is involved in the obscurity. The
king's speech was on the _eleventh_ of May. As Rushworth has not
furnished dates, it would seem that the two orators had been sent to
the Tower _before the king's speech_ to the lords.

[290] The king attended the House of Lords to explain his intentions
verbally, taking the minister with him, though under impeachment.
"Touching the matters against him," said the king, "I myself can be
a witness to clear him in every one of them."

[291] They decided on stopping all business till satisfaction was
given them, which ended in the release of Digges and Eliot in a few
days.

[292] Frankland, an inveterate royalist, in copying Rushworth, inserts
"their _pretended_ liberties;" exactly the style of catholic writers
when they mention protestantism by "la religion _pretendue
reformee_." All party writers use the same style!

[293] The strength of the popular hatred may be seen in the articles
on Buckingham and Felton in vol. ii. Satires in manuscript abounded,
and by their broad-spoken pungency rendered the duke a perfect _bete
noir_ to the people.

[294] Manuscript letter.

[295] Rushworth, i. 400. Hume, vi. 221, who enters widely into the
views and feelings of Charles.

[296] The Radicals of that day differed from ours in the means,
though not in the end. They at least referred to their Bibles, and
rather more than was required; but superstition is as mad as
atheism! Many of the puritans confused their brains with the study
of the Revelations; believing Prince Henry to be prefigured in the
Apocalypse, some prophesied that he should overthrow "the beast."
Ball, our tailor, was this very prophet; and was so honest as to
believe in his own prophecy. Osborn tells, that Ball put out money
on adventure; _i.e._, to receive it back double or treble, when
King James should be elected pope! So that though he had no money
for a loan, he had to spare for a prophecy.

This Ball has been confounded with a more ancient radical, Ball, a
priest, and a principal mover in Wat Tyler's insurrection. Our Ball
must have been very notorious, for Jonson has noticed his "admired
discourses." Mr. Gifford, without any knowledge of my account of
this tailor-prophet, by his active sagacity has rightly indicated
him.--See Jonson's Works, vol. v. p. 241.

[297] It is curious to