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7 (1855)
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198 HISTOKY OE ENGLAND.

chap. led. But, though Kettlewell tried to convince his countrymen- that monarchical government had been ordained by God, not as

a means of making them happy here, but as a cross which itwas their duty to take up and bear in the hope of being recom-pensed for their sufferings hereafter, and though Hickes assuredthem that there was not a single Compounder in the wholeTheban legion, very few churchmen were inclined to run therisk of the gallows merely for the purpose of reestablishing theHigh Commission and the Dispensing Power.

The Compounders formed the main strength of the Jacobiteparty in England: but the Noncompounders had hitherto hadundivided sway at Saint Germains. No Protestant, no moderateHoman Catholic, no man who dared to hint that any law couldbind the royal prerogative, could hope for the smallest mark offavour from the banished King. The priests and the apostateMelfort, the avowed euemy of the Protestant religion and ofcivil liberty, of Parliaments, of trial by jury and of the Habeas( Corpus Act, were in exclusive possession of the royal ear. Her-

bert was called Chancellor, walked before the other officers ofstate, wore a black robe embroidered with gold, and carried aseal: but he was a member of the Church of England; and there-fore he was not suffered to sit at the Council Board.*

The truth is that the faults of Jamess head and heart wereincurable. In his view there could be between him and his sub-jects no reciprocity of obligation. Their duty was to risk pro-perty, liberty, life, in order to replace him on the throne, andthen to bear patiently whatever he chose to inflict upon them.

* View of the Court of Saint Germains. The account given in thisView is confirmed by a remarkable paper, which is among the Nairne MSS.Some of the heads of the Jacobite party in England made a representationto James , one article of which is as follows :They beg that Y'our Majestywould be pleased to admit of the Chancellor of England into your Council:your enemies take advantage of his not being in it. James's answer isevasive.The King will be, on all occasions, ready to express the justvalue and esteem he has for his Lord Chancellor.