WILLIAM AND MARY.

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clung to his favourite whimsy with a tenacity which the generaldisapprobation only made more intense. His old friends, thestedfast adherents of indefeasible hereditary right, grew coldand reserved. He asked Sancroft’s blessing, and got only asharp word, and a black look. He asked Ken’s blessing; andKen, though not much in the habit of transgressing the rules ofChristian charity and courtesy, murmured something about alittle scribbler. Thus cast out by one faction, Bohun was notreceived by any other. He formed indeed a class apart: for hewas at once a zealous Filmerite and a zealous Williamite. Heheld that pure monarchy, not limited by any law or contract,was the form of government ivhich had been divinely ordained.But he held that William was now the absolute monarch, whomight annul the Great Charter, abolish trial by jury, or imposetaxes by royal proclamation, without forfeiting the right to beimplicitly obeyed by Christian men. As to the rest, Bohunwas a man of some learning, mean understanding and un-popular manners. He had no sooner entered on his functionsthan all Paternoster Row and Little Britain were in a ferment.The Whigs had, under Fraser’s administration, enjoyed almostas entire a liberty as if there had been no censorship. But theywere now as severely treated as in the days of Lestrange. AHistory of the Bloody Assizes was about to be published, andwas expected to have as great a run as the Pilgrim’s Progress.But the new licenser refused his Imprimatur. The book, hesaid, represented rebels and schismatics as heroes and mar-tyrs ; and he would not sanction it for its weight in gold. Acharge delivered by Lord Warrington to the grand jury of

theory. “For my part,” he says, “I am amazed to see men scruple thesubmitting to the present King: for, if ever man had ajust cause of war,he had; and that creates a right to the tiling gained by it. The King bywithdrawing and disbonding his army yielded him the throne; and if hehad, without any more ceremony, ascended it, ho had done no more thanall other princes do on the like occasions.”

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