Chap. IX. The HISTORY cf the PURITAINS. 69T friend in the king's bofom that would proteft them, and therefore inftead K. Charles L of removing out of the land, they lay concealed within the verge rCJ of the court. Even Goodman himfelf was not executed, though the king promifed to leave him to the law, and tho' he himfelf petition- ed, like 7onah the prophet, to be thrown overboard to allay the tempeft between the king and his fubjefts. Such was his majefty's attachment to this people! to the apparent hazard of the proteftant religion and the peace of his kingdoms, and to the facrificing all good correfpondence be- tween himfelf and bis parliament. C H A P. IX. From the impeachment of the earl of S r R A F F O RD, to the recefs of the parliament upon the KING'S progrefs into Scotland. T is impoffible to account for the prodigious changes of this and the Impeachment years immediately fucceeding, without taking a fhort view of fome and trial of civil occurences that paved the way for them. In purfuance of the deign Straffortd of bringing corrupt mini/ers to ju/lice, the parliament began with Thomas Wentworth earl of Strafford, an able ftatefman but a molt dangerous ene- my of the laws and liberties of his country, whom they impeached of high treafon November at. 1640. and brought to his trial the 22d of March following. The grand article of his impeachment was, For en- deavouring to jubvert thefundamental laws of England and Ireland, and to introduce an arbitrary and tyrannical government. This was fubdivid- ed into feveral branches, fupported by a multiplicity of fads, none of which were direftly treafon by law, but being put together were con- ftrued to be fuch by accumulation. The earl's reply to the falls confifted partly in excufes and evafions ; with an humble acknowledgment that in force things he hadbeen miflaken ; but his principal defence rated upon a point of law, Whether an endeavour tofirbvert the fundamentalform of government and the lanes of the land, was high treafon at common law, or by any /latute in force. Mr. Lane the counfel for the prifoner maintain- ed, (s.) That all treafons were to be reduced to the particulars fpecified in the 25th Edw. III. cap. 2. (2.) That nothing elfe was or could be 4 T 2 treafon ;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=