CHARLES I.

257

any law that should acquit or secure them; offered iany reparation to the house for the breach of pri-vilege, of which, he acknowledged, they had .reason to complain They were resolved toaccept of no satisfaction, unless he would discoverhis advisers in that illegal measure: A condition,to which, they knew , that, without renderinghimself for ever vile and contemptible, he couldnot possibly submit. Meanwhile, they continuedto thunder against the violation of parliamentaryprivileges , and , by their violent outcries, toinflame the whole nation. The secret reason oftheir displeasure, however obvious, they carefullyconcealed. In the king’s accusation of the mem-bers , they plainly saw his judgment of late par-liamentary proceedings; and every adherent ofthe ruling faction dreaded the same fate, shouldroyal authority be re-established in its ancientlustre. By the most unhappy conduct, Charles,while he extremely augmented, in his opponents,the will, had also increased the ability, of hurt-ing him. d

The more to excite the people, whose disposi-tions were already very seditious , the expedientof petitioning was renewed. A petition from thecounty of Buckingham was presented to thehouse by six thousand subscribers who promisedto live and die in defence of the privileges ofparliament *\ The city of London , the county

' Dugdale, p. 84 - Rushworth, vol.v. p. 484. 488- 492, &c.

' Rushworth, vol. *. p. 487.

Vol. IX. ' S

HAP.

LV.

164:.