66 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap. enraged multitude. In the afternoon, the privy-xiii. seal, because he carried the bishop in his coach,16J7. was so pelted with stones, and hooted at withexecrations, and pressed upon by the eager popu-lace, that, if his servants, with drawn swords,had not kept them off, the bishop’s life had beenexposed to the utmost danger”.

Though it was violently suspected, that thelow populace, who alone appeared, had beeninstigated by some of higher condition, yet noproof of it could be produced; and every onespake with disapprobation of the licentiousnessof the giddy multitude It was not thoughtsafe, however, to hazard a new insult, by.anynew attempt to read the liturgy; and the people -seemed , for the time, to be appeased and satisfied.But it being known, that the king still perseveredin his intentions of imposing that mode ofworship, men fortified themselves still farther intheir prejudices against it; and great multitudesresorted to Edinburgh, in order to oppose theintroduction of so hated a novelty It was jnot long before they broke out in the mostviolent disorder. The bishop of Galloway wasattacked in the streets, and chased into the cham-ber , where the privy-council was sitting. Thecouncil itself was besieged and violently attacked: 5The town-council met with the same fate : And

i

15 King’s Decs. p. 23, 24, 29. Rushworth, vol. ii. p. 388.

" King’s Dec), p. 26. 30. Clarendon , vol. i. p. 109.

2r King’s Decl. p. 32. Rushworth, vol. ii. p. 400.

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