登陆注册
4705400000084

第84章

Of those principles, then struggling for their infant existence, Milton was the most devoted and eloquent literary champion. We need not say how much we admire his public conduct. But we cannot disguise from ourselves that a large portion of his countrymen still think it unjustifiable. The civil war, indeed, has been more discussed, and is less understood, than any event in English history. The friends of liberty laboured under the disadvantage of which the lion in the fable complained so bitterly. Though they were the conquerors, their enemies were the painters. As a body, the Roundheads had done their utmost to decry and ruin literature; and literature was even with them, as, in the long-run, it always is with its enemies. The best book on their side of the question is the charming narrative of Mrs. Hutchinson. May's History of the Parliament is good; but it breaks off at the most interesting crisis of the struggle. The performance of Ludlow is foolish and violent; and most of the later writers who have espoused the same cause, Oldmixon for instance, and Catherine Macaulay, have, to say the least, been more distinguished by zeal than either by candour or by skill. On the other side are the most authoritative and the most popular historical works in our language, that of Clarendon, and that of Hume. The former is not only ably written and full of valuable information, but has also an air of dignity and sincerity which makes even the prejudices and errors with which it abounds respectable. Hume, from whose fascinating narrative the great mass of the reading public are still contented to take their opinions, hated religion so much that he hated liberty for having been allied with religion, and has pleaded the cause of tyranny with the dexterity of an advocate, while affecting the impartiality of a judge.

The public conduct of Milton must be approved or condemned according as the resistance of the people to Charles the First shall appear to be justifiable or criminal. We shall therefore make no apology for dedicating a few pages to the discussion of that interesting and most important question. We shall not argue it on general grounds. We shall not recur to those primary principles from which the claim of any government to the obedience of its subjects is to be deduced. We are entitled to that vantage ground; but we will relinquish it. We are, on this point, so confident of superiority, that we are not unwilling to imitate the ostentatious generosity of those ancient knights, who vowed to joust without helmet or shield against all enemies, and to give their antagonists the advantage of sun and wind. We will take the naked constitutional question. We confidently affirm, that every reason which can be urged in favour of the Revolution of 1688 may be urged with at least equal force in favour of what is called the Great Rebellion.

In one respect, only, we think, can the warmest admirers of Charles venture to say that he was a better sovereign than his son. He was not, in name and profession, a Papist; we say in name and profession, because both Charles himself and his creature Laud, while they abjured the innocent badges of Popery, retained all its worst vices, a complete subjection of reason to authority, a weak preference of form to substance, a childish passion for mummeries, an idolatrous veneration for the priestly character, and, above all, a merciless intolerance. This, however, we waive. We will concede that Charles was a good Protestant; but we say that his Protestantism does not make the slightest distinction between his case and that of James.

The principles of the Revolution have often been grossly misrepresented, and never more than in the course of the present year. There is a certain class of men, who, while they profess to hold in reverence the great names and great actions of former times, never look at them for any other purpose than in order to find in them some excuse for existing abuses. In every venerable precedent they pass by what is essential, and take only what is accidental: they keep out of sight what is beneficial, and hold up to public imitation all that is defective. If, in any part of any great example, there be any thing unsound, these flesh-flies detect it with an unerring instinct, and dart upon it with a ravenous delight. If some good end has been attained in spite of them, they feel, with their prototype, that "Their labour must be to pervert that end, And out of good still to find means of evil."

To the blessings which England has derived from the Revolution these people are utterly insensible. The expulsion of a tyrant, the solemn recognition of popular rights, liberty, security, toleration, all go for nothing with them. One sect there was, which, from unfortunate temporary causes, it was thought necessary to keep under close restraint. One part of the empire there was so unhappily circumstanced, that at that time its misery was necessary to our happiness, and its slavery to our freedom. These are the parts of the Revolution which the politicians of whom we speak love to contemplate, and which seem to them not indeed to vindicate, but in some degree to palliate, the good which it has produced. Talk to them of Naples, of Spain, or of South America. They stand forth zealots for the doctrine of Divine Right which has now come back to us, like a thief from transportation, under the alias of Legitimacy. But mention the miseries of Ireland. Then William is a hero. Then Somers and Shrewsbury are great men. Then the Revolution is a glorious era.

The very same persons, who, in this country never omit an opportunity of reviving every wretched Jacobite slander respecting the Whigs of that period, have no sooner crossed St.

