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again summoned to meet for dispatch of business in November.

In the absence of the king, for which illness was the plea, the lord-keeper addressed the two houses: he claimed extraordinary praise for the gracious care of his majesty over the nation since the last recess, in giving favorable answers to several petitions touching trade; in importing bullion and prohibiting the exportation of iron ordnance; and moreover, in reforming by proclamation six- or seven-andthirty patents complained of as grievances: and all this" without the least trucking or merchandizing with the people; a thing unusual in former times."

Having made the most of this part of his case, the orator proceeded to remind the lower house of its pledge to assist his majesty in carrying on war for the recovery of the hereditary dominions of the palatine; he stated that his majesty had "heroically" sent forty thousand pounds of his own to keep together the army of count Mansfeldt in the Lower Palatinate, and urged the necessity of speedy supplies of money from parliament to prevent it from disbanding.

Lord Digby then gave, by his majesty's command, a narrative of his own unsuccessful negotiations in Germany; they had failed simply because the duke of Bavaria, having possessed himself of the whole of the Palatinate except a few garrisoned towns, and being authorised by the emperor to hold it as his own, did not think proper to relinquish his prey at the mere request of the king of Great Britain,

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who had no equivalent to offer him. It even appeared that this prince had treated with something very much resembling ridicule the efforts of the ambassador to procure his consent to a truce, of which the beaten party would have reaped the sole advantage.

To these gracious communications a vote of supply was the expected return; but a well-founded disdain of the trifling and temporising conduct of the king, and distrust of his further intentions, checked the feelings of the house; and they resolved first to try the spirit of the king by a petition and remonstrance setting forth the causes of the public dissatisfaction then prevailing, and pointing out the remedies. The presentation of this remonstrance proved the most important political event in the reign of James; it was the signal and commencement of that open discord between king and parliament which involved in its results both the fate of the Stuarts and the higher destinies of England itself; and it will be necessary to examine with attention a document so important.

The preamble states the case of the commons as follows:

"We.....in all humble manner calling to mind your gracious answer to our former petition concerning religion, which, notwithstanding your majesty's pious and princely intentions, hath not produced that good effect which the danger of these times doth seem to us to require: and finding how ill your majesty's goodness hath been requited by princes

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of different religion, who, even in time of treaty, have taken opportunity to advance their own ends, tending to the subversion of religion and disadvantage of your affairs and the estate of your children: by reason whereof, your ill-affected subjects at home, the popish recusants, have taken too much encouragement, and are dangerously increased in their number and their insolencies: we cannot but be sensible thereof, and therefore humbly represent what we conceive to be the causes of so great and growing mischiefs, and what be the remedies."

The causes are thus enumerated:

"The vigilancy and ambition of the pope of Rome and his dearest son, the one aiming at as large a temporal monarchy as the other at a spiritual supremacy.

"The devilish positions and doctrines whereon popery is built, and taught with authority to their followers, for advancement of their temporal ends. "The distressed and miserable estate of the fessors of true religion in foreign parts.

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"The disastrous accidents to your majesty's children abroad, expressed with rejoicing, and even with contempt of their persons.

"The strange confederacy of the princes of the popish religion, aiming mainly at the advancement of theirs and subverting of ours, and taking the advantages conducing to that end upon all occasions.

"The great and many armies raised and maintained at the charge of the king of Spain, the chief of that league.

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"The expectation of the popish recusants of the match with Spain, and feeding themselves with great hopes of the consequences thereof.

"The interposing of foreign princes and their agents in the behalf of popish recusants, for countenance and favor unto them.

"Their open and usual resort to the houses, and, which is worse, to the chapels, of foreign ambassadors.

Their more than usual concourse to the city, and their frequent conventicles and conferences there.

"The education of their children in many several seminaries and houses of their religion in foreign parts, appropriated to the English fugitives.

“The grants of their just forfeitures, intended by your majesty as a reward of service to the grantees; but beyond your majesty's intention transferred, or compounded for, at such mean rates as will amount to little less than a toleration,

"The licentious printing and dispersing of popish and seditious books, even in the time of parliament. "The swarms of priests and jesuits, the common incendiaries of all Christendom, dispersed in all parts of your kingdom."

The remedies proposed are chiefly these:

"That seeing this inevitable necessity is fallen upon your majesty, which no wisdom or providence of a peaceable and pious king can avoid, your majesty would not omit this just occasion speedily and effectually to take your sword in your hand.

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That once undertaken upon so honorable and just grounds, your majesty would resolve to pursue and more publicly avow the aiding of those of our religion in foreign parts, which doubtless would reunite the princes and states of the union, by these disasters disheartened and disbanded.

"That your majesty would propose to yourself to manage this war with the best advantage, by a diversion or otherwise, as in your deep judgement shall be found fittest, and not to rest upon a war in these parts only, which will consume your treasure and discourage your people.

"That the bent of this war, and the point of your sword, may be against that prince, whatsoever opinion of potency he hath, whose armies and treasures have first diverted and since maintained the war in the Palatinate.

"That for securing of our peace at home, your majesty would be pleased to review the parts of our petition formerly delivered unto your majesty, and hereunto annexed, and to put in execution, by the care of choice commissioners to be thereunto specially appointed, the laws already and hereafter to be made for preventing of dangers by popish recusants and their wonted evasions.

"That, to frustrate their hopes for a future age, our most noble prince may be timely and happily married to one of our own religion."

Some following articles provide for the domestic and protestant education of the children of recusants, and for the forfeiture of the estates of these

persons:

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