No Bishop, No King
. He died at Theobalds, March 27, 1625, in the 23rd year of his reign, and 59th year of his age. Thus ended a peaceable but inglorious, a plentiful but luxurious reign, to make room for another more turbulent and tragical.
CHARLES I. the only son of King James, succeeded next: he was born at Dumferling, in Scotland, 1600, and crowned at Westminster, 1625. His crown may be called a crown of thorns, as his reign ended in blood. He married Henrietta, daughter to Henry IV. King of France, who was bigotted to the catholic religion, and gained the ascendancy over him. His wonderful compliance with the Queen caused him to act in many respects contrary to the laws of the kingdom, and his unbounded favour to the Duke of Buckingham, incensed the people to that degree, that this favourite was afterwards stabbed by Felton, merely for the public good. These, and such like weaknesses, made him continually at variance with the parliament, which at last broke out into a civil war. Several battles were fought between the royalists and republicans or rumps. The King was taken prisoner by the Scots, who sold him to the parliament for 200,000l. Hereupon the parliament erected a high court of justice, and gave them power to try the King; and though the generality of the people were against such arbitrary proceedings, yet they arraigned him of high-treason. The King maintained his dignity, and refusing to acknowledge the authority of these pretended judges, had sentence of death passed upon him, and was accordingly beheaded on a scaffold erected for that purpose, before the palace, Jan. 30, 1648. In this reign two great ministers, viz. Archbishop Laud, and the Earl of Strafford, were beheaded.
CROMWELL, one of the most considerable members of the high court who condemned King Charles, was now sent to subdue Ireland. After which he marched against the Scots, who had taken up arms in favour of the late King. The Dutch also, who had sent a fleet to assist the King, having met with many losses and disappointments, sued for peace, which Cromwell sold them at an exorbitant price. Now Cromwell was made Lord Protector to the British dominions, and acted with the same authority as if he had been King. He was a terror both to France and Spain, and died Sept. 3, 1658. His son indeed succeeded to that high station, which his father filled with universal applause; but having neither an equal share of ambition, nor a head turned for government, modestly resigned to the right heir
CHARLES II. son of Charles I. succeeded his father, but was kept from the crown above eleven years, during which time England was reduced to a commonwealth. The King was at the Hague when his father was beheaded. But on his yielding to some conditions imposed on him by the kirk of Scotland, he was received by the Scots, and being crowned at Scoon, they sent an army with him into England to recover that kingdom; which being totally defeated at Worcester, he wandered about for six weeks, and made his escape to France, then to Spain, but without any hopes of restoration, till the death of Oliver Cromwell: when a free parliament, having met in April 1660, voted the return of King Charles II. as lawful heir to the crown. The power of the Rump Parliament, by the conduct and courage of General Monk, had been on the decline for some time, and the King's interest greatly increased, especially in the city of London, where he was proclaimed May 8. He landed at Dover, and made a most magnificent entry, May 29, 1660, being his birthday; and the 23d
[sic]
of April following, being St. George's day, he was crowned at Westminster with great state and solemnity. Among the remarkable things of this reign, we may reckon the parting with Dunkirk to France for a paltry sum; the blowing up Tangier in the Streights, after immense sums had been expended to repair and keep it; the shutting up the Exchequer when full of loans, to the ruin of numerous families; the two Dutch wars, which ended with no advantage on either side, but served only to promote the French interest; the great plague with which this nation was visited during the first Dutch war; the fire of London that happened soon after; and the Popish plot, for which many suffered death. On the 2d of Feb. 1684, the King fell sick of an apoplexy; he died four days after, in the 37th year of his reign, and was privately buried at Westminster.
JAMES II. succeeded his brother Charles, but proved very unfortunate to himself and his people, on account of his zeal for the Romish religion. He invaded the rights of the universities, and made Magdalen College in Oxford a prey to his violence. He sent seven bishops as criminals to the tower, who upon trial were honourably acquitted. Father Peters, a Jesuit, and several Popish Lords, sat in the Privy Council, and some Popish Judges on the bench. The Pope sent a Nuncio from Rome, who was suffered to make his public entry in defiance of our constitution. These barefaced practices made the Protestant party think it high time to check the growth of popery. Hereupon the Prince of Orange was requested to vindicate his consort's right, and that of the three nations. In the beginning of this reign the Duke of Monmouth was proclaimed King in the West, in opposition to King James; but his party being defeated, he was beheaded July 15, 1685. Judge Jeffries was afterwards sent by the King to try those who had assisted the Duke, of whom he hanged no less than 600, glorying in his cruelty, and affirming, that he had hanged more than all the Judges since William the Conqueror. The Chevalier St. George
was born July 10, 1688, two days after the bishops were imprisoned. The Prince of Orange landed at Torbay Nov. 5, and King James abdicated the crown, and went over to France, Dec. 23. Hereupon an interregnum ensued till the 13th of February, 1688-9, when William and Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange, were offered the Crown, and accepted it.
The House of ORANGE.