him
in person.(1427)

(M724)

When parliament met on the 21st of this month it passed a new Test Act
rigidly excluding all Catholics from both Houses. Five Catholic peers were
committed to the Tower, and Coleman, the secretary of the Duchess of York,
was tried and executed for having in his possession papers betraying a
design for forcing the Roman Catholic religion on the nation. It next
proceeded to impeach Danby for having been concerned in certain money
transactions between Charles and the king of France. Knowing the danger
likely to arise from such an investigation, Charles dissolved (24 Jan.,
1679) the parliament, which had now sat for more than seventeen years.

(M725)

When the elections for the new parliament were over it was found that the
opposition to the king was greater than ever. Of the city members who had
sat in the last parliament only one--Alderman Love--was returned, the
remaining seats being taken by Alderman Sir Robert Clayton, Sir Thomas
Player, the city chamberlain, and Thomas Pilkington, afterwards elected
alderman of the ward of Farringdon Without. This second parliament--the
first of a series of short parliaments--in Charles's reign met on the 6th
March, 1679, but was suddenly dissolved on the 27th May in order to stop
the progress of an Exclusion Bill depriving the Duke of York of his right
of succession to the crown.(1428) It left its mark, however, on the
statute book by passing the Habeas Corpus Act. It also voted a sum
exceeding L200,000 for disbandment of the forces raised since Michaelmas,
1677.(1429) Just a week before parliament dissolved the Court of Aldermen
was asked (20 May) to forward an address thanking both Houses for their
care in securing the personal safety of the king and maintaining the
Protestant religion. The address was referred back in order to include the
king in the vote of thanks, and was then submitted (23 May) to the Common
Council for approval. That body made a further amendment by adding the
words: "The Protestant religion according to the doctrine and discipline
of the Church of England as it is now established by law."(1430)

(M726)

In August the king was confined to his bed with a fever so violent that it
was deemed advisable to send for his brother the Duke of York. He
recovered however; and on the 11th September a deputation of city aldermen
waited on him to learn when the court might come in person to congratulate
him on his convalescence.(1431) O