COMMENCEMENT OF TROUBLES. CVH 



their inquiries, and, so ready were the parties with their 

 evidence, and so active the members in their proceedings, 

 that on the 26th Bacon made his report to the house of 

 the result of their investigations, (a) 



The political discontent, thus first manifested, increased 

 yearly under the reign of James, and having brought his 

 son to the scaffold, continued till the combustible matter 

 was dispersed. &quot; Cromwell,&quot; it was said, &quot; became Pro 

 tector, because the people of England were tired of kings, 

 and Charles was restored because they were weary of 

 Protectors.&quot; Such are the consequences of neglecting 

 gradual reform. 



During the whole of the conflicts in the commencement 

 of this stormy session, Bacon s exertions were unremitting. 

 He spoke in every debate. He sat upon twenty-nine com 

 mittees, (a) many of them appointed for the consideration 

 of the important questions agitated at that eventful time. 

 He was selected to attend the conferences of the privy 

 council ; to report the result ; and to prepare various re 

 monstrances and addresses ; was nominated as a mediator 

 between the Commons and the Lords ; and chosen by the 

 Commons to present to the King a petition touching pur 

 veyors, (c) 



(a) Commons Journals. 



(c) He said: &quot; The message I now bring your majesty 

 concerns the manifold abuses of purveyors. In this 

 grievance, to which the poor people are most exposed, 

 and men of quality less, we shall require your majesty 

 to conceive that you hear the very groans and complaints 

 of your commons more truly than by representation, for 

 there is no grievance in your kingdom so general, so con 

 tinual, so sensible, and so bitter to the common subject, 

 as this whereof we now speak, assuring ourselves that 

 never king reigned who had better notions of head and 

 notions of heart for the good and comfort of his loving 



