Fellow could say nothing for himself but only That he knew not Mr. Pemberton to be of the House So the Serjeant was commanded to Remove them both forth Mr. Johnson said Some we Pardon out of Discretion some out of Commiseration I think set all Parliaments together they will not match this Parliament with Numbers of Offences of this Nature and only our Impunity is the Cause Mr. Edmond Morgan said Mr. Speaker The Gentleman is a Man of good Sort Desert and Carriage And I think if he had known me to be of the House he would not have served me with a Subpoena Truly he came to my Lodging and acknowledged his great Fault and prayed me to Extenuate it I protest I think he did not know I was of the House And therefore I pray in regard of his Person and good Service done to Her Majesty his Offence may be as freely Remitted by the House as it is by Me And that it would please you All to Refer your Justice to Matters of greater Importance Which was marvellously well liked by the House Mr. Pemberton being asked What he could say whether William Mackerles knew him He answer'd I and that his Man had told him he said That he knew the said William was a very Knave And therefore he would not intreat the Favour of the House but let him have the Justice of the House Which Speech was generally misliked Mr. Fleetwood a Councellor of Grays-Inn shewed unto the House That one Holland a Scrivener by Temple-Bar and his Man had Beaten his Servant and he humbly prayed they might be sent for And the Question grew upon Dispute in the House whether this were Punishable And after upon a Precedent vouched by Mr. Roger Owen of 8 Hen. 4. touching a Knight of the Parliament coming towards the Parliament c. it was agreed That they should be sent for Mr. Kennel and Mackerles were brought to the Bar And after their Offence laid open by the Speaker he said It pleased the House to have so favourable Consideration of their Offence That they should only have but Three Dayes Imprisonment in the Custody of the Serjeant and pay his Fees Mr. Downold moved the House Mr. Downold moves to have the Queen's Message entered in the Journal First That the Gracious Message sent from Her Majesty might be written in the Books of the Records of this House As well it is worthy to be written in Gold as well as written and fixed in the True Hearts of every good Subject Secondly That the Honourable of this House would move Her Majesty and be an earnest Means of Speed lest that which is now meant indeed should by Protraction of Time be altered or perhaps not so happyly Effected Mr. Secretary Cecil said Secretary Cecil speaks to it I promised to be as Silent as I could Amongst much Speech of the Wise there wants not much Folly much more in Me. I do not Speak because I do dislike the Motion of that Gentleman that last spake but to defend the Diligence and Grace of the Queen It is no matter of Toy for a Prince to Notifie in Publick a Matter of this Weight Though the Idol of a Monopoly be a great Monster yet after Two or Three Dayes I doubt not but you shall see him Dismember'd And I do protest there is not any Soul living deserves Thanks in this Cause but our Sovereign Yesterday the Queen gave Order for the Draught of a Proclamation I had the Minutes thereof even now in my Hands You all know I went even now out of the House then I Read it and sent for him that should Deliver it to Her Hands Now What needs this new Zeal Mr. Davies said Mr. Davies Mr. Speaker I stood up before to Speak It was not much I had to say only this That which was deliver'd unto You from Her Sacred self I think to be Gospel that is Glad Tydings And as the Gospel is Written and Registred so would I have that also For Glad Tydings come to the Hearts of the Subjects This is all Sir George Moore said Sir George Moore This eating and fretting Disease of Monopolies I have ever detested with my Heart and the greater the Grievance is and hath been the more Inestimable is the Grace of Her Majesty in Repealing them And therefore to think we can sufficiently Record the same it were to hold a Candle before the Sun to dim the Light And seeing that She in Her Clemency and Care to Us hath taken the Matter into Her own Hands I wish the Matter may be no more spoken of much less proceeded in Sir Francis Hastings said Sir Francis Hastings It ought to be Written in the Tables of our Hearts Mr. Laurence Hide I think that this Gentleman that set this Motion on Foot spake out of Joy for Her Majesty's Grace and Zeal to have Performance of Her Promise In that he wish'd it might be Recorded in Paper here or in Parchment it is not to be intended but he also meant in our Hearts which remain no longer than we Live but Records remain longer and will give a Lively Remembrance in Ages to come And therefore for that part of his Motion I think it very Good and wish the Clerk may do accordingly Mr. Comptroller said Mr. Comptroller I think that he that moved first this Question exceedingly forgat himself and exceedingly detracted from Her Majesty who I know out of her abundant Grace and Favour to this House hath taken such speedy Course as hath been delivered by my Fellow-Councellour With that Affection She embraceth this House that in more Familiar than Princely sort it hath pleased Her to say Recommend me to the House with Thanks for their Promise and Care for the Common Good Mr. Speaker said Mr. Speaker My Heart is not able to conceive nor my Tongue to utter the Joy I conceive for Her Majesty's Gracious and Especial Care for our Good and Wellfare Wherefore as God said Gloriam meam alteri non dabo so may Her Majesty say in that That She Her self will be the only and speedy Agent for the Performance of our most Humble and Wished Desires Wherefore let us not doubt but as She hath been so She still will be our most Gracious Sovereign and Natural Mother unto Us Whose Dayes the Almighty God prolong to our Comforts And all the House cryed Amen On Saturday Novemb. 28. The Bill Intituled An Act for Explanation of the Statute of 39. Eliz. Cap. 6. touching Charitable Uses was Read the second time to which Mr. Tate spake and said amongst other things that That could be no Law which was contrary to the Great CHARTER of England And this was because it gave Power against the Great CHARTER which giveth Challenges to Jurors which this Law alloweth not Therefore he wished there might be a Commitment to Consider whether it were fit to be continued or repealed And the House would have appointed Monday
the Lords being thus sate An. 1592. and the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons as many as conveniently could be let in about two of the clock in the afternoon Sir John Puckering Lord Keeper of the Great Seal by command from the Queen spake to this effect The Lord Keeper's Speech THat though the assembling of Parliaments hath antiently been and still were for the Enacting of Laws and Reforming of Abuses and Grievances of the Subjects within the Realm The Lord Keepers Speech 〈◊〉 to direct the â—â—sâ—â—â—â—s in this Session yet at this time the Queens Majesty was desirous to have the Advice of all her loving people concerning the Defence and Preservation of her Self her Realms and Subjects from the Power and Oppression of a forreign Enemy Then he declared that this Enemy was the King of Spain and that his malice was increased by his loss and shame received in 88. That his resolution still was to invade this Kingdome The Spaniards Design of Reveenge discovered did plainly appear by his building and getting together many Ships of less bulk which would be fitter for service in our Seas than those greater Galliasses and Gallions had been in 88. That he desired some nearer place from whence to invade England and therefore at this time was labouring to plant himself in Britain a part of France And his Designes laid open That he had raised Factions in Scotland and Conspiracies against the King there finding him an enemy to his ambitious desires And therefore we her Majesties Subjects said he must with all dutiful consideration think what is fit for us to do Exâ—… them to raise Moneys and with all willingness yield part of our own for the defence of others and assistance of her Majesty in such an unsupportable charge Were the cause between Friend and Friend how much would we do for the relief of one another but the cause is now between our Soveraign and our selves seeing there is so much difference in the parties how much more forward ought we to be The Aid formerly granted to her Majesty in these like cases is so ill answer'd 〈…〉 Supplies paied and with such slackness performed as that the third of that which was granted cometh not to her Majesty A great shew a rich grant and a long sum seems to be made but little it is hard to be gotten and the sum not great which is paid and 〈…〉 Her Majesty thinks this to be for that the wealthier sort of men turn this charge upon the weaker and upon those of worst ability so that one dischargeth himself and th' other is not able to satisfie that he is charged withal these things should be reformed by such as are Commissioners in this service Wherefore it is her Majesties pleasure 〈…〉 the time be not spent in devising and enacting new Laws the number of which are so great already as it rather burtheneth than easeth the Subject but the principal cause of this Parliament is that her Majesty might consult with her Subjects for the better withstanding those intended Invasions which are now greater than ever before were heard of And where heretofore it hath been used that many have delighted themselves in long Orations full of verbosity and vain ostentations more than in speaking things of substance the time that is precious would not be thus spent This Session cannot be long the Spring-time is fit that Gentlemen should repair to their Countreys the Justices of Assize also to go their Circuits so the good hours would not be lost in idle Speeches but the little time we have should be bestowed wholly on such business as is needful to be considered of and Thursday next is appointed the day to present the Speaker Assoon as the Lord Keeper's Speech was ended Receivers of Petitions named the Clerk of the Parliament read the names of the Receivers of Petitions for England Ireland and Wales and Scotland Sir Francis Popham Lord Chief-Justice of the Kings-Bench John Clinch one of the Justices of the said Bench Dr. Awbery Dr. Ford and they which will deliver Petitions are to deliver the same within six days next ensuing Receivers of Petitions for Gascoigne and other parts beyond the Seas and the Isles Sir Edmond Anderson Lord Chief-Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir William Peryam Lord Chief-Baron Tho. Walmesley one of the Justices of the Common-Pleas Doctor Cary Doctor Stanhop and they which will deliver Petitions are to deliver them within six days next ensuing Triers of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland the Archbishop of Canterbury the Marquiss of Winchester the Earl of Darby Lord Steward of the Queens Houshold the Earl of Sussex the Earl of Essex the Bishop of London the Bishop of Durham the Lord Howard of Effingham Earl Marshal and Lord Admiral of England the Lord Cobham the Lord Grey of Wilton all these or four of them calling to them the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and the Lord Treasurer and the Queens Serjeants when need shall require shall hold their place in the Chamberlains Chamber Triers of Petitions for Gascoigne and other parts beyond the Seas and the Isles the Earl of Oxford great Chamberlain of England the Earl of Shrewsbury the Earl of Huntington the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Lincolne the Lord Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain to the Queen the Lord Lumley the Lord Buckhurst all these or any four of them Although the usual Custome in the Original Journal-books is to place all Proxies upon what days soever returnable before the beginning of the Journal it self yet I have conceived it more methodical to place all such Returns in those days upon which they were delivered to the Clerk of the Parliament and always upon the day on which the first Return was to make some short Observations of that if it be unusual and extraordinary and so to refer the view of the residue to their proper days On this instant Monday therefore being the Nineteenth day of February and the first day of the Parliament was returned only this one usual Proxie Decimonono die Februarii introductae sunt Litterae Procuratoriae Edwardi Episcopi Norwicensis in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Johannem Episcopum Lond. Richardum Episcopum Peterburgen Nota This is one of those Proxies I call an usual or ordinary Proxie when a Spiritual Lord maketh but two Proctors and a Temporal Lord but one and those of their own Order but when a Temporal Lord nominateth a Spiritual Lord for his Proctor or nominateth more than one Proctor and when a Spiritual Lord nominateth a Temporal Lord for his Proctor or but one Proctor or more than two these I call unusual and extraordinay Proxies And therefore at this very time of nine Temporal Lords that sent their Proxies but one named two Lords of which see afterwards on Munday March 5. all the rest naming but one Indeed of six Spiritual Lords which sent their
