did call the Assembly pretended our humble and loyal Proceedings disorders our courses disagreeable to Monarchical Government nor the Castle of Edingburgh rendered which was onely taken for the safety of the Town of Edinburgh simply without assurance by Writ of their indempnity except for the trust we reposed in their Relation and confidence in his Majesties royal words which we believe they did not forget but will bring those which did hear the Treaty to a right remembrance thereof which Paper was onely written for that cause lest either his Majesty or his Subjects should averr that they spake any thing without a Warrant And yet the Lords of the English Council and of their party disavowed it openly at the Council-table And afterwards pag. 33. they say That the said Paper containing some of his Majesties expressions in the time of the Treaty which were put in the hands of the English and others have suffered innocently For first it was the means that brought about the Pacification and gave some satisfaction to his Majesties Subjects against certain words and clauses of the Declaration which without that Mitigation they would never have been able to digest Secondly it did bear nothing contrary to the Articles of Pacification but was a mollifying of his Majesties Declaration that it might be more readily received of the Subjects This is most untrue or else there would have been no question made of it Thirdly it had been extreme and more than imaginable impudency to put in the hands of the English Nobility a Paper professing what was openly spoken a little before in their own hearing that it might be remembered afterwards as occasion should serve and yet containing untruths and seditious Positions contrary to all that was done for Peace So it was done as they declared at the English Council-table Fourthly when there was great Murmuring and Exceptions taken at the words of the Kings Declaration our Commissioners were carefull to remember every lenifying sentence and word which proceeded from his Majesties mouth and the hearers were no less carefull to not all with their Pens which was by them related every man according as he was able to conceive And thus at first there were Relations somewhat different both in word and writ an evil very ordinary at such times till our commissioners joyning did bring all to their remembrance that neither more or less might be written than was spoken and what was written might be written to some of the English in futuram rei memoriam One thing it may be hath fallen further contrary to his Majesties desire that the Paper hath come to the knowledg of strangers which we may averr hath not been done by us and which was impossible for us to avoid for our Commissioners being about the desired Peace could not in their Relations conceal his Majesties gracious Expressions and these intended for our tranquillity coming into so many hands at home have possibly been divulged unnecessarily carried abroad contrary to our intended desires This in the simplicity of our hearts we â—o declare to be the plain truth of that which hath been before urged against us and is now so much noised and it is likely that the smoke of the fire and the hand of the hang-man have carried it to the knowledge of many who otherwise would never have known of it by the breath or hands of other And thus much concerning that Paper The Letter was written to the French King with this endorsment Au Roy To our King which in France is alwayes understood from those subjects onely to their Natural Prince Sire Vostre Majeste Cestant l'asyle sanctuaire des Princes Estates affligez c. SIR YOur Majesty being the refuge and sanctuary of afflicted Princes and States We have found it necessary to send this Gentleman Mr. Calvil to represent unto your Majesty the candor and ingenuity as well of our Actions and proceedings as of our intentions which we desire to be engraven and written to the whole world with a beam of the Sun as well as to your Majesty We therefore most humbly beseech you Sir to give Faith and Credit to him and to all that he shall say on our part touching us and our affairs being almost assured Sir of an assistance according to your wonted clemency heretofore and alwayes shewed to this Nation which will not yeeld the glory to any other whatsoever to be eternally Sir Your Majesties most humble most obedienâ— and most affectionate servants Rothes Montrose Lesly Mar Montgomery Lowdon Forrester To which the Scots make this Excuse This Letter is the Decumanus fluctus say they This is that French Letter so much talked of and insisted upon as to open a gate to let in foreign power into England which by what consequence can be inferred we would fain know when a people is sore distressed by sea and land is it not lawfull by the Law of God and Man to call for help from God and Man If there were no help nor assistance by Intercession by supply of money c. is all assistance by sword and men may not friends and equals assist as well as superiours we never had intention to prefer any foreign power to our native King whom God hath set over us The Proclamation at that time as may be seen by our Remonstrance page 34. was without example Great forces by Sea and Land were coming upon us Informations went abroad to foreign Nations to the prejudice of us and our cause This made us resolve to write unto the French King apprehending that upon sinister resolution his power might be used against us what kinde of assistance of men or mediation are best known by our Instructions ready to be seen and are signed also by the Lord Lowdons hand now in prison Ayd and assistance hath been given in former times as now in the return of our troubles upon Denmark Holland Sweden Poland or other Nations for help And when all is said or done the Letter is but an Embryo forsaken in the birth as containing some unfit expressions and not agreeable to our Instructions and therefore slighted by the subscribers Another Letter was formed consonant to the Instructions and signed by many hands but neither of them sent Their greatest trust was in their English brethren and Mr. Pickring was then and afterwards with them to assure them thereof until divers of them of better quality came there secretly and disguisedly and gave them more assurance from their party here in England and Nath. Fines the Lord Savil Mr. Cambden Mr. Lawrence and others as appeared afterwards in the petition of eleven Lords that posted to York in August 1640. and Treaty at Rippon because wee conceived it would come to late to France to avert the danger The Letter it self carrieth two tokens unperfected First That it wanted a date Secondly That it hath no superscription from us Both these are turned against us The blank date hath
others who came over only to complain of the exorbitances and oppressions of the said Earl Testified by the Earl of Desmond the Lord Roch Marcattee and Parry The Earls Reply That the Deputy Falkland had set out the same Proclamation That the same Restraâ—nt was contained in the Statute of 25 of Henry 6. upon which the Proclamation was founded That he had the Kings express Warrant for the Proclamation That he had also power to do it by the Commission granted him and that the Lords of the Council and three Justices not onely yielded but pressed him unto it That it was done upon just cause for had the Ports been open divers would have taken liberty to go to Spain to Doway Rhemes or Saint Omers which might have prooved of mischievous consequence to the State That the Earl of D' Esmond stood at the time of his Restraint charged with Treason before the Council of Ireland for practising against the Life of one Sir Valentine Coke That the Lord Roch was then a Prisoner for Debt in the Castle of Dublin and therefore incapable of a Licence That Par ry was not sined for coming over without Licence but for several Contempts against the Council-board in Ireland and that in his Sentence he had but onely a casting Voice as the Lord Keeper in the Star chamber The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Articles were not insisted upon 19. That the said Earl having taxed and levyed the said impositions and raised the said Monopolies and committed the said oppressions in his Majesties name and as by his Majesties Royal command he the said Earl in May the fifteenth year of his Majesties reign did of his own authority contrive and frame a new and unusual oath by the purport whereof among many other things the party taking the said oath was to swear that he should not protest against any of his Majesties Royal commands but submit themselves in all obedience thereunto Which oath he so contrived to enforce the same on the subjects of the Sâ—oâ—ish Nation inhabiting in Ireland and out of a hatred to the said Nation and to put them to a discontent with his Majesty and his Government there and compelled divers of his Majesties said subjects there to take the said oath some he grievously fined and imprisoned and others he destroyed and exiled and namely the 10. of October Ann. Dom. 1639. he fined Henry Steward and his wife who refused to take the said oath five thousand pounds a peece and their two daughters and James Gray three thousand pounds a peece and imprisoned them for not paying the said fines The said Henry Stewards wife and daughters and James Gray being the Kings liege people of the Scotish Nation and divers others he used in the like manner and the said Earl upon that occasion did declare that the said oath did not only oblige them in point of allegiance to his Majesty and acknowledgement of his supremacy only but to the Ceremonies and Government of the Church established or to be established by his Majesties royal Authority and said that the refusers to obey he would prosecute to the bloud The Earls Reply That the Oath was not violently enjoyned by him upon the Irish Scots but framed in compliance with their own express Petition which Petition is owned in the Proclamation as the main Impulsive to it That the same Oath not long after was prescribed by the Council of England That he had a Letter under his Majesties own hand ordering it to be prescribed as a Touch-stone of their Fidelity As to the greatness of the Fine imposed upon Steward and others he conceived it was not more than the heinousness of their offence deserved yet had they petitioned and submitted the next day that would wholly have been remitted 20. That the said Earl in the fifteenth and sixteenth Years of his Majesties Reign and divers Years past laboured and endeavoured to beget in his Majestie an ill opinion of his Subjects namely those of the Scotish Nation and divers and sundry times and especially since the Pacification made by his Majestie with his said Subjects of Scotland in Summer in the fifteenth Year of his Majesties Reign he the said Earl did labour and endeavour to perswade incite and provoke his Majesty to an Offensive War against his said Subjects of the Scotish Nation and the said Earl by his counsel actions and endeavours hath been and is a chief Incendiary of the War and Discord between his Majesty and his Subjects of England and the said Subjects of Scotland and hath declared and advised his Majesty that the Demand made by the Scots in this Parliament were a sufficient cause of War against them The said Earl having formerly expressed the height and rancour of his minde towards his Subjects of the Scotish Nation viz. the tenth Day of October in the fifteenth Year of his Majesties Reign he said that the Nation of the Scots were Rebells and Traitours and he being then about to come to England he then further said that if it pleased his Master meaning his Majesty to send him back again he would root out of the said Kingdom meaning the Kingdom of Ireland the Scotish Nation both Root and Branch Some Lords and others who had taken the said Oath in the precedent Article onely excepted And the said Earl hath caused divers of the said Ships and Goods of the Scots to be staied seized and molested to the intent to set on the said War The Earls Reply That he called all the Scotish Nation Traitours and Rebells no one proof is produced and though he is hasty in speech yet was he never so defective of reason as to speak so like a mad man for he knew well his Majesty was a Native of that Kingdom and was confident many of that Nation were of as heroick spirits and as faithfull and loyal Subjects as any the King had As to the other words of rooting out the Scots both Root and Branch he conceives a short Reply may serve they being proved by a single â—estimony onely which can make no sufficient faith in case of Life Again the Witness was very much mistaken if not worse for he deposeth that these words were spoken the tenth day of October in Ireland whereas he was able to evidence he was at that time in England and had been so near a Moneth before The one and twentieth and two and twentieth Artâ—cles were not urged 23. That upon the thirteenth Day of April last the Parliament of England met and the Commons House then being the Representative Body of all the Commons in the Kingdom did according to the trust reposed in them enter into Debate and Consideration of the great Grievances of this Kingdom both in respect of Religion and the publick Libertie of the Kingdom and his Majestie referring chiefly to the said Earl of Strafford and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the ordering and disposing of all matters concerning the Parliament he the said Earl of
Covenant of this Kirk and Kingdome made anno 1580. have been indeed the true and main causes of all our evils and distractions And therfore ordaine according to the constitutions of the generall Assemblies of this Kirk and upon the grounds respective above specified That the aforesaid Service-book Books of canons and ordination and the High-commission be still rejected That the Articles of Perth be no more practized That Episcopall Government and the civil places and the power of Kirkmen be holden still as unlawfull in this Kirk That above named pretended Assemblies at Linlithgow 1606. and 1608. at Glascow 1610. at Aberdine 1616. at St. Andrews 1617. at Perth 1618. be hereafter accounted null and unlawfull and of none effect And that for preservation of Religion and preventing of all such evils in time coming general Assembles rightly constitute as the proper and competent Judge of all matters Ecclesiastical hereafter be keeped yearly and oftner pro re nata as occasion and necessity require The necessity of the occasional Assemblies being first remonstrate to his Majesty by humble supplication As also that Kirk sessions Presbyterians and Synodal Assemblies be constituted and observed according to the order of this Kirk our session the seventeenth of August Hereupon an Act of Councell is formed and all subjects are to subscribe And the Commissioners consents to an Act of Assembly for confirming it To which also the Commissioner doth subsign witht his proviso That the practice of the premisses prohibited within this Kirk and Kingdome out with the Kingdome of Scotland shall neither bind nor infer censure against the practizes outwith the Kingdome but this last Proviso was not approved by the Assembly nor upon Record but only inserted in the Register That in commanding to swear the Covenant 1580. and 1581. King Iames the sixt and his Council did not intend the abjuration of Episcopacie and the reasons were put down in a paper which paper was sent to the Covenanters they were these First that if under those words we abjure the Popes wicked Hierarchy Episcopacie be sworn down then they abjure both their Presbyters and Deacons for the Council of Trent makes the Hierarchy to consist of these three orders Bishops Presbyters and Deacons and abjure one and all but then they answer that they retain Presbyters and Deacons as they are ordained in the Reformed Churches The like may be replyed for Bishops being ordained in a form allowed by Reformed Churches yet they took that forenamed Oath as Iohn Arch Bishop of St. Andrews 1572. and Iames Bishop of Dunkel 1573. as appears by their Council books And certainly their Presbyters must needs derive their orders either from Bishops of that obedience or from Presbyters ordained by such Bishops either from such or none for they will not affirm That non Presbyter can ordinare Presbyterum But thus much by the way let their Inscribed destinctions reply Inter Regnum constituendum and Regnum constitutum and such like evasions But in a word we conclude in the Commissioner Traquair 's own words That the Assembly saith he ought to render thanks to those that had been his Majesties good Informers in working these effects If any think or conceive this to be due to me I protest to act nothing but the part of an Eccho for this Imployment came upon me by my Lord Hamilton's work and if you knew what I know you should acknowledg him to be both a carefull painfull and faithfull Agent in this business and in all that you have intrusted with him This is not entered in their Record it smells too rank of his Treachery but it is most certain he ended so after he had subscribed But to encounter this their Covenant it was ordered in England that all the Scotish Subjects that were to take upon them the trust of the King or Imployment in his Affairs were put to an Oath in England and Ireland I A. B. one of his Majesties Subjects in the Kingdom of Scotland do by the presents sign with my hand upon my great Oath and as I shall be answerable to God upon my Salvation and Condemnation testifie and declare That Charls by the grace of God King of Great Brittain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith is my Sovereign Lord and that next unto Almighty God and his Son Christ Jesus he is over all persons within his Majesties Kingdoms and Dominions and in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil supreme Governour to whom his Heirs and Successours I am bound in duty and allegeance to all obedience if it were to the loss of my life estate and fortunes and do hereby abjure all Combinations Covenants and Bands that can be pretended upon pretext of Religion or Liberty of the Kingdom and specially the damnable and treasonable Covenant commonly called the popular Covenant so much magnified now in Scotland and do promise never to take Arms against his Majesty his Heirs and Successours offensive or defensive but to abide constant in allegeance duty and obedience which I profess Almighty God hath tied me unto and to do the utmost of my power against all oppositions whatsoever foreign or home-bred So help me God And concerning the five Articles introduced by King Iames at the general Assembly of Perth Anno 1618. it will not be amiss to know what they were First Kneeling in the taking of the Communion and out of the Ministers hands whereas it was before taken sitting â—n their breech and the Bread taken by themselves out of a Bason and the Cup from one another as if they were drinking to others and the Beadle filling up the Cup as it was emptied out of a Flagon which he filled in the Belfery as it was spent Secondly Private Communion to sick persons that were not able to come to Church to be given with three or four Communicants besides Thirdly Private Baptism in case of necessity that the Childe is so sick or weak that he cannot be brought to Church without eminent danger of death and to declare it to the Congregation the next Sunday thereafter Fourthly Confirmation of Children after the Primitive way which was the bringing of them at eight nine or ten years of age to the Bishop of the Diocess to give him account of their Christian Faith and receive his encouragement commendation and benediction to make them continue carefull in it as they were carefully catechised by their Parents and Parish Priests and if any were not well instructed in their Faith the Bishop sends them back without blessing and some rebuke to be better instructed Fifthly Festival days onely five to be kept viz. The days of our Saviour's Birth Passion Resurrection Ascension and Descent of the Holy Spirit Now let any man of reason judg whether any of these could truly fall under the censure of Popery and if any man of any Reason and Learning would not rather follow the practice of the purest Primitive times in these as likewise in those
for never were men so idolized as these Commissioners feasted and presented by all sorts of People their Lodgings visited as a Novelty to frequent their Praying and Preaching more than ever were the Houses and Chappels of Popish Ambassadours and with more danger for here were fabricked the Petitions and Tumults which followed as you shall see hereafter And it is to be remembred that in the time of Queen Elizabeth when some Scots Commissioners came to her to settle the Differences of both Nations and had nestled themselves about Petty-France in Tuttle-fields far enough from dangerous connivance of the City Puritan in those days and there exercised their Prayers and Preaching and so increasing boldness they petition for to be allowed in publick which so startled her and her Council in fear of Innovation as that they were absolutely forbidden to pray or preach at any Meeting Tuesday the third of November the time prefixt the Parliament assemble and Master William Lenthall one of the Benchers and Readers of Lincolns Inn was elected Speaker who during their continuance near years He was a Person of known integrity and ample sufficiency for the dignity of that place through all that time of wonderfull distraction carried himself with extraordinary wisdom and judgment without blame And being set the King salutes them thus My Lords The knowledg that I have of the Scotish Subjects was the cause of my calling of the last Assembly of PARLIAMENT wherein if I had been believed I do most sincerely think that things had not fallen as we now see but it is no wonder that men are so slow to believe that so great a Sedition should be raised upon so little Ground But now my Lords and Gentlemen the honour and safety of this Kingdom lying so heavily at stake I am resolved to put my self freely upon the love and affections of my English Subjects as those of my Lords that waited on me at York very well remember I there declared Therefore my Lords I shall not mention mine own interest or that support I might justly expect from you till the common safety be secured though I must tell you I am not ashamed to say those charges I have been at have been meerly for the securing and good of this Kingdom though the success hath not been answerable to my desires Therefore I shall onely desire you to consider the best way both for the safety and security of this Kingdom wherein there are two things chiefly considerable First the chasing out of the Rebells And secondly that other in satisfying your just Grievances wherein I shall promise you to concur so heartily and clearly with you that all the World may see my intentions have ever been and shall be to make this a glorious and flourishing Kingdom There are onely two things more that I shall mention to you The one is to tell you that the Loan of Money which I lately had from the City of London wherein the Lords who waited on me at York assisted me will onely maintain my Army for two Moneths from the beginning of that time it was granted Now my Lords and Gentlemen I leave it to your consideration what dishonour and mischief it might be in case for want of Money my Army be disbanded before the Rebells be put out of this Kingdom Secondly the securing of the calamities the Northern People endure at this time and so long as the Treaty is on foot And in this I may say not onely they but all this Kingdom will suffer the harm therefore I leave this also to your consideration For the ordering of the great affairs whereof you are to treat at this time I am so confident of your love to me and that your care is such for the honour and safetie of the Kingdom that I shall freely leave to you where to begin onely this that you may the better know the state of all affairs I have commanded my Lord Keeper to give you a short and free account of those things that have happened in this interim with this Protestation that if his account be not satisfactory as it ought to be I shall whensoever you desire it give you a full and perfect account of every particular One thing more I desire of you as one of the greatest means to make this an happie PARLIAMENT that you on your parts as I on mine lay aside Suspicion one of another as I promised my Lords at York it shall not be my Fault if this be not an happie and good PARLIAMENT The Lord Keeper in pursuance of the Kings Commands summarily related all things referring to the Scotish Invasion which I shall not be nice to call Rebellion for so the King gave their Character and because ill resented by some persons of note and so intimated to the King he confirmed it to the Lords two days after My Lords I shall explain my self concerning one thing I spake the last Day I told you the Rebells were to be put out of this Kingdom It is true I must needs call them so so long as they have an Army that do invade us And although I am now under a Treaty with them and under my Great Seal do call them my Subjects and so they are too but the estate of my Affairs is briefly this It is true I did expect when I called my Lords and great ones at York to have given a gracious Answer to all your Grievances for I was in good hope by their wisdom and assistance to have made an end with that Business but I must tell you that my Subjects of Scotland did so delay them that it was not possible for me to end there therefore I can in no wise blame my Lords that were at Rippon that the Treaty was not ended but must thank them for their pains and industry And certainly had they as much power as affections I should by this time have brought these Distempers to a happy period so that now the Treaty is transported from Rippon to London where I shall conclude nothing without your knowledg and I doubt not but with your approbation for I do not desire to have this great work done in a corner but I shall lay open all the steps of this mis-understanding and causes of this great Difference between me and them and I doubt not but by your assistance I shall make them know their duty and enforce them to return whether they will or no. This whole Week was in a manâ—er spent by the Parliament in the settling of the Commissions for general Grievances wherein they had work enough made so to their hands and partly also in several set Speeches the bane of business rhetorically declaiming against them and dissecting their particulars which were made up on Munday after the ninth of November by a world of Petitions some framed I know not where but brought in by Bands of men and Troops of Horse-men from several Countreys craving redress of general Exorbitancies
whole should contribute this was about June In Michaelmas following the King but by no advice of mine commanded me to goe to all the Judges for their opinions upon the case and to charge them upon their Allegiance to deliver their opinions But this not as a binding Opinion to themselves but that upon better consideration or reason they might alter but only for his Majesties satisfaction and that he must keep it for his own private use as I conceive the Iudges are bound by their Oaths to do I protest I never used any promise or threats to any but did only leave it to the Law and so did his Majestie desire That no speech that way might move us contraâ—y to this that I delivered There was no Iudge which subscribed that needed solicitation unto there were that refused Hutton and Crook Crook made no doubt of this thing but of the introduction I am of opinion that when the whole Kingdome is in danger whereof the King is Judge and the danger is to be born by the whole Kingdome When the King would have sent to Hutton for his opinion the then Lord Keeper desired to let him alone and to leave him to himself that was all the ill office he did in that business February the six and twentieth upon Command from his Majesty by a then Secretary of State the Judges did Asseâ—ble in Serjeants Inn where then that Opinion was delivered and afterwards was inrolled in the Star-Chamber our other Court at which time I used the best arguments as I could where at that time Crook and Hutton differed in opinion not of the thing but whether the King was sole Judge Fifteen Moneths from the first they all subscribed and it waâ— Registred in the Star-Chamber and other Courts the reason why Crook and Hutton did subscribe was because they were over-ruled by the greater number this was all I did till I came to my Argument in the Exchequer where I argued the Case I need not to tell you what my Arguments were they are publique about the Town 〈◊〉 I tell you three or four things in the matter whether the Kingdome were in danger and in case of apparent danger it was not upon the matter but upon demuâ— I delivered my self then as free and as clear as any that the King ought to govern by the positive Laws of the Kingdome and not alter but by consent in Parliament and 〈◊〉 if he made use of it as a Revenue or otherwise that this Judgment could not hold him but never declared that mony should be raised I heard you had some hard opinion of me about this secret business it was far from my business and occasions but in Mr. 〈◊〉 absence I went to the Justice-seat when I came there I did both King and Common-wealth good service which I did with extream danger to my self and fortunes left it a thing as advantagious to the Common-wealth as any thing else I never went about to overthrow the Charter at the Forrest but held it a 〈◊〉 thing and ought to be maintained both for the King and 〈◊〉 Two Judges then were that held that the King by the Common-law might make a Forrest where he would when I came to be judge I declared my opinion to the contrary that the King was restrained and had no power to make a Forrest but in his own Demesn Lands I know that there is something laid upon me touching the Declaration that came out the last Parliament It is the Kings affaires and I am bound without his Licence not to disclose it but I hope I shall obtain leave from his Majesty and then I shall make it appear that in this thing I have not deserved your disfavours and will give good satisfaction in any thing I know that you are wise and will not strain things to the uttermost sence to hurt me God did not call David a man after his own heart because he had no feelings but because his heart was right with God I conclude all with this That if I must not live to serve you I desire I may die in your good opinion and favour But all could not serve to keep him from their Censure who voted him that very day a Traytor First For refusing to read the Remonstrance against the Lord Treasurer Weston 4. Car. when the Parliament desired it Secondly For soliciting perswading and threatning the Iudges to deliver their opinion for levying Ship-money Thirdly for several illegal actions in Forrest-matters Fourthly For ill Offices don in making the King to dissolve the last Parliament and causing his Majesties Declaration thereupon to be put forth The next day he was accused before the Lords but he was early up and thereby the more neer to give them the slip and the wiser he when no other defence could serve the Scrutiny he withdrew into Holland and there remained whilst his accusers became the more guilty and then he came home again The Parliament increasing in repute and power and minding to new-mold and over-turn or turn over to a new leaf were moddeling a Bill for a Triennial-Parliament and to bring it about businesses were devised and invited and the Counties set a work to send in their Petitions one of them subscribed with above eight hundred Presbyters and that was directly against the Hierarchy of Bishops which the King observed and mistrusting the willing reception He tells both houses the three and twentieth The King had reprieved one Goodman a Priest formerly condemned at the Sessions at Old Baily which made work for the Commons and by Master Glyn their Messenger to the Lords request them to adjoyn their Petition to his Majesty to be informed who should dare to be Instrumental in retarding of Justice in the Face of a Parliament to which the King by the Lord Privy Seal the eight and twentieth of Ianuary tells them the cause he being found guilty as being a Priest onely upon which account neither King Iames nor Queen Elizabeth ever exercised the penal Law This onely begat another Conference two days after with the Lords from which came this 〈◊〉 to the King That considering the state and condition of this present time they conceive the Law to be more necessary to be put in stricâ— execution than at any time before First because by divers Petitions from several parts of this Kingdom Complaints are made of the great increase of Popery and Superstition and the People call earnestly to have the Laws against 〈◊〉 put in execution Secondly Priests and Iesuits swarm in great number in the Kingdom and appear here with such boldness and confidence as if there were no Laws against them Thirdly it appeareth to the House that of late years about the City of London Priests and Iesuits have been discharged out of Prison many of them being condemned of High Treason Fourthly the Parliament is credibly informed that at this present the Pope hath a Nuncio or Agent resident in the City
fourteen days 5. That according to such his Declarations and Speeches the said Earl of Strafford did use and exercise a Power above and against and to the subversion of the Fundamental Laws and stablished Government of the said Realm of Ireland extending such his Power to the Goods Free-holds Inheritances Liberties and Lives of his Majesties Subjects of the said Realm viz. the said Earl of Strafford the twelfth day of December Anno Domini 1635. in the time of full peace did in the said Realm of Ireland give and procure to be given against the Lord Mount Norris then and yet a Peer of Ireland and then Vice-Treasurer and Receiver-general of the Realm of Ireland and one of the principal Secretaries of State and Keeper of the Privy Signet of the said Kingdom a Sentence of Death by a Council of War called together by the said Earl of Strafford without any warrant or authority of Law or offence deserving any such punishment And he the said Earl did also at Dublin within the said Realm of Ireland in the Moneth of March in the fourteenth Year of his Majesties Reign without any legal or due proceedings or trial give or cause to be given a Sentence of Death against one other of his Majesties Subjects whose name is yet unknown and caused him to be put to death in execution of the said Sentence The Earls Reply That there was then a standing Army in Ireland and Armies cannot be governed but by Martial Law that it hath been put in constant practice with former Deputies that had the Sentence been unjustly given by him the Crime could amount but to Felony at most for which he hoped he might as well expect Pardon from his Majesty as the Lord Conway and Sir Iacob Astley had for doing the like in the late Northern Army That he neither gave Sentence nor procured it against the Lord Mount Norris but onely desired justice against the Lord for some Affront done to him as he was Deputy of Ireland That the said Lord was judged by a Council of War wherein he sate bare all the time and gave no Suffrage against him that also to evidence himself a Party he caused his Brother Sir George Wentworth in regard of the nearness of Bloud to decline all acting in the Process Lastly though the Lord Mount Norris justly deserved to dy yet he obtained his Pardon from the King 6. That the said Earl of Strafford without any lâ—gal proceedings and upon a Paper-petition of Richard Rolstone did cause the said Lord Mount Norris to be disseised and put out of possession of his Free-hold and Inheritance of his Manour of Tymore in the County of Armagh in the Kingdom of Ireland the said Lord Mount Norris having been two Years before in quiet possession thereof The Earls Reply That he conceived the Lord Mount Norris was legally divested of his Possessions there being a Suit long depending in Chancery and the Plaintiff complaining of Delay he upon the Complainants Petition called unto him the Master of the Rolls Lord Chancellour and Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas and upon Proofs in Chancery decreed for the Plaintiff Wherein he said he did no more than what other Deputies had done before him 7. That the said Earl of Strafford in the Term of Holy Trinity in the thirteenth Year of his now Majesties Reign did cause a case commonly called the Case of Tenures upon defective Tiâ—les to be made and drawn up without any Iury or Trial or other legal Process and without the consent of Parties and did then procure the Iudges of the said Realm of Ireland to deliver their Opinions and Resolutions to that Case and by colour of such Opinions did without any legal proceeding cause Thomas Lord Dillon a Peer of the said Realm of Ireland to be put out of possession of divers Lands and Tenements being his Free-hold in the County of Mago and Rosecomen in the said Kingdom and divers others of his Majesties Subjects to be also put out of possession and disseised of their Free-hold by colour of the same resolution without legal proceedings whereby many hundreds of his Majesties Subjects were undone and their Families â—tterly rained The Earls Reply That the Lord Dillon with others producing his Patent according to a Proclamation on the behalf of his Majesty the said Patent was questionable upon which a Case was drawn and argued by Council and the Judges delivered their Opinions But the Lord Dillon or any other was not bound thereby nor put out of their Possessions but might have traverst the Office or otherwise have legally proceeded notwithstanding the said Opinion 8. That the said Earl of Strafford upon a Petition exhibited in October 1635. by Thomas Hibbots against Dame Mary Hibbots widow to him the said Earl of Strafford recommended the said Petition to the Counsel Table of Ireland where the most part of the Counsel gave their vote and opinion for the said Lady but the said Earl finding fault herewith caused an order to be entered against the said Lady and threatned her that if she refused to submit thereunto he would imprison her and fine her five hundred pound that if she continued obstinate he would continue her imprisonment and double her fine every month by month whereof she was enforced to relinquish her estate in the Land questioned in the said Petition which shortly was conveyed to Sir Robert Meredeth to the use of the said Earl of Strafford And the said Earl in like manner did imprison divers others of his Majesties subjects upon pretence of disobedience to his orders and decrees and other illegal commands by him made for pretended debts titles of Lands and other causes in an arbitrary and extrajudicial course upon paper Petitions to him preferred and no other cause legally depending The Earls Reply That true it is he had voted against the Lady Hibbots and thought he had reason so to do the said Lady being discovered by Fraud and Circumvention to have bargained for Lands of a great value for a small Sum. And he denied that the said Lands were after sold to his use or that the major part of the Council-board voted for the Lady the contrary appearing by the Sentence under the Hand of the Clerk of the Council which being true he might well threaten her with Commitment in case she disobeyed the said Order Lastly were it true that he were criminal therein yet were the Offeâ—ce but a Misdemeanour no Treason 9. That the said Earl of Strafford the 16. day of Feb. in the 12. year of his now Majesties reign assuming to himself a power above and against Law took upon him by a general Warrant under his hand to give power to the Lord Bishop of Down and Connor his Chancellor or Chancellors and their several officers thereto to be appointed to attach and arrest the Bodies of all such of the meaner and poorer sort who after citation should either refuse to appear before them or appearing should
Proofs and therefore to avoid more Mistakes that it be resolved whether his Majestie be bound in respect of Privileges to proceed by Impeachment in Parliament or be at libertie to proffer an Inditement at the Common Law or to have his choice in either thereupon he will speedily give Direction to proceed to the business Jan. 24. The Attourney General in fear to be grinded between these Disputes and finding his the hardest bargain supplicates the King for his Authority to take him off which he did by his Letter to the Lord Keeper from Roiston the fourth of March. Certifying That the third of January last he did deliver to the Attourney General certain Articles of Accusation ingrossed in Paper the Câ—pie being inclosed and commanded him to acquaint the house of Peers That divers great and treasonable Designs against Us and the State had come to the Kings knowledg of which he was commanded to accuse those six Persons of high Treason by delivering the Paper to them and to desire to have it read and that a Committee of Lords might examine such Witnesses as the King would produce and they to be under a command of secrecie and for the King to add or alter if there be cause And declares the Attourney General clear as to his Answer And had he refused the Kings command herein he would have questioned him for Breach of Oath Dutie and Trust to which he was obliged This as to the truth and the Attourneys defence but being weary of the business and finding no relief to be expected nor leave to proceed in his way against them he adds a clause to the Letter But having declared that we finde cause wholly to desist from proceeding against the Persons accused we have commanded our Attourney General to proceed no further there nor to produce nor discover any Proof concerning the same And so this Breach between the King and Parliament was stitched up but the Seam not well sewed the Rent grew the wider and either party more nicely concerning Prerogative and Privileges And because this Action of the Kings was often taken up as a Breach of Privilege unpardonable we may examine the Kings Reasons from his own Relation in his Eikon Basilike cap. 3. My going to the House of Commons says the King to demand Iustice upon the five Members was an act which mine Enemies loaded with all the obloquies and exasperations they could I filled indifferent men with great Iealousies and Fears yea and manie of my Friends resented it as a motion rising rather from Passion than from Reason and not guided with such Discretion as the touchiness of those Times required But these men knew not the just Motives and pregnant Grounds with which I thought my self so furnished that there needed nothing to such Evidence as I could have produced against those I charged save onely a free and legal Trial which was all I desired Nor had I anie temptation of Displeasure or Revenge against those mens Persons further than I had discovered those as I thought unlawfull correspondencies they had used and engagements they had made to embroil my Kingdoms of all which I missed but little to have produced Writings under some mens own hands who were the chief Contrivers of the following Innovations Providence would not have it so yet I wanted not such Probabilitie as were sufficient to raise Iealousies in anie Kings heart who is not wholly stupid and neglective of the publick Peace which to preserve by calling in question half a Dozen men in a fair and legal way which God knows was all my Design could have amounted to no worse effect had it succeeded than either to do me and my Kingdoms right in case they had been found guiltie or else to have cleared their Innocencie and removed my suspition which as they were not raised out of any malice so neither were they in Reason to be smothered What Flames of Discontent this spark though I sought by all speedie and possible means to quench it soon kindled all the World is witness The aspersion which some men cast upon that Action as if I had designed by force to assault the House of Commons and invade their Privilege is so false that as God best knows I had no such intent so none that attended could justly gather from anie thing I then said or did the least intimation of anie such thoughts That I went attended with some Gentlemen as it was no unwonted thing for the Majestie and safetie of a King so to be attended especially in discontented times so were my Followers at that time short of mine ordinarie Guard and no waie proportionable to hazzard a tumultuarie Conflict Nor were they more scared at my coming than I was unassured of not having some Affronts cast upon me if I had none with me to preserve a reverence to me for many people had at that time learned to think those hard thoughts which they have since abundantly vented against me both by Words and Deeds The Sum of that Business was this Those men and their Adherents were then looked upon by the affrighted Vulgar as greater Protectours of their Laws and Liberties than my self and worthier of their protection I leave them to God and their own Consciences who if guiltie of evil machinations no present impunitie or popular vindications of them will be subterfuge sufficient to rescue them from those exact Tribunals To which in the obstructions of Iustice among men we must religiously appeal as being an Argument to us Christians of that after-unavoidable Iudgment which shall rejudg what among men is but corruptly decided or not at all I endeavoured to have prevented if God had seen sit those future Commotions which I fore-saw would in all likelihood follow some mens activitie if not restrained and so now hath done to the undoing of many thousands the more is the pitie But to over-aw the freedom of the Houses or to weaken their just Authoritie by anie violent impressions upon them was not at all my Design I thought I had so much Iustice and Reason on my side as should not have needed so rough assistance and I was resolved rather to bear the Repulse with patience than to use such hazzardous Extremities The King evermore very sensible of the necessity of State proposeth unto them to consider of all those particulars necessary for his Majesties just Right and regal Authority and for settling of his Revenue And as for the settlement of their Privileges free enjoyment of their Estates the liberties of their persons the security of Religion and the settling of Ceremonies in the Church as may take away all just offence which when they shall have digested it shall then appear what his Majesty shall do protesting his innocency from intending any Design to cause their Fears or Jealousies and how ready he will be to exceed the greatest Examples of the most indulgent Princes to their People and calls Heaven and Earth God and Man to
