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Mifcellaneous Letters.

A Letter from Bishop BARLOW to his Honoured Friend Mr. Edward Cooke, * at his Houfe in Plow-Yard in Fetter-Lane.

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Have received your Letter, and the ingenuous book + you fo kindly Sent me; this comes (with my love and Service) to bring my harty Thanks. Though my bufineffes be many, and my Infirmities more, (beinge now past the 74 year of my Age) yet I have read over your Booke, with great content and fatisfaction: For I doe really believe, that the many pertinent Records, and profes which you have brought, are fufficient to evince the truth of your pofitions. You have done me a great honor in the Conclufion of your Booke, which I wish I were worthy of. You are pleafed to make ufe of the fame words and chalenge to yours, which I

This Gentleman was one of the Benchers of the Temple, and, fome time, Licenser of the Prefs.

A Difcourfe on the Nature of the English-Conftitution. Written by Mr. Cooke.

have made to my * Adverfaries; and I doubt not, but you will, and (God willinge) I shall (when there is a juft occafion) be able to make good that chalenge. Some of our late fcriblers feeme to make the Kingdome of England, rather Elective than Succeffive and Hereditary; and that it is in the Power of the Parliament to depofe and fett upp Kings, or alter the Governement (which was fatally and traiterously put in practice, (to the horror and amazement of all good men) by the late longe Parliament) yet it is evident, and in our laws and publique Acts of Parliament declared, (which you better know) that this Kingdom ever was, and for ever † ought to be hereditary and fucceffive. Nor did the Conqueror, or any Kinge fince, ever acknowledge or pretend to any popular or Parliamentary Election: But even thofe Kings, who had not an undoubted immediate right of Succeffion, did ever clame the Crowne, as Heires and Succeffors to it. Soe William the Conqueror; (as you have well proved) fo Henry the 4. (after the Depofition of Richard the 2) did in full Parliament, challenge the Crowne Jure Sanguinis, as legall Heire to it, as appeare by our authentique Records: The Record is now in print, amongst our Hiftorians published by Cornelius Bee, who had that Record from me. But I need not tell you, what (I believe) you better know. And Henry the 7 (as my Lord Bacon in his Life tells us (as I remember) when he was to be proclamed Kinge, layed clame to it, not onely as marryinge Elizabeth, (next Heire of the House of Yorke) but

See his Remains.

f Statut. Jacob. I. Cap. 7.

Vide Hiftoriæ Anglicane Scriptores Decem, pag. 2757. Jin. 50.

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by Inheritance, and in right of the Houfe of Lancafter. They all know, that the Kingdome of England was hereditary and fucceffive, and therefore they all had, or pretended to, that Title, and not to any parliamentary or popular Election.

beg your pardon for this tedious, and (I fear) impertinent fcrible. My love and Service (with my Thanks for your Civility and undeferved Kindnes to me) once more remembered, you shall (at this Time) have no farther trouble from

Buckden,

Your much obliged friend and fervant

March 19. 1681.

Thomas Lincolne.

P. S. Pray prefent my refpects and service to my worthy friend and coffin Mr. William Petyt of the Temple.

LET

LETTERS

O F

Bishop FLEETWOOD,

Containing

His Sentiments of the PROCEEDINGS of the NEW MINISTRY during the Laft Four Years Reign of Queen ANNE.

ABHEN that unhappy Change was made in W the Queen's Meafures, 1710, which blafted all the Glories and Triumphs of the

Eight preceding Years, this good Bishop, who was a steady Friend to the Old Miniftry, because he saw they had ferved their Country well and faithfully, could not be drawn to give any Countenance to the Measures of the New One, tho' Endeavours had been ufed, and Intimations given by the Queen herfelf, who had a great Value for him, how pleafing his frequent coming to Court would be to her. But his Sentiments will best appear from his own Words, in a Letter to a FRIEND, viz.

When

When my Duty to the Queen, and the Good of my Country will permit it, my Gratitude will never let me vote against my Friends; when I have faved my Confcience, I give myself up to what I call my Honour; and therefore under all the Dif couragements I can be, I fhall always be on the Side of the late Miniftry, because I know they ferved the Queen and Nation fo well, that I am morally affured they never will be ferved better; and whenever they are, I fhall certainly be on their Side who do that Service: I think I may be allowed to act as clear and difinterefted a Part as any Man of our Order; for fure if I could shift my Side, I might be well accepted, confidering what Relation I have had to One, who governs all, and who is very civil to me upon all Occafions; but the Measures we are in are by no Means pleafing to me, as what will never do the Nation's Bufinefs; and I forefee that all our Millions and our Blood Spent for thefe twenty Years past, will end in a defpicable Peace, which yet we must pitifully fue for too.

*

About two Years after, when he was again asked his Opinion of the Situation of our Publick Affairs, his Anfwer was as follows; I have been, and am ftill, in fo ill Humour with relation to them, that I hardly can endure to think of them. We were

in the greateft Honour abroad of any Nation in the · Earth; we are now the Scorn of all People: Our Friends hate us, and our Enemies laugh at us. We fhall neither have a good Peace, nor a good War; France will not give us the firft, and we ourselves have cut off the Means of the laft. The Difgrace of the Duke of Marlborough was worth a Million at least, and yet I do not hear we got a Farthing

The Earl of Rochester.

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