suffer any violence from the misguided zeal of the people. He urged the
sacred rights of hospitality, due to every one, much more to a person
in distress, of so high a rank, with whom the nation was so nearly
connected. The peers thought proper to communicate the matter to the
commons, whose authority over the people was absolute. The commons
agreed to the necessity of protecting the queen mother; but at the same
time prayed that she might be desired to depart the kingdom, "for the
quieting those jealousies in the hearts of his majesty's well-affected
subjects, occasioned by some ill instruments about that queen's person,
by the flowing of priests and Papists to her house, and by the use
and practice of the idolatry of the mass, and exercise of other
superstitious services of the Romish church, to the great scandal of
true religion."[*]

Charles, in the former part of his reign, had endeavored to overcome the
intractable and encroaching spirit of the commons, by a perseverance in
his own measures, by a stately dignity of behavior, and by maintaining
at their utmost height, and even perhaps stretching beyond former
precedent, the rights of his prerogative. Finding, by experience, how
unsuccessful those measures had proved, and observing the low condition
to which he was now reduced, he resolved to alter his whole conduct, and
to regain the confidence of his people by pliableness, by concessions,
and by a total conformity to their inclinations and prejudices. It may
safely be averred, that this new extreme into which the king, for want
of proper counsel or support, was fallen, became no less dangerous to
the constitution, and pernicious to public peace, than the other, in
which he had so long and so unfortunately persevered.

The pretensions with regard to tonnage and poundage were revived, and
with certain assurance of success, by the commons.[**]

* Rush, vol. v. p. 267.

* It appears not that the commons, though now entirely
masters, abolished the new impositions of James, against
which they had formerly so loudly complained; a certain
proof that the rates of customs settled by that prince, were
in most instances just, and proportioned to the new price of
commodities. They seem rather to have been low. See Journ.
10th Aug. 1625.

The levying of these duties as formerly, without consent of parliament,
and even increasing them at pleasure, was such an incongruity in a free