all Irish Papists many of the chief Commanders now in the Head of the Rebells have been licensed to pass thither by his Majesties immediate Warrant His Majesty therefore having used all possible ways to prevent it he would be resolved if this Speech were so delivered by Master Pym that they review upon what information it was grounded and so to be found false and the King injured or the King to be assured by whose means his Authority has been so highly abused as to be made to conduce to the assistance of that abhorred Rebellion and so to see himself vindicated Febr. 7. To this Message they justifie the Authour Master Pym what he said to be the sense of the House and ordered to be printed and that they are so advertised had your Majesties Warrant and that some others have been staid and are yet in safe custody and named these to be the Lord Delvin and four others in his company and one supposed to be a Priest Colonel Butler Brother to the Lord Miniard now in Rebellion and Sir George Hamilton all Papists and another the Son of the Lord Nettersfield whose Father and Brother are now in Rebellion And are sorry that his Majesties extreme caution therein hath been so ill seconded by his Ministers of which they beseech him to prevent the future dishonour to his Majesty and mischief to the Kingdom Febr. 10. To this the King replies Whether such a general Advertising be ground enough for Master Pym's Speech and their positive Affirmation and challenges them to name any so warranted which he is assured that they cannot and bids them lay it to heart how this their Authority may trench upon his Honour in the affections of his good people as if not sensible enough of that Rebellion so horrid and odious to all good Christians by which in this Distraction what Danger may possibly ensue to his person and estate and therefore expects their Declaration to vindicate his Innocency and Honour And as for the Persons named Butler and Nettersfield had their Passes of his Majesty in Scotland long before any Restraint here being assured of Butler's loyal affection to his service and Uncle to the Earl of Ormond approved faithfull and both Protestants and of Nettersfield there never had been any the least suspition Nor did the King know of their Order of Restraint till Hamilton's stay who was the last that had any Licence And if any had been Papists yet of known integrity they may remember that the Lords Justices of Ireland declared in their Letters that they were so far from owning a publick Jealousie of all Papists that they had armed divers Noble-men of the Pale that were Papists and therefore expects their Declaration for his Vindication as in Duty and Justice they ought to do This he required but that they would not do and the King must sit down by the loss and rest so satisfied Nay they never left clamouring till he had turned out Sir Iohn Byron and put in Sir Iohn Coniers at their Nomination to be Lieutenant of the Tower of London And then they proceed to their Nomination of several fit persons for Trust of the Militia in their respective Counties And passes an Act for disabling all persons in Holy Orders to exercise any Temporal Jurisdiction or Authority as if no men of Religion were fit to do Justice He tells them by Message that to satisfie and compose all Distempers he will by Proclamation require all Statutes concerning Recusants to be put in execution That the seven condemned Priests shall be banished and all Romish Priests within twenty Days to depart the Kingdom That he refers the consideration of the Government and Lituâ—gie of the Church wholly to the Houses And offers himself in person to the Irish War Again the Parliament are at their five Members and Lords and Commons petition that though your Majestie â—inde cause to desert their Prosecution yet in their Charge the whole Parliament is imputed and therefore desire the King to send the Informers against the said Members with their suggestions to the Parliament to be proceeded as in 37 38 Edward 3. Thus forward they are and the Parliament begin to ordain the power of the Militia for safeguard of the Parliament Tower and City of London under the Command of Serjeant Major General Skippon approving all his Orders and Commands already therein by former Directions and now they establish him therein declaring that if any person shall arrest or trouble him for so doing he doth break the Privâ—leges of Parliament violate the Liberty of the Subject and is thereby declared an Enemy to the Common-wealth No more mention of King or Kingdom And they petition him to settle the Militia according to their Nomination of particular persons in Trust therein for all the several Counties To which the King respites till his Return being now to conduct the Queen and the Princess Mary to Dover for their Voyage into Holland Which they answer is as unsatisfactory as an absolute Denial pretending that the Irish endeavour to invade England with assistance of the Papists here Febr. 22. The Lord Digby for some passages heretofore to prevent the Censure of the Parliament was fled beyond Seas and had written three Letters one to the Queen and two others to Secretary Nicholas and Sir Lewis Dives which the Parliament intercepting and opening very maliciously â—omenting the Jealousie between the King and his People therefore upon the Desire of the King for that Letter to the Queen they send hâ—m all three with their prayers for the King to perswade her Majesty not to correspond with him or any other Fugitive or Traitours who depend on the Examination and Judgment of Parliament The King now returned from Dover from whence the Queen and the Princess Mary voyaged to Hâ—lland where she was to negotiate Forreign Aid and Assistance for the Kings Designs being too hot for him to remain at London sends to Hampton Court for the Prince to meet him at Greenwich wherein the Parliament were surprised as now doubting the effect and therefore send a Message thâ—t the Prince his Removal may be a cause to promote Jealousies and Fears which they conceive very necessary to avoid but could not prevail to prevent it The Parliament havâ—ng now the Militia the security of the Tower and City of London Trained Bands of the Kingdom and all the Forces out of the Kings hands they begin to think upon Propositions of themselves for reducing the Rebells of Ireland and order That two Millions and an half of those Acres to be confiscate of Rebells Lands in four Provinces may be allotted to such persons as will disburse Moneys for mannaging that War viz. For each Adventure of Two hundred pounds one thousand Acres in Ulster Three hundred pounds one thousand Acres in Connaught Four hundred and fifty pounds one thousand Acres in Munster Six hundred pounds one thousand Acres in Lemster All English Measure Medow Arable
and profitable Pasture Bogs Woods and barren Mountains cast in over and above in free and common Soccage of the King as of his Castle of Dublin Secondly that out of those Acres a constant Rent to be reserved to the Crown of England in this proportion Out of each Acre thereof in Ulster one penny Connaught one penny half penny Munster two pence farthing Lemster three pence Thirdly that for erecting Mannours creating Corporations regulating of Plantations Commissioners shall be impowred by Parliament Fourthly all Undertakers to subscribe before several Days prefixt in reference to the distance of abode from London Fifthly their Moneys to be paid into the Chamber of London at four payments viz. a fourth part in ten Days after subsigning and the third payment at thrice three Moneths Sixthly at subsigning to pay down the twentieth part of his total Sum and if he fail of his residue of the first fourth part within ten Days he shall forfeit the twentieth part of the total deposited and so much more of his fourth payment to be added thereto as shall make up the one Moiety of the said first payment And if he fail in any other of the three payments he shall then forfeit his entire first fourth part and all his Subscription to accrue to the common benefit of the rest of the Undertakers which the King confirms Febr. 26. And the Committee of Members issue out their Warrants We the Committee appointed to receive the Moneys given by the Members of the House of Commons for the Relief of the distressed that are come out of Ireland require you to send a Certificate of what Sums of Money are collected in your Parish and the Moneys to us who are appointed to receive the same It is marvellous what Contributions were gleaned from the people by the prevailing Incitements of the Ministers such whining for the distressed Brethren of Ireland what vast Sums collected at every Church-doors and paid and how disposed is yet very doubtfull but how much or little the Members themselves did contribute mine eâ—s were never witness nor could I ever learn The Parliament thus forward in power press the King to confirm the Ordinance of the Militia To which the King now returned to Greenwich sends this Answer commanding the Lord Keeper Littleton to see it read to the House of Peers Febr. 28. He first findes great cause to except against the Preface which confesseth a most dangerous Design upon the House of Commons supposed to be an effect of the bloudy counsels of Papists which some may understand by their printed Papers to be his coming in person the fourth of Ianuary to demand the five Members In which he had no other Design than to require them to justice without any intent of violation upon any person nor was there any provocation by any of his Train As for the Militia he is contented to allow the persons named for the Counties but concerning the City of London and other Corporations it can not stand with justice or policy to alter their Government in that particular but will grant to them such Commâ—ssions as he hath done this Parliament to other Lieutenants or otherwiâ—e he shall do it than to have it first by some Law invested in him with power to transfer it to others and to be digested into an Act of Parliament rather than an Ordinance lest there be a latitude for his good Subjects to suffer under any arbitrary power whatsoever As to the time for continuance of that power he cannot consent to divest hâ—mâ—elf of the power which God and the Laws have placed in him to put it into the hands of others for an indefinite time And sinâ—â— the ground of their Designs refers to their Jealousies and Feaâ— he hopeth that his grace to them since the former Exceptions â—s sufficient to expell any fear from former suspitions And since he is willing to condescend to all their Proposals concerning the County Militia onely excepting that of London and other Corporations which will be more satisfactory if the Parliament weigh it well than their own Proposals by an Ordinance to which for these Reasons he cannot consent And because he perceives that in some places some persons begin to intermeddle of themselves with the Militia he expecteth that his Parliament should examine the particulars thereof being of great concernment and consequence and to be proceeded against according to Law And now it working very high the King takes leave of these parts and progresseth to Theobalds declining this place and his Parliament Nor are they willing to stay him being that his absence would contribute to their intentions yet thither they follow him with a Petition rather to put him forward than to recall him Therein protesting that if his Majesty persist in the Denial of the Militia the Dangers are such as will endure no longer Delay but to dispose of it by Authority of Parliament and resolve so to do as it hath been by them propounded And that for the safety of his person and people in much Jealousie and Fear he will be pleased to continue his abode near London and the Parliament and to continue the Prince at Saint Iames's or any other Houses near London to prevent the Jealousies and Fears of the people That by the Laws of the Realm the power of the Militia of raising ordering and disposing thereof in any place cannot be granted to any Corporation by Charter or otherwise without consent of Parliament and that those parts of the Kingdom that have put themselves in a posture of Defence have done it by Declaration and Direction of Parliament March 1. The King so much confounded with the former pressing Petitions and this so peremptory to which no Answers have appeared satisfactory in much regret he suddenly replies under his own hand That he is so amazed at this Message he knows not what to answer You speak of Iealousies and Fears says he lay your hands to your hearts and ask your selves whether I may not in earnest be disturbed with Fears and Iealousies And if so I will assure you this your Message hath nothing lessened them For the Militia I thought as much before my last Answer being agreeable to what in Iustice or Reason you can ask or I in honour grant which I shall not alter in any point I wish my Residence near you might be so safe and honourable that I had no cause to absent my self from White-hall Ask your selves whether I have not I shall take that care of my Son which shall justifie me to God as a Father and to my Dominions as a King I assure you upon mine honour I have no thoughts but of Peace and Iustice to my People which I shall by all fair means seek to preserve relying upon the goodness of God for the preservation of my self and Rights This is such a style of Resolution they quickly proceed to Voting of all the particulars of their former Petitions and
confined by the Parliament at VVestminster Earl of Chesterfield and the Lord Mountague of Boughton These Members then disabled by Accidents have appeared since Peter Venebles Sir Io. Pawler Edward Bagshaw Sir Io. Burlacie Fr. Newport Anthony Hungerford Io. Russel Thomas Chichely Earl of Cork Sir Iervase Cliâ—ton Sir Guy Palmes Ro. Sutton Iervase Hollis Sir Patrick Curwin Sir Henry Bellingham Sir George Dalston Sir Thomas Stanford Sir VVilliam Dalston Mich. VVharton Sir Ro. Hutton Iames Sindamore Sir Io. Brich Sir Io. Stepny Imployed in his Majesties Service Sir Io. Finch Hugh Porter VValter Kurle VVilliam Stanhop Sir VVilliam Carnaby Sir Thomas Danby Io. Fennich Ralph Sneade Sir VVilliam Ogle Sir Thomas Iermin Sir Iohn Stowell Sir Robert Strickland Sir Ph. Musgrave Io. Coucher Io. Coventry Sir Henry Slingsby Sir Io. Malory Io. Bellasis Sir Thomas Ingram Lord Mansfelt Thomas Hebelthaite Sir Hugh Cholmly Sir George VVentworth Sir VValter Lloyd Iohn Vaughan Richard Ferrers George Hartnoll Sir VVilliam Udall Robert Hunt Thomas May. Sir Thomas Bourcher Sir Thomas Roe These Members taking into consideration the distressed estate of this Kingdom did the seven and twentieth day of this instant Ianuary send a Letter to the Earl of Essex for a Treaty of peace signed by all the Members with order to be published to this effect My Lord His Majesty having by his Proclamation of the two and twentieth of December last upon occasion of this Invasion by some of his Subjects of Scotland summoned all of the Members of both Houses of Parliament to attend him here at Oxford inviting us in the said Proclamation by these gracious Expressions That his Subjects should see how willing he was to receive advice for preservation of the Religion Laws and Safety of the Kingdom and as far as in him lay to restore it its former peace and security his chief and onely end from these whom they had trusted though he could not receive it in the place where he appointed VVhich hath been made good to us and seconded by such unquestionable Demonstrations of his deep and princely sense of the miseries and calamities of his poor Subjects in this unnatural VVar and his passionate affection to redeem them from that deplorable condition by all ways consistent with his Honour or with the future safety of the Kingdom c. We being most intirely satisfied of this truth and sensible of the Desolations of our Countrey and further Dangers threatned from Scotland c. And we being desirous to believe your Lordship however ingaged a person likely to be sensibly touched with these considerations do invite you to that part in this blessed work wich is onely capable to repair all our miseries and buoy up the Kingdom from ruine VVe therefore conjure you by all obligations that have power upon honour conscience or publick piety you will co-operate with us to its preservation by truly representing to and promoving with those by whom you are trusted this our Desire That they joyning with us in a right season some persons be appointed on either part to treat of such a Peace as may redeem it from the brink of desolation This Address we make being assured by his Proclamation of Pardon that his mercy and clemency can transcend all former provocations God Almighty direct your Lordship and those whom you shall present with these our real Desires as may produce a happy peace c. Your affectionate Friends c. Oxford Jan. 27. 1645. To these he returns no Answer to them but sends this Letter to the Parliament at Westminster where it wrought upon the Members according to their several affections The haste which the Scots Covenanters made rushed in their Army into England the sixteenth of Ianuary consisting of eighteen thousand Foot and two thousand Horse marching forwards till they came to the warm Sea-coal fires at Newcastle they knew the way hither having fared so well the time before in their first Expedition their then General and they being well rewarded here and at home by the Kings indulgent graces he following them into Scotland confirming unto them in full Parliament all the Privileges of Kirk and Kingdom and conferred many Honours and Offices He having done all this as before in particulars and ere he took leave to return wishing them to continue in allegeance and live in peace and if any difference should happen in England which he hoped God would divert he desired them to continue Neuters though he might expect Aid yet he would not disturb the Peace of his native Countrey To which they all obliged themselves by revival of their own Act to that purpose and at the publishing one of their chief that had been their General in the said Expedition fell on his knees and lifting up his arms and hands to Heaven wished they might rot to his body before he died if ever he would heave them up hereafter or draw his Sword against his gude King yet this Wretch Sir Alexander Lesly whom the King had made Lord Leven comes General of this Army also But their Harbinger came before them a Declaration spread abroad for satisfaction to their Brethren of England intentionally to answer three Questions The justness of their Cause The lawfulness of their calling thereunto And the faithfulness of their carriage therein For the first they appeal to the great Searcher of all hearts who knows that had not the love of Christ requiring to bear one anothers burthen and the Law of Nature challenging our endeavour to prevent our own Danger inveloped with our Neighbours and our Duty and Desire of rescuing the King from his pernicious Council we could with far more content have enjoyed our dry Morsel than entered into your Houses full of Sacrifices with strife c. And we profess before God and the world our hearts are clean and free from any other intentions than those expressed in our Solemn League and Covenant confederate with England viz. Reformation of Religion Honour of the King Peace of the Kingdoms Secondly and because a good necessarily requires a good Calling c. Providence hath so provided that the Parliament of England have a particular obligation upon this our Nation for refusing to countenance a VVar against us in 1640. and now desire our assistance to them and so with the sense of Piety Religion Honour and Duty to their Sovereign we may not resist our Call to this Expedition Thirdly then for our carriage herein we shall order our Army from Insolencies Rapines Plunderings and other calamities incident to War And we do freely give the Publick Faith of the Kingdom of Scotland unto the Kingdom of England that neither our entrance into nor continuance in England shall be made use of to other ends than is expressed in that Covenant which we shall keep inviolable And call God to witness their onely intent of VVar is to confirm all in Peace and so to return home again How they have performed these let the world judge I
to inform at Court the valuation thereof and so to insinuate into the Kings favour A person he was not improper for the Court of comely behaviour quick wit and nimble in tongue and being Son in Law to the Earl of Sowthesk was by him brought in and so crept up into esteem with the Duke of Lenox and by degrees mounted to great preferment the most unworthy ingrate treacherous firebrand to all future mischiefs Taking rise from private wrongs disputable with the Bishop of Rosse For Traham being made Deputy Commissioner and afterwards sole Treasurer this Bishop Io. Maxwell Minister of Edinburgh was set up by Laud then Bishop of London who finding him eloquent and factious enough placed him a Bulwark against adverse Forces and to that end he was Authorised to be Lord of the Session and Exchequer who prying too narrowly into Trahams Accompts and falling foul on personal accusations the Earl of Traquair made it his work to rid him out of all but before that fall he failed not to ruine that Bishop and Episcopacy also not without malice and revenge upon the interest of the King and his affairs Of Ireland But somewhat may be said concerning Ireland that Kingdom bearing a fatal part in this confused malady The Kings of England have born the Title of Sovereigns over Ireland for above four hundred years yet not till of late throughly subdued and reduced to obedience the causes have been first from the faint prosecution of the War in former Kings Reigns and secondly in the business of the Civil Government untill the time of King Iames who supplyed the defects of former Government in his first nine years and perfected it in the remain of his Reign more than was formerly done in four hundred fourty years since the first Conquest for though the Conquest was finished at his Commencement to these Crowns yet he maintained an Army â—ustly and royally paid to give strength and countenance to Civil Government only one rebellion of O'dogherlye which was instantly suppressed And for the Civil Government he granted his Act of Oblivion for Offences done before his Reign the Subjects received into the Kings protection and the most universal peace over all Ireland so that in six years there was not found so many Malefactors worthy of death in all the six Circuits now divided into thirty three Shires as in one Circuit of six Shires in the West of England And now was the peoples Estates setled all the Irish Lords aswell as English surrendring their Lands for new Grants of the Crown and for strengthening defective Titles And lastly the late Plantations setled there not granting any intire County to a particular person or Iura regalia or extraordinary Liberties as heretofore The revenue of the Crown double to what it ever had been all their Charters renewed and their Liberties enlarged so that this Land of Ire because the Irascible power was predominant for four hundred years is now become the Land of peace and Concord and King Iames left it so to his Son King Charls But how they fell into Rebellion and so into destruction All three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland the most glorious Monarchy of Christendom concentring in the ruine of themselves the sub sequent Historie will open not to be told but in Tears wherewith my eyes are already Dim One word by the way Intent upon this History we overtook two Writers One with a piece of the Reign and yet Intitles it The History of King Charls Him we know not but by his Nominal Letters H. L. Esquire The other an Observator upon him Anonymus whose Fame needs no Name nor to be shrouded from reverence due to his Function and great Abilities we oppose not but crave leave to mediate the difference as we meet it in either ERRATA In the absence of the Author beyond Seas the Printer hath failed to number the pages from 406. unto which being so corrected by your pen you will finde eight lines in page 410 inserted into the Primates Letter which were to be a Marginal Note only The words begin in the tenth line these two here instanced c. and end in the seventeenth line may easily appear Gulielmus Sandersonus Aetat suae 68 Etsi Se nescit quod senescit tamen up it dissoâ—â—â— The REIGN OF King CHARLES WE come now to the Descendent Son and Heir Charles the first of the Name King of Great Brittain France and Ireland Born the second Son to King Iames at Dunferling in Scotland the 19. day of November 1600. And whilst the Elder Brother Henry was hopeful to succeed this Prince may be said to be the less looked upon and so no Overtures of merit brought to Observation in competition with the Other Besides this Prince was directed by such as knew the forwardness of the former to make himself rather less than he was then to appear more then he should be a Rule not improper for most men specially Princes untill Soveraignty hath set them up Examples to all beyond the Mark and power of envy And it may be referred to his wisdome not to his meekness so far to comply with that Policy And therefore we find him the less apparent to open examination till time and opportunity might present him to the publique Not without some regret to his Domestick and other ordinary Observations that he lost time with overmuch neglect giving advantage and grace to the great Favourite Buckingham by assisting to set him up and to eclipse himself whereby some men took that occasion in his 〈◊〉 time to form tales of distempers between them which because in tâ—uth they could not find they were pleased to frame But for his Acts in the age of his youth and tutelage of subjection we shall not have use here to remind what hath been so particularly mentioned heretofore in the History of his Fathers life but what hath been since so improved to admiration of our Christian World Nor need we now to quarrel the mistakes concerning the Spanish Match or the French Negotiation or other Characters of King Iames with which an Author and his Observator enters his History but refer the truth and story to what we have said of those times and actions mentioned in his Fathers life In a due and compleat season therefore of age and time King Iames that famous Monarch dies at Theobalds the 27. day of March 1625. leaving the Diadem of three Kingdomes in succession to his Son immediately proclaimed being on a Sunday morning when Doctor Lawd then Bishop of St. Davids was in the Pulpit at Whitehall and broke off his Sermon upon this first notion of the Fathers death Whose Funerals the 14. of May following were sumptuously performed at Westminster King Charles attending these Obsequies contrary to the Old custome when chief Mourners use to be retyred into Chamber-recluse this complyment he conceived more fit for him in duty and piety to observe in Person And now the
an enterprize For those your donatives are all disburst to a penny and I am enforced to summon you hither to tell you that neither can the Army advance nor the Fleet set forth without further aid Consider I pray you the eyes of all Europe are defixt upon me to whom I shall appear ridiculous as though I were unable to outgo muster and ostentation if you now desert me Consider it is my first attempt wherein if I sustain a foyl it will blemish all my future honour If mine cannot let your own reputation move you deliver and expedite me fairly out of this war wherewith you have encombred let it never be said whereinto you have betrayed me I desire therefore your speedy supply speedy I call it for else it will prove no supply The Sun you know is entring into his declining point so it will be soon too late to set forth when it will be rather not too soon to return Again I must minde you of the mortality now regnant in this City which should it as so it may and no breach of priviledge neither arrest any one Member of either house it would soon put a period both to consultation and Session so that your own periâ—litation necessitates an early resolution In sum Three of the best Rhetoritians Honour Opportunity and Safety are all of a plot and plead you see for expedition Perhaps it may be expected I should say something in way of account of my Religion as also of the temper and tenour of my future Government But as I hope I have not been guilty of any thing which may justly start the least question in either so I desire you would repose in this assurance that I will in neither vary from those principles wherein I have been instituted at the feet of that eminent Gamaliel my late Father And ending his Speech he with his hand moved his Crown Not usual saies one with any his predecessors to vail it Nor did he but the massy Gold and precious stones gave him cause to ease his browes of that weight and of which he complained when he came home without any other observation then which yet hath begot so much comment now as to be called Calamitous Presages no less then a dozen in the Kings future Reign which we shall remember as we meet them in order hereafter and for the present examine the Note of Mr. Prins telling That the King on his day of Coronation was clothed in White contrary to the Custome of his Predecessors on that day clothed in purple the Regal colour of Kings the Robe of Majesty the other of Saints the Robe of innocency And to this as to the other a great plague had driven the greatest trades men out of the City and the Kings Mercer infected and fled No Purple Velvet to be had on the sodain and so the colour of his Robes was changed by Necessity yet to the better by his own observation But to the matter of the Kings Speech Money for a War with Spain upon the former score of Quarrel the Palatinate which ingaged King Iames in Justice and honour and so this King To a War is required a Iust Quarrel Wars are suits of Appeal to the Tribunal of Gods Justice where there are no Superiours on Earth to determine the Cause Yet do the Princes of this World endeavour to declare the reasons of their defiance to ballance with the opinions of a righteous cause England had at this time two just Grounds of War with Spain 1. The recovery of the Palatinate 2. A just fear of subversion of our Civil Estate I have no mind to mention the Third so usually pretended viz. Fear of subversion of our Religion for though the House of Commons the first Parliament of King Iames voted that for a reason to make a War upon Spain the King was so wise as not to involve into a quarrel against him upon that score lest he should be necessarily drawn into a defiance likewise with all the Roman Catholiques of Christendome and so that vote was dasht out of the Record by the Register But we shall take the two for granted That Just fears are indeed true Defensives as well as actual Invasions but offensive Wars for Religion King Iames was of opinion are never just Not to force the Conscience which Guides the Soul with the power of the Sword which is but humane and though he was by his Title Defensor â—idei if oppugned yet he was not thereby authorized to quarrel with another mans belief For the first Ground the concernment of the Palatinate as there was no color in that Prince Elector to accept of the Kingdom of Bohemia so no Justice in the house of Austria to retain the Palatinate from him For though an Elective Monarchy cannot be so free as anâ— Hereditary yet if yoâ—â—â—ke to boot the Customes transactions and privileges of that Kingdome of Bohemia It will appear as positive as Soveraigns Descendent But leaving that Title as disputable I shall not offer at it though I were able to master the Question And then the Quere will follow whether an Offensive War being made unjustly the Defendant may not by diversion invade and master the undubitable possession of the Aggressour who is now turned Defendant of his own Surely he may and enjoy the conquest lawfully and is not bound to restore it but by force which force is as lawfull to be done as the other The Spaniard in eighty eight invaded our Seas and designed it upon our Land also was not our expeditions thereupon against Lisbone and Cadiz a just war surely it was And truly King Iames held these Opinions which put him into Treaties for the Palatinate upon terms and conditions of a mariage with Prince Charles his Son and the Infanta of Spain wherein being some years deluded it was just in him to begin the way by force which he did as it is now for King Charles to endeavour the like regaining it for his Brother-in-law by a War which he now intends For Wars are Vindictae Revenges Reparations like to cross suits in civil pleas sometime both of them just And thus much for the Palatinate The Second Ground A just fear of subversion of our Civil Estate The overgrowing Greatness of any neighbour Nation is a necessity imposed upon anothers fear of violation which becomes defensive Christian Princes have a just invasive War against the Turk as a grand Enemy indeed not for cause of Religion no good ground for that but upon a just fear because the fundamental Law in that Empire is to propagate their Mahometan faith by any War So saies the Persian for his belief two opposite enemies upon that ground and the Christians are as well upon the Preventive as the Defensive War All men know the great endeavours of the Spanish Monarchy to aspire new Acquests and to be absolute The History of the Triumvirate Kings Henry the eighth of England Francis the first of
France and Charles the Emperour and King of Spain shews them so provident as between themselves to keep the ballance of Europe upright Not one to edge upon the other and herein not to stay for the first blow or to be the last to be eaten up The Crown of Spain hath enlarged her bounds these last sixty years more then the Ottamans Did not England assist the French to keep him from Britany Picardy and Piedmont and enable the Netherlands not to be swallowed up these are our outworks Nay hath he not twice invaded England Once under the Popes Banner next in his own Name and hath more than a months minde to it again These grounds are causes sufficient for a War with Spain But what ere the King had said as to the matter and form of Argument the Parliament forgot not their old Mode with his Father Not too hastily to resolve and his death left much business in the deck which now they take up to engage his son And in truth all Parliaments commence with Petition from the People Reasons of Religion and Complaints of their suffering came to his Father in the close of his last Session and so unanswered which they are resolved now to dispatch and did so To that of Religion the King assured them his pious resolution to effect their desires with all convenient speed and as that business of weight required And for their Greivances they were distinctly separate and satisfactory answers he gave to each apart And so accounting to them the disbursement of his Land and Naval Forces with a clear and even audit of the Charge and Expence to come they were so candid that the Laity gave him without conditions Two Subsidies from Protestants four from Papists and the Clergy three Richard Mountague Doctor of Divinity and Chaplain to the King was summoned this Session for certain Tenents supposed prejudicial to the Protestants faith but were only against the Calvinist and was from the Commons Bar without Tryal committed to the Serjeant of their House untill two thousand pound Bail be procured for him to appear the next Session which the King had reason to resent being his antient Chaplain and ought to have his Masters protection sooner than the Servants of an Ordinary Burgess which at last was granted but not his bail-bond excused Of which he complains to the Duke of Buckingham and that the Parliament had not in right to do with him for that which King Iames commanded and King Charles authorized and challenges any Accusers if he may answer for himself It seems he was summoned and committed without any Tryal Iuly 29. And hereupon three Bishops Rochester Oxford and St. Davids being tender not of his Person but of his cause meerly the Church of Englands upon this Ground That the Church being reformed from the Roman refused the apparent and dangerous errours but was tender of every School point as not expedient in the unity of Christians to subscribe to each particular And so though some of his opinions are the resolved Doctrine of the Church of England which he is bound to maintain So some others are School points and there to be discussed but not to distract the Church nor for any man to be bound to subscribe unto which if inforced would hazard their former subscription in Orthodox Tenents and was indeed one great Fault of the Council of Trent But the Clergy submitted in Henry the eighths time with this caution That for differences Doctrinal the King and the Bishops were to be Judges in a National Synod and that with the Kings leave under his hand and seal else not Nor did ever the Church or can submit but so which is the constant practice of the Church For if the Church be brought down beneath her self Schism will follow And King Iames allowed of each point of Doctrine in Mountagues Book who was able of most men to judge thereof There can be little use of Civil Government or of Preaching and external Ministery in the Church if such fatal opinions as are contrary to Mountagues shall be publickly taught and maintained All or most of the contrary opinions were treated of at Lambeth and then ready to be published but Queen Elizabeth upon knowledge how little they agreed with the practice in Piety and obedience to Government suppressed them and so continued ever since till of late some of them received countenance at the Synod of Dort but that being a Synod of that Nation cannot give authority to any other National Church till publique authority and it is to be hoped that this Church will advise before they submit to a foreigne Synod especially of such a Church that condemneth our Discipline and manner of Government And therefore the King referred the consideration to the course of the Church Then for the person of Mountague they affirmed him to be an able Scholar right honest and fit to do God and the Church and his Majesty great service 2 August 1625. And after the next session he was consecrate Bishop of Chichester The Books in question were these His answer to the Romish Gagger And his Defence thereof afterwards styled Apello Caesarem formerly opposed by Information prepared against him of which he was discharged by King Iames with leave to appeal to his Majesty from his defamators and Doctor White then Dean of Carlisle was ordered to authorize the Imprimatur But two years after Ianuary 1628. it was called in by Proclamation to please the then Parliament not charged with any false doctrine but for being the first cause of those disputes and differences which hath since much troubled the quiet of the Church it seems with such unnecessary questions And to humour that time also Doctor Potter a zealous Calvinian was preferred to be Bishop of Carlisle to please the Parliament and and yet for all these passages the Parliament lookt asquint at the Kings actions as hereafter followes anno 1628. The Lord Mordant afterwards Earl of Peterborough being a Papist and willing to winne his wife from Protestancy offered the combate of his Confessor with a fair dispute against any This Confident was a cunning Iesuite Beaumona but his right name Rookwood his brother executed in the Gun-powder-Treason 1605. and the Lady elected Doctor Usher Primate of Ireland at this time in England the place Drayton in Northampton shire but after three dayes controversie concerning Transubstantiation Invocation to Saints Images visibility of the Church the Iesuite directly confessed he was so deficient in his memory that Gods just judgement had infatuated him to this desertion and put his excuse upon his presumption to dispute with so eminent a Protestant without leave of his Superiour But the good effect was the conversion of the Lord Mordant and confirmation of his Lady Whereupon a Secular-Priest Chaloner in a jeer to Beaumond bids him beware of coming to Drayton for fear that Usher foil him again These Lawes are enacted this Session
Against abuses committed on Sundays The King to make Leases of Lands parcel of his Dutchy of Cornwall For ease of obtaining Licences of Alienation and in the Pleadings of Pardon in the Exchequer or else where For restraining Misbehaviour in Inns and Alehouses That this Session shall not determine by his Majesties royal assent to these Acts. Then passed a Bill in the Lower House of Tonnage and Poundage but because it was limited to one year whereas former Grants to his Majesties Predecessors were for Life It was foundred in the Upper House The Reason of this Restraint was thus In a Parliament the 18. of King Iames the Kings learned Councill culled out of that Act reasons for pretermitted Customes and other Impositions which were accounted Grievances to the Subject and an Imoderate charge upon those Customes and therefore their Design was to reduce them to the rate settled long since tempore Mariae but they wanted time enough to mold it now The next Assembly met the first day of August at Oxford The Divinity School for the Commons and the Gallery above for the Lords Hence is observed a pretty Note To give up the Divinity-School to the Commons and that Chair to their Speaker put them into an usurpation of Determinations of Divinity and henceforward no Parliaments without a Committee of Religion of Lay-Persons not onely to mannage controversies of Divinity but to ruine the old and to establish a New And because the Kings designes required Expedition He summons both Houses to Christ-Church Hall where he urged to them his Necessities for setting forth his Fleet. But his desires found no other consideration than for a formal Petition against Recusants and the causes of their increase with the Remedies Most Gracious Soveraâ—gn IT being infallibly true that nothing can more establish your Throne and assure the peace and prosperity of your People then the unity and sincerity of Religion We your Majesties most humble and loyal Subjects and Commons in this present Parliament assembled observing that of late there is an apparent mischievous encrease of Papists within your Dominions hold our selves bound in conscience and duty to present the same unto your sacred Majesty together with the dangerous consequences and what we conceive to be the most principal causes and what may be the remedies thereof 1. Their desperate ends being the subversion both of Church and State and the restlessness of their Spirits to attain those ends The Doctrine of their Teachers and Leaders perswading them that therein they shall do God good Service 2. Their evident and strict dependance upon such Foreign Princes as no way affect the good of your Majesty and this State 3. An opening a way of Popularity to the ambition of any who shall adventure to make himself head of so great a party The principal causes of the increase of Papists 1. The want of due execution of the Laws against Iesuits seminary Priests and Papists Recusants occasioned partly by Connivance of the State partly by many abuses of Officers 2. The interposing of foreign Princes by their Ambassadours and Agents in favour of them 3. Their great Concourse to the City and their frequent conventicles and conferences there 4. The Education of their children in Houses and Seminaries of their Religion in foreign parts which of late have been greatly multiplied and enlarged for the entertainment of the English 5. That in many places of this your Realm your people are not sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of true Religion 6. The licentious publishing of Popish and seditious Books 7. The imployment of men ill affected in Religion in places of Government who countenance the Popish party The Remedies be these 1. That there be great Care taken in the choise and admitting School-Masters and that the Ordinaries make diligent inquiries of their demeanours and proceed to the removing of such as shall be faulty 2. That the antient Discipline of the University be restored being the famous Nursery of literature 3. That for the propagation of the Gospel such able Ministers as have been formerly silenced may by fair entreaty of the Bishops be reduced to the service of the Church and that Non-residency Pluralities and Commendums may be moderated 4. That a straight provision may be made against transporting of English children to Popish Seminaries beyond Seas and for recalling such as are there already 5. That no Popish Recusant be permitted to come within the Court unless upon special occasion agreeable to the Statute 3â— Iacobi 6. That all Jesuits Priests and others having taken Orders from the See of Rome may be banished by Proclamation and in case of disobedience may be proceeded against according to the Laws of the Land 7. That none by any authority derived from the See of Rome be permitted to confer Orders or exercise any Ecclesiastical function within your Majesties Dominions 8. That all former Grants of Recusants lands made to the use and interest of such Recusants may by the advice of your Majesties Council be voided 9. That all Recusants may be excommunicated and not absolved but upon conformity 10. That all Recusants be removed from places of authority and government 11. That all Recusants be disarmed according to the provision of the Law 12. That they may be all confined to remain at their Country habitations and not to travel above five miles from thence 13. That none of your Majesties natural born Subjects be suffered to repair to the hearing of Masses or other superstitious service at the Chappels or houses of foreign Ambassadours or elsewhere 14. That all such insolencies as any Popishly affected have lately committed to the dishonour of our Religion be exemplarily punished 15. That the penalâ—y of 12. d. every Sunday for default of coming to Divine Service in the Church without lawful excuse may be put in Execution Lastly that your Majesty would be pleased to order that the like courses may be taken in Ireland for the establishing of true Religion there The Kings Answer was so satisfactory and sodain to each particular being heretofore branched to his Father and the remedies resolved upon them and now so reasonably required as that the King took him from hence to speak for himself and to put them to it to supply his very urgent Necessities to set forth his Navy It found affection in some earnest to give and to satisfie the present occasion with expedition Others having no heart to deny nor willing to contribute but cunningly to gain convenient time as to prejudice the Design which was to be sodain and there were these the most averse that quarreled not the Expedition for it was secret and so ought to be but old Sir Robert Mansel a quarrelous person for his interest in the Glass house then in dispence must be set up a Man of great Experience and sound Judgement but where in the Narrow Seas And he by Guess had declared against the Design and tendered some overtures
all retired to Bugden where he lived very Hospitably and in manner and order of the good Bishops not without an eye and ear over him of such as were Intelligencers of Court And at Westminster Hall the Ceremony begun towards the Abbey Church in order thus 1. The Aldermen of London by couples ushered by an Herauld 2. Eighty Knights of the Bath in their Robes each one having an Esquire to support and a Page to attend him 3. The Kings Serjeants at Law Solicitor Atturney Masters of Request and Iudges 4. Privy Councellors that were Knights and the chief Officers of the Kings Houshold 5. Barons of the Kingdome bare-headed in their Parliament Robes with Swords by their sides 6. The Bishops with Scarlet Gowns and Lawn sleeves bare-headed 7. The Vice-Counts and Earls not in their Parliament but in their Coronation Robes with coronetted Caps on their Heads 8. The Officers of State for the day whereof these are the Principal Sir Richard Winn Sir George Goring The Lord Privy Seal The Archbishop of Canterbury The Earl of Dorset carrying the first Sword The Earl of Essex carrying the second Sword The Earl of Kent carrying the third Sword The Earl of Mountgomery carrying the Spurs The Earl of Sussex carrying the Globe and Cross upon it The Bishop of London carrying the Golden Cup for the Communion The Bishop of Winchester carrying the Golden Plate for the Communion The Earl of Rutland carrying the Scepter The Marquess Hamilton carrying the Sword of State naked The Earl of Pembroke carrying the Crown The Lord Maior in a Crimson Velvet Gown carried a Short Scepter before the King amongst the Serjeants The Earl of Arundel as Earl Marshall of England and the Duke of Buckingham as Lord High Constable of England for that day went next before his Majesty The King entred at the West Gate of the Church under a rich Canopy carried by the Barons of the Cinque Ports His own Person supported by Doctor Neil Bishop of Durham on the one hand and Doctorâ— Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells on the other His train six yards long of Purpleâ—Velvet held up by the Lord Compton Master of the Robes and the Lord Viscount Doncaster Master of the Wardrobe Here he was met by the Prebends of Westminster Bishop Lawd supplying the Deans Place in their rich Copes who delivered into the Kings hands the Staff of King Edward the Confessor with which he walked up to the Throne Which was framed from the Quire to the Altar the King mounted upon it none under the degree of a Baron standing therein save only the Prebends of Westminster who attended on the Altar Three Chairs for the King in several places first of Repose the second the antient Chair of Coronation and the third placed on an high square of five steps ascent being the Chair of State All settled and reposed the Arch-bishop of Canterbury presented his Majesty to the Lords and Commons East West North and South asking them if they did consent to the Coronation of K. Charles their lawful Soveraign The King in the mean time presented himself bareheaded the consent being given four times with great acclamation the King took his Chair of Repose The Sermon being done the Arch-Bishop invested in a rich Cope goeth to the King kneeling upon Cushions at the Communion Table and askes his willingness to take the Oath usually taken by his Predecessors The King is willing ariseth and goeth to the Altar and is interrogated and thus answereth Coronation Oath Sir Sayes the Arch-bishop will you grant and keep and by your Oath confirm to the People of England the Laws and Customes to them granted by the Kings of England your lawful and Religious Predecessours and namely the Laws Customs and Franchises granted to the Clergy by the glorious King St. Edward your Predecessor according to the Lawes of God the true profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdome agreeable to the Prerogative of the Kings thereof and the antient Customes of the Realm The Kings answer I grant and promise to keep them Sir Will you keep Peace and Godly agreement according to your power both to God the holy Church the Clergy and the people I will keep it Sir Will you to your power cause Law Iustice and discretion to mercy and truth to be executed to your Iudgement I will Sir will you grant to hold and keep the Laws and Rightfull Customes which the Comminalty of this your Kingdome have and will you defend and uphold them to the honour of God so much as in you lieth I grant and promise so to do Then one of the Bishops read this Admonition to the King before the people with a lowd voice Our Lord and King wee beseech you to pardon and to grant and to preserve unto Vs and to the Churches committed to your charge all Canonical privileges and do Law and Iustice and that you would protect and defend Vs as every good King to his Kingdomes ought to be Protector and Defendor of the Bishops and the Churches under their Government The King answereth With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my Pardon and that I will preserve and maintain to you and the Churches committed to your charge all Canonical privileges and due Law and Iustice and that I will be your Protector and Defender to my Power by the Assistance of God as every good King in his Kingdom in right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their Government Then the King ariseth and is led to the Communion Table where he makes a solemn Oath in sight of all the people to observe the premisses and laying his hand upon the Bible saith The Oath The things which I have here promised I shall perform and keep So help me God and the Contents of this Book Then were his Robes taken off and were offered at the Altar He stood a while stripped to his Doublet and Hose of White Sattin Then led by the Arch Bishop and Doctor Lawd the Bishopâ—of St. Davids he was placed in the Chair of Coronation a Close Canopy spread over him the Arch-bishop anointing his Head Shoulders Arms and Hands with a costly ointment the Quire singing an Anthem of these words Zadook the Priest anointed King Solomon Hence he was led up in his Doublet and Hose with a White Coife on his head to the Communion Table where the Bishop of St. Davids Deputy for the Dean brought forth the antient Abiliments of King Edward the Confessor and put them upon him Then brought back to the Chair of Coronation he received the Crown of King Edward presented by the Bishop of Saint Davids and put on his Head by the Archâ— Bishop of Canterbury the Quire singing an Anthem Thou shalt put a Crown of pure Gold upon his head whereupon the Earls and Viscounts put on their Crimson Velvet Caps with Coronets about them the
