Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	parliament_n	4,582	5	6.6805	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81180	A Cunning plot to divide and destroy, the Parliament and the city of London. Made knowne (at a common hall) by the Earle of Northumberland, Master Solliciter, and Sir Henry Vane. The design is fully discovered in the severall examinations and confessions, of Master Riley. Several examinations and confessions, of Sir Basill Brook. Severall examinations and confessions, of Master Violet. Proclamations from his Majesty. Letters from his Majesty. Letters from the Lord Digby. Letters from Colonell Read.	Northumberland, Algernon Percy, Earl of, 1602-1668.; Vane, Henry, Sir, 1612?-1662.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I). Proclamation for the removing of the Courts of Kings-Bench and of the Exchequer from Westminster to Oxford.	1644 (1644)	Wing C7586; Thomason E29_3; ESTC R11898	34,816	59

of this present Parliament as will appeare by the Lord Digbyes letter to De vic and the summoning of the great Councell or Parliament at Oxford compared with the third of these Propositions By the letter to De vic this Parliament as the resolution then was at Oxford must not be acknowledged and by this third Proposition for that very cause the Parliament must be waved and the Treaty must be immediatly between the King and City The consequence whereof had been no lesse then the rendring of the Kingdome for ever uncapable of having any more Parliaments This Parliament It was called and continued according to the knowne Lawes and Usages of the Kingdome was afterwards by an Act of Parliament assented unto by his Majestie so acknowledged and made indissolvable without its own consent a greater Testimony of the validity of this Parliament then I think was ever given to any If neither the Common Lawes and usages of this Kingdome nor the concurrent Authority of an Act Parliament be able to support this Parliament when his Majestie shall declare the contrary I shall without more words leave to your judgements whether this doctrin doth not at once blow up the fundamentalls of all Parliaments Lawes of the Kingdome Libertie of the Subjects and of the whole pollicie and Government of this Kingdome which being destroyed what security you could have devised for the maintaining of the Religion Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome as is promised you in his Majesties letter I know not 3. The third was not onely the preventing of the assistance of our Brethren in Scotland But that which is worse and must have necessarily followed thereupon the embroiling of both the Nations in divisions in all likelihood fat all unto both this will appeare by putting together what hath beene done by the Parliament those at Oxford and the transactions in this designe The Parliament long since have invited that Nation to our assistance in this common cause upon weighty considerations As first conceiving that by this meanes through Gods blessing this great cause which concernes our Religion Lawes Liberties and all we have would be assured and the event of the War otherwise doubtfull made more certaine 2. Secondly that by their assistance the war might be the sooner ended and so by consequence the calamities which of necessity must accompany it their assistance adding so considerable a strength to our party besides the reputation which the concurrence of a whole Nation with us will adde to the justnesse of the cause 3. And thirdly that as in likelihood by their joynt concurrence a better Peace for present might be procured so in all probability what shall be agreed upon would be the more lasting and durable both Nations being equally interested in what should be agreed upon Besides the Covenant maturely sworn and agreed upon by both Nations for the maintenance and defence of Religion and of the mutuall Lawes and Liberties of each Kingdome a solemne league and Treaty hath likewise beene mutually agreed upon between the Parliament here and that Kingdome concerning the manner of their assistance and great sums of money have been thereupon sent unto them In which Treaty one Article is That neither Nation shall entertaine any Treaty of Peace without the advice and consent of the other This in briefe containes the transactions between that Nation and the Parliament At Oxford by papers in the forme of Proclamations they have stiled this assistance an Invasion of the Kingdome and one end of the calling of that great Councell or Parliament is for opposing of the same In the carriage of the present designe by one of Reads letters to Ryley he saith That a dore is open by the comming in of the Scots for the destruction of this Kingdome That therefore this Peace must presently be concluded That all is lost unlesse it be done speedily The maine intent of the letter is for the speeding of it to that end The Lord Digbyes letter to Sir Basil Brooke referring the delivering of his Majesties letter to my Lord Mayor to his discretion he forthwith delivers it to Wood to be the next day delivered to my Lord Mayor and he next day after the delivery to be by him published He saw it necessary and so resolved at Oxford That we must speedily breake with the Scots Their assistance how necessary and by Gods blessing how beneficiall it is like to be unto us I think you see but this must be prevented The honour and publike faith of Nations how Sacred it is and from the rules of Religion and common policie how tenderly to be preserved each man knowes But this designe must violate and staine our honour in the highest For contrary