10

XnsTOIiY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

XXI.

I6!)j.

portable. A petition was sent up to the Commons. The Commons■ summoned the accusers and the accused to the bar. It soon ap-peared that a grax’e offence had been committed, but that theoffenders were not altogether without excuse. The public moneywhich had been issued from the Exchequer for their pay and sub-sistence had been fraudulently detained by their colonel and byhis agent. It was not strange that men who had arms and whohad not necessaries should trouble themselves little about thePetition of Right and the Declaration of Right. Rut it xvasmonstrous that, while the citizen xvas heavily taxed for thepurpose of paying to the soldier the largest military stipendknown in Europe, the soldier should be driven by absolutewant to plunder the citizen. This xvas strongly set forth in arepresentation xxdiich the Commons laid before William. Wil-liam, who had been long struggling against abuses whichgrievously impaired the efficiency of his army, xvas glad to havehis hands thus strengthened. He promised ample redress,cashiered the offending colonel, gave strict orders that thetroops should receive their due regularly, and established amilitary board for the purpose of detecting and punishing suchmalpractices as had taken place at Royston.*

But the xvhole administration xvas in such a state that it xvashardly possible to track one offender without discovering tenothers. In the course of the inquiry into the conduct of thetroops at Royston, it xvas discovered that a bribe of txvo hundredguineas had been received by Henry Guy, member of Parliamentfor Heydon and Secretary of the Treasury. Guy xvas instantlysent to the Tower, not xvithout much exultation on the part of

* Commons’ Journals, Jan. 12., Feb. 2G., Mar. 6. \ A Collection of theDebates and Proceedings in Parliament in 1G94 and 1095 upon the InquiryInto the late Briberies and Corrupt Practices, JG95; L’llermitage to theStates General, March -jj-.; Van Citters, Mar. i L’llermitage says: “Sipar cette recherche la chambre pouvoit remddier au ddsordre qui rfegne,elle rendroit un service trbs utile et trbs agrdablc au Roy.”