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former laws, and what benefit or detriment, in profit or jurisdiction, will accrue thereby to the crown: and then, upon a full and free debate by his counsellors, the king resolves, and accordingly doth mark the bills that are to be enacted into laws, and respites the other that he thinks not fit to consent to. And methinks as this hath been the known practice, so the reason is very visible; that the royal assent being a distinct and essential part towards the making a law, there should be as much care taken to inform the understanding and conscience of the king upon those occasions, as theirs, who prepare the same for his royal stamp.

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That it might appear that what was done within the houses was agreeable to those who were without, and that the same spirit reigned in parliament and people, all possible license was exercised in preaching, and printing any old scandalous pamphlets, and adding new to them against the church: petitions presented by many parishioners against their pastors, with articles of their misdemeanours and behaviours; most whereof consisted, "in their bowing at the name of Jesus, and obliging the communicants to come up to the altar," (as they enviously called it,) that is, to the rails which enclosed the communion-table, " to receive the sacra"ment." All which petitions were read with great delight, and presently referred to the committee for religion; where Mr. White, a grave lawyer, but notoriously disaffected to the church, sat in the chair; and then both petition and articles were suffered to be printed and published, (a license never practised before,) that the people might be inflamed against the clergy; who were quickly taught to call all those against whom such petitions and articles were exhibited (which were frequently done by a few of the rabble, and meanest of the people, against the sense and judgment of the parish) the scandalous clergy; which appellation was frequently applied to men of great gravity and learning, and the most unblemished lives.

There cannot be a better instance of the unruly and mutinous spirit of the city of London, which was the sink of all the ill humour of the kingdom, than the triumphant_entry which some persons at that time made into London, who had been before seen upon pillories, and stigmatized as libellous and infamous offenders: of which classis of men scarce any age can afford the like.

tween the schools and the camp, (for he had been in, or passed through armies,) and had gotten a doctorship, and Latin; with which, in a very flowing style, with some wit and much malice, he inveighed against the prelates of the church in a book which he printed in Holland, and industriously dispersed in London, and throughout the kingdom; having presumed (as their modesty is always equal to their obedience) to dedicate it to the sacred majesty of the king.

The third had formerly a kind of relation by service to the king; having, before he took orders, waited as closet-keeper, and so attended at canonical hours, with the books of devotion, upon his majesty when he was prince of Wales; and, a little before the death of king James, took orders: and so his highness coming shortly to be king, the vapours of ambition fuming into his head that he was still to keep his place, he would not think of less than being clerk of the closet to the new king, which place his majesty conferred upon, or rather continued in, the bishop of Durham, doctor Neyl, who had long served king James there. Mr. Burton thus disappointed, and, as he called it, despoiled of his rights, would not, in the greatness of his heart, sit down by the affront; but committed two or three such weak, saucy indiscretions, as caused an inhibition to be sent him, "that he should not pre

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sume to come any more to court:" and from that time [he] resolved to revenge himself of the bishop of Durham, upon the whole order; and so turned lecturer, and preached against them; being endued with malice and boldness, instead of learning and any tolerable parts.

These three persons having been, for several follies and libelling humours, first gently reprehended, and after, for their incorrigibleness, more severely censured and imprisoned, found some means in prison of correspondence, which was not before known to be between them; and to combine themselves in a more pestilent and seditious libel than they had ever before vented: in which the honour of the king, queen, counsellors, and bishops, was with equal license blasted and traduced; which was faithfully dispersed by their proselytes in the city. The authors were quickly and easily known, and had indeed too much ingenuity to deny it; and were thereupon brought together to the starchamber-bar ore tenus; where they behaved themselves with marvellous insolence; with full confi

There had been three persons of several profes-dence demanding, "that the bishops who sat in the sions some years before censured in [the] starchamber; William Pryn, a barrister of Lincoln's Inn; John Bastwick, a doctor of physic; and Henry Burton, a minister and lecturer in London. The first, not unlearned in the profession of the law, as far as learning is acquired by the mere reading of books; but being a person of great industry, had spent more time in reading divinity; and, which marred that divinity, in the conversation of factious and hotheaded divines: and so, by a mixture of all three, with the rudeness and arrogance of his own nature, had contracted a proud and venomous dislike against the discipline of the church of England; and so by degrees (as the progress is very natural) an equal irreverence to the government of the state too; both which he vented in several absurd, petulant, and supercilious discourses in print.

