Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/335

 Ch. 8. tells us, that to his knowlege the earl of Bedford (who was made lord treaurer by king Charles the firt, to oblige his parliament) intended to have et up the excie in England, yet it never made a part of that unfortunate prince's revenue; being firt introduced, on the model of the Dutch prototype, by the parliament itelf after it's rupture with the crown. Yet uch was the opinion of it's general unpopularity, that when in 1642 "aperions were cat by malignant perons upon the houe of commons, that they intended to introduce excies, the houe for it's vindication therein did declare, that thee rumours were fale and candalous; and that their authors hould be apprehended and brought to condign punihment ." It's original etablihment was in 1643, and it's progres was gradual; being at firt laid upon thoe perons and commodities, where it was uppoed the hardhip would be leat perceivable, viz. the makers and venders of beer, ale, cyder, and perry ; and the royalits at Oxford oon followed the example of their brethren at Wetminter by impoing a imilar duty; both ides proteting that it hould be continued no longer than to the end of the war, and then be utterly abolihed. But the parliament at Wetminter oon after impoed it on fleh, wine, tobacco, ugar, and uch a multitude of other commodities that it might fairly be denominated general; in puruance of the plan laid down by Mr Pymme (who eems to have been the father of the excie) in his letter to ir John Hotham, ignifying, "that they had proceeded in the excie to many particulars, and intended to go on farther; but that it Rh