the dearly purchased complaisance of the Commons faded away in a measure yet more rapid. Charles's first Parliament, which met only three short months after the demise of the. late King had suddenly closed the functions of it's predecessor, though composed chiefly of the same persons, was animated by a spirit wholly different. It was indeed a spirit of contradiction. In answer to his demand of a supply for the maintenance of the war which themselves had imposed on the Crown they voted him two subsidies, a sum little exceeding one hundred thousand pounds, and inexorably resisted all his instances for any further grant; consumed their time in tedious discussion of the dangers which they alledged to exist from the encouragement of Popery, and pressed the King to revive against the professors of that faith the persecution which had disgraced the reign of Elizabeth; and, finally, certainly with better colour, broke out into murmurs against their late minion Buckingham, so loud and serious that he found it necessary to defend himself in a long apologetic speech, answering article by article, the several faults with which they had charged him. Two days after, Charles once more reiterated his request for a supply, by a message in the most condescending terms, and received in return a very short declaration, for it was so called, in which amidst some cold professions of loyalty and obedience, he was told that his faithful Commons would, "in convenient time, freely and dutifully do their endeavours to discover and reform the abuses and grievances of the realm and state, and in like sort afford him all necessary supply upon his present, and all other his just occasions and designs." Charles immediately dissolved a Parliament which denied him the means of supporting the dignity of his Crown and the character of his people.

That Buckingham encouraged the King to this measure cannot be doubted. Would that his advice had been always as just and blameless. Charles had now no alternative but to retire from the war, a step not less dangerous than disgraceful, or to obtain the

means of prosecuting it by the simple exercise of an authority to which the uniform submission for ages had given the character of Prerogative. He adopted the latter, and called on the Lords Lieutenants of counties to return the names of such persons within their respective jurisdictions as were best able to contribute to the public necessity, and to those persons addressed letters, under his privy seal, requiring of them loans of such sums as might suit their several abilities, to be repaid within eighteen months. The money procured by this expedient fell far short of the expected amount, but it was sufficient to equip a considerable military and naval force for that illmanaged expedition against the coast of Spain in the autumn of 1625, which utterly failed in the bay of Cadiz. A second Parliament was now called, which met in the succeeding February. Charles had adopted some puerile expedients to prevent a few of his most clamorous opponents from sitting in it, such as rendering some of them ineligible by nominating them to the office of sheriff, and these measures were resented with a warmth which sufficiently indicated the temper that he might expect in the new assembly. It exceeded that of the former in harshness. A larger, but still very insufficient supply was voted, but the Commons annexed a resolution that it should not pass into a law till the end of the session, thus tacitly declaring their determination to with-hold the payment till they should have canvassed and removed the grievances of which they, and their predecessors, had, without making any specification of them, incessantly complained. No sovereign, unless he were a captive in the hands of his subjects, had ever before been insulted by the proposal of so gross a condition. Charles's necessities however induced him to bridle his resentment, and he resolved to wait the appointed period, but it never arrived.

This shew of patience by the King had its natural effect, and increased the adverse vigour of the Parliament. Buckingham was impeached in both Houses, and the coolness of Charles's temper now gave way. He chose that moment to bestow, in the most

public manner, a new mark of favour on the Duke, and, presently after, so completely undefined at that time were both the Royal Prerogative, and the privileges of Parliament, interdicted any further proceedings against him by a special command, delivered by the Lord Keeper; and in a message to the House of Commons threatened, in terms not to be misunderstood, that unless he found them more compliant, he would devise the means of governing wholly without their assistance. This intimation, monstrous as it may seem to us of later days, had then little remarkable in it beyond the imprudence of asserting a right to do that which all his predecessors had practised in undisturbed silence. The menace was accompanied by some acts of power which seemed to shew the sincerity of his professions. Members of both houses were imprisoned, and soon after released, by his sole authority. While these matters were passing, the prosecution of Buckingham was carried on with tedious industry, and at length failed, for the times were not yet ripe for conviction without clear evidence. The House of Commons consoled itself by perplexing the King with new insults and difficulties, and instead of passing the bill for a supply, prepared a remonstrance, reiterating its complaints of Buckingham, and claiming the controul over the great imposts of tonnage and poundage, the right of the Crown to which had never before been questioned. The Lords, who had hitherto preserved a grave neutrality, began now to shew signs of discontent, and presented an address to the King, tacitly approving the conduct of the other House. The faculties of government became in some measure paralysed by a warfare in which both parties fought with a blind obstinacy, and with new and untried weapons which they knew not how to wield. It was evident that all hope of reconciliation had fled, at least for the time, and on the fifth of June, 1626, this second Parliament was dissolved.

