The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 06 (of 11) — Thomas Hobbes — John Shaqi
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 06 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
_A._ You see what a heap of evils they have raised to make a show of
ill-government to the people, which they second with an enumeration of
the many services they have done the King in overcoming a great many of
them, though not all, and in divers other things; and say, that though
they had contracted a debt to the Scots of 220,000_l._ and granted six
subsidies, and a bill of poll-money worth six subsidies more, yet that
God had so blessed the endeavours of this Parliament, that the kingdom
was a gainer by it: and then follows the catalogue of those good things
they had done for the King and kingdom. For the kingdom they had done,
they said, these things: they had abolished ship-money; they had taken
away coat and conduct money, and other military charges, which, they
said, amounted to little less than the ship-money; that they suppressed
all monopolies, which they reckoned above a million yearly saved by the
subject; that they had quelled living grievances, meaning evil
counsellors and actors, by the death of my Lord of Strafford, by the
flight of the Chancellor Finch, and of Secretary Windebank, by the
imprisonment of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and of Judge Bartlet, and
the impeachment of other bishops and judges; that they had passed a bill
for a triennial Parliament, and another for the continuance of the
present Parliament, till they should think fit to dissolve themselves.
_B._ That is to say, for ever, if they be suffered. But the sum of all
these things, which they had done for the kingdom, is, that they had
left it without government, without strength, without money, without
law, and without good counsel.
_A._ They reckoned, also, putting down of the High-Commission, and the
abating of the power of the Council-table, and of the bishops and their
courts; the taking away of unnecessary ceremonies in religion; removing
of ministers from their livings, that were not of their faction, and
putting in such as were.
_B._ All this was but their own, and not the kingdom’s business.
_A._ The good they had done the King, was first, they said, the giving
of 25,000_l._ a month for the relief of the northern counties.
_B._ What need of relief had the northern counties, more than the rest
of the counties of England?
_A._ Yes; in the northern counties were quartered the Scotch army, which
the Parliament called in to oppose the King, and consequently their
quarter was to be discharged.
_B._ True; but by the Parliament that called them in.
_A._ But they say no; and that this money was given to the King, because
he is bound to protect his subjects.
_B._ He is no further bound to that, than they to give him money
wherewithal to do it. This is very great impudence; to raise an army
against the King, and with that army to oppress their fellow-subjects;
and then require that the King should relieve them, that is to say, be
at the charge of paying the army that was raised to fight against him.