,uio HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

CHAP.

rxxi.

I«8».

Views oftiie parties.

the laws and of their religion , had zealouslypromoted the national revolt, and had on thisoccasion departed from those principles of non-resistance , of which , while the king favoredthem , they had formerly made such loud profes-sions. Their present apprehensions had prevailedover their political tenets; and the unfortunateJames , who had too much trusted to thosegeneral declarations, which never will be reducedto practice, found in the issue, that both partieswere secretly united against him. But no soonerwas the danger past, and the general fears some-what allayed, than party prejudices resumed, insome degree, their former authority; and thetories were abashed at that victory, which theirantagonists, during the late transactions, hadobtained over them. They were inclined, there-fore , to steer a middle course ; and, thoughgenerally determined to oppose the king’s return,they resolved not to consent to dethroning him,or altering the line of succession. A regent withkingly power was the expedient , which theyproposed; and a late instance in Portugal seemedto give some authority and precedent to thatplan of government.

In favor of this scheme the tories urged , that,by the uniform tenor of the Englifli laws, thetitle to the crown was ever regarded as sacred,and could, on no account, and by no mal-admi-nistration, be forfeited by the sovereign : That todethrone a king and to elect his successor , wasit practice quite unkno\yn to the constitution,