in favour of Father
Petre. Castelmaine, much provoked, threatened to leave Rome. Innocent
replied, with a meek impertinence which was the more provoking because
it could scarcely be distinguished from simplicity, that his Excellency
might go if he liked. "But if we must lose him," added the venerable
Pontiff, "I hope that he will take care of his health on the road.
English people do not know how dangerous it is in this country to travel
in the heat of the day. The best way is to start before dawn, and to
take some rest at noon." With this salutary advice and with a string
of beads, the unfortunate Ambassador was dismissed. In a few months
appeared, both in the Italian and in the English tongue, a pompous
history of the mission, magnificently printed in folio, and illustrated
with plates. The frontispiece, to the great scandal of all Protestants,
represented Castelmaine in the robes of a Peer, with his coronet in his
hand, kissing the toe of Innocent. [277]

CHAPTER VIII

Consecration of the Nuncio at Saint James's Palace; his public
Reception--The Duke of Somerset--Dissolution of the Parliament; Military
Offences illegally punished--Proceedings of the High Commission; the
Universities--Proceedings against the University of Cambridge--The Earl
of Mulgrave--State of Oxford--Magdalene College, Oxford--Anthony Farmer
recommended by the King for President--Election of the President--The
Fellows of Magdalene cited before the High Commission--Parker
recommended as President; the Charterhouse--The Royal Progress--The
King at Oxford; he reprimands the Fellows of Magdalene--Penn attempts to
mediate--Special Ecclesiastical Commissioners sent to Oxford--Protest of
Hough--Parker--Ejection of the Fellows--Magdalene College turned into
a Popish Seminary--Resentment of the Clergy--Schemes of the Jesuitical
Cabal respecting the Succession--Scheme of James and Tyrconnel for
preventing the Princess of Orange from succeeding to the Kingdom
of Ireland--The Queen pregnant; general Incredulity--Feeling of the
Constituent Bodies, and of the Peers--James determines to pack a
Parliament--The Board of Regulators--Many Lords Lieutenants
dismissed; the Earl of Oxford--The Earl of Shrewsbury--The Earl of
Dorset--Questions put to the Magistrates--Their Answers; Failure of the
King's Plans--List of Sheriffs--Character of the Roman Catholic
Country Gentlemen--Feeling of the Dissenters; Regulation of
Corporations--Inquisi