Chap. IV. TheHISTORY ofthe PURITANS, C H A P. IV. From the diffilution of the third parliament of King CHARLES I. to the death of archbilhop ABBOT. r 1 HE ancient and legal government of England, by king lords and K. Charles t 6 I. 1 commons, being now fufpended by the royal will and pleafure, his ' majefty refolved to fupply the necefhties of the ftate, by fuch other me- Arbierary thodsas his council fhould advife, who gave a loofe to their actions, being no methods of longer afraid of a parliamentary inquiry, and above the reachof ordinaryg ernmet' juftice. Inftead of the authority of king and parliament, all publick af- fairs were direfted by proclamations of the king and council, which had the force of fo many laws, and were bound upon the fubjeét under the fevered penalties. They levied the duties of tonnage and poundage, and laid what other impofts they thought proper upon merchandize, which they let out to farm to private perlons; the number of monopolies was incredible ; there was no branch of the fubje/ts property that the miniftry could difpofe of, but was bought and fold. They railed above a million a year by taxes on foap, fait, candles, wine, cards, pins, leather, coals, &c. even to the foiegathering ofrags. Grants were given out for weighing hay and ftrawwithin three miles of London ; for gageing red herring barrels, and butter calks; for marking iron andPealing lace, with a great many others; whichbeing purchafedof the crown, muff be paid for by the fub- jeét. His majefty claimed a right in cafes of necejity (of which necty himfelf was the foie judge) to raife money byfhip writs, or royal man- dates direéted to the Sheriffs of the feveral counties, to levy on the fubjed the feveral fums of money therein demanded, for the maintenance and fupport of the royal navy. The like was demanded for the royal army, by the name of coat and candi/I money when they were to march; and when they were in quarters, the men were billeted upon private hoisfes. Many were put to death by martial law, who ought to have been tried by the laws of the land ; and others by the fame martial law were ex- empted from the punifhment, which by law they deferved. Large fums of money were railed by commiflions under the great feat, to compound for depopulations, for nufances in buildingbetween high and lowwater mark; for pretended encroachments on thefortis, &c. béfide the exorbitantfinesof the ftar-chamber and high commiffion court; and the extraordinary pro- jefts of loans, benevolences, andfree gifts. Such was was the calamity of the times, that no man couldcall any thing his own longer than the king Z z z 2 ?leafed ;
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