Page:Works of Thomas Carlyle - Volume 06.djvu/92

 ceedings; and he feared the reason was, We had not dealt sincerely with the King and Country, and made a true representation of the causes of all those miseries. Which he, for his part, repented that he had not done sooner. And therefore, not knowing whether he should ever again speak in this House, he would now do it freely; and so did here protest, That the author and cause of all those miseries was—.” Which was entertained and answered with a cheerful acclamation of the House.’ (Yea, yea! Well moved, well spoken! Yea, yea!) ‘As, when one good hound recovers the scent, the rest come in with full cry; so they (we) pursued it, and everyone came home, and laid the blame where he thought the fault was,’—on the Duke of Buckingham, to wit. ‘And as we were putting it to the question, Whether he should be named in our intended Remonstrance as the chief cause of all our miseries at home and abroad,—the Speaker, having been, not half an hour, but three hours absent, and with the King, returned; bringing this Message, That the House should then rise (being about eleven o’clock), adjourn till the morrow morning, and no Committees to sit, or other business to go on, in the interim.’ And so, ever since, King’s Majesty, Speaker, Duke and Councillors, they have been meditating it all night!

‘What we shall expect this morning, therefore, God of Heaven knows! We shall meet betimes this morning; partly for the business’ sake; and partly because, two days ago, we made an order, That whoever comes in after Prayers shall pay twelvepence to the poor.

‘Sir, excuse my haste:—and let us have your prayers; whereof both you and we have need. I rest,—affectionately at your service,

This scene Oliver saw, and formed part of; one of the memorablest he was ever in. Why did those old honourable gentlemen ‘weep’? How came tough old Coke upon Lyttleton, one of the toughest men ever made, to melt into tears like a