freehold or liberties or his free customs, or be outlawed or exiled or in any manner destroyed, but by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.

of the

Petition

They do therefore humbly pray your most excellent Majesty, The six points that no man hereafter be compelled to make or yield any gift, benevolence, tax, or such like charge, without common consent by act of parliament; and that none be called to make answer or to take such oath or to give attendance or to be confined or otherwise molested or disquieted concerning the same, or for refusal thereof; and that no freeman, in any such manner as is before mentioned, be imprisoned or detained; and that your Majesty will be pleased to remove the said soldiers and mariners, and that your people may not be so burdened in time to come; and that the foresaid commissions for proceeding by martial law may be revoked and annulled; and that hereafter no commissions of like nature may issue forth to any person or persons whatsoever, to be executed as aforesaid, lest by colour of them any of your Majesty's subjects be destroyed or put to death, contrary to the laws and franchises of the land.

accordance

All which they most humbly pray of your most excellent Royal officers Majesty, as their rights and liberties and according to the laws to act in and statutes of this realm; and that your Majesty should also with the law vouchsafe to declare that the awards, doings, and proceedings to the prejudice of your people, in any of the premises, shall not be drawn hereafter into consequence or example; and that your Majesty should be also graciously pleased, for the further comfort and surety of your people, to declare your royal will and pleasure that in the things aforesaid all your officers and ministers shall serve you according to the laws and statutes of the realm, as they tender the honour of your Majesty and the prosperity of this kingdom.

Political and religious disputes were closely interwoven, and the latter were frequently brought in to embitter the relations between Anglican king and Puritan parliament, as the following speech by a member of the House of Commons, named John Rous, indicates.

275. Extract

Mr. Speaker, we have of late entered into consideration of from a speech the Petition of Rights and the violation of it, and upon good in parliament (1629) reason, for it concerns our goods, liberties, and laws; but there is a right of higher nature, that preserves for us far greater things, eternal life, our souls, yea our God himself; a religion derived to us from the King of kings, confirmed upon us by the kings of this kingdom, enacted by laws in this place, streaming down to us in the blood of martyrs, witnessed from heaven by miracles, even miraculous deliverances, and this right in the name of this nation I this day require and claim that there may be a deep and serious consideration of the violation of it.

276. A scene

These differences of opinion on political and religious matters resulted in the scene in parliament described in the following contemporary though anonymous account; an occurrence which was followed by the suspension of all meetings of parliament for eleven years.

Upon Monday the second of March, as soone as praiers in parliament were ended, the Speaker went into the chaire, and delivered (March 2, the Kinges command for the adjornement of the Howse untill Tewsday sevenight following, being the tenth of March.

1629)

Sir John Finch, speaker of the House

Lord Weston, lord treasurer

The Howse made him answere, that it was not the office of a Speaker to deliver any such command unto them, but for the adjornement of the Howse it did properly belong unto themselves, and after they had uttered some thinges they thought fitt to be spoken of, they would sattisfie the King.

The Speaker tould them, he had an expresse command from his Majestie that as soone as he had delivered his message he should rise, and upon that left the chaire, but was by force drawne to it againe by Mr. Densill Holles sonn to the Earle of Clare, Mr. Valentine, and others; and Mr. Hollis, notwithstanding the endeavour of Sir Thomas Edmonds, Sir Humfrey May, and other privie Councellers to free the Speaker from the chaire, swore, 'God's wounds!" he should sitt still until they pleased to rise.

66

Here Sir John Elliott begann in a rhetoricall oration to enveigh against the Lord Treasorer and the Bishop of Winchester, saying he could prove the Lord Treasorer to be a great

instrument in the innovation of Religion, and invation of the liberties of the howse; and offered a remonstrance to the howse, wherein he said he could prove him to be the great enimie of the Commonwealth, saying, "This is the Lord Treasorer, in whose person is contracted all the evill: I find him acting and building on those grounds laid by his master the late duke of Buckingham, and his spiritt is moving for these interruptions: and from this feare they breake Parliaments lest Parliaments should breake them. I find him the head of all that great party, the Papists; and all Jesuits and Preists derive from him their shelter and protection. In this great question of Tonnage and Poundage, instruments moved att his command and pleasure, he dismaies our merchants, and he invites strangers to come in to drive our trade, and to serve their owne ends."

