176

IIISTOEY OF EKGLAND.

CHAP.

xv.

_ 16S9.

and his foreign education, and was then sent to bear Peter-borough company.* The Commons had meanwhile passed onto offenders of humbler station and better understanding. SirEdward ITales was brought before them. He had doubtless,by holding office in defiance of the Test Act, incurred heavypenalties. But these penalties fell far short of what the re-vengeful spirit of the victorious party demanded; and he xvascommitted as a traitor.** Then Obadiah Walker was led in.He behaved with a pusillanimity and disingenuousness whichdeprived him of all claim to respect or pity. He protested thathe had never changed his religion, that his opinions had al-ways been and still were those of some highly respectable di-vines of the Church of England, and that there were points onwhich he differed from the Papists. In spite of this quibbling,he xvas pronounced guilty of high treason, and sent to pri-son.*** Castlemaine was put next to the bar, interrogated, andcommitted under a warrant which charged him with the ca-pital crime of trying to reconcile the kingdom to the Churchof Kome.f

In the meantime the Lords had appointed a Committee toinquire who were answerable for the deaths of ltussell, ofSidney, and of some other eminent Whigs. Of this Committee,xvhich xvas popularly called the Murder Committee, the Earlof Stamford, a Whig xvho had been deeply concerned in theplots formed by his party against the Stuarts, xvas chairman.ffThe books of the Council xvere inspected: the clerks of theCouncil were examined: some facts disgraceful to the Judges,

* Lords' Journals, October 20. and 27. 1G89.

** Commons' Journals, Oct. 26. 3689.

*** Commons' Journals, Oct. 26. 1689; Wood’s Athento Oxonicuses;Dod's Church History, VIII. ii. 3.

t Commons’ Journals, October 28. 1689. The proceedings will bofound in the collection of State Trials,if Lords’ Journals, Nov. 2. and 6. 1689.