1621]

OPPOSITION OF PARLIAMENT

But James

interfere.

603

other hand, Spain contrived to keep together the whole power of her house and the friendship of her chief allies. With regard to his son-in-law, James had refused to interfere refuses to in the main issue, as he himself said, "for conscience, because it was unlawful to dethrone a king on religious grounds; for honour, because the Elector had sought, but not followed his advice ; for example, because he liked not that subjects should dethrone their king." But he consented to send a small and inefficient army for the protection of Frederick's hereditary dominions. His real policy, however, rested upon the hope, which nothing but an overweening belief in his own position could have inspired, that, once allied with Spain, that country would join with him in mediating a peace. He thus looked calmly on, busied in his idle negotiations, while the battle of Prague drove the Elector from his new-won kingdom, and the Spanish army, under Spinola, possessed itself step by step of the Palatinate.

Takes advan

tage of the popular feeling Parliament.

to call a

1621.

It nevertheless seemed to him desirable to turn the popular excitement to account; he therefore summoned a Parliament, hoping that it would grant him supplies for the defence of his son-inlaw's dominions, and that the visible agreement between himself and his people would improve his position with regard to Spain. His expectations were not answered, though in his opening speech he apologized for his conduct to his last Parliament. "In my last Parliament," said he, "there was a kind of beast called undertakers, a dozen of whom undertook to govern my Parliament, and they led me." The Commons would not be enticed away from their chief object. Two subsidies were indeed granted, but the House then at once proceeded to draw up a petition against any alleviation of the penal laws against Catholics. Under the direction of Sir Edward Coke they then proceeded to attack the chief monopolists, Sir Giles Momplesson and Sir Francis Mitchell, not only because monopolies were in themselves odious, but because they denied the power of the Crown to grant them. They flew even at higher game, and Lord Bacon, who had been Lord Chancellor since 1617, with the title first of Lord Verulam, and afterwards of Lord St. Albans, was impeached for taking bribes. It was not the love of judicial purity alone which urged the Commons. Throughout the quarrel between the equity courts and the common Their time law courts, which, as we have seen, involved the question impeachment of royal prerogative, Bacon had systematically upheld the of Bacon. royal claims. This conduct had been dictated, not probably by a

spent in the

mean love of power, but from an opinion that constitutional questions require to be judged from a higher and more political point of view than that afforded by technical law, and that that point of view was more likely to be occupied by the Chancellor, who was a great political officer, than by the judges, who were mere lawyers. The charges against him, which were very heavy, were unfortunately but too well grounded, no less than twenty-two instances in which he had received bribes were fully made out. He pleaded guilty-only alleging in excuse that the course of justice had never been influenced by them-was removed from his office, and heavily fined. Having finished these domestic questions, the House was proceeding to take note of foreign affairs. But its view was very different from that of the King; it was desirous that the country should act immediately and energetically in the interests of the Protestants abroad. The King regarded the discussion of international relations as trenching on his prerogative, and adjourned the House. During the recess he did not improve his position with regard to the Commons. He indeed reformed some abuses, but he did haviour during this by proclamation, one of those assertions of

James's be

the recess,

preroga

tive of which they were very jealous. He issued a second proclamation, forbidding all men to speak of state affairs. He appointed Williams, a clergyman whom he raised to the rank of Bishop of Lincoln, and who was a creature of Buckingham's, to the position of Lord Keeper, while the futility of his negotiations became evident when the Palatinate was transferred to the Elector of Bavaria. The Parliament therefore when it met in November was more

makes them more angry. They protest

angry than before. It renewed its protest against against priests. priests and Jesuits, and begged that the Prince might be married to a Protestant. A long and angry dispute ensued, which terminated in a strong protest, in which the Commons declared that their privileges were not the gift of the Crown but the natural birthright of English subjects, and that matters of public interest were within their province. This protest so angered the King that he tore it from the record with his own hand, and at once dissolved the Parliament. The dissolution was followed by the usual acts of vengeance. The most prominent of the opposition, the Lords Oxford and Southampton, with the Commoners Philip, Pym, Coke, and Malary, were imprisoned.

Parliament

dissolved

in anger.

Jan. 1622.

The old course was then pursued. Digby, afterwards Lord Bristol, was sent on the death of Philip III. to conclude, if possible, the Spanish match, and nothing of importance was done for the Palatinate. But at the same time it was

Negotiations for Spanish match continued.

1623]

THE SPANISH MATCH

Buckingham go to Spain.

1623.

605

evident, that while English troops were garrisoning the fortresses there, and the troops of the League were gradually conquering the province, the completion of the match would be impossible. James insisted on the restoration of his son-in-law's dominions as a necessary preliminary to the marriage. He promised that if that step were taken he would himself join his troops with the Spaniards against their enemies. But while trusting to these idle negotiations, the troops of the League were gradually driving the English from all their strong posts; and upon the King's complaints, he was told that this conquest was in fact necessary before the Palatinate could be restored. It was then that, rather than give up the match entirely, the King, Prince, and Buckingham, hit upon the strange expedient of a personal visit on the part of Charles to the Court of Charles and Spain. For some time all went well; they met with a most flattering reception, and articles securing the perfect freedom of worship for the Infanta, together with the custody of her children till the age of ten, and a private promise that the worship of the Catholics should be tolerated at least in their own houses, were accepted, and sworn to both by King and Prince. But the behaviour of Buckingham, now raised to the rank of Duke, and as the Spaniards thought indecorously familiar with the Prince, rendered him very distasteful at Madrid. Besides this, he quarrelled completely with Olivarez, the all-powerful minister. He determined to break off the match, to secure which Bristol, the authorized ambassador, was in the meanwhile using his best endeavours. Afraid of that nobleman's influence in England, he returned thither, and persuaded the King to introduce what had hitherto not been mentioned, a clause in the treaty securing the Palatinate. The production of this new claim, after the preparations for the marriage had already The match been made, was regarded by the Spanish King as such broken off. an insult that he refused to proceed any further in the matter.

