jugling trick to make them acknovvledge the Lord Fairfax Authority and become voluntary Prisoners upon their ovvne engagement and vvas therefore refused The next morning being Thursday the Imprisoned Members had vvarning given them to meet the Generall and his Councell of VVarre at VVhite-hall vvhither they vvere Guarded in Coaches tyred out vvith vvatching and fasting But the mechanick Councel took so much state upon them that after six or seven hovvers attendance untill darke night and no admittance nor application to them they vvere led avvay from thence on foot vvith Guards of Musketiers like Thieves and Rogues and thorovv the kennels like Col. Prides Dray-horses to the Swan and Kings-head tvvo Innes in the Strand and there distributed under severall Centinels The Souldiers making a stand vvith them sometimes halfe an hovver together in the snovv and raine untill they had put their Guards into a marching posture and reviling them See the 2. part of Englands Chaines discovered and the Hunting of the Foxes c. that they were the men that had cousened the State of their money and kept back their Pay Vpon vvhich scandalous provocation some of them Ansvvered That it was the Committee of the Army and their owne Officers that had cousened them vvhich some of the Foot-Souldiers then acknovvledged Besides the 41. Imprisoned Members the Officers standing severall daies vvith Lists of Names in their hands at the Parliament dore have turned back from the House and denied entrance unto above 160. other Members besides 40. or 50. Members vvho voluntarily vvithdrevv to avoid their violence all vvhom they knovv to be Losers by the VVarre and therefore desirous of a safe and vvel-grounded peace so that they have made vvarre against the majority of the House that is against the vvhole House for major pars obtinet rationem totius by all our Lavves and Customes The major part of the House is virtually the whole House vvhich is Treason by their ovvne Declarations and Remonstrance farre higher than that vvhereof they accuse the King and for vvhich they demand Iustice against Him and the remaining faction of 40. or 50. engaged Members vvho novv passe unpresidented Acts of Parliament of the House of Commons as they call them vvithout the Lords ought not to sit Act nor take upon them the stile of a House under so visible actuall and horrid a force both by the Lavves of the Land and their ovvne Ordinance passed August 20. 1647. To null and void all Orders Votes and Acts passed under the Tumult of Apprentices from Iuly 26. to the 6. August following and yet the said Tumult ended the said Iuly 26. vvhen it begun See the said Ordinance herevvith printed The Army vvho novv acknovvledge no povver but that of the Svvord as Major VVhite long since foretold at Putney and vvhose principle it is To break the Powers of the Earth to pieces as VVilliam Sedgewicke in his Iustice upon the Army Remonstrance saith And who as Ioh Lilburne in his Plea for Common Right p. 6. saith have by these extraordinary proceedings overturned all the visible supreme Authority of this Nation now suffer onely their owne Party of 40. or 50. Members to sit and doe journey worke under them who are Enemies to peace and have got well by fishing in troubled waters and hope to get better so that hardly a seventh or eighth part of the Counties Cities and Burroughs that ought to have Members sitting have any body to represent them and therefore hovv they shall be bound by the Votes and Acts of this fagge end this Rump of a Parliament vvith corrupt Maggots in it I doe not see Friday Decemb. 8. a Message from the Generall vvas brought to Sir Robert Harlow that he might go home to his house giving his engagement not to oppose the actings and proceedings of this present Parliament and Army The like vvas offered to divers others you see hereby vvhat the offence of these Imprisoned Members is onely a feare that they will defend the fundamentall Government the Religion Lawes and Liberties of the Land the Kings Person and Authority and the being of Parliaments against the Tyrannicall and Treasonable practices of the Army and their House of Commons The small remnant of the House of Commons sent sundry times to the Generall to knovv why he Imprisoned their Members 24. Reasons proving that the remaining faction or Iunto sitting under the force of the Army were consenting to the securing secluding their Members sect 134 135. and humbly to beseech him to set them at liberty if he had nothing against them But all this vvas but prevarication and false shevves for 