But how they have been discouraged retarded and diverted in and from this pious and glorious worke by those traiterous Counsells about his Maiesty will appear by these particulars They there mention the sending over at the first of twenty thousand pounds by the Parliament and that good way found out to reduce Ireland by the Adventure of private men without charging the Subiect in generall which would probably have brought in a million of money had the King continued in or near London and not by leaving his Parliament and making War upon it so intimidated and discouraged the Adventurers and Others who would have adventured that that good Bill is rendered in a manner ineffectuall They mention that when at the sole charge of the Adventurers five thousand Foot and five hundred Horse were designed for the relief of Munster under the Command of an English w Lord and nothing was wanting but a Commission to enable him for the service such was the power of wicked Counsell that no Commission could be obtained from the King by reason whereof Lymrick was wholly lost and the Province of Munster since in very great distresse That when well-affected Persons at their own charges by way of Adventure had prepared divers Ships and Pinnaces with a thousand Land Forces for the service of Ireland desiring nothing but a Commission from his Maiesty that Commission after twice sending to York for it and the Ships lying ready to set saile three weeks together at the charge of neer three hundred pounds a day was likewise denyed and those Adventurers rather than to lose their Expedition were constrained to goe by vertue of an Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament That although the Lords Iustices of Ireland earnestly desired to have some pieces of Battery sent over as necessary for that service â—et such Command was given to the Officers of the Tower that nâ—ne of the Kings Ordnance must be sent to save his Kingdome That a prime Engineer and Quarteâ— master Generall of the Army in Ireland and in actuall imployment there against the Rebells was called away from that important service by expresse command from the King That a Captaine Comptroller of the Artillery a man in pay and principally imployed and trusted here by the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for providing and ordering the Train of Artillery which was to be sent to Dublin and who had received great sums of money for that purpose was Commanded from that Employment and Trust to serve the King in this unnaturall War against his Parliament and when the Parliament had provided many hundred suits of Cloaths and sent them towards Chester the Waggoners that undertook the Carriage of them were assaulted by the Kings Souldiers lying about COVENTRY who took away the Clothes That three hundred suits of Clothes sent likewise by the Parliament for Ireland towards Chester were all taken away by the Kings Troopers under their Captain allowing it As likewise that a great number of Draught-Horses prepared by the Parliament for the Artillery and Baggage for the Irish Army and sent to Chester for that purpose being there attending a Passage were then required by the King for his present service in England whose Forces were so quartâ—râ—d about the Roads to Ireland that no Provision could pass thither by Land with any safety That two other Captains the the Admirall and Vice-Admiral of the ships appointed to lie upon the Coast of Ireland to annoy the Rebels and to prevent the bringing Ammunition and Relief from Forreign Parts were both called away from that employment by the Kings Command and by reason of their departure from the Coast of Munster to which they were designed the Rebels there have received Powder Ammunition and other Relief from Forreign Parts By which z particulars say they it may seem that those Rebells were countenanced there to assist the Enemies of the Parliament here especially considering that those confident Rebels have presumed very lately to send a Petition to the King entituling themselves his Majesties Catholique Subjects of Ireland complaining of the Puritan Parliament of England and desiring that since his Majesty comes not over thither according to their expectation they may come into England to his Maiâ—sty These are the Charges whereof both Houses of Parliament have in these very words accused the King and cannot look back to retract their Charge And what at the beginning of this Warre was imputed to the Kings evill Counsell as their crime in seducing him to an arbitrary and tyrannicall way of Government to the countenancing if not the promoting this Rebellion of the Irish even now mentioned to the refusing to signe the Proposition tendered to him by the two Houses of Parliament as the onely and necessary means for setling a firm and well-grounded Peace with other of the like kinde which might be instanced in the Houses out of tendernesse to his honour would have remitted as to him being willing to abstract and sever his personall Acts from the Acts of such his Counsell yet he refuseth not to excuse his Counsell nor positively or seriously denieth those Charges as to himself only