These people became a hated and oppressive class, like the
farmers of the revenue in France. According to a well-known anecdote,
Voltaire, when in a company, each member of which had to tell some
tragic story, was called upon in his turn. He said: 'There was once a
farmer-general--you know the rest!' The same might have been said of
the monopolists in the time of King James. One of them, indeed, has
become in a manner illustrious in literature, by standing for the
character of Sir Giles Overreach in the play of _A New Way to Pay Old
Debts_. His prototype was Sir Giles Mompesson, a person whose
oppressions created so much indignation, that parliament at last
resolved to impeach him. In the proceedings, it was stated that Sir
Giles, for the purpose of effectually carrying out his patent of
monopoly, held the power of imprisoning those who infringed it,
without judicial authority or the privilege of trial; and that he thus
had many persons in private prisons--a proceeding ever justly odious
in England, and contrary to the spirit of the constitution.
One of Sir Giles's monopolies related to the licensing of inns and the
selling of horse-provender. Strangely enough, however, that monopoly
which created the chief indignation was for the preparation and sale
of gold and silver lace. He 'sophisticated' it, as the parliamentary
documents call it--that is, he used base metal instead of bullion.
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