nly to express the opinions and wishes of his prince. Buckingham
came forward as a statesman, who opposes his own insight to the aims
of his sovereign. He says that if he should concur with the King, he
should be a flatterer; that if he should fail to express his own
opinion, he should be a traitor. In this matter he could rely on the
support of the Prince, who, without estranging himself from his
father, still appeared to be less dependent on his will than
before.[438] The result was that James I again gave way. He named the
sum which he should require for the defence of his kingdom, for the
support of his neighbours, and for the discharge of his own debts.
Parliament, although it did not grant the whole amount demanded, yet
granted a very considerable sum: it agreed to pay three full subsidies
and three fifteenths within a year, if the negotiations were broken
off. At the beginning of April Buckingham was able to announce to
Parliament that the King, in consequence of the advice given to him,
had finally broken off negotiations with Spain on both matters.

Other and further concessions of the greatest extent were coupled with
this announcement. The King promised that, if a war should break out,
he would not entertain any proposals for peace without the advice of
Parliament. It was of still more importance, for the moment at least,
that he declared himself willing to allow Parliament itself to dispose
of the sums it had granted. He said that he wished to have nothing to
do with them: that Parliament itself might nominate a treasurer. These
likewise were admissions which Buckingham had demanded from the
King:[439] but it maybe supposed that he had a previous understanding
on the subject with the leaders of the Parliament. He also
represented to the King that the removal of the old grievances was an
absolute necessity. The monopolies to which James had so long clung,
and which he had so obstinately defended, he now in turn gave up;
while the penal laws against the Catholics, to which he was averse,
were revived.

This was an intestine struggle between the different powers in the
state, as well as a question of policy. Parliament and the favourite
made common cause against the Privy Council, which was on the side of
Spain.

Among his opponents in the Privy Council, Buckingham hated none so
much as the Lord Treasurer Cranfield, then Earl of Middlesex, for
Cranfield, although raised from a humble station by Buckingham
h