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theless the parish continued disturbed, and the churchwardens 
and parishioners opposed and hindered Mr. Huish, the minister, 
in every possible way from raising a new ‘“ Mount” at the east 
end of the church, which brought upon them further notice from 
the Bishop. 
The shame of this ignominious penance so affected both the 
actors in it that they never recovered from it and were never the 
same men again. James Wheeler fell into a consumption, and 
dying professed on his deathbed that this compulsory submission 
made so much against his conscience had broken his heart, and 
was the only cause of his sickness and death.* 
During the time these events were passing, and for now nearly 
eleven years, there had been no Parliament. The King governed 
by Proclamation, and the Archbishop, through the High 
Commission and Star-‘Chamber Courts, did pretty much what he 
would without control. A Parliament being at last necessary, one 
was called in November, 1640, and these matters now noticed 
were severely passed in review. The House of Commons proved 
to be equally obstinate, but so much stronger than the people of 
Beckington, that, on the 1st of March, 1641, it sent the Archbishop, 
amidst the jeers of the populace, a prisoner to the Tower, there to 
await his trial, condemnation and death, as a traitor to the Religion 
of his country. 
Mr. John Ashe, of Freshford, a wealthy clothier, a member of 
the Parliament, and, as already noticed, Lord of the Manor of 
Beckington, got access to the prisoner in the Tower, and questioned 
him about this “most severe, barbarous, and illegal prosecu- 
tion” of the Beckington people, when the Archbishop frankly 
acknowledged that Bishop Pierce had acted entirely under his 
orders. A few months later the indignant people in London mobbed 
and very roughly handled several of the bishops as they were 
leaving the House of Lords. They consequeritly ceased to attend, 
* Articles against Bishop Pierce, 
