402 HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN.

chap. from the king’s dissolution of the last parliament,ixvni. and from his summoning of the present to meetissi. at Oxford, that be was determined to maintainhis declared resolution of rejecting their favoritebill: But they still flattered themselves, that hisurgent necessities would influence his easy temper,and finally gain them the ascendant. The leaderscame to parliament, attended not only by theirservants, but by numerous bands of their parti-sans. The four city members in particular werefollowed by great multitudes, wearing ribbons,in which were woven these words, No popery!No slavery ! The king had his guards regularlymustered : His party likewise endeavoured tomake a show of their strength: And on thewhole , the assembly at Oxford rather bore theappearance of a tumultuous Polish diet, than ofa regular English parliament.

si st March. The king, who had hitherto employed themost gracious expressions to all his parliaments,particularly the two last, thought proper to addresshimself to the present in a more authoritativeNew pariia manner. He complained of the unwarrantable5°°^" o*' proceedings of the former house of commons;

and said, that, as he would never use arbitrarygovernment himself, neither would he ever sufferit in others. By calling, however, this parliamentso soon, he had sufficiently shown, that no pastirregularities could inspire him with a prejudiceagainst those assemblies. He now afforded them,he added, yet another opportunity of providingfor the public safety; and to all the world had