ence of liberty and religion. By stronger
contagion, the popular affections were communicated from breast to
breast in this place of general rendezvous and society.

The harangues of members, now first published and dispersed, kept
alive the discontents against the king's administration. The pulpits,
delivered over to Puritanical preachers and lecturers, whom the commons
arbitrarily settled in all the considerable churches, resounded with
faction and fanaticism. Vengeance was fully taken for the long
silence and constraint in which, by the authority of Laud and the high
commission, these preachers had been retained. The press, freed from all
fear or reserve, swarmed with productions, dangerous by their seditious
zeal and calumny, more than by any art or eloquence of composition.
Noise and fury, cant and hypocrisy, formed the sole rhetoric which,
during this tumult of various prejudices and passions, could be heard or
attended to.

The sentence which had been executed against Prynne, Bastwic, and
Burton, now suffered a revisal from parliament. These libellers, far
from being tamed by the rigorous punishments which they had undergone,
showed still a disposition of repeating their offence; and the ministers
were afraid lest new satires should issue from their prisons, and still
further inflame the prevailing discontents. By an order, therefore, of
council, they had been carried to remote prisons; Bastwic to Scilly,
Prynne to Jersey, Burton to Guernsey; all access to them was denied;
and the use of books, and of pen, ink and paper, was refused them. The
sentence for these additional punishments was immediately reversed,
in an arbitrary manner, by the commons: even the first sentence, upon
examination, was declared illegal; and the judges who passed it were
ordered to make reparation to the sufferers.[*]

* Nalson, vol. i. p 783. May, p. 79.

When the prisoners landed in England, they were received and entertained
with the highest demonstrations of affection; were attended by a mighty
confluence of company, their charges were borne with great magnificence,
and liberal presents bestowed on them. On their approach to any
town, all the inhabitants crowded to receive them, and welcomed their
reception with shouts and acclamations. Their train still increased as
they drew nigh to London. Some miles from the city, the zealots of
their party met them in great multitudes, and attended their triumphant
entrance: boughs were