faid that Sir Phelim O'Neill, having found a royal patent in lord Caulfield's houfe, whom be had murdered, he tore off the feal, and affixed it' to a commiffion which he had forged for himself.

However this be, the king took all the precautions in his power to fhew his utter deteftation of thefe bloody proceedings; and being fenfible of his own inability to fupprefs the rebellion, he had once more recourse to his English parliament, and craved their affiftance for a fupply. But here he found no hopes of affiftance; many infinuations were thrown out that he had himself fomented this rebellion, and no money could be fpared for the extinction of diftant dangers, when they pretended that the kingdom was threatened with greater at home.

It was now that the republican spirit began to appear without any difguife in the prefent parliament; and that party, inftead of attacking the faults of the king, refolved to destroy monarchy. They had feen a republican fyftem of government lately established in Holland, and attended with very noble effects; they began, therefore, to wish for a fimilar fyftem at home, and many productions of the prefs at that time sketched out the form. It would be unjust to deny these men the praise of being guided by honeft motives; but it would be unwife not to fay alfo, that they were fwayed by wrong ones. In the comparison between a republic and a limited monarchy, the balance entirely inclines to the latter, fince a real republic never yet exifted, except in fpeculation; and that liberty which demagogues promise to their followers, is generally only fought after for themselves. The aim in general of popular leaders, is rather to deprefs the great than exalt the humble; and in fuch governments, the lower ranks of people are too commonly the moft abject flaves. In a re

public,

public, the number of tyrants are capable of fupporting each other in their injuftice; while in a monarchy there is one object, who, if he offends, is eafily punishable, and ought to be brought to juftice.

A. D.

1641.

The leaders of the oppofition began their operation by a refolution to attack epifcopacy, which was one of the strongest bulwarks of the royal power; but previously framed a remonftrance, in which they fummed up all their former grievances. These they afcribed to a regular fyftem of tyranny in the king, and afferted that they amounted to a total fubverfion of the conftitution. This, when drawn up by a tumultuous majority of the house, they ordered to be printed and published, without being carried up, as is ufual in such cases, to the houfe of peers for their affent and approbation. The commops having thus endeavoured to render the king's adminiftration univerfally odious, they began upon the hierarchy. Their firft measure was, by their own fingle authority, to suspend all the laws which had been made for the obfervance of public worship. They particularly forbade bowing at the name of Jefus, They complained of the king's filling five vacant bishoprics; and confidered it as an infult upon them, that he fhould complete and ftrengthen an order which they were refolved to abolish. They accused thirteen bishops of high treafon, for enacting canons without the confent of parliament; and endeavoured to prevail upon the house of peers to exclude all the prelates from their feats and votes, in that auguft aflembly. But notwithstanding all their efforts, the lords refufed their concurrence to this law; and all fuch as any way tended to the farther limitation of royal authority. The majority of the peers adhered to the king; and plainly foref..w

H 2

forefaw the depreffion of the nobility as a neceffary confequence of the popular ufurpations on the crown. The commons murmured at their refufal, mixed threats with their indignation, and began for the first time, to infinuate that the bufi. nefs of the ftate could be carried on without them. In order to intimidate the lords into their meafures, the populace was let loofe to infult and threaten them. Multitudes of people flocked every day towards Weftminster, and infulted the prelates, and fuch lords as adhered to the crown. Some feditious apprentices being feized and committed to prison, the house of commons immediately ordered them to be fet free. Encouraged by the countenance of the houfe, the populace crowded about Whitehall, and threw out infolent menaces against the king himself. It was at this time that several reduced officers and students of the inns of court, offered their fervices to the king, to reprefs the rioters; and many frays enfued, not without bloodfled. The rabble, by way of reproach, were called Round-heads, from the manner of wearing their hair, and the gentlemen Cavaliers. Their names afterwards ferved to diftinguifh the partizans of either fide, and ferved till more to divide the nation.

The fury of the commons, and alfo of the po pulace, did not fail to intimidate the bishops; they faw the ftorm that was gathering against them; and, probably, to avert its effects, they refolved to attend their duty in the house of lords no longer; but drew up a proteft, which was figned by twelve of them, in which they declared, that being hindered by the populace from attending at the house of lords, they refolved to go there no more till all commotions fhould be appeafed; protesting, in the mean time, against all such laws as Ahould be enacted in their abfence.

This feceffion of the bishops from the houfe of lords was what the commons most ardently withed for; and they feized the opportunity with pleafure. An impeachment of high treason was immediately fent up against them, as guilty of fubverting the fundamental laws, and invalidating the legislative authority. In confequence of this, they were by the laws excluded from parliament, and committed to cuftody, no man in either house daring to speak a word in their vindication.

One

of the lords, indeed was heard to fay, that he did not believe they were guilty of treafon, but he thought they were mad, and therefore were fitter for Bedlam, than a feat in parliament.

This was a fatal blow to the royal intereft, but it foon felt a much greater from the king's own imprudence. Charles had long fuppreffed his refentment, and only ftrove to fatisfy the commons by the greatnefs of his conceffions; but finding that all his compliance had but increased their demands, he could no longer contain. He gave orders to Herbert, his attorney general, to enter an accufation of high treafon in the house of peers againft lord Kimbolton, one of the moft popular men of his party, together with five commoners, Sir Arthur Haflerig, Hollis, Hampden, Pym, and Strode. The articles were, that they had traitorously endeavoured to fubvert the fundamental laws and government of the kingdom; to deprive the king of his regal power, and to impofe on his fubjects an arbitrary and tyrannical authority; that they had invited a foreign army to invade the kingdom; that they had aimed at fubverting the very rights and being of parliaments, and had actually raised and countenanced tumults against the king. Men had fcarce leisure to wonder at the precipitancy and imprudence of this impeachment, when they were aftonifhed by another

mcafure,

measure, still more rash and more unfupported. A ferjeant at arms, in the king's name, demanded of the houfe the five members, and was sent back without any pofitive answer. This was followed by a conduct ftill more extraordinary. The next day the king himself was feen to enter the ̧ houfe of commons alone, advancing through the hall, while all the members ftood up to receive him. The fpeaker withdrew from the chair, and the king took poffeffion of it. Having feated himself, and looked round him for fome time, he told the house that he was forry for the occafion that' forced him thither, that he was come in perfon to feize the members whom he had accused of hight treafon, feeing they would not deliver them up to his ferjeant at arms. Addreffing himself to the speaker, he defired to know whether any of them were in the houfe; but the speaker falling on his knees, replied, that he had neither eyes to fee, nor tongue to speak in that place, but as the houfe was pleafed to direct him; and he afked pardon for being able to give no other anfwer. He then fate for fome time to fee if the accufed were prefent; but they had efcaped a few minutes before his entry. Thus disappointed, perplexed, and not knowing on whom to rely, he next proceeded, amidst the clamours of the populace, who continued to cry out, "Privilege! privilege!" to the common council of the city, and made his complaint to them. The common council only anfwered his complaints with a contemptuous filence; and on his return, one of the populace, more infolent than the reft, cried out, "To your "tents, Ifrael !" a watch-word among the Jews, when they intended to abandon their princes.

When the commons were affembled the next day, they affected the greatest terror, and paffed an unanimous vote that the king had violated their privileges,