to him: that resistance could scarcely
be attempted twice; and there was therefore the greater necessity for
waiting till time and incidents had fully prepared the nation for
it: that the king's prejudices in favor of Popery, though in the main
pernicious, were yet so far fortunate, that they rendered the connection
inseparable between the national religion and national liberty: and that
if any illegal attempts were afterwards made, the church, which was at
present the chief support of the crown, would surely catch the alarm,
and would soon dispose the people to an effectual resistance.

These last reasons, enforced by the prejudices of party, prevailed
in parliament; and the common's, besides giving thanks for the king's
speech, voted unanimously, that they would settle on his present majesty
during life all the revenue enjoyed by the late king at the time of his
demise. That they might not detract from this generosity by any symptoms
of distrust, they also voted unanimously, that the house entirely relied
on his majesty's royal word and repeated declarations to support the
religion of the church of England; but they added, that that religion
was dearer to them than their lives. The speaker, in presenting the
revenue bill, took care to inform the king of their vote with regard to
religion; but could not, by so signal a proof of confidence, extort from
him one word in favor of that religion, on which, he told his majesty,
they set so high a value. Notwithstanding the grounds of suspicion
which this silence afforded, the house continued in the same liberal
disposition. The king having demanded a further supply for the navy and
other purposes, they revived those duties on wines and vinegar which had
once been enjoyed by the late king; and they added some impositions on
tobacco and sugar. This grant amounted on the whole to about six hundred
thousand pounds a year.

The house of lords were in a humor no less compliant. They even went
some lengths towards breaking in pieces all the remains of the Popish
plot, that once formidable engine[*] of bigotry and faction.

A little before the meeting of parliament, Oates had been tried for
perjury on two indictments; one for deposing, that he was present at a
consult of Jesuits in London the twenty-fourth of April, 1679; another
for deposing, that Father Ireland was in London between the eighth and
twelfth of August, and in the beginning of September, in the same year.
Never crimi