CHARLES AND HIS SUBJECTS. 339 



" scenes" of the most " prophetic'' (if I may so speak) and ill- 

 timed character : prophetic, in so far as there have been already too 

 many sad and terrible " similitudes" in our day of the like descrip- 

 tion. God is great! Heaven only knows what we were born to 

 endure '. Patriot hearts, and true, know it to be their most bounden 

 duty to hope the best. To hope the best is not only pious, but brave 

 and wise. 



" O England ! model to thy inward greatness ; 

 Like little body with a mighty heart ! 

 What might'st thou do that honour would'st thou do 

 Were ALL thy children kind and natural !" 



To conclude, however : the most singularly remarkable passage 

 contained in the whole of it, may be said to be his attempt to seize 

 the five arraigned members by his personal (of course unexpected) 

 appearance in the Commons House of Parliament, which imme- 

 diately succeeded his search for them within the walls of the city, 

 and his after retreat, first to Hampton Court, and then to York. It 

 appears from the best contemporary writers, who appear to have 

 taken great pains in developing these facts, that this misguided 

 and deluded king had slyly contrived, before this last-recounted 

 personal act, not only got together an irregular military guard of 

 disgraced and discharged officers, and other time-serving miscreants, 

 the very scum and froth of the oligarchical bastardy for there were 

 not only royal but peers' bastards in those days but had prevailed 

 on the students in the inns of court to enrol themselves as an 

 additional guard ; thus, the day before his visit he had ordered them 

 to hold themselves in readiness at fifteen minutes' notice ; that on 

 the same morning, two hundred stand of arms, with powder and a 

 quantity of ball-cartridges, had been sent from the Tower to White- 

 hall ; and that Charles proceeded to the House with a tumultuous 

 charlatan escort of about seven hundred armed men (mere mounte- 

 banks a species of bravoes) many of them having pistols and other 

 fire-arms, who would not allow the doors of the " House" to be 

 closed after his entry, and used many threatening and insolent 

 expressions during the whole of this scene, characterized by no less 

 of monarchical than tyrannical mockery of the most unkingly com- 

 plexion, as in the best it was demonstrated. It is likewise mentioned 

 by no less an authority than Clarendon, that after the " proscribed 

 members" had taken refuge on the city side of Temple Bar, " it was 

 proposed by Lord Digby to go after them with a select company of 

 gentlemen, headed by one Lunsford, and to seize and bring them to 

 the king (a very pretty specimen of a king, or father of his people, 

 truly) dead or alive ! and without doubt (adds the noble historian) 

 he would have complied with the diabolical demand of the Tory- 

 kingsman Digby, which must have had a wonderful effect." What a 

 most contemptible figure this monarch cuts in the blood-red pages 

 of the history of Britain ! and what an afflicting example of the 

 profligate and wicked abuse of power is recorded, with so "much 

 truth and justice, by the impartial spirit of History, for our guidance, 

 detestation, and, by the blessing of Providence, salvation ! Respond 



