popular. He was trufted, perhaps, lefs than he deferved, by the moft obfequious of his parliament; but it feems, upon the whole, apparent, that the nation adhered to his government more from a fear of the return of his predeceflor, than from any attachment to his own perfon, or refpect for his right to the throne. Macpherson. $108. Character of MARY, Queen Con fort of WILLIAM III. Mary was in her perfon tall and wellproportioned, with an oval vifage, lively eyes, agreeable features, a mild afpeét, aud an air of dignity. Iler apprehenfion was clear, her memory tenacious, and her judgment folid. She was a zealous Proteftant, fcrupulouflyexact in all the duties of devotion, of an even temper, of a calm and mild converfation; fhe was ruffled by no paffion, and feems to have been a ftranger to the emotions of natural affection, for the afcended the throne from which her father had been depofed, and treated her fifter as an alien to her blood. In a word, Mary, feems to have imbibed the cold difpofition and apathy of her hufband, and to have centered allheram bition in deferving the epithet of an humble and obedient wife. Smollett. Died 28th December, 1694, aged 33. § 109. Character of ANNE. The queen continued to dofe in a le thargic infenfibility, with very short intervals,till the first day of Auguft in the morning, when the expired, in the fiftieth year of her age, and in the thirtieth of her reign. Anne Stuart, queen of Great Brifain, was in her perion of the middle fize, well-proportioned; her hair wasofadark brown colour, her complexion ruddy,her features were regular, her countenance was rather round than oval, and her afpeét more comely than majeftic: her voice was clear and melodious, and her prefence engaging; her capacity was naturally good, but not much cultivated by learning; nor did the exhibit any marks of extraordina ry genius, or perfonal ambition: fhe was certainly deficient in that vigour of mind by which a prince ought to preferve her independence, and avoid the fares and fetters of fycophants and favourites; but, whatever her weak nefs in this particular might have been, the virtues of her heart were never called in queftion; the was a pattern of conjugal affection and fidelity, a tender mother, a warm friend, and indulgent miftrels, a munificent patron, a mild and merciful princefs; during whofe reign no blood was thed for treafon. She was zealously attached to the Church of England, from conviction rather than from prepoffeffion: unaffectedly pious, jutt, charitable, and compaffionate. She felt a mother's fondness for her people, by whom the was univerfally beloved with a warmth of affection which even the prejudice of party could not abate. In a word, if the was not the greatest, fhe was certainly one of the best and most unblemished fovereigns that ever fat upon the throne of England, and well deferved the expretive, though fimple epithet of, the "good queen Anne." Smollett. She died in 1714. § 110. Another Character of Anne. Thus died Anne Stuart, queen of Great Britain, and one of the beft and greatest monarchs that ever filled that throne. What was mott remarkable, was a clear harmonious voice, always admired in her graceful delivery of her fpeeches to parliament, infomuch, that it ufed to be a common faying in the mouth of every one, "that her very fpeech was mufic." Good-nature, the true characteristic of the Stuarts, predominated in her temper, which was a compound of benevolence, generofity, indolence, and timidity, but not without a due fenfibility of any flight which the thought was offered to her perfon or her dignity; to thefe all her actions, both as a monarch and as a woman, may be ascribed; these were the fources both of her virtues and her failings; her greatest blefling upon earth was that entire union of affections and inclinations between her and her royal confort; which made them a per fect pattern of conjugal love. She was a fond and tender mother, an eafy and indulgent miftrefs, and a mott gracious fo-" vereign; but the had more than once rea fon to repent her giving up her heart, and trufting her fecrets without referve to her favourites. She retained to the last the principle of that true religion which the had imbibed early; being devout without affectation, and charitable without, oftentation. She had a great reverence for clergymen eminent for learning and good lives, and was particularly beneficent to the poorerforto them, of which the left an evidence which bears her name, and will perpetuate both that and her bounty to all fucceeding generations. Chamberlaine, 111. Another Character of ANNE. Thus died Anne Stuart, queen of Great Britain and Ireland, in the fiftieth year of