同类推荐
  • 撰集百缘经

    撰集百缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 根本说一切有部毗奈耶羯耻那衣事

    根本说一切有部毗奈耶羯耻那衣事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金师子章云间类解

    金师子章云间类解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Russia

    Russia

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 书录

    书录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 寻仙岛日记

    寻仙岛日记

    我有一个习惯,每天都写日记。这个习惯从学生时代一直坚持到现在,把一天的所见所闻都记录下来。若不是这本日记,我自己都不会相信这一切都曾经发生过........
  • 儒门崇理折衷堪舆完孝录

    儒门崇理折衷堪舆完孝录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 读诗私记

    读诗私记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天王水鉴海和尚住金粟语录

    天王水鉴海和尚住金粟语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 殇心花

    殇心花

    二十年风云变幻,而往事依依。江湖轮回,侠心不死。长风已逝,殇心未绝…
  • 春风不识君

    春风不识君

    十几载杀手生涯,留下心中情缘三千丝。支持北千寻撑下去的,是男人唇边荡漾的暧昧暗示。她以为她可以永远这样,以杀手的身份伴他走过一生,看尽河山的繁华,人世的无常。一场婚礼,一箱黄金。娶的是别人,辞走的是她,原是她,最无常。信念崩塌,万物苍华,她提剑问他,红莲业火灼身,焚尽一切。那个人再度出现,“做我的杀手,许你一生荣华富贵。”她把小包子塞到男人的怀中。“不但要做杀手,还要做妻子,娃儿他娘。”男人勾唇一笑,“成交。”
  • 你好,别来无恙

    你好,别来无恙

    【出版名《致我们美好的20岁》】(全文完)20岁,我们任性,放肆,不知天高地厚20岁,我们热烈,勇敢,真实做自己每一个20岁的孩子,都对这个世界充满憧憬,对未来满怀希望。那个曾在身边一起做梦的人,无论什么时候想起都感慨万千。无论是相恋还是失恋,无论是走散了,还是破镜重圆,牛莹都细腻地将情感世界中的起伏真实展现,每个人都能找到自己20岁时的影子。29个20岁的故事,29段独特的经历,打动着无数20岁的灵魂。
  • 傲世毒妃,狠绝天下

    傲世毒妃,狠绝天下

    准未婚夫与闺蜜有了一对宝宝,她放手之余,惨遭未婚夫与闺蜜虐待至死!重生在古代,是谁屡次送她下阴曹地府?是谁让她一嫁再嫁,始终嫁不了心中挚爱?女人多了起来,是寂寞,是诱惑,是追求新鲜感?你遮遮掩掩着,原来是不想我知道,你我的床,已是你和她寻欢的天堂。我和她打起来,她至死方休的扯我头发,我的脸她用簪子刻花,你分开了我们,不由分说的给了我一巴掌。我知道这个家庭是在风雨中飘摇了。她说,我不撒泡尿看看自己的样子,也敢跟她抢男人。你将她拥入怀里,对她的溺爱,让我受尽欺凌,践踏尽我的尊严,我拖着身体,像孤魂野鬼,我不知道是怎么走出王府的。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 哑巴皇后要训夫

    哑巴皇后要训夫

    新婚之夜:他想占有她,反而被她拿根头发差点勒死,并一脚给踹下了婚床。隔天:他怀恨在心的就把她逼得跳进银湖去喂鱼。新婚二夜:他色心又起,想来招“霸王硬上弓”,谁知,却被她爆打成了猪头,就这样,他成了皇朝中第一个蒙面上早朝的皇上。新婚第三天一大早,她就被贬到了皖衣宫,那个皇宫中最低贱的地方。就这样,皇后做了不到三天,她就从高高在上的皇后论为了皖衣宫里最低贱的俾女,但是,他却仁慈的让她在侍寝和做俾女之间选择,可是,还没等他说完话,她想也不想的向皖衣宫冲去,她匆忙得连包袱也来不急卷的焦急奔去,原因是:她生怕他反悔。当场,他的脸就绿了,众爱卿,你们来说说,这样的一个哑巴女人,叫他一个做皇上的,这面子往哪里放呢?她,至少也得等他这个做皇上的把话说完,表现得对他依依不舍,很痛苦的样子再去吧?可是,他竟然读出了她剪水双瞳里的欣喜......所以,哼哼......眼泪女儿国的圈子,http://m.wkkk.net/欢迎各位亲的加入。眼泪新做了视频,欢迎各位亲去看看:《哑巴皇后要训夫》地址:?pstyle=1-----------------------------------各位亲:请看眼泪的新文:《三戏酷郎君》地址:《前夫,滚!》地址:《别动我妈咪》地址:总之一句话:收藏,留言,投票,一步到位,一个都不能少哦!
  • The Relics of General Chasse

    The Relics of General Chasse

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。