abuses of the Bishops in every one of them He delivering the Bill made this his request That if the House thought good to receive it that then they might be Suitors unto her Majesty to have it allowed The Bill being delivered by Mr. Morris his hand unto Mr. Speaker Mr. Dalton of Lincolns-Inne stood up and spake with much earnestness against it saying IT is hard for me upon a sudden to answer a long premeditated Speech but as I am able I will say and shew what I think of the Bill exhibited It pretends great things in shew things tending to the hindrance of God's Service to the derogation of her Majesties Prerogative to the overthrowing of our Laws and violating of our Liberties things great in shew but no such things to be found in matter spoke against It is easie to make of a Mole-hill a Mountain in words so by a well compiled Speech to make a great and dangerous thing of nothing nay indeed a thing needless for that the State hitherto hath always stood upon this Government And so shewed how the Ecclesiastical Government was distinct from the Temporal The Reasons he gave were few or none onely his great mislike was that having received straight Commandment from her Majesty not to meddle with things concerning the Church and State of this Realm therefore in his opinion the Bill ought to be suppressed Mr. Speaker IN favour and in free love above my merits and deserts you have elected me to do all my best service and to be faithful to you This Bill delivered to me is long and containeth important matters of great weight and such matters as cannot be expressed in few words It hath many parts and if you put me presently to open it I cannot do it as I should for indeed it is a matter far above my ordinary practice and so I cannot so readily understand it and to deliver a thing before I conceive it I cannot Wherefore if it would please you to give me leave to consider of it I do profess I will be faithful and will keep it with all secrecy Hereupon it was put to the question Whether it should be committed to the Speaker onely or to the Privy Council and him But it was held to be against the Order of the House that a Bill should be committed before it was read Therefore upon a Motion made by Mr. Wroth it was agreed that Mr. Speaker should keep it This afternoon at two of the clock Mr. Speaker was sent for unto Court where the Queens Majesty her self gave him commandment what to deliver unto the House On Wednesday Feb. 28. after Prayers the Bill for Recusants was read This morning Mr. Morris was sent for to Court and from thence he was committed unto Sir John Fortesoue's keeping This Bill against Recusants was opened and read by Mr. Speaker who made fourteen divided parts of the same Mr. Speaker YEsterday a great Member of this House after a Speech used and his Reasons laid forth delivered two Bills unto me which Bills though not being read yet were diversly spoken of They being long and the matters grave and of great importance and the day being almost spent I desired further time to consider of the parts of the Bill I humbly thank this honourable House time was granted me freely it being almost twelve of the clock I have perused and read both of the Bills I have them about me and they have been continually with me ever since they were delivered to me never any man saw them nor ever any mans eye more than my own ever saw one word of them A little after I had perused the Bills I was sent for by a special Messenger from her Majesty Coming in her Royal presence I was commanded to deliver these words from her most excellent Majesty unto the body of the Realm for so she termed this House The matter I have to speak is great yea it is the greatest matter I ever had to deal in wherefore I pray God direct mentem linguam hanc I must be short for her Majesties words were not many and I may perhaps fail in the delivery of them for though my Auditors be great yet who is so impudent that the presence of such a Majesty would not appale him and it did greatly fear me when I did see none of these honourable persons in her presence who were present at the holding of the matter in this House yet so God in his providence had appointed it that even in this while came in some of the persons here present who if I fail in delivering what was given me in charge can report it unto you and I glad am that there are witnesses with me in this action what was my faithful service for the House I protest a greater comfort never befel me than that this my Integrity and faithful Promise to this House is not violated for her Majesty in her most gracious wisdom before my coming determined not to press me in this neither indeed did she require the Bill of me for this onely she required of me What were the things spoken of by the House which points I onely delivered as they that heard me can tell The Message delivered me from her Majesty The Speaker 〈…〉 Message to the Commons consisteth of three things First the end for which the Parliament was called Secondly the Speech which her Majesty used by my Lord Keeper Thirdly what her Pleasure and Commandment now is For the first it is in me and my power I speak now in her Majesties person to call Parliaments and it is in my power to end and determine the same it is in my power to assent or dissent to any thing done in Parliament The calling of this Parliament was onely that the Majesty of God might be more religiously served and those that neglect this service might be compelled by some sharper means to a more due obedience and more true service of God than there hath been hitherto used And further that the safety of her Majesties Person and of this Realm might be by all means provided for against our great Enemies the Pope and the King of Spain Her Majesties most excellent Pleasure being then delivered unto us by the Lord Keeper it was not meant we should meddle with matters of State or in Causes Ecclesiastical for so her Majesty termed them She wondered that any would be of so high commandment to attempt I use her own words a thing contrary to that which she had so expresly forbidden wherefore with this she was highly displeased And because the words then spoken by my Lord Keeper are not now perhaps well remembred or some be now here that were not there her Majesties present Charge and express Commandment is That no Bills touching matters of State or Reformation in Causes Ecclesiastical be exhibited And upon my Allegiance I am commanded if any such Bill be exhibited not to read it On Thursday March 1. after Prayers
liberty of Priviledg to all the Members of this House and their Servant And lastly if any mistaking of any Message delivered unto him from the Commons should happen that her Majesty would be pleased to attribute that to his weakness in delivery or understanding and not to the House As also any forgetfulness through want of memory or that things were not so judicially handled or expressed by him as they were deliver'd by the House To which after the Queen had spoken to the Lord Keeper again the Lord Keeper spake in effect as followeth Mr. Speaker her Majesty doth greatly commend The Lord-Keeper replies by the Queens Order and like of your grave Speech well divided and well contrived the first proceeding from a sound Invention and the other from a setled Judgment and Experience You have well and well indeed weighed the state of this Kingdome well observ'd the greatness of our puissant and great Empire the King of Spain the continual and excessive charges of the Wars of Ireland which if they be well weighed do not only shew the prudence of our gratious Soveraign in defending of us but also the greatness of the charge continually bestowed by her Majesty even out of her own Revenues to protect us and the exposing of her Majesties self to continual troubles and toilesome Cares for the benefit and safety of her Subjects Wherefore Mr. Speaker it behoveth us to think and say as was deliver'd by a great man lately in a Concilio ad Clerum opus est subsidio ne fiai exitum or as I think excedium Touching your other Requests First For freedom of Speech her Majesty willingly Consenteth thereunto with this caution That the matter be not spent in Idle and Vain matters Painting out the same with Froth and Volubility of words And her Majesty Commandeth That you suffer not any Speeches made for Contention or Contradiction-sake maintained only by a Tempest of words whereby the Speakers may seem to get some reputed Credit by imboldning themselves to maintain Contradiction and on purpose to trouble the House with vain and long Orations to hinder the Proceedings in more weighty and greater Importance Touching Access to her Person she most willingly granteth the same desiring she may not be troubled unless urgent and matters of great Consequence compel you thereunto For this hath been held for a wise Maxime In troubling great Estates you must trouble seldome For Liberty unto your selves and servants her Majesty hath Commanded me to say unto you all That she ever intendeth to preserve the Liberty of the House and granteth Liberty to the meanest Follower of the meanest Member of this House But her Majesties Pleasure is you should not maintain and keep with you notorious Persons either for Life or Behaviour As desperate Debtors who never come abroad fearing her Laws but at these times Petty Foggers and Vipers of the Common Wealth prouling and common Solicitors that sets Dissention between man and man and men of the like Condition to these These her Majesty earnestly desireth a Law may be made against as also that no Member of this Parliament would entertain or bolster up any man on the like Humor or Quality on pain of her Highnesses Displeasure For the Excuse of the House and your self Her Majesty Commandeth me to say That your Sufficiency hath so often times been approved before her That She doubteth not of the Sufficient Discharge of the Place you shall serve in Wherein she willeth you to have a special Eye and Regard not to make new and idle Laws and trouble the House with them But rather to look to the Abridging and Repealing of diverse obsolete and superfluous Statutes As also First To take in hand Matters of greatest Moment and Consequence In doing thus Mr. Speaker you shall fulfil her Majesties Commandment do your Country good and satisfy Her Majesties Expectation Which being said the Speaker made three Reverences to the Queen Then the Lord Keeper said For certain great and weighty Causes Her Highness's Pleasure is the Parliament shall be Adjourned until Friday next Which Speech was taken to be an Adjournment of the Lower House but it was not so meant wherefore the Lower House sate the next day being Saturday morning So after some room made the Queen came through the Commons to go into the Painted-Chamber who graciously offering her Hand to the Speaker he kissed it but not one word she spake unto him neither as she went through the Commons few said God bless your Majesty as they were wont in all great Assemblies And the throng being great and little room to pass she moved her Hand to have more room whereupon one of the Gentlemen Ushers said openly Back Masters make room And one answered stoutly behind If you will Hang us we can make no more room which the Queen seemed not to hear though she heaved up her Head and looked that way towards him that spake After she went to White-Hall by Water Saturday Octob. 31. I was not there thinking the House had not sare till Thursday but I heard there was a motion made for the maintenance of the Priviledges of the House and to have a Committee for it which was appointed on Thursday at one of the Clock in the Afternoon And two Bills were Read one against Drunkenness another that no Bishop nor Arch-Bishop may make any Lease in Remainder or Reversion until within three Years before the expiration of the former Lease This Day the Prayer was brought into the House which was appointed every Morning to be Read during the sitting of this Parliament amongst other Prayers by a Minister appointed for that purpose The COPY of the PRAYER OH Eternal Almighty and ever Living GOD A Prayer to be used Every Morning in the House of Commons which hast made the Eye and therefore seest which hath framed the Heart and therefore understandest from whose only Throne all Wisdome cometh Look down upon us that call upon Thee bow down thine Ear and hear us open thine Eyes and behold us which in the Name of thy Son and our Saviour do lift up our Hearts unto Thee Forgive us O Lord forgive us all that we have done amiss in Thought Word or Deed. Forgive us our negligences forgive us our unthankfulness make us mindful of thy Benefits and thankful for all thy Mercies Thou that seest the Hearts and searchest the Reins and beholdest the utmost parts of the World try and examine our Hearts and guide us in thy ways knit our Hearts unto Thee that we may fear thy Name Let us ever fear this Glorious and Fearful Name The Lord our God Let all that despise Thee feel thy Judgments Let all Men know it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Let thy Mercies always prevent us and compass us about In all our Ways Words and Works let us set Thee always before our Eyes Remove from us all vanity and hypocrisy Let thy Truth always
Bellgrave I ever took him and so still do to be a man of very good Carriage To condemn him I do not mean but I humbly Pray that a course for his Honour may be taken and the matter so handled that the Honour of the Person may be saved the Gentleman freed from further Offence and this Cause ended with good conclusion Mr. Dale said Id possimus quod Jure possimus and therefore resting in doubt herein the safest course is a Conference Mr. Tate said It is not good to utter suddain Thoughts in great matters Our Dispute may seem to have this end either to Incur the danger of our Priviledges by not regarding this Cause or to pry too neer into Her Majesties Prerogative by Examining Informations exhibited into the Star-Chamber wherefore I think we ought to be Petitioners not verbum Petitioners or at least to shew our Griess to the Lords And if by an Order from them as was alledged this Information was put in methinks in Reason a Conference were good to Examine the Cause and inform this House truly thereof Mr. Skipwith the Pensioner Mr. Skipwith for Belgrave said If I knew or did think there were any Wrong done to the Earl of Huntington I would rather be a Petitioner for this Gentleman unto him than I would be a Protector of him against him I know Mr. Belgrave wrote his Letter to my Lord and that it pleased his Honour to answer him and that he offered to follow his Honour in that sort as is fitting for a Gentleman of his Worth and rather His Honour than any mans in England This I take it may satisfy the House for Answer to the first part of the Information which containeth a Dishonour offered to the Earl For the Second which is Deceiving of the Burgesses I do assure this House they were both willing and worthy to be deceived I know they had given their Voices and desired Mr. Bellgrave to undertake it For the Wrong to this Court I hope this Court hath wisdom enough to Right it self without any Course in the Star-Chamber yet by your Favours I may say thus much That if we should Punish him for coming Indirectly to this Place we should Punish three parts of the House for none ought to be Chosen but those that be resident and sworn Burgesses of the Town Sir Robert Wroth said Sir Robert Wroth brings a precedent This matter needs not so much Dispute In the last Year of Queen Mary in the Case between Pleadal and Pleadal it pleased the Lords of the Star-Chamber Sedente Parliamento to bind the one at the Suit of the other to appear 12 days after the Parliament and this was adjudged to be an Infringment of the Lberties of this House Mr. Davis said The Information savours more of Wit than Malice and therefore I think that upon Conference with the Lords the matter may be brought to a good end I therefore humbly pray it may be put to the Question and that the Bill may be sent for out of the Star-Chamber Mr. Cary said As I take it Mr. Speaker the Course hath been that if the House hath been desirous to see any Record you Mr Speaker should send a Warrant to the Lord-Keeper to grant forth a Certiorari to have the Record brought into this House And upon view thereof perhaps this matter of Dispute would have an end Sir Francis Hastings offer'd to speak again in this matter Sir France