the expiration of the former Assessment, to be granted to his majesty, with a desire to his majesty to dispose of it to h. r. h. the duke of York.

Excellentibus ingeniis citiùs defuit ars, quà 'civem regant, quàm quà hostem perdant.' Let not those scorpions be kept warm in our bosoms till they sting us to death: let not those who hate the government, would destroy the The famous Five Mile Act passed.] Durgovernment be sheltered under the shadow and ing this short Session the famous Five Mile protection of the government. It is possible, Act was passed, which gave occasion to such and God knows it is but possible, that some grievous complaints. By this Act it was enactmen, who are not friends to this or that part of ed, "That no Non-conforming Teacher, unthe government (for you are not to believe that der what denomination soever, shall dwell, or they always discover what in truth they are most come, unless upon the road, within five miles angry with), who would not buy those altera- of any corporation, or any other place where tions they most desire at the price of a civil they had been Ministers, or had preached after war they would bring it fairly about, wait for a the Act of Oblivion, unless they first took the godly parliament, and do all by their consent: following Non-resisting Oath: 'I, A. B. do yet those persons must not take it ill that we 'swear, that it is not lawful, under any precannot desire they should ever have it in their 'tence whatever, to take up Arms against the power to bring those alterations to pass, byking, and that I do abhor the traiterous posithese means they now scem to abhor: and I tion of taking Arms by his authority against do heartily wish, I am sure they will not be his person, or against those that are commisthe worse men nor the worse subjects for it,sioned by him, in pursuance of such commisthat they would a little reflect upon what is 'sions; and that I will not at any time endeapast, remember how much they have outdone, vour any Alteration of government either in more than they intended to have done; nay, 'Church or State.' The penalty was 401, and what they heartily abhorred the thought of 6 months imprisonment, unless they took the doing; and they will then find the only way said Oath before their commitment. The reato preserve themselves innocent is to keep son of this severity given in the Act is, That their minds from being vitiated by the first these Teachers had settled themselves in divers impressions, by jealousies, murmurings, and Corporations, sometimes three or more in a repinings, and above all, by their conversations place, and took opportunity to distil the poiwith those men, or indulgence towards them, soned principles of schism and rebellion, to the who would sacrifice the peace of the kingdom great danger of the church and kingdom. to their own ambition, pride, and even to their humour. If you carefully provide for the suppressing your enemies at home, which will put you to little other expence than of courage, constancy, and circumspection, you will find your enemies abroad less exalted, and in a short time more inclined to live in amity with you than to make war upon you, especially when they see you doin bello pacis gerere negotium; and that you take the carrying on the war to heart, as the best and the only expedient to produce a happy and an honest peace."

"

A Supply of 1,250,000l. voted.] In consequence of the above Speeches, the commons with great unanimity came to these two Resolutions: 1. "That the humble and hearty Thanks of this house be returned to his majesty for his care and conduct in the preservation of his people, and the honour of this nation: and that this house will assist his majesty with their Lives and Fortunes against the Dutch, or any other that shall assist them in opposition to his majesty. 2. That the humble Thanks of this house be returned to his majesty for the care he hath had of the person of h. r. h. the duke of York." To both which Votes the lords gave their chearful concurrence.-The commons, to make good their promise, voted a new Supply of 1,250,000l. to be raised by a proportionable Addition to the Monthly Assessment to begin at Christmas next; all which they soon turned into a Bill. After which they brought in another Bill for a Month's further Assessment of 120,000l. to commence from

An Attempt to impose the Non-Resisting Oaths on the whole Nation, frustrated.] In the house of peers, however, the above Act met with some opposition; and that not only from the lords Ashley and Wharton, who were more than half Non-conformists themselves; but even from the lord treasurer Southampton. But neither the authority of the one, nor the arguments of the other, had any weight: on the contrary, a hint was taken, from those very arguments, to bring in another Bill in the house of commons, by which the said Oath, and Declaration, were to have been imposed on the whole nation. But, on the question, it was rejected by 3 voices; "who had the merit," says Mr. Ralph, "of saving their country from the greatest ignominy which could have befallen it; that of riveting as well as forging its own chains."*

Thanks of the Commons to the University.] Oct. 31. The Commons resolved, "That the Thanks of this house be given to the Chancellor,

"The providence by which it was thrown out was very remarkable: for Mr. Peregrine Bertie, being newly chosen, was that morning introduced into the house by his brother, the now earl of Lindsey, and sir Thomas Osborne, now lord treasurer, who all three gave their votes against the Bill; and the numbers were so even upon that division, that their three voices carried the question against it." See Mr. Locke's Letter from a Person of Quality, in the Appendix to the present Volume. No. V. p. xl.

