thing that the government had courage
to do, Charles ventured to dispense with the law in his brother's
favour. The Duke again took his seat in the Council, and resumed the
direction of naval affairs.

These breaches of the constitution excited, it is true, some murmurs
among the moderate Tories, and were not unanimously approved even by the
King's ministers. Halifax in particular, now a Marquess and Lord Privy
Seal, had, from the very day on which the Tories had by his help gained
the ascendant, begun to turn Whig. As soon as the Exclusion Bill had
been thrown out, he had pressed the House of Lords to make provision
against the danger to which, in the next reign, the liberties and
religion of the nation might be exposed. He now saw with alarm the
violence of that reaction which was, in no small measure, his own
work. He did not try to conceal the scorn which he felt for the servile
doctrines of the University of Oxford. He detested the French alliance.
He disapproved of the long intermission of Parliaments. He regretted the
severity with which the vanquished party was treated. He who, when the
Whigs were predominant, had ventured to pronounce Stafford not guilty,
ventured, when they were vanquished and helpless, to intercede for
Russell. At one of the last Councils which Charles held a remarkable
scene took place. The charter of Massachusetts had been forfeited. A
question arose how, for the future, the colony should be governed. The
general opinion of the board was that the whole power, legislative as
well as executive, should abide in the crown. Halifax took the opposite
side, and argued with great energy against absolute monarchy, and in
favour of representative government. It was vain, he said, to think that
a population, sprung from the English stock, and animated by English
feelings, would long bear to be deprived of English institutions. Life,
he exclaimed, would not be worth having in a country where liberty and
property were at the mercy of one despotic master. The Duke of York was
greatly incensed by this language, and represented to his brother the
danger of retaining in office a man who appeared to be infected with all
the worst notions of Marvell and Sidney.

Some modern writers have blamed Halifax for continuing in the ministry
while he disapproved of the manner in which both domestic and foreign
affairs were conducted. But this censure is unjust. Indeed it is to be
remarked that the word ministry, in th