"court" (being only the archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishop of London) "might not be present, "because they were their enemies, and so parties :' which, how scandalous and ridiculous soever it seemed then there, was good logic and good law two years after in Scotland, and served to banish the bishops of that kingdom both from the counciltable and the assembly. Upon a very patient and solemn hearing, in as full a court as I ever saw, without any difference in opinion or dissenting voice, they were all three censured as scandalous, seditious, and infamous persons, "to lose their ears "in the pillory, and to be imprisoned in several

The second, a half-witted, crack-brained fellow, unknown to either university, or the college of physicians; but one that had spent his time abroad, be

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gaols during the king's pleasure:" all which was executed with rigour and severity enough. But yet their itch of libelling still brake out; and their friends of the city found a line of communication. Hereupon the wisdom of the state thought fit, that those infectious sores should breathe out their corruption in some air more remote from that catching

city, and less liable to the contagion: and so, by an order of the lords of the council, Mr. Pryn was sent to a castle in the island of Jersey; Dr. Bastwick to Scilly; and Mr. Burton to Guernsey where they remained unconsidered, and truly I think unpitied, (for they were men of no virtue or merit,) for the space of two years, till the beginning of this present parliament.

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Shortly upon that, petitions were presented by their wives or friends, to the house of commons, expressing "their heavy censures and long sufferings;" and desiring, by way of appeal, "that the justice and rigour of that sentence might be "reviewed and considered; and that their persons might be brought from those remote and desolate places to London, that so they might be able to "solicit or attend their own business." The sending for them out of prison (which was the main) took up much consideration for though very many who had no kindness, had yet compassion towards them; as thinking they had suffered enough; and that, though they were scurvy fellows, they had been scurvily used: and others had not only affection to their persons, as having suffered for a common cause; but were concerned to revive and improve their useful faculties of libelling and reviling authority; and to make those ebullitions not thought noisome to the state: yet a sentence of a supreme court, the star-chamber, (of which they had not yet spoke with irreverence,) was not lightly to be blown off: but, when they were informed, and had considered, that by that sentence the petitioners were condemned to some prisons in London; and were afterward removed thence by an order of the lords of the council; they looked upon that order as a violation of the sentence; and so made no scruple to order "that the prisoners should be removed from those foreign prisons, to the places to which they were regularly first committed.' And to that purpose warrants were, signed by the speaker, to the governors and captains of the several castles, "to bring them in safe custody to London :" which were sent with all possible expedition.

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Pryn and Burton being neighbours (though in distinct islands) landed at the same time at Southampton; where they were received and entertained with extraordinary demonstrations of affection and esteem; attended by a marvellous conflux of company; and their charges not only borne with great magnificence, but liberal presents given to them. And this method and ceremony kept them company all their journey, great herds of people meeting them at their entrance into all towns, and waiting upon them out with wonderful acclamations of joy. When they came near London, multitudes of people of several conditions, some on horseback, others on foot, met them some miles from the town; very many having been a day's journey; so they were brought, about two of the clock in the afternoon, in at Charing-cross, and carried into the city by above ten thousand persons, with boughs and flowers in their hands; the common people strewing flowers and herbs in the ways as they passed, making great noise, and expressions of joy for their deliverance and return; and in those acclamations mingling loud and virulent exclamations against the bishops, "who had so cruelly prosecuted such godly men." In the same manner, within five or six days after, and in like triumph, Dr. Bastwick returned from Scilly, landing at

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Dover; and from thence bringing the same testimonies of the affections and zeal of Kent, as the others had done from Hampshire and Surrey, was met before he came to Southwark by the good people of London, and so conducted to his lodging likewise in the city.

