gently; nay, seemed to
be approached, though at ever so great a distance; the whisper ran about
the house, "The queen will be offended; the council will be extremely
displeased:" and by these surmises men were warned of the danger to
which they exposed themselves. It is remarkable that the patent, which
the queen defended with such imperious violence, was contrived for the
profit of four courtiers, and was attended with the utter ruin of seven
or eight thousand of her industrious subjects.[*]

Thus every thing which passed the two houses was extremely respectful
and submissive; yet did the queen think it incumbent on her, at the
conclusion of the session, to check and that with great severity, those
feeble efforts of liberty which had appeared in the motions and speeches
of some members. The lord keeper told the commons, in her majesty's
name, that though the majority of the lower house had shown themselves
in their proceedings discreet and dutiful, yet a few of them had
discovered a contrary character, and had justly merited the reproach of
audacious, arrogant, and presumptuous: contrary to their duty, both as
subjects and parliament men; nay, contrary to the express injunctions
given them from the throne at the beginning of the session; injunctions
which it might well become them to have better attended to; they had
presumed to call in question her majesty's grants and prerogatives. But
her majesty warns them, that since they thus wilfully forget themselves,
they are otherwise to be admonished: some other species of correction
must be found for them; since neither the commands of her majesty,
nor the example of their wiser brethren, can reclaim their audacious,
arrogant, and presumptuous folly, by which they are thus led to meddle
with what nowise belongs to them, and what lies beyond the compass of
their understanding.[**]

* D'Ewes, p. 242.

** D'Ewes, p. 151

In all these transactions appears clearly the opinion which Elizabeth
had entertained of the duty and authority of parliaments. They were not
to canvass any matters of state; still less were they to meddle with the
church. Questions of either kind were far above their reach, and were
appropriated to the prince alone, or to those councils and ministers
with whom he was pleased to intrust them. What then was the office of
parliaments? They might give directions for the due tanning of leather,
or milling of cloth; for the preservation of pheasants