The

The jealousy and distrust which the people had A.D. 1640. entertained of the king, and which his principles and conduct had too deeply implanted in their minds, were the real foundation of his misfortunes; they rendered all his endeavours to satisfy the nation ineffectual, and they deprived even his virtues of their efficacy. That adherence to his principles, which, in a just cause, would have appeared firmness of mind, in an unjust one deserved no other name than obstinacy. king believed that he held his crown by a divine right, and that the people owed him a passive obedience. He must, therefore, think that they could not limit his power; that he was superior to the laws; and that he might dispense with these as he might think proper. This the clergy taught; and what they maintained he had a right to do, the king unfortunately showed he was resolved to do. The parliament, however, were equally resolved; besides the acts for the attainder of the Earl of Strafford, they prepared several laws for redressing the public grievances: to these the king readily gave his assent; and, among others, to an act for triennial parliaments, an act for granting the king a subsidy of tonnage and poundage, and an act for declaring void the late

A.D. 1640. proceedings touching ship-money. *

These acts had an immediate and universal influence in composing the troubles and restoring the quiet of the nation.29

If the king had properly considered his own interest, as connected with that of the public; if he had not thought himself entitled to an unlimited authority; here was a happy opportunity for him to have concluded all differences with his parliament: with the exceptions of the act for Lord Strafford's attainder, (which was owing to a resentment for his having so shamefully abandoned

* Lord Clarendon says, "The king's giving his assent to this bill, was a frank departure from a right vindicated by a judgment in the exchequer chamber:" yet he himself impeached, at the bar of the house of lords, three of the

judges for giving the said judgment; which, with great acrimony, he called a crime of a prodigious nature, and in particular, he said, "the demanding of ship-money was against Magna Charta."

29 The royal assent was not very readily obtained for these bills. They were presented together with a poll bill, and bills for the abolition of the court of star-chamber, the high commission, and several other courts. But while Charles gave an immediate assent to the poll bill, he affected to pay no attention whatever to the others. The murmurs, however, which this conduct excited quickly caused him to pass these also. As usual, the concession was resisted just long enough to render it ungracious.

the cause of liberty, for which he had origin- A.D. 1640. ally been an advocate and sufferer,) and the bill for continuing the parliament, (for which the frequent and abrupt dissolutions had furnished a plea,) none of the laws now passed had the least appearance of violence, or have been since complained of. They were all just, salutary, and constitutional. Though they preserved the rights of the people, they did not interfere with the interest of the crown. The parliament had hitherto A.D. 1641. proceeded with zeal for the constitution, without derogating from the honour of the king, or offering him any personal indignity.

That marvellous calm, which, Lord Clarendon says, ensued, both within doors and without, after passing these laws, might have been perpetual, and would in all probability have continued, if the king's subsequent conduct had not again raised the storm. He had declared to his parliament The king's up journey that he would take a journey into Scotland. The into Scotnecessity of this did not appear; and any step so extraordinary, which was not necessary, at so critical a time, must consequently breed suspicions. The parliament could not be free from these: and accordingly, in an address, they desired him to lay aside his design of going; but without effect.

VOL. I.

K

land.

A.D. 1641. They therefore sent a committee of both houses, Lord Howard for the lords, Mr. Hampden and Sir Philip Stapleton for the commons, to attend him in his journey. 30 Whilst he was in Scotland, he made it his study to gain over those who had been most active against him; and particularly Lesley, general of the Scotch army, whom he at that time made an earl. He was so liberal of his favours, that, as Lord Clarendon says, " he seemed to have made his progress into Scotland only that he might make a perfect deed of gift of that kingdom." The way to obtain any favours from him was open; for the same author says, "that many of that nation were whispering in his ear, and assuring him, that, as soon as the troubles of the late storm could be perfectly calmed, they would reverse and repeal whatsoever was now unreasonábly extorted from him." Of these insinuations the committee could not be ignorant: the king's receiving and encouraging such insinuations, and

30 Besides the members mentioned in the text, this committee included the Earl of Bedford, Sir William Armyne, and Mr. Fiennes. For the appointment of this committee, and for other precautions, the houses sat on Sunday; but they cautiously apologized to their constituents for this irregularity, which they excused by stating that they were engaged upon a work of necessity.

making them the steps to his favour, afforded an A.D.1641. indirect declaration of his intentions. The parliament, knowing this, must know that they could not be secure without proceeding farther; and that the people could not depend on the enjoyment of those laws they had obtained, without depriving the king of the power to break them again. They saw that his assent to them was but a temporary compliance, which, indeed, was consonant to the whole tenor of his former conduct.

The king, before his journey into Scotland, had countenanced a design of some officers to inflame the English army against the parliament; * a circumstance which had revived the distrust the public had of his sincerity. This unnecessary journey into Scotland, and extraordinary liberality to the Scotch general and others, increased this distrust; and the Irish rebellion, which broke out during his stay in Scotland, unhappily confirmed it. Above one hundred and fifty thousand protestants, according to the general accounts, were Irish masmassacred by the Irish papists, 31 with all the cir

* Rapin.

31 Clarendon says, forty or fifty thousand, and the number was, doubtless, very much less. Mr. O'Driscol's patriotism is too conspicuous in this part of his history.

sacre.