I should not have wasted this much time and paper in a discourse of this nature, but that it is and was then evident, that this insurrection (for it was no better) and phrensy of the people was an effect of great industry and policy, to try and publish the temper of the people; and to satisfy themselves in the activity and interest of their tribunes, to whom that province of shewing the people was committed. And from this time, the license of preaching and printing increased to that degree, that all pulpits were freely delivered to the schismatical and silenced preachers, who till then had lurked in corners, or lived in New England; and the presses at liberty for the publishing the most invective, seditious, and scurrilous pamphlets, that their wit and malice could invent. Whilst the ministers of the state, and judges of the law, like men in an ecstasy, surprised and amazed with several apparitions, had no speech or motion; as if, having committed such an excess of jurisdiction, (as men upon great surfeits are enjoined for a time to eat nothing,) they had been prescribed to exercise no jurisdiction at all. Whereas, without doubt, if either the privy-council, or the judges and the king's learned council, had assumed the courage to have questioned the preaching, or the printing, or the seditious riots upon the triumph of these three scandalous men, before the uninterruption and security had confirmed the people in all three, it had been no hard matter to have destroyed those seeds, and pulled up those plants, which, [being] neglected, grew up and prospered to a full harvest of rebellion and treason. But this was yet but a rudeness and rankness abroad, without any visible countenance or approbation from the parliament : all was chaste within those walls.

The first malignity that was apparent there (for the accusation of the archbishop and the earl of Strafford were looked upon as acts of passion, directed against particular persons, who were thought to have deserved some extraordinary measure and proceeding) was against the church: not only in their committee for religion; which had been assumed ever since the latter times of king James, but no such thing had been before heard of in parliament; where, under pretence of receiving petitions against clergymen, they often debated points beyond the verge of their understanding: but, by their cheerful reception of a declaration of many sheets of paper against the whole government of the church; presented by ten or a dozen ministers, at the bar; and pretended to be signed by seven hundred ministers of London and the counties adjacent and a petition, presented by alderman Pennington, and alleged to be subscribed by twenty thousand men, inhabitants within the city of London; who required, in plain terms, "the total extirpation of episcopacy.' But the house was then so far from being possessed with that spirit, that the utmost that could be obtained, upon a long debate upon that petition, was, "that it should "not be rejected;" against which the number of the petitioners was urged as a powerful argument; only it was suffered to remain in the hands of the clerk of the house, with direction, "that no copy

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"of it should be given." And for the ministers' declaration, one part only of it was insisted on by them, and read in the house; which concerned the exercise of their jurisdiction, and the excess of their ecclesiastical courts: the other parts were declined by many of them, and especially ordered "to be sealed up by the clerk, that it might be perused by no man.' So that all that envy and animosity against the church seemed to be resolved into a desire, "that a bill might be framed to remove the bishops from their votes in the lords' house, and from any office in secular affairs;" which was the utmost men pretended to wish: and to such a purpose a bill was shortly after prepared, and brought into the house; of which more shall be said in its proper place.

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It was a strange uningenuity and mountebankry, that was practised in the procuring those petitions; which continued ever after in the like addresses. The course was, first, to prepare a petition very modest and dutiful, for the form; and for the matter, not very unreasonable; and to communicate it at some public meeting, where care was taken it should be received with approbation: the subscription of very few hands filled the paper itself, where the petition was written, and therefore many more sheets were annexed, for the reception of the number, which gave all the credit, and procured all the countenance, to the undertaking. When a multitude of hands was procured, the petition itself was cut off, and a new one framed, suitable to the design in hand, and annexed to the long list of names which were subscribed to the former. And by this means, many men found their hands subscribed to petitions, of which they before had never heard. As several ministers, whose hands were to the petition and declaration of the London ministers before mentioned, have professed to many persons, "that they never saw "that petition or declaration before it was pre"sented to the house; but had signed another, "the substance of which was, not to be compelled "to take the oath enjoined by the new canons: "and when they found, instead of that, their names set to a desire of an alteration of the government of the church, they with much "trouble went to Mr. Marshall, with whom they "had intrusted their petition and their hands; "who gave them no other answer, but that it was thought fit by those who understood business "better than they, that the latter petition should "rather be preferred than the former." And when he found, they intended by some public act to vindicate themselves from that calumny; such persons, upon whom they had their greatest dependence, were engaged, by threats and promises, to prevail with them to sit still, and to pass by that indirect proceeding.

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For the better facilitating and making way for these virulent attempts upon the church, petitions and complaints are [were] exhibited against the exorbitant acts of some bishops; especially against the bishops of Bath and Wells, and Ely; who "had with great pride and insolence provoked all "the gentry, and in truth most of the inhabitants "within their dioceses." "" And the new canons were insisted on, as a most palpable invasion by "the whole body of the clergy, upon the laws and liberty of the people."

