observe that the Westminster elections, in
the fourth year of Charles's reign, were exactly of the same
turbulent character as those which we witness in our days. The duke
had counted by his interest to bring in Sir Robert Pye. The contest
was severe, but accompanied by some of those ludicrous
electioneering scenes which still amuse the mob. Whenever Sir Robert
Pye's party cried--"A Pye! a Pye! a Pye!" the adverse party would
cry--"A pudding! a pudding! a pudding!" and others--"A lie! a lie! a
lie!" This Westminster election of two hundred years ago ended as we
have seen some others; they rejected all who had urged the payment
of the loans; and, passing by such men as Sir Robert Cotton, and
their last representative, they fixed on a brewer and a grocer for
the two members for Westminster.

[298] Extract from a manuscript letter:--"On Friday last I hear, but
as a secret, that it was debated at the council-table whether our
Essex men, who refused to take press-money, should not be punished
by martial-law, and hanged up on the next tree to their dwellings,
for an example of terror to others. My lord keeper, who had been
long silent, when, in conclusion, it came to his course to speak,
told the lords, that as far as he understood the law, _none were
liable to martial law but martial men_. If these had taken
press-money, and afterwards run from their colours, they might then
be punished in that manner; but yet they were no soldiers, and
refused to be. Secondly, he thought a subsidy, new by law, could not
be pressed against his will for a foreign service; it being
supposed, in law, the service of his purse excused that of his
person, unless his own country were in danger; and he appealed to my
lord treasurer, and my lord president, whether it was not so, who
both assented it was so, though some of them faintly, as unwilling
to have been urged to such an answer. So it is thought that
proposition is dashed; and it will be tried what may be done in the
Star-chamber against these refractories."

[299] A member of the house, in James the First's time, called this
race of divines "Spaniels to the court and wolves to the people."
Dr. Mainwaring, Dr. Sibthorpe, and Dean Bargrave were seeking for
ancient precedents to maintain absolute monarchy, and to inculcate
passive obedience. Bargrave had t