ence,
and get every thing ready for the trial. When the time arrived, the
chamber of the House of Peers would be arranged as a court room, or
they would assemble in some other hall more suitable for the purpose,
the prisoner would be brought to the bar, the commissioners on the
part of the Commons would appear with their documents and their
evidence, persons of distinction would assemble to listen to the
proceedings, and the trial would go on.

It was in accordance with this routine that the Commons commenced
proceedings against the Earl of Strafford, very soon after the opening
of the session, by appointing a committee to inquire whether there was
any just cause to accuse him of treason. The committee reported to the
House that there was just cause. The House then appointed a messenger
to go to the House of Lords, saying that they had found that there was
just cause to accuse the Earl of Strafford of high treason, and to
ask that they would sequester him from the House, as the phrase was,
and hold him in custody till they could prepare the charges and the
evidence against him. All these proceedings were in secret session, in
order that Strafford might not get warning and fly. The Commons then
nearly all accompanied their messenger to the House of Lords, to show
how much in earnest they were. The Lords complied with the request.
They caused the earl to be arrested and committed to the charge of the
_usher of the black rod_, and sent two officers to the Commons to
inform them that they had done so.

The usher of the black rod is a very important officer of the House of
Lords. He is a sort of sheriff, to execute the various behests of the
House, having officers to serve under him for this purpose. The badge
of his office has been, for centuries, a black rod with a golden lion
at the upper end, which is borne before him as the emblem of his
authority. A peer of the realm, when charged with treason, is
committed to the custody of this officer. In this case he took the
Earl of Strafford under his charge, and kept him at his house,
properly guarded. The Commons went on preparing the articles of
impeachment.

This was in November. During the winter following the parties
struggled one against another, Laud doing all in his power to
strengthen the position of the king, and to avert the dangers which
threatened himself and Strafford. The animosity, however, which was
felt against him, was steadily increasing. The House of Com