itt

138

CHAP,

VIII.

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

slightest pretence to declare the King’s friends duly elected.

-Every placeman, from the highest to the lowest, must bemade to understand that, if he wished to retain his office, hemust, at this conjuncture, support the throne by his vote andinterest. The High Commission meanwhile would keep itseye on the clergy. The boroughs, which had just been re-modelled to serve one turn, might be remodelled again toserve another. By such means the King hoped to obtain amajority in the House of Commons. The Upper House wouldthen be at his mercy. He had undoubtedly by law the powerof creating peers without limit: and this power he was fullydetermined to use. He did not wish, and indeed no sovereigncan wish, to make the highest honour which is in the gift ofthe crown worthless. He cherished the hope that, by callingup some heirs apparent to the assembly in which they mustultimately sit, and by conferring English titles on some Scotchand Irish Lords, he might be able to secure a majority withoutennobling new men in such numbers as to bring ridicule onthe coronet and the ermine. But there was no extremity towhich he was not prepared to go in case of necessity. Whenin a large company an opinion was expressed that the peerswould prove intractable, “Oh, silly,” cried Sunderland,turning to Churchill; “your troop of guards shall be called upto the House of Lords.” *

•Having determined to pack a Parliament, James set him-self energetically and methodically to the work. A procla-mation appeared in the Gazette, announcing that the Kinghad determined to revise the Commissions ofPeace and ofLieutenancy, and to retain in public employment only suchgentlemen as should be disposed to support his policy.** Acommittee of seven Privy Councillors sate at Whitehall, forthe purpose of regulating — such was the phrase — the muni-cipal corporations. In this committee Jeffreys alone re-presented the Protestant interest. Powis alone representedthe moderate Roman Catholics. All the other members be-

* Told by Lord Bradford, who was present, to Dartmouth; note onBurnet, i. 155.

** London Gazette, Dec. 12.1081.