256 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

allowing that the king intended to employ vio-lence, not authority, for seizing the members;though at that time, and ever afterwards, hepositively asserted the contrary; yet will his con-duct admit < 3 f excuse. That the hall, where theparliament assembles , is an inviolable sanctuary ,was never yet pretended. And if the commonscomplain of the affront offered them , by anattempt to arrest their members in their very pre-sence; the blame must lie entirely on themselves,who had formerly refused compliance with theking’s message , when he peaceably demandedthese members. The sovereign is the great exe-cutor of the laws; and his presence was herelegally employed , both in order to prevent op-position , and to protect the house against thoseinsults which their disobedience had so. wellmerited.

Chari.ES knew to how little purpose he shouldurge these reasons against the present fury of thecommons. He proposed, therefore, by a message,that they would agree upon a legal method , bywhich he might carry on his prosecution againstthe members, lest farther misunderstandings hap-pen with regard to privilege. They desired himto lay the grounds of accusation before the house;and pretended that they must first judge, whetherit were proper to give up their members to alegal trial. The king then informed them, thathe would wave, for the present, all prosecution:By successive messages, he afterwards offered apardon to the members; offered to concur in

any .