81H> MODERX CIVILISATION Catholic, becarne king, without any opposition. He believed in the theory of the absolute power of mon- archy and governed accordingly. It was evident, then, thai the old institutions of England—the Parlia- ment awl the jury—were not sufficient to protect the liberty of the English people against the authority of the king. James convoked Parliament, but his officers conducted the elections in such a manner that none but Tories were elected, and the Parliament so chosen began by granting to the king full power to levy an impost during his lifetime. James preserved the jury; but the judges, who designated the jurors and con- trolled them, were functionaries named by the king, and they took care to choose jurors devoted to his interests, who were ready to declare the accused guilty. The chief-justice, Jeffreys, became celebrated for the manner in which he conducted the cases brought before him; he swore at the witnesses, to prevent them from speaking, insulted the accused and threatened the jurors. A respectable woman, Alice Lisle, was brought before the jury, accused of having given shelter to two fugitives from the king's ven- geance. Jeffreys, after a speech full of insults to the Presbyterians, demanded that she be found guilty of high treason; the jury could not decide upon it; they deliberated for a long time; Jeffreys sent word to them that he was going to have them locked up for the night; the jury returned to the court-room and declared that the accusation was, in their opinion, not proven. Jeffreys sent them back, with violent denun- ciations; finally the intimidated jurors decided to re- turn a verdict in the affirmative. The next morning