jestingly declines the particular presumptions wherewith he was charged of his privily countenancing that Rebellion in Ireland as not worth the answering Withall whereas the Kings party argue to have the King himself excused his Counsell blamed for his mis-government they must as well distinguish betwixt his Counsell before the Warre and his Counsel since the War began and limit it to whom of that his Counsel were his Seducers so the distinguishing before the War began between the Kings own Acts and those of his evill Counsell seems to be of no value whereby to excuse the King and wholly and in a generall way to charge his Counsell indefinitely named his Evill Counsell ignoâ—ely spoken who they were neither assigning or setting forth as the Arguers in the particulars should for the better compleating their Apology for the King who the Super-intendent and President of that Counsell was Besides the King contending on the one hand to rescue and protect whom the Parliament on the other did contend to punish it was a matter of no small difficulty to discern and judge by the understanding how an abstract and separation might be had betwixt the King and that his Counsell they mutually and strenuously contending to assist and defend one another The Question therefore by way of Argument betwixt the Kings party and the Parliaments as between the Commissioners imployed on either side to Treat admits now no verball or written Answer to or Denying it is to be determined by no other Umpire then the Sword and what the two opposite Parties have a long time strove for the one defending their Cause in their Books and Writings by vehemency and height of Wit the other theirs by solid and substantiall Prudence seems to be left to the Conquerour to determine What the odds is betwixt their Writings because controverted by either side
he was blamed by some of his neerest friends for not seizing some others in their stead as hath been credibly given out so that nothing was properly to be laid to the charge of those six when as the same crimes were to be fitted to any other in the House the Articles charged on them are elsewhere mentioned by a Gentleman who hath writen the History of the Parliament of England and those six Gentlemen charged to be Ringleaders in the committing severall Treasons but how justly in every designe and purpose there is some more activity in one two three or more than in the rest and every conpleated Act is first the conception and motion of some few individuall persons than the consent of the rest if the first motioners of such a designe shall for their forwardnesse without any advantage to themselves be therefore accused of Treason and in a violent way pursued and when their persons could not be met with others of their fellow Members were to be seized in their room it could not but strike at the root of the Subjects liberty the power and privileges of Parliament So many sad and direful notes could not but portend a War against one or both Nations as time and opportunity should best serve to manage the design in hand or else the Parliament knowing themselves to be a free and full Convention in all parts a Parliament both in the Substance and Form summoned by the Kings Writ to meet c. as in the circumstance of Time and Place must submit to the will and pleasure of an o incensed King so to be dissolved or awed at pleasure or to have Boundaries put upon their Acts and Counsels by such as they knew to be corrupt and would have removed from the King to the end his Throne might be established which desire of theirs was on the other side counterpoised by a factiously framed and superstitious Maxime amongst his Favourites That if a King will suffer men to be torne from him he shal never have any good service done him So that in this Doubt and Perplexity whether the Parliament should Submit Desist or Act according to their Trust they thought it neerly and necessarily concerned them to provide for their own the Kingdoms safety for the publick welfare some of their Members being impeached and charged two Kingdoms provoked and mâ—naâ—ed the p Third also likely to bear a part in the broils of the other Two the King himselfe jealous and displeased to see the Parliament then at distance with him in transaction of matters concerning the three Kingdomes Petitioned and Appealed unto termed in an envious and scornfull way by some of his Party Omnipotent others murmuringly upbraiding that it was Idolized himself as it were neglected and left out none or seldome Addresses made to him which by the Author of the q {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is with much indignation urged that some few of the Members of the House were more looked on as greater Protectors of the Laws and Liberties than the King and so worthier of publique protection Hence it was that the Parliament had a narrow path to tread between their hopes to regain the Kings lost favour after many evidences of his anger poured forth and their hazarding the ruine of those principles whereon they did first engage that they thus Acting knew well that their Cause was just their War defensive as was at