** Journ. 2d December; 5th March, 1606. 25th, 26th June,
1607.

*** Journ. 26th February; 4th, 7th March, 1606. 2d May; 17th
June, 1607.

****Journ. 16th, 17th June, 1607.

The lords took some time to deliberate on this message; because, they
said, the matter was weighty and rare. It probably occurred to them,
at first, that the parliament's interposing in affairs of state would
appear unusual and extraordinary. And to show that in this sentiment
they were not guided by court influence, after they had deliberated,
they agreed to the conference.

The house of commons began now to feel themselves of such importance,
that, on the motion of Sir Edwin Sandys, a member of great authority,
they entered, for the first time, an order for the regular keeping of
their journals.[*] When all business was finished, the king prorogued
the parliament.

* Journ. 3d July, 1607.

About this time there was an insurrection of the country people in
Northamptonshire, headed by one Reynolds, a man of low condition. They
went about destroying enclosures; but carefully avoided committing any
other outrage. This insurrection was easily suppressed; and, though
great lenity was used towards the rioters, yet were some of the
ringleaders punished. The chief cause of that trivial commotion seems to
have been, of itself, far from trivial. The practice still continued in
England of disusing tillage and throwing the land into enclosures, for
the sake of pasture. By this means the kingdom was depopulated, at least
prevented from increasing so much in people as might have been expected
from the daily increase of industry and commerce.

{1608.} Next year presents us with nothing memorable; but in the spring
of the subsequent,

{1609.} after a long negotiation, was concluded, by a truce of twelve
years, that war which, for near half a century, had been carried on with
such fury between Spain and the states of the United Provinces. Never
contest seemed, at first, more unequal; never contest was finished
with more honor to the weaker party. On the side of Spain were numbers,
riches, authority, discipline: on the side of the revolted provinces
were found the attachment to liberty and the enthusiasm of religion. By
her naval enterprises, the republic maintained her armies; and, joining
peaceful industry to military valor, she was enabled, by her own
force, to support herself, and gradually rely less on those neighboring
prin