day; when the Commons came before the King, and presented
their prayer, &c.

The fact is, that the King was repeatedly present at this parliament,
from the day before the Speaker was chosen to the very last day. On a
subsequent occasion, the Prince of Wales also, as well as the King, is
recorded to have been present, (as doubtless he was on various
occasions throughout,--probably an habitual attendant,) in what
character, and under what circumstances, whether as the supplanter of
his father or not, perhaps the words of the record may, to a certain
extent at least, enable us to pronounce.

"On Monday, the last day of November, the Speaker, in the name of the
Commons, prayed the King to thank my Lord the Prince, the Bishops of
Winchester and Durham, &c. who were assigned to be of council to the
King in the last parliament, for their great labour and diligence;
for, as it appears to the said Commons, my said Lord the Prince, and
the other Lords, have well and loyally done their duty according to
their promise in that parliament. And upon that, kneeling, my Lord the
Prince, and the other Lords, declared, by the mouth of my Lord (p. 441)
the Prince, how they had taken pains, and labour, and diligence,
according to their promise, and the charge given them in parliament,
to their skill and knowledge. This the King remembered well [or made
good mention of], and thanked them most graciously. And he said
besides, that he was well assured, if they had had more than they had,
in the manner it had been spoken by the mouth of my Lord the Prince,
at the time the King charged them to be of his council in the said
parliament, they would have done their duty to effect more good than
was done in diverse parts for the defence, honour, good, and profit of
him and his kingdom. And our Lord the King also said, that he felt
very contented with their good and loyal diligence, counsel, and duty,
for the time they had been of his council."

This took place on the 30th of November, a month (saving two days)
after the parliament had assembled, and within less than three weeks
of its termination. It would scarcely be credible, even had the report
come through a less questionable channel, that Henry of Monmouth up to
that time had been guilty of the unfilial delinquency with which the
MS. charges him. Nor could he have made the "unnatural attempt to
dethrone his diseased father" at any period through the remaining
three weeks of the session of