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I told you before, that after the dissolution of the former short parliament, the convocation

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house was continued by special warrant from the king; and by his majesty, in a solemn message sent to them by sir Harry Vane, then principal secretary, "required to proceed in the making of canons, for the better peace and quiet of the "church." Notwithstanding this command, the chief of the clergy, well knowing the spirit of bitterness that was contracted against them; and many obsolete pamphlets against their jurisdiction and power being, since the commotions in Scotland, revived and published with more freedom; desired his majesty, "that the opinions of the judges might be known and declared, whether they might then lawfully sit, the parliament being dissolved, and proceed in the making of canons; as likewise, upon other particulars in "their jurisdiction, which had been most in"veighed against?"

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All the judges of England, upon a mature debate, in the presence of the king's council, under their hands asserted, "their power of making canons, " and those other parts of jurisdiction, which had "been so enviously questioned." Hereupon they proceeded; and having composed a body of canons, presented the same to his majesty, for his royal approbation. They were then again debated at the council-board, not without notable opposition; for upon some lessening the power and authority of the chancellors, and their commissaries, by those canons, the professors of that law took themselves to be disobliged; and sir Henry Martin, (who could not oversee any advantages,) upon several days of hearing at the council-table, with his utmost skill objected against them: but in the end, by the entire and unanimous advice of the privy-council, the canons were confirmed by the king, under the great seal of England, and thereby legally enjoined to be observed. So that whatever they were, the judges were at least as guilty of the first presumption in framing them, and the lords of the council in publishing and executing them, as the bishops, or the rest of the clergy, in either.

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Yet the storm fell wholly on the church and the matter of those canons, and the manner of making them, was insisted on, as a pregnant testimony of a malignant spirit in the very function of the bishops. The truth is, the season in which that synod continued to sit (as was observed before) was in so ill a conjuncture of time, (upon the dissolution of a parliament, and almost in an invasion from Scotland,) that nothing could have been transacted there, of a popular and prevailing influence. Then, some sharp canons against sectaries, and some additionals in point of ceremonies, countenancing, though not enjoining, what had not been long practised, infinitely inflamed some, and troubled others; who jointly took advantage of what strictly was amiss; as the making an oath, the matter of which was conceived incongruous; and enjoining it to many of the laity, as well as the clergy; and the granting of subsidies.

So that the house of commons (that is, the major part) made no scruple, in that fury, to declare, "that the convocation-house had no power at all "of making canons :" notwithstanding that it was apparent by the law, and the uncontradicted practice of the church, that canons had never been otherwise made: "and that those canons con"tained in them matter of sedition and reproach "to the regal power; prejudicial to the liberty and property of the subject, and to the privileges of

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"parliament." By the extent of which notable" into blood, by the determination of the cessation, vote and declaration, they had involved almost the whole clergy under an arbitrary guilt; as much as they had done the nobility and gentry before, under their votes of lords lieutenants, deputy lieutenants, privy-counsellors, and sheriffs; and of which they made the same use; as shall be remembered in its proper place.

"which want of pay would inevitably produce; "the several members of the house would lend " money, according to their several abilities; or "that such as had no money would become bound "for it; and upon these terms enough could be "borrowed." And this was no sooner proposed, but consented to by all the eminent leaders; and by many others, in order to make themselves the more acceptable to those; and some did it for their own convenience, there being little hazard of their money, and full interest to be received, and believing it would facilitate the disbanding of the armies; upon which all sober men's hearts were directed.