Barons and Bishops alwaies standing bareheaded Then every Bishop came to the King to bring their Benediction upon him and he in King Edwards Robes with the Crown upon his Head rose from his Chair and bowed to every Bishop apart Then was girt about him King Edwards Sword which himself after wards took off and offered it up at the Communion Table with two Swords more in relation to Scotland and Ireland or to some antient Principalities with his Predecessors enjoyed in France The Duke of Buckingham as Master of the Horse put on his Spurs and thus compleatly crowned his Majesty offered first Gold then Silver and afterwards Bread and Wine which was to be used at the holy Communion Then the King was conducted by the Nobility to the Throne upon the square Basis of five Descents the Quire singing Te Deum where he received the Oath of Homage from the Duke of Buckingham as Lord High Constable for that day and the Duke swore all the Nobility to be Homagers to his Majesty at the Kings knee Then the Earls and Barons laid their hands on the Crown upon the Kings head protesting to spend their bloods to maintain it to him and his lawful Heirs The Bishops kneeled down but took no oath the King kissing each of them Then the King took a Scrowl of Parchment out of his Bosom and gave it to the Lord Keeper Coventry who read it to the Commons four several times East West North and South the effect His Majesties pardon to all that would take it under his Broad-Seal From the Throne to the Communion Table where the Arch-bishop kneeling at the North side read prayers and the Quire sung the Nicene Creed the Bishops Landaff and Norwich read the Epistle and Gospels The Bishops of Durham and Saint Davids in rich copes with his Majesty received the Communion the Bread from the Archbishop the Wine from Bishop Saint Davids The King received last of all whilest Gloria Patri was sung and some prayers by the Arch-bishop conclude the solemnity After the King had disrobed himself in King Edwards Chapel he came forth in a short Robe of Red Velvet girt unto him lined with Ermins and a Crown of his own upon his head set with very pretious stones And thus the Train going to the Barges at the water-side they returned to White-hall about three a clock afternoon This being as yet the last solemnity of this King Charles I could say no less to preserve it to memory to shew what that State had been till it be so again And now the King calls a Parliament which met the sixth of February Sir Henage Finch Recorder of London chosen Speaker of the Commons House So soon are they summoned after their last Dissolution It was the Kings design then to take this short time of recess to cool the heat of some fiery Spirits and now for him to give all possible satisfaction to their former pressures of Grievances which had been lately fully cleared unto them in pursuance of their pretended devout care for settling of Religion But still the house of Commons scrutiny and by a Committee strictly examine what abuses had interferred the execution of his Majesties Grace therein And the Lords betake themselves to a Grievance of their own Order The old ones had a former complaint five years since to King Iames against such New Lords of foreign Titles of Honour that claimed thereby precedency of Inferior titles at home and were then quelled in that quarrel as being in the pleasure of the Prince to effuse the beames of Honour and to collate what he please upon whom and how he please But now another dress and much more boldly To the Kings most Excellent Majesty In all humility SHeweth unto your most Excellent Majesty your ever Loyal Subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal now in Parliament assembled That whereas the Peers and Nobility of this your Kingdome of England have heretofore in civility yielded as to strangers precedency according to their several degrees unto such Nobles of Scotland and Ireland as being in titles above them have resorted hither Now divers of the nâ—tâ—ral born Subjects of this Kingdom resident here with their Families and having their chief Estates among us do by reason of some late created Dignities in those Kingdomes of Scotland and Ireland claim Precedency of the Peers of this Realm which tends both to the dis-service of your Majeâ—â—â— and these Realms and to the great disparagemont of the English Nobility as by these reasons may appear 1. It is a novelty without precedent That men should inherit Honors where they possess nothing else 2. It is injurious to those Countreys from whence their Titles are derived that any should have Vote in Parliament where they have not a foot of Land 3. It is a grievance to the Countrey where they inhabit that men possessing very large Fortunes and Estates should by reason of foreign Titles be exempted from those services of Trust and Charge which through their default become greater pressures upon others who bear the burthen 4. It is a shame to Nobility that persons dignified with the Titles of Barons Viscounts c. should be obnoxious and exposed to arrest they being in the view of the Law no more then meer Plebeians We therefore humbly beseech your Majesty that you will be pleased according to the example of the best Princes and Times upon consideration of these inconveniences represented to your Majesty by the nearest Body of Honour to your Majesty that some course may be taken and an Order timely settled therein by your Princely Wisdom so as the inconvenience to your Majesty may be prevented and the prejudice and disparagement of the Peers and Nobility of this Kingdom may be redressed To which the King for the present Promised to take order therein And the next News was the commitment of the Earl of Arundel to the Tower and this the cause The King having a Design to reconcile an antient fewd of two families by contracting them into a Marriage between the Lord of Lorn son and heir to the Earl of Arguile and bred up in England a Protestant for that purpose and the Eldest Daughter of the late Duke of Lenox which though well known to the Earl of Arundel he very boldly marries his eldest Son the Lord Matravers unto her and excuses it to be the private contrivance of the two Mothers but he is committed to the Tower and being in time of Parliament the Peers Petition the King That no Peer is to be imprisoned without Order of the Upper House unless for Treason Felony or Denial of the security for the peace which retrived their old dispute Priviledge and lasted the debate of a Months time In which space Mr. Pym Chairman to the Câ—mmittee of Religion reports the Inquisition of their discovery A Letter to the Lord Maior of York for Reprieve of some Iesuits Priests and other Recusants which Letter was compared
with the Original in the Signet Office and so these proceedings lay in the Deck of other complaints which the King understood and took time to number them up to the Parliament as Indignities to his Person and Honour to be so inquisitive after his actions But for the present he went on with his own more important affairs and sends Sir Richard Weston Chancelour of the Exchequer with this message to them That his Fleet is returned and their victuals spent the men must of necessity be discharged and their wages paid them or else mutiny will follow which may be of dangerous consequence That he hath in readiness about 40. Ships to be set forth upon a second service which want a present supply of moneys That the Armies quartered on the Coasts want victuals and clothes and they will disband if not furnished The Companies of Ireland lately sent must speedily be provided for else they may be subject to rebel Lastly the season for providing healthful victual will be past if this moneth of March be suffered negligently to elapse And therefore he desired to know without more ado what present supply be must depend upon from them that accordingly he might shape his course This necessary message produced no other Supply than this insolency from a Member Mr. Clement Cook Son to Sir Edward Cook now in Malignancie to the affairs of State It is better saies he to dy by a Foreign Enemy than to be destroyed at home And to make him the more One Turner a mean mad Doctor of Physick who got a room in the House for such like rants and he re-assaults with 6. Queries teaching to the Duke 1. Whether the King hath not lost the Regality of the Narrow Seas since the Duke became Admiral 2. Whether he not going as Admiral in this last Fleet was not the cause of the ill success 3. Whether the Kings Revenues hath not been impaired through his immense liberality 4. Whether the Duke hath not ingrossed all Offices and preferred his kindred to unfit places 5. Whether he hath not made sale of places of Iudicature 6. Whether Recusants have not dependance upon his Mother and Father-in-law Alas poor Doctor He did but gape saies one and had this clamour put into his Mouth by such as had enough rudeness and Raâ—cour in their hearts but not the courage to let the world see it in them Thereupon the King sends to them all for satisfaction from the whole House intent upon severe punishment against â—â—ose men but finding them earnest to aggravate the more he summons both Houses together and conveys his displeasure to them by the Lord Keeper Coventry My Lords and you the Knights Citizens and Burgessâ—s of the House of Commons His Majesties command hath summoned you hither and the same Command hath put me upon the service of signifying his Will to you His Will was that both Houses should be called together you my Lords as witnesses of the Justice of his Resolutions and of this Address to the House of Commons His Majesty would have you know there never was King who better loved his peoplâ— or was more sincerely affected towards the right use of Parliaments or more ready tâ— redress what shall be represented unto him in the quality of Grievance provided it be in a regular and decent way than Himself but he would also have you know that as he loves his People so he regards His Honouâ— and if he be sensible of his Subjects Grievances of his own he is much more especially when they flow from offences of such a nature as not onely blast his Reputation but impede the Progresse of his Weighty Affaires To come to Particulars His Majesty saith That whereas Mr. Coke spake very seditious words in your House he was so far from being questioned or censured for them by you as Doctor Turner animated with the same spirit made them his introduction to certain articles of Inquiry of as unsavory a condition pretended against the Duke but in truth libelling his Majesties Government And though his Majesty did not only by Sir Richard Weston but in his own Person declare his just displeasure and demanded Justice against those exorbitants yet have you not only halted in your obedience to him but have followed the very steps of Dr. Turner and upon false bottom'd suggestions endeavored to distain his Own and Fathers Honour He also complaineth That you have taken upon you to search his Signet-Office and to examine the Letters of his Secretary of State leaving him nothing free from their discovery a thing not formerly practised As concerning the Duke whom you seem to persecute with such asperity of disgust I am also commanded to tell you that his Majesty knows none better he acted nothing of Publique Employment without his Special Warrant that he hath discharged his Trust with abundant both Care and Fidelity that he merited that Trust both from his now Majesty and his late Father by his Personall hazard both at home and abroad And that since his Return from Spain he hath been sedulous in promoving the Service and Contentment of your House It is therefore his Express Command that you absolutely desist from such unparliamentary disquisitions and resign the Reformation of what is amiss to his Majesties Care Wisdome and Justice I am also to speak about the business of supply you have been made acquainted with the posture of his Majesties affairs both foreign and domestique and with his necessatous condition the charge of all martial preparations both by sea and land hath been calculated to you you promised a supply both speedy and sutable to his occasions but his Majesty complaineth that as yet you have performed neither failing both in the measure and in the manner In the measure by granting onely three subsidies and three fifteens a proportion vastly short of what is requisite In the manner being both dilatory and dishonourable to the King as arguing a distrust of him for you have ordered the Bill not to be brought into the House until your grievances be both heard and answered which is such a tacite condition as his Majesty will not admit of Therefor his Majesty commands you to take it into your speedy consideration and to return your final answer by Saturday next what further addition you will make and if your supplies commensurate and equal the demands of the cause he promiseth to continue this Session to your just content else he must and will entertain thoughts of your dismission Lastly I am commanded to tell you that his Majesâ—y doth not charge these distempers upon the whole body and the assembly of the House but as he is confident the greater number are persons of a more quiet dispose so he hopeth their influence and this his Majesties admonition will prevent the like for the time to come When he had done the King went on I Must withall put you in minde of times past you may
his late Majesty and his Majesty that now is warranting the payment of great sums of money by him as if such summes were directed for secret service of the State when as they were disposed of to his own use and hath gotten into his hands great sums which were intended by the late King for the furnishing and victualling of the Navy-Royall to the exceeding diminution of the revenues of the Crown to the deceiving and abusing of his late and now Majesty and detriment of the whole Kingdom That he doth humbly and with all thankfulness acknowledge his late Majesties bountifull hand to him and shall be ready to render back into the hands of his now Majesty whatsoever he hath received together with his life to do him service But for the value suggested in the charge he saith there is a great mistake in the calculation as he shall make evident in a Schedule annexed to which he referreth himself Nor did he obtain the same by any undue solicitation or practice nor yet a Release for any sums so received But having severall times and upon severall occasions disposed divers sums of his late and now Majesty by their private directions he hath Releases thereof for his discharge which was honourable in them to grant and not unfit for him to desire and accept for his future indemnity XIII Reply 13. Lastly That he being a sworn servant of the late King did cause and provide certain Plaisters and Potions for his late Majesty in his last sicknesse without the privity of his Majesties Physicians and that although those Plaisters and Potions formerly applied produced such ill effects as many of his sworn Physicians did dis-allow as prejudiciall to his Majesties health yet neverthelesse did the Duke apply them again to his Majesty Whereupon great distempers and dangerous symptomes appeared inhim which the Physicians imputed to those administrations of the Duke whereof his late Majesty also complained which was an offence and misdemeanour of so high a nature as may be called an act of transcendent presumption And the said Commons by Protestation saving to themselves the liberties of exhibiting hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the Duke and also of replying unto what the Duke shall answer unto the said Article do pray that the said Duke may be put to answer all and every the premises and that such Proceedings Examinations Tryals and Judgements may be upon every of them had as is agreeable to Law and Justice That his late Majesty being sick of an Ague a disease out of which the Duke recovered not long before asked the Duke what he found most advantagious to his health the Duke replied a Plaister and Posset-drink administred to him by the Earl of Warwick's Physician whereupon the King much desired the Plaister and Posset-drink to be sent for And the Duke delaying it he commanded a servant of the Dukes to go for it against the Dearnest request he humbly craving his Majesty not to make use of it without the advice of his own Physicians and experiment upon others which the King said he would do and in confidence thereof the Duke left him and went to London And in the mean time he being absent the said Plaister and Posset drink were brought and at the Dukes return his Majesty commanded the Duke to give him the Posset-drink which he did the Physicians then present not seeming to mislike it Afterward the Kings health declining and the Duke hearing a rumour as if his Physick had done his Majesty hurt and that he had administred Physick without advice the Duke acquainted the King therewith who in much discontent replied They are worse then Devils that say so This being the plain clear and evident truth of all those things which are contained in that Charge He humbly referreth it to the judgements of your Lordships how full of danger and prejudice it is to give too ready an ear and too easie a beleef unto a Report or Testimony without Oath which are not of weight enough to condemn any Also he humbly acknowledgeth how easie it was for him in his young years and unexperienced to fall into thousands of errours in those ten years wherein he had the honour to serve so great and so open-hearted a Soveraign Master But the fear of Almighty God his sincerity in the true Religion established in the Church of England though accompaninied with many weaknesses and imperfections which he is not ashamed humbly and heartily to confesse his awfulnesse not willing to offend so good and gracious a Master and his love and duty to his Countrey have restrained and preserved him he hopeth from running into any hainous misdemeanours and crimes But whatsoever upon examination and mature deliberation they shall appear to be least in any thing unwittingly within the compasse of so many years he shall have offended He humbly prayeth your Lordships not onely in those but to all the said misdemeanours misprisions offences and crimes wherewith he standeth charged before your Lordships to allow unto him the benefit of the free and general Pardon granted by his late Majesty in Parliament in the one and twentieth year of his Reign out of which he is not excepted And also of the gracious Pardon of his now Majesty to the said Duke and vouchsafed in like manner to all his Subjects at the time of his most happy Inauguration and Coronation which said Pardon under the Great Seal of England and granted to the said Duke beareth date the tenth day of February now last past and so here shewed forth unto your Lordships on which he doth humbly relie And yet he hopeth that your Lordships in your Justice and Honour upon which confidence he putteth himself will acquite him of and from those misdemeanours offences misprisions and crimes wherewith he hath been charged And he hopeth and will daily pray that for the future he shall by Gods grace so watch all his actions both publick and private that he shall not give any just offence to any However that that an Authour hath descanted on this defence It doth really appear prudential modest and humble and no doubt a Reply might be intended In the interim the Kings affaires requiring a quicker supply for the publique than these lingring proceedings could admit he demands the speedy producing their Bill of Subsidy to be passed to which they were forced suddenly to conform not unlikely to prevent their present dissolution which otherwise they suspected And resolving to make work they were hammering a tedious Declaration of Grievances which was allowed by the House before the Bill of Subsidy Whereupon with huge indignation the King the very next day Iune 15. dissolves them with this positive answer to some Lords that were sent to intercede for longer sitting not a minute And the same day Bristow was committed to the Tower and Arundell confined to his House with a Proclamation for burning all Copies of the Commons Declaration which was
supposed to be framed before their dissolution Wee have been Ingenuous and clear in the particulars of Buckingham and Bristow in which the Historian may be susspected partially affected with his distinctions though he seems in his Paragraph of reference to his former Story to vindicate the King and Buckingham as if he meant to forestall the Readers judgement with his own opinion such presumption not consisting with the duty of a just Relator And he will seem to intimate that by this sudden Rupture of the Parliament the Duke scap'd a scouring And because Bristow may be thought to have hard measure now imprisoned at the Kings mercy where he lodged under the Notion of a high Delinquent to the King and State for his former mis-actions in Spain but time wrought upon his discretion and by his private means and submission he was afterwards reprived to his Countrey House Sherbourn and after taken into favour and became a faithfull servant to his Master But to cleer this story the passages are heretofore sufficiently laid open in the History of King Iames their proper place where both in Germany and Spain He and others acted so much in the Match to which I refer the Reader We shall onely conclude That he was no sooner returned home but brought under strict Examination of twenty Interrogatories full and home to which he gave Answer in writing to King Iames long and tedious in twenty sheets of paper And by that Narration the several Treaties of the whole Match from first to last are amply opened and may hereafter see light by it self By which it is apparent that when able and prudent men come to act their own parts they are then mostly not of the clearest sight and commonly commit such errours as are both discernable and avoidable even by men of mean abilities And it was thereupon considered whether the tendring him any further Charge unto which he might be able to frame a probable satisfactory Answer would not then rather serve to declare his Innocency than to prepare his Condemnation and so instead of pressure upon him reflect back with disadvantage upon the proceedings against him which were intended by Star Chamber Whether it were not better to desist from further questioning him without blemish to the Princes honour or prejudice to the service And though Bristol in sundry places of that his intended Answer seems diversly to violate the Rule of the provident Mariner who in foul weather and storm to prevent Shipwrack rather puts down than sets up his sailes Yet it was considered either to have him quick and roundly put to it or to proceed slowly and moderately permitting him for a time to remain where he was reprieved to his own house laid aside and in the way to be forgotten a state of being no doubt by his complexion and so apprehended by himself equivalent to the severest and sharpest censure that could be possibly afflicted on him And in this condition he found means from the Parliament to set upon the Duke to prevent the Kings design who first by his Attorney accused Bristol of Treason And thus much of their quarrel which ended with this Parliament And happy it was for Bristol to end so for though it is supposed That he had the better head-piece and the other only the better back Certainly the Dukes head was too hard for him and his brains more quick and nimble Besides other advantages for Bristow's own Creatures stole his papers into copies from time to time which were communicated to the Duke who had he lived would have undone the Earl Lewis of France some years since having a designe against Italy and the Valtoline and upon that score obtained of King Iames the loan of a gallant ship of his Navy-Royal the Vantguard and the Merchants consent for six of their own ships to joyn with that But in the Interim before they was fitted for that purpose K. Iames dies He dead and Lewis finding the cause of the Hugonots too strong and violent to be mitigated by Treaty and the Card. Duke Richlieu intent to bring them under by success of former designs plotted his main force against those of Rochel a strong maritain city in France forâ— countenanced into a firm revolt by the practice of Count Subize upon Sundry Overtures heretofore and now waxed formidable and fit for subjection But this violent resolution had been palliated by Embassies of King Iames and very lately by two more of King Charles the Earl of Holland and Sir Dudley Carlton his Assistant in Commission who pacified that high difference upon which the power and design of the Hugonotes depended And gave a real resolution for Lewes to advance greater forces against the Valtoline then very hotly pursued by advantage of Confederation with England in enmity against Spain also and gave the suddain occasion to hasten those former ships lent to the French in that design and Sir Iohn Pennington a Gallant Sea Commander intrusted Admiral over them Subiâ—e an Out-lodger in Revolt had gotten together a scattered number of small Ships which unawares surprized the Isle of 〈◊〉 and some Ships in that Harbour even at the instant when the French Army was ready to March into the Valtoline But the Duke of Vendosm not far off with Forces of the French King got thither some Troops and prevented of the seisure of the Fort Lewes neer Rochel And now not trusting to any Overtures evermore counterfeit from that City for the time only to palliate their Rebellion All possible speed was resolved upon to bring them under by power and to turn the present Design for Italy upon Rochel And first Lewes finds means to him shipping of the Dutch pretended for the Valtoline demanding of Pennington now in the French Port The delivery of those Ships agreeable to former promise which he utterly refused But was ready to receive a Commander in Chief and a competent number of Land Men not exceeding the English and so to be imployed in the French Kings service Nor could he be courted from this into any other conditions of yielding up his Masters Ships though he did at last which was urged against the Duke of Buckingham as a great crime by his permission But the passages we discover from Penningtons own Letters to the Duke from Stokes-Bay and afterwards at Diep in answer to Letters sent Express to him by his own Secretary Nicholas peremptorily to deliver these six Ships to the hands of the French Kings Command and according to his Masters pleasure signified by Secretary Conway and to take security of the French for their valuation dated 21. Iuly 1625. And at that time a Letter from the French King to receive his Cousin the Duke of Momorancy and his Souldiers aboard to join with his great Fleet against his rebellious subjects and to have possession that night Pennington offered to accept of all particulars but not to quit his Ships and dispossess himself of their Command T is true
the Queens Attorney chosen Speaker of the Commons house And thus the King Salutes them My Lords and Gentlemen THese times are for Action for Action I say not for Words therefore I shall use but a few and as Kings are said to be exemplary to their Subjects so I wish you would imitate me in this and use as few falling upon speedie Consultation No man is I conceive such a stranger to the common Necessitie as to expostulate the cause of this Meeting and not to think supply to be the end of it and as this necessitie is the Product and Consequent of your Advice so the true Religion the Laws and Liberties of this State and just Defence of our Friends and Allies being so considerably concerned will be I hope arguments enough to perswade Supply for if it be as most true it is both my Duty and Yours to preserve this Church and Commonwealth this exigent time certainly requires it In this time of Common Danger I have taken the most antient speedy and best way for Supply by calling you together If which God forbid in not contributing what may answer the quality of my occasions you do not your duties it shall suffice I have done mine in the conscience whereof I shall rest content and take some other course for which God hath impowred me to save that which the folly of particular men might hazzard to lose Take not this as a menace for I scorn to threaten my inferiours but as an admonition from him who is tied both by nature and dutie to provide for your preservations and I hope though I thus speak your demeanours will be such as shall oblige me in thankfulnesse to meet you oftner then which nothing shall be more pleasing to me Remembering the distractions of our last meeting you may suppose I have no confidence of good successe at this time but be assured I shall freely forget and forgive what is past hoping you will follow that sacred advice lately inculcated to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace The present Cause for supply of the Kings Necessities was for the Religious defence of our Reformed friends now in present danger And though the Parliament were convinced for their speedy Asistance yet they looked a squint upon themselves and but for shame had a minde first to do their own work the Peoples Grievances which were suggested to be many or else were made so by themselves But to put the King upon an after-game was not reasonable and so they gave him five Subsidies with unanimous consent Nemine contra dicente as Secretary Coke told him Whereupon sayes One the King wept for joy and bad him assure them he would deny them nothing of their just Liberties This the Observator notes as the fourth Presage taking it for granted that the King cried and which tendernesse of his the Parliament ever after made use of to his great dammage Therein insisting it seems by their continuall exacting upon the Kings Grace the more he gave the more they crave demanding to his death For indeed He denied them nothing either what was their due or what his favour could in reason afford them And forthwith they fall upon the peoples Liberties No freeman to be imprisoned by King or Council without legall cause alleaged As being an unreasonable thing To send a Prisoner and not withal to signifie his Crimes laid against him Acts 25. 27. But this their Opinion indured large debate in the Upper House wisely considering where the Prerogative should be suppressed in the King their interests depending would soon bring them low and at last contemptible And withal having the Kings Counsel to defend his right where the chief of them his Attorney General it is said pleaded impertinent for his Majesty but in what he doth not notifie and so we suppose him here to be partial for he confesseth that the Ducal or Royal party were so prevalent as that the other popular party or as in truth they were stiled the Lower House Lords of the Upper House durst not venture upon the Orderly Vote but moulded themselves into a Committee until the Lord Say which is understood to be such a Lord made his motion That they who stood for the liberties not fifty might make their Protestation upon Record and that the other opposit party the greater number but the weaker Head-piece should with Subscription of their Names enter their reasons upon Record that Posterity might not be to seek who they were that so ignobly betrayed the freâ—dom of our Nation and this being done then to proceed to Vote Indeed the Court-party might be daunted at such a designe which would have involved them in the danger to be stoned to death by the ignâ—rant Multitude who were wilde to have liberty in all things and might be easily drawn to do to those Lords as they did after in my Lord Sraffords case post them up to be knockt on the head for dissenting Lords Thus was Personal liberty setled against all presidents of former Soveraignty or future use and Custom Themselves the first breakers of this their Ordinance as we shall hereafter have too too sad occasion to mention but certainly their meaning was evermore to excuse themselves from positive laws though of their own devising Then whilest it was warm They crouded in all complaints upon liberty of goods unbilleting of Souldiers and nulling of Martial law in time of Peace To which indeed Magna Charta and six other Statutes which explain it affords them law for which they now petitioned and were answered by the Lord Keeper That the King consented those Evidences to be all in force and he would govern them accordingly His Royal word and promise being as binding to his conscience as any laws they could make whatever which he hoped would encourage them to proceed to the effecting of their necessary businesse This not so sufficient begat a question very modest Whether or no His Majesty should be trusted upon his word for his Coronation Oath swears him to maintain the Laws of the Land more of force then any Royal word could be and should it be voted in the Negative all foraign people would lodge that on them as dishonourable not to trust their King When up starts Sr Edward Coke We â—it sayes he to take his Majesties word but in a Parliamentary way sitting on his Throne in his Robes with Crown and Scepter in full Parliament both Houses present thus to be done with Ceremony makes his Royal word in Parliament and not a word delivered in his Chamber or sent to us by his Secretary or Lord Keeper And so he moved that More Majorum the House should draw a Petition de Droict of Right to his Majesty which should be confirmed by both Houses and assented to by the King and that Word be as firm an Act as any And so they framed a Petition presenting it to the Lords and after the severall
Statutes were verbatim recited the substance of the Petition was this 1. THey do pray your most excellent Majesty that no man hereafter be compelled to make or yeeld any Gift Loan Benevolence Tax or such like charge without common consent by Act of Parliament and that none be called to make answer or to take such oath or to give attendance or be confin'd or otherwise be molested or disquieted concerning the same or for refusal thereof 2. And that no freeman be taken and imprisoned or be disseised of his free-hold or liberty or his â—ree customs or be out-lawed or exiled but by the lawfull judgement of his Peer or by the law of the Land 3. And that your Majesty would be pleased to remove the Souldiers and Mariners now Billitted in divers Counties and that your people may not be so burthened in time to come 4. That the late Commissions for proceeding by Martiall-Law may be revoked and annulled and that hereafter no Commission of like nature may issue forth to any person or persons whatsoever to be executed lest by colour of them any of your Majesties subjects be destroyed and put to death contrary to law and the franchises of the land All which they most humbly pray of your most excellent Majesty as their rights and liberties according to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm and that your Majesty would also vouchsafe to declare that all awards doings or proceedings to the prejudice of your People shall not be drawn hereafter into consequence and example And now indeed their Lordships Eyes were opened and fearing the eminent mischief to the King and in him to themselves as having more interest in Prerogative then the Commons their first existence present subsistence and yet not altogether to leave the publique without remedy they annexed to the Petition this addition of Salvo We present this our humble Petition to your Majesty not onely with care to preserve our own Liberties but with regard to leave intire that Soverain Power wherewith your Majesty is trusted for the Protection safety and happinesse of your People But the Commons refused this and procured a Conference and Mr. Noy is sent with reasons and resolutions of the Lower-House which signified little but at a second meeting managed by Sr. Henry Martin and Serjeant Glâ—nvile the Lords did comply and so presented without that saving To which the King took a little leasure ere he returned them this for answer THe King willeth that right be done according to the laws and Customs of the Realm and that the Statutes be put in due execution that his Subjects may have no cause to complain of any wrong or oppressions contrary to their just Right and Liberties to the preservation whereof he holds himself in conscience as well obliged as of his Prerogative Certainly the sense was as the very Essence the matter being the Main aud was excepted against as too firm but not full enough without their own formalities of the old Model for which they agreed to Petition but were surprized with this Item from the King My Answer was made with so good deliberation and approved by the judgement of so many wise men that I wonder it hath not satisfied you to the full but to avoid all ambiguities and to clear my just meaning I am willing to please you even in Words as well as Substance Read your Petition and receive an Answer I am sure will please you Which was Le droict soit faict comme iâ— est desire This I am sure is full yet no more than in my first you may see now how ready I shew my self to satisfie your demands so that having done my part if this Parliament have not a happy conclusion the sin is yours I am free Hereto the Houses shout with mighty acclamations of joy testified also with the usuall consent of the publique Bonefires and Bellsâ—inging â—inging over all the Cities and the Upper-House finding this a fit time of reciprocal contexture the King glad to see them satisfied with little aâ—doe procured his Majesties Grace to extend even to those Lords in former disfavour To Abbot Arch-Bishop of Canterbury William Bishop of Lincoln the Earl of Essex Lincoln Warwick Bristow and him that was alwayes out the Lord Say This did the King do the fifth Presage from the King vailing his Crown to the Parliament which doth so astonish the Historian that he breaks out into Ravishment That this session that Gallant Standard of Common Liberties the Petition of Right was granted That never did Arbitrary Power since Monarchy first founded so submittere fasces so vail its Scepter Never did the Prerogative descend so much from Perch to Popular Lure as by that Concession a Concession able to give satisfaction even to supererogation for what was amisse in all the Kings by-past Government But what did they do having now thus sentenced all Illegalities they fell to Execution of Commission of Loan and Excise and cancelled them in the Kings presence And now thus secured they yet ride on ripping up all manner of Grievances and Grievers in a large Remonstrance 1. THe danger of Innovation and alteration in Religion This occasioned by 1. The great esteem and favours many professors of the Romish Religion receive at Court 2. Their publique resort to Masâ—e at Denmark house contrary to his Majesties answer to the Parliaments Petition at Oxford 3. The Letters for stay of proceedings against them Lastly the daily growth of the Arminian faction favoured and protected by Nele Bishop of Winchester and Laud Bishop of Bathe and Wells whilest the Orthodox parts are silenced or discountenanced 2. The danger of Innovation and alteration in Government occasioned by the Billetting of Souldiers by the Commission for procuring one thousand German Horse and Riders as for the defence of the Kingdom by a standing Commission granted to the Duke to be General at land in times of peace 3. Disasters of our Designes as the expedition to the Isle of Rhe and that lately to Rochel wherein the English have purchased their dishonour with the waste of a million of treasure 4. The want of Ammunition occasioned by the late selling away of thirty six Last of Powder 5. The decay of Trade by the losse of three hundred ships taken by the Dunkyrkers and Pirates within these three last years 6. The not guarding the narrow Seas whereby his Majesty hath almost lost the Regality Of all which evils and dangers the principall Cause is the Duke of Buckingham his excessive power and abuse of that power And therefore they humbly submit it to his Majesties wisdom whether it can be safe for himself or his Kingdom that so great power both by Sea and Land as rests in him should be trusted in the hands of any one Subject whatsoever This and the Bill of Subsidies went cheek by joll and were presented to the King in the Banquetting house at White-Hall which being read out with some regret in
the Kings looks He told them plainly He expected not such a Romance to answer his gracious consent to their Petition of Right But for their just Grievances they would deserve his consideration And so suddenly rose up and stepping down short from the degrees of steps raised under the Cloth of State the Duke stayed him by the hand which now is supposed to be given him to kisse in spight of the Parliament or otherwise rather but his low Congie to his Majesties hand which in Court-complement was too much But in truth I saw that passe and that other Lords near the King offering as much as the Duke did which I well know was then devised to lodge upon him against whom their inbred dislike increased to all exceptions even of Circumstance or Shadow But how suddenly the Commons House incroach upon the Lords Liberties excluding the words the Lords spiritual and Temporal in the very Grant of the Bill of Subsidies which they resented with very high Indignation though the Commons were known to be cunning enough to palliate the designe if discovered with an excuse of bare mis-omission yet the most of them stood it out pretending ever more in such cases That heretofere some Acts had so passed which they knew well enough how to avoid the proving But if their good Lordships would return the Bill their names should be inserted as if they were not able to put themselves in as the others were cunning to leave them out During these disputes and the Kings necessities in purse was the main cause of his consenting so much to raise the Parliaments and lessen his own Power One Doctor Manwaring observing the Clench meant to mend all by marring it with his two false Assertions The one to be preached before the King That the Kings Royal Command imposing without common consent of Parliament Taxes and Loans doth so farre binde the conscience of the Subjects of this Kingdom that they cannot refuse the payment without peril of damnation The other he preached at his Parish Church That the Authority of Parliament is not necessary for the raising Aydes and Subsidies To these he was questioned by a Committee and in reason justly sentenced 1. Imprisonment during the pleasure of the Parliament 2. Fined one thousand pounds to the King 3. To make such submission as shall be set down in writing at the Lords Bar and Bar of Commons 4. To be suspended three years from the exercise of the Ministry 5. Never to preach at Court hereafter 6. Never to have Ecclesiastical dignity or Secular Office 7. To move his Majesty for calling in of his Book and to be burnt And truly I remember the Kings answer to all He that will preach other then he can prove let him suffer I give them no thanks to give me my due and so as being a Parliament businesse he was left by the King and Church to their Sentence But why this case must be marked out for a sixth Presage from the Kings vailing his Crown to the Parliament by suffering the House of Comâ—mons to set up sayes he a Committee for Religion to question Manwaring and Sibthorp and others for Doctrinal matters more proper to be censured in the High-Commission or Convocation to which Courts the cognizance do belong and not unto a Consistory of Lay-Elders which perhaps wise men but never the greatest Clerks We may consent to his opinion in the Main for matters of Divinity and Orthodox points But that the Preacher is Iure Divino not to be censured but by themselves smells of the Presbyter or Papâ—st both alike their Tenets and so to ingrosse all into their General Assembly which was wont to be above Privy-Counsel Parliament and King But the King bent his busie time to frame an Answer to their late Remonstrance so tart that the Commons resolved to double upon him against Tonnage and Poundage which he would not indure bnt prorogued the Parliament unto the twentieth of October delivering his minde to them before his Assent to their Bills My Lords and Gentlemen IT may seem strange that I come so suddenly to end this Session therefore before I give my assent to the Bils I will tell you the cause though I must avow I ow an account of my actions to none but God alone It is known to every one that a while ago the House of Commons gave me a Remonstrance how acceptable every man may judge and for the merit of it I will not call that in question for I am sure no wise man can justifie it Now since I am certainly informed that a second Remonstrance is preparing for me to take away my profit of Tunnage and Poundage one of the chief maintenances of the Crown by alleadging that I have given away my right thereof by my Answer to your Petition This is so prejudicial to me as I am forced to end this Session some few hours before I meant it being willing not to receive any more Remonstrances to which I must give an harsh answer And since I see that even the House of Commons begins already to make false constructions of what I granted in your Petition lest it be worse interpreted in the Country I will now make a Declaration concerning the true intent thereof The Profession of both Houses in the time of hammering this Petition was no waies to trench upon my Prerogative saying They had neither intention nor power to hurt it Therefore it must needs be conceived that I have granted no new but onely confirm the ancient Libertie of my Subjects Yet to shew the clearness of my intentions that I neither repent nor mean to recede from any thing I promised you I do here declare That those things which have been done whereby men had cause to suspect the Liberty of the Subject to be trencht upon which indeed was the true and first ground of the Petition shall not hereafter be drawn into example for your prejudice and in time to come in the word of a King you shall not have the like cause to complain But as for Tonnage and Poundage it is a thing I cannot want and was never intended by you to ask never meant I am sure by me to grant To conclude I command you all that are here to take notice of what I have spoken at this time to be the true intent and meaning of what I granted you in your Petition But especially you my Lords the Judges for to you onely under me belongs the interpretation of the Laws for none of the Houses of Parliament joynt or separate what new doctrine soever may be raised have any power either to make or declare a Law without my consent This Session were enacted these Laws and first of all For further Reformation of Divers abuses committed on the Lords day commonly called Sunday 2. To restrain the passing or sending any to be Popishly bred beyond Seas 3. For the better suppressing unlicensed Ale-House Keepers 4. For
