i66 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book III. 



you that, now he hath given warrant for calhng his 

 Parhament, he thinketh fit to acquaint your Lordship, 

 with his gnosticks (that was his phrase), that is, that 

 he hath been enformed from some of his servants here, 

 who have laboured for places, that they have received 

 answer from the Gentlemen of the country of good 

 quality, that they think all the shires are disposed to 

 take care that none of his Majesty's servants be 

 chosen. If this be true, and so prove in other places, 

 his Majesty can foresee the success, and much better 

 it were for him to put it off then [than] to see 

 an assembly of men, who before hand discover their 

 disposition, and are not willing to have his servants 

 in their company ; for that cannot be a good sign 

 for him. Wherefore he recommendeth to your Lord- 

 ship's special care to do your endeavour with other 

 of my Lords of the Council, to whom (in his Majesty's 

 name) your Lordships are recommended the same 

 providence in places where you have credit or power, 

 that the ?Iouse be furnished of men of good disposi- 

 tion, and apt to have due consideration of him and his 

 estate, or else his Majesty shall have litde comfort in 

 the Assembly." '" 



Fortunately this unconstitutional emanation of 

 royalty — notwithstanding the pressure brought to bear 

 by the king, the ministers, and the court party — had 

 little effect upon the constituencies, and a majority of 

 the new House of Commons was in favour, and 

 supporters, of their rights and privileges. As we shall 

 subsequently see, this bone of contention, between the 



• MS. Lansdowne, 487. 



