he breach of the marriage treaty,
he ordered preparations for war immediately to be made throughout all
his dominions.[**]

Thus James, having, by means inexplicable from the ordinary rules of
politics, conducted, so near an honorable period, the marriage of
his son and the restoration of his son-in-law, failed at last of his
purpose, by means equally unaccountable.

But though the expedients already used by Buckingham were sufficiently
inglorious, both for himself and for the nation, it was necessary for
him, ere he could fully effect his purpose, to employ artifices still
more dishonorable.

{1624.} The king, having broken with Spain, was obliged to concert new
measures; and, without the assistance of parliament, no effectual step
of any kind could be taken. The benevolence which, during the interval,
had been rigorously exacted for recovering the Palatinate, though levied
for no popular an end, had procured to the king less money than ill will
from his subjects.[***] Whatever discouragements, therefore, he might
receive from his ill agreement with former parliaments, there was a
necessity of summoning once more this assembly: and it might be hoped,
that the Spanish alliance which gave such umbrage, being abandoned, the
commons would now be better satisfied with the king's administration.
In his speech to the houses, James dropped some hints of his cause
of complaint against Spain; and he graciously condescended to ask the
advice of parliament, which he had ever before rejected, with regard to
the conduct of so important so affair as his son's marriage.[****]

* Franklyn, p. 80. Rushworth, vol. i. p. 112.

** Rushworth, vol. i. p. 114.

*** To show by what violent measures benevolences were
usually raised, Johnstone tells us, in his Rerum
Britanniearum Historia, that Barnes, a citizen of London,
was the first who refused to contribute any thing upon which
the treasurer sent him word, that he must immediately
prepare himself to carry by post a despatch into Ireland,
The citizen was glad to make his peace by paying a hundred
pounds. And no one durst afterwards refuse the benevolence
required. See further, Coke, p. 80.

**** Franklyn, p. 79. Rushworth, vol. i. p. 115. Kennet, p.
778.

Buckingham delivered to a committee of lords and commons a long
narrative, which he pretended to be true and complete, of every step
taken in the negotiations with