Hastings Speakes Again Mr. Bacon interrupts him And they contend a while with reproaches but Mr. Bacon interrupted him and told him It was against the Course of the House To which he Answered He was old enough to know when and how often to speak To which Mr. Bacon Answered It was no matter for that but he needed not to be so Hot in an ill Cause To which Sir Francis replied In several matters of Debate a man may speak often so I take it is the Order He pointing to Mr. Bacon talkes of Heat If I be so hot as he Was Yesterday then put me out of doores The only thing that I would say is this I wish a Conference may be had with the Lords because the matter may be brought to some friendly end For God knows what may lie in the Deck after the Parliament and I suspect it the more because the Information is filed and no Process sued out Mr. Greenvil said I wish that in our Conference A Conference agreed by the Lords we do not neglect our Privileges and that we may be a means of Mediation So Mr. Comptroller and others were sent to desire a Conference which was agreed unto by the Lords and the time appointed to be on Thursday Morning at Eight of the Clock Mr. Speaker said I am to certifie you from the Lords of a great disorder committed by the Pages and Servants as well of the Lords themselves as of your Servants So that not only Abuse is offer'd but Weapons and Blood drawn For remedy whereof the Lords have given strict Commandment That their Servants keep peaceable and quiet Order and that neither their Pages Attendants nor Servants do stand upon the Stairs or neerer the House than the Stair-foot They desire that every Member of the House would do the like to their Servants and so expresly to Charge and Command them And I would move you That you would be pleased the Serjeant might go forth and signify so much from you unto the Company without and all said I I I. Mr. Wiseman said The disorder Mr. Speaker speaks of is now grown so great that they have their Passes and Repasses and men dare not go down the Staires without a Conductor So the Serjeant went and delivered the Message and the Abuse was well Reformed The Bill for Assuring of a Joynture to the Countess of Sussex Mr. Serjeant Yelverton Dr. Cary and Dr. Stanhop came from the Lords and Serjeant Yelverton signified the Lords Desire of a Conference in the Bill for Patents made by the Queen and Grants to her c. Which the Lords did the more Respect because it was recommended to them from the House the time appointed to Morrow Morning at Eight of the Clock the Number 20. So after they went out it was agreed They should meet with a convenient Number and then they were called in again according to the Ceremony of the House and the Houses resolution deliver'd to them Mr. Serj. Harrts said Mr. Speaker The Ancient Use hath been always to double or treble the Number The last Committee were about Sixty I think by reason they were Committees and are best informed that they should attend the Lords And so it was agreed His conceipt was Sell the great Bell to buy the little Bell a Clapper In the afternoon in the House the Bill for Fustians was to be debated but by reason the Devonshire-Men made a Faction against it after small Dispute it was put to the Question whether it
Historical Collections OR An exact Account of the PROCEEDINGS OF THE Four last Parliaments OF Q. ELIZABETH Of Famous Memory Wherein is contained The COMPLEAT JOURNALS Both of the Lords Commons Taken from the Original RECORDS of their Houses AS ALSO The more particular Behaviours of the Worthy Members during all the last notable Sessions comprehending the Motions Speeches and Arguments of the Renowned and Learned Secretary Cecill Sir Francis Bacon Sir Walter Rawleigh Sir Edw. Hobby and divers other eminent Gentlemen Together with The most considerable Passages of the History of those times Faithfully and Laboriously Collected By Heywood Townshend Esq a Member in those Parliaments The like never Extant before LONDON Printed for T. Basset W. Crooke and W. Cademan at the George in Fleetstreet at the Green Dragon without Temple-bar and at the Popes-head in the New Exchange 1680. THE PREFACE TO The Reader THE whole Reign of our Renowned Queen Elizabeth was such a Series of admirable Events such a Pattern of wise and honest Counsel and steady Conduct such an age of hellish Plots and secret Conspiracies by the Papists on the one hand and such prudent Circumspection Female Courage and Zeal and happy Deliverances on the other that no History can deserve to be more minutely described than the Affairs in her time And though many famous Pens have already travelled therein and given us a fair prospect of her actions the subtile Contrivances and open Force of her Enemies against her sacred Life Government and the true Protestant Religion and the many providences and more than humane success which blessed and crowned her days yet we never had so full an account of her last Parliaments as is comprehended in this Volume especially so curiously as the very last is collected by Mr. Townshend a worthy Member in that Session who hath so faithfully done it that it is thought very fit even after so long an Interval to appear in publick There have been many excellent persons of the greatest abilities and worth who though they had not the ambition to struggle to be chosen into the House and were well acquainted without-doors with all the most important passages within have yet often wished they might have had the liberty of sitting there but a few days onely to observe the behaviour methods and tempers of Men so assembled and be an eye-witness how things are managed and passed there Now in this Relation there is so particular and exquisite an Account that such may even satisfie their curiosity in those very Circumstances For this is not onely the Journal-Book of what is entered upon Record but in the last Session especially there are all the particular Speeches Motions Arguments nay and the very behaviour of every one in that grand Assembly and all so painted to the life that to a considering Reader it is almost the same thing as if he had been present with them all the while Here you will finde that the Grievances they laboured to have redressed were very considerable their Arguments rational and strong though finely adorned which will be easily believed when we know the famous Secretary Cecill Sir Francis Bacon Sir Walter Rawleigh and many other solid States-men were fellow-Members in this illustrious Assembly whose Speeches alone are as I should guess a sufficient Invitation to any one that has but heard of them in our English world to know how they behaved themselves in that House of Commons which that you may do I shall make no further Preamble but conduct you into the Work it self Farewel ADVERTISEMENT ☞ That long-expected Work of Dr. William Howell's now Chancellor of Lincoln entituled The General History of the World in two Volumes in Folio the first reprinted with very large Additions and the second never before printed being a most exact History is finished Printed for T. Basset W. Crooke and W. Cademan An exact and perfect Journal of the Passages in the Vpper House of Parliament 31 Eliz. holden at Westminster Anno xxxj o Reginae Eliz. Annoque Dom. 1588. which began there Feb. 4. and then and there continued until the Dissolution thereof which was on March 29. Anno Dom. 1589. THE Queens Majesty soon after that her wonderful and glorious Victory which God Almighty had given her Navie over that vainly-stiled Invincible Armado sent against her Realm of England by the King of Spain Queen summons a Parliament soon after the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armado summon'd this her High Court of Parliament to begin on Tuesday the 12th day of November that present year 1588. and in the 30th year of her Reign that so by common Advice and Councel she might prepare and provide against the inbred malice of that Prince and Nation But other occasions of great importance requiring the deferring of the said Assembly her Majestie prorogued the same to a further day in manner and form following MEmorandum The Queen prorogues the Parliament from the 12th of Nov. to the 4th day of Feb. Whereas the Queens Majestie by her Writ summoned her Parliament to begin and be holden at Westminster this present Tuesday the 12th of November 1588. her Highness for certain great and weighty Causes and Considerations her Majestie specially moving by the advice of her Privie Council and of her Justices of both her Benches and other of her Council learned did prorogue and adjourn the said Parliament until the fourth day of February next by vertue of her Writ-Patent sealed with the Great Seal and bearing date the 15th day of October last past Whereupon at this said 12th day of November the Archbishop of Canterbury Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellor William Lord Burghley Lord Treasurer The Earl of Huntingdon the Bishop of London and three other Barons repaired to the Parliament-chamber commonly called the Vpper House and there in the presence of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses summoned to the said Parliament declared That her Highness for divers good Causes and Considerations her specially moving by her Highness's said Writ had prorogued the said Parliament from the said first summoned day An. 1588. until the fourth day of February next Whereupon the Writ for the said Prorogation in the presence of all that Assembly was openly read by the Clerk of the Upper House in haec verba ELizabetha Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Regina Fidei Defensor c. Praedelectis Fidelibus nostris Prelatis Magnatibus Proceribus Regni nostri Angliae ac dilectis fidelibus nostris Militibus Civibus Burgensibus dicti Regni nostri ad praesens Parliamentum nostrum apud Civitatem nostram Westm duodecimo die Novembris prox futurum inchoandum tenendum convocatis electis vestrum cuilibet salutem Cum nos pro quibusdam arduis urgentibus negotiis nos statum desensionem dicti Regni nostri Angliae Ecclesia Anglicana concernentibus dict Parliamentum nostrum ad diem locum praedict teneri ordinavimus
ac vobis per seperalia Brevia nostra apud Civitat diem praedict interesse mandaverimus ad tractandum consentiendum concludendum super hiis in dicto Parliamento nostro tunc ibidem proponerentur tractarentur quibusdam tamen certis de causis considerationibus nos ad hoc specialiter moventibus dictum Parliamentum nostrum usque ad quartam diem Februarii prox futur duximus prorogandum Ita quod nec vos nec aliquis vestrum ad dictum duodecimum diem Novembris apud Civitatem praed comparere teneamini seu autemini volumus enim vos quemlibet vestrum nos penitus openerari Mandanies tenore presentium firmiter injungendo precipientes vobis cuilibet vestrum ac omnibus aliis quibus in hac parte intererit quod ad dictum quartam diem Februarii apud praedictum Civitate Westmonaster personaliter compereatis intersitis quilibet vestrum compereat intersit ad tractand faciend agend concludend super hiis quae in dicto Parliamento nostro de Communi consilio dicti Regni nostri favente Domino contingerint ordinari In cujus rei testimonium has literas nostras sieri fecimus Patentes Teste meipsam apud Westm quinto decimo die Octobris Anno Regni nostri tricesimo Per ipsam Reginam Ha. Gerrarde And according to this Prorogation the Parliament held on the fourth day of February following when the Queen's Majesty in her accustomed state and order came to the Upper House accompanied by Sir Christopher Hatton Knight then Lord Chancellor of England and divers of the Nobility of which the Journal-book maketh mention in manner and form following On Tuesday the fourth of February Feb. 4. The Q. comes to the House of Lords in the 31th year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth to which day the Parliament had been last prorogued and accordingly now held the Queen's Majestie was personally present in Parliament but the Journal-book doth not mention the names of such Lords as were then present The Queen being set under her Cloath of Estate and the Lords placed in their several ranks and order and as many of the House of Commons as conveniently could being let in and standing before the Bar Sir Christopher Hatton Knight Lord Chancellor of England Heads of the L. Chancellor Hatton's Speech in a well-framed and discreet Speech did there declare unto them at large the Queens gracious disposition to Peace and her great wisdom in preserving the same and singular government of the Realm Next he shewed the great benefit which this Kingdom enjoyeth by her Government and remembred the great Conquest over the Spanish late wonderful Army or Fleet on the Seas viz. Anno Dom. 1588. He further declared how much the King of Spain remained bent against this Kingdom And lastly shewed that the cause of calling this Parliament to be that by the consent of the most grave and wise persons now called together out of all parts of the Realm preparation may as far forth as by councel of man is possible to be made and provided that Arms Souldiers and Moneys may be in readiness and an Armie prepared and furnished against all Events The Lord Chancellor's Speech being ended the Clerk of the Parliament read the Names of the Receivers and Triers of Petitions in French according to the usual form which were these Receivers of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland Sir Christopher Wray Chief Justice Committees or Receivers and Triers of Petitions Sir Gilbert Gerrard Kt. Master of the Rolls Sir Robert Shute one of the Justices of the Kings-bench Dr. Aubery and Dr. Ford. Receivers of Petitions for Gascoigne and other Countries beyond the Seas and the Isles Sir Edmond Anderson Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Roger Manwood Chief Baron Francis Windham one of the Justices of the Common-Pleas Dr. Clarke and Dr. Cary. Triers of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland The Archbishop of Canterbury the Earl of Darby the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Sussex the Bishop of London the Bishop of Winchester the Lord Howard of Effingham Lord Admiral the Lord Cobham and the Lord Gray of Wilton Triers of Petitions for Gascoigne and for other Countries on the other side the Seas and the Islands The Earl of Oxford great Chamberlain of England the Earl of Warwick the Earl of Pembrooke the Bishop of Salisbury the Bishop of Lincoln the Bishop of Rochester the Lord Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain to the Queen the Lord Lumley and Lord Buckhurst During this Parliament upon several days seven Temporal Lords sent their Proxies so did five Spiritual Lords Et norandum That all the said Spiritual Lords excepting one did every one constitute two several Proctors and the fifth being John Bishop of Carlisle whose Proxie was returned February the fifth made onely one viz. the Archbishop of Canterbury his Proctor It likewise seldom happeneth that any Bishop doth nominate fewer than three or two Proctors nor any Temporal Lord more than one Nota That the Lord Burleigh had this Parliament four Proxies sent unto him viz. one from the Lord Dacres one from the Earl of Warwick one from Viscount Mountacute and one from the Lord Lumley Ipsa Regina continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Jovis prox hora secunda post meridiem On Thursday February 6. to which day the Parliament had been last continued the Queens Majestie was personally present coming to the said Parliament in her accustomed state and order about three of the clock in the afternoon it being the time appointed for the House of Commons to present their Speaker who they had been authorized to chuse on Tuesday last when the Parliament first began And thereupon accordingly the Queen and Lords being set and the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons being let into the Upper House two of the most eminent persons of the said House did lead up to the Bar of the Upper House George Snagg Serjeant at Law Geo. Snagg their Speaker presented to the Queen Excuses himself who was chosen the Speaker of the said House of Commons who being placed at the said Bar and silence being made did in a modest and discreet Speech disable himself by reason of his many imperfections and humbly desired her Majestie to discharge him of that great Place and to nominate some other more able and sufficient Member of the same House Whereupon the Lord Chancellor by commandment from the Queen The Queen approves of him did let him know That her Majestie did very well allow of his Choice and thereupon encouraged him willingly and cheerfully to undertake and execute that Charge and Place to which he had been by the free and unanimous consent of the House of Commons elected and chosen Upon which Speech of the Lord Chancellor's the said Speaker according to the usual course and form rendering all humble thankfulness to the Queens Majestie for her underserved
