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only ufe for his purpofe the ordinary courts of the foreft. 

 He fummoned however all their powers to his afliftance ; 

 and the hiftory of the eyres made in his reign (hews that 

 thofe powers might be oppreffively exerted. 



Trefpafies on wades cannot be prevented but by great 

 attention. The firft trefpafier is criminal His act is a 

 robbery But if thofe who mould punifh it fuffer it to 

 remain, their forbearance gives confidence in his title. 

 He is permitted to go to market with the fruit of his 

 crime ; and time having involved that crime in obfcurity, 

 thofe who fucceed to his pofTcflion cannot be deemed par- 

 ties to it. To punifti fuch for having purchafed what 

 could not have been offered to fale if thofe who ought to 

 have prevented the trefpafs had done their duty, is the 

 extreme of rigour. 



" If 'tis our fault to give the people fcope, 

 " It is our tyranny to ftrike, and gall them 

 " For what we bid them do For we bid this, 

 " Where evil deeds have their permiffive pafs, 

 " And not their punifhment." 



But the object of Charles was not to punifli the crime. 

 It was principally to extort revenue independent of the 

 grant of parliament ; and for this purpofe various fchemes 

 were fuggefted by his advifers, and his fubje&s were 

 tortured and opprefled, with little advantage to the royal 

 cofFers. 



The patience which had fuffered long was exhaufted ; 

 and Charles, after an attempt to reign without a parlia- 

 ment, was compelled to call the memorable aflembly 

 which at length ufurped all the powers of government, 

 and put the king to death. Whilft this parliament acted 

 within due bounds, it piffcd, amongft other regulations, 

 a (tatute of which the principal object was to give effect 



to 



