372 A T K I N S. This gave occafion to fir Robert's excellent enquiry into the power of difpenling with penal ftatutes ; wherein the dotrine of difpenfations is largely handled. At the Revolution, to promote which fir Robert did all tlu'.t could he expected from him, he was received with great marks of diftin&ion by king Wiiliarn, who, in May 1689, made him lord chief baron of the exchequer. In October foiiowingj the marquis of Hallifax, whom the lords had cholcn for their fpeaker, dellring to be excufed from dil- charging that office any longer, the lord chief baron Atkins was immediately elected in his room, and fo continued till the great feal was given to fir John Summers, in the begin- ning of 1693. October 30, if 93, when the lord mayor of London elect was fworn in before fir Robert, in the exchequer, he made a famous fpeech, wherein, after drawing a terrible picture of the dtfi-ns of Lewis XIV. and of the means employed to accomplilh them, he hath the following paflage, which will afliftour readers in judging of the baron's character: " There
- ' is one piece of policy of his, wherein he outdoeth all
c other princes whatfoever ; and that is, the o;reat thing of
- ' maintaining and managing intelligence. "He can ""tell
- when your merchanr.-fh.ips fet out, and by what time they
fhall return ; nay, perhaps he does take upon him to know, by the help of fome confederacy with him that is prince of the power of the air, that the wind fhall not c in fuch or fi.ch a corner till fuch a time : he knoweth when our royal navy is to be divided, and when it is " united. u And fhall I guefs how he comes to have fuch intelli- ' nee ? That were well worth the hearing. I would but uvls at it ; and I would in my guefles forbear fayinw anv < i . u : . i. .. .. : . i n. . 11 . - . (C thing that is difhonourable to any among ourfelves. We all know the Icripture tells us, that the good angels are minifters of God for good to the elect: it is the comfort of all good men that they are lo. It is faid, He will give his angels charge over thee, to prefcrve thee in thy way;' and, 1 hope, we are every one of us in our way. But we ive reaton to believe that the wicked angels are very in- frrumental in carrying on fuch dcfigiis as this great man " hath undertaken. t is a vulgar error that hath obtained among fome of us, t thefe wicked fpirits are now confined under chains of
- darknefs in the place of torment. I remember thdt ex-
preffion oi iome of them to our Saviour, ' Art thou come " to
