XI. 1649. Actions of the young duke of Bucking that amount. The gift thus bestowed was taken CHAP. from the estate of the duke of Buckingham. George Villiers, second duke of Buckingham, was the son of the celebrated favourite of James the First, upon whom that monarch had heaped honours and lands almost without a precedent. He ham. was only nineteen months old when his father was assassinated; and of consequence the value of his property had accumulated during a long minority. When he came of age in 1648, he was perhaps the richest subject in the kingdom. In that year, and just at the time of the breaking out of the second civil war, he returned home from his travels on the continent. And, being indebted for the high situation in which he stood to the favour of James the First and Charles the First, and formed by his talents and accomplishments in a peculiar degree to adorn a court, he naturally fell, immediately on his arrival, into the party of the unhappy sovereign. He raised an insurrection in the county of Surry, which was as soon suppressed but was himself fortunate enough to escape to the continent, where he immediately joined the prince of Wales, and from that time became a member of his court". The parliament appears to have regarded this Forbearnobleman, probably on account of his youth, with which he is ance with III. 1649. BOOK unusual indulgence. His property had been sequestered; but in 1647 the sequestration was discharged; and, when he returned this bounty of the parliament by appearing in arms against them, the house of lords still voted that fourteen days should be given him, in which time if he came in, and engaged never more to take up arms against them, he should be indemnified for the past". Again, when, six weeks after the death of the king, the number of persons was voted who should be banished, and their estates confiscated, for adhering to his cause, the duke of Buckingham's name was last inserted, not being in the list furnished by the committee appointed to fix on the delinquents *. Part of his estates bestowed on Fairfax. But all this forbearance was thrown away upon this nobleman. He resolved at whatever young sacrifice to remain faithful to his exiled sovereign; and of consequence, when the question of the manors to be settled on Fairfax came under consideration, the estates of the duke of Buckingham invitingly offered themselves for acceptance. The principal town residence of his father had been York House, situate on the ground now occupied by Buckingham Street and Villiers Street in the Strand, and this among the rest was secured to Fairfax by the present act. XI. 1649. 2. Brad The next person whose merits towards the CHAP. public fell under the consideration of parliament, was Bradshaw, lord president of the council of state. They resolved to settle on him lands to shaw. the amount of two thousand pounds per annum2. The act for that purpose was passed on the fifteenth of August. And further to compensate him for the loss of a lucrative profession, it was resolved to bestow on him the office of chancellor of the dutchy of Lancasterb. It is reasonable to infer from these measures, that neither he nor any other member enjoyed any salary in the capacity of counsellor of state. Bradshaw by his office was in some measure the first man in the nation. He was to receive foreign ambassadors, and to represent in his person upon occasions of public solemnity the executive government of the commonwealth of England. Marten. Another distinguished statesman, whose case 3. Henry went hand in hand with that of Bradshaw, was Henry Marten. He presented a petition to the parliament, representing the arrears due to him as a colonel in the army, and the losses he had otherwise sustained in the service of the public, as well as the sums of money disbursed by him in that service. It was in consequence resolved that lands to the amount of one thousand pounds III. 1649. BOOK per annum should be settled on him, and the act to that effect was passed on the same day with the act in favour of Bradshaw. The provision not being found to reach the value proposed, a supplemental act in behalf of Marten was passed on the twenty-eighth of Septemberf. 4. Skippon. 5. Lambert. General Skippon, whose name has so often occurred in the history of the civil war, was not forgotten on this occasion, and a provision of one thousand pounds per annum was voted in his favours. This provision however was not finally clothed with the forms of a law till two years later. The only other name I find in the Journals of a person who at this time received an estate of inheritance from the gift of the parliament, is Lambert. His provision was limited to three hundred pounds per annumi; and it was invested with the character of a law about twelve months after the time at which it was originally voted. 187 CHAPTER XII. ACT FOR REORGANIZING A HIGH COURT OF JUS- XII. 1650. Consequence of the acquit tal of Lilburne. THE acquittal of Lilburne was attended with one CHAP. memorable effect. It served as an instance impressing on the present rulers the opinion, that the government must place no reliance on juries for the trial of political offences. This was perhaps the inevitable consequence of the situation of the people of England, where a government was carried on, however ably and successfully administered, and however virtuous might be the dispositions of those who conducted it, which had not the approbation and support of the majority of its subjects. The parliament endeavoured to meet this difficulty, as they manfully endeavoured to provide for all the difficulties that surrounded them. They had no other resource, than in the re- Act for repeated institution of that which they had already a high court organising of justice. |