stifiable and iniquitous, provided it was
plausibly coloured; and these vexatious privileges were purchased by
greedy and unscrupulous persons for the purpose of turning them into
instruments of extortion and wrong. Though various branches of trade and
industry groaned under the oppression inflicted upon them, there were no
means of redress. The patentees enjoyed perfect immunity, grinding them
down as they pleased, farming out whole districts, and dividing the
spoil. Their miserable victims dared scarcely murmur; having ever the
terrible court of Star-Chamber before them, which their persecutors
could command, and which punished libellers--as they would be accounted,
if they gave utterance to their wrongs, and charged their oppressors
with mis-doing,--with fine, branding, and the pillory. Many were handled
in this sort, and held up _in terrorem_ to the others. Hence it came to
pass, that the Star-Chamber, from the fearful nature of its machinery;
its extraordinary powers; the notorious corruption and venality of its
officers; the peculiarity of its practice, which always favoured the
plaintiff; and the severity with which it punished any libelling or
slanderous words uttered against the king's representative (as the
patentees were considered), or any conspiracy or false accusation
brought against them; it came to pass, we say, that this terrible court
became as much dreaded in Protestant England as the Inquisition in
Catholic Spain. The punishments inflicted by the Star-Chamber were, as
we learn from a legal authority, and a counsel in the court, "fine,
imprisonment, loss of ears, or nailing to the pillory, slitting the
nose, branding the forehead, whipping of late days, wearing of papers in
public places, or any punishment but death." And John Chamberlain, Esq.,
writing to Sir Dudley Carlton, about the same period, observes, that
"The world is now much terrified with the Star-Chamber, there being not
so little an offence against any proclamation, but is liable and subject
to the censure of that court. And for proclamations and patents, they
are become so ordinary that there is no end; every day bringing forth
some new project or other. As, within these two days, here is one come
forth for tobacco, wholly engrossed by Sir Thomas Roe and his partners,
which, if they can keep and maintain against the general clamour, will
be a great commodity; unless, peradventure, indignation, rather than all
other reasons, may bring that