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HISTORY OP ENGLAND.

C |L' P - House of Commons from which many of the eminent orators1 1685 . and parliamentary tacticians of the age were excluded, andwhich was crowded with people who had never heard adebate, the influence of such a man was peculiarly formidable.Weight of moral character was indeed wanting to EdwardSeymour. He was licentious, profane, corrupt, too proud tobehave with common politeness, yet not too proud to pocketillicit gain. But he was so useful an ally, and so mischievousan enemy, that he was frequently courted even by those whomost detested him. *

He was now in bad humour with the government. Hisinterest had been weakened in some places by the remodellingof the western boroughs: his pride had been wounded by theelevation of Trevor to the chair; and he took an early oppor-tunity of revenging himself.

The _ On the twenty-second of May the Commons were sum-

speoch tomoned to the bar of the Lords; and the King, seated on hisliameou" throne, made a speech to both Houses. He declared himselfresolved to maintain the established government in Churchand State. But he weakened the effect of this declaration byaddressing an extraordinary admonition to the Commons.He was apprehensive, he said, that they might be inclined todole out money to him, from time to time, in the hope thatthey should thus force him to call them frequently together.But he must warn them that he was not to be so dealt with, andthat, if they wished him to meet them often, they must usehim well. As it was evident that without money the govern-ment could not be carried on, these expressions plainlyimplied that, if they did not give him as much money as hewished, he would take it. Strange to say, this harangue wasreceived with loud cheers by the Tory gentlemen at the bar.Such acclamations were then usual. It has now been, during

* Burnet, i. 3S2.; Rawdon Papers; Lord Conway to Sir George Rawdon,Dec. 28 . 1677.