ass:) his disciples spread their
garments before him, and cried, "Hosanna to the highest; holy, holy is
the Lord God of Sabaoth." When carried before the magistrate, he would
give no other answer to all questions than "Thou hast said it." What
is remarkable, the parliament thought that the matter deserved their
attention. Near ten days they spent in inquiries and debates about
him.[****]

* Whitlocke, p. 624.

** Harleian Miscellany, vol. vi. p. 399. One Dorcas Barberry
made oath before a magistrate, that she had been dead two
days, and that Naylor had brought her to life.

*** Harleian Miscellany, vol. vi. p. 399

**** Thurloe, vol v. p. 708.

They condemned him to be pilloried, whipped, burned in the face, and to
have his tongue bored through with a red-hot iron. All these severities
he bore with the usual patience. So far his delusion supported him.
But the sequel spoiled all. He was sent to Bridewell, confined to hard
labor, fed on bread and water, and debarred from all his disciples,
male and female. His illusions dissipated; and after some time, he
was contented to come out an ordinary man, and return to his usual
occupations.

The chief taxes in England, during the time of the commonwealth, were
the monthly assessments, the excise, and the customs. The assessments
were levied on personal estates as well as on land;[*] and commissioners
were appointed in each county for rating the individuals. The highest
assessment amounted to one hundred and twenty thousand pounds a month
in England; the lowest was thirty-five thousand. The assessments in
Scotland were sometimes ten thousand pounds a month;[**] commonly six
thousand. Those on Ireland nine thousand. At a medium, this tax might
have afforded about a million a year. The excise, during the civil wars,
was levied on bread, flesh-meat, as well as beer, ale, strong waters and
many other commodities. After the king was subdued bread and flesh-meat
were exempted from excise. The customs on exportation were lowered in
1656.[***] In 1650, commissioners were appointed to levy both customs
and excises. Cromwell, in 1657, returned to the old practice of farming.
Eleven hundred thousand pounds were then offered, both for customs
and excise, a greater sum than had ever been levied by the
commissioners:[****] the whole of the taxes during that period might
at a medium amount to above two millions a year; a sum which,
though moderate, much ex