Scholars, and Fellows of the famous University | to whom vengeance belongs, hath eminently of Oxford, for their eminent loyalty to his maj. and his father of ever-blessed memory during the late Rebellion; especially for their unparalleled zeal and courage in refusing to sub-'Tis true, our sins do cry aloud, as well as mit to be visited by the usurped powers, and to subscribe the Solemn League and Covenant, and for those excellent Reasons they published to the world to justify their refusal, and to assert his majesty's righteous cause."

leaders of a higher classis, who failed them in | their hopes, and left them to the rigour of the law. These poor creatures have seen their error, and feel the smart, and would live peaceably; but their Jesuitical leaders keep up their spirits, and herd with them in cities and corporate towns, where, by pretence of persecution and self-denial, they move the pity of good-natured people, and with their charity keep up their party, lessen the maintenance of conforming ministers, and spread their contagion amongst the youth of the nation for the prevention of this growing mischief, we have prepared a Shiboleth, a Test to distinguish amongst them, who will be peaceable and give hopes of future Conformity, and who of malice and evil disposition remain obdurate. The one we shall keep amongst us with all love and charity; the other we shall exclude from cities and corporate towns, like those that have an infectious disease upon them.-It is not unusual for the commons, at the close of a session of parliament, by their Speaker, to present a Petition to their sovereign; and, with your majesty's leave, I am now commanded that service. We do, with all humble thankfulness to God, acknowledge our great happiness, that we are governed by a prince, whose prudence in counsel, whose valour in action, and whose fatherly care in protection of his people, is eminent through all the world: and it is not the least mercy, both to your maj, and your people, that God hath blessed you with a Brother so like yourself.-The name of his royal highness is already eurolled amongst the heroes of other nations: but this his native country had not so great experience of him, till your maj. was pleased in this summer's Expedition to trust him with the conduct of the most royal fleet that ever sailed upon the British seas, wherein he shewed that prowess, and that prudence, and, by the blessing of Almighty God, was crowned with that success against the Dutch, that we cannot pass it by in silence; and yet we are at a loss how to express our thanks both to your maj. and to him. I am commanded, therefore, to beseech your maj. that you will vouchsafe to let us make a present to you, of a Month's Tax, to come in the rear, after the 24 months of your majesty's royal aid; and that your maj. will be pleased to bestow it upon his royal highness.--And now, Great Sir, I have no more, but to beseech Almighty God, who hath so miraculously preserved your royal person and your two houses of parliament from all sickness and contagion, during this session, that he will be pleased to send health throughout the nation; that he will crown all your designs against your enemies with victory and success, and give your majesty a long and happy reign

over us."

The King's Speech at the Prorogation.] After passing the Bills, the King made a short Speech to this effect:

"His majesty told his two houses of parliament, That he did not compliment with them,

when he should tell them, that they had done for him all that he could wish they should have done; and therefore thanked them heartily.

Ilis maj. further said, That he believed that no one there would imagine that he would have called them hither at this time, if there had not been an absolute necessity for it. He thanked them with all his heart for their affections shewed to him in this present Supply; which though it is not to be supposed that it can last till the end of the time in which it is to be raised (if the war should so long continue), yet his maj. said, He could not expect that his two houses should do more than they had done at this meeting, considering the deadness of trade through the whole nation, by reason of the Contagion, which addeth to the many streights they have to struggle with. And his maj. said, That for their kindness to his Brother, he thanked them no less than if what they had done for his brother had been done for himself; he having deserved so well of himself and the whole nation.-His maj. told them, that it is probable they should not meet till April next; but yet, lest he might have occasion for their assistance sooner, he had given order for the proroguing this parliament but till Feb. next; and if there should be no occasion of coming together then, he would. by a proclamation, give timely notice thereof." SIXTH SESSION OF THE SECOND PARLIAMENT.

The King's Speech on opening the Session.] September 21, 1666. This day, the parliament, after several prorogations, and a long recess of ten months and three weeks, met again at Westminster, where his majesty from the throne thus declared himself to both houses:

