144 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

ciiap

LXV;

J 670.

of two such mighty potentates , would prove aneasy enterprise, and would serve all the purposeswhich were aimed at: That under pretence ofthat war, it would not' be difficult to levy amilitary force, without which, during the pre-valence of republican principles among his sub-jects , the king would vainly expect to defendhis prerogative: That his naVal ; power might bemaintained , partly by the supplies, which, onother pretences, would previously be obtainedfrom parliament; partly by subsidies from France;partly by captures, which might easily be madeon that opulent republic : That in such a situa-tion, attempts to recover the lost authority ofthe crown would be attended with success; norwould any malecontents dare to resist a prince,fortified by so powerful an alliance; or if theydid, they would only draw more certain ruin onthemselves and on their cause : And that bysubduing the States, a great step would be madetowards a reformation of the government; sinceit was apparent, that that republic, by its fameand grandeur, fortified, in his factious subjects,their attachment to what they vainly termedtheir civil and religious liberties.

These suggestions happened fatally to concurwith all the inclinations and prejudices of theking ; his desire of more extensive authority ,his propensity to the catholic religion, his avidityfor money. He seems likewise, from the verybeginning of his reign, to have entertained greatjealousy of his o\yn subjects, and, on that

account,