22a ENGLAND. 



city with it by means of pipes. This canal is still called the New 

 River. 



Charles I, was unfortunate in his marriage with the princess Hen- 

 rietta Maria. She had a high spirit, and despised whatever was in- 

 compatible with the prejudices of her arbitrary education. The spi- 

 rit of the people had forced the late king into a rupture with Spain ; 

 and Charles early gave such indications of his partiality for Buck- 

 ingham, and his own despotic temper, that the parliament was remiss 

 in furnishing him with money for carrying on the war. Buckingham 

 persuaded Charles to espouse the cause of the French Hugonots in 

 their quarrel with that crown. They were, however, so ill supported, 

 though Charles was sincere in his intentions to serve them, that Ro- 

 chelle was reduced to extremity, by which the pi'otestant interest re- 

 ceived an irrecoverable blow in Fiance. The blame of all the pub- 

 lic miscarriages and disgraces was thrown by the almost unanimous 

 voice both of the parliament and people upon the favourite ; but he 

 sheltered himself from their vengeance under the royal protection , 

 till he was murdered by one Felton, a subaltern officer, as he was pre- 

 paring to embark for the relief of Rochelle, which, soon after, surren- 

 dered to cardinal Richelieu. 



The death of the duke of Buckingham did not deter Charles from 

 his arbitrary proceedings, which the English patriots in that enlight- 

 ened age justly considered as so many acts of tyranny. He, without 

 authorityof parliament, laid arbitrary impositions upon trade, which 

 were refused to be paid by many of the merchants and members of 

 the house of commons. Some of them were imprisoned, and the 

 judges were checked for admitting them to bail. The house of com- 

 mons resented those proceedings by drawing up a protest, and deny- 

 ing admittance to the gentleman usher of the black i'od ; who came to 

 adjourn them, till it was r finished. This served only to widen the 

 breach, and the king dissolved the parliament; after which he ex- 

 hibited informations against nine of the most eminent members, among 

 whom was the great Mr. Selden, who was as much distinguished by 

 his love of liberty as by his uncommon erudition. They objected to 

 the jurisdiction of the court ; but their plea was overruled, and they 

 were sent to prison during the king's pleasure. 



Every thing now operated towards the destruction of Charles. The 

 commons would vote no supplies without some redress of the national 

 grievances ; upon which, Charles, presuming on what had been 

 practised in reigns when the principles of liberty were imperfectly 

 or not at all understood, levied money upon monopolies of salt, soap, 

 and such necessaries, and other obsolete claims, particularly for knight- 

 hood ; and raised various taxes without authority of parliament. 

 Thus was the government rendered still more odious ; and unfortu- 

 nately for Charles, he put his conscience into the hands of Laud, 

 archbishop of Canterbury, who was as great a bigot as himself, both 

 in church and state. Laud advised him to prosecute the puritans, 

 and, in the year 1637, to introduce episcopacy into Scotland. The 

 Scots upon this formed secret connexions with the discontented Eng- 

 lish, and invaded England in August 1640, where Charles was so ill 

 served by his officers and his army, that he was forced to agree to an in- 

 glorious peace with the Scots, who made themselves masters of New- 

 castle and Durham ; and being now openly befriended by the house 

 of commons, they obliged the king to comply with their demands. 



Charles had made Wentworth, earl of Strafford, a man of great 