to disobey the king

The Remonstrance which he offered was put to a question, Refusal of but the Speaker refused to doe it, and said he was otherwise the speaker commaunded from the King; whereupon Mr. Selden spake "You say, Mr. Speaker, you dare not put the question which wee commaund you; if you will not put it, we must sitt still, and thus wee shall never be able to doe anie thing; they which maie come after you maie saie they have the Kinges commandment not to doe it. We sitt here, by commaundement of the Kinge, under the great Seale; and for you, you are by his Majestie (sitting in his Royall chaire before both Howses) appointed our Speaker, and nowe you refuse to be our Speaker." The Speaker made an humble supplicatory speach unto the Howse with extremitie of weeping, shewing what commaund he had received from his Majesty, and withall desiring them not to command his ruine; yet, notwithstanding the Speaker's extremetie of weeping and supplicatory oration, Sir Peter Hayman (a gentleman of his own county) bitterly enveighed against him, and tould him, he was sorrie he was a Kentish man, and that he was a disgrace to his country, and a blott to a noble familie; and that all the inconveniences that should follow and their distraccion should be derived to posteritie as the yssue of his basenes, with whome he should be remembred with scorne and disdaine. And that he, for

Anger of the king

277. The

tions of

his part (since he would not be perswaded to doe his dutie) thought it fitting he should be called to the barr, and a newe Speaker chosen in the mean time, since neither advise nor threatninges would prevaile. Mr. Strowd spake much to the same effect, and tould the Speaker that he was the instrument to cutt of the libertie of the subject by the roote, and that if he would not be perswaded to put the same to question, they must all retorne as scattered sheepe, and a score put upon them as it was last session.

The King, hearing that the Howse continued to sitt (notwithstanding his command for the adjournement thereof) sent a messinger for the Serjant with his mase, which being taken from the table there cann be noe further proceeding; but the key of the dore was taken from the Serjant and delivered to Sir Miles Hubert to keepe, who, after he had receaved the same, put the serjant out of the Howse, leaving his mase behind him, and then locked the dore. After this, the King sent Mr. Maxell (the usher of the black rodd) for the dissolucion of the Parliament; but being informed that neither he nor his message would be receaved by the Howse, the King grewe into much rage and passion, and sent for the Captaine of the Pentioners and Guard to force the dore; but the rising of the Howse prevented the danger and ill consequence that might have followed.

The following are the three resolutions finally adopted at the violent session just described.

1. Whosoever shall bring in innovation of religion, or by three resolu- favour or countenance seem to extend or introduce Popery or March, 1629 Arminianism or other opinion disagreeing from the true and orthodox church, shall be reputed a capital enemy to this kingdom and commonwealth.

2. Whosoever shall counsel or advise the taking and levying of the subsidies of tonnage and poundage, not being granted by parliament, or shall be an actor or instrument therein, shall be likewise reputed an innovator in the government and a capital enemy to the kingdom and commonwealth.

3. If any merchant or person whatsoever shall voluntarily yield or pay the said subsidies of tonnage and poundage, not being granted by parliament, he shall likewise be reputed a betrayer of the liberties of England and an enemy to the same.

VII. THE PERIOD OF PERSONAL GOVERNMENT OF CHARLES I

The many prosecutions before Star Chamber and the Court of High Commission that took place during the next eleven years, from 1629 to 1640, while government was being carried on by the king and his ministers without any meeting of parliament, may be represented by the following extracts from the trial of William Prynne, a prominent lawyer.

Star Cham

ment

The 7th of February Mr. William Prynn, utter barrester of 278. Trial of Lincolns-Inn, was brought to the Star-Chamber, together with Prynne in Michael Sparkes, William Buckner, and four other defendants, ber (1634) upon attorney Noyes' information, which, being opened by Mr. Hudson of Grayes-Inn, did set forth, that about 8 Car. Reg., Mr. Prynn compiled and put in print a libelous volume, entitled by the name of Histriomastix, against plays, masques, dancings, etc. And although he knew well that his Majestie's The indictroyal Queen, Lords of the Council, etc., were in their publick festivals and other times present spectators of some masques and dances and many recreations that were tolerable and in themselves sinless, and so published to be by a book printed in the time of his Majestie's royal father; yet Mr. Prynn in his book hath railed, not only against Stage plays, comedies, dancings, and all other exercises of the people, and against all such as behold them; but farther in particular against hunting, publique festivals, Christmas keeping, bonfires, and maypoles; nay, against the dressing up of a house with green ivy.

...

Prynne's counsel made the following answer:

That he the said Mr. Prynn, taking into his serious consideration the frequent resort of sundry sorts of people to