ian/history/JamesII.html" as her new king. By some, James is known as "the wisest fool in Christendom," while others hail him as one of the greatest kings in the countrys history. But one thing is certain, James II exemplifies all the traditional characteristics of an absolute monarch. His charisma and innovativeness led to the accomplishment of many of his goals. His most prominent characteristic, however, was his belief in and application of the idea of Divine Right. These three characteristics make James II of England a prime example of an absolute monarch.James hated fighting. In fact, because his mother was Mary, Queen of Scots, his especially hated confrontations between Britain and Scotland. One of his three main goals as ruler of England was to establish a peaceful Anglo-Scottish union. Also, one of his first proclamations ordered the ceasing of all hostility at sea with Spain. He sought to reconcile all of England's enemies, and as a result, the years 1604 to 1606 were some of the most peaceful in English history. Although James did not realize his dream of an Anglo-Scottish union, his intentions were some of the most noble.Not only did James have good intentions with the countrys military standing, but also with England's finances. Yet, James had little to no experience with finances, and left the country in a worse state of financial stress than he found it. James began his reign by having new coins minted with his picture on them. Little did James know that new money was the least of his problems. During his reign, not only did he owe debts to his moneylenders, but also to his servants. He was unable to save money as well. James generated revenue for one purpose, and spend it for another, and have to borrow from yet again another source. James knew close to nothing of English economics, and even less about how to handle a countrys money.Most of James' problems stemmed from self-righteousness. It was common knowledge that, "N...
