This Papist had been allowed to enlist in the army; that Papist had been allowed to keep a gun; a third had too good a horse; a fourth had been protected against Protestants who wished to bring actions against him for wrongs committed during the years of confusion.

The Lord Lieutenant, having obtained nearly as much money as he could expect, determined to put an end to these unpleasant inquiries.
He knew, however, that if he quarrelled with the Parliament for treating either peculators or Papists with severity, he should have little support in England.

He therefore looked out for a pretext, and was fortunate enough to find one.

The Commons had passed a vote which might with some plausibility be represented as inconsistent with the Poynings statute.

Any thing which looked like a violation of that great fundamental law was likely to excite strong disapprobation on the other side of Saint George's Channel.