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out of some of his principles, but could not prevail, and therefore at his interment, after a reflecting speech upon his character, threw his book, entitled The Religion of Protestants a safe Way to Salvation, into the grave, saying, "Get thee gone thou cursed book, which has seduced 'so many precious souls; earth to earth, dust to dust; get thee into the place of rottenness, that thou mayst rot with thy author, and see corruption." A most unchristian and uncharitable imprecation!

Among the considerable statesmen who died this year, may be justly reckoned John Hampden, Esq. of Buckinghamshire, a gentleman of good extraction, and one of the greatest patriots of his age, as appears by his standing trial with the king in the case of ship-money, which raised his reputation to a very great height throughout the kingdom. He was not a man of many words, but a very weighty speaker; his reputation for integrity universal, and his affections so publicly guided, that no corrupt or private ends could bias them. He was indeed a very wise man, of great parts and modesty, and possessed of the most absolute spirit of popularity (says lord Clarendon) I ever knew. He was one of the impeached members of the house of commons, and in the beginning of the war took the command of a regiment, and performed the duty of a colonel on all occasions punctually, being a man of great personal courage, not to be tired out by the most luborious, and of parts not to be imposed upon by the most subtle, but because he fought against the court, lord Clarendon says (if this be not an interpolation of the editors) that he had a head to contrive, a tongue to persuade, and a hand to execute any mischief. Which is very unaccount

or indifference, or infidelity; and in declaring them to be the prin"ciples of all irreligion, when their several schemes and systems are "likely to suffer from them." So the sentiments on toleration, char ity and free enquiry, as they were defended by Chillingworth and by Hoadley's friend, were condemned by Cheynel and Snape. Hoadley's works, v. ii. p. 622, folio, and Palmer's Non-Conformists' Memorial, ii. p. 466. ED.

Oldmixon's History of the Stuarts, p. 227.

Dr. Grey endeavors to establish the authenticity of this passage by a large quotation from the "Weekly Miscellany," by Richard Hooker. of the Temple, esq.-To Mr. Neal's account of Hampden it may be added, that he was born in the year 1594, and died the 24th of June

able in one whom his lordship had commended as a person not only of cheerfulness and affability, but of extraordinary sobriety and strictness of life. Mr. Hampden was certainly in all respects one of the grertest and best men of his age, and the parliament sustained an irreparable loss in his death, which happened June 24, about a week after his shoulder-bone had been broken by a musket ball, in a skirmish with prince Rupert's forces in Calgrave-field.

John Pym, Esq. member for Tavistock in all the parliaments of King Charles I. was a man of the greatest experience in parliamentary affairs of any man of his time. He was an admirable speaker, and by the gravity of his countenance and graceful behavior, could turn the house which way he pleased; he was a man of business and for moderate measures, according to lord Clarendon, till the king impeached him of high treason. In his private life he was eminent for true piety and exactness of manners; and though inclined to the puritan party, not averse to the hierarchy with some emendations. He was one of the laymembers of the assembly of divines, and at the head of all public business, the fatigue of which wore out his constitution, and put an end to his life, December 8, 1643, in the sixtieth year of his age. The news of no man's death was more welcome to the royalists than his, who spread a report, that he died of the morbus pediculosus ;† to confute 1643, leaving ten children behind him. The praliament, as a testimony of his service to the public, ordered the sum of 5000l. to be paid to his assignees out of the excise. Mr. Baxter has placed him with the saints in heaven, (Everlasting Rest, p. 82-3. ;) and lord Cobham with the worthies in his Elysium at Stow. Under his bust is this inscription: "JOHN HAMPDEN, "Who with great spirit, and consummate abilities, began an opposi"tion to an arbitrary court, in defence of the liberties of his country; "supported them in parliament, and died for them in the field."

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He argued the case of ship-money with the judges for twelve days together, in the exchequer chamber; and "had more reason to triumph," says Mr. Granger, "from his superiority in the argument, than the crown had for its victory in the cause. Biographical History of England, vol. ii. p. 212, 8vo. and Mrs. Macaulay's History, 8vo. vol iii. p. 432-3, note, in which work the character of this great man is fully delienated. Ed.

Dr. Grey has the candor to discredit this report; and says, from the funeral sermon for Mr. Pym by Mr. Marshall, that it was confuted by the testimony of near a thousand people who saw the corpse,

which aspersion, his body was exposed to public view for many days, and at last interred in the most honorable manner in Westminster-Abbey. A little before his death, he published his own vindication to the world, against the many slanders that went abroad concerning him, wherein "he declares himself a faithful son of the protestant relig'ion, and of the orthodox doctrine of the church of England. He confesses he had been for reforming abuses in 'the government of the church, when the bishops, instead ' of taking care of men's souls, were banishing their bodies into the most desolate places; bringing in new canons, 'arminian and pelagian errors, and such a number of rites and ceremonies, as the people were not able to bear.— When since that time they had, as much as in them lay, <fomented the civil differences between the king and his 'parliament, abetting and encouraging malignants with large supplies of men and money, and stirring up the people to tumults by their seditious sermons. For these reasons (says he) I gave my opinion for abolishing their 'functions, which, I conceive, may as well be done as the 'dissolution of monasteries, monks and friars, was, in King Henry the eighth's time. He concludes with declaring, that 'he was not the author of the present distractions; with ' acknowledging the king for his lawful sovereign, but 'thinks, when he was proscribed for a traitor, merely for 'the service of his country, no man can blame him for tak'ing care of his own safety, by flying for refuge to the protection of parliament, who were pleased to make his 'case their own."

