22 ESSAYS HISTORICAL AND LITERARY.

that of Elizabeth. In the progrefs of it, indeed,
it mufi be confeffed that he frequently involved
himlelf by his own imprudence, or rather infa-
tuation, in circumflances of fuch extreme difli-
culty, that had he even pollelled the capacity of
Elizabeth, he could not have extricated himfelf
with honor. But it iiurely required nothing more
than a common {hare of common fenfe, to fee
that the temper of the times would not endure
even thofe {tretches of prerogative which were
thought necefiary, or excufable at leafi in the

days of Elizabeth; much lels any wanton or
novel exertions of power; and leall of all, would

it bear an open and almolt avowed deiign, to
reduce the nation to a {late of fuch abject and
unreferved fubmiflion, that if it had liucceeded,
Mr. Hume might indeed have had reafon fulfi-
cient for his alliertion, refpefiting the relemblance
of the Englilh government to that ofTurkey.

It mufl, without doubt, greatly furprife thofe
who conceive of Queen Elizabeth, as a Princefs
poilelled of defpotic authority, which is the idea
Mr. Hume labours to inculcate, to be made ac-
quainted with many circumflances of her conduct
and management during the courfe of her reign.
In the very commencement of it, the odious and
fanguinary inltruments of her fiflefs cruelties
efcaped with impunity, becaufe they had acted‘

underthe fanfilion of the law. So mild were the
maxims