But in England, the fame feudal fyftem, after having fuddenly broken in like a flood, had depofited, and ftill continue to depofit, the noble feeds of the spirit of liberty, union, and fober refiftance. So early as the times of Edward, the tide was feen gradually to fubfide; the laws which protect the perfon and property of the individual, began to make their appearance; that admirable Conftitution, the refult of a threefold power, infenfibly arofe (a); and the eye might even then difcover the verdant fummits of that fortunate region that was deftined to be the feat of Philofophy and Liberty, which are infeparable companions.

(a) "Now, in my opinion," fays Philipe de Comines, in times not much pofterior to thofe of Edward the First, and with the fimplicity of the language of his times," among all the fovereignties I know in the "world, that in which the public good is beft attended

to, and the leaft violence exercised on the people, is "that of England." Memoires de Comines, tom. I. lib. v. chap. xix.

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TH

CHAPTER III.

The Subject continued.

HE Reprefentatives of the Nation, and of the whole Nation, were now admitted into Parliament: the great point therefore was gained, that was one day to procure them the great influence which they at present poffefs; and the fubfequent reigns afford continual inftances of its fucceffive growth.

Under Edward the Second, the Commons be gan to annex petitions to the bills by which they granted fubfidies: this was the dawn of their legislative authority. Under Edward the Third, they declared they would not, in future, acknowlege any law to which they had not exprefsly affented. Soon after this, they exerted a privilege in which confifts, at this time, one of the great balances of the Constitution: they impeached, and procured to be condemned, fome of the firft Minifters of State. Under Henry the Fourth, they refused to grant fubfidies before an anfwer had been given to their petitions. In a word, every event of any confequence was attended with an increase of the power of the Commons; increafes indeed but

flow and gradual, but which were peaceably and legally effected, and were the more fit to engage the attention of the People, and coalefce with the ancient principles of the Conftitution.

Under Henry the Fifth, the Nation was entirely taken up with its wars against France; and in the reign of Henry the Sixth began the fatal contefts between the houfes of York and Lancafter. The noife of arms alone was now to be heard during the filence of the laws already in being, no thought was had of enacting new ones; and for thirty years together, England prefents a wide fcene of flaughter and defolation.

At length, under Henry the Seventh, who, by his intermarriage with the house of York, united the pretenfions of the two families, a general peace was re-established, and the profpect of happier days feemed to open on the Nation. But the long and violent agitation under which it had laboured, was to be followed by a long and painful recovery. Henry, mounting the throne with fword in hand, and in great measure as a Conqueror, had promifes to fulfil, as well as injuries to avenge. In the mean time, the People, wearied out by the calamities they had undergone, and longing only

for repofe, abhorred even the idea of refiftance; fo that the remains of an almoft exterminated Nobility beheld themselves left defencelefs, and abandoned to the mercy of the Sovereign.

The Commons, on the other hand, accuftomed to act only a fecond part in public affairs, and finding themselves bereft of those who had hitherto been their Leaders, were more than ever afraid to form, of themselves, an oppofition. Placed immediately, as well as the Lords, under the eye of the King, they beheld themselves expofed to the fame dangers. Like them, therefore, they purchased their personal security at the expence of public liberty; and in reading the hiftory of the two firft Kings of the house of Tudor, we imagine ourselves reading the relation given by Tacitus, of Tiberius and the Roman Senate (a).

The time, therefore, feemed to be arrived, at which England muft fubmit, in its turn, to the fate of the other Nations of Europe. All those barriers which it had raised for the defence of its liberty, feemed to have only been able to poftpone the inevitable effects of Power.

(a) Quanto quis illuflrior, tanto magis falfi ac fefti

nantes.

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But the remembrance of their ancient laws, of that great charter fo often and fo folemnly confirmed, was too deeply impreffed on the minds of the English, to be effaced by tranfitory evils. Like a deep and extenfive, ocean, which preferves an equability of temperature amidst all the viciffitudes of feafons, England ftill retained thofe principles of liberty which were fo univerfally diffufed through all orders of the People, and they required only a proper opportunity to manifeft themfelves.

England, befides, ftill continued to poffefs the immenfe advantage of being one undivided

State.

Had it been, like France, divided into feveral diftinct dominions, it would alfo have had feveral National Affemblies. These Affemblies, being convened at different times and places, for this and other reafons, never. could have acted in concert; and the power of withholding fubfidies, a power fo, important when it is that of difabling the Sovereign and binding him down to inaction, would then have only been the deftructive privilege of irritating. a Mafter who would have eafily found means to obtain fupplies from other quarters.

The different Parliaments or Affemblies of thefe feveral States, having thenceforth no