The Parliament being soon after dis-
solved, and writs issued for a new election,
the citizens chosetheir former members,
and gave them directions in writing to
continue their search into the popish plot;
to promote the bill of exclusion, and to
grant no supplies of money till they had
effectually secured them against popery
and arbitrary power; which example was
followed by most of the electors of the
kingdom.

The court now threw the city into con-
fusion, by interfering in the election of
Sheriffs; those the city had chosen, and one
of the Aldermen, were committed to the
Tower; while other Sheriffs were elected
by the Lord Mayor, without the consent of
the Commons; and soon after a quo war-
ranto was brought against the city, con-
trary to justice, the charters of the city,
and the rights of the citizens: the plea
and rejoinder brought by the citizens,
were as full and as nervous, as the argu-

After this the King granted the office
of Lord Mayor to be held during plea-
sure, appointed the Sheriffs, the Recorder,
and sixteen of his favourite Aldermen;
degraded eight of those that were in the
country interest, and appointed eight others
in their room.

The death of King Charles II. was far
from putting a stop to the arbitrary mea-
sures of the court: for James II. imme-
diately singled out as a sacrifice to popery,
Mr. Cornish, an Alderman of this city,
who, when Sheriff, had exerted himself
in an uncommon manner in the detection
and prosecution of those concerned in the
popish plot.  This gentleman was appre-
hended, and committed to Newgate, with-
out the use of pen, ink, or paper, till Sa-
turday noon, when he received notice,