be added the
opinion of a member of the Commons. "If the House of Commons proceeds to
demand judgment of the Lords, without doubt they will acquit him, there
being no law extant whereby to condemn him of treason. Wherefore the
Commons are determined to desert the Lord's judicature, and to proceed
against him by Bill of Attainder, whereby he shall be adjudged to death
upon a treason now to be declared."

One of the chief results in this change of procedure, emphasized by
Browning in an intense scene between Pym and Charles was that it altered
entirely the King's attitude towards Strafford's trial. As Baillie
expresses it, "Had the Commons gone on in the former way of pursuit, the
King might have been a patient, and only beheld the striking off of
Strafford's head; but now they have put them on a Bill which will force
the King either to be our agent and formal voicer to his death, or else
do the world knows not what."

For the sake of a gain in dramatic power, Browning has once more
departed from history by making Pym the moving power in the Bill of
Attainder, and Hampden in favor of it; while in reality they were
opposed to the change in procedure, and believed that the Impeachment
could have been carried through.

The relentless, scourging force of Pym in the play, pursuing the
arch-foe of England as he regarded Wentworth to the death, once he is
convinced that England's welfare demands it, would have been weakened
had he been represented in favor of the policy which was abandoned,
instead of with the policy that succeeded. But Pym is made to intimate
that he will abandon the Bill unless the King gives his word that he
will ratify it, and further, Pym declares, should he not ratify the Bill
his next step will be against the King himself.

_Enter HAMPDEN and VANE._

_Vane._ O Hampden, save the great misguided man!
Plead Strafford's cause with Pym! I have remarked
He moved no muscle when we all declaimed
Against him: you had but to breathe--he turned
Those kind calm eyes upon you.

[_Enter PYM, the +Solicitor-General+ ST. JOHN, the +Managers+ of the
Trial, FIENNES, RUDYARD, etc._

_Rudyard._ Horrible!
Till now all hearts were with you: I withdraw
For one. Too horrible! But we mistake
Your purpose, Pym: you cannot snatch away
The last spar from the drowning man.

_Fiennes._ He talks
With St. John of it--see, how quietly!
[_To other +Pres