Proxies there was but that one set down in the Page before-going which made two Proctors all the rest naming three or but one all which see afterwards on the 22.24.27 days of February and on the 7. and 28. days of March Where also it may be noted That John Archbishop of Canterbury had this Parliament five Proxies Now follows next in order to be set down the continuing of this Parliament which in the original Journal-book it self followed immediately upon the names of the Lords foregoing being present this afternoon So that the substance of the Lord Keeper's Speech foregoing and this also that follows at the presentment of the Speaker was supplied by my self out of a very exact Journal which I had of the Passages of the Lower House this present Parliament conceiving those Speeches in all my Journals ought more fitly to be referred to the Passages of the Upper House than of the House of Commons Dominus Custos Magni Sigill ex mandato Dominae Reginae continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Jovis prox futur On Thursday Feb. 22. the Queens Majesty her self came about three of the clock in the afternoon accompanied with divers of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal there being present this day the Archbishop of Canterbury Sir John Puckering Kt. Lord Keeper of the Great Seal William Lord Burleigh Lord Treasurer of England the Marquiss of Winchester twelve Earls two Viscounts fifteen Bishops and twenty three Barons being for the most part the very same that are by name set down to have been present on Munday last The Queen and the Lords being thus sat the House of Commons having notice thereof Edw. Cooke the Queens Sollicitor chosen and presented immediately came up with Edward Coke Esq the Queens Sollicitor into the Upper House whom they had chosen for their Speaker who being led up to the Bar at the nether end of the said House between two of the most eminent Personages of the Lower House as soon as silence was made and the rest of the House of Commons had placed themselves below the Bar he spake as followeth The Speaker's Speech YOur Majesties most loving Subjects the Knights and Burgesses of the Lower House have nominated me your Graces poor Servant and Subject to be their Speaker This their Nomination hath hitherto proceeded that they present me to speak before your Majesty yet this their Nomination is onely a Nomination yet and no Election until your Majestie giveth allowance and approbation For as in the Heavens a Star is but opacum corpus until it hath received light from the Sun so stand I corpus opacum a mute body until your high bright shining wisdom hath looked upon me and allowed me How great a Charge this is The Speaker disables himself to be the Mouth of such a Body as your House of Commons represent to utter that is spoken Grandia Regni my small experience being a poor professor of the Law can tell but how unable I am to undergo this Office my present Speech doth tell that of a number of this House I am most unfit for amongst them are many grave many learned many deep wise men and those of ripe Judgments but I an untimely Fruit not ripe nay bud a but not scarce fully blossomed so as I fear your Majesty will say Neglecta fruge liguntur folia amongst so many fair fruits you have plucked a shaking leaf If I may be so bold to remember a Speech used the last Parliament in your Majesties own mouth Many come hither ad consulendum qui neseiunt quid sit consulendum a just reprehension to many as to my self also an untimely fruit my years and judgment ill befitting the gravity of this place But howsoever I know my self the meanest and inferiour unto all that ever were before me in this place yet in faithfulness of service and dutifulness of love I think not my self inferiour to any that ever were before me And amidst my many imperfections yet this is my comfort I never knew any in this place but if your Majesty gave him favour God who also called them to this place gave them also the blessing to discharge it The Lord Keeper having received Instructions from the Queen answered him Mr. Sollicitor HER Graces most Excellent Majesty hath willed me to signifie unto you that she hath ever well conceived of you since she first heard of you which will appear when her Highness selected you from others to serve her self but by this your modest wise and well-composed Speech you give her Majesty further occasion to conceive of you above that she ever thought was in you by endeavouring to deject and abase your self and your desert you have made known and discovered your worthiness and sufficiency to discharge the place you are called to And whereas you account your self corpus opacum her Majesty by the influence of her Vertue and Wisdom 〈◊〉 is commanded and aâ—â—â—â—â—ed by the Qs. order doth enlighten you and not onely alloweth and approveth you but much than keth the Lower House and commendeth their discretions in making such a Choise and electing so fit a man Wherefore Mr. Speaker proceed in your Office and go forward to your Commendation as you have begun The Lord Keepers Speech being ended the Speaker began a new Speech COnsidering the great and wonderful Blessings The second Speech of the Speaker besides the long Peaece we have enjoyed under your Graces most happy and victorious Reign and remembring withal the Wisdom and Justice your Grace hath reigned over us with we have cause to praise God that ever you were given us and the hazard that your Majesty hath adventured and the charge that you have born for us and our safety ought to make us ready to lay down our Lives and all our Living to do you service After this he related the great Attempts of her Majesties Enemies against us especially the Pope and the King of Spain adhering unto him how wonderfully were we delivered in 88 and what a favour therein God manifested unto her Majesty His Speech 〈…〉 after this tended wholly to shew out of the Histories of England and the old State how the Kings of England ever since Henry the third's time have maintained themselves to be Supream Head over all Causes in their own Dominions and recited the Laws that were made in his and other Kings times for maintaining their own Supremacy and excluding the Pope He drew down his Proofs by Statute in every Kings time since Hen. 3. 〈…〉 unto Edw. 6. This ended he came to speak of the Laws that were so great and so many already that they were fitly to be termed Elephaentinae Leges Wherefore to make more Laws it might seem superfluous Too great a multiplicity of our Laws and to him that might ask Quid Causa ut Crescunt tot magna volumina Legis it may be answered In promptu Causa est Crescit in orbe
That for this offer of three Subsidies her Majesty most graciously in all kindness thanketh her Subjects but except it were freely and willingly given she did not accept of it for her Majesty never accepteth any thing that is not freely given That if the Coffers of her Majesties Treasure were not empty or if the Revenues of the Crown and other Princely Ornaments could suffice to supply her Wants and the Charges of the Realm in the word of a Prince she doth pronounce it she would not now have charged her Subjects nor accepted of this they gave her The Lord Keeper's Speech being ended after some time of intermission the Queen being sat in her Chair of State used a Princely Speech unto the Houses of which the greatest part was to the effect and purpose following THis Kingdom hath had many wise The Qu. speaks her self noble and victorious Princes I will not compare with any of them in Wisdom Fortitude or any other Vertues but saving the duty of a Childe that is not to compare with his Father in Love Care Sincerity and Justice I will compare with any Prince that ever you had or shall have It may be thought simplicity in me that all this time of my Reign I have not sought to advance my Territories and enlarge my Dominions for opportunity hath served me to do it I acknowledge my womanhood and weakness in that respect but though it hath been not hard to obtain yet I doubted how to keep the things so obtained that hath onely held me from such attempts And I must say my minde was never to invade my Neighbours or to usurp over any I am contented to reign over mine own and to rule as a just Prince Yet the King of Spain doth challenge me to be the Quarreller and the beginner of all these Wars in which he doth me the greatest wrong that can be for my Conscience doth not accuse my thoughts wherein I have done him the least injury but I am perswaded in my Conscience if he knew what I know he himself would be sorry for the wrong that he hath done me I fear not all his Threatnings his great Preparations and mighty Forces do not stir me for though he come against me with a greater power than ever was his Invincible Navy I doubt not God assisting me upon whom I always trust but that I shall be able to defeat and overthrow him I have great advantage against him for my Cause is just I heard say when he attempted his last Invasion some upon the Sea-coast forsook their Towns and flew up higher into the Country and left all naked and exposed to his entrance But I swear unto you by God The Q. swears by God the will punish Cowards if I knew those persons or of any that shall do so hereafter I will make them know and feel what it is to be so fearful in so urgent a Cause The Subsidies you give me I accept thank-fully if you give me your good wills with them but if the necessity of the time and your preservations did not require it I would refuse them But let me tell you that the sum is not so much but that it is needful for a Prince to have so much always lying in her Coffers for your defence in time of need and not to be driven to get it when we should use it You that be Lieutenants and Gentlemen of Command in your Countries I require you to take care that the People be well armed and in readiness upon all occasions You that be Judges and Justices of the Peace I command and straightly charge you that you see the Laws to be duely executed and that you make them living Laws when we have put life into them Thus with most gracious thanks to both Houses the Princely Speech ended Then were the Titles of all the Acts read in due order and first the Bill of Subsidies to which the Clerk of the Parliament standing up did read the Queens Answer in manner and form following La Royne remercie ses loyaule Subjects accept leur benevolence ainsi le veult The Clerk of the Parliament having read the Queen's acceptance and thanks for the Subsidies given as aforesaid did then upon the reading of the Pardon pronounce in these French words following the Thanks of the Lords and Commons for the same Les Prelates Seigneurs Communes en se present Parliament assembles au nome de touts vous autres Subjects remercient tres-humblement vostre Majesty prient a Dieu que il vout done en sante bonne vie longue Nota here to the Subsidy-bill because it is the meer gift of the Subject the Queen's consent is not required for the passing of it but as it is joyned with her thankful acceptance nor to the Bill of Pardon because it is originally her free gift no other circumstance is required than that the thankful acceptance thereof by the Lords and Commons be likewise expressed it being but once read in either House before it comes thus at last to be expedited Now to all other Bills either private or publick the Queen 's express consent though in different words is always requisite as followeth The Bills of Subsidies and Pardon being passed in manner and form as aforesaid then were the Publick Acts read to every one of which allowed by the Queen the Clerk of the Parliament reads in French these words following Le Royne le veult To every Private Act that passeth the Clerk of Parliament reads the Queens Answer in these French words following Soit fait come il est desiré These two last Answers to the Publick and Private Acts that pass are to be written by the Clerk of Parliament at the end of every Act. To such Acts as her Majesty forbears to allow the Clerk of the Parliament reads in French these words following Le Roynes advisera After which ended the Dissolution of the Parliament followed in these words Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli ex Mandato Diminae Reginae tune praesentis dissolvit praesens Parliamentum A Journal of the Parliamentary Proceedings in the Lower House Anno xxxv o Eliz. Annoque Dom. 1592. very laboriously collected Being chiefly called for Consultation and Preparation against the ambitious Designes of the King of Spain in which some unusual Distastes happened between her Majesty and the House by reason of their intermeddling with her Majesties Successor to the Crown which she had forbidden This Session begun on Munday February 19. 1592. and ended April 9. 1593. MVnday Feb. 19. Feb. 19. The Parl. meet This day the Knights and Burgesses met and at this day appeared after that their Names were declared to the Clerk of the Crown and there entred into his book they entred into the House The House being set the Earl of Darby High-Steward for this Parliament came into the House to take their Oaths Sir Thomas Henage gave him instructions what order he should use
