5o4. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. II. KingjamesI. of there times, in his hifory of tithes, where he taxes them with ignorance 1624. and lazinéfs ;, and adds, " That they had nothing to fupport their credit " but beard, title and habit and that their learning reached no further than " the pofils and the polyanthia:'. Upon the whole, if we may believe Mr. Coke, the puritan party had gathered fo much ft.rength, and was in fuch reputation with the people, that they were more in number than all the other parties in the kingdom put together. cbaraoer of With regard to king names himfelf, it is hard to draw his jut charaEter, K. James I. for no prince was ever fo much flattered who fo little deferved it. He was ,Cbarafler, of of a middle Mature, not very corpulent, but fluffed out with clothes, which K. James, hung fo Ioofe, and beingquilted, were fo thick, as to refift a dagger. His countenance was homely, and his tongue too big for his mouth, fo that he could not fpeak with decency. While he was in Scotland he appeared fo- ber and chatte, and acquired a good degree of learning, but upon hisaccef lion to the Englifh crown he threw off the mark, and by degrees gave him- felf up to luxury and eafe, and all kinds of licentioufnefs. His language was obfcene, and his afions very often lewd and indecent. He was a Profane fwearer and would often be drunk, and when he came to himfelf would weep like a child, and fay, he hoped God would not impute his infirmities to him. He valued himfelf upon what he called KING- CRAFT, which was nothing elfe but deep hypocrify and diffimulation in every cha- raEler of life, refulting from the excefiive timoroufnefs of his nature. If we confider him as a king, he never did a great or generous aEtion through- out the courfe of his reign, but proftituted the honour of the Englifh nation beyond any of his predeceffors. He flood fill while the proteftant religion was fuppreffed in France, in Bohemia, in the Palatinate, and other parts of Germany. He furrendered up the cautionary towns to the Dutch for lefs than a fourth part ofthe value, and fuffered them to difpoffefs us of our faEtories in the Eaft-Indies. At home he committed the direEtion of all affairs in church and fate to two or three favourites, and carednot what they did if they gave him no trouble. He broke through all the laws of the land, and was as abfolute a tyrant as his want of courage would admit. He revived the proje is of monopolies, loans, benevolences, &c. to fupply his exchequer, which was exhaufted by his profufenefs towards his favou- rites, and laid the foundation ofall the calamitiesof his Eon's reign. Upon thewhole, tho' he was flattered by hungry courtiers as the Solomon andPhce- nix of his age, he was in the opinion of bifhop Burnet, " the fcorn of " the age, a mere pedant, without true judgment, courage, or feadinefs; e' his reign being a continued courfe of mean praélices." It is hard to make any judgment of his religion, for one while he was a puritan, and then a zealous churchman ; at firf a calvinif and prefbyterian, afterwardsa remonftrant or arminian, and at laft a half, if not
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=