176

HISTORY OF ENGLAND,

chap. g er favourite theme was the doctrine of nonresistance. That

■-doctrine she taught without any qualification, and followed

out to all its extreme consequences. Her disciples were heverweary of repeating that in no conceivable case, not even ifEngland were cursed with a King resembling Busiris or Pha-laris, who, in defiance of law, and without the pretence ofjustice, should daily doom hundreds of innocent victims totorture and death, would all the Estates of the realm unitedbe justified in withstanding his tyranny by physical force.Happily the principles of human nature afford abundant secu-rity that such theories will never be more than theories. Theday of trial came: and the very men who had most loudly andmost sincerely professed this extravagant loyalty were, inalmost every county of England, arrayed in arms against thethrone.

Property all over the kingdom was now again changinghands. The national sales, not having been confirmed byParliament, were regarded by the tribunals as nullities. Thesovereign, the bishops, the deans, the chapters, the royalistnobility and gentry, reentered on their confiscated estatesand ejected even purchasers who had given fair prices. Thelosses which the Cavaliers had sustained during the ascen-dency of their opponents were thus in part repaired; but inpart only. All actions for mesne profits were effectually barredby the general amnesty; and the numerous Royalists who, inorder to discharge fines imposed by the Parliament, or inorder to purchase the favour of powerful Roundheads, hadsold lands for much less than the real value, were not relievedfrom the legal consequences of their own acts.

Change While these changes were in progress, a change still moremorals 0 f important took place in the morals and manners of the com-munity 1 " mun ity- Those passions and tastes which, under the rule ofthe Puritans, had been sternly repressed, and, if gratifiedat all, had been gratified by stealth, broke forth with un-