with others viz. the Lord Treasurer Lord Admiral four Earls five Bishops Lord Chamberlain and twelve Barons the Lord Chief Justice of England the Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas the Lord Chief Baron Mr. Serjeant Drew and Mr. Atturney-General to attend the Lords the meeting to be at the great Council-chamber at Whitehall to morrow at two of the clock in the afternoon The Counsel on both parts for the Lord Marquiss of Winchester and the Lord Montjoy were admitted to publick hearing in the House and thereupon no just cause being found to hinder or to stay the proceeding of the Bill the same was commanded to be read the third time and so was expedited On Tuesday Decemb. 13. an Act against Forestallers Regrators and Ingrossers read tertia vice and return'd to the Lower House for their consideration of some Amendments An Act giving power and liberty to Sir John Spencer Knight Dame Mary his Wife and Robert Spencer Esq their Son to alienate certain Mannors and lands in the Counties of Dorset and Bedford read tertia vice and thereupon two Letters from the Lord Spencer to the Lord Chamberlain signifying his consent to the Bill were read On Wednesday Decemb. 14. order was given for release of William Wood out of the Fleet at whose suit Edward Barston the Lord Chandois servant was arrested so as he make satisfaction to the said Barston of such charges as he was at by means of the said Arrest The like Order was made for the enlargement of William Cole that arrested John Yorke the Archbishops servant paying onely the Fees of the Fleet. On Thursday Decemb. 15. an Act for explanation of the Statute made Anno 5 Reginae concerning Labourers A Bill returned because the Amendments went ingrossed in Parchment which should have been in Paper returned from the Lower House with some Exceptions to the Schedule affixed because the Amendment was ingrossed in Parchment which according to the custom of the House should have been in Paper Certain Articles were presented in writing by the Lower House touching their Opinions and Objections concerning the Bill of Tellers c. which were delivered to Mr. Atturney to the end he might confer with the Judges upon the same and make Report to their Lordships The Bill concerning Mr. Arthur Hatch her Majesties Ward c. return'd into the House by the Lord Treasurer the first of the Committees And forasmuch as it seemed to the Committees that there were in the Bill certain points that could not be well reformed a Motion was made to the House upon agreement among the Committees That the proceeding in this Bill might cease and that another course might be taken by way of Composition betwixt the Dean and Chapter of Windsor and Arthur Hatch for which purpose a Bill was brought ready drawn by Mr. Atturney-General containing a form of Composition betwixt them to be ratified if it should be thought good by Parliament On Friday Decemb. 16. a Bill for the grant of three Subsidies six Fifteenths and Tenths read the third time and expedited On Saturday Decemb. 17. an Act to preserve the property of stolen Horses in the true Owners and to reform the abuses of Vouchers in the sale of Horses in Fairs and Markets read prima vice An Act for the repressing of Offences that are in the nature of Stealth and are not Felonies by the Laws of the Realm prima vice lect On Munday Decemb. 19. certain Amendments were offered to the House by the Committees on the second reading concerning Arthur Hatch her Majesties Ward the said Amendments being twice read whereupon both the Bill and the said Amendments were commanded to be forthwith ingrossed which was accordingly done and presently read the third time and sent to the Lower House by Mr. Atturney-General and Dr. Stanhopp The Amendments in the Bill concerning Labourers formerly ingrossed in Parchment whereat some exception was taken by the Lower House and for that cause returned without their allowance to the Lords was now commanded to be written in Paper On Tuesday Decemb. 20. the Bill for erecting of houses of Correction Bill for houses of Correction and for punishment of vagabond Rogues c. was read tertia vice Dominue Custos Magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae adjournavit praesens Parliamentum usque in xi o die Januar. prox sequen hora octava Wednesday Jan. 11. January 11. the Earl of Essex having been created Earl-Marshal the 18th of December last by her Majesties Letters-Patents took his place according to the said Office viz. next the Earl of Oxford great Chamberlain of England and before the Earl of Nottingham great Steward Thursday Jan. 12. the Bill entituled An Act for the increase of People for the service and defence of the Realm Bill for increase of People for the service and defence of the Realm return'd to the House by the Committees A Motion made by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury first of the Committees that a Conference might be had with a competent number of chosen persons of the Lower House for the better perfecting of the Bill whereupon Mr. Atturney-General and Dr. Stanhopp were addressed to the Lower House with a Message to that effect and the time and place of meeting desired to be at the great Council-chamber at Whitehall to morrow by two of the clock in the afternoon Certain select Committees chosen by the Lower House concerning that Bill for the increase of People c. were sent to the Lords signifying their allowance of the time and place appointed for meeting about that Bill but desired that in the mean time they might have delivered unto them in writing such Objections of their Lordships as they do make unto the Bill to the end they might be more ready to deliver their Opinions and Resolutions at the meeting The Lords having considered of this Motion thought it unfit and not agreeable to the Order of this House to deliver the same in writing and therefore agreed that answer should be made That if upon verbal Conference they should remain unsatisfied touching the said Exceptions then they should have the same delivered unto them in writing for their further consideration thereof which Answer was presently notified to the said select Committees And in the mean season the Judges were required to set down the Objections in writing that they might be in readiness for the said Committees of the Lower House if upon the verbal Conference before-mentioned they should not be satisfied An Act for establishing the Bishoprick of Norwich and the possessions of the same against a concealed Title made thereunto read secunda vice and upon this reading it was ordered by the Lords That all Parties whom this Bill may concern should be openly heard in the House upon Saturday next in the morning to the end that it might be consider'd whether the same may justly pass without prejudice to the said Parties George Lester to be warned then to attend On Friday Jan. 13.
of the Chancery Sir Francis Hastings said Sir Francis Hastings By the Leave of your Honourable Favours I will shew you that I my self was yesterday with the Lord Keeper and how honourably I heard him speak of this House That he desireth no more than to shew the Love and Duty he beareth to this House as also that himself would be our immediate Officer and would be willing and glad to receive a Warrant from us so it might be directed to him for his Discharge be it in what Terms soever we pleased And he said he doubted not but if this Honourable House knew so much they would rather choose him than any other Minister Thus much I thought fit to certify this House of which being spoken in private unto me I now deliver in publick unto you For my own Advice I think nothing can be more Honourable to this House than to have a person of so great Estate to whom we may direct our Warrant as our Minister Mr. Francis Bacon said Mr. Bacon It is far more Honourable for this House in my Opinion when our Warrant shall move the Principal Member of Justice than when it shall command a base petty or inferiour Servant to the Clerk of the Crown or the Clerk of the Petty-Bag It will be said our Warrant emanuit improvide when we shall direct our Warrant to these base Officers when we may move the great Seal of England by it even as soon as either Petty-Bag or Petty Officer Mr. Speaker said Mr. Speaker I was ever Zealous and Jealous of the Privileges and Orders of this House I was commanded by you to send forth a Warrant for the Election of a Knight and Burgesse I found a Resolution and judgment Agreed and Resolved That during the time of the Sitting of this House the Speaker for any new Election is to make a Warrant directed to the Clerk of the Crown so that in my doing thereof I hope I have done rightly Mr. Secretary Cecil said 〈…〉 I shall move unto you a Conclusion which will end this Controversy and in the mean time be a Saving unto all persons I mean not to second my former Errour for which I was excepted to That is that Mr. Speaker or any Member of this House should attend my Lord Keeper but that four of this House might be Assigned to go unto my Lord Keeper to know the cause of the Stay as also his Lordship's request unto this House And that other six may be Assigned to call before them the Clerk of the Crown the Clerk of the Petty-bag and the Clerk of this House with their Precedents and Books to see to whom this Warrant hath in former times been directed and whether the Privileges in former times have daunced a Pavan too and Pro and according to the time have been altered This to be done this afternoon and to certify the House to morrow And then We to make a Determinate Resolution To which all said It was a good Motion Mr. Holteroft a Knight for Cheshire said May it please you Mr. Speaker the County-day for Denbyshire is on Thursday next and therefore there had need be speed made or else there can be no Election this Parliament Mr. Speaker said Will 't please you to name the six Committees So the House Named Sir Edward Hobby Serjeant Harris Sir Francis Hastings and three others Mr. Speaker also said Will 't please you to Nominate the four to go to the Lord Keeper So the House 〈◊〉 Mr. Seceretary Hubbart Sir Edward Stafford Sir Edward Stanhop and Mr. Fulk Grevil On Saturday Novemb. 14. The Bill for the Confirmation of the Sale of Lands made by Leaes Lord Mordant Deceased The Bill for Amending the Statute made 8 Reginae concerning the making of Hats A Bill to enable Sir Edward Markham Knight to sell Lands was Read and committed The Committee to meet on Friday in the afternoon in the Court of Wards The Bill for the Repealing of certain Statutes for the Reforming of certain Abuses in Cloathing in the County of Somerset Mr. Johnson said Mr. Johnson informed that he is Subâ—…d Mr. Speaker I being a Member of this House I thought it my Duty to Inform you That my self and divers others are served with Subpanas I do not this either that I am loath to answer or desire to delay Justice but to Inform the House thereof by Peradventure it might be a Precedent or some prejudice to the Priviledge of this House Here is one which is now delivered into my Hand The House Cryed Read it So the Clerk Read it Edvardo Mountague Jacobo Harrington c. indorsatur Stephanus Riddlesden sequitur hoc Another was read Michaëli Hicks Thomae Lowe in Cancellaria Another Henrico Jackman Jeronimo Horsey in Scaccaria ad sectam Thomae Cornwallis Armigeri per Billam Anglicanam Another Michaëli Same 's Riccardo Same 's in Banco Reginae ad Testificandum inter Reginam Johannem Stray After the Reading of which he certified the House thus much That the Informer came to his Lodging this Morning as he was coming out of the Doors and asked for him he told him He was the Man Then quoth the Informer the Queen Greets you well What 's this quoth I A Subpoena quoth the Informer and I charge you to appear upon it according to the Contents Then I told him I was of this House and could not Attend He answered me again There it is I care not look you to it at your Peril Mr. David Waterhouse stood up and shewed David Waterhouse shews Reasons for the Allowing it That the Subpoena came out of his Office and further shewed The Necessity of Obeying it For that a Cause for want of a Witness might be lost And therefore if the Hearing be appointed at a Day certain the Client might peradventure be undone if he should not have this Subpoena ad Testificandum in due time both served and appeared unto Sir Edward Hobby alledged divers Precedents in this Point Sir Edward Hobby shews Precedents against it as the 10th of February 27 Reginae Mr. Kerle served one Roger Stepney with a Subpoena into the Star-Chamber for which he was adjudged to the Serjeant at Arms Keeping for Six Dayes and to pay Five Marks Charges And the 25th of March 27 Reginae Mr. Crook served a Member of this House with a Subpoena into the Chancery and for so doing was adjudged to give a Copy of the Bill and Twenty Shillings for Charges and was committed to the Serjeant's Keeping Mr. Wiseman said Seconded by Mr. Wiseman against it That notwithstanding the Allegation and Excuse of the Gentleman that spake in Favour of the Subpoena ad Testificandum I think it deserveth no more Favour than the other For if the Necessity of the Cause were such that he must needs be served and spared out of this House the Party ought to ask Leave of the House or at least of
