BRITAIN. 



575 



of Hamilton ; but, 'when he had overrun Germany, 

 1 ho refused to restore Frederic, except on condition* 

 of dependence on himself. 



By an expedient often adopted by princes, to 

 weaken popular power, Charles adopted his ministers 

 from the opposing party, that he might convert pa- 

 triots into supporters of prerogative, by sharing it 

 with them. Sir Thomas Wentwortli, now created 

 Lord Strafford, was made president of the council 

 of York ; deputy of Ireland ; and was, in fact, the 

 king's chief counsellor. Sir Dudley Diggs was cre- 

 atod master of the rolls ; Noy, attorney general ; 

 Littleton, solicitor general. Unfortunately, in reli- 

 gion, the same change of advisers was riot introdu- 

 ced. Laud, who had become odious for loading the 

 church with ceremonies most disgusting to the people, 

 who was suspected of being more than half a Catho- 

 lic in his heart ; and who, in zeal, intolerance, and 

 arbitrary principles, was as bigotted as any Catholic, 

 had the chief influence over the king in ecclesiastical 

 affairs. 



Tonnage and poundage continued to be levied by 

 the royal authority alone. The former additional 

 impositions were still exacted ; even new impositions 

 were laid on several kinds of merchandise. The cus- 

 tom-house officers received orders from the council, 

 to break into any house, warehouse, or cellar ; to 

 search any trunk or chest ; and to break any bulk in 

 default of payment. Compositions were made with 

 Popish recusants, which became a regular part of 

 the revenue. Compositions were also levied from 

 those, who, by an ancient statute of Edward II. 

 were obliged, from possessing a certain income, to 

 receive the expensive honour of knighthood, f A 

 stamp-duty was imposed on cards ; a new tax, which, 

 of itself, was liable to no exception, except the man- 

 ner of its imposition. 



The council of York had been first erected, after a 

 rebellion, by Henry VIII without authority of par- 

 liament, and had long acted chiefly as a criminal 

 court. Innovations had been introduced into it by 

 James. Sometimes Charles gave it a large and, in 

 some respects, discretionary jurisdiction, which, 

 though possibly meant to save these northern coun- 

 ties the trouble of sending every cause to Westminster 

 hall, in the end, put them out of the ordinary course 

 of justice, and produced several irregular acts, which 

 were, at this time, complained of. But the Star 

 Chamber was the most intolerable of ail tribunals, 

 and encroached on the jurisdiction of other courts. 

 " Its punishments were enormous. S;r David Foulis 

 was fined . 5000, for dissuading a friend to com- 

 pound for knighthood. Prynne, a barrister of Lin- 

 coln's Inn, for reviling plays, hunting, public festi- 

 vals &c. and for blaming the hierarchy, and the new 

 t.itions of Laud, in a book which he published, 

 ondemned to be put from the bar, to be pil- 

 loried in two places, to lose both his ears, pay 5000 

 to the king, and be imprisoned for life. One 

 Allison, for reporting that the Archbishop of York 

 had incurred the king's displeasure, by asking tole- 

 ration for the Catholics, was sentenced, by this tri- 



Knuin 



163S- 



biinal, to pay L. 1000 to the king, to be whipped, 

 and to stand in the pillory four times. 



Tlieobnoxious taxof ship-money wasrevived in 1634-. c "**'; 1 '* 

 The first writs of this kind had been directed only to 

 sea- port towns, but it was now levied over the whole T '." ; ' 

 kingdom. The money was entirely laid out upon the s "'' '" 

 navy ; and the effects of it were felt at the distance Jf^j. 

 pf a few years, when GO sail were equipped by the 

 earl of Northumberland, who compelled the Dutch 

 to pay L. 30,000 for a year's licence in fishing in the 

 British seas : and when a squadron, that was sent 

 against Sallee, contributed to destroy that receptacle 

 ot pirates. But greater triumphs of the English flag 

 than those would have been an inadequate compen- 

 sation to the people, for the arbitrary manner in 

 which the money that procured them had been levied. 



In 1633, Charles visited his Scottish kingdom, charlesvi- 

 where his reception was affectionate and joyful. His sits Scot- 

 coronation was succeeded by a parliament, which sat land, 

 as usual only two days. Their supplies were liberal ' une 8- 

 and unprecedented. Aland tax of 400,000 Scotch 

 and the sixteenth penny of legal interest, were grant- 

 ed for six years. An indefinite prerogative had been 

 granted by the Scottish parliament to James, toge- 

 ther with the power of prescribing robes for judges, 

 and apparel for churchmen. When Charles sought 

 them to confirm this latter power, a power which. 

 was to sanction the introduction of the cope and the 

 white surplice, things abhorred by the Scottish na- 

 tion, Lord Melville, an aged nobleman, exclaimed 

 aloud, " I have sworn with your father, and the 

 whole kingdom, to a confession of faith, in which 

 the innovations intended by these articles were so- 

 lemnly abjured." Charles retired disconcerted for a 

 moment at this answer, but returning, commanded 

 the parliament not to deliberate, but to vote, and 

 shewing a list of theirnames, " Your names are here, 

 (said he,) and I shall know to-day who will do me a 

 service." The votes were collected, but there is lit- 

 tle reason to doubt, falsely reported at the king's in- 

 stance. The Earl of Rothes, who questioned the 

 truth of the report, was told by the king, that if he 

 arraigned the Lord Register of a false report of the 

 votes, it should be at his peril. The peril, if his ac- 

 cusation could not be clearly established, was death. 

 The late affection of the Scots was, by such conduct, 

 changed into general mistrust. After the king's de- 

 parture, an episcopal see was erected at Edinburgh, 

 with a diocese extending from Forth to Berwick. 

 The influence of Laud was scarcely less powerful in ... 

 the Scottish than in the English church ; and by his u .,. / t , 

 influence, the preachers of Arminian principles be- es .blish 

 came numerous in northern pulpits. The breath of Ep >co- 

 this new controversy fanned the rising flame of dis>- P^T- 

 content. 



Lord Balmerino was one of the nobles, who had 

 dared, in the late Scottish parliament, to spedk and 

 vote with independence. A temperate and submis- 

 sive petition had been prepared by those Scottish pa- 

 triots, in order to exculpate themselves from the im- 

 putation of having resisted the prerogative, and t 

 deprecate the operation of those articles from which 



f This Ian- had been used by Edward VI. and Elizabeth as an expedient fur raising money. Hume says, that one rcigti 

 tat elajMed since its revival ; but that it a mistake, for Rapin mentions it* revival under James. 



