iz 8 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

c H A P. of their army reduced the king- to that totalliv. subjection, in which he was now held: The

i64o. commons, for this reason, openly professed their

intention of retaining these invaders, till all theirown enemies should be suppressed, and all theirpurposes effected. We cannot yet spare the Scott,sai^ Strode plainly in the house; the sons ofZeruiah are fill too jlrong for us 17 : An allusion to.a passage of scripture, according to the mode ofthat age. Eighty thousand pou-nds a month wererequisite for the subsistence of the two armies; asum much greater than the subject had ever beenaccustomed, in any former period , to pay tothe public. And though several subsidies, toge-ther with a poll-tax, were from time to timevoted to answer the charge; the commons stilltook care to be in debt, in order to render titscontinuance of the session the more necessary.

The Scots being such useful allies to themalecontent party in England, no wonder theywere courted with the most unlimited complai-sance and the most important services. The kinghaving, in his first speech, called them rebels ,observed, that he had given great offence to theparliament; and he was immediately obliged tosoften, and even retract the expression. TheScottish commissioners, of whom the most consi-derable were the earl of Rothes and lord Loudon,found every advantage in conducting their treaty;yet made no haste in bringing it to au issue.

" Diigdale, p. 71.

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