spoke indeed of grievances, but in terms so respectful as to avoid all offence; and when a member, less guarded than the rest, ventured to call even ShipMoney an abomination,' he narrowly escaped a severe reprehension. But these favourable presages were quickly blasted by the impatience of the court. Offended by the firmness of the Houses, in regard to the proposed substitution of twelve subsidies for that unconstitutional imposition, Charles instantly dissolved the parliament. He repented, indeed, almost immediately of his rashness, and accused Sir Henry Vane (his Treasurer of the Household, and Secretary of State) of having deceived him by the language, which he had employed: but it was then, alas! too late.

He was obliged, therefore, to have recourse to other expedients for raising money, in order to enable himself to march against the Scots; and, appointing the Earl of Northumberland (at that time indisposed) his Generalissimo, he devolved the command upon Strafford, as Lieutenant General, whose distemper still rendered it painful to him to sit on horseback. Strafford joined his troops at Durham, whither they had fled from the enemy; and after irritating them by his bitter and promiscuous animadversions, found himself compelled to abandon the northern counties to the invaders, and to retire with a disgraced and mutinous army within the walls of York.

The tide of his fortune was now rapidly ebbing. His confederate the Marquis of Hamilton disliked

was levied with the same severity; and the same rigour used in Ecclesiastical Courts, without the least compliance with the humour of any man."

him, and he was hated by Lord Holland and Sir Harry Vane, the confidential advisers of the Queen. But his most dangerous adversary at court was the Queen herself, whose influence over her husband was daily becoming more unbounded; and whose inveterate antipathy to Buckingham, now transferred upon Laud, by a natural association included his chief supporter. Poignant were the feelings of Strafford, when he beheld the most important and hazardous measures undertaken without his privity; but with still deeper mortification he discovered that his mor tal enemy, Lord Savile, was employed in carrying on private overtures with the Scots, who regarding the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (to use their own expression) as the chief incendiary,' refused to hold their conferences at York, because it was within his jurisdiction.

Placed however as he was, by his zeal for the royal service, amidst a host of foes, he still determined to persist (as Laud had, previously, exhorted him) in thorough measures.'* But he was no

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* He tells Laud (Letters, II. 250.) that, in his opinion, the Scottish affairs were lost by too great a desire to do things quietly; and that opposition is, at first, easily quashed by vigour :' but, adds he," so long as I do serve, I will thorough by the grace of God, follow after what shall please him to send." He seems, also, to have formed a wrong idea of the King's firmness; unless, perhaps, he thought it necessary to express his sentiments cautiously to a fellow-courtier: "Our master is an excellent horseman, and knows perfectly how to bring to obedience a hard mouth with a sharp bit, where a sweeter will not do it." In another letter to Laud, he speaks of the spirit of the age as a grievous and overspreading leprosy: "Less," he adds, "than thorough will not overcome it. There is a cancerous malignity

longer placed, with discretionary powers, at the head of a separate government. His feeble Sovereign, under the influence of those by whom he was more immediately surrounded, controlled his exertions; and so reverentially was he impressed with the magnificence of titles and dignity, that he could scarcely bring himself to approach them with familiarity, much less to dispute their authority.*

in it, which must be put forth, which long since hath rejected all other means."

"I am confident," he writes to Laud, "that the King being pleased to set himself in the business is able, by his wisdom and ministers, to carry any just and honourable action through all imaginary opposition, for real there can be none: that, to start aside for such panic fears, phantastic apparitions, as a Prynn or an Elliot shall set up, were the meanest folly in the world: that, the debts of the crown taken off, you may govern as you please: and most resolute I am that work may be done, without borrowing any help forth of the King's lodgings; and it is as downright à peccatum ex te Israel as ever was, if all this be not effected with speed and ease." Letters I. 173. Hampden, he thinks, might have been easily reformed by some wholesome chastisement: "Mr. Hampden is a great brother; and the very genius of that nation of people leads them always to oppose, both civilly and ecclesiastically, all that ever authority ordains for them. But in good faith, were they rightly served, they should be whipt home into their right wits; and much beholden they should be to any, that would thoroughly take pains with them in that kind." Wentworth to Laud, Letters, II. 138. Again: "In truth, I still wish Mr. Hampden, and others to his likeness, were well whipt into their senses: and, if that the rod be so used that it smarts not, I am the more sorry. Id. Ib., II. 158.

*This trait of his character was remarkably exemplified in his conduct to Laud. When that Prelate was raised to the primacy, Wentworth discontinued his familiar intercourse with him; and was only induced to resume it by the good-natured raillery of the Archbishop, who assured him, that the Pa-.

Severe trials now awaited his fortitude. On the third of November, 1640, that parliament assembled, which was to witness during it's long continuance the most violent of convulsions. It was composed, in a great measure, of the same individuals as it's predecessor; but their dispositions were considerably changed. If their resentment, observes Macdiarmid, had been raised against their Sovereign by their abrupt dissolution, the imprisonment of members, and the arbitrary methods employed to raise money; their contempt for him had been excited by his subsequent enterprises against the Scots, so weakly prosecuted, so disgracefully relinquished. Still, however, they dreaded the vigour and the talents of Strafford. The popular leaders detested him as a traitor to their cause: the Scots, as the implacable enemy of their nation; and all were alarmed at those abilities, which had laid Ireland prostrate at his feet, and had almost inspired the royal councils with decision. It seemed to them, indeed, that nothing could be achieved, till his destruction was accomplished.

That destruction was, now, rapidly approaching. By the people he was correctly regarded as the chief author of their grievances; and he was singled out as the first victim of their vengeance. Eight days after the opening of the Long Parliament, Mr. Pym, having moved that the doors of the house might be locked and the outer room cleared of strangers,' informed the Commons, that there were several complaints against the Earl of Strafford, which would furnish satisfactory grounds for his impeachment.? The House immediately appointed a Committee of

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lace of Lambeth was occupied by his old friend the Bishop of London,'

seven, who after a short conference reported, that in their opinion there was sufficient cause to im peach the Earl of Strafford.' Upon which, Pym accused his Lordship as the bitterest enemy to the liberties of his country, and the greatest promoter of tyranny, that any age had ever produced.' The resentment of the House being now inflamed to it's highest pitch, it was instantaneously voted, that the Earl of Strafford be immediately impeached of high treason; and that Mr. Pym do carry up the said impeachment to the Lords.'

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He was directed also to inform them, that the Commons would in due time adduce their articles of accusation, and desired that the accused might in the mean time be kept in safe custody. Strafford, who was now in England, had that very day taken his seat in the Upper House. He had been apprised, that a design was formed to attack him: but, whether through pride, or the persuasion that he could shelter his conduct under the royal authority, he slighted the advice, and resolved to attend in his place.

He was now committed by the Lords to the custody of the black-rod, and some days afterward sent to the Tower. His impeachment consisting of twenty-eight articles, respecting his conduct as President of the Council of the North, as Governor of Ireland, and as Commander in Chief and Privy Councillor in England, was prepared. The process against him, however, could not be got ready for trial till the twenty-second of March, 1641.* The trial

* To deprive him of the advice and evidence of his friend Sir George Radcliffe, that officer was committed to the Tower on a