to the Article before mentioned this Treaty must presently be set on foot without them such violations are alwayes deeply resented by the parties injured how dangerous therefore the consequence must needs have beene he that runnes may reade This was the Designe It was too Ugly It was too Black Bare fac'd to have been presented to your view and therefore it must be masqu't This hook must be baited with the sweet word Peace It hath been long since observed from the Ecclesiasticall proceedings of the Romish Church That in nomine Domini Incipit omne malum The Holy Name of God must bear out all their Spirituall wickednesses The end of all Civil Policie is the preserving of just and Honourable Peace and therefore these men when Divisions Violence and what is most contrary to Peace is intended yet for the compassing of these ends Peace must be pretended So was it by many of them about this time twelve moneth Designed in their Petition to the Parliament for a Peace and so was it in the bloodie plot upon the Citie and diverse Members of both Houses discovered the last Summer For upon the examinations of diverse of them It appeared that the ground of that plot was laid in the first Petition and that the second was to have been guilded over with a Petition for Peace These men I speak of these designes they cry Peace Peace that destruction might have come upon you as an armed man You shal now hear the examinations and other things read at large unto you SIR HENRY VANE JUNIOR His Introduction to the Reading the severall Examinations taken in this businesse Together with severall Observations delivered by him upon occasion thereof GENTLEMEN YOU have heard very fully the State of this bu sines by what the Persons that have already spoken have opened to you in generall that which you are now in the next place to have communicated to you are the Examinations as they proceeded from the mouthes of the Parties themselves that you may see the Design in its lively colours and that as you have had it summarily presented to you from this Noble Lord and worthy Gentleman you may now hear the parties themselves speak The first Examination that was taken was the 4. of Jan. 1643. and

to Master Rily by the name of the Man in the Moone assures him The businesse goes on well at Oxford Promises of reward are made to Ryley and Violet Peace being the pretence Therefore Propositions are framed and agreed on fix in number by Read Sir Basil Brooke Ryley and Violet and seene by others and afterwards sent to Oxford A Petition for Peace being intended the better to induce that It was agreed that his Majestie must write a powerfull and promising letter to the Lord Major and Citizens to be read at a Common Hall and fit Instruments thought upon to be imployed to prepare my Lord Major before hand The Letter was written and agreed uponhere by Sir Basil Brook Master Ryley and Violet and sent to Oxford Violet a prisoner by Master Ryleys means was procured to be exchanged that he might from Oxford bring the letter and advises for the carrying on of the businesse At Oxford the businesse was so diligently sollicited by Read that at Violets coming all things were ready and after three houres discourse in his Majesties presence with the Queene the Dutches of Buckingham the Lord Digby Violet the same day being the Munday before the discovery dispatched from Oxford with his Majesties Letter altered in nothing save the Title and with another Letter from the Lord Digby to Sir Basil Brooke whereby the whole managing of the businesse is intrusted to Sir Basil Brook and it is wholly left to his Wisdom and Discretion whither the letter to the City shall be delivered or not Violet brought both the Letters to Sir Basil Brooke the Wednesday after and one Wood having formerly brought a Letter from Oxford to the City the same in matter with this that Violet brought which will be read unto you Sir Basil Brook delivered the Letter that came last from Oxford to Wood to be delivered to my Lord Major the next day after which was Thursday and with direction That it should have been published on the Fryday The delivery of it to my Lord Major by the discovery of it the same day was prevented and Sir Basil Brooke Ryley and Violet that night were examined Before the Reading of the Examinations Letters and Propositions unto you at large That the main designe to be made out by them as they are conjoyned and have relation to the precedent narrative may be the better understood I shall in brief touch upon the matter of them as likewise upon such Conclusions as may necessarily be deduced from them As first That no Peace was really intended appears throughout the whole transaction The propositions which upon the Supposition that this is no Parliament if anything were to have been the ground-work foundation of it which upon the reading you will finde so flight and frivolous that no man can conceive that our Peace could have been built upon such a foundation Nothing so much as spoken of concerning Ireland or the disengaging of of our ●elves from the Articles of Agreement with our Brethren of Scotland No provision for Reformation of Religion or preservation of that we have or of our Lawes and Liberties But in stead thereof there are quaedam iniqua the Excise must be continued beyond the war that out of it the King might have a benefit and the debts of the Enemies to the Parliament repayed and the City immediatly to be Treated with That no Peace was intended appeares further from the L Digbies Letter written within a day or two of that to the City to the Ki Agent at Brussels who writes that the