At
first they only opposed it by their perseverance and obstinacy, they
resolved to persist in the practice of retailing liquors without
regard to the penalties which they might incur by it; and, therefore,
as one was put to prison, his place was immediately supplied by
another; and so frequent were the informations and so fruitless the
penalties, that the chief magistrate of the metropolis lamented
publickly in the other house, the unpleasing necessity to which he was
subjected by that law, of fining and imprisoning without end, and
without hopes of procuring the reformation that was intended. Thus
they proceeded for some time, and appeared to hope that the
magistrates would after a while connive at a practice, which they
should find no degree of severity sufficient to suppress; that they
would sink under the fatigue of punishing to no purpose, that they
would by degrees relax their vigilance, and leave the people in quiet
possession of that felicity which they appeared to rate at so high a
price.
At length, my lords, instead of wearying the magistrates, they grew
weary themselves, and determined no longer to bear persecution for
their enjoyments, but to resist that law which they could not evade,
and to which they would not submit.
Pages:
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681