1. Their base and conditionall vvay of demanding their Liberty if he had nothing against them implies an acknovvledgement of the Generalls jurisdiction and conusance over them and an invitation of him to accuse them 2. Their sitting and acting under so brutish a force before their Members righted or the honour of the House vindicated is a deserting and yeilding up of their Membres honour 3. Their Voting an approbation of the matter of the Generall Officers scandalous and jugling Ansvver to their said Demands concerning the secured and secluded Membres as aftervvards they did vvithout hearing vvhat the said Members could say for themselves is cleerly a forejudging and betraying them 4. Their late Votes That no man shall peruse their Iournall Booke of Orders c. without speciall leave is purposely done to barre the said Membres vvho cannot make any perfect Ansvver in confutation of the Scandals cast upon them by the Generall Councels printed Libell against them vvithout having recourse to the said Booke to see vvhat Votes passed for Ireland for the 200000 l. and other matters To say nothing hovv unusuall and unjust it is to keep the Records of the House from the vievv and knovvledge of any man and yet to expect their obedience to them 5. Their exceeding strict and severe prohibiting the printing any Books not Licenced and imploying Souldiers to Search all Printing Houses dayly is done in ordre to barre the said accused Members from publishing an Ansvver in their justification 6 Their Summoning Mr. Pryn by ordre to appeare at the Commons Barre knovving him to be still a Prisoner to the Army shevves that the Army and they serve each others turnes against them 7. And Lastly the Declaration of the present House of Commons dated Iaen 15. 1648. is nothing but an eccho of the said Ansvver of the Generall Councell against the said secured and secluded Members They that are so vvickedly industrious to destroy these Gentlemens credits doe this as a preparative to destroy their Persons and seize upon their Estates for the maintenance of a nevv VVarre vvhich they foresee their violent courses vvill bring upon them and for the farther inriching of themselves and establishing their Tyranny vvhich they miscall The Liberty of the People This violent purge vvrought so strongly upon the House and brought it to that vveaknesse that ever since
Minstred to me and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary 11. To dispence with our Protestation and Covenant so Zealously enjoyned by both Houses on all sorts of People 12. To dispose of the Forts Ships Forces Offices and places of Honour Power Trust or Profit to whom they please to their own Party 13. To Displace and Remove whom they please from their Offices Trusts Pensions Callings and Franchises at their pleasures without any Legall cause or Tryall 14. To make what New Acts Lawes and Reverse what Old ones they think meet to ensnare and inthrall our Consciences Estates Liberties and Lives 15. To create new monstrous Treasons never heard of before and to declare Reall Treasons against the King Kingdome and Parliament to be no Treasons and Loyalty Allegeance due obedience to our known Lawes and a Conscientious observing our Oathes of Allegance and Supremacy and the Covenant to be no lesse then High Treason for which they may take away our Lives and confiscate our Estates to their new Exchequer Thereby at once repealing Magna Charta c. 29. 5 Edw 3. c. 6. 25 Edw. 3. c. 4. 28 Edw. 3. c. 3. 37 Edw. 3. c. 18. 42 Edw. 3. c. 3. 25. Edw. 3. c. 2. 11 Rich. 2. c. 4. 1 Hen. 4. c. 10. 2 Hen. 4. Rot. Parl. 11. n. 60. 1 Edw. 6. c. 12. 1. M. c. 1. The Petition of Right 3 Car. So much commended this Parliament and laying all our Lawes Liberties Estates and Lives waste after they have drawne so much Bloud and Treasure from us in defence of them 16. To raise and keep up what forces by Land and Sea they please and impose what Taxes they please and renew increase and perpetuate them to support their more then Regall or Parliamentary power 17. To pack and shuffle themselves into a Councell of Lords This 17. is added by the Abridger States Generall without any provinciall States 40. Hogens Mogens with Supream Regall and Arbitrary power in absence of Parliaments which are Abolished by these Usurpations as well as Monarchy 4. The principall ends proposed in the pretend Act for imposing this 90000 l. a moneths Tax oblige all men not to pay it viz. The keeping up this Army under the Lord Fairfax 1. Because this Army by Rebelling against their Masters the Parliament and waging