her age, and thirteenth of her reign. In her perlon the was of amiddle ftature, and, before the bore children, well made. Her hair was dark, her complexion fanguine, her features ftrong, but not irregular, her thole countenance more dignified than agreeable. In the accomplishments of tire mind, as a woman, the was not deficient: the understood mufic; the loved painting; the had even fome tafte for works of genius; he was always generous; fome. times liberal, but never profufc. Like the reft of the family, he was good-natured to a degree of weakness; indolent in her difpofition, timid by nature, devoted to the company of her favourites, eafily led. She poffeffed all the virtues of her father, except political courage; the was fubject to all his weakneftes, except enthuiiafin in religion; the was jealous of her authority, and fullenly irreconcileable towards thofe who treated either herself or prerogative with difrefpect; but, like him allo, the was much better qualified to difcharge the duties of a private life, than to act the part of a fovereign. As a friend, a mother, a wife, the deferved every praife. Her conduct as a daughter could fcarcely be ex ceeded by a virtue much fuperior to all thefe. Upon the whole, though her reign was crowded with great events, the cannot, with any juftice, be called a great princefs. Subject to terror, beyond the conftitutional timidity of her fex, the was altogether incapable of decifive counfels, and nothing but her irrefiftible popularity could have fupported her authority amidit the ferment of those distracted times. Macpherson. § 112. The Character of MARY Queen of Scors. To all the charms of beauty, and the utmoft elegance of exterual form, Mary added thole accomplishments which render their impreffion irrefiftible. Polite, affable, infinuating,fprightly, and capable offpeaking and of writing with equal eate and dignity. Sudden, however, and violent in all her attachments; because her heart was warm and unfufpicious. Impatientof contradiction, becaufe the had been accattomed from her infancy to be treated as a queen. No ftranger, on fome occafons, to disimulation; which, in that per fidious court,where the received her edu cation, was reckoned among the neceflary arts of government. Not infenfible to flattery, or unconscious of that pleasure, with which almost every woman beholds the influence of her own beanty. Formed with the qualities that we love, not with the talents that we admire; the was an agreeable woman rather than an illuftrious queen. The vivacity of her fpirit, notfufficiently tempered with found judg ment, and the warmth of her heart, which difcretion, betrayed her both into errors. and into crimes. To fay that the was always unfortunate, will not account for that long and almott uninterrupted fucceffion of ca-, lamities which befel her; we must likewife add, that the was often imprudent. Her patlion for Darnly was rafh, youthful, and exceflive. And though the fudden transition to the oppofite extreme was the natural effect of her ill-requited love, and of his ingratitude, infolence, and brutality; yet neither thefe, nor Bothwell's artful addrefs and important fervices, can justify her attachments to that nobleman." Even the manners of the age, licentious as they were, are no apology for this unhappy paffion; nor can they induce us to which followed upon it, with lefs abhorlook on that tragical and infamous fcene, this part of her character, which it cannot rence. Humanity will draw a veil over approve, and may, perhaps, prompt fome to impute heractions to her fituation, more than to her difpofition; and to lament the unhappiness of the former, rather than accufe the perverfenefs of the latter. Mary's fullerings exceed, both in degree and in duration, thofe tragical diftreffes which fancy has feigned to excite forrow and commiferation; and while we furvey them, we are apt altogether to forget her frailties, we think of her faults with lefs indignation, and approve of our tears, as if they were fhed for a perfon who had attained much nearer to pure virtue. was not at all times under the restraint of With regard to the queen's perfon, a circumftance not to be omitted in writing the hiftory ofa female reign, all contemporary authors agree in afcribing to Mary the ut mott beauty of countenance and elegance of fhape of which the human form is capable. Her hair was black, though, according to the fashion of that age, the frequently wore borrowed locks, and of different colours. Her eyes were a dark grey, her complexion was exquifitely fine and and her hands and arms remarkably delicate, both as to shape and colour. Her ftature was of a height that rofe to the majestic. She danced, the walked, and rode with equal grace. Her tafte for mufic was just, and the both fung and played upon the lute with uncommon skill. Towards the end of her life the began to grow fat; and her long confinement, and the coldnefs of the houses in which he was imprifoned, brought on a rheumatifm which deprived her of the ufe of her limbs. No man, fays Brantome, ever beheld her perfon without admiration and love, or will read her history without forrow. Robertson. 