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Civil honours, which now hold the first place, were then subordinate to the military. The young gentry and nobility were fond of distinguishing themselves by arms. The fury of duels, a remnant of the romantic chivalry, prevailed more than at any time before or since.

The first sedan chair seen in England was used during this reign, by the duke of Buckingham, to the great indignation of the people, who exclaimed that he employed his fellow creatures to do the service of beasts.

The country life now prevailing in England more than in any other country of Europe, was still more generally embraced at that time by all the gentry, and even encouraged by the king, who was wont to tell them, "Gentlemen, at London you are like ships in a sea, which shew like nothing; but in your country villages, you are like ships in a river, which look like great things.

Interest, during this reign, was at ten per cent. till 1624, when it was reduced to eight; an indication of the small profits and progress of com

merce.

The passage to the East Indies had been opened to the English during the preceding reign; but the trade to that part of the world was not entirely settled till James's reign, when the East India Company received a new patent, enlarged their stock to one million five hundred thousand pounds, and fitted out several ships on these adventures.

The exports of England, from Christmas 1612 to Christmas 1613, are computed at two millions four hundred and eighty-seven thousand four hundred and thirty-five pounds, and the imports at two millions one hundred and forty-one thousand one hundred and fifty-one pounds; so that the balance in favour of England was three hundred and fortysix thousand two hundred and eighty-four pounds.

But in 1622, the exports were two millions three hundred and twenty thousand four hundred and thirty-six pounds, and the imports two millions six hundred and nineteen thousand three hundred and fifteen pounds; which makes a balance of two hundred and ninety-eight thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine pounds against England.

What chiefly renders the reign of James memorable, is the commencement of the English colonies established in America, on the noblest and quite unprecedented footing.

Among the illustrious literary men who flourished during James's reign, the most conspicuous of all was undoubtedly lord Bacon. The wonderful extent of his learning, and the variety of his talents, either as a public orator or a writer, as a man of business or a man of wit, as a statesman or a philosopher, have rendered him the glory of his country, and even of his age.

Another writer, perhaps still more extraordinary, was the famous Shakspeare, who, born in a rude age, in a low class, and having received no education, no instruction whatsoever, either from books or from the world, sprang out all at once in the dramatic career, untrod before him, at least by modern authors, and soon ran over it with the most gigantic strides, and with an equal success both in tragedy and in comedy. As he was totally ignorant of all theatrical rules, and could not guess at them, he was really the creator of the dramatic art, such as he practised it; therefore the irregularities which frequently occur in his performances, cannot be reproached to him with more justice than his not being acquainted with the rules of Aristotle, whose very name was probably unknown to him. His deficiency in point of taste, elegance, harmony, and correctness, are rather the faults of his age; he had them in common with all the writers of his time,

and they have not impaired in the least the admiration bestowed by his countrymen upon the truly natural characters, the animated and passionate scenes, which are found in almost all his pieces, and upon the nervous and picturesque expressions and descriptions which abound in him. Had he lived and written fifty years later, when the French stage gloried with the master-pieces of Corneille and Racine, it is more than probable that these worthy rivals, emulating one another, would have still nearer approached the perfection of the dramatic art; and I shall not presume to decide which of them would have been the foremost.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

ERRATA.

Page 32 line 35. for disease read decease

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for after a more than a most read after the most 8. for 1557 read 1547

26. dele and

7. for into read in

3. dele as

9. for a more violent hatred read a hatred more violent 16. for a great read great

II. for unbroken read unshaken

16. for attention upon read recollection of
22. for on reflecting read reflecting
21. for such read so

INDEX.

In the following Index, the figures refer to the Page from the beginning
to the reign of William the Conqueror, when they refer to the Year,,
unless they are preceded by the letter p, which points out the Page.

Abelard and Eloisa, 1142, 1163

Acre taken, 1191

Adrian, Emperor of Rome, p 21

Adrian, 4th Pope, gives Ireland to Henry II. 1156

Adscalon, Battle of, 1192

Elar, King of Sussex, p 37

Ella, King of the Deiri, p 40

Ella, Northumbrian Prince, p 74

Etbelbem, Governor of Dorsetshire, p 71

Aetius, Prefect of Gaul, p 26

Agelnotb, Archbishop of Canterbury, 117

Agricola, Roman General, p 18 to 21

Albemarle, Earl of, rebels-excommunicated, 1219. Sues for mercy
and is pardoned, 1220

Albanius. See Gildas

Albany, Duke of, imprisons his nephew David, who perished by
hunger, 1408

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Alexander, 3d Pope, 1160. Reconciles King Henry and Becket,
1170. Issues Bulls of Excommunication against the Chil-
dren of Henry 11. 1173

Alexander, 4th Pope, publishes a Crusade for the conquest of
Sicily, 1256

Alfred, King, p 72, 74. Fights eight battles in one year, p 77.
Lives with a neatherd, p 77. Assumes the disguise of a
harper, p 78. Defeats Guthrum, p 79. Establishes a
regular Militia and Navy, p 80. Introduces many civil
regulations, p 81 to 83. His accomplishments, p 84
Alfred, a Nobleman, p 85

Alfred and Edward, sons of Ethelred, p 98. Pay a visit to Em-
ma, p 102. Alfred taken prisoner by Godwin, p 102.
Prefers an accusation against Godwin, p 103

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