rendered the
prince almost independent, and taught the parliament to preserve great
submission and duty towards him.

In our present constitution, many accidents which have rendered
governments every where, as well as in Great Britain, much more
burdensome than formerly, have thrown into the hands of the crown the
disposal of a large revenue, and have enabled the king, by the private
interest and ambition of the members, to restrain the public interest
and ambition of the body. While the opposition (for we must still have
an opposition, open or disguised,) endeavors to draw every branch of
administration under the cognizance of parliament, the courtiers reserve
a part to the disposal of the crown; and the royal prerogative, though
deprived of its ancient powers, still maintains a due weight in the
balance of the constitution.

It was the fate of the house of Stuart to govern England at a period
when the former source of authority was already much diminished, and
before the latter began to flow in any tolerable abundance. Without a
regular and fixed foundation, the throne perpetually tottered; and the
prince sat upon it anxiously and precariously. Every expedient used
by James and Charles in order to support their dignity, we have seen
attended with sensible inconveniencies. The majesty of the crown,
derived from ancient powers and prerogatives, procured respect, and
checked the approaches of insolent intruders. But it begat in the king
so high an idea of his own rank and station, as made him incapable
of stooping to popular courses, or submitting, in any degree, to the
control of parliament. The alliance with the hierarchy strengthened law
by the sanction of religion; but it enraged the Puritanical party, and
exposed the prince to the attacks of enemies, numerous, violent, and
implacable. The memory, too, of these two kings, from like causes, has
been attended, in some degree, with the same infelicity which pursued
them during the whole course of their lives. Though it must be
confessed, that their skill in government was no