HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

VOL. X.

CHAPTER XXV.

The passions 'which had agitated the Parliament ciiap.

xxv.

during the late session continued to ferment in the minds i 639 .of men during the recess, and, having no longer a ventin the senate, broke forth in every part of the empire,destroyed the peace of towns, brought into peril thehonour and the lives of innocent men, and impelledmagistrates to leave the bench of justice and attackone another sword in hand. Private calamities, privatebrawls, which had nothing to do with the disputes be-tween court and country, were turned by the politicalanimosities of that unhappy summer into grave politicalevents.

One mournful tale, which called forth the strongest Trial of

w Spencer

feelings of the contending factions, is still remembered c °' vper-as a curious part of the history of our jurisprudence, andespecially of the history of our medical jurisprudence.

No Whig member of the Lower House, with the singleexception of Montague, filled a larger space in the publicMacaulay, History, X. 1