nance for the King’s trial; for these men had appeared against the ordinance of non-addresses, and therefore to be excluded, because they might else be an impediment to their future designs.
B. Was it not rather, because in the authority of few they thought the fewer the better, both in respect of their shares and also of a nearer approach in every one of them to the dignity of a King?
A. Yes, certainly, that was their principal end.
B. When these were put out, why did not the counties and boroughs choose others in their places?
A. They could not do that without order from the House.
After this they constituted a council of forty persons, which they termed a Council of State, whose office was to execute what the Rump should command.
B. When there was neither King nor House of Lords, they could not call themselves a Parliament; for a Parliament is a meeting of the King, Lords, and Commons, to confer together about the businesses of the commonwealth. With whom did the Rump confer?
A. Men may give to their assembly what name they please, what signification soever such name might formerly have had; and the Rump took the name of Parliament, as most suitable to their purpose, and such a name, as being venerable amongst the people, had for many hundred years countenanced and sweetened subsidies and other levies of money, otherwise very unpleasant to the subject. They took also afterwards another name, which was Custodes Libertatis Angliæ, which title they used only in their writs issuing out of the courts of justice.
B. I do not see how a subject that is tied to the laws, can have more liberty in one form of government than in another.
A. Howsoever, to the people that understand by liberty nothing but leave to do what they list, it was a title not ingrateful.
Their next work was to set forth a public declaration,