the beginning of these Troubles by a r Gentleman of good abilities in an excellent Speech of his delivered to that purpose setting forth the Enemies series and succession of designes to interrupt the Parliament as first by awing and taking away the freedom of it by an Army then actually assaulting it and with the sword to cut asunder the onely Nerves which strengthens and knits together the King and People the People amongst themselves and the whole frame of Government in one firme and indissoluble knot of Peace and Vnity That the Parliaments taking up Arms was to defend onely to repell the force and violence practised by a few of the King's side at first afterwards to provide against the mischief which his Party heightned through rage against the Parliament pretence of Loyalty towards the King might severall wayes intend That their resisting his and his Parties practices was then judged and discoursed to be for no other end then to maintain their own just Privileges in order to the maintenance of the Lawes and Liberties of their Fellow Subiects that for these familiar Reasons here ensuing no man would imagine that they dâ—â— intend an Offensive Warre to engage the Subjects one against the other or the King against themselves An instance thereof may be fully seen in these particulars following I. First for that they could not but foresee that the consequences of a War falling ouâ— betwixt a People oppressâ—d a Court of Parliament provoked and a King displeased Å¿ Counsell and Duty on the one being recompenced with Indignation and Reproach on the other side would prove calamitous and sad but on which side the calamity would fall with greatest force fury very uncertain when as besides the two Parties immediately engaged one against the other a middle and Neutrall part worse aâ— wel in the t Kings Partyes accompt as in the u Parliaments would fall in as opportunity should serve II. That it being presumed the aim and Counsells of the Parliament and all men else â—â—ing for Peace and Justice a War once waged would hinder and destroy their aims produce more overtures for discord more fresh supplies for quarrelling in the prosecuting which many unexpected chances would fall out to increase the discord as in the controversies between man and man he who hath not been so forward and visibly active for them unto whom he did adhere as in every particular opinion of theirs concurrent with them shall be traduced and accused by them also for a Neutrall or an Enemy when as men not at all assisting have therefore been by the one Party convicted Neutralls and thereupon pronounced w Forsworne III. That amidst their hopes of conquering there would not be wanting discontented and seditious humors even out of their own first Party to traduce and vilifie their proceedings if not consonant to their particular humours and fantasies that those humours would be fed and animated by the first and common Enemy on purpose to divide and weaken the prevailing Power IV. That divers other consequences likely to result from War would prove harsh and irksom to a people born free and governed under Laws and Peace as that the Soldiery and prevailing Power knowing their own opportunity and strength would be apt to intermeddle with private Interests or at least the People would be jealous of it to the perverâ—ing Justice and trampling down the Lawes which in a time of Peace distristributes to every man his iust Right so that the people would not onely
England to be bound by any Coronation Oath in a blind and brutish formality and that the King reckons himselfe accomptable to none but God which the Parliament objecteth as a maxime and ground for any Tyranny the enacting Lawes are of no value as to the King and then the Question is how far swearing Allegiance is to the Subject as the Oath was therefore and then imposed which is next to be discussed To the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance obje Books seditiously printed and privately dispersed abroad to discountenance and depresse the Parliaments cause to extoll and magnifie their own obtruding their writings on such Authors as they please all to affect the Reader sometimes on the adverse part to render them the more dâ—spicable and ridiculous sometimes on their own Friends to make them the more applauded and famous for their Actions or sufferings as by that one more remarkeably for the King in his name it may appeare of which it may be said as it was of Sampson that it did his Enemies more hurt upon and by the occasion of his death then he could doe when he was alive namely and to instance in one of his parties acts amongst the rest their publishing the Posthume Book called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by some men reputed to be his though unlikely since by the Parliaments Declarations and Proofes convicting him of severall crimes it is made appeare unto those who shall impartially read and judge the transactions mutually passed betwixt him and his accusers either that the Book and those applauded Tracts and Meditations in it are none of his or that his party by setting forth that Book in his name would have