FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67  
68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   >>  
be three of them. Here, in Jersey, where there is but one organ of Government--I mean the States--we may have labour, but we have none of these confusions. But in England, look you--" "If it were as you suppose," cried Nicholas, "the King must needs ride before and the Parliament behind. But let me hear more of Mr. Prynne. Barring his sourness in regard of stage-plays and Bishops--which seemed strangely coupled in his mind--he was ever a wise and moderate man." "Marry," replied Carteret, "I will show you what he hath writ. He would persuade us--I will be plain with you--to send Charles packing, and to yield ourselves wholly to the present Government in England. He argues that might is right, and that it is to that a weak state like ours must needs bow;--Here be your three organs of Government--or rather were--yet one hath ever the last word, the casting vote; and that it is which in very truth governs: the others are but baubles. For, put case it were otherwise, then how would it fare with the public weal when one organ says, 'This shall be so, while another saith, 'Nay, but it shall be _so_;' and a third perhaps is divided. It is put to the touch, as hath been lately seen in this nation, where the King came forth on one side with his cavaliers, followed by tapsters, serving-men and clodhoppers; officers and men for the most part broken in fortune, debauched in body and mind. Against him were ranged the citizens, the gentry, many even of the lords and the sober well-informed part of the yeomen. Your Royal tapsters are scattered in almost every encounter, your King is taken, dethroned, slain. Where be then your joint-organs, your paper-balance? Is it not the merest audit of a bankrupt's books?' So far Mr. Prynne, of whose wisdom you perhaps will make short work." "I do not say that he is wrong," answered the Secretary, with a puzzled look. "I must own that we are beaten for the nonce. And it may be that if we were uppermost we should equally destroy the balance. But who will judge a man's constitution by the symptoms of calenture? The nation is sick, yet it is not like to die." "My faith!" said Sir George, after a brief pause of reflection, "I think thou must be right, Sir Edward. This present condition of things cannot endure: but England will not die. When once men are earnestly disposed upon a way of reconciliation there must be give-and-take on either side until we get to work again. Mr. Prynne's own tyranny, t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67  
68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   >>  



Top keywords:

Prynne

 

England

 

Government

 

tapsters

 

balance

 

present

 

nation

 

organs

 

bankrupt

 

merest


wisdom

 

answered

 

Jersey

 

gentry

 

Against

 

ranged

 

citizens

 

informed

 
yeomen
 

dethroned


Secretary

 
encounter
 

scattered

 

beaten

 

endure

 

earnestly

 

things

 

Edward

 

condition

 
disposed

tyranny
 

reconciliation

 

reflection

 

equally

 
destroy
 
uppermost
 
constitution
 

symptoms

 
George
 

calenture


puzzled

 

argues

 

packing

 

wholly

 

Parliament

 

casting

 

Charles

 

replied

 

Carteret

 

moderate