4o0 2'he HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. V, K. Charles I. " had been no laws there for his reception ; and for the molt invidious 1637. "protection and countenance of that whole party, a publick agent from Rome, (firít Mr. Con afeotti/h man, and after him the count of R f tti an Italian) refided in London in great pomp, pùblickly vifited the court, and was avowedly reforted to by the catholicks of all conditions, over " whom he aflumed a particular jurifdicìion, and was careffed and pre - " fented magnificently by the ladies of honour who enclined to that pro- " feflion. They had likewife with more noife and vanity than prudence would have admitted, made publick collections of money to a confr- " derable fum, upon tome recommendations from the queen, and to be by her majefty prefented as -a free-will offering from his roman catho- " lick fubjects to the king, for the carrying on the war againfí thefiats; " which drewupon them the rage of that nation, with little devotion and " ° reverence to the queen herfelf, as if the defired to fupprefs the proteftant " religion in one kingdom as well as the other, by the arms of the roman " catholicks." From this account compared with the foregoing relation, 'tis evident there never was a fironger combination in favour of popery, nor was the protefiant religion at any time in a more dangerous cries, being deferted by its pretended friends, while it was fecretly undermining by its moft powerful enemies. The civil li- The cafe was the fame with the civil liberties and properties of the betties of People ; no man had any thing that he could call his own any longer than R England de- he king pleated ; for inythe famous trial of Mr. Hampdenof Bucking- n, hamfhire in the cafe of fhip- money, all the judges of England except P. 3O2. Crook and Hutton gave it for law, That the king might levy taxes on the fubjed by writ under the greatfeal, without grant ofparliament, in CASES OF NECESSITY; or when the kingdom was in DANGER ; ofwhich DAN-. GE and NECESSITY his maje/ly was the file andfinaljudge ; andthat by LAW his majfly might compel the doing thereof in cafe of refzfalor refrac- torinefs. This determination was entered in all the courts of Wefiminfler- Hall; and the judges were commanded to declare it in their circuits throughout the kingdom, to the end that no man might plead ignorance. Vol. L " Thedamage and mifchief cannot be expreffed (fays lordClarendon) that P. 7°. " the crown füftained by the deferved reproach and infamy that attended " this behaviour of the judges, who out of their courtfhip fubmitted the " grand queftions of law to be meafured by what theycall the ftandard of "general reafon and necefty." While thefe extraordinary methods of raifing money were built only upon. the PREROGATIVE, people were more patient, hoping that force time or other the law would recover its power ; but when they were declared by all the judges to be the very law itfelf, and a rule for determining fuits between the king and fubje&, they were
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