French Treaty was at an end because the Parliament must not be acknowledged to be a Parliament that as the King for a long time had taken that for a ground so he held the same resolution still being thereunto advised by all his Lords at Oxford and by his resolution of holding a Great Counsell in the nature of a Parliament at Oxford the 22. of this Moneth And when his Majesties Letter shall be read you will finde no particulars whereupon a Peace should have been built save only kinde words in generalls This further appeares from the persons who were the first Designers and Contrivers and were to have been the chief managers from first to last of the businesse Read and Sir Basil Brook known Iesuited Papists and alwaies active in promoting Popish practizes This Peace must have been such as these persons shall contrive The prayer for our deliverance from the Gun powder Treason agreed upon in Parliament saith That the Faith of such Papists is faction Their practises the murdering of the soules and bodies of men Read he hath been a Contriver and prosecuter of the bloody Tragedies of the Protestants in Ireland the other not without suspicion to have had his hand in it what is said concerning the Queen in that particular is set forth by the Declaration of both or one of the Houses and the Articles of her Impeachment the Countesse of Buckingham beside that her husband hath appeared visibly in that Rebession is not free of other cause of suspition These as was said before assisted with the Lord Digby must be the Instruments of this Peace which as it is set forth in his Majesties Letter must be such as that whereby the true Protestant Religion the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome must be maintained These Papists you see who had done so good service for the Protestant Religion in Ireland must lay the foundation for the preservation of it here Sir Basil Brook and Read well knew that the Pope and and Popery have been banished this Kingdome by the Parliaments of England and that the succeeding Parliaments to this time have alwaies endeavored the suppression of popery and therefore Degenerating from their Predecessors who in the Gun-powder Treason endeavoured for that cause to have blown up the parliament They must now endeavour the Preservation of the Parliament and the Lawes and the Liberties of the Kingdome The things which from this briefe Narrative the reading of the Examinations Propositions and Letters will appeare to have been designed are these First the dividing the Parliament from the City and the Parliament and the City within themselves First in respect that this Treaty of Peace was to have been immediately between the King and the City and that whereupon the Peace of the whole Kingdome should have been setled as appeares by his Majesties Letter what wide rents such a Treaty must have produced between the City and Parliament is obvious Again for the prosecution of the Treaty when entertained by the City safe conducts were to have been granted not only to those of the City but to such of the Members of either House as would have repaired to Oxford for that purpose Every man sees by this what division and confusion would have followed both in City and Parliament The Projectors were well acquainted with Machivels maxime divide impera The second was no lesse then the utter destruction the nulling and making voyd

him such a Petition he will then very willingly receive it The third thing is this That his Majesty declares that there is no art he hath hitherto passed in Parliament but he will be most willing to confirm a Declaration that is renewed upon all occasions but never otherwise observed then it is now for in the mean time that act whereby this Parliament is a Parliament whereby all other acts of Parliament and the whole frame of the Lawes of this Kingdome are confirmed and preserved that very act in this design is to be laid aside and utterly to be destroyed And this Treaty is brought about for no other ends but to destroy that so that you may plainly see upon what ground these things are got from his Majestie and upon what counsels and withall consider what colour of ground you can have to receive any fruit from any such Declarations and Protestations as these are when they must only serve to amaze you til this Parliament and in this all Parliaments are for ever rooted out and destroyed The next Letter that is to be offered to you is the Letter of the Lord Digby upon another occasion which was presented to the Houses by a Noble Lord that is here present his Excellencie my Lord Generall who intercepted it going beyond Sea you shall understand there yet more clearly what manner of counsels his Majesty is now upon at Oxford which Letter shall be now read unto you For my very worthy Friend Sir Henry De Vic. From Oxford the 27. Decemb. 