bolish.[***]

The little popularity and credit acquired by the republicans, further
stimulated the ambition of this enterprising politician. These men
had not that large thought, nor those comprehensive views, which might
qualify them for acting the part of legislators: selfish aims and
bigotry chiefly engrossed their attention. They carried their rigid
austerity so far as to enact a law declaring fornication, after the
first act, to be felony, without benefit of clergy.[****] They made
small progress in that important work which they professed to have so
much at heart, the settling of a new model of representation, and a
bill was introduced into the house against painting, patches, and other
immodest dress of women; but it did not pass.[v]

* Heath's Chronicle, p. 301.

** Parl. Hist. vol. xx. p. 47.

*** Whitlocke, p. 523.

**** Scobel, p. 121.

v Parl. Hist. vol. xix. p. 263.

The nation began to apprehend that they intended to establish themselves
as a perpetual legislature, and to confine the whole power to sixty
or seventy persons, who called themselves the parliament of the
commonwealth of England. And while they pretended to bestow new
liberties upon the nation, they found themselves obliged to infringe
even the most valuable of those which, through time immemorial, had been
transmitted from their ancestors. Not daring to intrust the trials
of treason to juries, who, being chosen indifferently from among the
people, would have been little favorable to the commonwealth, and would
have formed their verdict upon the ancient laws, they eluded that noble
institution, by which the government of this island has ever been so
much distinguished. They had evidently seen in the trial of Lilburn what
they could expect from juries. This man, the most turbulent, but the
most upright and courageous of human kind, was tried for a transgression
of the new statute of treasons: but though he was plainly guilty, he was
acquitted, to the great joy of the people. Westminster Hall, nay, the
whole city, rang with shouts and acclamations. Never did any established
power receive so strong a declaration of its usurpation and invalidity;
and from no institution, besides the admirable one of juries, could be
expected this magnanimous effort.

That they might not for the future be exposed to affronts which so
much lessened their authority, the parliament erected a high court of
justice, which was to rece