directions have
been pursued by your General Court, the further consideration of the
remaining particulars having been put off upon insufficient pretences,
and even wholly neglecting your appointment of other agents which were
required to be sent over unto us within six months after the receipt of
our said letters, with full instructions to attend our Royal pleasure
herein in relation to that our Government."

Among other matters, the King "strictly commanded and required" them,
"as they tendered their allegiance," to despatch such agents within
three months after their reception of the order, and with full powers to
satisfy his Majesty on the subjects of complaint; and "he ended the
letter," says Mr. Palfrey, "with a very definite injunction:"

"That the due observance of all our commands above mentioned may not be
any longer protracted, we require you, upon receipt thereof, forthwith
to call a General Court, and therein to read these our letters and
provide for our speedy satisfaction, and in default thereof we shall
take the most effectual means to procure the same. And so we bid you
farewell."[167]

This letter led to the calling of a "Special General Court," January,
1681, in which very protracted debates ensued on the revision of the
laws, so long delayed, and the election of agents to England according
to the King's command. Samuel Nowell and John Richards were elected
agents to England, but were restricted by instructions which forbade
conceding anything from their original Charter pretensions, and
therefore rendered their agency an insult to the Government and the
King, and hastened the catastrophe which they so much dreaded, the
cancelling of their Charter.

In the meantime, to appease the displeasure of the Crown, they passed
several Acts which had the appearance of obedience to the Royal
commands, but which they were careful not to carry into effect.[168] I
will give two or three examples.

They enacted "that the Acts of Trade and Navigation should be forthwith
proclaimed in the market-place of Boston by beat of drum, and that all
clauses in said Acts relating to this Plantation should be strictly
taken notice of and observed." This appears very plausible, and is so
quoted by Dr. Palfrey; but he does not add that care was taken that it
should not be carried into effect. And to accomplish their purposes, and
to assert the subordination of the Royal authority to their own local
authority, "they constitut