Lords' Journ. xiv. p. 122. or of a wilful deviation from truth; but a man does not usually prefer falshood to truth without a motive, and here none can be assigned. Besides, the probability is on the side of the Bishop, for the same peers who had signed the protest against voting the vacancy of the throne, might be expected to have signed the protest against the final vote. ' But the words of the Journal may be worthy of attention; for the usual entry when no names are subscribed, is only " that leave was "given to any Lords to enter their dissents ;" an instance occurred on the 9th of February, when the declaration was settled with respect to the paragraph, declaring the Prince and Princess to be King and. Queen, and no names were subscribed. The addition of these words, "that the Lords following have entered their dissents, by subscribing "their names," or "giving their reasons," might not usually be made until some Lord intending to protest required it. A suspicion therefore arises, that the names of the same peers who made the first protest of that day, were subscribed also to the second, though they are not found in the printed Journal. But after all, we may grant that the Bishop has been mistaken in this solitary immaterial fact, which can by no possibility affect his narrative in other respects. And it is curious to observe, that Mr. Rose himself has made more mistakes in pointing out this trifling error, if it is one, than he, after calling in the assistance of Bevill Higgons, Dr. Campbell, and Mr. Ralph, has been able to select from the Bishop's whole work. Bishop Burnet's History of his Own Times is contained in two folio volumes, and not only all the abuse which the utmost virulence of party had cast upon the author has been revived, but no less than seven or eight different specific charges have been made against him. If there had been more errors discovered in his history, it cannot be supposed that they would have been omitted to have been mentioned, when defects so extremely trifling and insignificant as those, with which Mr. Roses Appendix is concluded, are brought into notice. But the character of the Bishop for veracity has risen triumphantly over these puny efforts to destroy his fair fame, in every instance (except, perhaps, the last of all) he appears to have been perfectly correct in his statements. And what ought to give con fidence in those facts which now stand upon his sole authority, many of those, which have been disputed, have been authenticated by documents, published subsequently to the objections being made. No man was possessed of higher and more authentic sources of information, and he made use of them. His character of James the Second has been supported, almost in his expressions, by the secret dispatches of Barillon; his character of Monk by the publications of Baillie, Cunningham, and Mrs. Hutchinson; and Mr. Rose, with the memoir of the Earl of Lonsdale in his hand, has attacked his veracity in the relation of two circumstances, both of which that memoir has proved to be true. Having undergone such an ordeal, let us hope that the Bishop's history may not only be allowed to retain a high reputation for authenticity among the Whigs, but that, even among the Tories its general character may no longer be the subject of obloquy and controversy. Looking back to the result of those discussions which have been provoked by Mr. Rose, it may reasonably be expected, that what has happened in so many instances will happen again; that the more numerous the family papers which shall be hereafter laid open to public inspection, the more numerous will be the future confirmations of his statements. I cannot conclude without adding, as an act of justice to the character of Bishop Burnet, that having had occasion frequently to examine into the correctness of facts related by him, I have always found them to be accurately stated in substance. But his affected disregard to dates, and throwing together matters which happened at different times, in order to form one general view of each particular subject, give his work the appearance of incorrectness, and make it troublesome for reference. The numerous mistakes committed by Mr. Rose, though habituated to official accuracy, in a not very thick quarto volume, while it evinces how difficult it is to guard. against them, may raise a feeling of respect for Bishop Burnet who without the advantage alluded to, has written two folio volumes, in which there is so little to object to, so little to be wished, altered or obliterated. THE END. Printed by H. Bryer, |