greatly increaſed by the ſervility of the members of the houſe of commons, till the lords, joining with the King, in an attempt to annex the taking and ſettling the public accounts to the prerogative, they met with great oppoſition from the repreſentatives of the people, who thought they had ſubmitted to be fleeced in a moſt unmerciful manner, were not quite ſo tractable as to give up all their rights, but ſpiritedly voted the King’s guards to be unconſtitutional and paſſed the Habeas Corpus bill, which will always make their memory held in eſtimation by every lover of his country.
About this period, the houſe was divided into two parties, one of which was diſtinguiſhed by the name of the Court, and the other by the title of the Country; the former, ſays ſir William Temple, were grown numerous by a practice introduced about five years before this time, by the lord treaſurer, Clifford, of downright buying off one man after another, as they could make the bargain. The country party ſtill continued the majority, and retained more credit upon the corruption of the others, and their profeſſion of adherence to the true intereſts of the nation, eſpecially in the points of France, and popery. Where theſe came in queſtion, many of the court party voted with thoſe of the country, who then carried