113. The Character of FRANCIS 1. with Some Reflections on his Rivalship with CHABLES V. Francis died at Rambouillet, on the laft day of March, in the fifty-third year of his age, and the thirty-third year of his reign. During twenty-eight years of that time, an avowed rivalship fubfifted between him and the emperor, which involved not only their own dominions, but the greater part of Europe in wars, profecuted with more violent animofity, and drawn out to a greater length, than had been known in any former period. Many circumstances contributed to both. Their animofity was founded in oppofition of intereft heightened by perfonal emulation, and exafperated not only by mutual injuries, but by reciprocal infults. At the fametime,whatever advantage onefeemed to poffefs towards gaining the afcendant, waswonderfully balanced by fome favourable circumftance, peculiar to the other. The emperor's dominionswere of great extent, the French king's lay more compact: Francis governed his kingdom with abfolute power: that of Charles was limited, but he supplied the want of authority by addrefs: the troops of the former were more impetuousand enterprifing; thofe of the latter better difciplined, and more patient of fatigue. The talents and abilities of the two monarchs were as different as the advantages which they poffeffed, and contributed no lefs to prolong the conteft between them. Francis took his refolutions fuddenly, profecuted them at firft with warmth, and pushed them into execution with a moft adventurous courage; but being deftitate of the perfeverance neceflary to furmount difficulties, he often abandoned his defigns, or relaxed the vigour of purfuit from impatience, and fometimes from levity. Charles deliberated long, and determined with coolnefs; but, having ouce fixed his plan, he adhered to it with inflexible obftinacy, and neither danger nor difcouragement could turn him afide from the execution of it. The fuccefs of their enterprifes was as different as their characters, and was uniformly influenced by them. Francis, by his impetuous activity, often difconcerted the emperor's beft-laid fchemes; Charles, by a more calm, but fteady profecution of his defigns, checked the rapidity of his rival's career, and baffled or repulfed his mofe vigorous efforts. The former at the opening of a war, or of the violence of a torrent, and carried all acampaign, broke in upon his enemy with before him; the latter waiting until he faw the force of his rival begin to abate, recovered in the end not only all that he had loft, but made new aquifitions. Few of the French monarch's attempts towards conqueft, whatever promifing afpect they might wear at first, were conducted to an happy iffue: many of the emperor'senterprifes, even after they appeared defperate and impracticable, terminated in the most profperous manner. Francis was dazzled with the fplendour of an undertaking; Charles was allured by the profpect of its turning to his advantage. The degree, however, of their comparative merit and reputation has not been fixed, either by a ftrict fcrutiny into their abilities for government, or by an impartial confideration of the greatnefs and fuccefsof their undertakings; and Francis is one of thofe monarchs who occupies a higher rank in the temple of fame, than either his talents or performances entitle him to hold. This pre-eminence he owed to many different circumftances. The fuperiority which Charles acquired by the victory of Pavia, and which from that period he preferved through the remainder of his reign, was fo manifeft, that Francis'struggle against his exorbitant and growing dominion, was viewed by most of the other powers, not only with the partiality which naturally arifes from thofe who gallantly maintain an unequal conteft, but with the favour due to one who was refifting a conimon enemy, and endeavouring to let bounds to a monarch equally formidable to them all. The characters of princes too, especially among their contemporaries, depend not only upon their talents for government, but upon He upon their qualities as men. Francis, notwithstanding the many errors confpicuous in his foreign policy and domeftic administration, was nevertheless humane, beneficent, generous. poffefled