Parts of it may be Amended to every ones Satisfaction Mr. Lock said Mr. Lock seconds him Mr. Speaker I think bare Silence is not an Exoneration of a Man's Conscience The Similitude of Offices and Benefices made by the Doctor doth not hold under Favour For Non est incipiendum cum Laicis sed incipiendum a domo Dei Therefore if They begin first We shall follow in avoiding of Pluralities Dr. James said Dr. James against it That it had been said That Pluralities were the Cause of bringing in Corruption into the Church But for that under Favour said he I think the contrary because Corruption is commonly where Poverty is But if Competent Living be given to the Minister I see no Reason why Just Men should judge that to be Corruption Secondly It was said That it would be a Means that Preaching would be more frequent For that I answer That if Hope of Competent Living be taken away it will be a means to make the best Wits resuse the Study of Divinity And therefore an Historian said well Sublatis pramiis corruunt Artes. Consider besides That in England there are not above Eight Thousand Eight Hundred and odd Parish-Churches Six Hundred of which do but afford Competent Living for a Minister What then shall become of the Multitude of our Learned Men They have no other Preferments unless it be to get some Deanary Prebendary or such like which is no easie matter to do they being so few especially in this catching Age. To give the best Scholar but as great a Proportion as the Meanest Artizan or to give all alike there is no Equality For Inaequalibus aequalia dare absurdum And this will breed Poverty in the greatest Learned which is the Mother of Contempt A Thing both Dangerous and Odious unto Divinity This must needs make Preachers preach placentia which is a Thing abhorred even of God Himself A Preacher which is no Ordinary Person ought to have an Extraordinary Reward For the Canon saith He must be Ad minimum Artium Magister aut Publicus aut idoneus verbi Divini Concionator Mr. David Walterhouse said Mr. Speaker Because Mr. Walterhouse for the Bill my self am an Officer I mean only to speak to the Doctor 's Similitude of Pluralities of Offices By the Common-Law an Officer shall forfeit his Office for Non-Attendance So for a Benefice the Incumbent shall also forfeit But after the Statute came which made this Toleration upon Eighty Dayes Absence So that now if we set this Statute at liberty again this shall be no Innovation in us but a Renovation of the Common-Law I will end only with this Caution to the House That commonly the most Ignorant Divines of this Land are double Beneficed Serjeant Harries said Serj. Harries gives the House a Caution not to meddle in it We seem to Defend the Privileges and Customs of the House But if we proceed to determine of this Bill Mr. Speaker we shall not only infringe a Custom which we have ever observed viz. To medle with no Matter which toucheth Her Majesty's Prerogative but also procure Her great Displeasure Admit we should determine this Matter yet Her Majesty may grant Toleration Non Obstante And Mr Speaker the Last Parliament may be a Warning unto us when the like Bill was by us Preferred and the same not only Rejected but also Her Majesty commanded the Lord-Keeper to tell us That She hoped hereafter we would not meddle in Cases of this Nature so nearly touthing Her Prerogative Mr. Martin said I agree with him who said Mr. Martin Learning should have her Reward But I say more Our Souls should have their Spiritual Food And I do wish that Divines may have Promotion not only with good Convenience but also with good Abundance Though I be Zealous yet I hope to Refrain and Restrain my self from that Heat which the Heat of my Zeal and Love of my Country drave me into very lately for which I do not only acknowledge my self Guilty in your Censures but also crave Pardon of every particular Member of this House that heard me But most especially of him I offended So he spake to the Bill Vide His Words spoken in Heat to the Bill of Exeter Novemb. 10. After him an Old Doctor of the Civil-Law spake but because he spake too Long and too Low the House Hawked and Spit An old Doctor speaks so Low and so Long the House Hawk and Spit to make him end Sir Francis Hastings dislikes their Noise and moves against it He speaks to the Bill to make him make an End Which Speech finished Sir Francis Hastings stood up and said My Masters I utterly mislike this strange kind of Course in the House It is the Antient Usage that every Man here should speak his Conscience and that both Freely and with Attention Yea though he speaks never so Absurdly I beseech you therefore that this Way may be amended and this Troubling of any Man in his Speech no more used But to the Matter Mr. Speaker I protest that which I shall Speak I will Utter unto you All out of the Conscience of a Christian Loyalty of a Subject and Heart of an English-Man I know that Distributio Parochiarum est ex Jure Humano non Divino But he that said so must give me Leave to tell him That Distributio verbi Divini est ex Jure Divino Humano If then by the Distributing and Severing of Benefices to divers Learned Men the Word may be the better Distributed and Preached as God be thanked it hath been these Forty Three Years under Her Majesty's happy Government the Period of whose Dayes I beseech the Almighty may be Prolonged I see no reason why we should doubt of the Goodness of this Bill or make any question of the Committing thereof Mr. Roger Owen said Mr. Owen after particular Answers to divers particular Objections made by the Doctors That a Statute was but Privato Communis Juris and this Act will be made no Innovation because it Repeals only the Proviso and not the Body And whereas it was said by a Doctor That Honos alit Artes and much more to that Purpose And If you take away the Honour and Reward then you take away the Study it self For Answer thereunto I say under Favour Mr. Speaker This Statute takes away no Benefices from the Clergy but only better orders the Distribution of Benefices amongst the Clergy For that another Doctor alledged a Canon confirmed under the Great Seal of England I say under Favour That They of the Clergy not We of the Laiety are bound thereby for they are as they were by-Laws unto Them but not unto Us. Then the Speaker stood up The Bill Committed and put it to the Question for Commitment and it was Committed He also asked the House If they pleased to Sit to Morrow being the Queens Holy-day To which after a little Speech it was agreed They should Sit
this House speak Wisely we do him great wrong to Interrupt him If Foolishly let us hear him out we shall have the more Cause to Tax him And I do heartily pray That no Member of this House may Plus verbis offendere quà m Concilio Juvare Mr. Francis Moore said Mr. Fr. Moore I must confess Mr. Speaker I moved the House both the Last Parliament and This touching this Point but I never meant and I hope this House thinketh so to set Limits and Bounds to the Prerogative Royal. But now seeing it hath pleased Her Majesty of Her Self out of the Abundance of Her Princely Goodness to set at Liberty Her Subjects from the Thraldom of these Monopolies from which there was no City Town or Country free I would be bold to offer in one Motion Two Considerations to the House The First That Mr. Speaker might go unto Her Majesty to yield Her most Humble and Hearty Thanks and withal to shew the Joy of Her Subjects for their Delivery and Thankfulness unto Her for the same The Other Whereas divers Speeches have been made Extravagantly in this House which doubtless have been told Her Majesty and perhaps all ill Conceived of by Her I would therefore that Mr. Speaker not only should satisfie Her Majesty by way of Apology therein but also humbly crave Pardon for the same Mr. Wingfeild said Mr. Wingfeild My Heart is not able to conceive the Joy that I feel and I assure you my Tongue cannot utter the same If a Sentence of Everlasting Happiness had been Pronounced unto me it could not have made me shew more outward Joy than now I do which I cannot refrain here to Express And as I think he Wept There could nothing have been more Acceptable to the Subject than this Message And I verily think That if ever any of Her Majesty's Words were Meritorious before God I do think these are I do agree with all my Heart in the First Part of the Gentleman's Motion that last spake but do utterly mislike the Latter For it is not to be intended we should have had so Good and Gracious a Message if the Truth of some particular Speeches had been delivered unto Her And now for us to Accuse our selves by Excusing a Fault with which we are not Charged were a thing in my Opinion inconvenient and unfitting the Wisdom of this House Sir George Moore spake to the same Effect Mr. Francis Bacon spake to the same Effect also Mr. Fr. Bacon and in the End concluded thus Nescio quid peccati portet haec Purgatio So it was put to the Question and concluded That Thanks should be Returned by the Speaker and some a Dozen were named to go with him as a conveniet Number and Intreaty made to the Privy-Councellors to obtain Liberty of Her Majesty to be Admitted A Bill for the Mending of the Statute made 8 Eliz. cap. 11. Entituled An Act for the true Making of Hats and Caps Read the second Time and Committed The Committee to meet at the Middle-Temple-Hall on Saturday in the Afternoon A Bill limitting what Persons shall Make Dye and Retail Colour'd Clothes A Bill for the Furnishing Her Majesty's Navy-Royal with good and sufficient Cordage Read The Substance of this Bill was the same with that the Bill of Hemp was which hath been once Rejected this Parliament and it hath a Limitation to endure to the End of the next Parliament After a Speech made by Mr. Fettyplace and Mr. Johnson of Grays-Inn The First For the Bill the Other Against it Mr. Johnson said Mr. Speaker Old Parliament Men say A Bill once cast out should not be read again This Bill is the very same we once cast out and I think it were very good this Bill marched Pari pede with the Former Mr. Comptroller shewed How necessary Cordage was to the Land and also Flax and Hemp which we might have in our own Land if it happen'd that Intercourse of Traffique were hindered in other Countries And therefore he wished That a Bill of this Nature might not so slightly be Rejected but that it might be once again Read and Committed The House upon this Bill was Divided The I I I were 70 the Noes 102. The Bill for Landonerer Mr Secretary Cecil said Secretary Cecil If I should tell you otherwise than Truth in a Matter of so great Consequence I should need no other Process than my own Conscience That to so gracious a Message there were never returned more Infinite Thanks we all are assured From the Queen I have received a short Answer in these words You can give Me no more Thanks for that which I have promised You than I can and will give You Thanks for that which You have already Performed Meaning the Subsidies and Fifteens So inseparably are the Qualities of the Prince and the Subject good for the one and the other If by true Interpretation of the Law Voluntas Reputatur pro facto You shall not need your Good-Will being already known use any Actual Thanks neither will She receive any till by a more effectual Consummation she hath Compleated that Work At that time she will be well pleased to receive your Loves with Thanks and to return You Her best Favours A Bill for the Granting of Four Subsidies and Eight Fifteens On Fryday Novemb. 27. The Bill for Norwich was Read and Committed the Place of Meeting the Exchecquer-Chamber on Monday in the Afternoon Sir Francis Hastings said I cannot find a better time after so good a Bill Sir Francis Hastings For the Maintenance of the Word in Preaching than to move unto you a good Course for the Maintenance of Hearing He that seeketh to please All shall please None and he that seeketh to please All in God's Cause shall not please a Good Conscience There is a Necessity if the Queen's Will so be that this Bill should be Preferred For Religion is the Mother of Obedience Four Exceptions have been taken to the Bill That the Husband should not pay for the Wife nor the Father for the Son nor the Master for the Servant And That Recusants that pay the Penalty of Twenty Pound the Month by Force of the Statute 23 Reginae should not be included All these Penalties are now Excluded I know some Half-Parishes I would I could not say some Whole-Parishes perverted by Jesuits and Seminaries These be of the poorer and meaner sort of People of whom this small Tax of Twelve Pence being duely Levied will more pinch than any Law ever yet devised And I humbly beseech both in regard of the State of the Countries and of our more secure Obedience to Her Majesty it may be looked into and Received The Bill is Entituled An Act for the more speedy Coming to Church on Sundayes Dr. Perkins brought in the Bill from the Committee Entituled An Act for the Benefit of Merchants and furtherance of Her Majesty's Customs Mr. Speaker stood up The Speaker advises the House
That there is such a Sympathy betwixt Her and Us. And She is well pleased That this Afternoon at Three of the Clock we should all come and without Restraint or Limit we may all come and shall be very Welcome The Bill for the Four Subsidies and Eight Fifteens granted to Her Majesty put to the Question and ordered to be Ingrossed It was concluded At Three of the Clock in the Afternoon to meet in the Great Hall at White-Hall there to Attend Mr. Speaker to Her Majesty Mr. Barrington brought in the Bill against Swearing from the Committees The Bill for Avoiding of Trifling Suits being Ingrossed and put to the Question for Passing it passed The Bill touching Edward Nevill Esquire c. was passed with a Proviso added to it for the Saving of the Right of the Lady Vane and her Sons The Speaker asked the House What it was their Pleasure he should deliver unto Her Majesty And Sir Edward Hobby stood up and said He thought it was best he should devise that himself for the whole House would refer it to him In the Afternoon the Commons Attended the Queen at White-Hall about Three of the Clock to the Number of One Hundred and Forty At length The Commons attend the Queen in the Council-Chamber the Queen came into the Council Chamber where sitting under the Cloth of State at the Upper End the Speaker with all the Commons came in And after Three low Reverences made he spake to this Effect Most Sacred The Speaker's Speech to Her Majesty more than most Gracious Sovereign WE Your Faithful Loyal and most Obedient Subjects and Commons here present vouchsafed of Your special Goodness to our unspeakable Comforts Access to Your Royal Presence Do in all Duty Humbleness come to present that which no Words can express our most Humble and Thankful Acknowledgment of Your most Gracious Message and most Bounden and Humble Thanks for Your Majesty's most abundant Goodness extended and performed to Us. We cannot say most Gracious Sovereign We have Called and been Heard We have Complained and have been Helped though in all Duty and Thankfulness we acknowledge Your Sacred Ears are ever open and ever bowed down to Hear us and your Blessed Hands ever stretched out to Relieve us We acknowledge Sacred Sovereign in all Duty and Thankfulness we acknowledge That before we Call your preventing Grace and all-deserving Goodness do watch over Us for our Good more ready to give than we can desire much less deserve The Attribute which is most proper unto God To perform all he promiseth most Gracious Sovereign Queen of all Truth of all Constancy of all Goodness never wearied of doing Good unto us which the Deeds themselves do speak That we must render unto You most Zealous most Careful to provide all good Things for us most Gracious most Tender to remove all Grievances from us which all Your Princely Actions have ever shewed And even now Your most Gracious published Proclamation of Your own only meer Motion and special Grace for the Good of all Your