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"would engage his head, that Mr. Attorney should not find in all those archives, a single precedent omitted; and Mr. Littleton further observed, that he had examined them syllabatim, and whoever said they were not faithful spoke falsely *.

To be certain that the copies of precedents were correctly made, the peers, with commendable strictness, appear to have referred to the original records; and, in the course of this reference, to have found some of them were deficient or destroyed. This seems to be a reasonable conclusion; and that with a less praiseworthy desire to blacken the cause of the petitioners, the court party at once promulgated, that Selden was the person who had committed this larceny upon justice; for Sir James Strangeways reported to the House, that as he was going upon business into the Committee Chamber of the House of Lords, some one asked him "If he had heard nothing?" and upon his entering the room, the Earl of Suffolk inquired, whether it was not intended by the House "to hang Selden? for by God he had rased a record, and was worthy to be hanged for it."

Selden immediately replied, "As for erasing records, I hope no man believes I ever did, therefore, I cannot guess what the earl means. I did deliver in whole copies of divers records, examined by myself and several other gentlemen of this House. These I delivered into the

* D'Israeli's Curiosities of Literature, 2nd Series, iii. 428.

House of Lords, and the clerk of the crown brought in the records of his office. I desire that it may be a message from this House to the lords at the bar, to make out a charge against the earl that spoke this, and I hope we shall have justice."

Sir Robert Phillips was directed by the House temperately to require an explanation, and he reported that the earl had openly protested, "upon his honour and soul, he had used no such words." However, Sir Christopher Neville and Mr. Littleton bore direct testimony to the truth of Sir James Strangeways' statement, and they further testified, that the earl said, that Selden endeavoured to divide the king and his people; that the lords ought to join in a petition to the king to have him hanged, and that he would not be in his case for ten thousand pounds. This and other confirmatory evidence, justified the committee in resolving, that, notwithstanding the earl's denial, they were convinced he had brought a most unjust and scandalous charge against Mr. Selden. They concluded by requesting the lords to visit the earl with such punishment as he deserved *. Other more important transactions engaging the attention of parliament, any further proceedings upon this subject seem to have been neglected. The remainder of the session was chiefly occupied in drawing up the Petition of Right. In justifying its various clauses, Selden bore a very efficient part; and it

*Journals of both Houses, in temp.-Parliament. Hist. vii. 451.

would be difficult to find any series of legal arguments more logical, or better supported by authorities, than those which he delivered on this occasion *.

After a series of tedious conferences and debates, the two Houses agreed as to the wording of this celebrated petition. It expresses a desire, that, in conformity with long sanctioned statutes, the people may not be taxed in any form without the consent of Parliament; that no one shall be imprisoned upon warrants that do not specify the offence with which he is charged: that soldiers may not be billeted upon the people against the will of the latter; and that martial law may not be enforced, nor any person be punished, but according to the law of the land.

At the present day we may be inclined to feel surprise that such requests should be made the subjects of so formal a petition, for we live at a happy period in which their denial or infringement is unknown. It was not so during the days of which we are now sketching the events, for the Petition of Right contained a statement of examples of the invasion of all those rights. It requires then no apology; and on other occasions in this anxious and critical struggle, which was to decide the termination or establishment of an absolute monarchy, the parliament may be excused, if they occasionally asked for what was superfluous or even wrong; and we ought to lament that

* Journal of the House of Commons, i. 883, Parliament. Hist. vi. and vii., contain a full report of them.

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