trouble he might answer and withdraw: whereas the answer was only given upon compulsion, after a formal division had left no alternative. He says that the real secret of the hostility displayed to Palmer, and the reason why the angry men pressed with all their power that he might be expelled the House, was that they had borne him a long grudge for the civility he showed as one of the managers in the prosecution of the Earl of Strafford, in that he had not used the same reproachful language which the others had done: whereas the men most eager to protect Palmer were notoriously those who, like Culpeper, Falkland, and even Hyde himself, had shown least mercy or forbearance to Strafford. Finally, he says,'

that in the close of the day when the division was taken against Palmer, and on the rising of the House, an order was obtained, without much opposition, for the printing of the Remonstrance: whereas two days were occupied by the Palmer debate, and not even an attempt was made during either to smuggle in any order for the printing. When it was done, it was done openly, but the time for it was even yet not come.

Saturday, the 27th of November, was the day named for reception of the report of the Committee appointed to draw the Petition to the King; designed, in accordance with Pym's suggestion, to accompany the Remonstrance. It was ushered in by threatening omens. Charles was

"that he should be committed to "the Tower; the angry men press"ing with all their power, that he "might be expelled the house : "having borne him a long grudge, "for the civility he showed in "the prosecution of the Earl of "Strafford; that is, that he had not "used the same reproachful language "which the others had done . . . And "in the close of that day, and the "rising of the House, without much "opposition, they obtained an order "for the printing their Remonstrance." -Hist. ii. 48-9.

now arrived from Scotland; had been received with magnificent entertainment in the city, on the previous Thursday; had returned afterwards to Whitehall in such elation and excitement as rarely was witnessed in him; between that evening and the following day, when he proceeded to Hampton Court, had given Nicholas the seals which were held by Windebank, had deprived old Vane of his secretaryship and treasurer's staff, had seen privately Culpeper, Falkland, and "Ned Hyde," had directed a proclamation to be issued for more implicit obedience to the laws established for the exercise of religion, and had given order for the immediate dismissal of those trainbands employed upon guard at the two houses, which, as we have seen, upon the receipt of Hampden's dispatch out of Scotland announcing the plots against the leaders of the covenant, had been ordered up for their protection, and since had guarded them by night and day.' He had also taken the resolution, though the act was deferred for yet a few days, to remove Col. Balfour from the command of the Tower and to appoint Col. Lunsford in his place. The temper of the House at such report as had reached them of these incidents was not slow in revealing itself.

Prayers had just been said when Hampden rose in his place; made a statement as to a Buckinghamshire papist, one Adam Courtney, suspected of connivance in the plot now proved against the King's officers to bring

1 The order had been given by the King on Thursday evening. Early on Friday morning Pym reported to the House that, whereas, heretofore, a guard had been set, at the desire of the Commons, in respect of the multitude of soldiers, and other loose persons, infesting the precincts of Westminster, and was afterwards continued by both Houses, and the Lord Chamberlain [Essex], who had a commission to be Lord General on this side Trent, took a care concerning the same; but now, upon his Majesty's

up the Army to overawe the Parliament; and, producing the minute pieces and fragments of certain letters which Courtney had torn up on his arrest, desired that they should be deciphered by the army committee then sitting, by whom also the delinquent could be brought up from Aylesbury gaol and examined. After him rose Mr. Oliver Cromwell to call attention to a gross slander against the House of which he held the proofs in his hand, and by which it seemed that " one whom he "named not lest he should withdraw himself" had given out that the principal members had been alarmed on seeing the intended City entertainment to his Majesty announced, and had sent privately to the said City to induce them not to entertain him. After Cromwell, Strode presented himself, to move that some course might be taken for putting the kingdom in a posture of defence, in which he was seconded by Sir Thomas Barrington and Sir Walter Earle; and upon the suggestion of the same active member, a committee of seven was named to draw up the whole proof of the first design to bring up the Army to overawe the House, and to prepare for introduction at the next sitting a bill for the "future commanding of the Arms and the Trained "Bands of the kingdom." The member for Beeralston also moved that reasons should at once be presented to his Majesty for the continuance of the Guard over both houses,' and that these should be drawn by the same

1 This was on Saturday; and on the morning of the following Tuesday, the 30th of November, Pym presented those reasons in a remarkable report which shows how thoroughly existing dangers were appreciated, and how much was already suspected of the King's most cherished design. adverted to the great number of disorderly, suspicious, and desperate persons, especially of the Irish nation, lurking in obscure alleys and victualling houses in the suburbs and other places near London