"My Lords and Gentlemen; I am very glad to meet so many of you together again; and God be thanked for our meeting together in this place! Little time hath passed, since we were almost in despair of having this place left us to meet in: you see the dismal ruins the Fire hath made; and nothing but a miracle of God's mercy could have preserved what is left from the same destruction. I need make no excuse to you for dispensing with your attendance in April. I am confident you all thanked me for it. The truth is, I desire to put you to as little trouble as I can; and I can tell you truly, I desire to put you to as little cost as is possible. I wish with all my heart, that I could bear the whole charge of this war myself, and that my subjects should reap the benefit of it to themselves. But we have two very great and powerful enemies, who use all the means they can, fair and foul, to make all the world to concur with them; and the war is more chargeable (by that conjunction) than any body thought it would have been. Í need not tell you the success of this Summer, in which God hath given us great success, and no question the enemy hath undergone great losses. And if it had pleased God to bave withheld his late judgment by Fire, we had been in no ill condition.You have given me

none of the court thought fit to oppose it; and others who knew the method to be new, and liable to just exceptions, thought it to as little purpose to endeavour to divert it: and so all notions for present Supply were to be laid

the overture had been contrived and put on by many who seemed not to like it, which is an artifice not unusual in courts or parliaments. The persons who were principally aimed at were sir George Carteret the Treasurer of the Navy, through whom all that expense had passed, who had many enemies upon the opinion that his office was too great, and the more by the ill offices sir Wm. Coventry was always ready to do him; and the lord Ashley, who was Treasurer of all the money that had been raised upon Prizes, which could not but be a great proportion. The former was a punctual officer and a good accomptant, and had already passed his Account in the exchequer for 2 years, upon which he had his quietus est; which was the only lawful way known and

prehension of a conspiracy, and that it had not been diligently enough examined; and therefore they appointed a Committee, with large authority to send for and examine all persons who could give any information concerning it. When any mention was made of the declara-aside till a more favourable conjuncture; and tion the commons had so lately passed, for giving the king a Supply and that it was high time to dispatch it, that all necessary provisions might be made for the setting out a fleet against the spring;' it was answered with passion, that the king's wants must be made tirst to appear before any Supply must be discoursed of: that there were already such vast sums of money given to the king, that there was none left in the country; nor could any commodities there, upon which they should raise wherewith to pay their taxes, be sold for want of money, which was all brought to London in specie, and none left to carry on the commerce and trade in the country, where they could not sell their corn or their cattle or their wool for half the value.'-They who had not sate in the parliament ar Oxford were exceedingly vex-practised by all accomptants to the crown, ed, that there had been so much given there, so soon after the two millions and a half had been granted; and said, if the king wanted again already, that he must have been abominably cheated, which was fit to be examined. That the number of the ships, which had been set out by the king in several fleets since the beginning of this war, was no secret; and that there are men enough who are acquainted with the charge of setting out and manning and victualling ships, and can make thereby a reasonable computation what this vast expense can amount to: and that they cannot but conclude, that if his maj, hath been honestly dealt with, there must remain still a very great proportion of money to carry on the war, without need of imposing more upon the people, till they are better able to bear it. And therefore that it was absolutely necessary, that all those, through whose bands the money had passed, should first give an exact Account of what they had received, and what and how they had disbursed it: and when that should appear, it would be seasonable to demand an addition of Supply, which would be cheerfully granted."*

A Bill brought in for inspecting the Publick Accounts.] And for the better expedition of this, continues the noble historian, it was proposed, That forthwith a Bill should be prepared, which should pass into an act of parliament, in which such commissioners should be appointed as the houses should think fit, to examine all Accounts of those who had received or issued out any Monies for this War; and where they found any persons faulty, and who had broken their trust, they should be liable to such punishment as the parliament should think fit: and a Committee was presently named to prepare such a Bill accordingly. This proposition found such a concurrence in the house, that

* Life, p. 368.

who can receive a good discharge no other way: and he was ready to make another year's account. But what method commissioners extraordinary by act of parliament would put it into, he could not imagine, nor be well satisfied with. The other, the lord Ashley, had more reason to be troubled, for he was by his commission exempted from giving any other Account but to the king himself, which exemption was the only reason that made him so solicitous for the office; and he well knew that there were great sums issued, which could not be put into any publick account: so that his perplexity in several respects was not small. And they both applied themselves to the king for his protection in the point.-His majesty was no less troubled, knowing that both had issued out many sums upon his warrants, which he would not suffer to be produced; and called that committee of the privy council with which he used to advise, and complained of this unusual way of proceeding in the house of commons, which would terrify all men from serving his maj. in any receipts; to which employment men submitted because they knew what they were to do, and what they were to suffer. If they made their account according to the known rules of the exchequer, their discharge could not be denied; and if they failed, they knew what process would be awarded against them. But to account by such orders as the parliament should prescribe, and to be liable to such punishment as the parliament would inflict, was such an uncertainty as would deprive them of all rest and quiet of mind; and was in itself so unjust that his maj declared that he would never suffer it: that he hoped it would never find a consent in the house of commons; if it should, that the house of peers would reject it; but if it should be brought to him, he was resolved never to give his royal assent.' There was no man present, who did not seem fully to concur