Yet, as he was a man of a kind disposition and a most refined courtesy, he put a force upon himself, and answered with more vehemence and quickness indeed than was his wont, yet not uncivilly.

"Surely, Mr Milton, you speak not as you think.

I am indeed one of those who believe that God hath reserved to himself the censure of kings, and that their crimes and oppressions are not to be resisted by the hands of their subjects.

Yet can I easily find excuse for the violence of such as are stung to madness by grievous tyranny.

But what shall we say for these men?
Which of their just demands was not granted?
Which even of their cruel and unreasonable requisitions, so as it were not inconsistent with all law and order, was refused?
Had they not sent Strafford to the block and Laud to the Tower?
Had they not destroyed the Courts of the High Commission and the Star Chamber?
Had they not reversed the proceedings confirmed by the voices of the judges of England, in the matter of ship-money?
Had they not taken from the king his ancient and most lawful power touching the order of knighthood?
Had they not provided that, after their dissolution, triennial parliaments should be holden, and that their own power should continue till of their great condescension they should be pleased to resign it themselves?
What more could they ask?
Was it not enough that they had taken from their king all his oppressive powers, and many that were most salutary?
Was it not enough that they had filled his council-board with his enemies, and his prisons with his adherents?
Was it not enough that they had raised a furious multitude, to shout and swagger daily under the very windows of his royal palace?
Was it not enough that they had taken from him the most blessed prerogative of princely mercy; that, complaining of intolerance themselves, they had denied all toleration to others; that they had urged, against forms, scruples childish as those of any formalist; that they had persecuted the least remnant of the popish rites with the fiercest bitterness of the popish spirit?
Must they besides all this have full power to command his armies, and to massacre his friends?
"For military command, it was never known in any monarchy, nay, in any well ordered republic, that it was committed to the debates of a large and unsettled assembly.