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282 the judges and barristers under the reigns of the Tudors and the Stuarts; their youthful assistants therefore improved by the connexion, which was also considered an useful preparation to young men of good family and education. The practice continued in Ireland through that century. Thus we find that Denis Daly had been in early life a clerk to his uncle, the famous Patrick Darcy; and Mr. Daly, animated by such example, afterwards became a most able lawyer and distinguished judge. But in England this species of legal assistant was permanent and universal. The great Earl of Cork tells us that he had been clerk to Chief Baron Manwood; the regicide Cooke affirms that he was employed in a similar manner by Mr. Brickendon; and we know that Lord Somers was clerk to Sir Francis Winnington.

The peaceful and inglorious reign of James may be fully explained in the legal history of either island. Its leading feature and principal vice lay in an unbecoming apprehension of Parliament, and unsuccessful attempts to mislead or control that constitutional organ of national will;—Ireland afforded a feir field for this disgraceful enterprise, and every effort of the cabinet was directed to that end. The regular representation of the country was not relied upon, though the late grants of the crown were so enormous as to interest a great portion of the landed proprietors in support of prerogative, which was also directed to render the remaining tenure of estates servile and insecure. Religious phrensy was likewise made use of to uphold courtly humour. Law was to be alternately relaxed or enforced as these hostile parties exhibited rival symptoms of complaisance and submission. In this manner a smothered flame was formed in each kingdom, which ripened during the reign of James, but blazed with unequal yet unabated fury, to scorch or consume his unfortunate successors. By political presumption, repugnant to English law or national habits, Filmer and James contributed more to the revolution than Hampden or Sidney. The timidity of his temper also urged him to act from momentary impulse, and not direct his judgment to remote political projects. Had not this been