dignity without pride; affability free from meannels, and courtefy exempt from deceit. All who had accefs to him (and no man of merit was ever denied that privilege) refpected and loved him. Captivated with his perfonal qualities, his fubjects forgot his defects as amonarch, and admiring him as the most accomplified and amiable gentleman in his dominions, they never murmured at acts of mal-adminiftration, which in a prince of lef's engaging difpofitions would have been deemed unpardonable. This admiration, however, must have been temporary only, and would have died away with the courtiers who bestowed it; the illufion arifing from his private virtues must have ceafed, and pofterity would have judged of his public conduct with its ufual impartiality; but another circumftance prevented this, and his name hath beeu tranfmitted to pofterity with increafing reputation. Science and the arts had, at that time, made little progrefs in France. They were juft beginning to advance beyond the limits of Italy, where they had revived, and which had hitherto been their only feat. Francis took them immediately under his protection, and vied with Leo himself in the zeal and munificence with which he encouraged them. Heinvited learned men to his court; he converfed with them familiarly, he employed them in bufinefs; he railed them to offices of dignity, and honoured them with his confidence. That race ofmen, not more prone to complain when denied the refpect to which they fancy themselves entitled, than apt to be pleased when treated with the diftinction which they confider as their due, though they could not exceed in gratitude to fuch a benefactor, ftrained their invention, and employed all their ingenuity in panegyric. Succeeding authors, warmed with their deferiptions of Francis's bounty, adopted their encomiums, and refined upon them. The appellation of Father of Letters, beftowed upon Francis, hath rendered his memory facred among hiftorians,and they feem to have regarded it as a fort of impiety to uncover his infirmities, or to point out his defects. Thus Francis, notwithstanding his inferior abilities, and want of fuccefs, hath more than equalled the fame of Charles. The virtues which he poffeffed as a man have entitled him to greater admiration and praife, than have been beftowed upon the extenfive genius and fortunate arts of a more capable, but less amiable rival. Robertfon. § 114. The Character of CHARLES V. As Charles was the first prince of his age in rank and dignity, the part which he acted, whether we confider the greatnefs, the variety, or the fuccefs of his under taking, was the moft confpicuous. It is from an attentive obfervation to his conduct, not from the exaggerated praises of the Spanish hiftorians,or the undiftinguish-ing cenfure of the French, that a juft idea of Charles's genius and abilities is to be collected. He poffeffed qualities fo peculiar, as ftrongly mark his character, and not only distinguish him from the princes who were his contemporaries, but account for that fuperiority over them which he fo long maintained. In forming his fchemes, he was, by nature as well as by habit, cautious and confiderate. Born with calents, which unfolded themfelves flowly, and were late in attaining maturity, he was accustomed to ponder every fubject that demanded his confideration, with a careful and deliberate attention. He bent the whole force of his mind towards it, and dwelling upon it with ferious application, undiverted by pleasure, and hardly relax ́ed by any amusement, he revolved it in filence in his own breaft: he then commu nicated the matter to his minifters; and after hearing their opinions, took his refolution with a decifivefirmnefs, which feldom follows fuch flow confultations. In confequence of this, Charles's measures, instead of refembling the defultory and irregular fallies of Henry VIII. or Francis I. had the appearance of a confiftent fy ftem, in which all the parts were arranged, the effects were forefeen, and the accidents were provided for. His promptitude in execution was no lefs remarkable than his patience in deliberation. He confulted with phlegm, but he acted with vigour ; and did not difcover greater fagacity in his choice of the measures which it was proper to purfue, than fertility of genius in finding out the means for rendering his purfuit of them fuccefsful. Though he had naturally fo little of the martial turn, that during the most ardent and buttling period of life, he remained in the cabinet inactive; yet when he chofe at length to appear at the head of his armies his mind was foformed for and Burgundy; this opened to him fuch a val field of enterprife, and engaged