4 o HISTORY GF GREAT BRITAIN.

underwent, being so. unworthy men of theifprofession, gave general offence; and the patience,or rather alacrity, with which they suffered,increased still farther the indignation of the publicThe severity of the star-chamber, which wasgenerally ascribed to Laud’s passionate disposition,was, perhaps, in itself, somewhat blameable; butwill naturally, to us, appear enormous, whoenjoy, in the utmost latitude, that liberty ofthe press , which is esteemed so necessary in everymonarchy, confined by strict legal limitations.But as these limitations were not regularly fixedduring the age of Charles , nor at any time before jso was this liberty totally unknown, and wasgenerally deemed, as well as religious toleration,incompatible with all good government. Noage or nation , among the moderns , had everset an example of such an indulgence : Andit seems unreasonable to judge of the measures ,embraced during one period, by the maxims,which prevail in another.

Burton, in his book where he complained ofinnovations, mentioned among others, that acertain Wednesday had been appointed for afast, and that the fast was ordered to be celebrat-ed without any sermons **. The intention, ashe pretended, of that novelty, was , by theexample of a fast without sermons, to suppressall the Wednesday’s lectures in Lopdon. It i»

State Trials, vol. v. p. Fo.

' Ibid- p. 74. franklyp, p. 8;y: