Honest fanatics are not necessarily honest men Characteristics of the democratical and of the oligarchical Scottish 274, 275 Assassination of Ascham, the English Parliament's agent in Spain 311, 312 The English Parliament prepares for war with Scotland- Fairfax resigns his command and Cromwell is appointed commander- 313 314-318 319-323 Language of the Presbyterians and Independents to each other. 324, 325 Cromwell's proclamation to his soldiers against plundering, and his 329, 330 Page 2, Note, for Leeds Journals, read Lords' Journals. Page 7, Note 2, 9th line, for Magna Chartas, read Magna Charta. barons and their vassals. But, between the commence- ment of the wars of the Roses, and the commence- ment of the Great Rebellion, a vital change had taken place. At the former time there were, as Raleigh has observed, "many earls who could bring into the field a thousand barbed horses; many a baron five or six hundred barbed horses; whereas now (at the beginning of the 17th century) very few of them can furnish twenty fit to serve the king. The force, therefore, by which our kings in former times were troubled, is vanished away." B HISTORY OF ENGLAND. CHAPTER I. THE political condition of England upon the death of King Charles presented a phenomenon at once anomalous and complicated. It consequently presented to those who were to carry on the English government a practical problem proportionally difficult of solution. In order to furnish even an approximation to an accurate view of the elements that entered into that problem, it will be necessary to place before us the principal elements of the English Government in the early part of the 17th century. The power of the ancient English kings had been limited, not merely by the parchment provisions of the Great Charter, but by the swords of the Anglo-Norman barons and their vassals. But, between the commencement of the wars of the Roses, and the commencement of the Great Rebellion, a vital change had taken place. At the former time there were, as Raleigh has observed, "many earls who could bring into the field a thousand barbed horses; many a baron five or six hundred barbed horses; whereas now (at the beginning of the 17th century) very few of them can furnish twenty fit to serve the king. The force, therefore, by which our kings in former times were troubled, is vanished away.' In the list of the Peers summoned to the Long Parliament, 1 Birch's edition of Raleigh's Works, vol. i. p. 206. B |