472 The HLS TORY o, f the PURITANS. Chap. II. KingJamesl. But while the king and his reinifters were wounding the proteft . ' religion and. the liberties of England, it pleafed Almighty God to lay thant e King mar- foundation of their recovery by the marriage of the king's daughter Eli: ties his zabetb toFrederick V. elector Palatine of the Rhine, fromwhom the pre- daughter to Pent royal family is defcended. The match was promoted by archbifhop Palatine. Abbot, and univerfally approved by all the puritans in England, as the Palatine, }s pp p & , grand fecurity of the proteftant fucceflion in cafe of_failure of heirs from the king's fon. Mr. Echardlays, they foretold by a diftant forefight, the fucceflion of this family to the crown ; and it muft be owned, that they were always the delight of the puritans, who prayed heartily for them, and upon all occafions exerted themfelves for the fupport of the family in their loweft circumftances. Death and The folemnity of thefe nuptials was retarded fome months, by the un- eharatter of timely death of HENRY prince of Wales, the king's eldeft fon, who died Henryprince November 6th. 1612. and was buried the 7th. of December following, of wales. being eighteen years and eight months old. Some have fafpected that the king his father caufed him to be poifoned, though there is no fuf- ficient proof of it; the body being opened, his liver appeared white, and his fpleen and diaphragm black, his gall without choler, and his lungs fpotted with much corruption, and hishead full of blood in Tome places, and in others full of water. It is certain the king was jealous of his fon's Rapin, popularity, and asked one day, ifhe would bury him alive; and upon his p. 328, 34o. death commanded, that that no perfon / hould appear at court in mourning for him. This prince was one of the moft accomplifhed perlons of his age, fober, chaff, temperate, religious, full of honour and probity, and never heard to (wear an oath: Neither the example of the king his father, nor of the whole court, was capable of corrupting him in thefe refpects. He had a great foul full of noble and elevated fentiments, and was as much difpleafed with trifles as his father was fond of them. He had fre- quently faid, that ifever he mounted the throne, his fir/i carefhould be to try to reconcile the puritans to the churchof England. As this could not be done without each party's snaking fome concefiions, and as fuch a pro ceeding was directly contrary to to the temper of the court and clergy, he was fufpe fed to countenance puritanifin. To fay all in one word, prince Henry was mild and affable, though of a warlike genius, the darling of the puritans, and of all good men ; and though he lived about eighteen years, no hiftorian has taxed him with any vice. New methods To furnifh the Exchequer with money feveral new projects were fet ofraif:ngma- on foot, as (z.) His majefty created a new order of knights baronets: ney. the number not to exceed two hundred, and the expence of the patent one thoufand ninety-five pounds. (2.) His majefty fold letters patent for monopolies. (3.) He obliged fuch as were worth forty pounds a year to
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