they say and so understand not what they speak truths against their wills and to give evidence to that they would not do Balaam did so and yet it was no act of Satan And though the Sibylls were as bad yet why the act of Satan that they foretold of Christ The Devil was not so ill affected to his own State as to foretell the ruine of it nor could teach men honesty which he knew not himself He might know that Christ was to come to be born of Judah of the House of David but to be born of the Virgin Mary Daughter of Anna Wife to Ioseph and his Name to be Iesus c. untill he saw the event he could not Those and many such are in Sibylls which makes some conclude them counterfeits postnatis forged by Christians In a word Arreptiti and Enthusiasts amongst Pagans those possessed of unclean spirits are distracted enraged carried haled distorted in body and minde The true Prophets spake words of knowledg and understanding used gestures of modesty sobriety and gravity It is against reason that by the Spirit of understanding a man should be divested of his former understanding that light should make a man blinde But certainly such were not those Dames the Lady Davies and Mistris Carew their words and writings always vain full of whimsies uncertain full of mysterious expressions they knew not what and so assuredly were from and by the Devil knowing by several designs of wicked men what the Event was likely to be but not certainly what to be But to our History The Duke being dead the Kings personal presence hastened all the Necessaries fitting for the Fleet and the great Expectation on whom that Honour would be conferred all men in amaze the Earl of Lindsey was assigned for the Command Certainly hâ— was a person of no likely presence but of some experience by his last Expedition thither and hereafter to the last of his life made good his faith with gallantry and courage So that on the eighth of September he set forth from Portsmouth and came to the Bar of the Haven with reasonable speed of winde and weather where he findes that the Duke Cardinal Richelieâ— had finished his monstrous Work with Boom and Barracado exceeding all the mighty Designs that ever were effected by narrative of any History yet none of these nor all the Enemies Land-works Forts or Strengths could deter this brave Man from dangerous Attempts having passed the Out-forts and Bulwarks even to the Mouth of the Bar untill a cross Winde returned them foul of each other And so it appeared impossible the Town viewing the sad effects without more dispâ—te called in their King with the greatest submission that Revolters could express and had mercy accordingly to the remain which Famine had left for otherways they lost none by the Sword the King entring with all mercifull mildness the eighteenth of October and found but four thousand the remain of twenty two thousand Souls The prodigious Works and Fortifications were instantly slighted and for the ignominy of the Inhabitants the very name Rochel was sacrificed to oblivion and a new Title given to that City Borgo Maria in honour of Queen Mother the Cardinals dear Patroness Thus ended that quarrel between King Lewis and his rebellious Rochellers for whose cause King Iames somewhat but King Charls much more endeavoured their relief first by Treaties and after by Forces the Grounds and Reasons I have endeavoured to assure from observation of the particular causes since their first difference and which reasonably the Duke of Buckingham's Manifesto seems to satisfie somewhat may be said to the Design in policy but for that score of Religion it is truly noted That not onely that very Sect but of that very Church for whose Protection King Charls was so solicitous and whose supportation he now so ardently endeavoured became afterwards none of the meanest sticklers and fomenters of his own and his Churches troubles A document to Kings to be wary whom they aid And so the Fleet returned safe home again The Parliament met the twentieth of Ianuary and convenient for complaints against the Customers for destraining the Merchants Goods for Tonnage and Poundage which the King meant to defend and therefore summoned them to his Banquetting-house at Whitehall and told them That the difference might soon be decided if his words and actions were considered for though he took â—ot those duties as belonging to his Prerogative nor had he declared to challenge them his right but onely desired them by gift of his People why had they not passed the Bill according to their promise to clear his former and future actions in this time of his great necessity which he now required them to make good and so give end to all Questions without delay But the religious Commons must reform God's cause before the King 's nor would they be prescribed their Consultations but resolved to remit the Bill of Tunnage and Poundage at pleasure And so they did appoint Committees one for Religion and the other for Civil affairs to represent the abuses in both The first Committee for the Commons of England to regulate Religion which one says the Courtiers called the Inquisition and well they might for such it was The Points were general Arminianism and Popery The Informations were many concerning the first grounded upon the ancient nine Articles resolved at Lambeth 1595. by the reverend Bishops and Deans on purpose to declare their sense of the nine and thirty Articles in those particulars and unto which the Archbishop of York and his Province did conform They did so indeed deliver their sense as Opinions not publick Doctrines as is truly observed and King Iames recommended them over to the Synod of Dort and there asserted by suffrage of those Doctours and were afterwards commended to the Convocation in Ireland to be inserted into the Articles of Religion 1615. And so they were But how The Observation tells us That our first Reformers were not regulated by Lutheran or Calvinian Doctrines but by the constant current of Antiquity and the way of Melancton most consonant thereto was approved by Bishop Hooper on the Decalogue and by Bishop Latimer in his Sermons but also by the Compiler of the Book of Articles and the Book of Homilies which are the publick Monuments of this Church in Points of Doctrine But the Calvinian entring the way there aroâ—e a difference in particular judgments of these Debates the matter controverted pro con by some confessors in Prison in the time of Queen Mary she dead and our exiled Divines returning from Geneva Basil and Frankford where Calvin's Dictates became Oracles brought with them his Opinions of Predestination Grace and Perseverance which they scattered over all the Church by whose authority and double diligence of the Presbyterian party to advance their holy Discipline it became universally received as the onely true Orthodox Doctrine and so maintained in the
the Room foreâ—shortened and looking downwards as from the clouds the rarest postures that late ages can paralel being the portraictures of King Iames in several relations with all Imaginary similitude of Him tending towards Eternity for which he was well rewarded with the honour of Knighthood to boot Indeed the Artist had an indifferent esteem for his skill and by his wealth was wise enough to receive Informations on both parts in reference to Peace but never to be Plenepotentiary of either side for truly I cannot call him so much as Agent for any unlesse we admit him Ambo-dexter-Ambassadour for he was the means that a greater man Don Carlos Colonas came after to do the work And I have some knowledge in the particulars that the other was rather set on by us when with that conveniency we had him here It was in Iuly That an Arrest was made upon one Billingham sometimes a Captain at the Isle of Rhe and an attempt made to his Rescue by some Templers being acted in their Quarters of Priviledge to their Houses and to their cost they were wounded by the opposition of the Lord Major and his City Bands that were wilde to flourish out their Ensigns against any Gentlemen their Patrons This undertaking increased to a hot skirmish of above five hundred Of the Majors Militia four were killed and sundry others hurt above an hundred on both sides and so the Evening parted the This uprore so neer the Court caused the King to speed Justice with an extraordinary Session to be held in Guild-Hall London for Arraignment of several of the Malefactors seized vpon in the quarrel And by ill hap laid hold on Two who were accounted Principalls because more publique Captain Ashurst and Iohn Stamford the late Dukes servant for it was no medling with the Students And though Stanford came by but by chance in a Coach and onely drew his sword without any part in the fray These Two onely were found guilty by the City Jury and executed at Tyburn Stanford had his pardon before being in company when a Watchman was killed at a Tavern called Duke-Humphreys and his relations to his late Master made his crime the more remarkable now exceeding the bounds of Reason so without the bounds of Mercy There had been a Manuscript Book contrived long since by Sr. Robert Dudly at Florence 1613. that discontented Catholique who descended from the Dudlies Earls of Warwick and so he stiled himself It was a Rapsodie of severall Projects for increase of the Kings revenue and somewhat in prejudice of proceedings in Parliaments Sundry Copies thereof were disperst by such as meant not much honour to the King and therefore suspected to contrive the Book though pretended for his Majesties Instruction as the manner had been to force such feigned discoveries and fix them for the Kings designes and therefore the Earls of Bedford Somerset and Clare Sr. Robert Cotten Mr. Selden and Mr. Saint Iohn were committed and an Information entered in Star-chamber against them But Sr. David Fowles upon oath cleered the suspition and discovered the Authour and so it ended William Herbert Son of Henry Earl of Pembrook dies in April He was the third Earl from his Creation 3 Elizabeth Baron Herbert of Cardiff Lord Parr Ros of Kendal Marmion and Saint Quintin Lord Warden of the Stanneries Governour of Portsmouth Knight of the Garter Chancellour of the University of Oxford and lately Lord high Steward of the Kings Houshold but not of England He married Mary the Eldest daughter and co-heir of Gilbert Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and dies without issue so that his honours descended to Philip Herbert his brother He supped the night before his death with the Countesse of Bedford at Bishops-gate upon the day of his birth fifty yeers since from thence he went home to Baynards Castle sitting up as usual very late for he was a hearty feeder and went to bed very well But not long after he fetcht a deep and deadly groan which startled his Lady that lay by and she not able to awake him called for company who found him speechlesse and so continued till eight in the morning and then died as a figure flinger had told him many years before We are told his Character in a high strain of Magnificence but we may give way to his good commendations in a reasonable measure A proper Person well set of graceful deportment his minde truly generous of the ancient stock and manner of Nobility His defects were in letters and Travel He had onely the breeding of England which gave him a conceited dislike of foraign men their manners and mode or of such English that professed much advantage thereby so that the Scots at Court and he were ever separate and therefore he was onely the old Courtier that kept close to the Commonalty and they to him and was therein trusted by his two Soveraigns as not over furnisht with abilities to be lesse then loyal which jealous Princes usually suffered In May 29 day the Queen was brought to Bed of a Son Surpassing joy there was of all true hearts and good subjects and in Iune the 27. baptized at Saint Iameses with princely Ceremonies and named Charles His Godfathers were the King of France and the Prince Elector represented by the Duke of Lenox and the Marquesse Hamilton the Godmother was the Queen Mother of France and her Person represented by the Duchesse of Richmond A man would stand amazed to believe that a sort of pretended sanctified subjects should not desire the King to have any issue I have my Author The Puritan-party that could not descern the cause of joy when the Queen was with childe God having better provided for us then we were aware in the hopeful Progeny of the Queen of Bohemia These men brought in the Reformed Religion Presbytery when it would be unâ—ertain what Religion the Kings children would follow And he observes to his own knowledge that when the most of the Parish gave publique signes of rejoycing with Bonefires Bell-ringing and mutual feasting onely the Presbyterian or Puritan party as he stiles them were shut up as on the day of general mourning And it may be remembred that afterwards as the Kings Issue increased the Common Prayer for the Kings onely Sister and her children was left out and in place thereof a Prayer compiled for preservation of the Kings Issue for though the Presbyterians hated the whole Book they would not stick to mention the one in their Prayer of the Pulpit and leave those other out of Gods blessing till by express command they were made to conform At his Birth there appeared a Star visible that very time of the Day when the King rode to Saint Paul's Church to give thanks to God for the Queens safe delivery of a Son upon which occasion these Verses were then presented Rex ubi Paulinas accessit gratus ad aras Immicuit medioâ— lucida stella
Spanish Ambassadour entered into their Traversies whiles an Anthem was sung and whilest the Dean Dr. Laud with three other Bishops went up to the Altar with a Latine Bible upon which the King laid his hand Secretary Coke having read the Oath the King kissed the Book and signed the Articles which he delivered up to the Ambassadour and so passed to the Banquetting-house to a princely Feast which the Kings good Friend assures us the Subject paid for with the aid of an old Prerogative-statute of Tax for Knighthood It was ancient indeed and from time to time of all Kings and Sovereigns since Edward the second framed then more for ease of the Subject than profit of that King then reduced to such to be made Knights that had twenty pounds per annum but before that time all men of fifteen pound per annum were required to take it But why it should ly skulking it seems to him onely who devises the matter and the manner To appear at the Coronation onely Ad arma gerenda not to be per force Knighted as was vulgarly supposed This vulgar Historian confines us to the manner Every man to receive a Belt and a Surcoat out of the Kings Wardrobe and if in four days there were no cause to fight without a Sword it seems they might take leave and be gone again The Statute is intituled Statutum de Militibus That our Sovereign Lord the King hath granted that all such as ought to be Knights and be not and have been distrained to take upon them that Order before the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord shall have respect to take upon them the foresaid Arms of Knighthood untill the Vigil of Saint Hilary c. And câ—rtainly it was their quality of thirty pound Rent per annum a plentifull Revenue in those former times made them capable not their sufficiency of body to bear Arms when thousands more of less Estates might be found fitter for fighting But being in force now notwithstanding those that refused it were brought to the Exchequer I believe above one hundred thousand pounds And the long Parliament that succeeded to please the People repealed it So that all the advantages he had to help himself were either condemned as done against the old Laws of the Land or else some new Law must be made to deprive him of the other that wanting all other means to support himself he might be forced upon the Alms of the Parliament The original ground was heretofore when the Services done by Ten were taken in kinde it was thought fit there should be some way of trial and approbation of those that were bound to such Services Therefore it was ordained that such as were to do Knights service after they came of age and had possession of their Lands and should be made Knights that is publickly declared to be fit for service Divers Ceremonies and Solemnities were in use for that purpose and if by the parties neglect this was not done he was punishable by Fine There being in those days an ordinary and open way to get Knighthood for those which were born to it c. The use of this hath for divers Ages been discontinued yet there have passed very few Kings under whom there hath not been these Summons requiring those holding Lands of such a value as the Law prescribes to appear at the Coronation or some other great Solemnity and to be knighted so as it is not new in the kinde nor new in the manner nor in excess of it indeed heretofore the Fines were moderate in some proportion and of late to meaner People Inholders Lease-holders Copi-holders Merchants and others scarce any man of value free from it And the Proceedings out by good Example President or Rule of Justice by Distresses and Issues The Disease of Europe was now become Martial War in Italy Germany in Bands of old Souldiers France afraid of a Neighbourstorm hindred all Propositions of Peace England besides the general Interest of the Reformed had the particular of the Palsgrave and always in Mutinies the States general are most concerned the Protestant Princes suppressed the House of Austria grown already to heigth threatned their â—uine nay the State of Venice was invited to increase the flame and disorder of this powerfull Body So then from North to South and of each side also was Germany beset with Enemies It was in Midsummer that Gustavus Adolphus King of Swede descended into Germany invited by themselves and incited by the assistance of all the former Princes and States though slenderly performed by them all Much to do he had to finde the cause of a Quarrel But Reasons he made and published which the Emperour answered and that sufficiently as we may conclude in the main concerning the Emperours depriving the Dukes of Meckelenburgh his Kinsmen of their Dutchies To which he was told That the Imperial Majesty was not to be controuled at home by foreign Pretences His Ears being open to Intercessours but not to Commands His general Pretence was as he vaunted to be the defence of the Protestant Cause and Religion which produced effects of a cruel bloudy and horrid War there then and other where since by the immense ambition of some few persons whom we may not name though their Vice we blame The Emperours old General Wallestein Duke of Frithland was at this Diet dismissed that Command by the perswasions of the French and Duke of Bavaria who had joyned a League defensive and offensive And his other General Tilly was turned Beadsman to his devotions and happy he had been to have so continued whilest he had Fortune his Hand-maid with as much glory as any Captain in the World which he changed to be conquered His former happiness was concluded in these That he heard Mass daily never touched a Woman never lost a Battel But he is wrought upon even by their Priests and prepares for War His first Master-piece was by cunning not force for finding Magdeburgh an Emperial rich Town of Saxony in some distraction then which brought such distraction after as no History can paralel The difference proceeded from their first choyce of Augustus Son to the Elector of Saxony for their Administrator But the Emperour and Pope commended the Arch Duke Leopâ—old now Governour of the Low Countreys The Town take parts and are appeased by Wallenstens power who turned the Town into a Garison and the forfeit of 150. thousand Rix Dollers Then Leopold presses further with very high demands which Christian of Brandenburgh and the Duke of Saxony interpose as therein concerned Brandenburgh enters the Town disguised and offers his and the King of Swedens protection who is received opening his passage into Pomerania and Meckelendburgh which he soon mastered And thus busied abroad he leaves Brandenburgh to rejoyce at his own designe when Poperheim posts thither makes havock of all before him and stops the Fox in his hole and besieges Magdeburgh December 1630.
Proctors deprived and others partakers check't for engaging But the Expulsion of these Preachers Expelled not their Schism which inwardly burnt the more for blazing the lesse many complaining of the two edged sword of justice too penal for some to touch then others to break the Kings Declaration And in this controversie died the Arch Bishop of York Dr. Harsnet a discreet Assertor of these necessary and useful Ceremonies and complained even against the Conformable Puritan who preached it in policy but diffented in judgement His Epitaph sets forth his Bishopricks Indignus Episcopus Cicestrensis Indignior Norvicensis Indignissimus Archiepiscopus Eboracensis enjoying them all three And now they revive the Sabbatarian controversie which was begun five years since 1628. Bradburn on the Sabbath day and directed to the King maintaining First The fourth Commandment simply and intirely Moral and Christians obliged as well as the Iews to observe everlastingly that day That the Lords day is an ordinary working day it being Will-worship to make it a Sabbath by vertue of the fourth Commandment But the High Commission Court soon made this man a Convert which opinions begat controversies of five heads What is the fittest name of that day when to begin and end Upon what authority grounded Whether alterable or no Whether any recreations and what kinds on that day And then these disputants were distinguished into Sabbatarians Moderate men and Anti-Sabbatarians and their preaching and pamphlets so quarrelous as made the poor distracted people to seek what to do And at the Temple It was Explained by Learned Dr. Micklethwait That the richer fort were more obliged to the strictnesse of the day than the poor workman such as have no diversion by labour all the week need no Recreation on One day the Labourer having some title to Liberty But from the Pen they fall to Pikes and Somersetshire the Stage and fieâ—y Scene First keeping their Church-Ales and Wakes of meetings on that day evening which upon complaint to Richardson Chief Justice that Circuit he suppressed them totally by Order of the nineteenth of March. This being an usurpation of a Lay Judg on Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction the Arch-bishop Laud procures from the King a Commission to two Bishops and other Divines to examine the Judges carriage therein which Order at last he was fain to revoke the next Assize and so the quarrel on foot and petition troubling the King to settle this difference it procured reason of State in the King to revive his Fathers Declaration for Sports set out in the fifteenth of King Iames upon the like occasion in Lancashire which refer to the subsequent time 1654. And indeed though the State was induced with much prudence to afford some liberty to labouring people carving to some freedom on that day cut most for others and leave least for themselves The Declaration was not pressed on the Minister to publish more proper for a Lay Officer or Constable but because Judg Richardson had enjoyned his Order to the contrary and the Minister obeyed it Now the Declaration was put upon them also by the Order of the Bishops Some Schismaticks were forward to read it and forthwith the fourth Commandment setting as they meant God and the King at odds that so themselves might escape in the fray Nor was the reading absolutely urged upon any unless under the Bishop of Norwich too severe there Many men out of breath observe this as the concurring cause of our sad events and Civil War 'T is true our fights were often forced upon the King on that day as pointing at the punishing of profaneness but our Battels have been rubrick'd each day in the Week with English bloud and therefore to pick a solemn Providence out of a common Casualty savours more of Curiosity than Conscience though indeed Edg-hill Fight fell on that day which entred us into so much misery And truly had we all of us strictand duly observed the holy keeping that Holy Day we might be happy there still I mean the due measure but we have wrested it awry from the right way reeling into extremes afterwards neglecters now contemners Transcendents above common piety they need not keep any because they observe all days we call them Levellers equalling all Times Places Persons nay to our Lands in common a general confusion they make to be Gospel perfection for having supprest all due observation of festival Saints days and their Eves Wednesdays and Fridays Service and Letanies now our Hypocrites out of errour or worse perfect prâ—faness take away the Lords day also The famous Fabrick of Saint Pauls Church and Steeple made so in process of time from the pâ—ety of primitive Christians their devout zeal to good works and since by several additions of Benefactours raised to a structure of admiration a Pile huge and honourable not the like left to our last Age to be sampled in the whole World What the hands of good men had made wonderfull the hand of wasting had extremely decayed Onely the hand of Heaven by accident of Lightning had burnt down the high Spire in the time of Queen Elizabeth who then had designed not onely to rebuild that but to repair the whole Church and to that end some Materials were then prepared Afterwards in the time of King Iames the religious Patriot Sir Paul Pindar of worthy memory returning into England some years since from his Ambassie Lieger in Constantinople and afterwards one of the great Farmers of the Kings Customes and of ample fortune the most in money became the great Example of Charity to many and the Patern of Piety to all in his magnificent re-edifyfying of this Church First he repaired the Entry front and Porches to all the upper Church Quire and Chancel and enriched them with Marble Structures and Figures of the Apostles with Carvings and Guildings far exceeding their former beauty which cost above two thousand pounds the act of a good man as King Iames said But the main Fabrick fit for the work of a King And therefore King Charls having a pious resolution to begin the Repair of the whole Church and Steeple made his humble entry at the West end of the Isles up to the Body Quire and Chancel where after a Sermon of Exhortation to that Christian intention he made his pious Procession about the inside Circumvelation thereof and viewing the Decays gave up his promise with his Devotions speedâ—ly to settle the beginning of the work And this year issued out his Commissions under his Great Seal to the Lord Maior Sir Robert Drewry the two Arch-bishops the Chancellour Treasurer Privy Seal some Bishops Secretaries and Councellours of State Deans Aldermen and others or any six of them whereof three to be of the Privy Council and always the Bishop of London for the time being to be one who was then William Laud and the first man but not the chief Promoter being promoved and attempted by others before he was of
affections of the four Inns of Court presenting the King and Queen with a most glorious and gallant Masque Heretofore they usually divided themselves in assistance Lincolns Inn with the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple with Greys Inn but now they unite all in some regret against Master William Prynn an Utter Barrister of Lincolns Inn for his late Book Histrio Mastix invective against Stage-plays the solemn Musick used in the Cathedrals and the Royal Chappels against Masques and Dancings at Court the Hospitality of the Gentry at Christmass not without scandal to the King and Queen and some Passages very dangerous to their Persons for which an Information was preferred against him by Noy the Attorney General and the Cause near Sentence the Inns of Court ashamed of such a Member amongst them discovered to their Majesties their disdain of his Doctrines and so in this gallant way of expressing their duties they would out-do any that had been before accompanied also after the Masques with a Train of Christian Captives many years enslaved in Chains under the Emperour of Morocco and now sent by him a Present to the King for his assistance in taking of Sally and destroying those Pyrates to the future security of all Traders in the Mediterranean Sea And the City willing to do something answerable feasted their Majesties a Fortnight after at the Lord Maiors house Alderman Freeman so magnificent that to please these People the Inns of Court Revellers adorned the Kings Feast at Merchant-Tailors Hall where that Masque was again shewed to the City The first Act of open Popularity to them enough to beget hearty affection to him which they seemed to fain but with false hearts ever after And those two places of Feasting are mistaken not being at Guild-Hall Whilest the Deputies of the obedient Provinces Flanders c. were â—usie in seeking for an end of their Evils in some happy Overtures of Peace the Infanta Clara Eugenia their Governess dies whom the Cardinal Infanto succeeds A Lady she was of excellent fame for her milde and gentle Government over them foreseeing that those Treaties then on foot would produce little effect although the other Provinces disobedient Netherlands were offered conditions advantageous enough The States stood fast upon Impossibilities and the other could not exclude their Master And indeed the Prince of Orange his Dispatch of taking Rhinburgh in three Weeks made the Treaty more insolent on his part being hindred by the French Minister that eloquent and able Charnasse who by his diligent pursuits broke off the Treaty and brought the States back again to take up Arms with his Master the French King and so follows on with the Confederacy of the Swedes against the Marques of Aitona for the Spaniard amongst them all in this Militia were such insolencies committed as almost dissolved and spoiled the Hollands Discipline But Aitona marches towards the Maze where he seizes some Prisoners Complotters with Count Henry of Bergues the Prince of Espinoy already fled into France and the Duke of Arscot gone into Spain and the Cause examined dissipated and tried Then he sends the Marques de Ledio who took the strong House of Argentean and retook the Dutchy of Limbergh making a shew of besieging Mastrick thereby to have the passage open into Germany But the Prince of Orange to divert him from this Design plants himself before Breda but not willing to meddle with the Spanish Army now marching towards him to dislodg him from thence he retired five days after And thus ended this years fighting in the Low-countreys The English Coasts were much infested by the Pirates of all our neighbour Nations nay from out the Mediterranean Turks Algiers And as they were generall afflictions to all honest men that came in their way so the great Traders Merchants suffered much and the English because of their generall commerce the most of all and the State being busied in that honourable design of suppressing them our neighbour Dutchmen minded the more their gain and were almost Masters at sea in the Northern fishing which because so farr and so small return they went away with the whole benefit But then for they to settle upon the Hering Busses and the general fishing of the very British seas and our own Coasts after much muttering of our fish-mangers and the complaint upon their Markets the State were rowzed up by several overtures and Projects concerning Bussos for our own Coast and prevention of strangers as an Inlawd over all the Narrow-Seas some petty quarrels there about happened between us and the Hollander and then began the dispute which that able Scholar Grotius intended to conclude by his Tract of Mare Liberum and although the English right was not now to be questioned by a new challenge of the General interest and so to make the case common to all and that by the Pen. Yet to answer him therein also he was incountred by as learned a Piece intituled Mare Clausum the Author Mr. Selden able enough to make it good and did so far as he intended towards them proving the Soveraignty of those Seas under the dominion of this Crown of England and by continual practise of our former Kings levying monies of the Subject meerly for that purpose to maintain that Right But when the King found that it was now in controversie and must be kept by force which his Coffers fayled to perform Herein he considers the way and means to require supply of his Subjects by duty which hitherto had been refused of Curtesie or by Privy-Seals or by Loans which are miscalled disgustfull Impositions illegal they were not so they had been lawfully demanded and no Impositions but seemly and necessarily used by all former Soveraigns Disgustful indeed they might be so are all demands of mony from hard-hearted Subjects and being restrained by his own consent to the late Petition of Right he would depend upon his own the revenue by his right of Prerogative And having Precedents of former Soveraigns he sets on foot that payment of Ship-mony as a duty for indeed Mr. Selden comes short of home in his proofs bringing his Levies of Naval-aid but to the time of Henry the second and might no doubt by his reading have reached home without helpe even of a Parliament But the course went on by the orderly legal proceeding of Writ in effect an ancient President of raising a Tax upon the Nation for seting forth a Navy in case of danger And being managed by that excellent Artizar of Law the Atturney Noy whose Readings and search had no doubt hapened upon Records for Levying a Naval-aid by sole authority of the King for safety of the Kingdome as also in time of those Parliaments when free subsidies and this enforced command of aid came together the one by their love to support what might refer to himself this other by authority when it concerned the publique But the wisdome of State made
this Victorious General divide their great Body into flying Armies carrying on an offensive War up and down where they pleased for Norlington forthwith surrendred the Duchy of Weitemburgh soon submits and their Duke flies to Strasburgh The Emperour sufficiently recovering his Eagles Plumes formerly obscured by the Septentrional Mars And yet to shew to the world reason and right from the difference of contraries The one would have War in the continuation of Conquest But the Emperour declares his desire of peace even in Victory They would carry on all with violence He to restore all to the first owner by a moderate accommodation And truly so it was offered by the King of Hungary to the Duke of Saxony and the other Prince which was afterwards the next year accepted for a while until the French Flower de Luce with her Odour marred the scent of the sweet smelling Frankincense In which time the Cardinall Infanto took time to visit his Government in Flanders The aid of Ship-money had set out one Fleet for securing of the Narrow-Seas this summer under Command of the Earl of Lindsey not the Earl of Northumberland till next year with fourty gallant Ships the third of May and the Earl of Essex his Vice-Admiral with twenty sail And being abroad at Sea the King resolves to continue his designe for the future with formidable Fleets annually and so it was thought convenient to lay the charge of Ship-money universally upon all Counties And therefore the Lord Keeper had command to direct the Judges of Assizes in their Circuits for the promoting of the Writs which were to Issue out for the next year which he did at the usual Assembly of the State in Star-chamber the end of Midsummer term the seventeenth of Iune to this effect My Lords the Judges THe Term being ended you are to divide your selves to your several Circuits for the service of the King and the good of the subjects In the Terms the people follow and seek after justice four times in the year but in the Circuits Iustice is carried down to them for their ease twice in the year so gracious is the frame and constitution of the Kings Government It is the Custom that you receive directions as his Majesties or his Councel shall think seasonable to impart to you that no cause may be of complaint either for denial or delay of Iustice. Of the tryal of Nisi prius it moves in a frame if your Officers do their duties you cannot tread awry Look to the corruption of the Sheriffs and their deputies the partiality of Jurors Aâ—d because the time of Assizes is very short therefore apply your selves to these particulars Amongst many I shall commend unto you first the presenting and convicting of Recusants those â—orfeitures being many years assigned for the publique defence Next to make a strict inquiry after Depopulations and Inclosures a Crime of a crying Nature robbing God of his honour and the King of his subjects Churches and Houses going down together the Freeholders hate them as oppressions of an high Nature bringing to posterity that Wo which is pronounced to those that lay house to house and field to field to dwell alone in the widest of the earth The next is the numerous erecting of Ale-houses the pest of the Kingdome none to be permitted without Licence a few in fit places according to Law The Iustices of peace are often to blame herein I did once discharge two Justices for setting up one Ale-house You are to see that the vagabonds shall be duly punished Constables Headboroughs and watchmen are to do their duties herein and these to be elected out of the better sort of Yeomanry There have been Presidents that the whole County hath been accountable to the King for the election of a faulty Coronor And if the Lords of Leetes were so punished for ill Constables the mischief would finde remedy And for binding of Apprentices in the Country the Iustices of peace are to execute their printed directions therein and you are to return the Names of the Iustices of peace to the Lords of the Councell that are faulty in their duties One thing more I have in charge to give you of great weight the honour of the King and Kingdom and their safety Christendom is full of wars the goodnesse of God to us that we are in peace and plenty It is a good precept in Divinity and holdeth in policie too Jam proximus ardet which if well observed it would warn our Neighbours to â— stand upon our own Guard Not to be enforced to fight and therefore to arm our selves better then not to arm and to be forced to fight providence being better than necessity The king therefore hath commanded all Land forces to be in readiness and hath set to sea a Royal Fleet not all at his own charges but also with the assistance of the Maritan places of the Kingdom And his Majesty hath vouchsafed by his Writs to declare enough to satisfie well minded men and to expresse the clearnesse of his princely heart in ayming at the general good of all The dominion of the sea as it is the ancient and undoubted right of the Crown so it is the best security of this Land and all good subjects will endeavour that the dominion of the Sea may be preserved not to be lost or deminished The Woodden Walls are the best walls of the Kingdom and if the Riches and wealth of the Nation be respected for that cause the dominion of the Sea is to be preserved else what would become of our Woolls Lead and the like the prizes would fall to nothing if others should be Masters of the Sea There is a Case in the Book of Assizes 43. That certain men went down into the Countrey and reported there that no Wooll should passe over Sea that year which occasioned the Woolls so low prized that the men were questioned and fined what then may follow in the losse of the dominion of the Sea in all our Commodities but losse of Trade Therefore as his Majesty thought fit to set forth that Fleet now upon the sea so he being ingaged for the honour of himself and Kingdom to strengthen this with greater Forces and more shipping therefore he upon advice is resolved to send forth new Writs for the preparation of a greater Fleet the next year not onely to the maritime Towns but to the whole Kingdome as wholly interessed in the benefit And that you the Iudges are commanded in your charge at the Assizes and at all places opportunely to acquaint the people of his Majesties care and zeal to preserve his and the Kingdoms honour in the dominion of the Sea by a powerfull Fleet and you are to let them know how just it is for his Majesty to require this for the common defence and with what alacrity and chearfulness they are bound in duty to contribute the best way to assure unto us a
to second and so he was fain to desist but he exercises his fury at home on the very Branches of the House of Lorain persecutes the Duke of Guise to the death and so to destroy the Family which forced Lorain his Manifesto That not able to contest with his powerfull Enemy he tranfers all his Rights upon his Brother Francis and so retires to be General of the Catholick Army in Germany Richelieu assured that this mad deed of Guise was but pro tempore till that this Dukes Brother had sent to Rome for a Dispensation to marry his Cosin Germane and to render his Cap to the hands of his Holiness seizes him and his new Bride at Paris Prisoners to the Bastile out of which they escape disguised through Savâ—y Florence and Venice so far about ere they got safe to Vien Thus malitious was Richelieu to attempt the extinction of this most illustrious and most ancient Family issued from Charlemain and other Kings sacred for their Services to Christendom nay to France her self in the Battel of Crecy and all the Wars of the English And that story of truth that Iohn of Orleans of this Family like a second Iudith saved France from the oppression of Strangers And so the Cardinal having deprived the lawfull Prince called in the Gothick Nation to ruine it and therefore they that accuse this Duke of having so often falsified his faith silence the the cause thereof either through malice or ignorance This year by a Floud near Glucstat in Holstein there were drowned six thousand persons and above fifty thousand Cattel And by the Plague which beginning in the North passed through Holland there died about twenty thousand persons in the Town of Leyden onely without reckoning those that were consumed in Amsterdam and other Towns This Contagion was fomented by the Famine in Germany not the Living able to bury the Dead The French were totally beaten out of Germany and so we may observe Catholicks against Catholicks Lutherans against Catholicks and now follows Lutherans against Lutherans and then the Reformates against the Reformates the most extravagant War since the World began wherein the most unbridled passions of man had the Helm Vengeance produced Licentiousness and that also such barbarous Cruelties as can be imagined And after their miserable effects we in Great Brittain felt the like misfortunes none escaping where Gods hand of Justice prosecutes sinfull Creatures Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury makes his Visitation and as usual with all his Predecessours Inquisition is made but now more narrowly than had been heretofore of the great neglect of religious Duties both of Clergy and Laity for a uniform obedience to the Rules of the Church much neglected in Arch-bishop Abbot's time And because some Bishops had been over-nice to examine their own Diocess in favour of the Presbyterians this Arch-bishop on purpose to direct them the way was the rather severe and so by his Examinations and Example it began to be strictly observed and as boldly opposed by the Puritan It is instanced in the Remove of the Communion Table from the Body of the Chancel to the upper East End with the side of the Table against the Wall Altar-wise with a Rail or Ballaster about it and no new things commanded now for the Committee of Parliament had taken liberty eight years since to except against some Ceremonies and in fear or remisness to displease them the neglect of Duties were the rather more narrowly commanded now and but time for never more profaness in divine Service which the King understanding by often Complaints thought fit to give order for the amendment In whose power by Statute 1 Eliz. c. 2. he is to ordain and publish such further Rites and Ceremonies as may be most for the Advancement of Gods glory the edifying of his Church and the due reverence of Christ 's holy Mysteries and Sacraments And this was done by the Dean and Chapter three years since at Saint Gregories Church the Communion Table set Altar-wise and though complained of by some ordinary Parishioners the King and Council hearing the cause made an Order for confirmation thereof So then these Proceedings had been before First the Statute of Queen Elizabeth the Kings Prerogative and the ancient Laws of the Land and indeed it was a Renovation of a Rite not an Innovation And truly to instance the Bishop of Lincoln for opposing with his Holy Table Name and Thing which was rather to oppose the Kings Command than to speak his Conscience for never Prelate lived more Episcopal than he when he was retired at Bugden yet for his ends after he seemed a Puritan and what not perfidious to secure himself and to please the Publick and so at last became a professed Presbyterian and there he setled to be one of their own whose Characters are much minced in their demerits if you afford them free of any moral scandal I wish they were not but I fear rather guilty of all by their Hypocrisie in all And without doubt more to blame than the Prelate Ministers who are falsly reproached to be vitious even to scandal for which he is justly blamed And as the Ceremonies of outward worship were inquired into so were the Doctrines and Manners of Ministers specially of the Lecturers chosen by the People the more factious the fitter for their Pulpits Such an Examination came before the King and his Council between the Bailiffs of the Town of Yarmouth in Norfolk on the one side and the Dean and Chapter of Norwich and Master Brooks the Minister and Preacher there on the other side upon the Return of a Commission sent thither for the Examinations of Proofs The Case was thus Mr. Brooks being Minister and Preacher at Yarmouth by the Patronage and supplyment of the Dean and Chapter to whom it belonged The factious there had notwithstanding set up one Mr. Brinesley not conform to the canons of the Church to be a Lecturer of their own and to officiate in a room called a Chappel being formerly used by the Dutch for their assembling in their service never consecrated and but lately a ware-house for Merchants goods And the rather the people were invited thither in throngs neglecting their Parish Churches Against Mr. Brinesley comes thither an Inhibition from the Arch Bishop of Canterbury directed to Mr. Brooks who serves him therewith in his Meeting-place And for which the Town authority committed Mr. Brooks by the heels encouraging the other to go on in his Lecturing Whereupon It was Ordered with this Preface That the Matters of the Church at Yarmouth had been factiously carried by the refractory spirits of some Persons in chief places of power there whereby the busie humours of those whose Ears itch after Novelty have been nourished and incouraged And therefore his Majesty being sensible and careful in the countenancing and maintainance aswell of Ecclesiasticall Authority and Discipline as of civil Order and Government
