The Habeas Corpus Act was passed to prevent the illegal and indefinite imprisonment to which persons obnoxious to the government could be subjected. By its provisions--1. All persons except those charged with treason or felony could demand from one of the judges a writ of Habeas Corpus, directing the jailor to bring them before him, so that the validity of their detention might be tested. 2. All persons charged with treason or felony must be tried at the next sessions after commitment, or else admitted to bail, and if not tried at the second sessions they must be discharged. 3. No person could be recommitted for the same offence. 4. No person was to be imprisoned beyond sea. 5. Heavy penalties were imposed on those who violated the provisions of the Act. 1680. A fourth parliament, summoned in 1679, did not actually meet till Oct., 1680. The Commons passed a bill for excluding the duke of York, but it was rejected by the Lords, and the parliament was dissolved in the following January. 1681. A fifth parliament met at Oxford, but as the Commons resolved to introduce an exclusion bill it was hastily dissolved. Shaftesbury charged with high treason, but the grand jury threw out the bill. =The king's government became very despotic.= 1683. =The Rye House Plot= discovered: some of the principal parties concerned--as the duke of Monmouth, Lord Russell, and Algernon Sidney--had apparently discussed the feasibility of compelling the king to establish a constitutional government, but some of the inferior persons implicated had formed a design to assassinate him. Russell and Sidney tried for high treason, and executed. Monmouth was pardoned, but withdrew to Holland. 1684. Titus Oates convicted of having libelled the duke of York, fined £100,000, and imprisoned in default of payment. JAMES II. =D.= He was the brother of Charles II. =B.= at St. James's, 1633. =M.= (1) Anne Hyde, daughter of Lord Clarendon; (2) Mary d'Este, sister of the duke of Modena. =His reign ended= Dec. 11, 1688. =Dd.= at St. Germains, Sept. 6, 1701. =R.= 3-3/4 years (1685 to 1688). 1685. Catholic worship publicly celebrated in the palace. Meeting of parliament; the majority of the members very favourable to the king. =Rebellions of Argyle and Monmouth=: the earl of Argyle landed in Scotland, and attempted to raise a rebellion, but was taken and executed; and the duke of Monmouth landed in Dorsetshire, raised a rebellion, and assumed the title of king, but was defeated at SEDGEMOOR, in Somersetshire (July 6), and afterwards executed. =Jeffreys' bloody campaign=, during which he condemned a large number of persons for their share in the rebellion. Persecution of Dissenters. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in France. The parliament was prorogued because it disapproved of the king's violation of the Test Act, and of his maintaining a standing army.