Algernon Sidney

in Aqua Scripto on 5 Mar 2006   Link to this

Not a Royalist thereby not a peep in the L&M Companion.
Algernon Sydney (or Sidney), (January 1623 – December 7, 1683), was an English politician, an opponent of King Charles II of England.
A son of the Earl of Leicester, and the great-nephew of Sir Philip Sidney, he is thought to have been born at Penshurst Place in Kent. During the English Civil War, he joined the army of Parliament, but became critical of Oliver Cromwell's leadership.
While writing Court Maxims (1665-6) he was negotiating with Dutch and French for support for a republican invasion of England. Following the Restoration of the monarchy, he went into exile, returning in 1677. ........
In 1683, he was implicated in the Rye House Plot, and was found guilty of treason and executed.
His writings were collected and published posthumously under various titles:
Discourses
Discourses on Government
Discourses Concerning Government ........(which is the origin of the phrase "God helps those who help themselves").
Discourses Concerning Civil Government
[ read at chp 3 ...........

SECTION 1. Kings not being fathers of their People, nor excelling all others in Virtue, can have no other just Power than what the Laws give; nor any title to the privileges of the Lord's Anointed.]

http://www.constitution.org/as/dcg_000.htm]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algernon_Sidney

http://www.bartleby.com/65/si/SidneyA.html

in Aqua Scripto on 5 Mar 2006   Link to this

errata : S/B [ no extra brac] http://www.constitution.org/as/dcg_000.htm

Wim van der Meij on 9 Mar 2006   Link to this

Warrington added that he was one of the ambassadors sent to Sweden and Denmark by Cromwell.