ess of that kingdom, so strong was the
people's attachment to the commons, that the fault was never imputed
to those pious zealots, whose votes breathed nothing but death and
destruction to the Irish rebels.

* Nalson, vol. ii. p 318. Clarendon, vol. iv. p. 590.

To make the attack on royal authority by regular approaches, it was
thought proper to frame a general remonstrance of the state of the
nation; and accordingly the committee, which at the first meeting of
parliament had been chosen for that purpose, and which had hitherto made
no progress in their work, received fresh injunctions to finish that
undertaking.

The committee brought into the house that remonstrance which has become
so memorable, and which was soon afterwards attended with such important
consequences. It was not addressed to the king; but was openly declared
to be an appeal to the people. The harshness of the matter was equalled
by the severity of the language. It consists of many gross falsehoods,
intermingled with some evident truths: malignant insinuations are
joined to open invectives; loud complaints of the past, accompanied with
jealous prognostications of the future. Whatever unfortunate, whatever
invidious, whatever suspicious measure had been embraced by the king,
from the commencement of his reign, is insisted on and aggravated with
merciless rhetoric: the unsuccessful expeditions to Cadiz and the Isle
of Rhe are mentioned; the sending of ships to France for the suppression
of the Hugonots; the forced loans; the illegal confinement of men
for not obeying illegal commands; the violent dissolution of four
parliaments; the arbitrary government which always succeeded; the
questioning, fining, and imprisoning of members for their conduct in
the house; the levying of taxes without consent of the commons; the
introducing of superstitious innovations into the church, without
authority of law: in short, every thing which, either with or without
reason, had given offence during the course of fifteen years, from the
accession of the king to the calling of the present parliament. And
though all these grievances had been already redressed, and even laws
enacted for future security against their return, the praise of these
advantages was ascribed, not to the king, but to the parliament, who had
extorted his consent to such salutary statutes. Their own merits too,
they asserted, towards the king, were no less eminent than towards the
people. Thou