Warre upon them and by conspiring with their owe party of the sitting Commons have occasioned all the Mischiefs last mentioned to the ruine of King Parliament and Kingdome Religion Lawes Liberty and Property and daily threaten an utter dissolution both in their Deeds and Words Both Officers and Souldiers Boasting That the whole Kingdome and all we have is theirs by Conquests Tbat we are but their Conquered Slaves and Vassals and they Lords of the Kingdome That our Lives are at their Mercy and Courtesie That when they have gotten all we have from us by Taxes and Free-quarter they will seize our Lands and turne Vs and our Families out of Dores That there is no Law in England but the Sword as Hugh Peters the Rebels Apostle saith The present power must be obeyed saith parasiticall Iohn Goodwin that is the power of the Sword still More hath been raised by Taxes these last eight years then in all the Kings Raignes since the Conquest and no account given 2. No Tax ought to be imposed but upon necessity for good of the People 25 Edw. 1. chap. 6 Cookes 2. Instit pag. 528. But the keeping up this Army is the Bane of the People 1. Because they are already exhausted with Warre Plunder Taxes Free-quarter c. 2. Because the Souldiers have decayed Trade and brought a Dearth upon the Land 3. This Tax of 90000 l. a Moneth destroyed Trade by Forestalling and Engrossing most of the Money now left in the Kingdome 4. There is no Enemy in the Kingdome visible nor no fear of any if we will believe our Grandees 5. When the King had two Armies in the Field and many Garrisons this whole Army consisted but of 22000. Men and had an Established pay but of 45000 l. a Moneth See Ordinances 15. Feb. 1644. and 6. Aprill 1646. Exact Collect. pag. 599. 876. But when the Army by confederacy with their Party in the House took the boldnesse to encrease their number without Order 60000 l. a Moneth was thought abundantly sufficient to pay the Army and take off Free-quarter and why this Tax should now be raised to 90000 l. a Moneth when sundry Regiments of it are Assigned for Ireland and yet Free-quarter continued is a mystery of Iniquity which fills the Saints Pockets with Money and all the World with Wonder 6. The Counties Militia so much contended for with the King would better defend the Kingdome from Forraign Invasions then a Mercinary Army Therefore there is neither necessity nor publique utility in keeping up this Army or raising Taxes to maintaine them or pay their pretended Arreares The Free-quarter they have taken in kind and leavyed in Money will treble their Arreeres and make them much indebted to the Country Thus farre and much farther Master Pryn whose whole Booke at large I commend to all mens serious perusall The Marquesse of Ormonds happy atchievements in Ireland beginning to look formidably 204. Cromwell sets sayle for Ireland had cooled the hcat of K. Olivers courage though not of his Liver insomuch that he and his intimate Friends began to project how without losse of reputation to take him off from so desperate an Engagement as at that time that seemed to be unnecessary delaies were used in Shipping his Men. Hasterigge and his Party reported great terrours from Scotland Oliver and his Bloud-hounds of the Faction made a shift to smell out a silly Plot in Dorset-shire for surprisall of Weymouth and Portland for the KING now laughed at and exploded by their owne New-books And the tender-conscienced Brethren were prompted to apprehend their owne dangers and put into a Petitioning posture That such a Worthy of Israel such a chosen Instrument of Gods mercy might not in a time of danger leave the Land of his Nativity the Habitation of the Saints to seeke foraigne adventures in a Heathen Land Whilst these preparations were making to withdraw Olivers stake he appeared not openly in them but making more shew of the Lyons skin than the Foxes had written to Col. Iones how heartlesse his Souldiers were and that unlesse Iones did by some successfull Sally lessen their terrour he should not be able to get them on Ship-board This was like the Monkey to rake Chesse-nuts out of the fire with the Catts foot to take a presage of his owne successe at Col. Iones hazard Iones makes an attempt with better luck than he expected though not with half so good successe as was reported Saturday 12. August when the newes first came to Towne the Lyon is not so terrible as he is painted it is a peculiar priviledge of the Saints to lie without sinne or at least without