The two armies were necessarily to be provided for, lest the countries where their quarters were should come to be oppressed by free quarter; which would not only raise a very inconvenient noise, but introduce a necessity of disbanding the armies, which they were in no degree ready for: and money not being to be raised soon enough in the formal way, by act of parliament, which would And now, to support their stock of credit, it was require some time in the passage; besides, that time to raise money upon the people by act of parthe manner and way of raising it had not been liament; which they had an excuse for not doing enough considered; and the collecting it would in the usual way, "and giving it immediately to require much time, even after an act of parliament" the king, to be paid into the exchequer; because should be passed; therefore for the present supply "the public faith was so deeply engaged to the they thought fit to make use of their credit with city for a great debt; and so many particular the city; to whom a formal embassy of lords and "members in the loan of monies, and in being commons was sent; which were carefully chosen "bound for the payment of great sums, for which of such persons as carried the business of the house" their estates were liable: and therefore it was before them, that the performing the service might be as well imputed to their particular reputation and interest, as to the affection of the city and these men in their orations to the citizens under

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"but reason, that for their indemnity the money "that was to be raised should be paid into the "hands of particular members of the house, named by them; who should take care to discharge all took "that their money should be repaid with" public engagements." And the first bill they "interest by the care of the parliament." And this was the first introduction of the public faith; which grew afterwards to be applied to all mon

strous purposes.

And this expedient succeeded twice or thrice for such sums as they thought fit to require; which were only enough to carry on their affairs, and keep them in motion; not proportionable to discharge the debt due to the armies, but to enable them to pay their quarters: it being fit to keep a considerable debt still owing, lest they should appear too ready to be disbanded.

passed being but for two subsidies, which was not sufficient to discharge any considerable part of the money borrowed, they inserted in the bill the commissioners' names, who were to receive and dispose the money. And the king made no pause in the passing it; himself not considering the consequence of it, and none about him having the courage to present it to him.

But from that time, there was no bill passed for the raising of money, but it was disposed of in the same, or the like manner; that none of it could be applied to the king's use, or by his direction. Nor were they contented with this invasion of his prerogative, but took notice, "that, from the time of "his majesty's coming to the crown, he had taken "the customs and impositions upon merchandise

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And they had likewise another design in this commerce with the city; for always upon the loan of money they recommended some such thing to the parliament, as might advance the designs of the party; as the proceeding against delin- as his own right, without any act of parliament; quents;" or some reformation in the church:" "which no king had ever before done;" insinuatwhich the managers knew well what use to make ing withal, "that they meant to make a further of upon any emergency. When they had set this inquisition into those, who had been the chief traffick on foot in the city, and so brought their "ministers in that presumption." They said, friends there into more reputation and activity; at Nobody could imagine, but that they intended their election of common-council men, (which is Ito grant the same to his majesty, in the same every year before Christmas; and in which new manner, for his life, as had been done to his promen had rarely used to be chosen, except in case "genitors by former parliaments: but that they of death, but the old still continued,) all the grave "found such an act could not be presently made and substantial citizens were left out; and such ready; because the book of rates now in practice chosen as were most eminent for opposing the " (besides that it had not been made by lawful government, and most disaffected to the church," authority) contained many excesses, and must though of never so mean estates: which made a "be reformed in several particulars; in preparing present visible alteration in the temper of the city, "which, they would use all possible diligence, and (the common-council having so great a share in hoped to effect it in a short time: however, that the management of affairs there,) and even in the "the continuance of the collection in the manner government itself. "it was in, without any lawful title, and during the very sitting of the parliament, would be a precedent of a very evil consequence, and make "the right of giving it the more questioned; at "least the less valued. And therefore it would be

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Other ways were to be thought of for getting of money, which was, once at least every month, called for very importunately by the Scottish commissioners; which caused the same provision to be made for the English forces. The next expedient "fit, that either all the present collection be diswas, "That in so great an exigence, and for the "continued, and cease absolutely; which was in "public peace; that the armies might not enter "the power of the merchants themselves to do, by

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and comely presence, his other parts were over-
valued; his learning in the law being his master-
piece. And so he was chosen to be keeper, upon
the
opinion and recommendation of the two great
ministers under the cloud; who had before brought
him to be a privy-counsellor, whilst chief justice,
to the no little jealousy of the lord Finch.