him act the part of an exquisite hypocrite in representing such devotions as most of all should consist and be wholly taken up in a serious and reall sincerity so that the Tytle of that Book might be both literally and morally as to the King himselfe or to him who personates such conceptions in his name be entituled the Image and Pourtraiture of a Counterfeit rather than the Pourtraiture of a King the falshood and imposture resting on them alone who thus dresse and sets him forth Whosoever shall read the Parliaments often Declarations and Charges against the King set forth since the beginning of this War not denyed or answered by any of his Party saving in a recriminatory and scoffing way calling the Parliament and their Acherents Rebells or who shall read the n History of the Parliament of England summarily reciting what the Lords and Commons have accused the King of his countenancing and giving way to the Rebellion in IRELAND setting downe at large the strong presumptions against him for his countenancing it although eloquently excused and in a fine and pious Language denyed by the Author of the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} his averseness from calling Parliaments cannot but acknowledg that Book o whatsoever the fair and plausible flourishes in it do pretend of the Kings inclining to and desiring Parliaments to be falsly and injuriously charged on him few or none so indulgent to his Cause as to beleeve the whole Booke both for matter and forme to be of his owne penning however they may thinke some part of it to be his Falsly because they cannot but know how p unwillingly and seldome he called any how q oft he did dissolve or attempt to dissolve them when they were called notwithstanding the great Necessity of that Court for the propagation and maintenance of Justice that it drew on a r Law yet in force to call a Parliament every year in that through the discontinuance of them through the often dissolving them in the time of his Reigne and his Declarations published against some of the Members of either House the Historian reports The deiected People were forced to read with Patience and to allow against their own Reason Whence the Reader may observe an Answer to an Objection which the Kings Party makes r That the Parliaments party did begin the Preparations for a War before the Kings The People 't is true were discontented and greived at the Exactions and Oppressions practised in the time of his Reign they held themselves destitute of any means of redresse and therefore might harbour Heart burnings and thoughts of Rising but could not devise or thinke of any course towards the Preparations for a War the Power of the County being in every Sheriff of the severall Shires and Lords Lieutenants and their Deputies many other suborâ—inate Officers of the Kings upon the first Summons given from him to them in a readinesse to suppresse and check the People in case they should but move or stir up Commotions to the likenesse of a War neither could they build upon the strength of any Power to levy War on their behalf a Parliaments strength they sadly and long since observed was of too frail and uncertain a fabrick for them to trust unto as being awed and dissolved at pleasure so that if they had no thoughts of levying a War wanting the opportunities means of Prevailing if they had entertained such thoughts the first offering of Hostile attempts and acts will lye upon the Kings Parties accompt his aversenesse to call Parliaments his awing and dissolving them when called often and long before any preparations could be thought of for a War may satisfie the Objection when as to adde to the probability of some of his parties hostile and warlike preparations it hath been observed that some of his Friends knowing themselves obnoxious and questionable for their Tenents Demeanours when time should serve have long since before this Parliament was called fortified and furnished their Houses in divers parts of the Klngdome with Armes and Ammuniâ—ion no other notice taken til of late then of adorning them for strength and splendour which with some small addition became strong Garrisons for him the Parliaments Friends had none or not so many Holds so soon or suddenly to be fortified for their defeâ—ce The most wise and happy of Å¿ Kings could tell us by his own practiced Policy That it is not the first Blow that makes the War Invasive for that no wise Power would stay for nor the Voting a War to be Defensive as the t Scots have theirs which makes it so but the first Provocation or at least the first Preparations towards a War Injuriously charged on the King in that the Author and Reader also if a friend to Him and would have the Book reputed his doe unawares and as it were against their Will wound his honour and render the manner of his death the more unchristian then otherwise it might be judged when whilst the life is mortall they make the Vices of Dissembling and Uncharitablenesse to be surviving and immortall moâ—ions The reporting it to be the Kings seems besides to blemish the credit of those penitentiall expressions therein derogating from the serious