06

HISTORT OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.

IV.

1685.

tuted could pass no law which had not been previously ap-proved by a committee of courtiers.

All that the government asked was readily granted. Ina financial point of view, indeed, the liberality of the ScottishEstates was of little consequence. They gave, however,what their scanty means permitted. They annexed in per-petuity to the crown the duties which had been granted to thelate King, and which in his time had been estimated at fortythousand pounds sterling a year. They also settled on Jamesfor life an additional annual income of two hundred andsixteen thousand pounds Scots, equivalent to eighteenthousand pounds sterling. The whole sum which they wereable to bestow was about sixty thousand a year, little morethan what was poured into the English Exchequer everyfortnight.*

Having little money to give, the Estates supplied the de-fect by loyal protestations and barbarous statutes. The King,in a letter which was read to them at the opening of theirsession, called on them in vehement language to provide newpenal laws against the refractory Presbyterians, and expressedhis regret that business made it impossible for him to proposesuch laws in person from the throne. His commands wereobeyed. A statute framed by the ministers of the crown waspromptly passed, which stands forth, even among the sta-tutes of that unhappy country at that unhappy period, pre-eminent in atrocity. It was enacted, in few but emphaticwords, that whoever should preach in a conventicle under aroof, or should attend, either as preacher or as hearer, a con-venticle in the open air, should be punished with death andconfiscation of property.**

* Act Pari. Car. II. March. 29. 1661; Jac. VII. April 2S. 1685, andMay 13.1685.

* Act Pari. Jac. VII. May 8.1685; Observator, June 20.1685. Lestrangeevidently wished to see the precedent followed in England.