who was Henry The very same reason in the Title of the Earl of Strathern the Children of a first Marriage by Common Law are to be preferred in the succession before the Children of the second Marriage for the marrying of Elizabeth Moor did but legitimate her Children to succeed after the Children of the first Marriage As for the authority of Parliament we may consider whether that Authority may confer and intail a Crown from a lawfull Heir thereof to the next apparant Heirs Or whether an Oath given unto a King by Mans Law should be performed when it tendeth to the suppression of Truth and Right which stand by the Law of God Then if one Parliament hath power to intail a Crown whether may not another Parliament upon the like consideration restore the same to the right Heirs But it may be objected that the Subject resigneth all his Right to his King and then consider whether a Subject may safely capitulate with his Prince that is to give over and quit claim all Right and Title which he hath to his Sovereign Crown his right being sufficient And if by his Capitulation his Heirs be bound And if besides it be honourable for a Prince to accept his conditions The trouble which Edward Baliol raised in Scotland their Histories mention notwithstanding that his Father John Baliol had resigned unto Robert King of Scotland all the Right which he or any other of his had or thereafter might have to the Crown of Scotland He anno 1355. gave to Edward the third King of England a full Resignation of his pretended Right of the Crown of Scotland as before being assisted by the said King and the confederate Gentlemen of Scotland in a Parliament holden at Perth where he had been confirmed King of Scotland by the three Estates If the Pope the King of Spain or France after some Revolution of years seeking to trouble the peace of this Isle should entertain and maintain one of the Heirs of the Earl of Strathern as Queen Elizabeth did Don Antonio the Prior of Crato who claimed the Crown of Portugal to reclaim whose Kingdom she sent a Fleet to settle him or should marry one of them to their nearest Kinswoman and served him armed with power to claim his Title to the Crown of Scotland as King James the fourth of Scotland practised upon Perkin Warbeck named Richard Duke of York to whom he gave in Marriage Katherine Gordoun Daughter to the Earl of Huntley and thereafter all his Forces to establish his said Ally invaded England whether had he not a fair Bridg to come over to this Isle It would be likewise considered if the Earl of Strathern though a mean Subject these two hundred years having been debarred all Title to the Crown and now by the favour of King Charls being restored in bloud and served Heir to his great Progenitours and indirectly as by appendices to the Crown if either out of displeasure and want of means to maintain his Estate he or his should sell or dispose their Right and Title of the Kingdom of Scotland to some mighty Prince such as was perhaps lately the King of Sweden who wanted nothing but a Title to invade a Kingdom not knowing whether to discharge his victorious Forces It would be considered if that Title disposed to such a Prince were sufficient to make him King of Scotland or if establishing his Right upon fair conditions such as is Liberty of conscience absolution and freedom from all Taxes Subsidies the People of Scotland might give him their Oath of Allegiance or if he might redact the King of Scotland to give him satisfaction or composition for his Right to the Crown of Scotland It was to be considered the times turning away the mindes of Subjects from their Prince by changes as hath befallen that inconstant Nation to these present times how dangerous was it besides to his own person And for the Earl the Examples following may inform for first Lewis King of France having under stood that a Nobleman of Artois called Canacare had vaunted to be lineally descended as in truth he was from Clodioule Chevelu and so by that succession was Heir to the Crown caused him extirpate and all his Race Henry 4. King of England after the deposure of King Richard the second kept Edmund Mortimer Earl of March who had a just Title to the Crown under such Guard as he could never attempt any thing till to his Death But Henry the seventh King of England took away Edward Plantaginet Duke of Warwick Heir to George Duke of Clarence in jealousie of his succession to his Uncle Edward the fourth Margaret Plantaginet his sole Daughter married to Richard Pole by Henry the eighth restored to the Earldom of Salisbury was attainted three score and two years after her Father had suffered and was beheaded in the Tower in whose Person died the Sirname of Plantaginet Ann Plantaginet Daughter to Edward the fourth being married unto Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey and Duke of Norfolk was the ground and chief cause that King Henry the eighth cut off the Head of Henry Earl of Surrey though he pretended that the cause of his Arreignment was for bearing certain Arms of the House of York which onely belonged to the King Mary Queen of England put to death the Lady Jane Grey and the Lord Guilford her Husband for their Title to the Crown and by the same reason was the destruction of Mary Queen of Scotland by Queen Elizabeth The like reason also made King James of Great Brittain imprison the Lady Arabella and her Husband she being with childe but by Imprisonment and flight she miscarried and died and then he was released The Duke of Guise deducing his Genealogy from Charls le grand in the Reign of the French King Henry the third was suspected to aspire to that Crown and suffered at last for that presumption And to return to Scotland it is evident in their History that for thâ—se two hundred years last past the Race of Euphane Ross in her children David Earl of Strathern and Walter Earl of Athol have been kept under and for good reason of State ought to be so still unless the policy of a Prince wâ—uld the rather raise them up to a considerable suspâ—â—ion thereby to deserve a greater Destruction This discourse of Strathern is inserted fâ—r particular satisfaction of some English that have doubâ—ed of his Descâ—nt And now the Sâ—ots begin to invest themselves with the supreme Ensigns of Sovâ—reignty and Marks of Majesty by erecting of four Tables of Council for ordering the Affâ—irs of thaâ— Kindgom a new way of Judicature of their own composing in contempt of the King and his Council erected much like those of the detestable pretended holy League in France entring into Covenant against all Opposers the King himself not excepted They erected many Tables in Edinburgh four were principal consisting of the Nobility Gentry Buâ—roâ—ghs and Ministers many subordinate Tables of
be kept at Edinburgh the sixth of August next where we intend God willing to be personally present and thereafter a Parliament the twentieth of August and there an Act of Oblivion to be passed And that upon their disarming and disbanding of their forces dissolving and discharging all their pretended Tables and Conventicles and restoring to the King all his Castles forts and Ammunition as also his Royal honours and to every one of his good Subjects their Liberties Lands Houses goods and means whatsoever taken and detained since the late pretended General Assembly the King will presently thereafter recal his Fleet and retire his Forces and cause restitution of their Ships and goods since the aforesaid time And since hereby it appears His Majesty intends not any alteration of Religion or Laws He expects their dutiful obedience And he takes God to witnesse that whatever calamities shall ensue by his necessitated suppressing of the Insolent disobedience is not occasioned by him but by their own procurement The Articles of Pacification were these the seventeenth of Iune 1639. 1. The forces of Scotland to be disbanded and dissolved within twenty four hours after the agreement of the Kings Declaration 2. The Kings Castles for Ammunition and Royal Honours to be delivered after the said Publication so soon as he should send to receive them 3. His Ships to depart presently after the delivery of the Castles and in the mean time no interruption of Trade 4. All persons goods and Ships detained by the King since the first of November to be restored 5. No Meetings Treatings Consultations or Convocations of any of the Scots but such as are warranted by Act of Parliament 6. All Fortifications to desist and to be remitted to the Kings pleasure 7. To restore to every one their Liberties Lands houses goods and means whatever taken and retained from them by whatsoever means since the first of November last The eighteenth of Iune the Declaration was signed by the King and these Articles by the Scots with this submission IN Obedience to his Majesties Royal Commands Wee shall upon Thursday next the twentieth of June dismisse our Forces and Immediately thereafter deliver His Majesties Castles c. And shall ever in all things carry our selves like humble and loyal subjects Signed Rothes Dumfirmlin Lowdon Dowglas Henderson Iohnston Now to show how the Scots performed these Articles Observe 1. That at the Scots very publishing of these Articles of Pacification though so infinitely advantagious to them they meet them with their Protestation scandalous and dishonourable to the King 2. They published a scandalous paper Intituled Some conditions of His Majesties Treaty with His subjects of Scotland before the English Nobility are set down here for remembrance So untrue and seditious as was burned by the Hangman They kept in body diverse forces and in pay all their Officers The fortification at Lieth kept up intire as at first They did after the time limitted and expired continue their unlawful meetings upon matters of State Ecclesiastical and Civil contrary to the Laws and Acts of Parliament They enforce subscription of the subject to the late pretended Assembly at Glasgow contrary to the Kings Proclamation They brand all such persons as took arms for the King with the aspersion of Incendiaries and Traytors to God and their Countrey They protest that all the members of the Colledge of Justice and all other the subjects were nor to attend the Session and would null all their Acts as ineffectual 3. They come to a Parliament wherein they deny the most essential and inherent Prerogatives of the Crown striving to alter the constitutions of Parliament and frame of Government as appears by their first Act which was that nothing done or to be done in Parliament should be valid except the form of electing the Articles heretofore observed were altered contrary to former Parliaments and the power of the Articles which have been ever since King David Bruce more then 300. years for the Lords of the Articles prepare all business bring them to the Parliament as appears the fourth Parliament of King Iames the sixth cap. 218. and indeed for eschewing impertinent confusion all Propositions and Motions are to be delivered to the Clerk Register and by him presented to the Lords of Articles which now they will not endure They urge to confound the third Estate in Parliament of Bishops formerly called the first Estate which King Iames the sixth and all his Predicessours before and since the Reformation were careful to preserve as appears anno 1560. when all church Jurisdiction in the persons of Bishops is alleadged to be dissolved And in anno 1587. when all Temporalities of Benefices were annexed to the Crown the Clergy retained still their Vote in Parliament and represented the third Estate see the first Parliament of Iames the sixth 1587 1597. 1609. Nay by a special Act the eighth Parliament of King Iames the 6. It is declared treason to impugne the three Estates to procure the Innovation of the power and authority of the same 3. Estates or any of them and so these men are thereby now guilty of Treason And to the Act of Oblivion they seek to justifie themselves and all their former proceedings and urge an act of Iustification to be recorded in Parliament which in truth is contrary to the nature of an Act of Oblivion as appears in that Act of Oblivion 1563. And whereas by their Article of Pacification they were to restore to the subject Liberty Lands goods c. the binding part of the Act never intended it seems to restore Bishops and Ministers c. They urge that all Scots assistant to the King shall be made equal if not more lyable to the defraying of their pretended charge in the late Expedition so that in this point the King must not onely justifie his subjects Rebellion but contribute his consent to pay their wages Then consider their demands of the King in this Parliament 1. That the Coyn be not medled with but by advice of Parliament 2. No stranger to command or to inhabit in any Castles of the Kings but by their advice 3. No Honour to be granted to any stranger but such as have a competency of Land rent in Scotland 4. No Commissioner of Iusticiary or Lievtenancy but for a limited time They protest against the Precedency of the Lord Treasurer and Lord Privy Seal as not warranted by a positive Law And though these demands answer themselves in the Negative see what may be said to them 1. For the Coyn Certainly it is a prerogative peculiar to the Crown and in any other person High Treason as in all Kingdoms in the world 2. No doubt they malign at the English strangers In good sooth the English did resent the dishonour to have a poor Scot created an Earl of England without a foot of land or a groat in his purse to perk above an English Viscount at home in England 3. It
the French and other strangers assistance the Iesuit in particular had combinations with the Covenanters not in love to them but in policy to ruine the right Reformed Religion by setting up the Presbytery and so all Schism to succeed and a Plot was pretended to bring it about The Narrative of this Design was sooner sent abroad than by Master Pryn or the other after him and needs not the credulity of Sir William Boswel 's Relation as to the thing but whether the Indictor devised this Narration and himself onely the Plotter as usual with politick Pretenders is much suspected yet it is confessed to be framed square enough to publick fame to be believed for truth and thus it was for I have met with some different Copies commonly transcribed which yet need not for they were scattered in Manuscript from the very Authours A Noble-man of Boheme Andreas ab Habern-field now become Physician to the Lady Elizabeth the Palsgrave relict made it known by a Friend to Sir William Boswel and by his means sent to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury Most Illustrious and Reverend Lord We have willingly and cordially perceived that our Offers have been acceptable both to his Royal Majesty and likewise to your Grace This is the onely Index to us that the Blessing of God goeth along with you whereby we are the more extimulated chearfully and freely to declare and discover those things whereby the hazzard of both your lives the subversion of the Realms both of England and Scotland the tumbling down of his Excellent Majesty from his Throne is projected Now lest the discourse should be enlarged with superfluous cicumstances we will onely premise some things which are meerly necessary to the matter First be it known to them that this good man the Informer of the ensuing discoveries was born and bred in the pontifical Religion and spent many years in Ecclesiastical Functions At length being judged a fit person for carrying on the present designe by the advice and command of the Lord Cardinal Barbarino he was made co-adjutor to Con the then Popes Nuncio to whom he appeared so diligent and sedulous in his office that hope of great preferment was given to him But he guided by a better inspiration was not wun by those sugar baits and conscious to himself of the vanities of that Religion whereof he had sometimes been a strenuous Defender having also observed the malice of rhe Romish party found his Conscience much oppressed for ease whereof he resorted in his belief to the Orthodox Religion And thought it his best way to reveal a plot tending to the destruction of so many Innocent souls conceiving his minde would better repose should he vent what he knew into the bosom of some confiding Friend This done he was seriously admonished by that Friend to give manifest tokens of his Conversion and to deliver from imminent danger so many innocent souls To this counsel he willingly consigned himself and delivered the subsequent matters to Writing whereby the Articles lately presented to your Grace may be clearly explicated and demonstrated 1 That the main of the businesse may be known it is to be considered that all these Factions which this day make Christianity reel have their rise from the Iesuitical off-spring of Cham which branch it self into four Orders The first are Ecclesiasticks these take into care the promotions of Religious affairs The second are Polititians their office is to take care for the raising of civil combustions in and refoming of Kingdoms The Third are Seculars who are properly designed for to intrude into offices of near relation to the persons of Princes to insinuate themselves into Civil affairs of the Court as Bargains and Sales The Fourth are men of a lower Orb Intelligencers and spies then to creep into the services of eminent persons Princes Earls Barons or the like and endevour to pervert or cheat them A Society of so many Orders the Kingdom of England nourisheth For scarce all Spain France and Italy can yield so great a multitude of Iesuites as London alone Where are found more then fifty Scotch Iesuites there the said Society hath elected for it self a seat of iniquity and hath conspired against the King and his greatest confidents especially against the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and likewise against both Kingdoms For it is most certain that the said Society hath resolved upon an Universal Reformation in the Kingdoms of England and Scotland And the determination of the end necessarily inferreth a determination of the means For promotion therefore of the undertaken villanny this Society is dubbed with the title of The Congregregation for the propagation of the Faith with acknowledgeth the Pope of Rome for their principal and Cardinal Barbarino for his Substitute and Deputy The chief patron of this Society is the popes Legate who hath special care of the business into his bosom this rabble of Traytours weekly deposite their Intelligences The Residence of this Legation was obtained at London in the name of the pope by whose mediation it might be lawful for Cardinal Barbarino to work so much the more easily and safely upon the King and Kingdom For none could so easily circumvent the King as he who should be palliated with the popes Authority Seignior CON was at that time the Popes Legate the Universal Minister of that conjured Society and a vehement promoter of the plot whose secrets as likewise those of all other intelligencers the present Informer of all these things did receive and dispatch as the business required CON tampered with the chief men of the Kingdom and left nothing unattempted by which he might corrupt them all and incline them to the Romish party he enticed with many various baits the very King himself he sought to delude with gifts of pictures Antiquities Idols and such like trumperies brought from Rome which yet prevailed nothing with the King Thus familiarly entertained by the King oft at Hampton-Court and at London he was intreated to undertake the Cause of the prince Palatine that he would interpose his authority and by Intercession perswade the Legate of Colen that the Palatine in the next Diet for the Treating about peace might be inserted into the conditions which hee promised but performed the contrary He intimated indeed that hee had been solicited by the King to such an effect but did not advise such consent lest peradventure the Spaniard should say that the Pope of Rome did patronize an heretical Prince In the interim CON smelling from the Arch Bishop the Kings most Confident that the Kings minde was altogether pendulous and doubtful resolved to move every stone and bend all his strength to gain him to his side being confident hee had prepared the meanes For he had a command to make offer of a Cardinals Cap to the Lord Arch-Bishop in the name of the Pope of Rome and that he should allure him also with higher promises that he might corrupt his sincere minde Yet
enforcing compositions so then if a Nusance compounded for 't is a hurt to the People if no Nusance then it is used to the parties prejudice The Commission for Buildings about London was presented as a Grievance in the time of King James now much more increased and more prejudicial The Commission for Depopulations began some few years since by both these Commissions the Subject is restraâ—red from disposing of his own demolishing their houses punishing and fining their persons so that they are still liable by Law for the King cannot licence a Nusance and although these are not Nusances yet it is an ill consequence to be compounded for and to make a President for Kings to licence such things as are Nusances indeed Military charges ought not to be laid upon the people by Warrant of the Kings hand nor by Letters of the Council-table nor by Order of the Lords Lieutenants of Counties nor their Deputies It began to be practised as a Loan for supply of Cote and Conduct-money in Queen Elizabeths time with promise to be repaid it as appears by a constant Warrant in the Exchequer and certain payments but now adays never repaid The first particular brought into a Tax was the Muster-masters Wages which being but for small Sums was generally digested yet in the last Parliament it was designed to be remedied but now there follows Pressing of Men against their wills or to finde others Secondly Provisions for publick Magazines for Pouder Spades and Pickaxes Thirdly Salary of Officers Cart-horse and Carts and such like The Extrajudicial Declarations of Judges without hearing of Council or Argument a seeming Grievance of many others Monopolies countenanced by the Council-table and the clause in their Patents of Monopoly commanding the Justices of Peace to assist them whereby the great ability of the Council receive a stain by such matters of so mean a report in the estimation of Law so ill in the apprehension of the people The High Court of Star-chamber called in the Parliament Rolls Magnâ—â— Concilium to which the Parliaments were wont to refer such matters as they had not time to determine A Court erected against Oppression A Court of Counsel and a Court of Iustice now an Instrument of erecting and defending Monopolies to set a face of publick good upon things pernicious Soap Ship-money c. This great and most eminent power of the King Edicts Proclamations called Leges temporis used heretofore to encounter with sudden and unexpected danger till the great Council of the Kingdom could be called hath of late been exercised for enjoying and maintaining Monopolies But the last and greatest Grievance lead him to step higher even as high as Heaven as high as the Throne of God his Word and Truth The ambitious and corrupt Clergy preaching down the Laws of God and Liberties of the Kingdom pretending Divine Authority and absolute power in the King to do what he will with us and this preaching is the high way to preferment as one Manwaring sentenced the last Parliament then a Doctor now a Bishop preferred for his Doctrines The Intermission of Parliaments contrary to the Statute to be called once a year the main cause therefore of all mischiefs to which Parliaments give remedy That these Grievances are hurtfull to the King as to the Subjects By interrupting their communion they have need of his general pardon and to be secured from Projectors and Informers to be freed from absolute Laws and from the subtil Devices of such who seek to restrain the Prerogative to their own private advantage and to the publick hurt And the King hath need of them for counsel and support Queen Elizabeths victorious Attempts were for the greatest part made upon the Subjects purses and not upon hers though the honour and profit was hers That these Discontents diminish the Kings reputation abroad and disadvantage his Treaties and weaken his party beyond Seas by encouraging Popery by forcing the Subjects to leave the Kingdom to the prejudice of the Kings Customs and Subsidies of divers Clothiers forced away who set up their Manufacture abroad to the hurt of the Kingdome The King hath received upon the Monopoly of Wines thirty thousand pounds Rent per annum the Vintner pays fourty shillings a Tun which comes to ninety thousand pounds the price upon the Subject by Retail is increased two pence a Quart which comes to eight pounds a Tun and for fourty five thousand Tun brought in yearly amounts to three hundred and sixty thousand pounds which is three hundred and thirty thousand pounds loss to the Kingdom above the Kings Rent Now the Remedies and removing these Grievances consists of two main Branches in declaring the Law where it is doubtfull and in provision for the execution of the Law where it was clear but these he referred to a further time but for the present he advised speedily to desire a Conference with the Lords and always to humble themselves to Gods assistance c. The Lord Digby excusing his County Dorset for whom he served not that they needed Complaints because without Petition or want of a Servant to present them boldly and therefore have intrusted those to him which he ranged into six Ranks 1. Ship-money 2. Levying of Souldiers 3. Monopolies 4. The new Canon-oath 5. Imposed upon all Ministers illegally 6. Requiring a Benevolence under penalty of Suspension Excommunication and Deprivation Thus much from them that sent him but begins from himself that sits there to have privilege and freedom of speech or to what end to speak at all where he said no more than had been told them often before somewhat too smart upon the Bishops concerning the Acts of their New Synode made of an old Convocation to presume to grant a Benevolence to the King a Malevolence in those against the Parliament and a Malevolence in the Refusers against the Bishops with a penalty of no less loss than Heaven and Earth Heaven by Excommunication Earth by Deprivation and these without Redemption or Appeal And calls the Oath a Covenant against the King for Bishops as the Scots Covenant is against the King and Bishops and in that of the other so much worse than this He could tell them of his own Counties griefs but single Laments are hardly distinguishable in universal Groans It hath been excused That what Money Kings raise from Subjects were but as Vapours drawn up by the Sun to be distilled in fructifying Showres But the Metaphor holds out unhappily to them of late years What hath been violently exhausted from the Subject by violent Attractions hath been formed into Clouds but how To darken the Sun's lustre and to light upon the Land onely in Hail-stones and Mildews to batter our Liberties and blast our affections had not the latter been kept alive by our Sovereigns perpetual virtues which will ever preserve him in spight of evil Counsellours a sacred Object of Admiration and Love
scorn and the most hated man of all the Hierarchy where his turn came to be last devoured after he had eaten up some of his brethren The Earl of Strafford though in durance yet found friends abroad very active to serve him and accordingly it was the nineteenth day moved First That he might be bailed by divers Lords who offered caution But it was answered by the Lord Paget that it was against the Laws of the Land and the priviledge of the House and so passed the Major votes not to be admitted But was assigned Council and a solicitor in reguard of his restraint The one and twentieth one Iohn Iames son of Sir Henry Iames of Feversham in Kent a Romish Catholique stabbed Mr. Howard a Justice of peace of Westminster in Westminster-hall not unto death which was attempted because Mr. Howard had drawn a Catalogue of such Recusants as were within the Liberties of Westminster which he was to deliver up to the Committee of Religion for which fact Iames was secretly punished The eight and twentieth Mr. Pryn and Mr. Burton were conducted into London from their several Prisons in great pomp by many thousands of horse and foot with Rosemary and Bayes in their caps in despight and defiance of the course of Justice which had sentenced them and the third of December they presented their Petitions to the House of Commons for dammage against their Prosecutors This Parliament of Inquisition began to appear terrible to all that lodged but under suspition of guilt but insufferable to the conscience condemning which Sir Francis Windebank Secretary of State not able to bear having been questioned and mainly convinced for reprieving Iesuites and Priests and of worse matters suspected guilty got over into France where he remained to his death a professed Roman Catholique The seventh day unanimously in the Commons House was voted 1. That the Charge imposed upon the Subject for the providing and furnishing of Ships and the Assessments for raising moneys for that purpose commonly called Ship-mony are against the Laws of the Realm the Subjects right and property contrary to former resolutions in Parliament and the Petition of Right 2. That the extrajudicial opinion of the Iudges published in the Star-chamber and enrolled in the Courts of Westminster are in the whole and every part of them against the Laws of the Realm c. ut prius 3. That the writs commonly called Ship writs are against the Laws of the Realm c. ut pius 4. That the Iudgment in the Exchequer in Mr. Hamdens case is as to the matter and substance thereof against the Laws of the Realm c. ut prius And so was it voted in the House of Lords And the next day a Committe was appointed to draw up a charge of High Treason against such as had been abetters therein the Lord Keeper Finch and the rest of the Iudges But though the Parliament was thus severe against the legality of Ship-mony yet it is observed that amongst the best Lawyers the matter was justifiable ascribing much to the Judgment of that learned Lawer Mr. Noy who first preferred it Secondly All the Judges subscribing to it in time of danger of which danger the King was declared to be Judge Thirdly And being argued in the Courts of Justice and by all the Judges in the Exchequers Chamber it was definitively sentenced for the King 4. Nor was it voted down by Parliament but in a meer arbitrary way without review or Council heard as the Judges reason of their opinion so much as required 5. And yet the arguments of the two Justices Crock and Hutton for the Illegallity was by vote of the house of Commons put in print but the opinion of the other eight Judges which were for the legality of it continue suppressed which gave most men occasion to conceive the greater reason in those arguments which were kept in the dark 6. And in all this design to vote it down the Parliament was fain to have recourse to the King and to crave an act of Parliament to secure them from it for the future and to countenance their cause the Judges were impeached in order to the pretext not merit of punishment And now the eleventh of December Alderman Lack-land or Pennington with some hundred at his heels a rable of petty Shop-keepers and Prentices presented their Citizens Petition subscribed by fifteen thousand pittifully perplexed at the Ecclesiastical Discipline and sundry Ceremonies of the Church of England which was wholly debarred but was transmitted till a cooler time And because it was thought sit to strike while the Iron was hot this Petition ushering in much worke of Reformation It was thought convenient to condemn the illegallity of the proceedings in the late Convocation and their Canons which being canvased on both sides the houses and all of one party few Arguments need to be urged where the prevailing sence of the House opposed and so resolved the fifteenth of December That the Clergy in a synod or Convocation hath no power to make Canons Constitutions or Laws to bind either Layity or Clergie without a Parliament And first next day that the Canons are against the fundamental Laws of this Realm against the Kings Prerogative Propriety of the Subject the Right of Parliaments and do tend to Faction and Sedition This Parliamentary Doctrine was but now newly known Convocations never before depending on Parliaments but either in calling or dissolving confirming or authorising the Acts thereof but onely on the King himself not in Parliament neither but in his Palace and this seems to be proved by the Statute 26 Henry 8. and the constant practice ever since And for the Canons before they were subscribed they were imparted to the King and by him communicated to the Lords of the Privy Council the Iudges the learned Council then attending and were read and approved without any thing therein tending to Faction and Sedition or to the prejudice of the Subjects propriety or the Kings Prerogative or the Laws of the Land yet the Parliament frame a Bill for fining all the Clergie of that Convocation keeping them in such aw as none did appear in maintenance of their Authority or in opposing those Incroachments and Innovations which daily were introduced upon them And as to the Civil Iudges for case of Ship-money so the Parliament proceed with the Ecclesiastick Arch-bishop of Canterbury against whom they form a Committee to draw up a Charge against him as the Framer of these Canons and for other supposed Delinquencies aggravated by the Scots adjoyning him with the Earl of Strafford in their grand Accusation as an Incendiary in this National Difference promising to bring in their Complaint but in the mean time Master Hollis on Friday is sent up with the Impeachment and is seconded the same day with the Charge of the Scots Commissioners upon the reading whereof he was committed to the custody of the Black Rod
Maxwell till ten Weeks after when being upon the Charge voted guilty of High Treason and not before he was sent to the Tower and four years after beheaded The Scots Covenanters charge against the Arch-bishop of Canterbury concerning Innovations in Religion the main causes of Commotions in Kingdoms and States the true causes of our present Troubles many and great besides the Books of Ordinances and Homilies First some particular Alterations in Religion without Order or Law a new Book of Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiastical Secondly a Liturgie or Book of Common Prayer full of dangerous Errours and we challenge the Prelate Canterbury the prime cause on earth That he was Authour of our changes in Religion by fourteen Letters of his to our pretended Bishops to promote the English Service-Book and for which neglect he lost the Bishoprick oâ— Edinburgh but may deserve a better advising him to return a List of the Names of such persons of Honour and Office that refuse More appears by Papers memorative Instructions to the Bishop of Saint Andrews and Ross for ordering the Affairs of the Kingdom to obtain Warrants to order the Exchequer Privy Council Commissions of Surrenders the matter of Balmerino's Process as might pleasure Prelates Warrants to sit in the High Commission once a Week and to gain from the Noble-men the Abbies of Kelso Saint Andrews and Conday for the Prelates ordering by his command even the meanest Offices in the Kirk Secondly the Book of Canons obtruded being devised for establishing a tyrannical power in the persons of the Prelates over the Consciences Liberties and Goods of the People and for abolishing the whole Discipline of our Kirk settled by so many general and provincial Assemblies Presbyteries and Kirk-Sessions by Law and continual practice since the Reformation The Book of Common Prayer which by our National Assembly is found to be Popish Superstitious and Idolatrous and repugnant to all our Doctrine and Discipline reformed And that Canterbury was the main Actor they prove by several Letters to several pretended Bishops for promoting and ordering the use thereof and the Book it self in writ is interlined margined and patched up by his hand the changes and supplements taken from the Mass-books different from the Service-book in England and without the Kings knowledg as in the Sacraments of Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. That our Supplications were many against these Books but Canterbury procured them to be answered with terrible Proclamations whereby we were constrained to use the Remedy of Protestations we were called Rebells and Traitours and procured War against us and after the Pacification at Barwick he advised to have it broken and to bring upon us this new War that our Convenant he called damnable treasonable railing against us in the presence of the King and Committee That his hand was to the Warrant for Restraint and Imprisonment of some of our Commissioners when we had manifested the truth of our Intentions Declarations Remonstrances and Representations true just and lawfull That he advised the breaking up of the last Parliament but sat still in his Convocation to make Laws against them tending to our utter ruine That he caused a Prayer to be used in all Churches in England whereby we are styled as traiterous Subjects c. That if the Pope had been in his place he could not have been more zealous against the Reformed Churches to reduce them to the Heresies Doctrines Superstitions Idolatries of Rome c. All which they will prove and desire justice upon him Their Charge also against the Earl of Strafford which was thus in effect That they had conjoyned with Canterbury by no other name the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whose malice was to do mischief to their Kirk and Countrey no cause moving but his own pride and superstitious disdain of their Kirk so much honoured first by sundry other reformed Kirks by many worthy Divines in England by their oppositions against Innovations in all his Majesties Dominions which he promotes by advancing his Chaplain Doctor Bromholm to the Bishoprick of Derry and Vicar general of Ireland one prompted to exalt Canterbury's Popery and Armenianism and Doctor Chapel to the University of Dublin on purpose to imprisoning and corrupting the Fountain of the Kirk and when the Primate of all Ireland pressed a Ratification of the Articles of the Confession of that Kirk in Parliament for barring of Innovation he boldly threatned him with burning of it by the Hangman although confirmed in England He disgraced our new Reformation begun in Scotland by a Pamphlet Examen conjurationis Scoticae The ungirding of the Scotish Armour Lysimachus Nicanor and he the Patron of the Works and them That notwithstanding their National Oath and Covenant warranted by general Assemblies approved by Parliament there and to be taken by all the People and their Loyalty to the King and lawfull proceeding the Innocency of their Covenant and Cause yet did he tend all his malice and force against them First by summoning some of the Scots Nobility and Gentry there in Ireland to Dublin and there conspired with the Prelate of Rothes and framed a Petition which the Scots there must exhibit to renounce the Scots Covenant and so thereby enforced all the Scots above sixteen years of age to the same upon pain of close Imprisonment whereby thousand others were forced to fly into Scotland leaving all they had behinde them to the weakning of the Scots Plantation and disservice to the King and Kingdom That by his means a Parliament is there called and although by six Subsidies unduly gotten and levied the Parliament before the Land was impoverished He now again extorted four Subsidies more otherwise Forces should have been levied against us as Rebells This being intended as a President to the Parliaments in England for levying a joint Army over the Subjects of both Nations And accordingly an Army was raised and brought to the Coast threatning to invade Scotland and to make us a conquered Province to the extirpation of Religion Laws and Liberties which enforced us of necessity to maintain our Forces on Foot to prevent his coming our Ships and Goods taken as Prize on the Irish Coasts inciting England to a War also against them Thus fitted he hastning over into England and at the delivery up of the Sword there he uttered these words If ever I return to this honourable Sword I shall not leave of the Scots neither Root nor Branch Being come to Court he acts all offices to our Commissioners who were to clear all our Proceedings at the Iunto using perswasions to stir up both King and Parliament to a War against us That course failing he plotted to break the Parliament and to have the Conduct of the Army in the Expedition against Scotland which he exercised according to the largeness of his Patent of his own devising and when the Scots Army came but in peace far from Intentions to invade but with supplication and petition of
of England and Ireland and to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Goverment against Law in the said Kingdoms and for exercising a tyrannous and exorbitant Power over and against the Laws of the said Kingdoms over the Liberties Estates and Laws of his Majesties Subjects and likewise for having by his own Authority commanded the laying and assessing of Souldiers upon his Majesties Subjects in Ireland against their consent to compell them to obey his unlawfull Commands and Orders made upon Paper-petitions in Causes between party and party which accordingly was executed upon divers of his Majesties Subjects in a warlike manner within the said Realm of Ireland and in so doing did levy War against the Kings Majesty and his Liege-people in that Kingdom And also for that he upon the unhappy Dissolution of the last Parliament did slander the House of Commons to his Majesty and did counsel and advise his Majesty that he was loose and absolved from Rules of Government and that he had an Army in Ireland which he might imploy to reduce this Kingdome for which he deserves to undergo the paines and Forfeitures of high Treason And the said Earl hath been also an Incendiary of the wars between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland all which offences have been sufficiently proved against the said Earl upon his Impeachment Be it therefore Enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty and by the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by â—â—thority of the same that the said Earl of Strafford for the hainous crimes and offences aforesaid stand and be adjudged and attainted of high Treason and shall suffer such pain of death and incur the Forfeitures of his Goods and Cattels Lands Tenements and hereditaments of any estate of freehold or Inheritance in the said Kingdomes of England and Ireland which the said Earl or any other to his use or in trust for him have or had the day of the first sitting of this present Parliament or at any time since Provided that no Iudge or Iudges Iustice or Iustices whatsoever shall adjudge or interpret any Act or thing to be Treason nor hear or determine any Treason nor in any other manner than he or they should or ought to have done before the making of this Act and as if this Act had never been had or made Serving alwaies unto all and singular persons and bodies politique and corporal their Heirs and successors other than the said Earl and his Heirs and such as claim by from or under him all such right title and Interests of in and to all and singular such of the said Lands Tenements and Hereditaments as he they or any of them had before the first day of this present Parliament any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding Provided that the passing of this present Act and his Majesties assent thereunto shall not be any determination of this present sessions of Parliament and all Bills and matters whatsoever depending in Parliament and not fully enacted and determined And all Statutes and Acts of Parliament which have their continuance until the end of this present session of Parliament shall remain continue and be in force as if this Act had not been This Bill of Attainder being read opened and affirmed by sundry Presidents and Acts of Parliament might no doubt remove the misty cloud of the Peers understanding And therefore the next day the heat of that house appeared towards his destruction contrary to the Kings conscience whose Judgement was that he deserved relief And to that end the first of May he called both Houses together and to them he opened himself for the Earls defence thus My Lords and Gentlemen I had no intention to have spoken to you of this business to day which is the great business of the Earl of Strafford because I would do nothing which might hinder your occasions But now it comes to pass that I must of necessity have past in the judgment I think it most necâ—ssary to declare my conscience therein I am sure you know I have been present at the hearing of this great cause from one end to the other and I must tell you that in my conscience I cannot condemn him of high Treason It is not fit for me to argue this business I am sure you will not expect it a positive Doctrine best becomes the mouth of a Prince yet must I tell you three truths which I am sure no man can tell so well as myself First That I had never any intention of bringing over the Irish Army into England nor ever was advised by any body so to do Secondly That there was never any debate before me either in publique Councel or private Committee of the disloyalty of my English subjects nor ever had I any suspicion of them Thirdly That I was never counselled by any to alter the least of any of the Laws of England much less to alter all the Laws Nay I tell you this I think no body durst ever be so impudent as to move me to it For if they had I should have made them such an example and put such a mark upon them that all posterity should know my intentions by it they being ever to govern by the Law and no otherwise I desire rightly to be understood for though I tell you in my conscience I cannot condemn him of high Treason yet cannot I clear him of misdemeanours therefore I hope you may find out a way to satisfie justice and your own fears and not oppress my conscience My Lords I hope you know what a tender conscience is and I must declare unto you that to satisfie my people I would do great matters but in this of conscience neither fear nor any other respect whatsoever shall ever make me goe against it Certainly I have not deserved so ill of this Parliament at this time that they should press me in this tender point therefore I cannot suspect you will go about it Nay I must confess for mis-demeanours I am so clear in them that though I will not chalk out the way yet I will shew you that I think my Lord of Strafford is not fit hereafter to serve me or the Common-wealth in any place of trust no not so much as a Constable Therefore I leave it to you my Lords to find out some such way as to bring me out of this straight and keep your selves and the Kingdome from such inconveniences So then in effect he tells them of his presence at the hearing of that great cause from one end to the other and that positively in his conscience he cannot condemn him of High Treason but could not clear him of misdemeanours and he hoped that they might finde out a way to satisfie Justice and their own fears and not to oppress the Kings conscience which neither fear nor any other respect whatsoever should make him go against it and leaves them the way to bring him out of this straight This
