ers
from taking the oaths and test, whilst similar dispensations were included
in the royal commissions appointing aldermen. In many of the companies
Tories of a too pronounced character were turned out and their places
taken by dissenters.(1584) Everywhere dissenters were treated with the
greatest consideration. Notwithstanding every effort, however, to capture
the constituencies at the next elections, James found public opinion
against him to be too strong, and all thought of summoning a fresh
parliament had to be abandoned.

(M816)

In the meanwhile addresses flowed in from various parts of the country
thanking the king for his declaration. Presbyterians, Quakers,
Independents, Congregationalists alike sent addresses, but as yet no
address was presented on behalf of the Court of Aldermen--the governing
body of the city, now that the Common Council was in abeyance. That body
had to be largely remodelled before it would consent to present any such
address. On Thursday, the 16th June, the infamous Jeffreys, who had been
rewarded with the seals for his work at the Bloody Assizes, appeared
before the Court of Aldermen and declared his majesty's pleasure that in
future that court should nominate and recommend to the Crown such persons
as they thought fit to be aldermen as vacancies occurred, and that no one
so nominated should be exempt from service except for insufficiency of
estate, to be declared on oath. Those who were capable of serving and
refused to serve when nominated by the court were to be fined, and the
fines were to be devoted to the use and benefit of the city's orphans. The
ancient privilege, too, of the mayor drinking to a future sheriff received
the king's sanction.(1585) Having listened to the lord chancellor's
message the court resolved to wait upon the king at Windsor on the
following Sunday to thank his majesty "for that and all other his
majesties acts of grace to this court and city."(1586) Both the mayor and
the Court of Aldermen lost no time in exercising their privileges, but
they experienced great difficulty in getting any one to serve sheriff or
alderman. Fines ran up apace, until no less than L8,500 had been paid by
persons desirous at any cost to be discharged from filling either of those
thankless offices. Many of the aldermen either voluntarily resigned their
gowns or were dismissed from the court because they were unwilling to vote
an address of thanks to James for his declaration.(1587)