their Persons and Possessions yet it cannot be denied but this Kingdome had still many moderate-minded Men that loathed their Country-mens barbarity and could never be drawne to adhere to their Party in their least consent Now for the Parliament Agents to gather up these Men and these onely that have been drunke with the blood of their Brethren and to fortifie them with Armes Councels and conjunction of Forces that thereby they may preserve to themselves the Triumphs of their Cruelty and Treachery and to lap them up in their affections with promises of reward if they will persevere to act with the ruine of the KING and Monarchy the destruction of the remnant of the English Protestants and the antient Irish who have now declared their Loyalty and submitted to and consociated with them are things that I much loathe and can no way imbrace Besides if you consider the passages of the Treaty you will easily be drawne I suppose to cast away your former entertained scruples and not condemne me for being out of love with mine 1. For first The Title to Owen Roes Propositions excludes all other of his Nation but such as will joyne with him though they be farre more capable of Peace and Pardon than himself or his Party 2. He and his Party who in a late Paper of theirs stiled the Parliament of England Monstrosum Parliamentum the monstrous Parliament when as then it had not besmeared it selfe with Royall Sacred and Noble Blood as since it hath done yet now where he sees them act like himselfe he hath taught his tongue to quaver and calls them The most Honourable and potent Parliament when all Honour is persecuted by them and no power exercised by them but brutish violence and extreame tyranny 3. In the second Proposition That an Act of Oblivion be passed to extend to all and every of Owen O Neales Party for all things done since the Yeare 1641. You shall find that Monke approves of it totally without the least reserve of punishment to any the most bloody Plotters and Murtherers whatsoever that are in that Crew which makes me more in love with my Lord of Ormonds peace than I was before 4. 'T is propounded by Owen Roe and approved by Monke That he shall have a Sea-port to himselfe to make use of for the perfecting of his designes when as we heare the least Traffick will not be allowed to you in Munster 5. Although Col. Munke doe a little pare his Propositions concerning the Repealing of Statutes against Roman Catholiques since Hen. 8. lest he should offend the People And though he doe not absolutely undertake to grant him all his Ancestors Lands which when he is once stiled O Neale he will challenge to be the six escheated Counties yet by Monkes Letter he is assured that he shall not receive the least disadvantage thereby All which directions Councels and assurances I am confident Col. Monke would not have used towards him if he had not had a Parliament-foundation to warrant it Thus you see these Men who lately were utter Enemies have confederated together to ruine Monarchy and the Protestant Religion meerly to raise themselves and support their owne Faction They will not here allow the KING to make use of His owne Subjects to revenge His Fathers blood to Re-inthrone Himselfe to re-establish Religion and the Lawes and the just Liberties and yet they allow themselves a latitude of calling in any Party though the most blody and inhumane to assist them in the carrying on their wicked Designes We have seen Col. Iones his Letters censuring the Lord of Ormond for joyning the Irish to his Party though the best and least culpable of them and yet the same Iones whose head and hand is in this Treaty and Conclusion thinks it allowable in himselfe to close with the worst and that upon his owne termes And though Col. Monkes hypocrisie in Correcting Owen O Neales 7. Article will not allow that unity and amity shall be publickly proclaimed between them yet he is willing it shall be practised and they shall mutually assist one another against all Opposers whatsoever that is the KING and all in Authority under Him The consideration of these things hath left such an impression upon my soule that I am resolved to make speed to you no way desiring to live under their Commands whose actions increase in horror and beget new afflictions to all honest English hearts So praying you to forbeare further writting to me because I meane speedily to see you I rest Dundalke May 20. 