Buckingham at once rose to a high place in the popular esteem. He was credited with all virtues for having broken off Buckingham's the hated alliance. He allied himself with all the popularity. popular leaders, and at his instigation a new Parliament was summoned. He appeared before both Houses with the Prince standing by his side to support his story, and there gave his version of what had happened in Madrid. Although Bristol's friends and the Spanish ambassador accused him of want of veracity in his account, the Parliament believed him. The policy of Government was suddenly changed. A match was set on foot between Charles and

the French Princess Henrietta Maria. The Parliament voted fresh subsidies and three-fifteenths, and Mansfeld, the Protestant general, Death of James. was allowed to raise 12,000 troops in England. In the midst of this sudden change of scene, and while the marriage was yet uncompleted, James died.

1625.

Scotland.

In following the course of English history it must not be forgotten that the King of England was now King also of Scotland and of Ireland. In both those countries events of some importance had happened during the reign. In Ireland James had shown some of that political wisdom which was mingled so strangely with his folly; in his own country he had acted as foolishly and as arbitrarily as in England. Enamoured of the Church of England, which had so readily accepted his claims to Divine right, and had received him in so humble a spirit, he had adopted the maxim, "no Bishop, no King." He determined, therefore, to introduce Episcopacy into Scotland. As early as 1606, he had induced the

James tries to introduce Episcopacy. 1606.

Authorized by the Estates. 1612.

Estates to order the restoration of Bishops. At first this made little practical difference. The Bishops worked only as parish priests in the diocese to which they were appointed. In 1610, the Church was re-organized, but even then the Presbyterian system was in a great degree preserved. The General Assembly of the Church was allowed to exist, but distinctly under the authorization of the Crown. Provincial synods were also continued, but the Bishops became their permanent presidents. It was observed, also, that there was no room left for the lesser assemblies, called presbyteries. Matters which had hitherto been in their hands were now referred to the Bishops. In this mitigated form, Episcopacy was, in 1612, authorized by the Estates. The real difficulty which met the King was the endowment of the bishoprics. The Church property had been secularized, and could not be regained from the lay-holders. For many years the Bishops continually complained of their poverty. It was not till the year 1616, when James visited Scotland in person, that the full meaning of the change became obvious. The eyes of the citizens of Edinburgh were then shocked by the ornaments lavished on the Chapel of Holyrood, and the performances of the showy ceremonies of the English Church. Deans and chapters were also re-established. Bishops were ordered henceforward to be re-elected in the English fashion, by a royal congé d'élire, and the law was brought in, asserting that "whatsoever his Majesty should determine in the external government of the Church, by the advice

1625]

EPISCOPACY IN SCOTLAND

607

of the Bishops and a competent number of ministers, should have the strength of law." The Presbyterians, who said "that this was like to cut the cords of the remanent liberties of their Kirk," protested, and the protesters were punished.

by the Five

Articles of

Perth.

1621.

The King's assault upon the Presbyterian system was completed when, in 1621, the Estates ratified the Five Articles Anger excited which had already been carried in the General Assembly at Perth. These Five Articles introduced innovations very distasteful to the Scotch. The Presbyterians, who had always given exclusive prominence to the social character of the Lord's Supper, regarding it as a meal to be taken in common, as a sign of communion, and who therefore received it sitting, were now obliged to receive it on their knees. It was also allowed to be given in private houses, which was again opposed to their view of its public and social nature. Private baptism was allowed, and that rite thus rendered a sort of process to be carried out between the priest and the person baptized, rather than the public reception by the Church of the baptized person. Episcopal confirmation was ordered, and what was perhaps the greatest grievance of all, especially when taken in connection with the recent relaxation of the observance of the Sabbath in England, the observance of the five great Church holydays was enjoined. It was not without much difficulty that obedience to these ordinances was obtained. The rising influence of Laud is visible in these enactments. As the King's chaplain, he had already succeeded in persuading James to accept the Arminian rather than the Calvinistic view of grace and free-will, although, earlier in his life, James had been so eager a Calvinist that he had persuaded the Dutch to persecute and expel their Arminian teachers, and had even, as late as 1618, been instrumental in securing the death of Barnevelt, the patriotic grand pensionary of Holland, for his heretical views. Before the close of the reign, Laud, at the instigation of Lord Keeper Williams, had been made Bishop of St. David's.

In Ireland the King had succeeded in a great degree in carrying out those plans of colonization in which Elizabeth had Scotch colonies failed, and had planted or colonized with Scotch in Ireland. Protestants a considerable portion of the province of Ulster. This subject will be more fully mentioned, when Ireland comes more prominently forward, in the next reign.