People doth witness unto us We come not Sacred Sovereign One of Ten to render Thanks and the rest to go away Unthankful But All of All in all Duty and Thankfulness do throw down our Selves at the Feet of Your Majesty Neither do we Present our Thanks in Words or any outward thing which can be nothing which can be no sufficient Retribution for so great Goodness But in all Duty and Thankfulness prostrate at Your Feet We present our most Loyal and Thankful Hearts even the last Drop of Blood in our Hearts and the last Spirit of Breath in our Nostrils to be pour'd out to be Breathed up for Your Safety The Commons fall on their Knees After Three low Reverences made He with the rest Kneeled down and Her Majesty began thus to Answer Her Self viz. Mr. Speaker WE have heard your Declaration The Queen answers to them Her self and perceive your Care of Our State by falling into the Consideration of a grateful Acknowledgment of such Benefits as you have Received and that your Coming is to present Thanks unto Us which I Accept with no less Joy than your Loves can have Desire to offer such a Present I do assure you There is no Prince that loveth his Subjects better or whose Love can countervail Our Love There is no Jewel be it of never so Rich a Price which I set before this Jewel I mean your Love For I do more Esteem of It than of any Treasure or Riches for That we know how to prize but Love and Thanks I count Unvaluable And though God hath raised Me high yet This I count the Glory of my Crown That I have Reigned with your Loves This makes me that I do not so much rejoyce That God hath made Me to be a Queen as To be a Queen over so Thankful a People Threfore I have Cause to wish nothing more than to Content the Subjects and that is a Duty which I owe Neither do I desire to live longer Dayes than that I may see your Prosperity and That 's my only Desire And as I am that Person that still yet under God hath Deliver'd you so I trust by the Almighty Power of God that I still shall be His Instrument to Preserve you from Envy Peril Dishonour Shame Tyranny and Oppression partly by Means of your intended Helps which We take very Acceptably because it manifests the Largeness of your Loves and Loyalty to your Sovereign Of My Self I must say this I was never any greedy scraping Grasper nor a straight fast-holding Prince nor yet a Waster My Heart was never set on Worldly Goods but only for my Subjects Good What You do bestow on Me I will not hoard it up but Receive it to bestow on You again Yea My own Proprieties I count Yours and to be Expended for your Good and your Eyes shall see the Bestowing of All for your Good Therefore render unto Them from Me I beseech you Mr. Speaker such Thanks as you imagine my Heart yieldeth but my Tongue cannot express The Queen bids the Commons rise up Nota All this while we Kneeled whereupon Her Majesty said Mr. Speaker I would wish You and the Rest to stand up for I shall yet trouble you with longer Speech So we all stood up and She went on with Her Speech saying Mr. Speaker YOu give Me Thanks And then continues to Speak but I doubt Me that I have more Cause to Thank You all than You Me. And I charge you to Thank them of the Lower-House from Me For had I not received a Knowledg from you I might have faln into the Lapse of an Errour only for Lack of True Information Since I was Queen yet did I never put my Pen unto any Grant but that upon Pretext and Semblance made unto Me it was both Good and Beneficial to the Subject in general though a private Profit to some of My
Cary came from the Lords to desire that the Conference touching Letters Patents might be prolonged until Friday Morning at eight of the Clock which was Assented unto It was put to the Question whether the Bill for Tillage should be Committed And most said I I I. Then whether Northumberland should be exempted upon Mr. Selbies Motion And all said I I I. Another matter which the Committees for the continuance of Statutes doubted of was whether Mr. Dormer's Proviso should be put into the Bill for Tillage Mr. Davis said May it please you Mr. Speaker the Gentle-man is at the Door Mr Dormer by Name ready to attend with his Councel to satisfy the House and Prayed they might be admitted and all said I I I. Mr. Dodderige of Councel with Mr. Dormer said Mr. Speaker It pleased Her Majesty to License Mr. Dormer under Her Letters Pattents with a Non obstante this Statute to inclose 300 Acres of Ground And he humbly prayeth the House to accept and admit of this Proviso for the Saving of his Letters Patents the rather for these Reasons 1. In respect the Ground inclosed is a small quantity 2. The Country is apt for Pasture and not for Tillage 3. This ground is a kind of Marish ground and too moyst and soft and altogether unfit for Tillage 4. In that Her Majesty hath granted her Letters Patents that they concern Her Prerogative So he delivered the Proviso and Mr. Dormer his Letters Pattents and went forth Mr. Serjeant Harris said Ubi non est ordo ibi est Confusio Mr. Speaker divers Gentleman stand before the Door which breeds a confused Sound when the question is propounded May it please you that every man take his place This is both seemly and the Ancient Custom which they all did Mr. Speaker said I will put it to the Question whether this Proviso of Mr. Dormer's shall be received It was put to the Question twice and in my Conscience the I I I were the greater number But the Noes Noes would needs have the House divided So the door being set open no man offered to go forth Mr. Martyn said Mr. Speaker I have observed it that ever this Parliament the Noes upon the division of the House have carried it the Reason whereof as I conceive it is because divers are loth to go forth for Fear of losing their Places and many that cry I I I will sit still with the Noes I therefore do but move this unto the House that all those that have given their I I I would according to their Consciences go forth And for my part I 'le begin And so went forth Sir Walter Rawleigh rose up to Answer him but Mr. Comptroller Sir John Fortescue and all the House seeing them Rose up in a Hurry to go forth and did not hear him Whereupon himself and Mr. Secretary it seemed and they of the Noes took some displeasure as may appear by the Speech after The I I I were 178. and the Noes 134. so the I I I got it 44 Voices And after the House was quiet Mr. Secretary Cecil said I am glad to see the Parliament so full which used towards the end to grow thin Secretary Cecil's Notice of the disorders of the House And therefore I think it convenient we agree of some good Orders The Reputation of this House hath ever been Religiously maintained by Order and Government but now Error hath so crept in amongst us that we know not what is Order what Disorder The Gentleman that last spake meaning Mr. Martin first brake Order for after the Question put and the House agreed to be divided he spake perswadingly to draw those out of the House who perhaps meant it not Besides he laid an Imputation upon the House that according to their Consciences men would not so much as remove out of their places But I think there is no man here that is so Fantastical that though they be for the Bill yet for their Places sake they will not alter their Rooms For this House is a House of Gravity Conscience and Religion I think it therefore fit he should answer this Imputation at the Bar we have all this Parliament been against Monopolies and now we our selves Protect one But I see that men that have desired to be Popular without the House for speaking against Monopolies do also labour to be private within but that I regard not This I know that good sums of mony have been profer'd for the furtherance of this Proviso But now it is past I would now move you That because we have spent some superfluous time in this division and because the Affairs of this Parliament cannot possibly be dispatched so soon as the Parliament must end because of the performance of that Gift we have given her Majesty which is nothing if it comes not in due time Therefore that the House would be pleased after this day to Sit in the Afternoons for we consume our best time now in unnecessary Disputation Mr. Comptroller said Mr. Comptroller's Reply to Cecil I think that notwithstanding any thing that hath been last said However our Orders have been heretofore broken yet the Gentleman that spake meaning Mr. Martyn brake no Order of the House by speaking For the House favour'd him with Silence and therefore admitted to him liberty of Speech I hat his Speech was either Perswasive or offer'd any Imputation to the House I neither perceive it or conceive it so for it was only a Caution to the House that former Orders were broken and therefore now to be remedied and amended And surely for not removing out of Places I have heard fault found before this time and therefore the Gentleman is not now to be taxed That this should be a Monopoly I can see no Reason For it hath been agreed that Her Majesty may dispence with any penal Law and that is no Monopoly no more is this And I am not of his mind that so great sums of money have been offer'd the quantity of Land being but little and his Cause both good and just And for my part I do protest I neither knew nor have heard of any For the last part of his Motion which was the best to sit twice a day I do concur with him and will be ready as a Member of this House to give my Attendance Sir Walter Rawleigh said Sir Walt. Rawleigh resents their not giving him time to Speak I thought I had deserved of the House to have been heard to speak as well as he that spake before the Division And in that I offer'd to speak and was not heard I had Wrong For him that last spake out of Humour and not out of Judgment notwithstanding I think it to be a Monopoly and the Speech to be both Perswasive and to lay a great Imputation upon the House And this is all I would have said before Mr. Martyn offer'd to speak and Asked the Speaker If he might Answer The
Privilege and said that he was not priviledged from an Execution And so being carried to the Counter he told the like to the Clerks who affirmed likewise that Priviledges would not stretch to Executions and therefore would not discharge him And therefore I Pray that both the Clerks Mathews and the Serjeant may be sent for And so it was Ordered they should Appear to morrow in the Forenoon The Bill against ordinary and usual Swearing was ordered to be Ingrossed and so Passed The Bill that Concerns Captains Souldiers and Mariners which came from the Lords was Read the first time The Bill for Relief of the Poor was brought in with Amendments and agreed to be Ingrossed In the Afternoon The Bill touching the Weaving of Silk and Gold Laces after a little Debate by the greater part it was Rejected The Reasons against the Bill were 1. That it was Incroaching a Liberty to have two miles compass 2. That it was too General silk Wares and all other Stuffs 3. That it was a Prohibition of making or selling of Norwich Stuffs 4. That the search in the Bill was too General and the Forfeiture too great 5. That it was a discommodity to have all Silk Stuffs For Statute-Lace with a third of Silk will shew and sell better so of Stuffs for Childrens Coats That the Search was General as well within Liberties as without I offered to speak before the Question was half asked but could not be suffered the Noes were so great And it being put to the Question over-ruled and the Bill Rejected A Bill A Bill about the City c. that the City of London should have full Power and Government over and in the Liberties of St. Katherines Read To which Bill Mr. Wiseman spake and said Mr. Wiseman Argues against it That diverse particular Persons had Purchased Lands within the Liberty and had given much more for the same in respect of the Priviledge than otherwise they would have done And now this Bill wipeth away all their Right And Mr. Speaker I hope I may speak it without Offence This Parliament hath been more troubled with Bills for Incroaching Liberties about the City of London than any three Parliaments before Sir Steven Some said I am bound to defend London Sir Stev Some for the City and I cannot under your Favor suffer the Imputation laid against us For Mr. Speaker I say to you these Priviledges are the very sink of Sin the Nurcery of naughty and lewd People the Harbour of Rogues Theeves and Beggars and maintainers of idle Persons for when our Shops and Houses be Robbed thither they fly for Relief and Sanctuary and we cannot help our selves The City seeing this Purchased it of the Lord Thomas Howard supposing to have had all the said Priviledges but finding the contrary by Experience they now are inforced to sue for your Favours to have it pass by Act of Parliament This is the Cause and I leave it to your Considerations whereupon it was put to the Question and the House was Divided and the I I I were 94. and the Noes 86. On Tuesday Decemb. 15. A Bill to make the Lands Tenements and Hereditaments of Edward Lucas Gentleman Deceased Executor of the last Will and Testament of John Flowerdewe Esquire Deceased liable to the payment of certain Legacies given by the last Will of the said John Flowerdewe and for the payment of diverse other Debts owing by the said Lucas in his life time Mr. Snigg moved to have the Bill for Clothing Read which was Read accordingly Mr. Phettiplace prayed the House to have consideration whether the Merchants were fit to have Consideration for Cockling and Squales and so to make abatement to the Clothier And he thought not because in outward shew it seemed good yet there lurks a hurt to the Merchant And so it was put to the Question and Ordered to be Ingrossed One Anthony Mathews a Surgeon who dwelt about Fleet-Bridg caused a Serjeant to Arrest one Curwyn Servant to Mr. Hudleston Knight for Cumberland It appeared that Curwin was a Solicitor and a Servant to the said Mr. Hudleston for three Years space and had solicited his great Cause in the Star-Chamber betwixt Delebar and himself the Truth of the Case was this Curwin falling into talk with another about Fleet-Bridg touching Mr. Hudlestons Cause they fell out there and Fought and Curwin was Hurt sore in the Hand so he went to this Mathews being the next Surgeon who dressed him and after it was agreed that Mathews should have for the Cure Ten Pounds viz. Four Pounds in hand and Mr. Hudlestons and his Bill for the Payment of the other Six Pounds when the Cure was done Which Bill was Read openly Now it was Averr'd and Confessed the Cure was done and that Four Pounds more was Paid and Mathews contented to forbear the other Forty Shillings untill the next Term following but it was not paid Whereupon the said Mathews it being three Years since due caused Curwin to be Arrested And Mr. Hudleston shewed this to the House and Offer'd so he might have his man free to pay the money due And because it was Averr'd that the Serjeant knew not of the said Curwins being Mr. Hudlestons man but only was told that he was one of New-Ian which indeed was true and he lay there in his Brothers Chamber yet served Mr. Hudleston and the Serjeant offered to Swear the same But the Serjeant said That after he was Arrested Curwin told him he was Mr. Hudlestons Man And Mathews said If you let him go I will be Answer'd by you look you to it Whereupon the Serjeant confessed he kept him and if he had Offended he submitted himself So the House Awarded the Serjeant should be Discharged paying his Fees and that Mathews should pay them And Mathews to pay his Fees and remain Three Days in the Serjeants Custody for procuring the Arrest And that Curwin should have his Writ of Privilege And so he had This Matter was argued diversly Whether he should be priviledged or no And some thought not but at length I stood up and shewed the House That he ought to be privileged for we had given Judgment in the like Case of the Baron of Waltons Solicitor this Parliament And thereupon it was put to the Question And Ordered he should be Privileged The House called to have the Bill of Ordnance Read and sent up Sir Edward Hobby said I shall move you in a Matter which though is seems distasteful in the beginning yet I doubt not but it will be very pleasing in the ending I am given to understand and I know it to be true for I saw it That the Lords have a Bill in their House Touching Transportation of Ordnance far more larger in Matter and more stricter in Punishment than ours is And where we stand so much upon the Words without License and spend time therein they make no such scruple but puts it absolute Besides I dare presume to