Banks, the attorney general, was weary enough of the inquisition that was made into the king's grants, and glad to be promoted to the common pleas. And Herbert, the solicitor general, who had sat all this time in the house of commons, awed and terrified with their temper; applying himself to Mr. Hambden, and two or three of the other, without interposing or crossing them in any thing; longed infinitely to be out of that fire: and so the office of attorney general, which at any other time had been to be wished, was now most grateful, as it removed him from the other attend

refusing to pay any duties which there was no "law to compel them to: or, that a short act "should be presently passed, for the continuance "of the payments for a short time; against the expiration whereof, the act [for granting them] "for life, with the book of rates, would be prepared, and ready." There were many inconveniences discovered in the first, in discontinuing the collection and payment of duties, which "would not be so easily revived again, and reduced "into order: and that the last would, without prejudice to either, both vindicate the right of "the subject, and secure the king's profit:" and so they prepared (with all the expressions of duty and affection to the king that can be imagined) and presented a grant of those duties for some few months. In which there was a preamble, disapproving and condemning "all that had been "done in that particular, from his majesty's first coming to the crown, to that time; and assert-ance, there being an incapacity put upon that ing his whole right to depend upon the gift of place of sitting as a member in parliament: and "his subjects:" and concluded with "most severe so he was called by writ to attend the house of penalties to be inflicted upon those, who should peers, where he sits upon the woolsack at the back presume hereafter to collect or receive those of the judges. "duties otherwise than as they were, or should be, granted by act of parliament:" which was never before provided for, and the king likewise passed it; and so, besides other unseasonable concessions and determinations, put all the revenue he had to live upon, and to provide him meat, into their hands, and to take from him whenever they should think it convenient to their other designs of which he shortly after found the mischief. Though, as hath been observed, there was not yet one penny of money given to the king, or received by his ministers; yet, because subsidies were raised upon the people, according to the formality of parliaments; and as if all that great supply had been to the king's own coffers; it was thought necessary, that the people should be refreshed with some behoveful law, at the same time that they found themselves charged with the payment of so many subsidies. And under that consideration, together with that bill for subsidies, another was sent up to the lords, for a triennial parliament: both which quickly passed that house, and were transmitted to the king.

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In that for the triennial parliament (though the same was grounded upon two former statutes in the time of king Edward the Third, "That there "should be once every year a parliament") there were some clauses very derogatory to monarchical principles; as giving the people authority to "assemble together, if the king failed to call "them," and the like: yet his majesty, really intending to make those conventions frequent, without any great hesitation, enacted those two bills together; so much to the seeming joy and satisfaction of both houses, that they pretended "to "have sufficiently provided for the indemnity of "the commonwealth; and that there remained "nothing to be done, but such a return of duty "and gratitude to the king, as might testify their "devotions; and that their only end was to make "him glorious:" but those fits of zeal and loyalty never lasted long.

The lord Finch's flight made not only that place vacant, but begat several other vacancies. The seal was given to Littleton, who was then chief justice of the common pleas; for which place he was excellently fitted: but being a man of a grave

From the time that there was no more fear of the archbishop of Canterbury, nor the lord lieutenant of Ireland, nor of any particular men who were like to succeed them in favour; all who had been active in the court, or in any service for the king, being totally dispirited, and most of them to be disposed to any vile offices against him; the great patriots thought they might be able to do their country better service, if they got the places and preferments in the court, and so prevented the evil counsels which had used to spring from thence. And they had then a fast friend there, the marquis of Hamilton; who could most dexterously put such an affair into agitation, with the least noise, and prepare both king and queen to hearken to it very willingly and in a short time all particulars were well adjusted for every man's accommodation.

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The earl of Bedford was to be treasurer: in order to which, the bishop of London had already desired the king "to receive the staff into his hand, and give him leave to retire to the sole care of his bishopric;" by which he wisely withdrew from the storm, and enjoyed the greatest tranquillity of any man of the three kingdoms, throughout the whole boisterous and destroying time that followed; and lived to see a happy and blessed end of them, and died in great honour and glory. And so the treasury was for the present put into commission. Mr. Pym was to be chancellor of the exchequer: which office the lord Cottington was likewise ready to surrender, upon assurance of indemnity for the future. These two were engaged to procure the king's revenue to be liberally provided for, and honourably increased and settled.

And, that this might be the better done, the earl of Bedford prevailed with the king, upon the removes mentioned before, to make Oliver SaintJohn (who hath been often, and will be oftener mentioned in this discourse) his solicitor general; which his majesty readily consented to; hoping that, being a gentleman of an honourable extraction, (if he had been legitimate,) he would have been very useful in the present exigence to support his service in the house of commons, where his authority was then great; at least, that he would

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