BOOK IL popish term, and a popish invention-no traces of which were to be found in the genuine canon of Scripture.

1698.

But the house of commons, not satisfied with what they had already done, enacted, with the ready concurrence of the upper house," that if any person educated in the Christian religion. should deny the same to be true, or the holy scriptures to be of divine authority, or impugn the doctrine of the holy Trinity, he shall be incapable of holding any office or place of trust, and for the second offence be disabled from bringing any action, or from acting as guardian, executor, legatec, or purchaser of lands, and shall suffer three years' imprisonment without bail." Thus did this parliament arrogate an authority utterly inconsistent with the first principles of protestantism-which can never rest upon any other foundation than the broad and solid basis of the right of private judgment in matters of religion. If this is relinquished, the church of England herself is guilty of heresy and schism in separating from the church of Rome, which condemns those to the flames who deny the mystery of transubstantiation, with incomparably greater consistency than the protestant church or parliament of England can inflict penalties worse than death on those who reject the mystery of the Trinity.

On the 5th of July, 1698, the king in a hand

some speech expressed to the parliament the sense he entertained of the great things done by them for the safety and honor of the crown, and the support and welfare of the people. The parliament was then prorogued, and in two days after dissolved, having now sat its full period of three years.

BOOK I

1699.

The power of government was at this æra vested chiefly in the hands of lord Somers, lord Orford, and Mr. Montague-a bold and aspiring genius, who had recently attained the summit of his ambition by superseding lord Godolphin as first commissioner of the treasury. He was originally introduced into public life under the patronage of lord Sunderland. In this connection each had his purpose to serve, and the highspirited Montague quickly learned to throw off his dependence, and rely with confidence on his own resources and abilities for support. The chief alteration discernible in the state of things nerd Albe at court, was the earl of Portland's decline of marle. favor with the king, and the rapid rise of the earl of Albemarle, son of M. Pellant lord of Keppel in Guelderland-a young man of an agreeable person and address, and endowed with all the arts and accomplishments of a complete

courtier.

Advance

ment of

Portlands

The earl of Portland, like other court favorites, Earl of saw this rivalship with extreme uneasiness; but Embassy to

Paris.

1698.

BOOK III. his remonstrances served only to excite dislike and displeasure. The king, however, whose esteem survived his affection, sent this nobleman, at the conclusion of the war, on an honorable embassy to Paris, where he displayed, and was in return entertained with, unusual splendor and magnificence. The secretary of the embassy was the celebrated Prior; who passing, as it is related, through the grand apartments of Versailles, and being shewn those fine pieces of Le Brun which represent the victories of Louis XIV., was asked by the officer who attended, "whether king William's actions were also depictured in his palace?" "No, sir," replied the Englishman, "the monuments of my master's actions are to be seen every where but in his own house." The earl of Portland, on his return, finding his influence over the king in a manner extinguished, and the star of Keppel predominant, resigned in unspeakable chagrin the places he had held for near ten years in the royal household. Sir William Trumbull, his intimate and confidential friend, had been some months before, superseded in his office of secretary of state by Mr. Vernon, a man long conversant in business, and who had been several years under-secretary to the duke of Shrewsbury.

The duke of Glocester, only son of the prince and princess of Denmark, having now attained

to the tenth year of his age, the king allotted him BOOK UI. a separate establishment, appointing the bishop 1698. of Salisbury his preceptor, and for governor the earl of Marlborough, who was now fully reinstated in the royal favor. On delivering the young prince into his hands, the king said, My lord, teach him to be what you are yourself, and I am satisfied."

Muscovy

land.

It must not be omitted, that Peter czar of Czar of Muscovy, whose ardent genius incited him to visits Eng traverse Europe for the purpose of transplanting the arts of civilisation from foreign countries into his native land, passed several months of the preceding winter in England; but no indications were visible, except to the discerning few, of those great talents which, in the sequel, rendered his name so illustrious." The vulgar,"

During the residence of the Czar in London, bishop Burnet, as that prelate informs us in his history, "waited often upon him, having directions from the king to offer him such informations of our religion and constitution as he was willing to receive." The account transmitted to us of this great monarch by the learned prelate is very curious and amusing. "He is a man of a very hot temper, soon inflamed, and very brutal in his passion. He wants not capacity, and has a larger measure of knowledge than might be expected from his education, which was very indifferent. A want of judginent, with an instability of temper, appear in him too often and too evidently. He is mechanically turned, and seems designed by nature rather to be a ship-carpenter than a great prince. This was his chief study and exercise while

1698.

66

BOOK III.according to the observation of M. Voltaire, saw nothing in this monarch but his gross external demeanour, the effect of a neglected education; the legislator, the creator of a new empire, the great man, escaped them."

Affairs of

Scotland.

In the course of the summer a session of parliament was held in Scotland; the earl of Marchmont, lord chancellor, being appointed high commissioner. That kingdom was in a state of great and general inflammation, in consequence of the steps taken in England in relation to the famous commercial bill passed in the former session: and at an early period of their meeting, an animated representation was presented to parliament by the company, stating "the loss and disappointment they had suffered from the withdrawment of the English subscriptions; in lieu of which they had published similar proposals in the city of Hamburg, which had met with extra

he staid here. He told me he designed a great fleet at Asoph and with it to attack the Turkish empire: but he did not seem capable of conducting so great a design. He was disposed to understand our doctrines; but he did not seem desirous to mend matters in Muscovy. He is resolute, but understands little of war, and seemed not at all inquisitive that way;"-i. e. doubtless he did not solicit information on this topic from the learned prelate: nor perhaps would he have questioned an Eugene or a Marlborough upon any points of church discipline or doctrine. Burnet, vol. iii. p. 806.