248 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap. danger was obviously groundless ; while thelxvi. French were opposed by such powerful alliances

i67.% on the continent, while the king was master of

a good fleet at sea, and while all his subjectswere so heartily united in opposition to foreignenemies. That the only justifiable reason, there-fore , of Charles’s backwardness, was not theapprehension of danger from abroad, but a dif-fidence, which he might perhaps have entertain-ed of his parliament; lest, after engaging himin foreign alliances for carrying on war, theyshould take advantage of his necessities , andextort from him concessions dangerous to hisroyal dignity. That this parliament, by theirpast conduct, had given no foundation for suchsuspicions , and were so far from pursuing anysinister ends, that they had granted supplies forthe first Dutch war; for maintaining the tripleleague, though concluded without their advice; foreven carrying on the second Dutch war, whichwas entered into contrary to their opinion, andcontrary to the manifest interests of the nation.That on the other hand, the king had, by formermeasures , excited very reasonable jealousies inhis people, and did with a bad grace require atpresent their trust and confidence. That he hadnot scrupled to demand supplies for maintainingthe triple league, at the very moment he wasconcerting measures for breaking it , and hadaccordingly employed to that purpose the sup-plies, which he had obtained by those delusivepretences. That his union with France , during