who had charged him
L12 per cent.; but in commercial centres Acts of Bankruptcy are seldom
popular, and though the bankers were compelled to be content with L6 per
cent., the closing of the Treasury brought ruin into many homes.

When Parliament met in February 1673, its temper was bad. It would have
nothing to do with the Declaration of Indulgence, and though the king
had told them, in the round set terms he could so well command, that he
was resolved to stick to his declaration, he had to give way and to see
the House busy itself with a Test Bill that drove all Roman Catholics,
from the Duke of York (who had "gone over" in the spring of 1672)
downwards, out of office. The only effect of Charles's policy was to
mitigate the hostility of the House of Commons to Protestant Dissenters,
and to drive it to concentrate its jealousy upon the Catholics. Any
lurking idea of the king declaring himself a Romanist had to be
abandoned. His hatred of Parliament increased. He lost all sense of
shame, and frankly became a pensioner of France. In 1676 he concluded a
second secret treaty, whereby both Louis and himself bound themselves to
enter into no engagements with other powers without consent, and in case
of rebellion within their realms to come to each other's assistance.
Louis agreed to make Charles an annual allowance of a hundred thousand,
afterwards increased to two hundred thousand _livres_. This money was
largely spent in bribing the House of Commons. The French ambassador was
allowed an extra grant of a thousand crowns a month to keep a table for
hungry legislators.[189:1] Did not Marvell do well to be angry?

Some of Marvell's letters belonging to this gloomy period are full of
interest.

_To William Ramsden, Esq._
"_Nov. 28, 1670._

"DEAR WILL,--I need not tell you I am always thinking of you. All
that has happened, which is remarkable, since I wrote, is as
follows: The Lieutenancy of London, chiefly Sterlin the Mayor, and
Sir J. Robinson, alarmed the King continually with the Conventicles
there. So the King sent them strict and large powers. The Duke of
York every Sunday would come over thence to look to the peace. To
say truth, they met in numerous open assemblys, without any dread of
government. But the train bands in the city, and soldiery in
Southwark and suburbs, harassed and abused them continually; they
wounded many, and k