Poynings - by J.M. Neale Author:John Mason Neale Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. A CONVERSATION ON THE QUESTION, WHO MAKES KINGS? " Now, Charles," said Sir Ralph, " we will keep on till we get to Edburton, and then mount th... more »e hill. I suppose, my boy, what you were saying just now about the fleet was what you were in the habit of hearing at your Uncle Williams's ? " " Yes, father," replied Charles ; " they always used to speak of the Prince of Orange's coming as a very glorious thing: and I am sure I did not know that there was any harm in it." " Is there no harm in trying to dethrone a king ? " asked his father. " Uncle "Williams used to say," answered Charles, " that whenever a king was crowned, an agreement was made between him and his people; that he promised to govern themwell, and according to the laws, and they promised to obey him as long as he did govern them well. But, if he broke his promise, he said, they might also break theirs." " I have authority over you, Charles; have I not ? " " Certainly, father." "Suppose I were to command you to do something that you did not like, what ought you to do ? " " To obey you." " Well; but suppose I ordered you to do something sinful,—what then?" " Then I ought not to do it." " Certainly not;—but ought you to throw off my authority (supposing you could) altogether?" "No." " Then you would not come and say to me, ' Father, there was an agreement made between us, that while you desired me to do what was right, I should obey you ; but now that you tell me to do what is wrong, I am not bound to obey you any more ; so hence chapter{Section 4forth I shall do nothing that you order me." " That would be absurd indeed," said Charles, laughing. " But the authority of a king and of a father are not the same." " They are not the same, but they are of the same kind...« less