1643. Your very effectionate Friend and Servant George Digby SIr My indisposition the last week fore'st me to refer you to my Secretary for an account of what Occurrences that offorded This week hath been so little productive of any thing Considerable that when I shall have told you of taking of Beston Castle in Cheshire by his Majestes Forces under the Lord Biron a place of huge Importance both for strength and Command of all those countries of Cheshier Lancashire and some parts of Stafford and Darbishiere I shall have told you all the Marquesse of New castle having attempted nothing since the taking of Winckfield Mannor Plimouth remaining still in its former condition besieged and there having been nothing done between my Lord Hopton and Sir Walliam Waller since the unlucky beating up of one of our Quarters at Alton But we are in daily expectation of a criticall Blow between them The Lord Wilmot being now joyned with the Lord Hopton with a fresh strength of a thousand Horse and both being under march to attain Waller who hath possess'd himself of Arundell-Town we having a strong Garrison in the Castle and it is probably hoped he cannot avoid fighting with him upon disadvantage Thus much for the Military part The Prince de Harcourts Negotiation by way of Intermise for an Accommodation is well nigh at an end as I beleeve for that the pretended Parliament will not hearken to any Propositions from him in any other way then of an avowed addresse by which they might seem either to be owned by him as a Parliament and applied to by him as an Ambassadour or else to be admitted by the King for somewhat more considerable then He hath in a long time owned them for A point which His Majestie may not suffer them to gain without subverting the grounds Maxime of all his late proceedings against them and that which He now goes upon by the advice of all his Nobility here as you will perceive by this inclosed Proclamation upon the effects thereof all the Eyes of the Kingdom are now fixed God send them to be as good actuated as they are in speculation for I am confident that in reason it carries Probability of the surest and readiest way to the reestablishment of His Majestie and his Iust Rights and powers of any course that hath been yet attempted This is all more then the heartiest respects of Your affectionated Servant George Digby I have received yours of the 19. and will by the next give you an account of that particular in it that concernes your self GEntlemen this letter for what concerneth the Military part of it I beleeve your own knowledges are able to give your selves the best judgement how that that Criticall blow that he there sperketh of is now fallen in great part upon their own heads and that thanks be to God Sir William Waller being now in the Castle of Arundell having taken above 1000. or 1200. prisoners and some 100. and odde Officers with all other things delivered to him we see which way the Criticall blow is fallen for which we have all cause to acknowledge the goodnesse of Almighty God The second part declareth to your consideration that boldnesse and confidence which breakes forth in the Lord Digbyes Pen that it seemeth he hath forgotten he hath been a Parliament man he calleth that Parliament which is setled by Act of Parliament the very name whereof ought to be sacred to the eares of all true English men and lovers of their Countrey he calls a pretended Parliament That which durst never be called sayd or written at any time heretofore in England by any whatsoever The second thing you may observe is this That that councell of Nobility which you will heare of by and by in a Proclamation must now not onely be of a Councell of Nobility there but of all those that have beene likewise expelled out of the house of Commons or house of Peeres or withdrawn themselves from their duty and the trust put in them by their Country all these now must assemble together and what to do To settle his Majesties just rights and Power and this just right and power is to make this Parliament though setled by an Act of Parliament a pretended Parliament or in a word to give our lawes liberties or rights a being or not a being solely in his Majesties pleasure how just that is you your selves may easily discerne and how destructive it would be to you A third thing considerable in this letter is that though his Majestie should have any inclination to doe his Parliament right to acknowledge them a Parliament yet my Lord Digby saith it is a point that must not be suffered It is a point which his Majestie must not permit to be gained though it be but to do the Parliament that right as to acknowledge what they are by Act of Parliament his faithfull and Supreame Councell But in stead of this as you will heare by a Proclamation of the 22. of December All the members of both Houses that have forsaken their Country deserted the cause contributed to undermine the State and Kingdome and expose them to the prey of the Irish Rebels This must be the wholesome advice about his Majestie and this wholesome advice must beheld up though with the unnaturall ruin of this Parliament which must not be acknowledged but another thing set up in forme of a Parliament somewhat like a Parliament

therby to delude simple people if it were possible that might take place to subvert the Lawes of this Kingdome and subject al our liberties to an arbitrary power under pretence of Law to the worst of all evils By this you may easily understand the drift of the Councels that are at Oxford and this use we ought to make of it to unite our selves with more strong resolutions and unwearied affections then ever with our purses lives and estates to labour to redeeme our selves from this misery and thraldome that is threatned us and now appearing in more cleare Demonstrations than ever yet it hath You shall now heare the Proclamation it selfe read this Paper that is now to be read to you is that which commeth in the forme of a Proclamation for as you well know the great Seale of England is now with the Parliament and the other great Seal by the Ordinance is made voide and such is the confidence they have of this good doctrine of theirs and to set up another Parliament in the roome of it and to proceede upon these principles and grounds they think it necessary to send it beyond sea hoping hereby to unite all Popish Princes upon this