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CHARLES I. 269

by the wisdom and authority of both houses; and chap.that such of the subjects as have put themselves tv.in a posture of defence against the common dan-ger, have done nothing but what is justifiable,and approved by the house I# \

Lest the people might be averse to the se-conding of all these usurpations, they were plieda-new with rumors of danger, with the terrorsof invasion, with the dread of English and Irishpapists; and the most unaccountable panics werespread throughout the nation. Lord Digbyhaving entered Kingston in a coach and six ,attended by a few livery-servants , the intelligencewas conveyed to London ; and it was immediatelyvoted, that he had appeared in a hostile manner,to the terror and affright of his majesty’s subjects,and had levied war against the king and king-dom Petitions from all quarters loudly de-manded of the parliament to put the nation ina posture of defence ; and the county of Staffordin particular expressed such dread of an insurrec-tion among the papists , that every man, theysaid, was constrained to stand upon his guard,not even daring to go to church unarmed Ios .

That the same violence by which he had solong been oppressed, might not still reach him,and extort his consent to the militia bill, Charleshad resolved to remove farther from London :

Rushworth, part. iii. vol. i. chap. iv. p. 524.Clarendon. Rush. part. iii. vol. i. chap. u. p. 49;.Dugdale, p. 89.