Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/226

210 man hereditary rights had centered in this king, his on and heir king Charles the firt hould be told by thoe infamous judges, who pronounced his unparalleled entence, that he was an elective prince; elected by his people, and therefore accountable to them, in his own proper peron, for his conduct. The confuion, intability, and madnes, which followed the fatal catatrophe of that pious and unfortunate prince, will be a tanding argument in favour of hereditary monarchy to all future ages; as they proved at lat to the then deluded people: who, in order to recover that peace and happines which for twenty years together they had lot, in a olemn parliamentary convention of the tates retored the right heir of the crown. And in the proclamation for that purpoe, which was drawn up and attended by both houes, they declared, “that, according to their duty and allegiance, they did heartily, joyfully, and unanimouly acknowlege and proclaim, that immediately upon the deceae of our late overeign lord king Charles, the imperial crown of thee realms did by inherent birthright and lawful and undoubted ucceion decend and come to his mot excellent majety Charles the econd, as being lineally, jutly, and lawfully, next heir of the blood royal of this realm: and thereunto they mot humbly and faithfully did ubmit and oblige themelves, their heirs, and poterity for ever.” I think it clearly appears, from the highet authority this nation is acquainted with, that the crown of England hath been ever an hereditary crown; though ubject to limitations by parliament. The remainder of this chapter will conit principally of thoe intances, wherein the parliament has aerted or exercied this right of altering and limiting the ucceion; a right which, we have een, was before exercied and aerted in the reigns of Henry IV, Henry VII, Henry VIII, queen Mary, and queen Elizabeth. firt intance, in point of time, is the famous bill of excluion, which raied uch a ferment in the latter end of the reign of