Presidentship of York. He became the most ardent supporter of the Petition of Rights. He was insulted by Buckingham. He revenged, in an instant and remarkable manner, the insult. It was speedily atoned, and as speedily forgiven; and then Wentworth is before us with a cloud of eloquent words, attempting to evaporate, or pour some haze round, an apparent burst of indignant eloquence, when he found himself on a previous night in company with the great voices of the defenders of the people. It is a picture on which we like to look-these two unquestionably foremost men of their parties, Eliot and Wentworth, in their famous duel. Eliot rose immediately with ease, to measure himself with his formidable antagonist. In a noble speech, he appealed to Wentworth against Wentworth. There was no man in the House better fitted to appreciate the singular dignity and grandeur of Eliot's spirit than this dark, majestic complotter against the liberties of England. Eliot printed himself ineffaceably on Wentworth's mind; and twelve years later, when the mesh was almost woven, he nerved himself for conflict-when Eliot was all dust beneath the Tower Green, and hours of danger were leaping rapidly upon himself-by calling up the image of his old antagonist; and no finer tribute was offered to the memory of Eliot than Wentworth uttered when he said, "Sound or lame, I shall be with you before the beginning of Parliament. I should not fail, though Sir John Eliot were living" In the discussion on which we are now looking, Eliot obtained an easy victory over the dark, ambitious man, whose day was hastening on, though not yet come. As we read the story of his life, it stirs feelings of pride for our country, and homage for the men who have glorified and adorned it. We must pass over the strong language and persistent remonstrances to the king on the conduct of his minister. The report of the Committee of Trade was a lamentable one. The losses by pirates continued to be amazing; two hundred and forty-eight ships, of a hundred tons and upwards, had been seized and lost between Dover and Newcastle. Seamen were wronged by inadequate wages and uncertain payment, and the want of hospitals for their reception was shown. As the events drive forward through the House, what scenes those are which meet us-a whole House in tears, and such a House! Not a congregation of weak, feeble minds, but strong sagacious lawyers, daring, resolute men, all aghast at the desolation falling on the country. Speeches were interdicted by messages from the king, until at last, in response to a speech of the octogenarian Sir Edward Coke, that "the author of all these miseries was the Duke of Buckingham," strange shouts arose on every side, and a loud cry was heard of "The Duke, the Duke! 'tis he, 'tis he!" In the midst of all, while Eliot was engaged in unwebbing the abominations and the intricacies of the Court, death served his adversaries a good turn. A heavy calamity fell upon Eliot. We read on Friday, June 20th, in the Commons' Journal, a notice, "Sir John Eliot, in respect of the death of his wife, has leave to go down into the country;" and the impeachment of the great national foe was set aside by another unexpected circumstance, too, on the 23rd of August, this 1628. A man went into "the church which stood by the conduit in Fleet Street," and left his name to be prayed for on the Sunday following, as a man disordered in his mind; then he went to a cutler's shop on Tower Hill, and bought a tenpenny dagger-knife, and upon a paper which he pinned to the lining of his hat he wrote the name "John Felton," afterwards the assassin of Buckingham, and these words : "That man is cowardly, base, and deserveth not the name of a gentleman or soldier, that is not willinge to sacrifice his life for the honor of his God, his kinge, and his countrie. Lett noe man commend me for doinge of it, but rather discommend themselves as the cause of it, for if God had not taken away our hearts for our sinnes, he would not have gone so longe unpunished." worse. We shall soon be with Eliot in his last scenes. He arrived in London for the last time on the 30th of December, 1628. Things were getting worse and We come at last to the scene of the 29th of March, 1629; then Eliot made his last speech. Although the Speaker had the king's command for adjournment, Eliot continued to speak, Denzil, Holles, and Valentine meantime holding the Speaker in his chair. Amidst gathering excitement, he presented the Declaration drawn up by the Committee of Trade; the Speaker refused to receive it, the clerk refused to read it. Against the call of the most distinguished members, the Speaker still refused. Still the Declaration was eventually read and put to the vote, and the House was in an uproar. In the history of the House of Commons, the scene which was now acting stands upon the pages of our great national story as not only one of the most exciting and memorable, but one of the most important. Eliot stands out as the chief actor in that great scene. A messenger from the king came down to the House, but sought in vain to obtain an entrance; amidst the din Eliot's voice rose clear, firm, and strong; he carried the Declaration by a vast majority; amidst the repeated knockings of the Black Rod seeking admittance at the door, and with prophetic pathos, he said, “As for myself, I further protest, as I am a gentleman, if my fortune be ever again to meet in this honourable assembly, where I now leave I will begin again anew." A shout of assent carried the Declaration against all illegal taxation, and against all innovations in the religion. of the State. Then the doors were opened, and the members rushed out, carrying away with them the king's officers who were standing and waiting for admission. It was the last time Eliot appeared in Parliament. The next day he was a close prisoner in the Tower, and from the grip of Charles he never escaped again alive. There was not another Parlia ment for eleven years. |