1649. Your assured Friend and Servant Upon which Propositions so corrected by Monke the close carriage of this businesse I shall trouble my Reader with these following Observations 1. Article You see the Counterfeit Alchymy Saints are content to joyne covertly with Massacring Irish Papists to carry on their Antimonarchicall Designes and to make a false Religion and corrupt worship of God the wages hyre of righteousnesse 2. Article You see those Men that are so bloodily zealous to bring Protestant Delinquents nay the KING Himselfe under the notion of the Grand Delinquent the Man of Blood to punishment and pretend themselves engaged by Oath so to doe can dispense with the Massacre of two hundred thousand English Protestants barbarously and inhumanely slaughtered in Ireland in time of full peace and can grand an Act of Oblivion to whole Armies of their Murderers thereby at once making their Antimonarchicall interest the price for which they sell the innocent blood of their Brethren and defrauding the Irish Adventuers of that Money which the Parliament perswaded them to lay forth to purchase Rebells Lands in Ireland for which they have an Act of this Sessions of Parliament The like may be said of the 4. 7. Articles whereby Rebels attainded and convict are restored to their confiscated Lands the English Protestant Planters that purchased them of the Crowne are expelled out of their Inheritance what is this but a designe to root out Protestancy as well as Monarchy 5. Article Taketh off all Incapacity Inhability and distrust from O Neale and his Party at that very time when with much counterfeit zeale they pretend great severity against the English Papists I think because they are not so very Rebels as the Schismaticks According to their usuall custome to accuse other Men of their owne Crimes they charged King CHARLES the First upon light surmises with complying with the bloody Irish Papists doe themselves actually combine with them to root out Monarchy Protestancy giving them a Toleration of their Religion the possession of the English Protestants Estates for their Hyre And it now appeares by Letters newly come to London the 24. August notwithstanding the said Votes of the Commons against all association with the Irish Murderers That Sir Charles Coote See The Perfect Occurrences nu 138. from Aug. 17 to the 24. 1649. and O Neale are associated and that the Siege from Londonderry was raised
shall contrary to this Act Proclaime c. Shall be deemed and adjudged a Traytor and suffer accordingly Notwithstanding which inhibition the 2. February 1648. 95. A Proclamation privately printed scattered proclaiming CHARLS the secōd was printed and scattered about London-streets this following Proclamation * A Proclamation proclaiming CHARLES Prince of Wales King of Great Britaine France and Ireland WEE the Noblemen Iudges Knights Lawyers Gentlemen Freeholders Merchants Citizens Yeomen Seamen and other freemen of England doe according to our Allegiance and Covenant by these presents heartily joyfully and unanimously acknowledge and proclaime the Jllustrious CHARLS Prince of Wales next heire of the blood Royall to his Father King CHARLS whose late wicked and trayterous murther we doe from our soules abominate and all parties and consenters thereunto to be by herditary Birthright and lawfull succession rightfull and undoubted King of Great Britaine France and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging And that we will faithfully constantly and sincerely in our severall places and callings defend and maintaine his Royall Person Crowne and Dignity with our Estates Lives and last drop of our Bloods against all Opposers thereof whom we doe hereby declare to be Traytours and Enemies to his Majesty and his Kingdoms In testimony whereof we have caused these to be published and proclaimed throughout all Counties and Corporations of this Realm the first day of February in the first yeare of His Majesties Reigne God save King CHARLES the Second The fag end of the House of Commons Febr. 1. 1648. 96. A Vote that such Members as had assented to the Vote 5. Dec. shall sit no more others to enter their dissēt and disapprovall passed a thing they call an Act That such Members as had assented to the Vote 5. Decemb. 1648. That the Kings Concessions were a ground for the House to proceed to a setlement should not be re-admitted to sit as Members such as were then in the House and voted in the negative should first enter thier dissent to the said Vote such as were absent should declare thier disabbrovall before they sit You see the cheating Godly are resolved to keep all to themselves This day thier tame Lordships sent a Message to the House of Commons but they were too surly to call the Messengers in the substance of the Message was That thier Lordships had appointed 7. 