point who know very well the true Protestant Religion must inevitably be rooted out if this Protestant Parliament be made no Parliament or destroyed in which all our other Lawes at the same time and upon the same grounds are no Lawes but must perish also By the King A Proclamation for the Assembling the Members of both Houses at Oxford upon occasion of the Invasion by the Scots VVhereas we did by Our Proclamation hearing date the twentieth day of June last upon due consideration of the miseries of this kingdom and the true cause thereof warn all Our good Subjects no longer to be missed by the Notes Divers and pretended Ordinances of One or Both Houses by reason the Members do not enjoy the freedom and Liberty of Parliament which appears by severall instances of Force and Violence and by the course of their proceedings mentioned in Our said Proclamation and severall of Our Declarations since which time Our Subjects of Scotland have made great and Warlike preparations to enter and inhave this Kingdom with an Army and have already actually invaded the same by possessing themselves by force of Armes of Our Town of Barwick upon presence that they are invited thereunto by the desires of the two houses the which as we doubt not all Our good Subjects of this kingdom will look upon as the most insolent Act of ingratitude and dissoyalty and to the apparent breach of the late Act of Pacification so solemnly made between the Kingdoms and is indeed no other then a designe of Conquest and so impose new Lawes upon this Nation they not so much as pretending the least probecation or violation from this Kingdom so We are most assured that the Major part of both Houses of Parliament do from their souls abhorre the least thought of introducing that for raigne Power to encrease and make desperate the mile ries of their unhappy Country And therefore that it may appear to all the world how far the Maior part of both Houses is from such Actions of Treason and disloyalty and how grossely those few Members remaining at Westminster have and do impose upon Our People We do Will and require such of the Members of both Houses as well those who have been by the faction of the Malignant Party expelled for performing their duty to Us and into whose roomes no Persons have been since chosen by their Country as the rest who have been driven thence and all those who being conscious of their want of freedom now shall be willing to withdraw from that Rebellious City to assemble themselves together at Our City of Oxford on Munday the twenty second day of January where care shall be taken for their severall Accomodations and fit places appointed for their meeting and where all Our good Sujects shall see how willing We are to receive Advice for the preservation of the Religion Lawes and safety of the kingdom and as far as in Us lies to restore it to its former Peace and Security Our chief and only end from those whom they have trusted though We cannot receive it in the place where We appointed And for the better encouragement of those Members of either House to resort to us who may be conscious to themselves of having justly incurred Our displeasure by submitting to or concurring in unlawfull actions And that all the World may see how willing and desirous We are to forget the Injuries and Indignities offered to Us and by an Union of English hearts to prevent the lasting miseries which this forraigne Invasion must bring upon this kingdom We do offer a free and Generall Pardon to all the Members of either House who shall at or before the said twenty second day of January appear at Our City of Oxford and desire the same without Exceptions which considering the manifest Treasons committed against Us and the condition We are now in improved by Gods wonderfull blessing to a better degree then We have injoyed at any time since these Distractions is the greatest instance of Princely and fatherly Care of Our People that can be expressed and which Malice it self cannot suggest to proceed from any other ground And therefore We hope and are confident that all such who upon this Our gratious Invitation will not return to their duty and Allegiance shall be no more thought Promoters of the Religion Lawes and Liberty of the Kingdom which this way may be without doubt setled and secured but Persons engaged from the beginning out of their own Pride Malice and Ambition to bring confusion and desolation upon their Country and to that purpose having long once contrived the Designe to invite and joyne with a forraigne Nation to ruine and extinguish their own and shall according be pursued as the most desperate and malitious Enemies of the kingdom And Our Pleasure is That this Our proclamation be read in all Churches and Chappell 's within this Our kingdom and Dominion of Wales Given at Our Court at Oxford the 22th day of December in the Nineteenth yeer of Our Reigne 1643. God save the King GENTLEMEN I believe upon the reading of this Paper which is put forth in the forme of a Proclamation you cannot but discerne a great affinity in it to this present businesse that is now before you which is to occasion division between the City and the Parliament to raise factions in both and to say open as much as possible may be to the power and malice of their enemies howsoever they cover themselves under these fair and specious expressions which you have heard before This Proclamation doth very ill agred with his Majesties Letter here it is called the disobedient and Rebellious City in this Proclamation and here the Parliament is indeavoured to be brought from you though before you are the