... the Whig historians said about James are extrapolations from the received wisdom that he got what he deserved; that his long nosed face betrays a man of incurably despotic temperament. Much of the stereotype of the brutal autocrat is a projection backwards from the story written by the winners, during the nineteenth century. James was of course a divine right absolutist who believed that Parliament had the right to offer advice and criticism and even propose legislation, but that he had the right if he so choose to reject all of it. James was also a Catholic. Therefore, despite potential areas of conflict over government and religion, it is evident that James was not doomed to failure- the Glorious Revolution was not inevitable. James acceded to the throne, a popular monarch. The Earl of Peterborough captured the popular mood when he wrote in February 1685: "Everything is very happy here. Never ...

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