97. The Lords send a Message to the Comm but the messenger not called in of their House to joyne with a proportionable number of Commons to consider of a way how to settle this Nation Monday 5. Febr. 1648. The Commons debated whether they should continue the House of Lords as a Court Iudicatory or Consultory onely And the day following they put this Question Whether this House shall take the advice of the House of Lords in the exercise of the Legislative power of the Kingdome in pursuance of the Votes of this House 4. Iann last This was carried in the Negative by many Voices 98. The house of Lords voted downe in farther pursuance of which Vote they farther voted That the House of Peers in Parliament is uselesse and dangerous and ought to be abolished and that an Act be brought in for that purpose and voted downe their Priviledge of being exempt from Arrests yet they graciously condescended they shal be capable of being elected knights of Shires and Burgesses if any will be so mad as to chuse them yet my Lord of Pembroke is as much overjoyed with gay Priviledge as if they had bestowed a new Cap with a Bell and a Bable upon him who will not now conclude that the Votes of this Legislative this supreme piece of the House of Commons is the onely Law and reason of the Land which leads all our Lawes and reason captive and is almighty against all but the Councell of the Army The 8. Febr. 99. A Protestation of Peeres came forth A Declaration and Protestation of the Peeres Lords and Barons of this Realme against the late treasonable proceedings and tyrannicall usurpations of some Members of the Commons House who endeavour to subvert the fundamentall Lawes and Regall Government of this Kingdom and enslave the People to their boundlesse Tyranny in stead of Freedome The Protestation followeth VVE the Peers Lords and Barons of this Realme of England for the present necessary vindication of the undoubted Rights and Priviledges of Parliament and more particularly of the House of Peers the just Prerogatives and Personall safety of our Kings the known Lawes and Liberties of this Kingdome the Hereditary Freedome of all the Freemen of this Nation and our owne affronted and contemned Honours and Authority against the many late unparallel'd dangerous Invasions and treasonable Vsurpations of a few insolent mis-advised Members of the late House of Commons whiles the greatest and ablest part of that House were forcibly detained or deterr'd from thence wherewith we find our selves and the whole Kingdome unsufferably injured and deeply afflicted Doe after a long patient expectation of their owne ingenious Retractations of such unjustifiable Exorbitances which their owne judgments and consciences cannot but condemn whereof we now utterly despaire being thereto engaged in point of Honour Loyalty Conscience Oath and love to our Native Country as also by our Solemne League and Covenant publikely declare and protest to all the world That by the Lawes and Customes of this Realme and usage of Parliament time out of mind ever since there were Parliaments in this Island the principall Authority and Iudicatory of the Parliaments of England hath alwaies constantly resided and ought still to continue onely in the King and House of Peers wherein He alwaies sits and not in the Commons House who never had claimed nor ought to have any right or power to judge any Person or Cause civilly or criminally having no authority to examine any VVitnesses upon Oath and being no Court of Record but onely to accuse and impeach Delinquents in and before the House of Peers where they alwaies have used to stand bare-headed at their Barre but never yet to stand covered much lesse to sit vote or give Iudgement And that the House of Commons without the concurrent assent of the House of Peers and Kings of England never heretofore challenged nor enjoyed nor can of right pretend to any lawfull power or Iurisdiction to make or publish any forme or binding Ordinance Vote Act or Acts of Parliament whatsoever nor ever once presumed to passe any Act or Acts to erect a new High Court of Iustice to trie condemne or execute the meanest Subject least of all their owne Soveraigne Lord and King or any Peere of the Kingdome who by the Common and Statute Lawes of this Realme and Magna Charta ought to be tried onely by their Peers and not otherwise or to Dis-inherit the right Heire to the Crowne or to alter the fundamentall Government Lawes Great Seale or ancient formes of processe and legall proceedings of this Realme