and so an abrogation of those of Ireland Now there was not a reception of the one instead of the other but the one with the other there being no difference in substance but onely in method number of subjects determined and other circumstantials argue no more an abrogation then that doth of the Apostles Creed by our reception of the Nicene Creed and Athanasius's wherein some points are more enlarged Or that the reception into our use the form of the Lords prayer according to S. Matthew abrogates that of S. Luke being the shorter Neither do I see but if for the manifestation of the union of the whole Reformed Churches We then should approve and receive the Articles of Religion agreed in other Reformed Churches and they receive ours it were no abrogating of either And the difference in them being onely in Circumstantials and not in substance all might be called one confession That as of many Seas one Ocean of many National Churches one Catholique Church so of many formes of Confessions but one faith amongst them That Argument from the Apostles speech of making void the old Covenant by speaking of a new or taking in the first day of the week to be the Sabbath instead of the last when but one in seven was to be kept doth not fit the Case for in these there was a superinduction and reception of the one for the other but in the Canon the Articles of England are received not instead but with those of Ireland And the practise of divers Bishops confirms it who many years after that upon an Ordination examined the persons as formerly according to the Articles of Ireland and took their subscription of them And in this I shall give you the sence of a most eminent learned and judicious person upon the view of what the Observator rescued had written of it I have received saies he the Book you sent me and have perused it I see he will have the allowance of our Articles of England by the Synod in Ireland to be a virtual disanulling of the Irish Confession which I conceive saith nomore but that both Confessions were consistent And the Act of that Synod not a revocation of the Irish Articles but an approbation of ours as agreeing with them He hath his flings at the Sermon preached at the Lord Primates Funeral but in truth he wrongs himself and our Church in those detractions from him Now this being so that the Articles of Ireland were not abrogated nor by the Primate so apprehended where was the ground of any displeasure disaffection or former grudge pretended very uncharitably by the Observator to be the cause of the Lord Primates carrying a sharp tooth against the Earl of Strafford It could not be for the first Canons passing which was all that was done in it for himself proposed and commended it and such as were intimate with him never heard him express any displeasure to the Earl upon that account And what Arguments soever may now be picked out of the draught of the Canon to imply an abrogation virtually or legally which is the last refuge the Observator flies unto are of no force to prove his displeasure then who did not so apprehend it and if he had then taken any such offence they are strangers to that holy man that can believe he could smother a grudge so many years but for such as have so aspersed him I shall pray that the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven them So much for the clearing of that mistake concerning the Articles of Ireland which being made the Foundation of that other Building we are next to enter upon must accordingly fall with it also viz. The second Scandal in putting forward of the Earl of Strafford 's death But first to the whole matter which I shall lay down as plainly and briefly as the business will bear it The House of Commons having voted the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford which with some difficulty passed at last the House of Lords also and so tendered to the King for his royal assent He refused it for the present as not being satisfied upon his Hearing the Charge and Defence with the Evidence on both sides of which himself was witness That no sufficient proof was made nor any Law then in force whereby the Earl could be guilty of high Treason It was therefore necessary that Judges for the Law and Divines for his Conscience should satisfie him therein and they were with him to that end sent for by him and not sent to him The Houses of Parliament already really assured that their Proceedings and Votes for the Earl's condemnation ought to be sufficient satisfaction for the King without scruple of his own conscience to sign to their judgment the King being a party in Life and Death of a Delinquent ought to confide in the Verdict of the Iury. Nor was the King present as to satisfie his own conscience but his curiosity and it had been a strange President in the Parliament to consent unto much less to send any persons to the King to clear his conscience contrary to the Parliaments sentence especially such persons not having Vote in the House as the Judges have not Nor are the Bishops so much as assistant in cause of bloud or death by the fourth Canon of the Council of Toledo And it is confessed by both Authours that the Judges and Divines also were not willing to give their Opinions point blank against the Vote in Parliament And certainly if they had they might well have expected to be further questioned for it But in truth the Judges told the King that in point of Law the Oath made by Sir Henry Vane of the Earls advice to raise Horse to aw this Nation the Earl was guilty of Treason which though but singularis testis and which circumstances have been taken for sufficient testimony in Treason and more the King could not draw from the Judges as to any other particular but they flew to their general Opinion that super totam materiam he was guilty The King then starts his last Doubt that in his conscience he could not pass the Bill although the Earl were guilty having promised him under his hand that his Prerogative should save him never to pass that Bill nor to consent to the acting of any thing to take away his life And this was now that point of conscience Breach of Promise mostly insisted upon wherein the Divines were to satisfie And we have heard what hath been said of them And now let us see what the Arch-bishop of Armagh is pleased to say and that under his own hand-writing The Arch-bishop of Armagh's Testimony in Answer to the Historian pag. 257. l. 29. That Sunday morning writes he wherein the King consulted with the four Bishops London Durham Lincoln and Carlile the Arch-bishop of Armagh was not present being then Preaching as he then accustomed every Lords day to do in the Church of
to Portsmouth with the Kings command to Colonel Goring to ship him over Seas into France 14. May 1641. These Proceedings were lodged up in silence by the Parliament till their time to vent it and others the like surmises upon the King to his disadvantage in their Declaration at the end of this Moneth the nineteenth of May. To which he often answered that he disliked to be suspected and called to account upon general and idle discourses and inferences of unknown persons and Letters for matters improbable in themselves and scandalous to him of which he often asked Reparation not onely for vindicating of his Honour but for settling his Subjects from jealousies and fears grounded fed and maintained by false and malicious Rumours raised from time to time and cast upon the King to stir up the People against him of which he heartily complains If I had not mine own Innocency says the King and Gods Protection it were hard for me to stand out against those Stratagems and Conflicts of Malice which by Falsities seek to oppress the Truth and by Iealousies to supply the defect of real Causes which might seem to justifie so unjust Engagements against me And indeed the worst effects of open Hostility come short of these Designs For I can more willingly lose my Crowns than my Credit nor are my Kingdoms so dear to me as my Reputation and Honour Those must have a period with my Life but these may survive to a glorious kinde of Immortalitie when I am dead and gone A good Name being the embalming of Princes and a sweet consecrating of them to an Eternitie of Love and Gratitude among Posteritie Those foul and false Aspersions were secret Engines at first employed against my Peoples love of me that undermining their opinion and value of me mine Enemies and theirs too might at once blow up their Affections and batter down their Loyaltie Wherein yet I thank God the Detriment of mine Honour is not so afflictive to me as the Sin and Danger of my Peoples Souls whose Eys once blinded with such Mists of Suspitions they are soon misled into the most desperate precipices of Actions wherein they do not onely not consider their Sin and Danger but glorie in their zealous Adventures while I am rendred to them so fit to be destroyed that many are ambitious to merit the Name of my Destroyers imagining they then fear God most when they least honour their King I thank God I never found but my pitie was above mine anger nor have my passions ever so prevailed against me as to exclude my most compassionate Praiers for them whom devout Errours more than their own Malice have betrayed to a most religious Rebellion I had the Charitie to interpret that most part of my Subjects fought against my supposed Errours not my Person and intended to mend me not to end me And I hope that God pardoning their Errours hath so far accepted and answered their good Intentions that as he hath yet preserved me so he hath by these Afflictions prepared me both to do him better service and my People more good than hitherto I have done I do not more willingly forgive their Seductions which occasioned their loyal Injurie than I am ambitious by all Princely Merits to redeem them from their unjust suspitions and reward them for their good intentions I am too conscious to my own Affections toward the generalitie of my People to suspect theirs to me nor shall the Malice of mine Enemies ever be able to deprive me of the comfort which that confidence gives me I shall never gratifie the spitefulness of a few with any sinister thought of all their Allegiance whom pious frauds have seduced The worst some mens ambition can do shall never perswade me to make so bad interpretations of most of my Subjects actions who possibly may be Erroneous but not Heretical in point of Loyaltie The sense of the Injuries done unto my Subjects is as sharp as those done to my self our welfares being inseparable in this onely they suffer more than my self that they are animated by some Seducers to injure at once both themselves and me For this is not enough to the malice of mine Enemies that I be afflicted but it must be done by such Instruments that my Afflictions grieve me not more than this doth that I am afflicted by those whose prosperitie I earnestly desire and whose Seduction I heartily deplore If they had been my open and forreign Enemies I could have born it but they must â—e my own Subjects who are next to my Children dear to me and for the restoring of whose tranquillity I could willingly be the Jonah if I did not evidently foreâ—see that by the divided Interests of their and mine Enemies as by contrary Windes the Storm of their Miseries would be rather increased than allayed I had rather prevent my Peoples ruine than rule over them nor am I so ambitious of that Dominion which is but my Right as of their happiness if it could expiate or countervail such a way of obtaining it by the highest Injuries of Subjects committed against their Sovereign Yet I had rather suffer all the Miseries of Life and die many Deaths than shamefully to desert or dishonourably to betray mine own just Rights and Sovereigntie thereby to gratifie the ambition or justifie the malice of mine Enemies between whose malice and other mens mistakes I put as great a Difference as between an ordinary Ague and the Plague or the Itch of Noveltie and the Leprosie of Disloyaltie As Liars need have good Memories so malicious persons need good Inventions that their calumnies may fit every mans fancie and what their Reproaches want of Truth they may make up with Number and Shew My patience I thank God will better serve me to bear and my charitie to forgive than my leisure to answer the many false Aspersions which some men cast upon me Did I not more consider my Subjects Satisfaction than mine own Vindication I should never have given the malice of some men that pleasure as to see me take notice of or remember what they say or object I would leave the Authours to be punished by their own evil manners and seared Consciences which will I believe in a shorter time than they be aware of both confuse and revenge all those black and false Scandals which they have cast on me and make the World see there is as little truth in them as there was little worth in the broaching of them or Civilitie I need not say Loyaltie in the not suppressing of them whose credit and reputation even with the People shall ere long be quite blasted by the breath of that same Fornace of popular obloquie and detraction which they have studied to heat and inflame to the highest degree of infamie and wherein they have sought to cast and consume my Name and Honour First nothing gave me more cause to suspect and search mine own Innocencie than when I observed
allowing to the King onely Primus accubitus in coenis And why onely Stephen Was it not voted by Act of the Parliament at Oxford and concluded in several Articles That Edward 2. life was taken away by Bishop Thorlton The story is that this Man Adam de Orlton was Bishop of Hereford took a Text 2 Kings 4. Caput meum aegrotat My head my head aketh whereby he advised the cure of a sick head of the Kingdom to be cut off and therefore must be guilty of his Murder afterwards Indeed there was an enigmatical Verse fathered also upon him Edvardum occidere nolite timere bonum est which Verse the Bishop utterly denied Then comes he to Edward 3. that Iohn Arch-bishop of Canterbury incited the King and Parliament to a bloudy War with France And why John Was it not voted in Parliament where all the Peers were as hot upon it as he Indeed because the Clergie in those days spake better sense than an ignorant unlearned Lord many Historians father the ill success of former actions upon them Promotors of the Designs as if in re stulta sapientes and in malo publico facundi That in Parliament the Laity offered Richard 2. a Fifteenth if the Clergy would also give a Tenth and a half which William le â—ourtney Arch-bishop opposed as not to be taxed by the Laity and thereupon the Lords besought the King to deprive them of their Temporalities thereby says he to humble them to humble them and damn the Authours of Sacrilege and cruelty yet were they mercifull not to take away all Spiritualities also Then follows H. 4. an Usurper he says and that the Bish. of Carlile opposes him in a Speech and therein so reasonable was the cause just I cannot say that the Lords combined to depose him for there were living of the House of Clarence Title to precede his of Mortimer for whom five other Bishops went Ambassadours abroad to get assistance and those Bishops also scape not the censure of doing evil by justifying this others Right to the Crown and deposed him also but then it was so voted in Parliament and therefore not all the blame to be laid upon those Bishops that acted but their part and it is true that in a Parliament in that Kings Reign a Bill was exhibited against the Temporalities of the Clergie but not passed Parliamentum indoctorum says one and the Commons fitter to enter Common with their Cattle Henry 5. succeeds he says who was incited by Arch-bishop Chidley to revive his Title to France with the effusion of much bloud and ill success And was it not true that the King had good Title to France And the same cause had Edward 3. And as just was it against the domestick Title of Henry 4. and so in sum in either of the Bishops by their Council You say it was not the Office of Bishops to incense Wars either Domestick or Foreign But then Policy is pickt up for a Reason being you say to divert the King from reforming the Clergy That in the time of Henry 6. the Protectour Duke of Glocester accused Beaufort Cardinal of Winchester But then take all the story he was also Chancellour of England great Uncle to this King Son to John of Gaunt and his Brother Cardinal of York and the greatest Crime intended was because of his greatness which the Protectour durst not trust and therefore devised a Charge of which he was not guilty but acquitted by Parliament Edward 4. follows who was taken Prisoner he says by Arch-Bishop Nevil declaring him an Usurper and entailed the Crowns of England and France upon Henry and his Issue male and in default upon Clarence disabling King Edward's eldest Brother He was a party in the Plot if there were any but then take the Junto of the Authours it was the power of that great Warwick and others that did create and unmake Kings at pleasure the confusion of the right submitting to power whether right or wrong Edward 5. his Crown was by the Prelates placed on his murderous Uncle Richard 3. the Cardinal Archbishop taking the Brother Richard out of Sanctuary that so both of them might be taken away That Cardinal was a great Actour therein but the Duke of Bukingham did the business upon whose head the Cardinal would have set the Crown who had no right thereto Henry 7. he says was perswaded by the same Cardinal Morton and prevailed to the Crown He might assist therein what honest English man would not have done so But to say that the Cardinal was the main Instrument we shall want the force of all Arguments but Gods good Providence Henry 8. called the Bishops half Subjects to him Wolsey and Campeius refused to give Judgment for his Divorce Numbring up against them the Petitions Supplications and Complaints of godly Ministers Doctour Barns Latimer Tyndal Bean and others And were not some of these godly men Bishops also That the Statutes of 31 Henry 8. yet in force against them That in Anno 37. Letters Patents were granted to Lay-men to exercise all manner of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as the Kings Officers not the Bishops Let us never deduce Reason or Iustice from that Kings Actions more like an Atheist than a Christian either Ecclesiastical or Temporal besides the Mutation and Change of Religion then not affording any good President in either kinde But thus much as in excuse was in time of Popery He proceeds to others no less detestable he says nay more heinous since the Reformation but with this Proviso that in the Reigns of all the succeeding Sovereigns to this present he charging those reverend Bishops good men chief Pillars of the Church great Lights of Learning they doing those things as Bishops which he believes they would not have done as private Ministers to hold their Bishopricks to please great Lords Princes Kings and Emperours have not onely yielded but perswaded to introduce Idolatry to dis-inherit right Heirs to Kingdoms and force good Princes to Acts unnatural and unjust But he is not against Episcopacy or a Church-government but so much degenerate it is from the first substance Vox praeterea nihil yet would not have it demolished till a better Model be found out God-a-mercy for that And presently he charges Arch-bishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley for perswading Edward 6. that the Lady Mary might be permitted Mass in her own Chapel more like Politicians than Divines though not prevailing with that pious Prince She was the right Heir apparent to her Brother and the onely right Issue to the Crown begotten no doubt in lawfull Matrimony bred up in Romish and the might of Charls the Emperour would and did in Reason and Policy afford her liberty of her Profession without any scandal upon those Bishops for their opinion therein her Mother had suffered too much injustice and it was no justice to have denied to her Daughter this desire After Edward 6. those two Bishops Cranmer and Ridley says he
of Queen Elizabeth and himself a person not engaged in any publick pressures of the Common-wealth and therefore most likely to prove just and acceptable to the People The Papists likewise permitted privately to enjoy their Religion and a general good agreement between the Natives and the English in all parts In August the Popish party in Parliament grown high and incompatible with the present Government the Parliament was adjourned for three Moneths and then the Committee returned out of England and arrived at the end of August desiring that all the Acts of that Parliament might be proclaimed and sent down to the several Counties and so they retired to their places of abode In this great serenity and security the late Irish Army raised for the assistance of the Kings service against the Scots was disbanded and all their Army brought into Dublin Then there brake out upon the three and twentieth of October 1641. a desperate Rebellion universal defection and general Revolt of the Natives together which almost all the old English that were Popish totally involved A Rebellion so execrable as no Age no Nation can parallell the abominable Murders without number or mercy upon the Brittish Inhabitants of what sexes age or quality soever they were and this to be contrived with that secrecy amongst themselves that not one English man received any notice thereof before the very Evening of their intended Execution But though there were no direct appearance of the first Contrivers of this Rebellion yet I finde the Romish Clergy and the the Popish Lawyers great Instruments of the Fundamentals whereupon their bloudy Superstructions were reared The Lawyers standing up in Parliament as great Patriots for the Liberties of the Subject and Redress of Grievances boldly obtruding their pernicious speculations as undoubted Maxims of Law which though apparent to wise men yet so strangely were many of the very Protestants and others wel-meaning men blinded with an apprehension of case and redress and so stupified with their bold accusations of the Government as discouraged others to stand up to oppose them And then it was that the Parliament having impeached Sir Robert Bolton Lord Chancellour of Ireland of high Treason with other prime Officers of State that were of English birth and done their worst also against the Earl of Strafford in England Some of these great Masters and pretended Patriots took upon them impudently to declare the Law as they pleased to make new Expositions of their own upon that Text to frame Queries against Government Presidents they had enough of former proceedings in England they disdained the moderate qualifications of such as replied to them but those would not serve their turn New Model of Government they would have drawing it wholly into the hands of the Natives which they knew could not be compassed in a Parliamentary way they onely made preparatives there by desperate Maxims which being diffused would fit and dispose the people to a change Some of their Maxims they declared for Law that any one being killed in Rebellion though found by matter of Record would give the King no Forfeiture of Estate That though many thousands stood up in Arms working all manner of destruction yet if they professed not to rise against the King that it was no Rebellion That if a man were cuâ—lawed for Treason and his Land rested in the Crown or given away by the King his Heir might come afterwards and be admitted to reverse the Outlawry and recover his Ancestours Estate And many such were published this Session nay they presumed to attempt a suspension of Poyning ' s Act and at last the very abrogation of the Statute the best Monument of the English intire dominion over the Irish Nation and the annexion of that Kingdom to the Imperial Crown of England assuming a power of Iudicature to the Parliament in criminal and capital offences which no former age could presidence And so carried on their Session begun in May till the breaking out of the Rebellion and yet then they would hardly adjourn These and many other such which wise men fore-saw and since came to pass that Fools may run and read them They made the whole Body of State corrupt and ill-affected that the evil humours and distempers of the Kingdom required Cauteries This was the Disease as appears by all the Symptoms and the joint concurrence in opinion of all the pretended Patriots that held themselves wise enough to propose Remedies to so desperate a Malady But indeed although but pretences yet the King had condescended to their present relief giving much more satisfaction to their Agents lately in England than ever they could in any other time expect to receive or hope to enjoy but presently upon their return to Ireland this Conspiracy brake out Certainly the late successes of the Scots in their Insurrections gave encouragement to these they having happily succeeded in their affairs obtained signal Immunities from the King by their last Eruptions Our domestick garboils also might indulge them liberty to perplex the English the more and not the least advantage by the death of the late Deputy the Earl of Strafford whom the Irish equally pursued with the Zelots of Parliament in England and thereupon the unseasonable disbanding of the Irish Army eight thousand raised for the Scotish Expedition All these together added to them for their Design four thousand whereof were granted to Don Alonso de â—ardenes the Spanish Ambassadour to be transported from the danger of Innovation at home and the Officers and Colonels put out by the Parliaments commands might depart with their Regiments whither they pleased These were their Incitements and their Deceits followed they boast that the Queen was in the Head of their Forces that the King was coming with an Army that the Scots had concluded a League with them and to get credit therein they altogether caress the Scots that they were authorised by the Kings Commission which they counterâ—eited and produced at Farnham Abbey from one Colonel Plunket as appeared afterwards by several Confessions that they asserted the Kings cause against the Puritans of England And to their own Countrey-men they scatter Letters and Advertisements out of England that there was a Statute very lately made to compell all the Irish to be present at the Protestant worship under penalty of loss of their Goods for the first neglect the loss of their Inheritances for the second and their Lives for the third They gave there great hopes of recovering their Liberties and regaining their ancient Customes and to shake off the English yokâ— to elect to themselves a King of their own Nation and to distribute the Goods and Possessions of the English These Inducements made the Irish mad to perpetrate such hideous Attempts as no leading Age hath heard of They published also these Motives in print that our royal King and Queen are by the Puritans curbed and abused and their Prerogatives restrained diminished and almost wholly abolished
whereof six only were hanged Many treacherous designs of the Town Papists failed many Protestants fled to sea and although Docter Barnard their chief Minister had the conveniency offered him to be gon he would not desert his Congregation thin as they were telling them as St. Ambrose said to Iustina Non prodam lupis gregem mihi commissum hic â—ccide si libet At this time comes a competent strength of one hundred horse and ten hundred foot under command of Sir Henry Tichburn appointed Governour of the Town the fourth of November which the Catholiques resented coldly upon whom the Protestants had just suspition and therefore wearied succours were faine to stand Guard that Night And now it was time to name the Brat and call it a through Rebellion which till now was favoured with the interpretation of an Act of discontented Gentlemen Not long after the State added three companies of foot so beside the Town Arms they were compleat 1500. foot and 160. horse Not many nights after there was dropt in the street a faire Declaration of the Catholiques of Ireland framed upon presumption that the design contrived had been effected and by the way at each corner seems to have been fixed and this the most authentick that came to light Whereas we the Roman Catholiques of the Kingdom of Ireland have been continually loving and faithfull Subjects to his sacred Majesty and notwithstanding the several and heavy oppressions suffered by the subordinate Governments to the ruine of our lives honours and estates yet having some liberty of our Religion from his Majesty out of the affluence of his Princely love to us we weighing not corporal loss in respect of the great immunity of the soule are instantly resolved to infix our selves in an immutable and pure allegiance for ever to his royal Majesâ—y and successors Now it is That the Parliament of England maligning and envying any graces received from his Majesty by our Nation and knowing none desired of us as that of Religion and likewise perceiving his Majesty to be inclined to give us the liberty of the same drew his Majesties Prerogative out of his hand thereby largely pretending the general good of his Majesties Kingdoms But we the sad Catholicks and loyal Subjects to his Majesty do probably finde as well by some Acts to pass by them the said Parliament touching our Religion in which the Catholicks of England and Scotland did suffer as also by threat to send over the Scotish Army with the Sword and Bible in hand against us That their whole and studied Plots both was and is not onely to extinguish Religion by which we onely live happily but also likewise to supplant us and raze the name of Catholicks and Irish out of the whole Kingdom And seeing this surmise so dangerous tending absolutely to the overthrow of the liberty of our consciences and Countrey and also our gracious Kings power forced from him in which and in whose prudent care of us our sole quiet and comfort consisted and without which the fear of our present Ruines did prescribe opinion and premonish us to save our selves We therefore as well to regain his Majesties said Prerogative being onely due to him and his Successours and being the essence and life of Monarchy hoping thereby to continue a strong and invincible unity between his royal and ever happy love to us and our faithfull Duty and Loyalty to his incomparable Majesty have taken Arms and possessed our selves of the best and strongest Forts of this Kingdom to enable us to serve his Majesty and to defend us from the tyrannous resolution of our Enemies This in our consciences as we wish the peace of the same to our selves and our posterity is the pretence and true cause of our raising Arms by which we are resolved to perfect the advancement of truth and safety of our King and Countrey Thus much we thought fit in general to publish to the world to set forth our innocent and just cause the particulars whereof shall be speedily declared God save the King Upon the fifth of November the Lords and Council of Ireland sent their second Dispatch from Dublin unto the King in Scotland and several Letters also into England to the Parliament and Council and to the Earl of Leicester elect Lord Lieutenant setting down the particular Narrative of the Rebellion and so take together the success of both Dispatches The first Letters arrived at London the last of October and that Even were delivered and the next Morning the Upper House sent them down to the House of Commons by the Lord Keeper Privy Seal High Chamberlain Admiral Marshal Chamberlain the Earls of Bath Dorset Leicester Holland Berks Bristoll Lord Mandevil Say Goring Wilmot who had Chairs to sit while the Letters were read and so departed The House instantly resolved into a Committee and order That fifty thousand pounds be forthwith provided That the Lords be moved that Members of both Houses may declare to the City of London the present necessity to borrow fifty thousand pounds to be secured by Act of Parliament That a Committee of both Houses consider of the affairs of Ireland That Owen O Conally the Discoverer shall have five hundred pounds presently and two hundred pounds per annum Pension till provision of Land of Inheritance of a greater value That the persons of all Papists of quality in England be secured That no persons except Merchants shall pass to Ireland without Certificate from the said Committee To all which the Lords consented Then the House of Commons vote twenty thousand pounds for present supply A convenient number of Ships for guarding the Sea-coasts of Ireland That six thousand Foot and two thousand Horse be forthwith raised for Ireland and Officers to be appointed over them That Magazines of Victual be forthwith sent to Westchester to be sent to Dublin as occasion shall require That the Magazines now at Carlile be forthwith sent over to Knockfergus in Ireland That the Kings Council consider of a Pacification for Rewards to such as shall do service in Ireland and for a Pardon to such Rebells as shall submit within a time and of a Sum of Money for Rewards to bring in the Heads of the principal Rebells That Letters of Thanks be returned to the Lords Justices there That the Committee do consider how and in what manner to make use of Scotland here And a Bill to be prepared for pressing of Souldiers for Ireland An Ordinance passed for the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to raise three thousand five hundred Foot and six hundred Horse and not to press our dear Brethren of Scotland any further than for one thousand Foot to pass from Scotland to the North of Ireland And Arms to be delivered out by the Master of the Ordnance out of the store for Ireland for eight thousand Foot and a thousand Horse Thus much was discoursed upon the first Letters And now upon the second Dispatch the Parliament voted two
but three Days before at Guild-hall satisfied most of these Particulars yet he was pleased to return them an Answer That he cannot possibly express a greater sense of Ireland than he hath done and hopes by assistance of the Parliament may be effected to which he will contribute all his power And he hath removed a Servant of good trust and reputation from the charge of the Tower onely to satisfie the Cities Fears whose safety is as his own And for the fortifying of White-hall they must needs know of the Tumult there and at Westminster his own person endangered and if any Citizens were wounded it happened by their own corrupt Demeanours That his going to the House of Commons with his Attendance onely nor otherwise armed but as Gentlemen with Swords was to apprehend those five Members for Treason to which the Privileges of Parliament can extend nor to Felony nor Breach of the Peace against whom his Majesty intends lawfully to proceed with justice and favour And is confident that this his extraordinary way of satisfying a Petition of so unusual a nature will appear to be the greatest Instance of his clear Intentions to the Citie c. And because the proceedings against the five Members as they are numbered besides Kimbolton begat much Dispute and willing the King was to retrive his former Actings therein is now pleased by Mâ—ssage to both Houses to wave his former proceedings in reference to the Privileges of Parliament and all Doubts being thereby settled when the mindes of men are composed he will proceed thereupon in an unquestionable way and upon all occasions be carefull of their Privileges as of his Life or Crown But the House was hot upon it to dispatch the business to some issue and to that end the County of Bucks petition the King for Iohn Hambden their Knight of the Shire against whom and other Members in the manner of their Impeachment of Treason they conceive it to oppugn the Rights of Parliament being rather by the malice of their Enemies than their Deserts the Petitioners and others being through their sides wounded in their judgment and care by whose choice they were presented And pray that Master Hambden and the rest that ly under the burden or Accusation may enjoy their just Privilâ—ges But such increase and Numbers of ordinary people flocked tumultuously about White-hall and Westminster that the King Queen Prince and Duke of York were forced for security of their persons to retâ—re to Hampton Court being necessitated to consider of sufficient Forces about his Court as a Guard To whose aid came divers of the Gentry giving some cause of suspition to increase into a Number which the Parliament jealously considered And therefore now the King being in better leisure takes some time before he gives Answer to the Buckingham Petition concerning the five Members who were guarded to Westminster by Water with hundreds of Boats Barges Flags of Triumph by the Seamen and a Rabble of such other by Land braving and threatning as they passed by Whitehall Hereupon occasion is given to offer to the view of the World what were the Kings Reasons to retire from Westminster by his own Relation With what willingness says the King I with-drew from Westminster let them judg who unprovided of tackling and victual are forced to Sea by Storm yet better do so than venture splitting or sinking on a Lee-shore I staied at White-hall till I was driven away by shame more than fear to see the barbarous rudeness of those Tumults who resolved they would take the boldness to demand anie thing and not leave either my self or the Members of Parliament the libertie of our Reason and Conscience to denie them anie thing Nor was this intolerable oppression my case alone though chiefly mine for the Lords and Commons might be content to be over-voted by the major part of their Houses when they had used each their own freedom Whose agreeing Votes were not by anie Law or Reason conclusive to my Iudgment nor can they include or carrie with them my consent whom they represent not in anie kinde Nor am I further bound to agree with the Votes of both Houses than I see them agree with the will of God with my just Rights as a King and the general good of my People I see that as many men they are seldom of one minde and I may oft see that the major part of them are not in the right I had formerly declared to sober and moderate mindes how desirous I was to give all just content when I agreed to so many Bills which had been enough to secure and satisfie all If some mens Hydropick insatiableness had not learned to thirst the more by how much the more they drank whom no fountain of royal bountie was able to overcome so resolved they seemed either utterly to exhaust it or barbarously to obstruct it Sure it ceases to be Counsel when not Reason is used as to men to perswade but force and terrour as to beasts to drive and compell men to assent to whatever tumultuarie patrons shall project He deserves to be a slave without pitie or redemption that is content to have the rational Sovereigntie of his Soul and Libertie of his Will and Words so captivated Nor do I think my Kingdoms so considerable as to preserve them with the forfeiture of that freedom which cannot be denied me as a King because it belongs to me as a Man and a Christian owning the Dictates of none but God to be above me as obliging me to consent Better for me to die enjoying this Empire of my Soul which subjects me onely to God so far as by Reason or Religion he directs me than live with the Title of a King if it should carrie such a Vassallage with it as not to suffer me to use my Reason and Conscience in what I declare as a King to like or dislike So far am I from thinking the Majestie of the Crown of England to be bound by anie Coronation-Oath in a blinde and brutish formalitie to consent to whatever its subjects in Parliament shall require as some men will needs infer while denying me anie power of a Negative Voice as King they are not ashamed to seek to deprive me of the Libertie of using my Reason with a good Conscience which themselves and all the Commons of England enjoie proportionable to their influence on the Publick who would take it verie ill to be urged not to denie whatever my self as King or the House of Peers with me should not so much desire as enjoin them to pass I think my Oath fully discharged in that point by my Governing onely by such Laws as my People with the House of Peers have chosen and my self have consented to I shall never think my self conscienciously tied to go as oft against my Conscience as I should consent to such new Proposals which my Reason in Iustice Honour and Religion bids me
denie Yet so tender I see some men are of their being subject to Arbitrarie Government that is the Law of anothers will to which themselves give no consent that they care not with how much Dishonour and Absurditie they make the King the onely man that must be subject to the will of others without having power left him to use his own Reason either in person or by anie Representation And if my Dissentings aâ— anie time were as some have suspected and uncharitably avowed out of errour opinionativeness weakness or wilfulness and what they call Obstinacie in me which not true judgment of things but some vehement prejudice or passion hath fixed on my minde yet can no man think it other than the Badg and Method of Slaverie by savage rudeness and importunate obtrusions of violence to have the mist of his errour and passion dispelled which is a shadow of Reason and must serve those that are destitute of the substance Sure that man cannot be blameable to God or Man who seriously endeavours to see the best reason of things and faithfully follows what he takes for Reason The uprightness of his intentions will excuse the possible failings of his understanding If a Pilot at Sea cannot see the Pole-star it can be no fault in him to steer his course by such Stars as do best appear to him It argues rather those men to be conscious of their Defects of Reason and convincing Arguments who call in the assistance of meer force to carrie on the weakness of their Counsels and Proposals I may in the truth and uprightness of my heart protest before God and Men that I never wilfully opposed or denied anie thing that was in a fair way after full and free Debates propounded to me by the two Houses further than I thought in good Reason I might and was bound to do Nor did anie thing ever please me more than when my Iudgment so concurred with theirs that I might with good Conscience consent to them yea in many thing where not absolute and moral necessitie of Reason but temporarie convenience in point of Honour was to be considered I chose rather to denie my self than them as preferring that which they thought necessarie for my Peoples good before what I saw but convenient for my self For I can be content to recede much from mine own Interests and personal Rights of which I conceive my self to be Master but in what concerns Truth Iustice the Rights of the Church and my Crown together with the general good of my Kingdoms which I am bound to preserve as much as morally lies in me here I am and ever shall be fixt and resolute nor shall any man gain my consent to that wherein my Heart gives my Tongue or Hand the Lie nor will I be brought to affirm that to men which in my Conscience I denie before God I will rather chuse to wear a Crown of Thorns with my Saviour than to exchange that of Gold which is due to me for one of Lead whose embased flexibleness shall be forced to bend and complie to the various and oft-contrarie Dictates of anie Factions when in stead of Reason and publick concernments they obtrude nothing but what makes for the Interest of parties and flows from the partialittes of private Wills and Passions I know no Resolutions more worthie a Christian King than to prefer his Conscience before his Kingdoms And now the King is pleased to give the like Answer to the Buckingham Petition as was his late Message to the Parliament to which he refers them and therein so to proceed against the five Members as that it shall appear he had sufficient cause to question however he conceives that their Crimes cannot reflect upon those good Subjects that elected Master Hambden or the others to serve in Parliament But the Parliament in some doubt of the issue and effect of the Kings Design at Windsor and not willing to trust him in Arms before they might be as ready to encounter upon information of Troops of Horse to be gathered by the Lord Digby and Colonel Lunsford at Kingston where the County Magazine is lodged They order that the Sheriffs of the several Counties of England and Wales with the assistance of the Justices of Peace and the Trained Bands shall suppress all unlawfull Assemblies and that they take care to secure the Counties and their Magazines in them and to be published in all Market-towns Iune 14. And Lunsford was seized and sent to the Tower but Digby escaped beyond Seas All that the King could do to appease the wrath of the Parliament concerning the impeached Members by waving all Proceedings and no doubt quite declining away further prosecution This not satisfying to their spirits and the Court removed to Roiston the Commons fall upon the Attourney General Sir Edward Herbert being summoned to appear at the Lords Bar he is interrogated by a Committee of Commons Question Whether he did contrive frame or advise the said seven Articles against the impeached Members Answer He did not in any of the three or all Question Do you know the truth of these Articles or anie of them or by Information Answer He knows nothing of the truth nor was informed but by his Master the King Question Will you make good these Articles if required by course of Law Answer He cannot otherwise than the King shall command and enable him Question From whom had you these Articles and by whose advice did you exhibit them Answer It was the Kings express command from whose hand he received them Question Whether had you any Testimonie or Proof of these Article before the exhibiting of them Answer For the exhibiting he had the Kings command To which Answer Serjeant Wilde replied The House of Commons desires to know whether you had any Proof or Testimonie or any Information of any Proof of them Answer To this he desired time to consider in regard of a Trust between a Master and Servant This not yet satisfactory because so general the House of Commons resolve That he hath broken the Privilege of Parliament in preferring the Articles illegal and he is criminous and that a Charge be sent up to the Lords against him for satisfaction of this great Scandal unless by Thursday next he prove the Articles against any of them Jan. 15. The Parliament finding the King in good earnest and resolving to hasten the business to an issue and therefore both Houses petition him to give end to their humble Desires either to discharge the accused Members or to proceed judicially against them according to the Privilege and use of Parliament in such Cases observed and this was posted to him by the Earl of Newport and the Lord Seymer Ian. 21. The King by Letter returns Answer That finding his first mistake in the way of his proceeding which hath caused some Delaies for to be informed in what order to put the same and till then he thinks not fit to discover his