and of eight physicians who were present at the opening of the body. Yet the doctor repeats, from Clarendon, the calumnies of those who accused him of raising considerable sums by dishonest practices, of corrupting witnesses, and selling his protection for bribes. Though he was exculpated before the tribunal of parliament, vindicated his conduct by his own pen, and left his private fortune at so low an ebb, that the parliament expended a considerable sum in the payment of his debts; an evidence sufficient to itself to confute his enemies. Mr. Pym was called, in early life, Phoebi delicia, lepos puelli. He was commonly called "King Pym;" and from his experience in the forms of parliament, his knowledge of the law and constitution, his powers of argument and elocution, and his known honesty and integrity, he enjoyed an unrivalled authority in the lower house. Mrs. Macaulay, vol. iv. p. 92, 93, and Granger's Biographical History, vol. ii. p. 111. Ed. VOL. III.

16

CHAP. III.

The Oxford parliament. Progress of the War. Visita tion of the University of Cambridge by the earl of Manchester. Committees for plundered, sequestered, and

scandalous Ministers.

THE campaign being ended without any prospect of peace, both parties endeavored to strengthen themselves by new and sovereign acts of power. The parliament expe., riencing the want of a great seal, for many purposes, gave orders that one should be made. They continued to list soldiers, to levy taxes, and to use every method to support their cause, which their policy suggested, and their necessity urged. On the other hand, the king raised contributions without form of law;|| ordered the removal of the courts of justice from Westminster; and that he might seem to act in a parliamentary way, summoned the members who had been expelled the houses, and all others willing to withdraw from the rebellious city of London, to meet him at Oxford,§ January 22, 1643 4, which was,

+ Rushworth, vol. v. p. 560.

"What was all this," says Dr. Grey, "but high treason ?" To confirm his opinion he refers to Dr. Wood's "Institute of the laws of England," and to the 25th of Edw. III. c. 2. as authorities to shew, that the acts of the parliament were acts of treason. As if laws formed to preserve the allegiance of the subject to a king acting constitutionally and fulfilling faithfully his part of the political contract, applied to extraordinary emergencies and to a sovereign who had violated the constitution. As if laws made to restrain individuals bound the majority of the representative body of the nation. See also Rapin, vol. ii. p. 494, folio. Ed.

"And pray," asks Dr. Grey, "what form of law had the rebels for raising contributions ?" That form of law, our readers will probably reply, and that spirit of the constitution, which invest the representatives of the people with the power and right of appointing the taxes. Ed.

§ The impolicy of this step is forcibly, though somewhat jocularly, represented by Mr. Selden: "The king calling his friends from the 'parliament," said this great man, "because he had use of them at

in effect, disannulling the act for continuing of the present parliament. In obedience to the proclamation, there appeared forty-nine peers, and one hundred forty-one of the house of commons, not reckoning those employed in his majesty's service, or absent with leave. Lord Clarendon says, the appearance of both houses with the king was superior in number, as well as quality, to those at Westminster; which must be a mistake; for though the majority of peers were on that side, Mr. Whitlocke* assures us, that upon a call of the house of commons, the very day the others were to meet at Oxford, there were present two hundred and eighty members, not reckoning one hundred more, who were engaged in their service in the several counties. This is a very considerable majority; though if there had been only forty, the king could not have prorogued or dissolved them, without their own consent. However, the Oxford members stiled themselves the parliament, lord Littleton being speaker for the peers, and serjeant Evers for the commons.† Their first step was to satisfy the world they desired peace, such a peace, to use the king's own words,§ "wherein God's true religion may be secured from the danger of popery, sectaries, and in'novations; the crown may possess those just prerogatives, 'which may enable me to govern my people according to 'law, and the subjects be confirmed in those rights which I have granted them in parliament, to which I shall be 'ready to add such new graces as I shall find may most 'conduce to their happiness." They laid an excise upon tobacco, wine, strong-waters, ale, cider, grocery and mercery wares, soap, salt, & butcher's meat, and subscribed considerable sums of money for support of the war; they declared the Scots then entering England with an army,

‹ Oxford is as if a man should have use of a little piece of wood and he runs down into the cellar, and takes the spiggot in the mean time all the beer runs about the house: when his friends are absent the 'king will be lost." Table-talk, on the word king. Ed.

+ Clarendon's Remains, p. 165. * Memoirs, p, 76. Rushworth, p. 567, 688. Rapin, p. 496, 502, fol. Oldmixon's Hist. of the Stuarts, p. 246.

SOn another occasion, in his speech to the inhabitants of Somersetshire, 13th July 1644. Ed.

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