rs who were accused to withdraw. They went out just before the
king came in. The king advanced to the speaker's chair, took his seat,
and made the following address.

"Gentlemen,--I am sorry for this occasion of coming unto you.
Yesterday I sent a Sergeant at Arms upon a very important
occasion to apprehend some that by my Command were accused of
High Treason; whereunto I did expect Obedience and not a message.
And I must declare unto you here, that albeit no king that ever
was in England shall be more careful of your Privileges, to
maintain them to the uttermost of his Power, than I shall be; yet
you must know that in cases of Treason no Person hath a
Privilege; and therefore I am come to know if any of those
Persons that were accused are here. For I must tell you,
Gentlemen, that so long as these Persons that I have accused (for
no slight Crime, but for Treason) are here, I can not expect that
this House will be in the right way that I do heartily wish it.
Therefore I am come to tell you that I must have them wherever I
find them."

After looking around, and finding that the members in question were
not in the hall, he continued:

"Well! since I see the Birds are flown, I do expect from you that
you shall send them unto me as soon as they return hither. But I
assure you, on the Word of a King, I never did intend any Force,
but shall proceed against them in a legal and fair way, for I
never meant any other.

"I will trouble you no more, but tell you I do expect, as soon as
they come to the House, you will send them to me, otherwise I
must take my own course to find them."

The king's coming thus into the House of Commons, and demanding in
person that they should act according to his instructions, was a very
extraordinary circumstance--perhaps unparalleled in English history.
It produced the greatest excitement. When he had finished his address,
he turned to the speaker and asked him where those men were. He had
his guard ready at the door to seize them. It is difficult for us, in
this country, to understand fully to how severe a test this sudden
question put the presence of mind and courage of the speaker; for we
can not realize the profound and awful deference which was felt in
those days for the command of a king. The speaker gained great
applause for the manner in which he stood the trial. He fell