witness that he shall not fail on his part Ian. 20. It is true that the misery of Ireland cried out for Relief and as often the King enforced the consideration offering Propositions very probable which the Parliament always declined But the Scots having a fair Interest there in their British Plantations and a Committee being a foot to that purpose the Scots seeming very forward to do somewhat and to involve their Propositions together with their general Proposals of the Treaty of Peace make these Offers to transport two thousand and five hundred Scots into Ireland meaning thereby to hasten the end of theâ—r Treaty But upon these Articles That Provisions of Victuals be presently sent to Carrickfergus to be sold to the Scots Souldiers answerable to their Pay They to have the command of that Castle and Town to remain there or to enlarge their own Quarters into the Countrey That Match Pouder and Ball be sent from hence but what Arms Ammunition or Artillery shall go from Scotland with their Forces the same shall be supplied into Scotland out of England That a part of the brotherly Assistance thirty thousand pounds be advanced to them presently which though in proportion came but to seven thousand and five hundred pounds yet they crave ten thousand pounds for their encouragement That their Pay which was condiscended to commence from the eight of December last may be advanced to the eighth of February next when they hoped to march To have Ships of Convoy And that all this may be done without prejudice to their Treatie Jan. 24. The two Houses having swallowed these Propositions the Kings consent was desired but excepts very sparingly against the third Article as somewhat prejudicial to the Crown of England and desires conference with the Scots Commissioners there which being long disputed and the strength of the Kings Argument implying too great a trust for Auxiliary Forces in them To which they reply that they hoped that his Majesty being their native would not shew less trust in them than in the Neighbour Nation seeing his two Houses had consented yet although the Reason bore little force as the Kings condition now stood yet to take away all Delays of Dispute he condiscended And the Scots Commissioners following the King out of Scotland interpose Mediation between the King and Parliament in several private Addresses and in some Propositions in writing so effectually to the Parliaments purpose and their Designing that Mr. Pym is sent specially to give them Thanks on Saturday the twenty second of Ianuary My Lords We are commanded to present to you their affectionate Thanks for your wise Counsels and faithfull advice given to his Sacred Majestie for the appeasing and removing of the present Distraction and Distempers of this State My Lords The House of Commons are very sensible and do tenderly and affectionately consider that this your dutifull and faithfull advice is a large testimonie of your fidelitie to the King affection to this State and of wisdom for honour securitie and peace of his Majesâ—ie and both Kingdoms and not onely very acceptable to this House but likewise of great advantage to both Nations They clearly perceive you rightly understand the causes of our Distempers and your carefull endeavours to complie with them in the quieting and removing of the same that the brotherly Communion lately confirmed by both Parliaments of England and Scotland binde them both to maintain the peace and liberties of one another being highly concerned equally therein as the assured means of the safetie and preservation of both and being so united the Disturbance of the one must needs disquiet and distemper the peace of the other as hath been often acknowledged by them both They are likewise sensible that those waies which you advise are the onely means to settle peace and unitie in this Kingdom viz. First to endeavour a right understanding between his Majestie and his People by which he may truly see the real causes of these Disturbances and their Authours who are his faithfull and loyal Subjects his faithfull and dutifull Counsellours and who not by which means the brotherly affection betwixt the two Nations shall be confirmed to the glorie of God and peace of the Church and State of both Kingdoms their unitie advanced and all mistakes and jealousies betwixt his Majestie and this Kingdom removed and the establishment of the affairs settled in perpetual peace and tranquillitie the Liberties and Privileges of his Subjects freely enjoyed under his royal Scepter which is the most assured Foundation of his Majesties honour and greatness of the securitie of his royal Person Crown and Dignitie Secondly the removal and prevention of all such plots and practises entertained by the Papists Prelates and their Adherents whose aim in all these Troubles hath been to prevent all further Reformation and to subvert the puritie and truth of Religion their constant endeavours have been to stir up Division betwixt his Majestie and his People by their questioning the Authoritie of Parliaments and the lawfull Liberties of the Subjects and really weakening his Majesties power and authoritie royal upon pretence of defending the same which mischievous Counsels Conspiracies and Attempts have produced these Distempers in his Majesties Kingdoms of England and Ireland Thirdly that his Majestie would be pleased to have recourse onely to the faithfull advise of his Parliament and to depend thereupon as the happie means to establish the prosperitie and quiet of this Kingdom and in his royal wisdom to consider and prevent these Apprehensions of fear which may possess the hearts of his Majesties Subjects in his other Kingdoms if they shall conceive the Authoritie of Parliaments and the Rights and Liberties of the Subjects to be here called in question My Lords these your faithfull and loyal Propositions is the greatest Demonstration of your affections faithfully united and devâ—tâ—d to the securitie of his Majestie and your heartie Wishes and Desires of the peace and prosperitie as well of his Majesties Kingdom of England as Scotland and Ireland these Propositions have been the onely endeavours and intentions of his Majesties high Court of Parliament to effect and make manifest to all men and in any other means whatsoever that shall by you be conceived necessary to the composing and settling of these present Distractions they declare themselves desirous to have the same communicated unto them and they shall be right joyfull and thankfull therefore and will willingly and chearfully joyn with you in the same The House of Commons having an itching desire of power had moved the Upper House to joyn with them for obtaining the command of the Tower and mannagement of the Militia and being refused therein yet they will not be beaten off but singly of themselves petition the King for them both and other principal Forts of the Kingdom and pray for his gracious and speedy Answer Ian. 26. That his Majestie having preferred to the Lieutenancie of the Tower a person
the Kings Answers unsatisfactory And that the Kingdom be put into a posture of Defence in such a way as is agreed upon by Parliament and a Committee to prepare a publick Declaration from these two Heads 1. The just causes of the Fears and Iealousies given to the Parliament and to clear them from any Iealousies conceived against them 2. To consider of all matters arising from his Majesties Message and what is fit to be done A man would wonder upon what grounds they should arm by Sea and Land specially so hastily resolved as the next day March 2. Advertisements they say of extraordinary preparations by the neighbouring Princes both by Land and Sea the intentions whereof are so represented as to raise a just apprehension of sudden Danger to the King and his Kingdoms unless the wisdom of Parliament prevent it And therefore the Earl of Northumberland Admiral of England is commanded with all speed to order the Rigging of the Kings Ships and fit them immediately for the Sea And to frighten us into fear all Masters and Owners of Ships are perswaded to do the like for the emergent occasions of publick Defence In order to these the Beacons were new made up Sea-marks set up such riding posting with Pacquets whispering and Tales telling as put the people in fear of they knew not what wise men onely told the Truth discovering the Enemy wholly at home I have been as brief as may be in the business of this year and yet to satisfie the curious I cannot omit all the occasions of this miserable Eruption which follows presuming yet that this Declaration designed may be spared the recording for certainly no new matter can be invented and what hither to hath been the cause the Reader has leave to judg But not to amuse your imaginations it self must satisfie the Declaration was born to Roiston by the Earls of Pembroke and Holland He who read it to the King this Lord being raised and created to become his most secret Counsellour the most intimate in affection the first of his Bed-chamber his constant companion in all his sports and recreations even in that place and to this hour At the sight of him the Kings countenance me thought mixed into compassion and disdain as who should as Caesar did Et tu mi fili But on he went to this effect March 9. The manifold Attempts to provoke your Majesties late Armie and the Scots Armie and to raise a Faction in London and other parts the Actours having their dependence countenance and encouragement from the Court witness Jermin's Treason who was transported beyond Sea by your Majesties Warrant and that dangerous Petition delivered to Captain Leg by your Majesties own Hand with a Direction signed C. R. The false and scandalous Accusation against the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members Plotting and designing a Guard about your person labouring to infuse into the people an ill opinion of the Parliament as if to raise Arms for a Civil War in which Combustion Ireland would be lost That the Lord Digby was sent to Sir John Pennington to be landed beyond Sea to vent his traiterous conceptions for the King to retire to some place of strength offering to correspond by cyphers with the Queen as if to procure some forreign Forces to assist your Majestie answerable to your remove with the Prince as in a readiness for the acting of it Manifold Advertisements which they have from Rome Venice Paris and other parts expecting the effects of the Kings Design to alter Religion and ruine the Parliament That the Popes Nuntio hath solicited the Kings of France and Spain to lend his Majesty four thousand Men a plece to help to maintain his Royalty against the Parliament And this foreign Force the most pernicious and malignant Design of all the rest so they hope it is from his thoughts Because no man will easily believe you will give up your People and Kingdom to be spoiled by strangers if you did not likewise intend to change both your own profession in Religion and the publick profession of the Kingdom that so you might be more assured of these foreign States of the Popish Religion for the future support and defence They â—eseech his Majesty to consider how fair a way he hath to happiness honour greatness plenty security if he would but joyn with his Parliament and people in defence of the Religion and Kingdom This is all they expect from him and for which they shall return their Lives Fortunes and utmost Endeavours to support him and Sovereignty And for the present have but onely this to desire To turn away his wicked Counsellours and put his trust in Parliament At the reading of that part which mentioned Master Iermin's transportation by his Majesties Warrant the King interrupted him and said That 's false And at the business of Captain Leg he told him 'T is a Lie And at the end of all he said He was confident the Parliament had worse information than he had Councils What have I denied you The Militia said Holland That 's no Bill The other replied It was necessary Which I have not denied but in the manner His Lordship would perswade the King to come near the Parliament Have you given me cause said the King This Declaration is not the way to it and in all Aristotle's Rhetoricks there is no such Argument of perswasion Pembroke that he might say something said it over again The Parliament prays him to come to them The King told him Words were not sufficient What would you have Sir said he The King replied To whip a Boy in Westminster School that could not tell that by my Answer Then the Lord asked him to grant the Militia for a time Not an hour this was never asked of any King with which I will not trust my Wife and Children But his Majesties Answer to all was this That to their Fears and Iealousies he would take time to satisfie all the World hoping that God would in his good time discover the secrets and bottoms of all Plots and Treasons to set him upright with his people For his Fears and Doubts are not trivial while so many scandalous Pamphlets seditious Sermons sundry Tumults publick are uninquired into and unpunished He must confess his Fears calling God to witness they are the greater for the Religion for his people and for their Laws than for his own Rights or safetie of himself and yet he tells them none of these are free from Danger What would you have said he Have I violated your Laws Have I denied any one Bill What have ye done for me Have my people been transported with Fears and Apprehensions I have I offer a free pardon as your selves can devise There is a Iudgment from Heaven upon this Nation if these Distractions continue God so deal with me and mine as all my thoughts and intentions are right for the maintenance of the true Protestant profession the observation and preservation of
an Accommodation and states the case to the Lords The King offers says he to concur with the Parliament in the setling of our Liberties is willing to hearken unto all our Propositions and for establishing the Protestant Religion he moves us to it That the Rule of his Government shall be the Laws of the Kingdom and offers a more large and general Pardon than by any his Predecessours And truly my Lords this is all that ever was pretended unto by us We on the other side profess to make his Majestie a glorious King to endeavour to support his Dignitie and to pay unto him dutie and obedience which we by our Allegeance several Oaths and late Protestation ow unto him and to maintain all his just Regalities and Prerogatives which may be conceived is as much as his Majestie will expect from us What then is wanting to give to either mutual satisfaction The greatest difficultie may be how that which shall be agreed upon may be secured It is commonly the last point in Treaties betwixt Princes and of the greatest niceness much more between a King and his Subjects the chiefest difficultie of Accommodation for it is much easier to compose Differences arising from Reasons yea from wrongs than it is to satisfie Iealousies which arising out of diffidence and distrust grow and are varied upon every occasion nay already increased to that height and the mutual replies to those direct terms of opposition that if we make not a present stop it is to be feared speedily to pass beyond verbal contestation In some Answers it is spoken as in fear of a Civil War a word of horrour to such as have seen those unexpressible calamities witness Germany the most flourishing Countrey in Europe now reduced to monstrous miserie Of which we had lately a costly Example for in these unhappy troubles betwixt us and Scotland after there was a stop from acts of hostilitie a desire of peace and the Articles propounded yet the keeping of those Armies whilest the Treatie was on foot at Rippon and after at London cost this Kingdom no less than a million of pounds Then he proposes the way A select Committee of Parliament truly to state the matters in difference with the most probable ways of reconciling them Secondly to descend into the particulars which may be expected either in point of supporting the King or relieving his people And lastly how these conditions agreed upon may be secured Then he sums up the present unhappy estate which needs relief and remedy The deplorable estate of Ireland the Debts and Necessities of the Crown the Distractions likely to produce Confusion of Religion most dangerous and destructive to a State Besides those publick Calamities to consider the distracted condition of every one of us under the different commands of the King and of the Parliament no caution can promise any safetie inconsistent to obedience The Parliament command all persons to obey their Ordinance as the Fundamental Laws The King declares it to be contrary and commands us upon our Allegeance not to obey it and unto contrary commands Conformitie cannot be submitted but by Fasting and Prayer to reduce both parties to Reason But for what was done at York in reference to a Guard of Horse for the Kings person the Parliament vote as a preparation for War against the Parliament a Breach of the Trust reposed in him by his people contrary to his Oath and tending to the dissolution of his Government and all such as serve him there are Traitours to the Laws of the Kingdom 11 Rich. 2. 1 H. 4. Then comes out another larger Declaration or third Remonstrance of all the Kings mis-actions wherein for themselves they allege these following as infallible Positions 1. That they have an absolute power of declaring the Law and that whatsoever they declare to be so ought not to be questioned by the King or any Subject So then in consequence all right and safety of the King and his people must depend upon their pleasure 2. That no Presidents can be Limits to bound their proceedings Then may they do what they please 3. That a Parliament may dispose of any thing wherein the King or Subject hath a Right for the publick good That they without the King are this Parliament and Iudg of this publick good and that his consent is not necessary Then the Life and Liberties of the Subject and all the good Laws made for the security of them may be disposed of and repealed by the major part of both Houses at any time present and by any ways or means procured so to be and the King hath no power to protect the people 4. That no Member of either House ought to be troubled or meddled with for Treason Felonie or any other Crime without the cause first brought before the Parliament that they may judg of the Fact and their leave obtained to proceed 5. That the sovereign power resides in both Houses and that the King hath no Negative Voice Then the King must be subject to their commands 6. That the levying of Forces against the personal commands of the King though accompanied with his presence is not levying War against the King But the levying of War against his Laws and Authority which they have power onely to declare and signifie though not against his person is levying of War against the King 7. That Treason cannot be committed against his person otherwise than as he is intrusted with the Kingdom and discharging that trust and that they have a power to judg whether he have discharged this trust or no. 8. That they may dispose of the King when they will and are not to blame for so doing Certainly the Duke of Venice is of more power than such a Monarch But as large as that was it was not long ere the King returns his Answer to this Book and we may be excused for the length thereof which necessarily is required to their particulars And to which I must refer the Reader being on both parts as much and no more than the Reader may finde in the daily Transactions observed in this History heretofore set down and which hereafter follow But to this Answer of the King we meet with no Reply untill the second of November next following which the Authour styles A Treatise or rather a Tome and that he doubts not but he shall therein give ample satisfaction to the Reader By which we suspect it Apocrypha To which the King never vouchsafed any Rejoinder But the Parliament in reference to their power and authority ordain That all High Sheriffs Iustices c. within an hundred and fifty miles of the Citie of York to make stay of all Arms and Ammunition carrying to York and the persons so conveying to be apprehended c. Another also they ordain That all Sheriffs within the Kingdom of England and the Dominion of Wales shall by the power of the Counties suppress all Forces of Horse and
by consent of the major part of our Council attested under their hands Which in effect being granted is to depose our self and posteritie These being past we may be waited on bare headed our hand kist be called Majestie and the Kings Authoritie declared by Parliament may be still the style of your Commands We may have Swords and Maces born before us and please our self with the sight of a Crown and Scepter Nor would these Twigs flourish when the Stock were dead and we receive but the picture and sign of a King We were ever willing our Parliament should debate such matters proper for them but not to extend their Resolutions beyond what is proper to them and so by degrees you draw as well all the causes as all the faults of Westminster-hall That the course of Law be not diverted as was actually done in the stop of the proceedings against a Riot in Southwark by Order of the Lower House by countenancing such popular Insolencies and discountenance to Law That you descend not to the leasure of recommending Lectures to Churches nor ascend to the Legislative power to command such to be received without approbation of either Parson or Bishop nor regarding whether they be Orthodox Learned or Moderate or have taken Orders and are not depravers of the Book of Common Prayer concerning you in dutie and the Common-wealth in consequence to be carefull there And that our Forts may not be seized our Arms not removed our Money not be stopt our legal Directions not to be countermanded by you nor such entrance be made upon a real War against us upon pretence of an imaginarie War against you and a Chimaera of necessitie We could have wished you had exprest what matters you meant as fit to be transacted onely in Parliament and what you meant by onely in Parliament You have been taught new Doctrines to debate what was never used within you walls to do but been trusted with our Predecessours and us which without the regal Authoritie since there were Kings of this Kingdom were never transacted It therefore concerns us the more that you speak out that the World may know the bottom of your Demands or know them to be bottomless What is more proper for the Parliament than the making of Laws but then you must admit us a part of the Parliament You must not denie us the freedom of our Answer when we have as much Right to reject what we think unreasonable as you have to propose what you think necessarie nor is it possible our Answers either to Bills or any other Propositions should be wholly free if we may not use the libertie of every one of you and receive advice from any persons in which the manage of our Vote is trusted by the Law to our own judgment and conscience which how best to inform is likewise left to us and most unreasonable it were for two Estates proposing something to the third that third should take no advice but from those two that did propose it We shall ever in these things not decline the advice of our great Council and shall also use to hear willingly the debate of our Privie Council and they shall not be terrified from that freedom by Votes and Brands of Malignants and Enemies to the State admitting no more than the nature of the business requires and of discoursing with whom we please and of what we please and not to tie our self not to hear any more than twentie five out of a Kingâ—dom so replenished with judicious and experienced persons in several kindes yet we shall alwaies look upon their Advices as Advices not as Commands or Impositions and upon such persons as our Counsellours not as Tutours or Guardians and upon our self as their King not as their Pupil or Ward And it is not plainly exprest in the first part of the second Demand whether they meant us so much as a single Vote in these affairs and no more power than every one of the rest of our fellow Counsellours onely leaving to us of all our ancient power a choice and great care is taken that the Oath which these men shall take shall be such in the framing as that we may be wholly excluded and that wholly to be agreed upon by the Parliament And to shew there is no more care taken of our safetie than of our power after our Town and Fort kept from us which sure your selves will not denie to be Treason our Arms taken and our Goods sent away our Money stopt our Guards are not onely desired to be dismissed but it is likewise desired that we shall not for the future raise any Guards or Forces but in case of actual Rebellion or Invasion whicâ— if it had been Law in our famous Predecessours few of those Victories which have made this Nation famous could have been legally atchieved nor could Queen Elizabeth have so defended her self in Eightie Eight and if no Forces may be raised untill Rebellions or Invasions be actual they must no doubt be effectual and prevalent And as neither care is taken for our Rights Honour nor Safetie as a Prince so our Rights as a private person are endeavoured to be had from us It being demanded that it may be unlawfull and punishable not onely to conclude but even to treat of any Mariage with any person for our own Children or to place Governours about them without consent of Parliament and in the intermission of these without the consent of our good Lords of our Council More despicable than any of our Predecessours or than the meaner and viler of the lowest of our Subjects who value no libertie more than that of desposing their Children from which we are asked to debar our self and have reason the more to take it ill we are so because that for the choice of a Governour for our Son and a Husband for Daughter we conceived we had reason to expect your thanks and the increase of your future Trusts We suppose these Demands by this time appear such as the Demanders cannot have such real fear of us as hath been long pretended they are too much in the style not onely of Equals but of Conquerours But we call God to witness that as for our Subjects sakes these Rights are vested in us so for their sakes and our own we are resolved not to quite them nor to sâ—bvert the ancient equal happie well poised and never enough commended Constitution of the Government of this Kingdom not to make our self of a King of England a Duke of Venice and thus of 〈◊〉 Kingdom a Republick There being three kindes of Government Absolute Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy and in all these their particular convenienceâ— and inconveniences the experience and wisdom of your Ancestours hath molded this out of a mixture of these with the conveniences of all Three without the inconveniences of any One as long as the Ballance hangs even between the three Estates and in their proper Chanel begetting
as to a Bill for Education of their Children we have always wished it to be so and incourage you in it and we will do it The Reformation of Church-government and Liturgie we have sufficiently told you in our Answer to your Petition at Hampton Court Decemb. 1. To which they are referred As also in our first Declaration printed by advice of our Council and our Message of the fourth of February of all which we the more hoped of success because you seem now in this to desire but a Reformation and not as is frequently preached a Destruction of the present Discipline and Liturgie and we shall take care for preaching Ministers As to your Bills we can say nothing till we see them We would not have the Oath of all privie Counsellours and Iudges straitened to particular Statutes but to all Statutes of all Parliaments and shall willingly consent that an inquirie c. Therein we shall be most ready to joyn with the State of the United Provinces c. with our life and fortune if need require It was not our fault that an Act was not passed to clear Kimbolton and the five Members but yours that inserted such clauses in the Preamble and Act That no Member upon any accusation of Treason could be seized without consent of that House though the known Law be That Privilege of Parliament extends not to Treason And so how guiltie soever may have fair leave to run away and prevent his Trial. And concludes conjuring them and all men to rest satisfied with his profession and real intentions with some particular advises to them which he often hath hinted in most of his Answers And then to grant his general pardon c. If such an Answer as this proceeds from the advice and sufficiency of a few malignant Counsellours about the King when their nineteen Demands had been hammered out by labour and pains of a full Committee and then debated several days after we may rest satisfied that either the justice of the Cause easily carried on the consideration or that the Parliament party had the weaker pates And not onely is the King thus enforced to answer those above to the Parliaments Transactions but he is put to it to undeceive his Neighbours at Court the Commons of the County of York must be satisfied and therefore the King declares to them the Reasons of summoning the Gentry and not them That he never intended the least neglect unto them in any former Summons of the Countie his love excluding none And sums up to them the particular Reasons of his remove from White-hall enforced by Tumults as yet unpunished and securing himself here in their Countie on whose fidelitie he doth relie being to be used for the defence of the orthodox Religion professed by Queen Elizabeth the defence of the Laws and the peace of the Kingdom The Example of the Parliament having made him to prepare for a Guard so far from War as it serves onely to secure him and them His choice being of the prime Gentrie and of one Regiment of his Trained Bands never intending to use the force of strangers And these thus armed take the Oaths of Allegeance and Supremacie And intends to put the Trained Bands of all the Kingdom to be under persons of Honour and loyaltie to him and the Countie And all to protect them against oppressions and delusive fancies of such as presuming upon his royal Authoritie pretend by their Warrants to protect the people He intends to ease the Countie of their Trained Bands and Billet-money And shall make his grace and bountie to them answerable to their best fidelitie and loyaltie And now warlike preparations go on of both sides the Parliament most forward do order That all the Deputie Lieutenants of England and Wales that be not Members of the House of Commons be present at the several days and places of Training and Mustering the Counties and all Lords Lieutenants are ordered to dispatch their Warrants and Commissions accordingly and that some Members of both Houses shall be sent down to be present and to countenance the service June 4. Hereupon all the spare Lords that lookt for imployment are actively busied to repaire to the several Counties And henceforth Letters and avisâ—es from them to their favourites of both Houses are Posted to the Parliament of their vigilant services and the effects by wondrous appearance of the people then necessarily requiring the Parliaments Letters and Messages of thanks to them and to the Country together with Letters and submissions of the respective officers of each trained band to their right Honourable Lords Lieutenants acknowledging their indefatigable diligence herein and the tender of all their lives in the publique service which their Lordships are desired to commend to the knowledge of the supream Council of the Nation who must publish a grand Approbation of all which the others have don or shall do Then followes Resolutions upon several questions To provide for every County competent numbers of orders and Declarations of the House of Commons from time to time That every Minister Constable c. may have one of each How they shall be Printed how bundled up how transported so that a wonder it was how busily new Officers got imployments with such hurrying and posting up and down as if all this world were wilde for a war for now comes out Propositions and Orders of Parliament for bringing in of Money or Plate to maintain Horse Horsemen and Arms for the publique peace and defence of the King and both Houses of Parliament the tenth of Iune All the Northern Roads be searched by the Justices of Peace for seizing of Arms Ammunition of all sorts that are to be carried thitherward Then comes Intelligence from beyond the Seas by Letters from Amsterdam with a list of the number of Arms and Ammunition speedily to be furnished for the King upon jewels pawned by the Queen particularly mentioned and no doubt by him who was appointed by Her for that service But he prays that his own name may be concealed pour evitro de tiltre despiou though with zeal and ardour he professes he affects the good cause for which he is thus treacherous and being now dead I forbear to record to memory who he was The King provides Commissioners of Array and first to Leicestershire accompanied with his Letters to the Lords Lieutenants of the County Grounding his Commission on the votes of Parliament the fifteenth of March last That the Kingdom being in danger of Enemies abroad and a Popish party at home it is necessary to put the people into a posture of defence A small number of both Houses without the Kings consent or the opinion of the Judges have attempted by way of Ordinance to put in Execution the power of the Militia dispossessing such of the Nobility as He intrusted with the Command and â—ominated others of their own election and this design of theirs by a new way of Ordinance
without the Kings consent were to introduce an Arbitrary Government to which he will never permit The King therefore having by his Proclamation the seven and twentieth of May last prohibited all persons upon their Allegeance to Muster Levy or summon without his consent by warrant or writ from his great seal And that antiently by Statute 5 H. 4. and by subsequent Records his Predecessors have exercised the power of the Militia by Commissions of Array therefore He thinks fit so to do Authorizing you or any three or more of you to Array and Train his people whereof you the Earl of Huntington and in youâ— absence William Earl of Devon or Henry Hastings Esq to be one That for the present you cause to be mustered all the ancient Trained Bands and Freehold Bands of the County and over them to appoint Colonels Captains and Officers Issue warrants for Assembling the people for discharge of that service of all which He expects a plenary accompt The Commission was directed to the Earls of Huntington and Devon Henry Hastings his son Henry Berkley George Villierâ— Thomas Burton Baronets Henry Skipwith Iohn Shepington and Richard Halford Knights and Baronets Wolston Dixey Richard Roberts Iohn Bole Thomas Harlop Erasmus De la fountain and William Iones Knights Henry Hastings George Ashley and Iohn Hate Esqs and to the Sheriff of Leicester-Shire to the same effect as aforesaid the twelfth of Ianuary 18 Car. per ipsum Regem Willis The Parliament ponder hereupon and after serious debate for it much concerned They resolved upon the Question That this Commission was against Law the liberty and property of the Subject And that the Actors therein shall be esteemed disturbers of the Peace and betrayers of the Subjects Lâ—bertie The twentieth of January The King goes on Summons his Lords and his Privy Council attending him at York and declares That He will not require any obedience from them but by the Law of the Land Nor that they yield to any Commands not legally imposed by any other That he will defend them and all others from such Commands and from Votes and Orders of Parliament and defend the true protestant Religion the Lawful liberty of the subject and the just priviledges of the three Estates of Parliament and according as he performs so he expects further Obedience That He will not â—ngage them in any war against the Parliament except for necessary defence against such as invade him or them On which they ingage to him their duty Allegeance in the like answer subscribed by all present which we shall record to posterity for their Loyalty then and of some of their defection after Lord Keeper Littleton Duke of Richmond Marquess Harford The Earls of Lindsey Cumberland Huntington Bath Southampton Dorset Salisbury Northampton Devonshire Cambridge Bristol Westmerland Barkshire Monmouth Rivers Newcastle Dover Carnarvan Newport The Lords of Mowbray and Matravers Willoughby of Ersby Richard Howard of Charlton Newark Paget Chandos Fawconbridge Pawlet Lovâ—lace Savile Coventry Mohun Duâ—smore Saymour Grey of Ruthen Capel Falkland Master controller Secretary Nicholas the Chancellor of the Exchequer Chief Justice Banks The King sends his Letters to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Sheriffs of London Commanding them not to levy Arms nor raise mony upon pretâ—nce of a Guard to the Parliament But if they shall lend money towards the relief of Ireland as he hath don however the mony be disposed or towards the paiment of his Scots Subjects he shall esteem it an acceptable service if otherwise he shall take it as contempt to him and his authority and shall be compelled â—o question their Chartâ— therein And publishes a General Declaration That having these last seven Moneths met with so many several encounters of strange and unusual Declarations of Parliament He is not amazed with any new Prodigy of that kind and their last of the six and twentieth of May gave warning that they having spent their stock of reproachful language upon Him He was to expect they should now break out into disloyal actions for by that they divested Him of his Authority and assumed it to themselves and now they put forth the fruits of that supream power by their propositions for raising forces under pretence of preserving peace for defence of the King deceiving the People as if the danger were great and he consulted therein Sums up the Parliaments ridiculous devised fears and Jelousies Protests his former and still unshaken Resolutions for Peace for Religion for the Laws and for the Subjects Liberties Advising them not to contribute their power and assistance to ruine Him and themselves satisfies them in all the causeless and groundless scandalous Rumors and Reputations raised against his person and Honour And so excites all his loving Subjects according to their Oaths of Allegeance and Supremacy their Vow and Protestation to contribute their best assistance for the opposing and suppressing of the Trayteâ—ous attempts of such persons as would destroy his Person Honour and Estate and engage the Kingdom in a Civil war He declaring that whoever shall bring into him Money or Ammunition Horse or Arms for his or the publique defence shall receive 8. 1. per cent consideration and shall receive good assurance of the principal and interest upon his Forest Lands Parks and Houses better he saith than the security of the onely name Publique faith All the said Lords subsigning to a Profession disavowing any Preparations or Intentions of war against the Parliament but only endeavouring the firm and constant Parliament of Religion and Laws of peace and prosperity of this Kingdom And by publique Proclamation forbids all Levies of forces without his express pleasure and all contributions or assistance to any such Levies These statutes in force impowring the King and no other to raâ—se Arms as 7 Edw. 1. The statute of Northampton 2 Edw. 3. That in the 11 of Rich. 2. He being under age the Duke of Glocester and other Lords upon pretence for the King raised forces and subdued their adversaries they procured a special Act of pardon for it In the Reign of H. 8. the Earl of Shrewsbury to suppress a suddain Rebellion did without the Kings warrant raise Arms and Mastered the Traytors yet was forced to obtain his Pardon By the Statute 25 of Edw. 3. It is Treason to Levy war against the King in his Realm It was the case of the Earl of Essex upon pretence of but removing some ill Councellors about Queen Elizabeth and adjudged Treason It is the present excuse of the Irish Rebels for defence of the Kings authority and of his Kingdome Wat Tyler Iack Cade and Kit the Tayler wanted not such publique pretences which were perhaps just causes of complaints though not of raising Men. Then to the Parliaments distinction betwixt the Kings person and his authority and so his person at York but his Authority in Parliament See Cook 7 Rep. Coloins case The Oath of allegeance by the Common
Prerogative Sovereigntie and power in the King that other preteâ—ding to justifie privileges and Right of Parliament and Subjects freedom During the Kings preparations in the North the Parliamentarie attempted to put themselves in a posture of War which they called A Necessity of Defence And because the Ordinance of Militia was the first ground of Difference in shew between the King and them they desiring it which he would not intrust out of himself the Rent being thereby once made a greater necessitie impleaded the execution of that power Sundry Commissions issued out from either partie to divers Commissioners Lord Lieutenants of several Counties And by the Parliament many Companies were raised and called The Militia Bands a militarie pomp and appearance of braverie well affected to them and near at home The Commission of Aray for the King was commanded and commended to such other of his partie as were loyal to him but hazzarding it to the multitude found not in some places the like wished for effect especially far off in the mid-land Counties where the Lord Say had command for the Parliament and the Lord Chandos for the â—ing he was enforced to flie to Court and to leave his house and furniture at Sudeley Castle in Glocestershire to the furie of the people delighting in a coâ—tumelious revenge and rustick triumph of the ignoble communalâ—ie in whom not always the deep sense of their own interests doth purchase this extasie of passion but a very turning of the fancie sets them into an hurrie Their insolenâ—ies now appear intolerable by reason of their former usual restraint which they now usurping pretend freedom to do what they list and they were gained to the Parliament upon that blinde account which since hath proved to them the more slavish though for that present producing wondrous effects to that partie by self-ingagement of the common people which the Parliament knew how to promote and to execute thereafter to their own ends Most men did undoubtedly believe greater hopes of Libertie from the Parliament than from the King who called it Licentioâ—sness and this of the Kings Sovereigntie the Commons intituled to Tyrannie The Gentrie for the most part render themselves rather Subjects to Princes the better to rule over the Commons their vassals The Communaltâ—â— consisting chiefly of Yeomen Farmers petâ—y Freeholders and others men of manufacture bred up sparingly but living in plentie such as these always thwart the Gentrie by whom they subsist Persons of birth and breeding more jovial and more delicate neglecting a confined condition endeavour rather to hazzard what they have by aiming at the height of fortune unto which their noble Extraction wit and learning doth incite and stir them up This was not all the difference Religion diversly professed had a main interest The eternal Truth unchangeable bindes every soul to one Law perpetual and constant this therefore doth implead the necessitie of external privileges in the professour which though not to destroy the Kingdoms of the world nor to usurp a greater liberty than humane Laws will â—asily grant and hath in its nature an irreconcileable enmitie against arbitrarâ—e Government in such commands as they conceive not justly put upon them and out of which they are studious to free themselves when the felicitie of that time shall offer the means and as they thought it now a lawfull call by power of Parliament To their advantage there was raised a practical Ministerie captivating vulgar capacities to applie themselves more fitly to their own purposes for the present accounting all order and decencie in Church and State to be Innovations upon the Consciences and purses of the people and yet even the common natural Subject not thus deluded did come from the farthest parts to serve under their Sovereign by the light of loyaltie not to war against that Authoritie And yet after some strugling that the King had gotten a defensive Armie and his cause calling for some under-hand assistance of his neighbour Friends then the Parliament contract a League with the Scots pleasing them with the hopes of a through Scotish Presbyterian Reformation of Religion and to boot good entertainment for their beggarly Armie not without a solemn League by Oath and Covenant with them taken by both Nations they with Forces entred England won the prize got the King in their clutches and for a piece of money sold him to the Parliament to the death and execution of him and destruction of Church and State And so we return to our Historie Civil and Martial The King in a reasonable posture began to caress his people and first descends from York to the County of Nottingham and at Newark he summons the Gentlemen and Free-holders and tells them that their resolutions and affections to him and their Country for his defence and the Laws of the Land have been so notable that they have drawn him thither only to thank them that he goes to other places to confirm undeceive his Subjects but comes thither to encourage them That they have made the best judgment of happiness by relying on that Foundation which the experience of so many hundred years hath given proof viz. The assurance and securitie of the Law And let them be assured when Laws shall be altered by any other Authority than that by which they were made the Foundations are destroyed And though it seems at first but to take away his power it will quickly swallow all their interest He asketh nothing of them but to preserve their own affections to the Religion and Laws established he will justifie and protect those affections and will live and die with them in that quarrel The like caress he gives those of the County of Lincoln at Lincoln and intending to reduce his Town of Hull sends his Message to the Parliament with the Proclamation ensuing Iulie 11. That by his former Declarations and this his Proclamation they and all his good Subjects may see the just grounds of his present Journey towards Hull before he shall use force to reduce it to obedience and requires them that it may be forthwith delivered to him to which if they conform he will admit of their further Addresses from them and return such Propositions as may be for present peace and promises to them in the word of a King that nothing shall be wanting in him to redress the calamities threatening the Nation and expects their Answer at Beverley on Thursday next being the fifteenth of Iuly That the King having long complained of the affront done to his person by Sir Iohn Hotham when he went thither to view his Magazine at Hull which have been since carried away by Orders of Parliament and the Town kept and maintained against him and Votes and Orders in Parliament have justified the same that Hotham hath since fortified the Town drowned the Countrey thereabout and hath set out a Pinnace to Sea which hath seized and intercepted his Packet Pinnace with Letters of the Queen
Aug. 16. Upon these grounds The Parliament of England take resolution and declare their approbation and thanks to the secret Council and Assemblie in Scotland for their desires of unitie in Religion and uniformitie in Church-government in the three Kingdoms we having say they often had that matter in debate concurring in judgment and experience of the manifold mischiefs which the Government of the Prelacie hath in all times and ages produced in this Church and State and so we hope to satisfie the Christian desires of our dear Brethren of Scotland although we know that hereby we shall exceedingly irritate that malignant partie who will bend all their forces to ruine that holy work and to ruine and destroy us in the undertaking being the very same partie which hath now incensed and armed his Majestie against us The very same Design of rooting out Reformed Religion endeavoured to begin that Tragedie in Scotland which being perfected in one Nation will be accomplished in the other Religion is the band and safetie of both And as we resolve by the national Covenant betwixt the two Kingdoms to be carefull of Scotland so we doubt not but the secret Council and Assemblie there will be always ready to express their brotherly kindness to us according to the Articles ratiâ—ied between both Parliaments and advantagious to all the professours of the Reformed Religion in Christendom And so this being the Proeme to their Declaration the Parliament goes on with lamentable sighs and groans from the bowels of their hearts for being obstructed in this piaculous work of true Reformation and after much striving and seeking God wrestling with the Engines of Satan they have jumped in resolution with their Brethren in Scotland that the Prelatical party is the cause of all distraction And being thus backed they take the boldness to declare That this Government by Arch-bishops Bishops their Chancellours and Commissioners Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons and other Ecclesiastical Officers depending upon the Hierarchie is evil and prejudicial to the state and Government of this Kingdom and resolve the same shall be taken away And according to our Declaration of the seventh of February we will consult with godly Divines to setle a Government of Reformation And intend that a Bill for this Assemblie may be passed for their Meeting the fifth of Novemb. next And desire their dear Brethren of Scotland to concur with them in petitioning the King for his approbation And because nothing will prosper without their handy work they pray them to send some out of their many good â—nd godly Divines of that Kirk to assist our Assemblie for setling of one Confession one Directorie and one Catechism in all three Kingdoms to the relief and deliverance of the poor afflicted Churches abroad and confusion of the tyrannie of Rome being the prime cause and fountain of all calamities bloudy massacres outrages cruelties and bitter persecution of Gods people and saints in all the Christian world for many ages Here is now a resolution to reform all Christendom and beat down Popery in a trice but the result was that under colour of Religion the Design went on and so prospered in outward success And now to encourage the well-affected to lend money and bring their Plate upon Publick Faith which without a mans strong belief could hardly get Customers to come in fearing belike that the Kings gentleness and mercy might agree to an Accommodation having been upon terms of Treaty on his part The Parliament therefore once again to ascertain their Resolution to fight it out to the last man and being confident of success do declare That the Arms which they have been forced to take up and shall take up for the preservation of the Parliament Religion the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom shall not be laid down untill his Majestie shall withdraw his protection from such persons as have been voted by both Houses to be Delinquents and shall leave them to the justice of the Parliament to the end that those great charges and damages wherewith all the Common-wealth hath been burdened since the Kings departure from his Parliament may be born by the Delinquents And all his Majesties good and faithfull Subjects who by loan of moneys or otherwise at their charges have or shall assist the Common-wealth may be repayed and satisfied out of the Delinquents Estates And these Delinquents were sure to be made so out of the noblest and richest persons in the Nation against whom there could be found but the scent of Malignancie so that it became a huge crime first to be rich or able in any condition to be either Neuter or not wel-affected to the Parl. or to be suspected so to prove it a slender Accusation would serve the turn witness sundry persons which we shall have occasion to speak of ruined upon that score onely And first they begin with Iames Lord Strange Son and Heir of William Earl of Derby who to the intent and purpose to subvert the Laws c. did upon the fifteenth of July last past at Manchester in the Countie of Lancaster traiterously summon call together and raise great Forces and did kill murder and destroy Richard Percival a Linnen Webster for which the Parliament impeach him of high Treason And the sixteenth of September he is so published in all Churches and Chapels and Markets in the Counties of Lancaster and Chester and where the Parliament had any power for the County was mostly for the King against which party the City of London are desired to advance sixteen thousand pounds for setting forth ten thousand Dragoons and some Troops of Horse for suppressing that party upon Publick Faith which was soon raised but not repayed The King being at Shrewsburie whither Judg Heath came and advised for the Adjourning part of Michaelmass Term from the first Return In Octab. Sancti Martini Octob. 4. And at Bridg-North he proclames Thomas Nichols Humphrey Mackworth and Thomas Hunt Esq guilty of high Treason active men in the Militia and assisting the Kings Enemies in their Rebellion Octob. 14. The L. Fairfax for the Parl and Mr. Bellases for the King with considerable parties Commissioners on either side had concluded upon certain Articles concerning the peace in Yorkshire and dated the 29. of September To which the Parliament take exception That the Parliament gave no such authoritie to binde that Countie to a Neutralitie it being prejudicial to the whole Kingdom for one Countie to withdraw from the rest which thâ—y are bound by Law to assist It being derogatorie to the power of Parliament for private men to suspend the execution of the Militia and therefore it is ordered that no such Neutralâ—â—â—e be observed in that Countie without any defensive force whereby it will be open to the King to return with his Armie for Winter quarter in that plentifull Countie New-castle near for his Supplies by Sea And so they declare the Lord Faâ—â—fax and his
