etter bred, but equally unjust, severe, and inflexible.
By their knowledge in law, these men were qualified to pervert the
forms of justice to the oppression of the innocent; and the formidable
authority of the king supported them in all their iniquities.

It was their usual practice, at first, to observe so far the appearance
of law as to give indictments to those whom they intended to oppress;
upon which the persons were committed to prison, but never brought to
trial; and were at length obliged, in order to recover their liberty,
to pay heavy fines and ransoms, which were called mitigations and
compositions. By degrees, the very appearance of law was neglected: the
two ministers sent forth their precepts to attach men, and summon them
before themselves and some others, at their private houses, in a court
of commission, where, in a summary manner, without trial or jury,
arbitrary decrees were issued, both in pleas of the crown and
controversies between private parties. Juries themselves, when summoned,
proved but small security to the subject; being browbeaten by these
oppressors; nay, fined, imprisoned, and punished, if they gave sentence
against the inclination of the ministers The whole system of the feudal
law, which still prevailed, was turned into a scheme of oppression. Even
the king's wards, after they came of age, were not suffered to enter
into possession of their lands without paying exorbitant fines. Men
were also harassed with informations of intrusion upon scarce colorable
titles. When an outlawry in a personal action was issued against any
man, he was not allowed to purchase his charter of pardon, except on the
payment of a great sum; and if he refused the composition required of
him, the strict law, which in such cases allows forfeiture of goods, was
rigorously insisted on. Nay, without any color of law, the half of men's
lands and rents were seized during two years, as a penalty in case of
outlawry. But the chief means of oppression employed by these ministers
were the penal statutes, which, without consideration of rank, quality,
or services, were rigidly put in execution against all men: spies,
informers, and inquisitors were rewarded and encouraged in every quarter
of the kingdom: and no difference was made, whether the statute were
beneficial or hurtful, recent or obsolete, possible or impossible to be
executed. The sole end of the king and his ministers was to amass money,
and bring every one unde