P. WE have now reached a most interesting part of English History the times of the Stuarts.

JAMES STUART, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, was a descendant of the first Tudor King. When Elizabeth died, he was reigning as James VI. of Scotland. There were other descendants of the Tudor family then living in England, but the queen when dying had appointed James as her successor; perhaps she wanted to make him some amends for the execution of his mother. The people also wished him to be king, for they saw the advantage of there being only one king to the two kingdoms. They thought, too, that he was a very wise man, for he was called the "British Solomon." Thus he succeeded to the throne without opposition.

A little opposition would, perhaps, have done James good, for his ideas of authority were rather extravagant. He not only believed himself to be "wise," but he had learned the notions of Elizabeth of the great power which a king ought to have, and he determined to carry them out.

But the true character of James was soon revealed. Poor man! he had never had a mother to take care of him, and his father had been murdered before he was a year old. Thus he had not been well trained.

On his journey from Scotland to England, before he had reached London he had given offence to his subjects by speaking rudely of the female sex, and by other imprudences.

The first impressions from his appearance and manner were also not pleasing to the people. It is said "he was of middle stature, his clothes being large and easy. He was timorous in disposition; his eye was large, ever rolling after any stranger that came in his presence, insomuch that many for shame left the man, as being out of countenance. His beard was very thin, his tongue too large for his mouth; his skin was soft, which felt so because he never washed his hands, but only rubbed his fingers' ends slightly with the wet end of a napkin. His legs were very weak, for he was not able to stand at seven years of age; that weakness made him ever leaning on other men's shoulders. His walk was circular."

The unfortunate impression which James made soon became stronger. People began to discourse that his intellect was much like his body; and that he also leaned on other men's minds, for James had nearly always some favourite, as all weak kings have. In fact, it was discovered that instead of wisdom he had only learning.

But, as we said before, the

poor king had no mother to train him. As it was not his fault that he was weak in body, so he should not be blamed that his mind was not strong. It was his preceptor who, instead of teaching him wisdom, had given him the idea that a king ought to be "the most learned clerk in his dominions."

Before James had been king many months, a conspiracy was formed against him. Why, is not clearly known. It is said that the conspirators wished to place Lady Arabella Stuart on the throne. In this conspiracy the renowned Sir Walter Raleigh and two nobles were involved; they were all sentenced to death, but pardoned, though Sir Walter was kept in confinement for thirteen years.

Raleigh was very badly treated by the king; for a long time his estates were properly taken care of for his children, but James had a favourite, named Robert Carr, whom he wished to please. Not having much of his own to give, he seized, for the purpose, the beautiful lands of Sir Walter, and all his splendid orchards, gardens, and groves. Lady Raleigh tried to move James with pity; she threw herself with her children at his feet, imploring him to spare to them the remainder of their fortunes. The halfhearted James was moved, but not enough; he turned aside his head, saying, "I maun ha' the land; I maun ha' it for Carr!" Thus the noble-hearted woman and her children were sent away, and robbed of all.

The fate of Raleigh was a

mournful event. After thirteen years' imprisonment he was set at liberty, to go and procure gold from South America. The enterprise failed, and on his return, this man, "the poet, warrior, discoverer, statesman," who, it is said, "was fitted by nature and education to become the ornament of James's reign," was again imprisoned, and was put to death for the crime for which he had been pardoned thirteen years before.

But let us look again at the beginning of James's reign. When Elizabeth died, she left behind her a people who had been kept under strong restraint, and who were anxious to increase their liberty. You have heard how, under her strict government, enterprise, science, learning, and religion made progress. According to their religious views, the nation was divided into three factions. There were first those belonging to the ENGLISH CHURCH, which was governed by the queen and the bishops; secondly, the PAPISTS, who only acknowledged the POPE their head; and on the other hand, thirdly, the PURITANS, who did not recognise any spiritual power in the pope, king, or other man.

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Now, each of these three parties were very anxious when King James was coming from Scotland to be king. The great question was, "Is he a Papist, a Protestant, or a Puritan? Which party will be favoured?"

All parties had some reason for hope. The Protestants knew

Lastly, the Puritans had greater hopes of favour than either party, from his most solemn and public declaration, and other causes. But no one could see clearly what course he was likely to take, and the people spoke of his coming as the approach of a "Scotch mist."

As soon, therefore, as James was in power, he was loudly called upon by each party to declare himself in their favour.

The Puritans were the first to act. The persecutions under Elizabeth had only caused their principles to take deeper root in the hearts of the people, and they were rapidly becoming a most numerous and powerful party. Directly Elizabeth was dead, they got up a petition to the king, requesting him to reform the church. It was called the "millenary petition," because it was to contain the signatures of a thousand clergy; but such was their haste that, before eight hundred had signed

As soon as this petition was made public, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge took alarm, and issued a document in their own favour. And more documents and petitions were quickly got up, so that the king found he would have more of them than he could answer. He therefore issued a proclamation of his own, declaring that he would have no more writing or petitioning on the subject of reform in religion. He soon afterwards appointed that a conference should be held-a meeting of learned men and clergymen of the Puritans and the established church, when all desirable changes should be made.

This memorable conference was held at the well-known palace of HAMPTON COURT. Here James greatly excited the hopes and fears of all parties. Before it was opened he chose "to play the Puritan," so that the prelates cast themselves on their knees before him, entreating that nothing might be altered. In the conference, however, the Puritans were defeated. James took the part of the bishops, and helped them with all his wit and learning. In speaking of the Puritans he said, "I peppered them soundly. They fled me from argument to argument."

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The principal reasons James for adhering to the bishops seemed to be that they would support him as "The Head of the Church." He knew the Puritans would not