An Essay on the History of the English Government and Constitution,: From the Reign of Henry VII. to the Present TimeLongman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1821 - 320 pages |
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abuses admitted adopted ancient arbitrary army assembly attainder authority bill bill of attainder body boroughs cause CHAP Charles Charles II church civil constitution controul corruption court crown doctrine elections Elizabeth endeavoured England English established Europe evil executive expence favour France freedom give granted Henry VIII House of Commons House of Lords house of Tudor Hume impeachment imprisoned influence interest James judge jury justice King King's labour land libel liberty Lord Lord Chatham Machiavel means ment mind minister monarchy national debt nature never obtain offence opinion Parliament party peace perhaps persons petition political popular prerogative principles privilege punishment Puritans Queen question reason reform remedy respect Revolution Roman Rome sovereign speech spirit suffrage Tacitus taxes thing throne tion tonnage and poundage Tories trial universal suffrage villein villenage violent vote Walpole Whigs whole
Popular passages
Page 99 - ... methinks I see her as an eagle mewing her mighty youth, and kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam ; purging and unsealing her long-abused sight at the fountain itself of heavenly radiance; while the whole noise of timorous and flocking birds, with those also that love the twilight, flutter about, amazed at what she means, and in their envious gabble would prognosticate a year of sects and schisms.
Page 104 - That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king ; and all commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal.
Page 233 - All this is true if time stood still ; which contrariwise moveth so round, that a froward retention of custom is as turbulent a thing as an innovation ; and they that reverence too much old times are but a scorn to the new.
Page 87 - And whereas the Laws of England are the birthright of the people thereof, and all the Kings and Queens, who shall ascend the Throne of this realm, ought to administer the Government of the same according to the said laws, and all their officers and ministers ought to serve them respectively according to the same...
Page 192 - The discretion of a judge is the law of tyrants: it is always unknown ; it is different in different men; it is casual, and depends upon constitution, temper, and passion. In the best, it is oftentimes caprice ; in the worst, it is every vice, folly, and passion to which human nature is liable.
Page 51 - That the liberties, franchises, privileges and jurisdictions of Parliament are the ancient and undoubted birthright and inheritance of the subjects of England...
Page 130 - Party is a body of men united, for promoting by their joint endeavours the national interest, upon some particular principle in which they are all agreed.
Page 200 - As it is in the body, so it is in the mind ; practice makes it what it is : and most even of those excellences which are looked on as natural endowments, will be found, when examined into more narrowly, to be the product of exercise, and to be raised to that pitch only by repeated actions.
Page 303 - Smith (?'), they be made good cheap in this kingdom ; for whosoever studieth the laws of the realm, who studieth in the universities, who professeth the liberal sciences, and, (to be short,) who can live idly, and without manual labour, and will bear the port, charge, and countenance of a gentleman, he shall be called master, and shall be taken for a gentleman.
Page 110 - Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalties of certain Laws...