as to the Queen as for two parts of the Profits to be answered her and so all Sales hereafter to be made by any Recusant convicted the Sale being bona side The sixth They shall be disabled to be Justices of the Peace Mayors or Sheriffs The ninth Children being ten years until they be sixteen to be disposed at the appointment of four Privy Counsellors the Justices of Assize the Bishop of the Diocess Justice of the Peace And if the third part of the Land suffice not for maintenance the rest to be levied of the Parents Goods The eleventh Recusants that be Copyholders to forfeit two parts to the Lord of the Mannor if the Lord be no Recusant and if he be then to the Queen The thirteenth Protesting that he doth not come to Church under colour of any Dispensation or other allowance from the Pope but for Conscience and Religion Sir Robert Cecill AS I remember Cecill's Speech I have been of this House these five Parliaments and I have not determined to say any thing in these Assemblies further than my Cogitations should concur with my Conscience in saying bare I and No. Give me leave I pray you to rehearse an old Saying and it is in Latine Nec te Collaudes nec te Vituperes ipse For me to do the one were exceeding Arrogancy and to do the other I confess I hope you will pardon me The occasion of this Parliament which I take to be by that which we received from the honourable and learned Speech of the Lord Keeper as of and from her Majesty to us in the Higher House is for the cause of Religion and the maintenance thereof amongst us the preservation of her Majesties most Royal Person and the good of this Realm our Country All which because they be things of most dear and nearest price and at this present in exceeding great and eminent danger it is behoveful to consult of most speedy remedies which in parcels should proceed from the most wise heads The Enemy to these is the King of Spain whose malice and ambition is such that together with the Pope that Antichrist of Rome for I may well couple them together the one being always accompanied with Envy and Prosperity the other with unsatiable desire makes them by all means seek the subversion of this State But concerning the first the Cause of God and his Religion which her Majesty professed before she came on this Royal Seat which she hath defended and maintained and for which cause God hath so blessed her Government ever since her coming to the Crown yea while the Crown was scarce warm on her head she abolished the Authority of Rome and did set up God's Truth amongst us and to her great Renown made this little Land to be a Sanctuary for all the persecuted Saints of God whereby the People perceived her Magnanimity Zeal and Judgment Magnanimity in understanding so great an Enterprize Zeal in professing the same not of shew but in sincerity Judgment in defending it and preventing all the Popes designes He set forth his Bulls and Missives against her Majesty thereby most unnaturally depriving her of her most natural Right Duty and Loyalty which her Subjects should owe unto her c. Here he touched the many dangers which her Majesty had been in which as it caused him to fear to think so it did cause him to tremble to speak concerning the danger of our Country and so the loss of our Lives Liberties Wives Children and all other Priviledges Let me not trouble you with things passed so long and perhaps beyond my reach but of things passed of late years and since 88 when as we were so secure and never thought the King of Spain would have set up his Rest for England then sent he his Navy termed Invincible and had almost been upon the backs of us before we were aware yea we were so slack in Provision that it was too late to make resistance had not God preserved us his attempt against us by seeking to win the Low Countries and to obtain Ireland which being but trifles and partly devices which I mean not to trouble you with He hath now of late gone about to win France wherein he hath greatly prevailed as in Lorain and in other parts as you have heard but especially in Britain having most part of the Port-towns in his possession whither he still sends Supplies dayly and re-enforceth them every four or five months which Port is always open and his men and forces never wanting This Province he especially desireth for it lieth most fitly to annoy us whither he may send Forces continually and there have his Navy ready to annoy us the which he could not otherwise so easily do unless he had the Wind in a bag Besides having this Province he will keep us from Traffique to Rochel and Bourdeaux as he doth in the Streights from Tripoly and St. Jean de luze and so hinder us from carrying forth or bringing in into this Land any Commodities whereby this Realm might be inriched and her Majesties Impost ever increased being one of the greatest Revenues of her Crown He hath also gone about with them of Stode and the King of Poland one of his own Faction and who by reason he cannot do in that Kingdom what he listeth he may easily command him to impede or hinder our Traffique in those Eastern parts which if he could bring to pass you see how hurtful it would be to this Land But to descend yet more lower and into these latter Actions he hath seen it is but a folly to endeavour to make a wooden-bridge to pass into England therefore he hath found out a more sure way and stronger passage unto it by Land and that by Scotland which though it be not talked of at the Exchange nor preached of at Paul's Cross yet it is most true and in Scotland as common as the High-way that he hath procured to him many of the Nobility there It is true he hath sent thither no Navy and if he had endeavoured it her Majesty would not have suffered him yet do she what she can some paltry Fly-boat may escape her Majesties good Ships and carry Gold enough in her to make them Traytors and stir them to Sedition These things her Majesty understood before and advertised that King thereof but he not so well conceiving thereof hath by the effect proved the other true And unless I be deceived the last Letter that came from thence the other night sheweth that King is gone to make a Road into the North and to bring Back the Lord Bothwell and the Lord Huntley The King of Spain's malice thus dayly increaseth against us and seeketh also to stir up Sedition amongst us by his Instruments the number also of Papists dayly increaseth or at leastwise be more manifested My advice is That you would consult which ways to withstand such eminent dangers which the greater they be the sooner they
would be looked into and remembred Wherefore Mr. Speaker I desire some Committees should be appointed of the sufficientest and wisest men in the House to consider thereupon Sir John Wooley to the like effect FIrst saying Sir John Wooley's Speech That upon the cause of the danger the Realm was now in and of the remedy his Speech should consist which he likened to a natural Body which the more the principal Member was in danger the greater means should be used for the preservation thereof Roan being now made Admiral of France by the League should say he was a poor Admiral now but that he doubted not but shortly he should be able to bring such a Navy to Sea as should terrifie the Queen of England Also he shewed how the Princes of the Holy League had conspired the Overthrow of this Realm the Extirpation of Religion and the Confusion of her Majesty and her Royal Subjects And he exhorted the House now the season of the year grows on which called many of the Knights and Burgesses to be in their Countries besides the Sickness being in the Town so that many of that House knew not whether he lodged in a house infected or not that they would seek to dispatch and end the Parliament so soon as might be He also shewed how the Dunkirkers troubled our Fisher-men in small Barques upon the Sea-coasts and so moved that this matter might be committed to some of the sufficientest in the House He also exhorted the House to a speedy agreeing of a Subsidy which considering the dangers we were in and that it was for our own good as also for her Majesties he hoped no good Subject but would most willingly agree to it Also he shewed that the Wars which the King of Spain brought upon this Nation had cost her Majesty a Million of money but this he avouched that where it cost her Majesty one it cost the King of Spain three Sir John Fortescue THey that spake before me spake sufficiently of the Authors of ours Troubles and of the great danger which is now eminent upon us insomuch that it is come to this point now Non utrum imperare sed utrum vivere I will speak of nothing but that which concerns my Calling Her Majesty not onely being careful for the preservation of her own Realm but of her Neighbours also she hath not onely defended her own Subjects from being invaded but also hath aided Strangers which wanted money with whom otherwise it would have gone very ill by this time and also with our selves insomuch that the burthen of four Kingdoms hath rested upon her Majesty and maintained with her Purse England France Ireland and Scotland For how could the French King at his first coming to the Crown have held out against those Leaguers had not her Majesty assisted him with her men and money which hath cost her Majesty above 100000 l. for 't is well known the French King had not been able to withstand the Duke of Parma's coming into France had it not been for our English-men and money As for the Low Countries it stood her Majesty yearly ever since she undertook the defence of them in 150000 l. all which her Majesty bestowed for the good of this Realm to free us from War at home Besides when her Majesty came to the Crown she found it four Millions indebted her Navy when she came to view it she found it greatly decayed Yet all this she hath discharged and thanks be to God she is nothing indebted And now she is able to match any Prince in Europe which the Spaniards found when they came to invade us yea she hath with her Ships compassed the whole world whereby this Land is made famous through all Nations She did finde her Navy furnished onely with Iron Pieces but she hath furnished it with Artillery of Brass so that one of her Ships is not a Subjects but rather a petty Princes wealth As for her own private Expences they have been little in Building she hath consumed little or nothing and for her Apparel it is Royal and Princely becoming her Calling but not sumptuous or excessive the Charges of her house small yea never less in any Kings time and shortly by Gods grace she will free her Subjects from that trouble which hath come by the means of Purveyors Wherefore she trusteth that every good Subject will assist her Majesty with his Purse seeing it concerns his own good and the preservation of his estate for before any of us would lose the least member of his body we would bestow a great deal and stick for no cost or charges how much more ought we in this politick body whereof not onely a member but the whole body is in jeopardy if we do not make haste to the preservation of it And for these Subsidies which are granted to her Majesty now-a-days they are less by half than they were in the time of Henry the Eighth Now although her Majesty hath borrowed some money of her Subjects besides her Subsidies yet hath she truely repaid every one fully He desired the matter might be put to a Committee to consider of Mr. Francis Bacon Mr. Speaker THat which these honourable Personages have spoken of their Experience Sir Francis Bacon's Speech may it please you to give me leave likewise to deliver of my common knowledge The cause of assembling all Parliaments hath been hitherto for Laws or Moneys the one being the sinews of Peace the other of War To the one I am not privy but the other I should know I did take great contentment in her Majesties Speech the other day delivered by the Lord Keeper how that it was a thing not to be done suddenly or at one Parliament nor scarce a year would suffice to purge the Statute-book nor lessen it the Volume of Laws being so many in number that neither common people can half practise them nor the Lawyers sufficiently understand them than the which nothing would tend more to the praise of her Majesty The Romans they appointed ten men who were to correct or recall all former Laws and to set forth those twelve Tables so much of all men commended The Athenians likewise appointed six to that purpose And Lewis the the ninth King of France did the like in reforming his Laws On Tuesday Feb. 27. a Bill was read for transporting of Cloath the first time Mr. Morris Atturney of the Court of Wards MY Religion towards God Mr. Morris's Speech my Allegiance to her Majesty the many Oaths that I have taken for the maintaining of her Supremacy causeth me to offer to your considerations matters concerning the sacred Majesty of God the Prerogative and Supremacy of her Majesty the Priviledges of the Laws and the Liberties of us all After some touch upon the usage of Ecclesiastical Discipline by the Prelates he laid down these three things Lawless Inquisition injurious Subscription and binding Absolution to which he spake severally shewing the