Page:The Maid's Tragedy Altered - Waller (1690).djvu/94

honours that Profession more, or has a greater Re­verence towards the Grave Judges, the Oracles thereof. Out of Parliament, all our Courts of Ju­stice are governed or directed by them: and when a Parliament is call'd; if your Lordships were not assisted by them, and the House of Commons by other Gentlemen of that Robe, Experience tells us, it might run a hazard of being stiled Parliamen­tum indoctorum. But as all Professions are obnoxi­ons to the malice of the Professors, and by them most easily betrayed; so (my Lords) these Arti­cles have told you, how these Brothers of the Coif are become fratres in malo; how these Sons of the Law have torn out the Bowels of their Mother. But this Judge (whose charge you last heard) in one expression of his, excels no less his Fellows than they have done the worst of their Predeces­sors, in this Conspiracy against the Commonwealth. Of the Judgment for Ship-money, and those ex­trajudicial Opinions preceding the same (wherein they are joyntly concern'd) you have already heard: how unjust and pernicious a proceeding that was in so publick a Cause, has been suffici­ently express'd to your Lordships. But this man, adding despair to our misery, tells us from the Bench, that Ship-money was a Right so Inherent in the Crown, that it would not be in the Power of an Act of Parliament to take it away. Here­in (my Lords) he did not only give as deep aWound