History of King Charles the First of England — John Shaqi
History of King Charles the First of EnglandAbbott, Jacob
History
History of King Charles the First of England
Abbott, Jacob
Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649; Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649; Great Britain -- Kings and rulers -- Biography
This language irritated instead of alarming them. The Commons persisted
in their plan of impeachment. The king arrested the men whom they
appointed as managers of the impeachment, and imprisoned them. The
Commons remonstrated, and insisted that Buckingham should be dismissed
from the king's service. The king, instead of dismissing him, took
measures to have him appointed, in addition to all his other offices,
Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, a very exalted station.
Parliament remonstrated. The king, in retaliation, dissolved the
Parliament.
[Sidenote: Buckingham's reckless conduct.]
Thus things went on from bad to worse, and from worse to worse again;
the chief cause of the difficulties, in almost all cases, being
traceable to Buckingham's reckless and arbitrary conduct. He was
continually doing something in the pursuit of his own ends, by the rash
and heedless exercise of the vast powers committed to him, to make
extensive and irreparable mischief. At one time he ordered a part of
the fleet over to the coast of France, to enter the French service, the
sailors expecting that they were to be employed against the Spaniards.
They found, however, that, instead of going against the Spaniards,
they were to be sent to Rochelle. Rochelle was a town in France in
possession of the Protestants, and the King of France wanted to subdue
them. The sailors sent a remonstrance to their commander, begging
not to be forced to fight against their brother Protestants. This
remonstrance was, in form, what is called a _Round Robin_.
[Sidenote: The Round Robin.]
[Sidenote: Return of the English fleet.]
In a Round Robin a circle is drawn, the petition or remonstrance is
written within it, and the names are written all around it, to prevent
any one's having to take the responsibility of being the first signer.
When the commander of the fleet received the Round Robin, instead
of being offended, he inquired into the facts, and finding that the
case was really as the Round Robin represented it, he broke away from
the French command and returned to England. He said he would rather
be hanged in England for disobeying orders than to fight against the
Protestants of France.
[Sidenote: The officers and men desert.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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