of Lords, the Commons being summoned to
attend. In this case, however, the king attended in person. He was
dressed magnificently in his royal robes, and wore his crown. He would
not deign, however, to send for the Commons. He entered the House of
Peers, and took his seat upon the throne. Several of the Commons,
however, came in of their own accord, and stood below the bar, at the
usual place assigned them. The king then rose and read the following
speech. The antiquity of the language gives it an air of quaintness
now which it did not possess then.

"My Lords,--I never came here upon so unpleasant an occasion, it
being the Dissolution of a Parliament. Therefore Men may have
some cause to wonder why I should not rather chuse to do this by
Commission, it being a general Maxim of Kings to leave harsh
Commands to their Ministers, Themselves only executing pleasing
things. Yet considering that Justice as well consists in Reward
and Praise of Virtue as Punishing of Vice, I thought it necessary
to come here to-day, and to declare to you and all the World,
that it was merely the undutiful and seditious Carriage in the
Lower House that hath made the dissolution of this Parliament.
And you, my Lords, are so far from being any Causers of it, that
I take as much comfort in your dutiful Demeanour, as I am justly
distasted with their Proceedings. Yet, to avoid their Mistakings,
let me tell you, that it is so far from me to adjudge all the
House alike guilty, that I know there are many there as dutiful
subjects as any in the World it being but some few Vipers among
them that did cast this mist of Undutifulness over most of their
Eyes. Yet to say Truth, there was good Number there that could
not be infected with this Contagion.

"To conclude, As those Vipers must look for their Reward of
Punishment, so you, my Lords, may justly expect from me that
Favor and Protection that a good King oweth to his loving and
faithful Nobility. And now, my Lord Keeper, do what I have
commanded you."

Then the lord keeper pronounced the Parliament dissolved. The lord
keeper was the keeper of the great seal, one of the highest officers
of the crown.

Of course this affair produced a fever of excitement against the king
throughout the whole realm. This excitement was kept up and increased
by the trials of the members of Parliament w