Appa., in the recurrence of fimilar circumftances, to be declared Regent of GreatBritain, as a measure founded on a constitutional claim of right, Ireland would be virtually included, the conftitutions of both countries being exactly fimilar; and that kingdom would no doubt readily acquiefce in fo equitable a decifion. But if the Parliament of England has a right to elect a Regent, the Parliament of Ireland will doubtlefs think themselves entitled to claim the fame privilege: and if at any future period that affembly, inftigated by a spirit of national jealoufy and independence, fhould refuse to acknowledge the Regent of GreatBritain as Regent of Ireland, and fhould think proper to elect a Regent of their own, I defire to be informed, by what ties, political or civil, the two nations would be connected? It is evident that the two monarchies would be as diftin&t, during the continuance of the two regencies, as the kingdoms of France and Spain. Surely a principle which leads to a confequence of a nature fo alarming, ought, by every good citizen, who wishes to perpetuate the harmony which at present fubfifts between the two countries, to be reprobated, as fraught with mifchief and ruin. It would be easy to enumerate various other confiderations, of inferior moment indeed, but which, if weightier arguments were wanting, would fufficiently demonstrate the dangerous tendency of this unconstitutional affumption of authority. But enough, I think, has been faid to establish the general pofition, That, pending the incapacity of the Sovereign, of the exiftence and duration of which incapacity the Reprefentatives of the Nation were the VOL. III.

H

fole

fole judges, the immediate Succeffor to the Crown ought, upon every principle of rectitude and policy, to be recognized by both Houses of Parliament as Regent of the realm, exercifing, by virtue of his office, kingly power.

ESSAY

ESSAY XXXI.

REMARKS on the REIGN and CHARACTER of KING WILLIAM.

THERE are few princes in modern times, who have acted a more confpicuous or impor tant part on the great theatre of the world, than King William. Scarcely had he attained to the age of complete manhood, when he was called upon by the united voice of his countrymen, to rescue them from the dangers of an invafion which had nearly fubverted the republic. When their apprehenfions had reduced them to the loweft ebb of defpondency, he awakened the drooping genius of the commonwealth; and Holland, under the auspices of a Prince of the House of Orange, quickly re-affumed her courage, and re-established her power. When thefe nations were threatened with the dreadful profpect of popery and flavery, this Prince was again invoked for aid and affiftance. He came as a guardian angel to their relief, accomplished with unparalleled happinefs and fuccefs the glorious and immortal work of their deliverance, and was rewarded with that crown which fell from the head of the abdicated tyrant. During the concluding H 2

years

years of his life, he was univerfally confidered as the great bulwark of the liberties of Europe, endangered by the pride and the power of Louis XIV. to whofe vaft and unprincipled projects of ambition he opposed, in that grand alliance of which he was the former and the head, an infurmountable barrier. What I propofe, is to take a cursory review of his conduct as King of Great Britain; in which character, if he appears more expofed to the malevolence of cenfure, than in that of Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of Holland, it must be remembered, that the difficulties of this more exalted fituation were incomparably greater, and his means of obviating them proportionably less. Though the two great political factions had united in their oppofition to the late King James; and though the Tories, alarmed at the magnitude and inminence of the danger, feemed for a time to have abandoned their favourite doctrines of paffive obedience and nonrefiftance, in the fpeculative difcuffions which fucceeded at the meeting of the Convention, they evidently fhewed a strong tendency to revert to their original principles; or at least a ftrong reluctance to depart from them, farther than the neceflity of the cafe abfolutely demanded. Though they acknowledged the King, therefore, to be incapable of government, they could by no means reconcile their minds to the idea of an actual depofition; but, as in former cafes of incapacity, arifing from non-age or mental imbecility, they propofed the appointment of a Regent, vefted with kingly power. To this plan the Whigs, who conftituted' a

great

great majority of the Lower House of Convention, were determined, for very obvious and important reafons, not to accede: But, wifely endeavouring to accommodate their more digified and rational ideas, in a certain degree, to the prejudices of their new affociates, they paffed an unanimous vote, "That King James

II. having endeavoured to fubvert the confti"tution of the kingdom, by breaking the ori"ginal compact between king and people, and "having, by the advice of Jefuits, and other "wicked perfons, violated the fundamental "laws, and withdrawn himself out of the "kingdom, has abdicated the government, and "that the throne is thereby vacant." The Tories, however, whofe influence predominated in the Houfe of Lords, rejected the concluding caufe, and changed the term abdicated, for deferted; a word of very different import, as it feemed to imply that the right of refumption ftill exifted. Not clearly comprehending that the conftitution is fuperior to law, and that the spirit of the constitution is in a still higher degree fuperior to the forms of the conftitution, they argued, That "however great might be the mifconduct of the government, the law pronounced the King to be, in his own perfon, exempt from all refponfibility. The authors and advisers of the illegal measures purfued, were indeed deferving of condign punishment; but to the King himself could be imputed, not criminality, but incapacity merely; and for this incapacity, a regency was the only proper and conftitutional remedy. If, however, the temporary defertion of the government on the part