The Catholic party who retained influence with the lower ranks, were his declared enemies, and took advantage of every opportunity to decry his conduct.
The attainder and execution of his brother bore an odious aspect: the introduction of foreign troops into the kingdom was represented in invidious colors: the great estate which he had suddenly acquired at the expense of the church and of the crown, rendered him obnoxious; and the palace which he was building in the Strand, served by its magnificence, and still more by other circumstances which attended it, to expose him to the censure of the public.

The parish church of St.Mary, with three bishops' houses, was pulled down, in order to furnish ground and materials for this structure: not content with that sacrilege, an attempt was made to demolish St.Margaret's Westminster, and to employ the stones to the same purpose but the parishioners rose in a tumult, and chased away the protector's tradesmen.

He then laid his hands on a chapel in St.Paul's churchyard, with a cloister and charnel-house belonging to it; and these edifices, together with a church of St.John of Jerusalem, were made use of to raise his palace.

What rendered the matter more odious to the people was, that the tombs and other monuments of the dead wore defaced; and the bones, being carried away, were buried in unconsecrated ground.[*] All these imprudences were remarked by Somerset's enemies, who resolved to take advantage of them.

Lord St.John president of the council, the earls of Warwick, Southampton and Arundel, with five members more, met at Ely House and, assuming to themselves the whole power of the council, began to act independently of the protector, whom they represented as the author of every public grievance and misfortune.