hins in fchemes fo complicated as well as arduous,that feeling his power to be unequal to the execution of thefe, he had often recourfe to low artifices, unbecoming his fuperior talents; and fometimes ventured onfuch deviations from integrity, as were dithonourable in a great prince. His in fidious and fraudulent policy appeared more confpicuous, and was rendered more odious, by a comparison with the open and undefigning character of his contempora ries, Francis I. and Henry VII. This difference, though occafioned chiefly by the divertity of their tempers, muit be alcribed in fome degree to fuch an oppolition in the principles of their political conduct, as affords fome excufe for this defect in Charles's behaviour, though it cannotferve as a juftification of it. Francis and Henry feldom acted but from the impulfe oftheir pallions, and ruthed headlong towards the for vigorous exertions in every direction, that he acquired fuch knowledge in the art of war, and fuch talents for command. as rendered him equal in reputation and fuccefs to the most able general of the age. But Charles poffefied, in the mott emjuent degree, the feience which is of greatest importance to a monarch, that of Knowing men, and of adapting their talents to the various departments which he allotted to them. From the death of Chievres to the end of his reign, he employed no general in the field, no minitter in the cabinet, no ambaflador to a foreign court, no governor of a province, whofe abilities were inadequate to the truft which he repofed in them. Though deftitute of that bewitching aflability of manuer, which gained Francis the hearts of all who approached his perfon, he was no ftranger to the virtues which fecure fidelity and attachment. He placed unbounded confidence in his generals; he rewarded their fervices with inunificence; be neither en-object in view. Charles's measures being vied their fame, nor difcovered any jealoufy of their power. Almoft all the generals who conducted his armies, may be placed on a level with thote illuftrious perfonages who have attained the higheft eminence of military glory: and his advantages over his rivals are to be afcribed fo manifeftly to the fuperior abilities of the commanders whom he fet in oppofition to them, that this might feem to detract, in fome degree, from his own merit, if the talent of difcovering and employing tach inftruments were not the molt undoubted proof of his capacity for government. the refult of cool reflection, were disposed into a regular fyftem, and carried on upon a concerted plan. Perfous who act in the former manner naturally purfue the end in view, without afluming any difguife, or difplaying much addrefs. Such as hold the latter courfe, are apt, in forming, as well as in executing their defigns, to employ fuch refinements, as always lead to artifice in conduct, and often degenerate into deceit. Robertjon. § 115. The Character of EPAMINONDAS. Epaminondas was bora and educated in that honeft poverty which those lefs cor. rupted ages accounted the glorious mark of integrity and virtue. The inftructions of a Pythagorean philofopher, to whom he was entrulted in his earliest years, formed him to all the temperance and feverity pe culiar to that fect, and were received with docility and pleature which bespoke an ingenuous mind. Mutic, dancing, and all thofe arts which wore accounted honourable diftinctious at Thebes, he received from the greatest matters. In the athletic exercifes he became confpicuous, but foon learned to apply particularly to thofe which might prepare him for the labours and occations of a military life. His modelty and gravity rendered him ready to hear and receive inftruction; and his genius enabled him to learn and improve. A love of truth, a love of virtue, tenderness, and humanity, and an exalted patriotifm, he There were, nevertheless, defects in his political character, which must confiderably abate the admiration due to his extraordinary talents. Charles's ambition was infatiable; and though there feems to be no foundation for an opinion prevalent in his own age, that he had formed the chimerical project of establishing an uni-a verfal monarchy in Europe, it is certain that his defire of being diftinguished as a conqueror involved him in continual wars, which exhaufted and oppretted his fubjects, and left him little leifure for giving attention to the interior police and improvement of his kingdoms, the great obJects of every prince who makes the happinets of his people the end of his government. Charles, at a very early period of life, having added the imperial crown to the kingdoms of Spain, and to the here ditary dominions of the houfus of Auftria had |