Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/225

Ch. 3. of Scotland; and Henry II, by a decent from Matilda their daughter, is generally called the retorer of the Saxon line. But it mut be remembered, that Malcolm by his Saxon queen had ons as well as daughters; and that the royal family of Scotland from that time downwards were the offspring of Malcolm and Margaret. Of this royal family king James the firt was the direct lineal heir, and therefore united in his peron every poible claim by hereditary right to the Englih as well as Scottih throne, being the heir both of Egbert and William the conqueror. it is no wonder that a prince of more learning than widom, who could deduce an hereditary title for more than eight hundred years, hould eaily be taught by the flatterers of the times to believe there was omething divine in this right, and that the finger of providence was viible in it’s preervation. Whereas, though a wie intitution, it was clearly a human intitution; and the right inherent in him no natural, but a poitive, right. And in this and no other light was it taken by the Englih parliament; who by tatute 1 Jac. I. c. 1. did “recognize and acknowlege, that immediately upon the diolution and deceae of Elizabeth late queen of England, the imperial crown thereof did by inherent birthright, and lawful and undoubted ucceion, decend and come to his mot excellent majety, as being lineally, jutly, and lawfully, next and ole heir of the blood royal of this realm.” Not a word here of any right immediately derived from heaven: which, if it exited any where, mut be ought for among the aborigines of the iland, the antient Britons; among whoe princes indeed ome have gone to earch it for him. , wild and aburd as the doctrine of divine right mot undoubtedly is, it is till more atonihing, that when o many hu- Rh