But, unhappily, Charles still allowed the Duke of Buckingham to advise him in everything; indeed, he was a greater favourite than before James’s death, for he had managed to get the French princess Henrietta Maria for a wife for Charles, who was so fond of her, that he thought he never could thank Buckingham enough for bringing her to England. But the parliament, particularly the Commons, did not like the marriage so much. The new queen was a Roman Catholic, and she brought a number of Roman Catholic ladies and priests to be her servants, and she soon showed that she was greedy and extravagant. Charles, who, as I told you, had been very badly taught by his father, desired the parliament to give him money in a very haughty manner. The parliament said the people should pay some taxes, but that they could not afford a great deal at that time, for James had been so extravagant that they had not much left to give. Charles, by the advice of Buckingham, sent away the parliament, and tried to get money without its leave, and sent officers about the country to beg for money in the king’s name. Most people were afraid to refuse, and so Charles and Buckingham got a good deal to do as they pleased with. Buckingham persuaded King Charles to make war against France, because one of the great men in France had affronted him. King James had begun a war with Spain. The people were now more and more angry, for though they might like to fight for the glory of England, or for the good of the king, they could not bear to think of fighting for a proud, cruel, and selfish man like Buckingham. I do not know what might have happened at that very time, perhaps a civil war, if a desperate man named Felton had not killed the Duke of Buckingham at Portsmouth, when he was on the way to France to renew the war. The people were again in hopes that the king would do what was right, and consult the parliament before he attempted to make war, or take money for his subjects, or put any man in prison, now that his bad adviser, Buckingham, was dead. But they were much mistaken. Charles found new advisers, and governed for eleven years without a parliament. The king wanted money, and tried to compel all who had land to pay a tax called Ship Money; but some gentlemen, one of whom was Mr. John Hampden, refused to pay it, and said it was unlawful for the king to take money without the consent of parliament. But the judges declared that the king could take Ship Money, and that the people must pay it. Two of them, however, felt compelled to say that Charles had broken the laws, and the promises made by the English kings in agreement with the Great Charter. This made the people very angry. They said the worst times were come again, when the kings fancied they might rob their subjects, and put them in prison when they pleased.