Many circumstances however concurred in rendering his situation much more critical than favourable, and they deserve the more to be here noticed as they were the primary causes of all his subsequent errors and misfortunes.

1st. Charles had early imbibed those exaggerated notions of the regal unlimited prerogative, and of the limited privileges of the people, which through James's imprudence or vanity, had actually, become the common topic of parliamentary controversies, which had roused the spirit of liberty and formed into a regular party a set of men of the most uncommon capacity, who had the greatest influence in the lower house: among these were sir Edward Coke, sir Edwin Sandys, sir Robert Philips, sir Francis Seymour, sir Dudley Digges, sir John Elliot, sir Thomas Wentworth, Mr. Selden, and Mr. Pym. Charles, though firmly resolved to maintain in their full extent the pretensions of his father, had neither the same polemical means to oppose the arguments of a house of commons more enlightened than ever on the true principles of the constitution, nor the irresistible energy of Elizabeth to prevent or stop at pleasure such a conflict, the consequences of which must necessarily be of the most serious na

ture.

2dly. Charles found himself engaged in a war with Spain, but unprovided with money to prosecute it; and though it was undertaken by the advice and even on the solicitation of parliament, there was scarcely any probability that this assembly would be better disposed to grant him the necessary supplies which they had refused to his father, as they had lately discovered that if they had been so urgent for a rupture with Spain, it was owing only to the account, utterly untrue, which Buckingham had given them respecting the transactions in that country, and though they were pleased to see the king en

gaged in a foreign war, which must render him every day more dependent on the parliament, they were no better disposed to enable him to support it.

3dly. The hatred against Buckingham had been suspended for a moment, while his conduct seemed to gratify the passions and prejudices of the nation; but it was roused anew with an increased violence, when it was known that, by an unprecedented instance in the annals of the royal favourites, this minion of the late king had over the modesty of Charles an influence exceeding even that which he had acquired over the weakness of James, and that no public measure was conducted but by his direction. The envy excited by his rapid and immense fortune was not inferior to the general disgust created by his favour, both of which were equally detrimental to the king's popularity.

Such were the conjunctures at the beginning of Charles's reign; but the candour and simplicity of this good-natured prince having captivated the affections of his subjects, he entirely depended on their love without minding the delicacy of his situation, or at least without apprehending any danger from it; and he had no sooner ascended the throne than he discovered the greatest eagerness to assemble the parliament. But he was then daily expecting the arrival of his bride, the Princess Henrietta; and as soon as their marriage was celebrated, he issued writs for the election of the members, and their meeting on the 18th of June. The king, in his speech at the opening of the session, was simple and cordial; he touched but lightly the occasion he had for supply, and did not mention any particular sum which he might expect.

The house of commons took into consideration the demand of supply, but being influenced by the circumstances above mentioned, and particularly by their spleen and ill-will against Buckingham, they thought

proper to grant only a supply of two subsidies, amounting to one hundred and twelve thousand pounds, a sum so ridiculously inferior to the king's present exigencies that it discovered rather an unbecoming mockery than any serious intention of supporting him. Charles perceived likewise that the illiberality of this vote was connected with a plan of encroaching on his authority, by granting him no supplies without extorting from him some concessions in favour of civil liberty, or of the pri vileges of the commons. He thought it prudent, however, to dissemble his displeasure, and adjourned the parliament July 11th, on account of the plague, which at that time raged in London so dreadfully that it swept away thirty-five thousand four hundred and seventeen persons. The parlia ment was immediately reassembled at Oxford, August 1st, and Charles made a new attempt to obtain supplies adequate to his urgent necessity, and entered accordingly into a particular detail of all the expenses he had to provide for, to the amount of one million four hundred thousand pounds.

The commons however remained inexorable, and the more so from having just discovered a new cause of complaint against Buckingham. When James courted the alliance of France, he had promised to supply Lewis with eight ships of war, to be employed against the Genoese, the allies of Spain. "On the arrival of these ships at Dieppe, it was pretended that they were to serve against Larochelle. On that suspicion the sailors broke out into a furious mutiny, and even Ennington, their admiral, declared that he would rather be hanged for disobedience than fight against his brothers, the French protestants. The whole squadron sailed immediately to the Downs. There they received new orders from Buckingham, lord admiral, to return to Dieppe, and they were engaged to obedience by a

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false rumour, purposely spread, that peace had been concluded between the French king and the Huguenots. When they arrived at Dieppe and found they had been a second time deceived, all the officers and sailors, notwithstanding great offers tendered them by the French, immediately deserted.

These transactions raised great murmurs in parliament, and afforded the commons an occasion of renewing their eternal complaints on the growth of popery. Charles gave them a satisfactory answer on every article, in hopes of finding them more favourably disposed respecting the supply; but being disappointed in this expectation, he took advantage of the plague, which began to appear at Oxford, to finish the session with a dissolution instead of a prorogation, August 12th, and issued privy seals for borrowing money from his subjects. By that means and other expedients he was, though with difficulty and disgust, enabled to equip a fleet of eighty vessels, which carried on board an army of ten thousand men. Sir Edward Cecil, now viscount- Wimbleton, entrusted 'with the command, immediately sailed for Cadiz, and found the bay full of Spanish ships of great value. The army was landed and a fort taken; but the undisciplined soldiers finding a great store of wine, could not be restrained from the utmost excesses. Further stay appearing fruitless, Cecil re-embarked the army, and put to sea with an intention of intercepting the Spanish galleons. But the plague having seized the seamen and soldiers, they were obliged to abandon the project, and return to England.

Ann, 1626.

The king issues writs for assembling a new parliament, and appoints four of the most popular leaders of the late house of commons sheriffs of

counties, to prevent their being re-elected. This measure, from which Charles expected great advantage, evidently discovered the weakness of the court, put the commons more upon their guard, and induced them completely to adopt the views of their predecessors. They immediately voted three subsidies and three fifteenths, and added afterwards one subsidy more; but the passing of that vote into a law was reserved till the end of the session, an undisguised warning that the King must not expect any supply if he refused to comply with the reforms and new regulations which, under colour of redressing grievances, they intended to introduce in the government. Charles expressed great dissatisfaction at it; but his urgent necessities obliged him to submit, though he resolved cautiously to observe how far they meant to go, and to stop them in time if he could.

As long as James lived, the earl of Bristol, secure of the concealed esteem and favour of his majesty, had submitted to his commands of remaining at his country seat, and of absenting himself from parliament. But when he saw that Buckingham, his implacable enemy, was still higher in favour with the present king, he resolved no longer to keep any measure with the court, and to trust for his protection to the new power he saw rising in the nation. He accordingly applied to the house of lords, and craved their good offices with the king for obtaining that the writ of summons to parliament, which was his due as a peer of the realm, should be sent to him. He received it, but accompanied with a letter from the lord keeper, commanding him, in the king's name, to absent himself from parliament. Bristol submitted this letter to the lords, asking advice how to proceed. The king's prohibition was withdrawn, and Bristol took his seat; but the king, provoked at his obstinate resistance, ordered his attorney