Cassell's History of England, Vol. 2 (of 8) From the Wars of the Roses to the Great Rebellion
CHAPTER XIX.
REIGN OF CHARLES I.
Accession of Charles--His Marriage--Meeting of Parliament--Loan of Ships to Richelieu--Dissolution of Parliament--Failure of the Spanish Expedition--Persecution of the Catholics--The Second Parliament--It appoints three Committees--Impeachment of Buckingham--Parliament dissolved to save him--Illegal Government--High Church Doctrines--Rupture with France--Disastrous Expedition to Rhé--The Third Parliament--The Petition of Right--Resistance and Final Surrender of Charles--Parliament Prorogued--Assassination of Buckingham--Fall of La Rochelle--Parliament Reassembles and is Dissolved--Imprisonment of Offending Members--Government without Parliament--Peace with France and Spain--Gustavus Adolphus in Germany--Despotic Proceedings of Charles and Laud 508