it underwent during the reign of Charles.[v]

A commission was granted for compounding with such as were possessed of
crown lands upon defective titles; and on this pretence some money was
exacted from the people.[v*]

There was a law of Edward II.,[v**] that whoever was possessed of twenty
pounds a year in land, should be obliged, when summoned, to appear and
to receive the order of knighthood. Twenty pounds at that time, partly
by the change of denomination, partly by that in the value of money,
were equivalent to two hundred in the seventeenth century; and it seemed
just that the king should not strictly insist on the letter of the law,
and oblige people of so small revenue to accept of that expensive honor.
Edward VI,[v***] and Queen Elizabeth,[v****] who had both of them made
use of this expedient for raising money, had summoned only those who
were possessed of forty pounds a year and upwards to receive knighthood,
or compound for their neglect; and Charles imitated their example, in
granting the same indulgence.

* Clarendon, vol. i. p. 4. May, p. 14.

** Rush. vol. ii. p. 8. May, p. 16.

*** Rush. vol. ii. p. 9.

**** Rush. vol. ii. p. 10.

v Rush. vol. ii. p. 11, 12, 13, 247.

v* Rush. vol. ii: p. 49.

v** Statutum de militibus.

v*** Rymer, tom. xv. p. 124.

v**** Rymer, tom. xv. p. 493, 504.

Commissioners were appointed for fixing the rates of composition; and
instructions were given to these commissioners not to accept of a less
sum than would have been due by the party upon a tax of three subsidies
and a half.[*] Nothing proves more plainly how ill disposed the people
were to the measures of the crown, than to observe that they loudly
complained of an expedient founded on positive statute, and warranted
by such recent precedents. The law was pretended to be obsolete; though
only one reign had intervened since the last execution of it.

Barnard, lecturer of St. Sepulchre's, London, used this expression in
his prayer before sermon: "Lord, open the eyes of the queen's majesty,
that she may see Jesus Christ, whom she has pierced with her infidelity,
superstition, and idolatry." He was questioned in the high commission
court for this insult on the queen; but, upon his submission,
dismissed.[**] Leighton, who had written libels against the king, the
queen, the bishops, and the whole administration, was condemned by
a very severe, if not a cru