uo warranto_ were served upon them,
which frightened the smaller corporations and brought down their
charters. Jeffreys was serviceable in this wicked work, and on his
return from his Northern Circuit, rich with these infamous spoils, as
a reward for destroying the liberties of his countrymen, the king
publicly presented him with a ring, in token of "acceptance of his
most eminent services." This fact was duly blazoned in the Gazette,
and Jeffreys was "esteemed a mighty favorite," which, "together with
his lofty airs, made all the charters, like the walls of Jericho, fall
down before him, and he returned, laden with surrenders, the spoil of
towns."[77]

[Footnote 77: 8 St. Tr. 1038, and the quotations from North (Examen.)
Sprat, and Roger Coke, in note on p. 1041, _et seq._ See, too, Fox,
James II. p. 48, 54, and Appendix, Barillon's Letter of Dec. 7th,
1684.]

London still remained the strong-hold of commerce, of the Protestant
Religion, and of liberal Ideas in domestic Government; for though
subsequently corrupted by lust of gain, which sought a monopoly, the
great commercial estates and families of England were not then on the
side of Despotism, as now strangely happens in America.

When the king sought to ruin Shaftesbury,--a corrupt man doubtless,
but then on the side of liberty, the enemy of encroaching
despotism,--a London Grand-Jury refused to find a bill, and was warmly
applauded by the city. Their verdict of IGNORAMUS was a "personal
liberty bill" for that time, and therefore was the king's wrath
exceeding hot, for "Ignoramus was mounted in Cathedra," and there was
a stop put to such wickedness. So London must be brought down. She
refused to surrender her Charter. In 1682 the king proceeded to wrest
it from her by the purchased hand of the courts of law. But even they
were not quite adequate to the work. So Chief Justice Pemberton was
displaced, and Saunders,--a man as offensive in his personal habit of
body as he was corrupt in conduct and character--was put in his
office. Dolbin, too just for the crime demanded of him, was turned
out, and Withins made to succeed him. For "so great a weight was there
at stake as could not be trusted to men of doubtful principles," says
North. Saunders, who had plotted this whole matter, was struck with an
apoplexy when sentence was to be given, but sent his opinion in
writing. Thus on the judgment given by only two judges, who assigned
no reasons for their decision, it wa