Identifier: histofengfromthe01macauoft (find matches)
Title: The history of England, from the accession of James the Second
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Macaulay, Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron, 1800-1859 Firth, C. H. (Charles Harding), 1857-1936
Subjects: Great Britain -- History James II, 1685-1688 Great Britain -- History William and Mary, 1689-1702
Publisher: London : Macmillan
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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regarded the professors of the old religionwith no ill will, and would gladly have granted them a much largertoleration than he was disposed to concede to the Presbyterians. If theopposition obtained the mastery, it was probable that the sanguinarylaws enacted against Papists, in the reign of Elizabeth, would be severelyenforced. The Roman Catholics were therefore induced by the strongestmotives to espouse the cause of the court. They in general acted witha caution which brought on them the reproach of cowardice and luke-warmness : but it is probable that, in maintaining great reserve, theyconsulted the Kings interest as well as their own. It was not for hisservice that they should be conspicuous among his friends. The main strength of the opposition lay among the small freeholdersin the country, and among the merchants and shopkeepers of the towns.But these were headed by a formidable minority of the aristocracy, aminority which included the rich and powerful Earls of Northumberland,
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QUEEN HENRIETTA MARIAFrom the painting attributed to Jan Van Belcamp in the National Portrait Gallery 92 HISTORY OF ENGLAND chap. Bedford, Warwick, Stamford, and Essex, and several other Lords of greatwealth and influence. In the same ranks was found the whole body ofProtestant Nonconformists, and most of those members of the Estab-lished Church who still adhered to the Calvinistic opinions which, fortyyears before, had been generally held by the prelates and clergy. Themunicipal corporations took, with few exceptions, the same side. Inthe House of Commons the opposition preponderated, but not verydecidedly. Neither party wanted strong arguments for the course which it wasdisposed to take. The reasonings of the most enlightened Royalistsmay be summed up thus :— It is true that great abuses have existed ;but they have been redressed. It is true that precious rights have beeninvaded ; but they have been vindicated and surrounded with newsecurities. The sittings of the Estates of the r

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