The Story of Mankind [109]
``Divine Right'' of sovereigns
had been heard in the Netherlands when the Estates General
abjured their lawful sovereign King Philip II of Spain, in the
year 1581. ``The King,'' so they said, ``has broken his contract
and the King therefore is dismissed like any other unfaithful
servant.'' Since then, this particular idea of a king's
responsibilities towards his subjects had spread among many of the
nations who inhabited the shores of the North Sea. They were
in a very favourable position. They were rich. The poor people
in the heart of central Europe, at the mercy of their
Ruler's body-guard, could not afford to discuss a problem
which would at once land them in the deepest dungeon of the
nearest castle. But the merchants of Holland and England
who possessed the capital necessary for the maintenance of
great armies and navies, who knew how to handle the almighty
weapon called ``credit,'' had no such fear. They were willing
to pit the ``Divine Right'' of their own good money against
the ``Divine Right'' of any Habsburg or Bourbon or Stuart.
They knew that their guilders and shillings could beat the
clumsy feudal armies which were the only weapons of the King.
They dared to act, where others were condemned to suffer
in silence or run the risk of the scaffold.
When the Stuarts began to annoy the people of England
with their claim that they had a right to do what they pleased
and never mind the responsibility, the English middle classes
used the House of Commons as their first line of defence
against this abuse of the Royal Power. The Crown refused to
give in and the King sent Parliament about its own business.
Eleven long years, Charles I ruled alone. He levied taxes
which most people regarded as illegal and he managed his
British kingdom as if it had been his own country estate. He
had capable assistants and we must say that he had the courage
of his convictions.
Unfortunately, instead of assuring himself of the support
of his faithful Scottish subjects, Charles became involved in
a quarrel with the Scotch Presbyterians. Much against his
will, but forced by his need for ready cash, Charles was at
last obliged to call Parliament together once more. It met in
April of 1640 and showed an ugly temper. It was dissolved
a few weeks later. A new Parliament convened in November.
This one was even less pliable than the first one. The members
understood that the question of ``Government by Divine
Right'' or ``Government by Parliament'' must be fought out
for good and all. They attacked the King in his chief councillors
and executed half a dozen of them. They announced that
they would not allow themselves to be dissolved without their
own approval. Finally on December 1, 1641, they presented
to the King a ``Grand Remonstrance'' which gave a detailed
account of the many grievances of the people against their Ruler.
Charles, hoping to derive some support for his own policy
in the country districts, left London in January of 1642. Each
side organised an army and prepared for open warfare between
the absolute power of the crown and the absolute power
of Parliament. During this struggle, the most powerful religious
element of England, called the Puritans, (they were
Anglicans who had tried to purify their doctrines to the most
absolute limits), came quickly to the front. The regiments of
``Godly men,'' commanded by Oliver Cromwell, with their
iron discipline and their profound confidence in the holiness of
their aims, soon became the model for the entire army of the
opposition. Twice Charles was defeated. After the battle
of Naseby, in 1645, he fled to Scotland. The Scotch sold him
to the English.
There followed a period of intrigue and an uprising
of the Scotch Presbyterians against the English Puritan.
In August of the year 1648 after the three-days' battle of
Preston Pans, Cromwell made an end to this second civil war,
and
had been heard in the Netherlands when the Estates General
abjured their lawful sovereign King Philip II of Spain, in the
year 1581. ``The King,'' so they said, ``has broken his contract
and the King therefore is dismissed like any other unfaithful
servant.'' Since then, this particular idea of a king's
responsibilities towards his subjects had spread among many of the
nations who inhabited the shores of the North Sea. They were
in a very favourable position. They were rich. The poor people
in the heart of central Europe, at the mercy of their
Ruler's body-guard, could not afford to discuss a problem
which would at once land them in the deepest dungeon of the
nearest castle. But the merchants of Holland and England
who possessed the capital necessary for the maintenance of
great armies and navies, who knew how to handle the almighty
weapon called ``credit,'' had no such fear. They were willing
to pit the ``Divine Right'' of their own good money against
the ``Divine Right'' of any Habsburg or Bourbon or Stuart.
They knew that their guilders and shillings could beat the
clumsy feudal armies which were the only weapons of the King.
They dared to act, where others were condemned to suffer
in silence or run the risk of the scaffold.
When the Stuarts began to annoy the people of England
with their claim that they had a right to do what they pleased
and never mind the responsibility, the English middle classes
used the House of Commons as their first line of defence
against this abuse of the Royal Power. The Crown refused to
give in and the King sent Parliament about its own business.
Eleven long years, Charles I ruled alone. He levied taxes
which most people regarded as illegal and he managed his
British kingdom as if it had been his own country estate. He
had capable assistants and we must say that he had the courage
of his convictions.
Unfortunately, instead of assuring himself of the support
of his faithful Scottish subjects, Charles became involved in
a quarrel with the Scotch Presbyterians. Much against his
will, but forced by his need for ready cash, Charles was at
last obliged to call Parliament together once more. It met in
April of 1640 and showed an ugly temper. It was dissolved
a few weeks later. A new Parliament convened in November.
This one was even less pliable than the first one. The members
understood that the question of ``Government by Divine
Right'' or ``Government by Parliament'' must be fought out
for good and all. They attacked the King in his chief councillors
and executed half a dozen of them. They announced that
they would not allow themselves to be dissolved without their
own approval. Finally on December 1, 1641, they presented
to the King a ``Grand Remonstrance'' which gave a detailed
account of the many grievances of the people against their Ruler.
Charles, hoping to derive some support for his own policy
in the country districts, left London in January of 1642. Each
side organised an army and prepared for open warfare between
the absolute power of the crown and the absolute power
of Parliament. During this struggle, the most powerful religious
element of England, called the Puritans, (they were
Anglicans who had tried to purify their doctrines to the most
absolute limits), came quickly to the front. The regiments of
``Godly men,'' commanded by Oliver Cromwell, with their
iron discipline and their profound confidence in the holiness of
their aims, soon became the model for the entire army of the
opposition. Twice Charles was defeated. After the battle
of Naseby, in 1645, he fled to Scotland. The Scotch sold him
to the English.
There followed a period of intrigue and an uprising
of the Scotch Presbyterians against the English Puritan.
In August of the year 1648 after the three-days' battle of
Preston Pans, Cromwell made an end to this second civil war,
and