himself felt, but which
he could not communicate:--

"The times are for action: wherefore, for example's sake, I mean not
to spend much time in words! If you, which God forbid, should not do
your duties in contributing what the state at this time needs, I
must, in discharge of my conscience, _use those other means_ which
God hath put into my hands, to save that, which the follies of some
particular men may otherwise hazard to lose." He added, with the
loftiness of ideal majesty--"Take not this as a threatening, for I
scorn to threaten any but my equals; but as an admonition from him,
that, both out of nature and duty, hath most care of your
preservations and prosperities:" and in a more friendly tone he
requested them "To remember a thing to the end that we may forget it.
You may imagine that I come here with a doubt of success, remembering
the distractions of the last meeting; but I assure you that I shall
very easily forget and forgive what is past."

A most crowded house now met, composed of the wealthiest men; for a
lord, who probably considered that property was the true balance of
power, estimated that they were able to buy the upper-house, his majesty
only excepted! The aristocracy of wealth had already begun to be felt.
Some ill omens of the parliament appeared. Sir Robert Philips moved for
a general fast: "we had one for the plague which it pleased God to
deliver us from, and we have now so many plagues of the commonwealth
about his majesty's person, that we have need of such, an act of
humiliation." Sir Edward Coke held it most necessary, "because there
are, I fear, some devils that will not be cast out but by fasting and
prayer."

Many of the speeches in "this great council of the kingdom" are as
admirable pieces of composition as exist in the language. Even the
court-party were moderate, extenuating rather than pleading for the late
necessities. But the evil spirit of party, however veiled, was walking
amidst them all: a letter-writer represents the natural state of
feelings: "Some of the parliament talk desperately; while others, of as
high a course to enforce money if they yield not!" Such is the perpetual
action and reaction of public opinion; when one side will give too
little, the other is sure to desire too much!

The parliament granted subsidies.--Sir John Cooke having brought up the
report to the king, Charles expressed great satisfaction, and declared
t