ed and sedate
men wept and cursed. They feared for their country, and each one
feared for himself, if they did not get rid of the man who possessed
power, while on the other hand it seemed to them impossible to do so.
Some could not speak for tears: violent exclamations against the Duke
prevented the continuance of the debate. But not only were complaints
heard: the expression was also heard, that men had still hands and
swords, and could get rid of the enemy of King and country by his
death. They proceeded at last to deliberate on a protestation which
was resolved on after that debate, and they had gone so far as to name
the Duke, and to declare him a traitor, when the Speaker who had
quitted the House came in again, and brought a message from the King,
by which the sitting was adjourned to the following day.

No course seemed to be left for Charles I but to dissolve this
Parliament immediately as he had dissolved its predecessor. But what
would then have become of the grant of money, which was every day more
urgently needed? Like the Petition, it would have fallen to the
ground.

Before the end of the same day, June 5, a meeting of the Privy Council
was held, in which it was resolved to calm the agitation by accepting
the Petition of Right. We do not learn if on that occasion the
scruples of the King were discussed or not; but as his questions to
the judges already betrayed his inclination to such a course, so now
he actually resolved to plunge into the contradiction which he had
wished to avoid, and accept the Petition while at the same time, in
accordance with the sentence of the Judges, he would reserve for
himself the future exercise of the right therein denied.

On June 7 the King appeared in the Upper House, where the Commons also
were assembled. The Lords were in their robes, and the King sat upon
his throne while the Petition of Right was read. It was directed
against some temporary grievances, such as forced billeting and the
application of martial law in time of peace, but principally against
the exaction of forced loans, or taxes which had not been granted, and
against the imprisonments which had been so much talked of. The King,
as had been desired, uttered the formula of assent used by his Norman
ancestors. His words were greeted with clapping of hands and
acclamations. The King added that he had meant just as much by his
first declaration; indeed he knew well that it was not the intention
of Parliame