Charles, in the fullness of his honesty and inexperience, explained the causes of these differences to his people by declara

tions and manifestoes, and the disbanded Commons, on their part, published the remonstrance which the dissolution had prevented them from presenting to him. He now proceeded to seek, by the exertions of his own single authority, the necessary relief which the perverseness of his Parliaments had so long denied to him, and made his experiments with as much imprudence as his enemies could have wished. They consisted in taking fines for extensive grants of Crown lands; in compounding with recusants for their forfeitures incurred by absenting themselves from the established public worship; in soliciting loans and benevolences from wealthy individuals; and in putting on the sea ports and maritime counties the charge of furnishing and maintaining ships of war. All these imposts, though frequently levied by his predecessors, were now more or less resisted, for the tone of the parliament had been effectually communicated to the people. Many defaulters were imprisoned by warrants of the Privy Council, and released on submission, but at length five gentlemen, knights, were bold enough to demand a trial at law of the question whether they had been legally imprisoned? and the matter was solemnly heard in the Court of King's Bench. The judges however contrived to avoid a definitive sentence, and contented themselves by refusing to admit bail, and the offenders were probably soon after released in a private and summary way. Amidst these difficulties and dangers at home, Charles, who had made a peace with Spain immediately after the dissolution of the Parliament, astonished the country by declaring war against France, which had so lately given him a Queen. That Buckingham was the author of this imprudent step there can be no doubt. In the court of Paris, as well as in that of Madrid, his haughty spirit had received some offence which filled him with resentment, and which most historians ascribe to a cause nearly too romantic to be credited. France was attacked by an army and a fleet, and the Duke, incompetent to direct either, took the command of both. His expedition terminated accordingly.

He closed a series of enterprizes, deficient in all military merit except personal courage, by that unfortunate descent on the isle of Rhé which is always coupled with his name, and returned with the shattered remnant of his forces, to sustain new discredit, and aggravated unpopularity.

A large portion of the money which had been with so much difficulty and irregularity collected was presently swallowed up by these and other occasions of the war, and Charles was convinced by painful experience that any attempt to raise further contributions by similar means would be, at least for the present, nearly fruitless. He determined to call another Parliament, and, in the spirit of popular artifice, appointed Buckingham to propose it in the Privy Council. It met on the seventeenth of March, 1628, N. S. and was opened by a speech more remarkable for sincerity than prudence. The Commons commenced business with a calm and decorous gravity which had been little used in the two former Parliaments, and was thought to augur well both for King and people, but it was in truth only the result of that coolness which generally attends the determined adoption of a thoroughly digested plan. They entered immediately on the accustomed topic of grievances, and presently displayed an increased warmth and severity, while the King reiterated his demand of supplies, and enumerated in fourteen articles the public disbursements which were necessary. The Commons, without condescending to read them, came to a vote to grant a considerable sum, but it was a mere general resolution, leaving the amount indefinite, and sent their Speaker to him, who told him that " he was the breath of their nostrils, and the light of their eyes," and then presented a long petition against the billeting of soldiers in private houses. Meanwhile they were preparing a full statement of their claims, under the bold title of " a Petition of Right," which the King in vain endeavoured to avoid, and the Lords to moderate. It was however presented, and the Commons, to convince him that they were resolved to act only conditionally in the matter of supplies,