88 The LI F E of the Paxti!1 a War against him, (Iuterait ruling the World) it was contrived that this Parlia- ment Ihould make the feverelt Laws againft the Nonconformifts to grind them to duff, and that the King Ihould allay the Execution at his p'esfbre, and' become their Prote @or againft Parliaments; and they that would not confect to.tlisfhouldfuf- fer. And indeed, the Minifters theinfetves Teemed to make little doubt ofthis: But they thought, t. That if Papifls (hall have liberty, it is as good for them alfo to take theirs, as to be fhut out: z. And that it is not lawful for them to refufe their prefent Liberty, though theywere fare that Evil were defign'd in granting it. 3 And that before Men's deigns can come to ripenefs, God bath many ways to fruftrate [hem, and by drawing one Pin, can let fall the belt contrived Fabrick. But !till remember, that all Attempts to get any Comprehenfion (as it was then called) or abatement of the Rigour of the Laws, or Legal L'iberty and Union, were molt effeftually made void. s 193. At this time there was Printed in Holland, the?hefis, or Exercife Per- formed at the Commencement, for the Degree of Dr. ofLaw, by one ofthe King's Subjefts, a Scots-Man, Rob. Hamilton: In which he largely proved: the Necelhty ofa Itanding Treafury in a Kingdom, and the power of the King to raife it and impofeTributes without thePeople's Confent, and Dedicating it to the King, and largely applying it to England, he iheweth that Parliaments have no Legiflative Power but what the King giveth them, who may take it from them when He feeth Caufe, and put themdown, and raife Taxes according to his own Difcretion, with- out them : And that Parliaments and Ma na Cbarta, are no impediments to him, but Toys ; and that what Charter the former Kings did grant, could be no Baud on their Succeffors (forgetting that fohe would alfo difoblige the People front the Agreements made by their Predecelfors ( as e. g. that this Family f[ucefvely (hall rule them, &c.) with muchmore. Whom Fame made to be the Animater Of this Trafate, I pafs by, $ 194. There was thisYear a Man much talk'dof for his Enterprifes, one Ma- jor Blood, an Englrfh-man of Ireland.. ThisMan had been a Soldier in the old King's Army againft the Parliament, and facing the Caufe loft, he betook himfelf towards Ireland, to live upon hisown Eftate. In hisway he fell in Company With the Lan- cdfhire Minihers, whowere then Writing against the Army, andagain$ allviolence to Kingor Parliament. Blood being of an extraordinary Wit, falls acquainted with them, and not thinking that the Presbyterians had been fo true to the King, he is suadethe more capableof their Conefel; fo that in Ilion he became a Convert, and Married the Daughter of an honeft Parliament Man of that Countrey : And after this in Irelandhe was a Jufticeof Peace, and Famous for his great Parts and upright Life, and fuccefs in turning many from Popery. When the King was Reftored, and he Taw the old Mini ters Silenced in the Three Kingdoms, andChafe that had Sur- prized Dublin-Caflle for the King from the Anabaptifls, raft aude, and all things go contrary to his Judgment and Expecîation, beingof a moil bold and refolute Spirit, hewas one that plotted the Surprizing of the t). ofOrmond, and of Dublin Caflle. But being detefted and prevented, he fled into England: Therehe lived difguifed, praftifingPhyfick, called Dr. Clarke, at Rumford When formePrifoners werecar- ried tobeput to Death at York, for a Plot, he followed and Refcued them, and fet them free: At lait it was found to be He, with his Son, and three or four more that attempted to Surprize the D. of Ormond; and to havecarried himto Holland, where he had a Bank of Money, and to have made him there topay his Arrears. Miffingof that Exploit, he madea bolder Attempt, even to fetch the King's Crown and Jewels out of the Tower; where pretending Friendlhip;to the Keeperof it, He, with two more (hisSon, and one Perrot) fuddenly Gaga the old Man, and when he cryed out, he ftruck him on the Head, but would not kill him, and fowent away with .the Crown. But as foon as ever they were gone, the Keeper's Son cometh in, and finds hisFather, and heareth the Cafe, and runs out after them, and Flood and hisSon, and Perrot were taken. Blood was brought to the King, andexpefteci Death; but/he fpake foboldlythat all admired him : telling the King, Howmany of 6ísSubjefls weredifobliged, and thathe was one that took himfelfto bein a State ofHohility : and thathe took not the Crown as a Thief, but an Enemy, thinking that lawful which was lawful in a War ; and that he could many a time have had the King in his power, but that he thought his Life was better for themthanhis Death,
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