A. D. 1640. 4U 



the Immediate redrefs of their many grievances of greater importance 

 than an immediate fupply for his war. This incenfed the king fo much, 

 that he haflily and very angrily dilTolved the parUament before any one 

 adl had been paffed ; which, as Lord Clarendon owns, he immediately 

 after repented of For fupplying his prefent wants therefor without 

 a parliament, he took fundry extraordinary methods of raifmg money ; 

 fuch as coat and condud money from every county ^ an exorbitant fine 

 laid on the city of London, for having, as he alleged, occupied more 

 lands in Ireland than was granted by their charter : but the true reafon 

 was, their refufing him a loan of L200,ooo, which L2oo,oco had been 

 forcibly borrowed of the merchants, who had lodged their money in the 

 king's mint In the tower of London ; which place, as elfewhere noted, 

 before banking with goldfmiths eame into ufe In London, was till now 

 made a kind of bank or repofitory for merchants to lodge their money 

 in ; but which, after this compulfory loan (for fo it was) of L20o,ooo, 

 never after was trufted in that way any more, although the king gave 

 the lenders the fecurity of his cuftoms. A fubfcrlption alfo had been 

 made for his prefent fupply, by his privy counfellors and favourites, 

 (Lord Stafford alone fubfcribing L20,ooo). And, btfide all thefe, the 

 clergy In convocation, which, contrary to all cuftom, fat after the dif- 

 folutlon of this parliament, granted him fix fubfidies of L20,coo each, 

 to be paid in fix years, at the rate of 4/ in the pound, according 

 to the valuation of their livings, &c. in the king's books. Yet, 

 after all thefe aids, and the fiiip-money tax llkewife, the king finding 

 himfelf unable to maintain his army of 24,000 men, for three months 

 only, for lefs than L200,oco, he was neceflitated to conclude a tem- 

 porary treaty with commiflloners from the Scottifli army, who had de- 

 feated part of his troops, and taken pofleflion of Newcallle upon Tine, 

 by which the Scottifh army was to be allowed L850 a-day for their 

 maintenance. For defraying fo great an expenfe, there was now no 

 other efFedual means but a parliament, which the king therefor was 

 confiiralned to call, and which met on tl>e 3d of November in this year, 

 in a very different humour from what he had hoped and expedted, the 

 debates and fpeeches in the houfe of commons running extremely high 

 In regard to the nation's grievances, occafioned by the king's arbitrary 

 proceedings both in ecclefiaftical and fecuhr matters. But as we have 

 nothing to do with fuch points, any farther than they may relate to 

 commercial matters, we fliall only here briefly note, that fo many 

 grievances, both public and private, were laid before the commons by 

 complaints and petitions, that above forty fcveral committees were ap- 

 pointed by the houfe for examining them : and of thole grievances, that 

 of monopoUes gave fuch offence, that the houfe' of commons expelled 

 four of their own Members who had been concerned in them : and 

 Whitlock, In his Memoirs, alleges that many other members thereupon 



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