f such members as
should vote contrary to the sentiments of the commons:[**] and Pym
said in the lower house, that the people must not be restrained in the
expressions of their just desires.[***]

* Clarendon, vol. ii. p. 449.

** King's Declaration of 12th of August, 1642

*** King's Declaration of 12th August, 1642.

By the flight, or terror, or despondency of the king's party, an
undisputed majority remained everywhere to their opponents; and the
bills sent up by the commons, which had hitherto stopped with the peers,
and would certainly have been rejected, now passed, and were presented
for the royal assent. These were, the pressing bill with its preamble,
and the bill against the votes of the bishops in parliament. The king's
authority was at that time reduced to the lowest ebb. The queen too,
being secretly threatened with an impeachment, and finding no resource
in her husband's protection, was preparing to retire into Holland.
The rage of the people was, on account of her religion, as well as her
spirit and activity, universally levelled against her. Usage the
most contumelious she had hitherto borne with silent indignation. The
commons, in their fury against priests, had seized her very confessor,
nor would they release him upon her repeated applications. Even a
visit of the prince to his mother had been openly complained of, and
remonstrances against it had been presented to her.[*] Apprehensive of
attacks still more violent, she was desirous of facilitating her
escape; and she prevailed with the king to pass these bills, in hopes of
appeasing for a time the rage of the multitude.[**]

These new concessions, however important, the king immediately found to
have no other effect than had all the preceding ones: they were made the
foundation of demands still more exorbitant. From the facility of his
disposition, from the weakness of his situation, the commons believed
that he could now refuse them nothing. And they regarded the least
moment of relaxation in their invasion of royal authority as highly
impolitic, during the uninterrupted torrent of their successes. The very
moment they were informed of these last acquisitions, they affronted the
queen by opening some intercepted letters written to her by Lord Digby:
they carried up an impeachment against Herbert, attorney-general, for
obeying his master's commands in accusing their members.[***] And they
prosecuted with fresh vigor their plan of