, and share the supreme power, would in
all former times have been esteemed very blunt and indiscreet, if not
illegal language. We need not be surprised that governments should long
continue, though the boundaries of authority in their several branches
be implicit, confused, and undetermined. This is the case all over the
world. Who can draw an exact line between the spiritual and temporal
powers in Catholic states? What code ascertained the precise authority
of the Roman senate in every occurrence? Perhaps the English is the
first mixed government where the authority of every part has been very
accurately defined; and yet there still remain many very important
questions between the two houses, that, by common consent, are buried in
a discreet silence. The king's power is, indeed, more exactly limited;
but this period of which we now treat is the time a which that accuracy
commenced. And it appears from Warwick and Hobbes, that many royalists
blamed this philosophical precision in the king's penman, and
thought that the veil was very imprudently drawn off the mysteries of
government. It is certain that liberty reaped mighty advantages from
these controversies and inquiries; and the royal authority itself became
more secure within those provinces which were assigned to it.

Since the first publication of this History, the sequel of Lord
Clarendon has been published; where that nobleman asserts, that he
himself was the author of most of these remonstrances and memorials of
the king.]

[Footnote 12: NOTE L, p. 240. Whitlocke, who was one of the
commissioners, says, (p. 65,) "In this treaty the king manifested
his great parts and abilities, strength of reason and quickness of
apprehension, with much patience in hearing what was objected against
him; wherein he allowed all freedom and would himself sum up the
arguments, and give a most clear judgment upon them. His unhappiness
was, that he had a better opinion of others' judgments than of his
own, though they were weaker than his own; and of this the parliament
commissioners had experience to their great trouble. They were often
waiting on the king, and debating some points of the treaty with him
until midnight, before they could come to a conclusion. Upon one of the
most material points, they pressed his majesty with their reasons and
best arguments they could use to grant what they desired. The king said
he was fully satisfied, and promised to give them his answer in wr