want that Indemnity and Pardon, for which he had no Occafion under the Ufurpation of forty-eight? He might have had better Authority for this Story, if true, by recourfe to the Council-Books. But fuppofing there fhould remain no Minutes of this Matter, there was no need of appea ling to the Dead by this double Hearfay; the Author could have given us a more authentick Account himself from his own Knowledge of this Affair; for he fays, "I myself faw a great deal of this Management, for I was then at Court." But this Affertion must not pass without a Remark. If we may believe the Date of his Birth on his Monument in Clerkenwell Church, Dr. Gilbert Burnet was born in September 1643, so that he was but between fixteen and feventeen Years of Age at the Restoration in 1660; at which time he affirms that he was at Court, and faw a great deal of the

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Management of Affairs. Now I appeal to the Confcience of the Reader, whether or no it is credible, that so young, and consequently fo raw a Perfon, at most but an overgrown School-boy, at this time mean and obfcure, and of a Family by his Mother's Side so obnoxious, as to be excepted out of that Grace which was extended to the Guilt of a whole Nation, fhould have fo much Intereft as to be admitted at Court, let into the Secrets of State, and enter the Cabinet of Princes. I do not in the leaft doubt, but that if a strict Enquiry was made, it would be found that the Author was not yet come to London the Summer of the Restoration 1660. But let that be how it will, no Body can believe the laft Part of the Story, that he was let into the Secrets of Queen-Mother at Somerset-house. This Blunder is so unaccountable, as to make one admire how the Author could poffibly

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be fo ftupidly carelefs, as not to reflect better on the Circumstances of his own Age, before he ventur'd to impofe fo grofs an Abfurdity on the World. This verifies an old English Proverb, by fhewing how necessary it is for one Sort of Men to have very good Memories. By this we may fee, how little we can rely in other Matters of Fact, on the Faith and Veracity of a Man, who fo blindly follows the Dictates of his Paffion at the Expence of his Conscience; who, to gratify his Rancour and Malice against the royal Family, makes no Scruple of ftabbing the Memory of an innocent Princess, the Mother and Grandmother to five of his Kings and Queens, whofe Subject he had the Honour to be born, and for whofe fake, if upon no other Account, he ought to have treated with more Respect and Justice their common Parent.

In the following Page he gives us an Account of the Scots Commiffio

ners, who came to protest against put ting the King to Death. In this Difpute he gives the Victory to Cromwell over his old Friends and Acquaintance the Covenanters. That the Reader may the better judge, we will fee the doughty and irrefragable Arguments which gave the Advantage to Cromwell, and which the Doctor feems to admire, p. 42. They began in a heavy languid Style to lay indeed great Load on the King; but they แ till infifted on that Claufe in the Co" venant, by which they fwore that they would be faithful in the PreJervation of his Majefty's Perfon. Upon this they fhew'd upon what "Terms Scotland, as well as the two Houfes, had engag'd in the War, " and what folemn Declarations of "their Zeal and Duty to the King they " all along publish'd, which would

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now appear, to the Scandal and Reproach of the Chriftian Name, to "have been falfe Pretences, if when "the

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"the King was in their Power they « fhould proceed to Extremities. Upon "this Cromwell enter'd into a long "Difcourfe upon the Nature of Regal "Power, according to the Principles of Mariana and Buchanan; he thought a Breach of Trust in a King ought to be punish'd more than any other Crime whatsoever. He แ Said, as to the Covenant, they wore "to the Prefervation of the King's Perfon, in Defence of the true Religion: If then it appear'd that the "Settlement of the true Religion was obftructed by the King, fo that they "could not come at it but by putting "him out of the way, then the Oath "could not bind them to the preferving him any longer. He faid alfo, that the Covenant did bind them to bring all Malignants, Incendiaries, "and Enemies to the Caufe, to condign Punishment: And was not this "to be executed impartially? What "were all those on whom publick Juf

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