One
could imagine such a monopoly existing without the people being
greatly oppressed by it. But gold and silver lace was much used by the
aristocracy, and it seems probable that the indignation of parliament
was considerably excited by feelings of a somewhat personal character.
It is well known, that the person who chiefly supported these
monopolies, and had the largest share of advantage from them, was the
infamous favourite, the Duke of Buckingham. Instead of standing by his
accomplice, however, he no sooner saw the wrath of parliament
seriously and dangerously roused, than he gave up the monopolist as a
victim. King James, too, who had bullied and insulted all who
complained, seeing that parliament was in a truly formidable humour,
went sneaking there, and boasted of having done his best to apprehend
Sir Giles. 'For I do assure you,' he said, 'in the heart of an honest
man, and on the faith of a Christian king, which both ye and all the
world know me to be, had these things been complained of to me before
the parliament, I would have done the office of a just king, and out
of parliament have punished them as severely, and peradventure more,
than ye now intend to do. But now that they are discovered to me in
parliament, I shall be as ready in this way as I should have been in
the other. For, I confess, I am ashamed--these things proving so as
they are generally reported to be--that it was not my good-fortune to
be the only author of the reformation and punishment of them, by some
ordinary course of justice.
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