It

and Westminster. It described the jealousy conceived upon discovery of the design in Scotland, for the surprising of the persons of divers of the nobility, members of the parliament there, which had been spoken of here, some few days before it broke out, not without some whispering intimation that the like was intended against divers persons of both houses: which had found the more credit, by reason of the former attempt of bringing up the army, to disturb and enforce this parliament. It en

committee to whom it had been referred to prepare the Petition to accompany the Remonstrance. After this the House went into committee on the Tonnage and Poundage bill, with Mr. Lisle, the member for Winchester (he who afterwards sat on the King's trial), in the clerk's chair; and on the Speaker's resumption of his seat, between one and two o'clock mid-day, Pym entered with the Petition just named in his hand. He craved permission at once to be permitted to read it; and having done this, it was handed over to the Clerk, who "loudly and "deliberately" read it over again.

It was to the effect that his Majesty's faithful Commons did with much thankfulness and joy acknowledge the great mercy and favour of God, in giving his Majesty a safe and peaceable return out of Scotland into his kingdom of England, where the pressing dangers and distempers of the State had caused them, with much earnestness, to desire the comfort of his gracious presence, to help the endeavours of his parliament for the averting of that ruin and disaster with which his kingdoms at this

larged upon the conspiracy in Ireland, and indicated the alarming evidence existing that something of the like was designed in England and Scotland. It hinted at divers advertisements coming at the same time from beyond sea, "that there should be a great "alteration of religion in England in

a few days, and that the necks of "both the parliaments should be "broken." It instanced the recent divers examinations and dangerous speeches of the popish and discontented party; and the secret meetings and consultations of the papists in several shires and districts. And its authors concluded that for these considerations a guard was necessary; for they did conceive there was just cause to apprehend that there was some wicked and mischievous practice still in hand to interrupt the peaceable proceedings of the parliament. less necessary did they consider it that the Earl of Essex should be continued

Nor

in the command. "For preventing "whereof it is fit the guard should be "continued under the same command,

or such other as they should choose; "but, to have it under the command "of any other, not chosen by them

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'selves, they can by no means con"sent to; and will rather run any "hazard, than admit of a precedent so dangerous both to this and future "parliaments. And they humbly "leave it to his Majesty to consider "whether it will not be fit to suffer "his high court of parliament to "enjoy that privilege of providing for "their own safety, which was never "denied other inferior courts and "that he will be pleased graciously to believe, that they cannot think "themselves safe under any guard, "of which they shall not be assured "that it will be as faithful in defend"ing his Majesty's safety as their 'own; whereof they shall always be more careful than of their own."

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time were threatened. For, having convinced themselves of the existence of a malignant party who had access to his person and councils, and whose unceasing endeavours were to discredit his parliament and to create a faction among his people, they had, for the prevention thereof, and the better information in sundry important particulars of his Majesty, the Peers, and all other his subjects, been necessitated to make a Declaration of the state of the kingdom as well before as after the meeting of the parliament now assembled. Before submitting which, they desired frankly to point out with what danger to the country, and grievous affliction to all loyal dwellers therein, the practice was attended of placing in employments of trust and nearness about his Majesty, the Prince, and the rest of his Royal children, active members of the malignant party before mentioned, favourers in all respects of popery, and mere engineers or factors for Rome; since it was by such, to the sore discontent of his loyal subjects, that divers of his bishops, and others in prime places of the Church, had been corrupted. They justified their right to give this warning, by the distractions and suffering so caused; by the continual tamperings with the army in England; by the miserable incidents and jealousies in Scotland; by the papist insurrection, and most bloody massacre, in Ireland; and by the great necessities which had in consequence arisen for the King's service, imposing upon themselves the task of burdening the subject for contributions to the extent of a million and a half sterling.' Not distantly

1 Since the preceding sheets of this Essay went to press, some extracts from the MS. correspondence of the Moundefords of Norfolk (contributed to the Norfolk and Norwich Archæological Society), have been sent to me, from which I select one or two out of the many passages they contain, which may be added to the traits and characteristics of this lawless time, with which in former notes I have explained

and illustrated the allusions in the Grand Remonstrance. From London, the 14th April, 1628, Sir Edmund Moundeford, member for Thetford in the third Parliament then sitting, and who sat for Norfolk in the Long Parliament, writes: "We went "this afternoon with our Speaker to "the King to deliver him a petition "for the billeted souldiers, what 66 answer we shall have is not known.