ically doing to the vacating of the Charter what Mr.
Bancroft states in the pregnant sentences above quoted in the text.]

CHAPTER VI.

MASSACHUSETTS DURING THE LAST FOUR YEARS OF CHARLES THE SECOND AND JAMES
THE SECOND, FROM 1680 TO 1688--THE IMMEDIATE CAUSES AND MANNER OF
CANCELLING THE FIRST CHARTER.

A crisis was now approaching. The state of things shown in the latter
part of the preceding chapter could not be suffered always to continue.
Means must be devised to bring it to an end.

The Massachusetts Court had sent successive agents to England to explain
and to make promises concerning many things complained of, to crave
indulgence and delay in other things which they could not explain or
justify; but they prohibited their agents, by private instructions, from
conceding anything which the Charter, as they interpreted it, had given
them--namely, absolute independence. But this double game was nearly
played out. Party struggles in England had absorbed the attention of the
King and Cabinet, and caused a public and vacillating policy to be
pursued in regard to Massachusetts; but the King's Government were at
length roused to decisive action, and threatened the colony with a writ
of _quo warranto_ in respect to matters so often demanded and as often
evaded.

The Massachusetts Court met forthwith, passed an Act to control the
commission of the King's Collector, Edward Randolph, and another Act
charging their own newly-appointed Collector to look strictly after the
enforcement of the Acts of Trade (but in reality to counteract them);
repealed another Act which imposed a penalty for plotting the overthrow
of the Colonial Constitution--an Act levelled against Randolph; passed
another Act substituting the word "Jurisdiction" for the word
"Commonwealth" in their laws. They authorized their agents merely to
lay these concessions before the King, and humbly hoped they would
satisfy his Majesty. They also bribed clerks of the Privy Council to
keep them informed of its proceedings on Massachusetts affairs, and
offered a bribe of L2,000 to King Charles himself. Mr. Hildreth says
(1683): "On the appearance of these agents at Court, with powers so
restricted, a _quo warranto_ was threatened forthwith unless they were
furnished with ampler authority. Informed of this threat, the General
Court (of Massachusetts), after great debates, authorized their agents
to consent to the regulation of anything wherein the Government