and their religion.  And the choice, made in a moment of frantic enthusiasm, might prove to be a choice for life.  As the law then stood, it depended entirely on the King’s pleasure whether, during his reign, the electors should have an opportunity of repairing their error.  Eighteen years passed away.  A new generation grew up.  To the fervid loyalty with which Charles had been welcomed back to Dover succeeded discontent and disaffection.  The general cry was that the kingdom was misgoverned, degraded, given up as a prey to worthless men and more worthless women, that our navy had been found unequal to a contest with Holland, that our independence had been bartered for the gold of France, that our consciences were in danger of being again subjected to the yoke of Rome.  The people had become Roundheads; but the body which alone was authorised to speak in the name of the people was still a body of Cavaliers.  It is true that the King occasionally found even that House of Commons unmanageable.  From the first it had contained not a few true Englishmen; others had been introduced into it as vacancies were made by death; and even the majority, courtly as it was, could not but feel some sympathy with the nation.  A country party grew up and became formidable.  But that party constantly found its exertions frustrated by systematic corruption.  That some members of the legislature received direct bribes was with good reason suspected, but could not be proved.  That the patronage of the Crown was employed on an extensive scale for the purpose of influencing votes was matter of notoriety.  A large proportion of those who gave away the public money in supplies received part of that money back in salaries; and thus was formed a mercenary band on which the Court might, in almost any extremity, confidently rely.

The servility of this Parliament had left a deep impression on the public mind.  It was the general opinion that England ought to be protected against all risk of being ever again represented, during a long course of years, by men who had forfeited her confidence, and who were retained by a fee to vote against her wishes and interests.  The subject was mentioned in the Convention; and some members wished to deal with it while the throne was still vacant.  The cry for reform had ever since been becoming more and more importunate.  The people, heavily pressed by taxes, were naturally disposed to regard those who lived on the taxes with little favour.  The war, it was generally acknowledged, was just and necessary; and war could not be carried on without large expenditure.  But the larger the expenditure which was required for the defence of the nation, the more important it was that nothing should be squandered.  The immense gains of official men moved envy and indignation.  Here a gentleman was paid to do nothing.  There many gentlemen were paid to do what would be better done by one.  The coach, the liveries, the lace cravat and diamond buckles of the placeman were naturally