the encouragement of trade and manufactures, for want of which Ireland swarmed with 'vagabonds and beggars, sound of limb and strong of body.' Free trade was what they really asked for, which was for the benefit of both King and people. On the faith of the graces which they believed would give them prosperity, the subjects of Ireland had already given 310,000_l._ and now they had voted six subsidies more, which was far in excess of what had been done in past ages. They acknowledged Wentworth's 'strong propension' to advancing the good of the country, and exhorted him to increase his reputation by persuading his Majesty to redeem past promises and thus to 'conserve a right intelligence between the best of Kings and his most faithful and dutiful subjects of Ireland.'[198] [Sidenote: The King's promises are not kept.] [Sidenote: The King can do no wrong.] [Sidenote: Prorogation August 2.] [Sidenote: Second session, Nov. 4.] [Sidenote: The Commons are unmanageable.] [Sidenote: Sir Piers Crosbie.] Wentworth's answer was what might have been expected. Official extortion he was ready to repress, and all administrative reforms he would further to the utmost, but rather by way of concession from the King than by law. Orders in Council were to be preferred to Acts of Parliament, unless the latter were likely to bring profit to the Exchequer. Nothing was to be done to limit the royal power in any way. The much-desired sixty years' title was not to be established by law, for it would involve the loss of fees and fines under the commission for confirmation of defective titles, it would interfere with the King's profit upon tenures, and it would almost entirely prevent the colonisation schemes from which Wentworth expected so much. These ideas were readily adopted at Court, and the word of a King was once more shown to be of none effect. Wentworth dreaded the imputation of refusing to redress grievances after the price of reform had been paid, but hardly seems to have realised that he was doing that very thing. He had the courage of his opinions, and he knew his 'great master' as he is fond of calling Charles. 'In these particulars,' he said, 'wherein the request of the petition shall be yielded to by your Majesty, we desire to reserve entirely to yourself the beauty of the act, and the acknowledgment thereof; so in the other particulars, wherein there is reason to deny them their requests, we your servants will assume the same to ourselves.' The Chancellor, Lord Cork, and Sir William Parsons lent the weight of their signatures to Wentworth's memorandum, but the name of Mountnorris is wanting. Rumours that the graces would be withheld were soon in circulation, and on November 4, after a three months' recess, Parliament met again in very bad humour. There had been some delay in transmitting final instructions from England, and it was not till the 27th that Wentworth announced the denial of the most important graces.