Chap. IX. The HIS TOR Y of the PURITANS. 69 Lord Clarendon Pays; That he had been compelled for reafons offlate,A Charles I " to exercife many ads of power, and had indulged fame to his own ap- 1641. " petite and paflion, as in the cafe of the lord chancellor of Ireland, and jroi` j the lord Mount Norris, the former of which wasfatis pro imperios p 250. but the latter, the molt extavagant piece of fovereignty that in a " time of peace had been executed by any fubjed." From whence the reader may conclude, that whatever encomiums the earl might deferve as a gentleman and a foldier, yet as a Jiatelinan he deferved the fate he underwent. The executiòn of this great perfonage (truck terror into all the king's Cm kings late minifters; fome of them refigned their places, and others retired terrified, era into France; among the latter was the lord keeper Finch and fecretary Windebank. Six of the judges were impeachedof high crimes and milde- meanors, for interpreting away the laws of their country ; but the parli- ament had too much búfinefs upon their hands to attend their prole- cation at prefent. Thus this unhappy prince was deprived of thofe counfellors who were in his own arbitrary fentiments, and left as-in a manner to himfelf, and the powerful influence of his bigotted queen and her cabal of papifts; for the newminers who fucceeded, were fuch in whom the king wouldplace no confidence. So that molt menexpeéted that thefe vigórous proceedings would induce him to put a fpeedy end to the fefiion. But that whichprevented it, was the want of money topay off the ar- mies in the north ; his majefly preffed the houles to difpatch this affair, a0e dghint and relieve the country from the burden of contribution; on the other the Par/w_ hand, the commons looked upon the feats as their fecurity, and that if ment'. they were Pent home, they fhould again be at the mercy ofthe preroga- tive, fupported by a Handing army. However, they had begun to'bor- row money of the city of London towards the expense ; but when the plot to diffolve the parliament broke out, the citizens declared they would lend nothing upon parliamentary fecurity, becaufe their fitting was fo ve- ry precarious. This gave rife to a motionfor the continuance oftheprefent parliament till they fhould difolve themfelves, which was prefentiy turned into a-(bort bill, and pa(fed both houfes with very little oppofition, as the only expedient that could be thought of to fupport the public credit: it enaéts, " that this prefent parliament Ball not be adjourned, prorogued, or for irr " d olved, without their own confentr " and was figned.by cotnmifpioncontinuant, with the bill of attainder again( the earl of Straford. All men flood amazed at the king's weaknefs on this occafion ; fat by Remark. this hafeyand unadvifed meafure he concurred in a change ofthe whole conftitution, giving the two houfes a co-ordinate power in the legiflature with himfelf, for as long time as they pleated if his maje(y had fixed their
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