this Kingdom by a most wicked and cruel Rebellion there and to divide the King from his Parliament and people here and by false slanders and imputations of things never done nor intended by us hath incensed his Majestie so as that after many bitter Invecâ—ives published against us without any just cause given he hath now at lastresolved to set up his Royal Standard and draw his Sword for the destruction and ruine of his most faithfull and obedient people whom by the Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom he is bound to preserve and protect The cases and the fortunes of both Estates being so involved and united we cannot expect to be hindred by them in our just defence or that they will do any thing to aggravate the Miseries and Troubles of this Kingdom in the peace and happiness whereof they have found much advantage and by such unfriendly and unseasonable Supplies of our common Enemies make a way to their own as well as our ruine We therefore desire they may betimes look into this mischief and having searched it into the bottom to stop the further progress of it That they will not suffer more Ordnance Armour or any other like warlike provision to be brought over to strengthen those who as soon as they shall prevail against the Parliament according to their principles and interests by which they are guided will use that strength to the ruine of those from whom they have had it We desire they would not send over any Countreymen to further our Destruction who were sent to them for their preservation That they will not anticipate the spilling of English bloud in an unnatural civil War which hath been so chearfully and plentifully hazzarded and spent in that just and honourable Waâ— by which they have been so long preserved and to which the bloud of those persons and many other Subjects of this Kingdom is still in a manner dedicated but rather that they will cashier and discard from their Employment those that will presume to come over for that purpose And in satisfying these our reasonable and necessarie Desires they shall thereby not onely secure us but themselves yea they shall most of all advantage his Majestie for whose service those things are pretended to be done The question between his Majestie and Parliament is not whether he shall enjoy the same prerogative and power which hath belonged to our former Kings his Majesties royal predecessours but whether that prerogative and power should be imployed to our defence or to our ruine We expect nothing from him but securitie and protection from those mischievous Designs which have been so often multiplied and renewed against us though hitherto through Gods providence as often frustrated It cannot be denied by those who look indifferently on our proceedings and affairs but that it will be more honour and wealth safetie and greatness to his Majestie in concurring with his Parliament than in the course in which he now is but so unhappie hath his Majestie and the Kingdom been in those who have the greatest influence upon his Counsels that they look more upon the prevailing of their own pâ—rtie than upon any those great Advantages both to his Crown and Royal Person which he might obtain by joyning with his people And so cunning are those Factors for Poperie in prosecution of their own aims that they can put on a counterfeit visage of honour peace and greatness upon those courses and counsels which have no truth and realtie but of weakness dishonour and miseries to his Majestie and whole Kingdom We have lately expressed our earnest Inclinations to that National love and amitie with the United Provinces which is nourished and confirmed by so many civil respects and mutual interests as makes it so natural to us that we have this Parliament in our humble Petition to his Majestie desired we might be joyned with that State in a more near and strait League and union And we cannot but expect some returns from them of the like expressions and that they will be so far from blowing the fire which begins to kindle amongst us that they will rather endeavour to quench it by strengthening and encouraging us who have no other Design but not to be destroyed and preserve our Religion save our selves and the other Reformed Churches of Christendom from the massacres and extirpations with which the principles of the popish Religion do threaten us and them which are begun to be acted in Ireland and in the hopes endeavours and intentions of that partie had long since been executed upon us if the mercie favour and blessing of Almightie God had not superabounded and prevented the subtiltie and malignitie of cruel wicked and bloud-thirstie men And thus being fleshed they go on amain having seized the Kings Magazines Forts Navy and Militia leaving him naked and indisposed no doubt to the beginning of this War whereof himself complains How untruly I am charged says he with the first raising of an Armie and beginning this Civil War the eys that onely pitie me and the loyal hearts that durst onely pray for me at first might witness which yet appear not so many on my side as there were men in Arms listed against me mine unpreparedness for a War may well dishearten those that would help me while it argues truly mine unwillingness to fight yet it testifies for me that I am set on the defensive part having so little hopes or power to offend others that I have none to defend my self or to preserve what is mine own from their prerâ—ption No man can doubt but they prevented me in their purposes as well as their injuries who are so much before hand in their preparations against me and surprisals of my strength Such as are not for them yet dare not be for me so over-aw'd is their loyaltie by the others numbers and terrours I believe mine innocencie and unpreparedness to assert my Rights and Honour makes me the more guiltie in their esteem who would not so easily have declared a War against me if I had first assaulted them They knew my chiefest Arms left me were those onely which the Ancient Christians were wont to use against their Persecutours Prayers and Tears These may serve a good man's turn if not to conquer as a Souldier yet to suffer as a Martyr Their preventing of me and surprizing my Castles Forts Arms and Navie with the Militia is so far best for me That it may drive me from putting any trust in the arm of flesh and wholly to cast my self into the protection of the living God who can save by few or none as well as by many He that made the greedie Ravens to be Elias's Caterers and bring him food may also make their surprizal of outward force and defence an opportunitie to shew me the special support of his power and protection I thank God I reckon not now the want of the Militia so much in reference to mine own protection as my
at last The King in the head of his Army between Stafford and Wellington after the reading of his Orders military himself tells them Gentlemen I shall be very severe in punishing every person offending without distinction He cannot suspect their courage and resolution their conscience and loyaltie having brought them hither for their Religion their King and the Laws of the Land against their Enemies none but Traitors most of them Brownists Anabaptists and Atheists such as desire to destroy both Church and State and who have already condemned you to ruine for being loyal to him And makes this Protestation I do promise in the presence of Almightie God and as I hope for his blessing and protection that I will to the utmost of my power defend and maintain the true Reformed Protestant Religion established in the Church of England and by the grace of God in the same will live and die I desire to govern by the known Laws of the Land and that the Liberty and Propriety of the Subject may be by them preserved with the same care as mine own just Rights And if it please God by his blessing upon this Armie raised for my necessarie Defence to preserve me from this Rebellion I do solemnly and faithfully promise in the sight of God to maintain the just Privilege and Freedom of Parliament and to govern by the known Laws of the Land to my utmost power and particularly to observe inviolably the Laws consented unto by me this Parliament In the mean while if this time of War and the great necessitie and straits I am now driven unto beget any violation of these I hope it shall be imputed by God and Man to the Authours of this War and not to me who have so earnestly laboured for the peace of this Kingdom When I willingly fail in these particulars I will expect no Aid or Relief from any man or protection from Heaven But in this resolution I hope for the chearful assistance of all good men and am confident of Gods blessing Septemb. 19. And that the several Armies might not over-start each other the Parl. declares That all their Foot and Horse in London and all parts in England shall within eight and fourty hours march to their General the Earl of Essex for defence of the King and Kingdom the Privilege of Parliament and Liberty of the Subjects and such Regiments as are not four hundred and Troops not fourty shall be cashiered and disposed to recruit others excepting the Regiments of Colonel Essex and Ballard being in the States service Sept. 23. And order that Delinquents houses shall be preserved as houses of the Common-wealth for publick service or Prisons And because the Earl of Essex may be assured upon what Basis he is called to be their General they sent to him the Parliaments Petition to the King to be presented by him which tells his Majesty That his loyal Subjects the Lords and Commons in Parliament can not without tenderness of compassion behold the pressing calamities of England and Ireland by the practices of a prevailing partie with his Majestie to alter true Religion the ancient Government of this Kingdom introducing superstition in the Church and confusion in the State exciting incouraging and fostering the Rebellion in Ireland and as there so here begin the like Massacre by drawing on a War against the Parliament leading his Person against them as if by conquest to establish an unlimited power over the people seeking to bring over the Rebells of Ireland to joyn with them and all these evil Counsellours are defended and protected by him against the justice of Parliament who have for their just defence of Religion the King Crown and Dignitie of the Laws Liberties and power of Parliament taken up Arms and authorized the Earl of Essex their Captain General against these Rebells and Traitors And pray the King to with-draw his person and leave them to be supprest by this power and to return to his Parliament and that they will receive him with honour yield him obedience secure his person and establish him and his people with all the blessings of a glorious and happie Reign I cannot finde that this Petition was presented but I am assured that the General Essex twice sent to the King for a safe Conduct for those who should be imployed therein and it was refused they say to be received that humble and dutifull Petition as they stiled it 'T is strange for the King had never refused any Message or Petition from either or both Houses not onely with safety but candoâ—r when their Errand hath been full of reproach and scorn as the King says and the bringers bold arrogant seditious in their demeanour and therefore there needed to have been no more scruple in this But it was thus that the King being at Shrewsbury the Earl of Dorset receives a Letter from the Earl of Essex intimating that he had a Petition from both Houses to that purpose asking a safe Conduct for those that should be sent To whom the King answered That as he had never refused to receive any so he should be ready to give a fitting Reception and Answer to this and the Bringers of it should have safe Conduct excepting onely such persons as he had particularly accused of high Treason A fortnight after comes a second Letter to Dorset declaring That the Kings former Answer was voted a Breach of Privilege This second Answer differing but little from the former insisting That the Address should not be made by any whom he had accused of high Treason amongst whom the Earl of Essex was one but that his Ear should be ever open to hear any Petition from his Parliament Indeed the Petition was framed more fit to be delivered after a Battel and full Conquest of the King than in the Head of his Army thirty thousand men when it might seem somewhat in his power whether he would be deposed or no. For we finde the King in Wales caressing the Inhabitants of Denbigh and Flintshire Septemb. 27. And tells them That he is willing to take all occasions to visit all his good Subjects and hath cause to reckon them for their loyaltie expressed in their late Levies sent to him at their own charges against such a Malignant partie whose Designs are to destroy him his Crown Laws and Government of Church and State raising Tumults at London to drive from thence him and the greatest part of the Members of Parliament He is robbed of his Towns Forts Castles Goods Navie Revenue and at this time a powerfull Armie marching against him and among a thousand Scandals they have cast upon him the impious Rebellion in Ireland which he abhors and hath endeavoured by all possible ways and means to suppress but is obstructed by them And refers the naming of these Contrivers and their particular actions to his Declaration of the twelfth of August being supprest by them as all other his Protestations and
with Mr. Hotham who was in ill case to continue but must be forced to retreat to Hull The Forces of the West in Cornwall for the King began to form into a Body near Pendennis Castle the Governour thereof Sir Nicholas Slaning a gallant Gentleman and assisted 〈…〉 others Sir Bevil Greenvile who possessed themselveâ—â—â—aunston the County Town of Cornwall but not long after Sir Ralph Hopton appears in chief command over the Cavaliers The Parliament had Plymouth the neighbour Port Town of Devonshire bordering Cornwall in the South and Sir George Chudly a Stickler for them for a time onely The Kings party increased in Mid-Wales and descending Southwards as he marches the Welch come to him from all parts of Hereford Monmouth mightily increasing by the power and industry of the Earl of Worcester their Brigades reaching to Oxford and round about where Prince Rupert commanded who took Powder and Match marching through Staffordshire to reprieve Manchester The Parliament party lay about Warwick Coventrie Worcester Buckingham and their Brigades round about even to Glocester Some Arms for the King are landed at Newcastle and ten thousand pounds in Money to raise Dragoons in Northumberland and to fall into Yorkshire which appeared for the King The King on his march from Wales descended Southward and now being near Stafford the Parliament order That the Citie of London be strongly guarded and Posts Bars and Chains be erected and set up in places and by-lanes of the Parishes of St. Margarets Westminster St. Martins in the Fields St. Clements Savoy Holborn St. Giles Covent-garden St. Johns Street â—lerkenwell Criplegate Shoreditch White-chapel Islington Mile-end Southwark Lambeth or any other places necessary at the charge of the Parish by equal Assesment Octob. 22. And the Parliament declare a solemn Protestation to all the world In the presence of Almightie God for the satisfaction of their Consciences and the Discharge of that great Trust which lies upon them That no private passion or respect no evil intention to his Majesties person no Design to the prejudice of his just Honour and Authoritie engaged them to raise Forces and take up Arms against the Authours of this War whereof the Kingdom is now inflamed And after they have by clearing themselves lodged the occasion upon the Contrivers Papists about the King for extirpation of the Protestant Religion wherein principally this Kingdom and Scotland are concerned as making the greatest Body of Reformation in Christendom they conclude For all which Reasons they are resolved to enter into a solemn Oath and Covenant with God to give up themselves lives and fortunes into his hands and defend this his cause with the hazzard of our lives against the Kings Armie according to a form agreed upon and to be subscribed and to associate and unite with all the well-affected of the Citie of London and other parts of his Majesties Dominions 〈…〉 expect their dear Brethren of Scotland that they will help and 〈◊〉 defence of this Cause which if the Popish partie prevail must needs involve Scotland in the like alteration of Religion and engage them also in a War against this Kingdom to defend their own Religion And this they do again they say protest before the everliving God to be the chief end of all their counsels and resolutions without any intention to injure his Majestie either in his person or just power Octob. 22. And the Battail of Edg-hill the next morning being Sunday After the Kings party had beat the Enemy at Worcester Fight the three and twentieth of September he joyns all his Brigades near hand and marches to meet General Essex hovering thereabout to watch the Kings Designs who lodged on Saturday night October 22. at Sir William Chancies six miles near Keinton and Essex at Keinton And early the next morning being Sunday the three and twentieth drew up into a Body near Keinton and ascending the top of Edg-hill with his Prospective Glass took view of Essex his Army in the Vale of the Red Horse about a Mile distant but before the King could draw into order he was saluted with three Pieces of Cannon from the other side with three Shouts of their Souldiers And being asked by his Officers what his Majesty meant to do To give him Battel said the King it is the first time I ever saw the Rebells in a Bodie God and good mens prayers to him assist the justice of my cause And instantly ordered the Fight by the return of two Shot of Cannon in answer to theirs about two of the clock after noon the Word was God and King Charls his greatest Body of Horse was on the right Wing and on the left some Horse and Dragoons The Parliaments Army was put into this order the Foot a good space behinde the Horse when the Charge began three Regiments of Horse on the right Wing the Generals Regiment commanded by Sir Philip Stapleton Sir Balfore's Regiment who was Lieutenant General of the Horse and the Lord Fielding's Regiment which stood behinde the other two as a Reserve Sir Iohn Meldrum had the Van with his Brigade Colonel Essex the middle the General 's Regiment the Lord Brook and Colonel Hollis had the Rear in the left Wing were twenty Troops commanded by Sir Iames Ramsey Commissary General And thus they stood The Earl of Lindsey Lord High Chamberlain of England was the Kings Captain General but the Fight was ordered by the Lord Ruthen since made Earl of Forth a Scotish man and the General lead on the main Body with a Pike in his hand it is said that General Essex lead on his Forces also but then it is confessed that he was advised to retire from Danger and so he escaped when the other was killed The Forlorn Hope was commanded by Major Baâ—stake and Captain Hamond both of them Officers in Sir Lewis Diveâ— Regiment of Foot and drawn down the Hill to the side of a Ditch lined with Musquetiers and both sides had no sooner fired but that the Kings Cannon followed and discharged six or seven Shot Prince Rupert General of the Horse commanding the right Wing routed their left Wing and followed them in chafe to Keinton Town and two Miles beyond killing all whom they overtook the Lord Ruthen ordered the left Wing of the Kings Horse with the Lord Wilmot both of them doing gallant service 't is true Prince Rupert presumed that he had left a sufficient Reserve of Horse behinde under command of the Earl of Carnarvan with some other Troops who seeing the Enemies Horse and Foot to run his spirit not accustomed to stand still followed too far and left their own Foot naked of Horse which Essex espying took the advantage and with his Horse fell upon the Foot including these Regiments the Lord Generals Colonel Fieldings and Colonel Bowels a Regiment raised by the Lord Paget and did much execution upon them this service being done by Colonel Hurry afterwards Major General for the Parliament The Lord General Lindsey
and sword he will take it for a favour but if you will not he doubts not but Gideon's Sword will do the Work alone I speak not it that I doubt you but that you would resolve that when you hear the Drums beat for it is resolved that the Drums shall beat to morrow our Drums shall beat to lead out our men and the Committees Drums shall beat to lead out their men say not I beseech you I am not of the Trained Band nor this nor that but doubt not to go out to work and fight couragiously and this shall be the Day of your Deliverance However on Friday the eleventh of November the King at Colebrook receives a Petition from the Parliament by the two Earls and Gentlemen named in the Conduct and not Sir Io. Evelin To the Kings most Excellent Majestie The humble Petition c. of the Lords and Commons in Parliament c. Being affected with a deep and piercing sense of the Miseries of this Kingdom and the Danger of your Majesties person the great effusion of Bloud with the late Battel and weighâ—â—g the addition of Loss and Miserie if both Armies should again joyn in another Fight as without Gods blessing and his Majesties concurrence will not probably be avoided to which they believe his Majestie hath a sutable impression of compassion to accept of this their Petition and to appoint some convenient place not far from London where your Majestie will be pleased to reside untill Committees of Parliament may attend with some Propositions to your Majestie for removal of these Distempers as may conduce to Gods glorie c. The King liked this Petition of an humble nature unlike their late Papers presented to him and the next day gives this gracious Answer He takes God to witness how deeply he is affected with the Miseries of this Kingdom which he hath striven to prevent and as he was not the first that took up Arms so he hath been ready of composing all things in a fair way to avoid the Destruction of his Subjects which would always make his greatest Victories to him c. And to that end he will reside at his own Castle at Windsor till Committees may have time to attend hiâ— which he wishes to be hastened either there or if it be refused any other place and God of his mercie give a blessing Nov. 12. But the same night after the Messengers were gone News came to the King that General Essex had drawn his Forces with his Ordnance out of London towards him and so he being almost surrounded some at Windsor Kingston and Acton if Brainford were possest likewise the King would be hemm'd in and his Army deprived either of moving or subsisting and so a Council of War concluded to advance towards Brainford and either to possess it or to repossess them which he did and many slain The King withall considered that it could not reasonably be esteemed an Aversion from Peace or an Intention to interrupt the Treaty then in expectation since on the other side he had cause to believe that if he would not preserve himself out of their power the very possibility of a Treaty would vanish And indeed willingness to receive a Treaty was never held to amount to a suspension of Arms otherwise why did Essex incompass him on all parts to Colebrook Towns end And there being no word of Suspension of Arms in all the Kings Answer nay since in that by wishing their Propositions to be hastened he implied that by this Arms were not suspended And most of all since the Parliaments Votes of proceeding as hath been said vigorously notwithstanding their Petition and their own actions sending after their Messengers great store of Forces evidently implied the same The King being resolved upon Reasons that his Advance was just yet he endeavoured to satisfie the Parliament that Peace was still his desire by a Messenger but so ill received as he and his Trumpeter were like to kiss the Gate-house The Message was thus Novemb. 12. Whereas the last night November 11. after the departure of the Committee with his Majesties Answer to their Petition he received information that the Earl of Essex had drawn his Forces out of London towards him which hath necessitated him to march with his Forces to Brainford he thinks fit hereby to signifie that he is no less desirous of the peace than he exprest in his foresaid Answer and desires to receive the Propositions of Brainford this night being Sunday or early to morrow morning And another Argument for the King is that so soon as the Earls Forces were removed from Kingston before any Forces appeared out of London the King gave order to quit Brainford and to possess Kingston And the success to the King was answerable to his just intention God being pleased to assist him by Land and Water so as with a third part of his Foot and with the loss but of ten Men to beat two of their best Regiments out of Brainford to kill him that commanded in chief and his Ensign Ralph Wilbie a hopefull Gentleman at the very Bridg and many others by land and water took five hundred Prisoners and as many Arms eleven Colours and store of Ammunition fifteen Pieces of Ordnance and then unfought with to march away to Oatlands Reading and so to Oxford And upon all this the Parliament voted to have no Accomodation although the King concluded That God so bless his future Actions as he is excusable and innocent from any deceit herein The Parliament in their Answer to the Kings Message do confess That they gave direction to the Earl of Essex to draw the Armie out of London and that part of it was inquartered at Branford whilest the Committee was with the King And they excuse it belike confessess to themselves of just Exceptions that they sent a Messenger with a Letter to know whether his Majestie intended forbearance of Hostilitie be found them in fight and could not pass Brainford The King replies That his Message of the twelfth though not received by the Parliament till the fourteenth was sent to them upon the same Day as it was dated and the way not clear was again sent upon the thirteenth and taken that morning by the Earl of Essex and though not directed to him was opened by him so as the slowness of the deliverie is not so strange as the stop of the Letter sent by the Parliament to the King which he never received and the King could not suppose to take any of the Parliaments Forces unprovided who in their March to Brainford might as well have been intended to Colebrook upon the King And indeed take other Observations to boot The Parliaments printing so out of time of such a Declaration as was their Reply to the Kings Answer to theirs of the six and twentieth of May but the day before they voted the sending of a Petition and the March of the
which met the three and twentieth of March and sate till the seventeenth of April without any good effect and it is no wonder for sithence the first occasion taken to quarrel with the King which I reckon to be Ianuary 1641. concerning the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members how many Messages Answers Remonstrances passed from him and in the most of them a continual complying for a peace both heretofore and at Nottingham which the Parliament Member is pleased onely to remember but several times since on the Kings part 'T is true they sent their humble Desires and Propositions to the King February 1. but the Kings Answer and Offer then begat this Treaty now and it was a Moneth after ere the King had Answer and consent but how to begin the fourth of March and to last but twenty days The Votes agreed on were these So much of the Kings Propositions as concerneth the Magazines Forts and Ships and the Propositions of the Parliament for the disbanding of the Armies should be first treated and concluded on before they did proceed to any other Propositions A short time for twenty general Propositions fourteen of theirs and but six for the King but the former day agreed to sit was spun out in Debates and Votes till March 21. when their Committee comes to the Court at Oxford but with Commission so limited and circumscribed by private Instructions that they had not power to explicate the Terms or agree to Expressions And though the King desired That a Cessation might be granted during the Treaty and free Trade during the Cessation and that all matters might be setled by their Committee But not granted for after in small time spent in Disputes and the Committee not able to make Reply immediately they had a Message Not to consume any more of the time in any further Debates upon the Cessation Now for the Propositions the Committee had no power to enter into any Treaty of them before the Articles of Cessation were assented to which seems a Riddle if you observe it But the King being willing to treat however had much to do to procure the Parliaments consent but to the two first Propositions though to his disadvantage And the King willing to expedite the business desired a Copy of their Instructions which they utterly refused But when they desired to repair to him for satisfaction of any Doubt concerning his Papers before such time as they transmitted them to the Parliament he presently condescended which shews clearness in him reservedness in them But to the business PROP. I. His Revenue of which though he was totally deprived into the condition of a private Gentleman yet had they confidence to tell him That they had received a very small proportion of it which for the most part was imployed in the maintenance of his Majesties Children But the King was content to rest upon the promise of the Parliament to satisfie him for the Arrears due and to leve the same for the future in the former way as before the War yet this came not from them without a clog upon condition That the King would restore what had been taken for his own use upon any of the Bills assigned to other purposes by Act of Parliament or out of the Provision made for the War in Ireland as if the King had converted some sums of money for Ireland to his own use when it was made evident that the King had none but that the Parliament Treasurers received all so that this point was soon agreed upon PROP. II. Magazines Forts and Ships The Magazines were agreed after the Treaty to be delivered to the King into the Tower of London but much controverted into whose custody whether into such hands as the Parliament would name or into the custody of the sworn Officers unto whose place it belonged but the Parliaments pleasure carried it As for the Forts the Parliament would have all Forts and Castles to be put into such hands as they should confide in and so for the Cinque Ports The King would put in such against whom no exception can be made and would remove them upon just cause and reason of misdemeanour And for the Cinque Ports a noble person was intrusted by him and in justice he could not put him out without just exceptions And for the Ships also the like but for all of those it is resolved by the Committee That the Parliament shall have the approbation of either of the persons into whose hands they should be put The King on the contrary thought to have all his own rendered to him without conditions so peremptory But whilest they were treating on these particulars and so much time spent to receive the Parliaments direction to their Commissioners at this distance the King sends a Message to the two Houses April 12. 1643. That as soon as he was satisfied in his first Proposition concerning his own Revenue Magazines Ships and Forts in which he desired nothing but his just legal and known Rights to be restored to him and to persons trusted by him And as soon as the Members of both Houses should be restored unto the same capacity of Sitting and voting in Parliament as they had upon the first of January 1641. exclusively of such whose Votes had been taken away by Bill or by new Elections or new Writes and that as soon as his Majesty and both Houses may be secured from such tumultuous Assemblies as to the high dishonour of the Parliament had awed the Members of the same which he conceived could not otherwise be done but by adjourning the Parliament to some place twenty miles from London such as the Houses should agree upon his Majesty most chearfully and readily would consent to the disbanding of the Armies and would return speedily to his two Houses of Parliament according to the time and place which they should agree upon To which the Parliament vouchsafed no other Answer than the calling back of their Commissioners the next day after and the dissolving that Treaty which ended April 15. being the day by them determined And immediately after General Essex marches on to besiege Reading Sir Iohn Hotham having heretofore quarrelled with the King and done so much for the Parliament was not willing to be subject to any Overseer and so had no heart to submit to the Lord Fairfax the Northern Commander for the Parliament and upon complaints on either side Hotham had the fewer Friends and therefore the Parliament writ a Letter discovering their intention to displace him which he intercepted and returns and angry Letter to the House of Commons full of Expostulations and after all That if they harboured any such Designs they would finde it sooner said than done And from henceforth he was unsetled towards them The Lord Brook for the Parliament having in the beginning of March the Convoy of some Ordnance from London to St. Albans marched forward to Northampton and plundered it of some Ammunition and went
the Savoy who succeeded Mr. White in the Mastership or Ministry there did preach to his Auditory That they ought to contribute and pray and do all they were able to bring in their Brethren of Scotland for the setling of Gods cause I say saith he this is Gods â—ause and if ever God had a cause this is it and if this be not Gods cause then God is no God for me but c. Such Blasphemy followed as I forbear to insert This Speech was then frequently reported nay imprinted and to this hour pretends to be justified by divers of his Parishioners and others and if the party be innocent he might do well to vindicate himself from such Aspersion in hope of which I forbear to name him Yet Sir George Chidleigh of the West and earnest sometime he had been for the Parliament ingeniously acknowledges his opinion of the Cause in a purposed Declaration written by himself to satisfie his Friends That Petitions of Right are commendable and Remonstrances may be lawfull but Arms though defensive are ever doubtfull My Lot saith he fell to be cast on the Parliament side by a strong opinion of the goodness of their Cause which to my judgment then appeared to be so Religion and the Subjects Libertie seemed to me to be in danger but the Destruction of Kingdoms cannot be the way to save it nor can the loss of Christian Subjects nor the Subjects loss of their Estates by Plunder or Assesment concur with pietie nor yet with proprietie as for Religion which is the chief his Majestie whom God long preserve hath given us unquestionable Securitie I have cast my self at my Sovereign's feet and implored his gracious pardon I will contend no more in word or deed And this my Resolution with the undisputable grounds thereof I thought good to declare to my Friends and Countreymen that they may understand my sitting to proceed from no compulsion The Earl of Holland having been of the Parliaments cause and in Arms against the King from the first beginning was conscious it seems of the Cause and therefore without taking leave accompanied onely with the Earl of Bedford was come to the King at Oxford where he had but slender Reception for the present although he put himself in a posture of Arms with the King in the Field but that not prevailing after nine Weeks he as privately returns back again to London the sixth of November and in some hope to be readmitted into the House of Lords he made the best means he could by his Friends but without the favour of admittance then by weak counsel advised he publishes in print his Reasons of stepping aside to the King and the best Arguments he could for his Return to the Parliament again with whom he professes to live and die By which the Parliament were sure to have him devoted to their service if they should accept of his proffer which being retarded and he not constant to himself to attend the time he most unfortunately engaged afterwards against the Parliament was taken Prisoner arreigned and this Apology of his the greatest Evidence to conclude him guilty and suffered death as hereafter in its due place The King had sent to the Marquess of Ormond Lieutenant General of his Majesties Forces in Ireland for the present Transportation of a part of his Army into England Novemb. 13. every Officer and Souldier taking Oath to maintain and defend the Protestant Religion the King and his just power against the Forces under Conduct of the Earl of Essex and all other Forces against the King These Irish Forces coming under command of Sir Michael Ernley an experienced Souldier in the Low Countreys And being landed in Wales were saluted by Letters from the Parliament Commanders there left either party might be mistaken in the publick Quarrel telling them That we apprehend and are assured your Voyage into Ireland was to fight against Popish Rebells and for the Protestant Religion and we imagine you are not fully informed of the cause to be engaged against us and if you be the same you were when you went over we doubt not but to procure satisfaction from the Parliament for your faithfull Service there with like Preferment here Wrexam Novemb. 18. 1643. Your affectionate and faithfull Friends c. To which the five Colonels from Ireland return this Answer Gentlemen We were not engaged in the Service in Ireland otherwise than by the Kings command The Service we have done none â—ares extenuate And although we are very sensible how unworthily we have been deserted by your pretended Parliament yet we are not returned hither without his Majesties special Commission and Authoritie If you have the like from the King for the Arms you carry we shall willingly treat with you otherwise we shall bear our selves like Souldiers and loyal Subjects Hawerden Novemb. 20. 1643. Michael Ernley c. Postscript That Officer of your Armie which came into our Quarters without safe Conduct we detain till his Majesties pleasure be further known And these English from Ireland not long after take in Hawerden Castle near Chester being soon yielded up to them by the greater number of Souldiers within which lately came out of Ireland and enforced to the Parliaments Service surrender to their old Comrades At this time was the Cessation of Arms with the Rebells in Ireland concluded by the Kings command for one whole year from the fifteenth of September 1643. at twelve a clock And because it was then and since charged home upon the Kings account and the effects of evil counsel we shall endeavour to lay down some Motives and Grounds inducing to the Cessation and the Articles themselves with the opinion of sundry of the Noblemen and Officers of the Kings Army there It was I confess the greatest Argument with which the peoples affections have been infected by the subtilty of the Contrivers of the Civil War of England The Kings neglect of his poor Protestant Subjects in Ireland Though we may remember his several Messages and Importunities to the Parliament in that business his Offer to engage his Person in that War his consenting to all Propositions for raising of Men and Money till it was evident that under colour of those Men and Money to quench that Rebellion were both imploied in kindling and maintaining the unnatural War at home nay the King grants his Commission to such as the Parliament named for managing the Irish affairs according to their own Instructions but none of them performed So then afterwards about November last 1642. the King had been advertised by the Privy Council in Ireland and by several Petitions and Remonstrances of all the principal Commanders and Officers of his Army there of the miserable condition of his Forces in want of Money Victuals and Ammunition Apparel and what not of either of which they were not like to be supplied from the Parliament of England that undertook for all The very Men
raised by the Kings Commission here for that purpose were imployed in the Army of General Essex These things were known in Ireland and the effects foreseen which encouraged the Rebells there in some hopes of Peace by the Protestants necessities if not it might be possible for some Pacification or Cessation To that end the Irish frame a short Petition to the King presented to the Lords Justices and Council there in the Name of the Roman Catholicks for to be heard to speak for themselves In the beginning of December after the Irish Committee petition the King at Oxford of the miserie and necessitie of that gasping Kingdom unless timely Relief were not his loyal Subjects must yield their fortunes a prey their lives a sacrifice and their Religion a scorn to the merciless Rebells Upon which Commissioners meet on both sides but so unsatisfactory that the Kings Lieutenant General there being troubled with the cavils and proceedings of the Rebells marched out in Feb. with two thousand five hundred Foot and five hundred Horse to force Victual from them for his Army not having received any Relief from England in four Moneths before so that in March 16. following the Lords Justices and Council signifie That the State and Army there were in terrible want and that unless Money Munition Arms Cloaths were speedily sent thither utter destruction and loss of that Kingdom must follow Instead of Redress the very Ships as were to transport thither Cloaths and Victuals from charitable people were seized and taken by the Earl of Warwick and endeavours here to draw the Scots Forces from thence into this Kingdom to assist the Parliament Whereupon the Marquess Ormond the Kings Lieutenant General there had the 31. of Iuly last Commission to agree of a Cessation for a year which was concluded at Singinston the fifteenth of September at twelve a clock for a year and confirmed by Proclamation of the Lords Justices and Council at Dublin the nineteenth of September 1643. Donough Viscount Muskery Dillon Plunket Talbot Barnwell and others were for the Catholick Subjects as they styled themselves The Articles are ordinarily the same as usual free Trade and Prisoners of War released And as a Gift to the King they ingage for thirty thousand eight hundred pounds to be paid as a Present to the Kings use at several Payments before May-day Then to justifie the necessity of the Cessation for the good of the Kingdom we finde an Instrument setting down the misery of the Nation and want in the Army It had been proposed to very many persons of Honour and others in the Army who framed a Writing importing all the former particulars and there conclude They for these causes do conceive it necessary for his Majesties Honour and Service that the said Marquess Ormond assent to a Cessation of Arms for one whole Year on the Articles and Conditions drawn up and to be perfected by virtue of his Majesties Commission for the preservation of this Kingdom of Ireland witness our Hands this fifteenth of Sept. 1643. Clanricard and St. Albans Roscomon Dungarven Brahazon Inchequin Lucas Ware Erule Hunks Paulet Eustace Povey Gifford Percival Warren Cook c. Upon the Rebellion and Troubles in Ireland and upon the Cessation of Arms there the King hath expressed himself with that clearness as to the satisfying of all malicious Aspersions which some men have endeavoured to charge upon him where he saith That the Commotions in Ireland were so sudden and so violent that it was hard at first either to discern the Rise or applie a Remedie to that precipitant Rebellion Indeed that Sea of Bloud which hath there been cruelly and barbarously shed is enough to drown any man in eternal both infamie and miserie whom God shall finde the malicious Authour or Instigatour of its Effusion It fell out as a most unhappie Advantage to some mens malice against me that when they had impudence enough to lay any thing to my charge this bloudie opportunitie should be offered them with which I must be aspersed although there was nothing which could be more abhorred to me being so full of sin against God disloyaltie to my self and destructive to my Subjects Some men took it very ill not to be believed when they affirmed that what the Irish Rebells did was done with my privitie at least if 〈◊〉 by my Commission But these knew too well that it is no news for some of my Subjects to fight not onely without my Commission but against my Command and Person too yet all the while to pretend they fight by my Authoritie and for my safetie I would to God the Irish had nothing to allege for their imitation agâ—â—st those whose blame must needs be the greater by how much Protestant-principles are more against all Rebellion against Princes than those of Papists Nor will the goodness of mens intentions excuse the Scandal and Contagion of their Examples But who ever fail of their Dutie toward me I must bear the blame this Honour mine Enemies have always done me to think moderate Injuries not proportionate to me nor competent Trials either of my patience under them or my pardon of them Therefore with exquisite malice they have mixed the Gall and Vineger of falsitie and contempt with the Cup of my Affliction charging me not onely with untruths but such as wherein I have the greatest share of Loss and Dishonour by what is committed whereby in all Policie Reason and Religion having least cause to give the least consent and most grounds of utter detestation I might be represented by them to the world the more inhumane and barbarous Like some Cyclopick Monster whom nothing will serve to eat and drink but the flesh and bloud of mine own Subjects in whose common welfare mine interest lies as much as some mens doth in their perturbations who think they cannot do well but in evil times nor so cunningly as in laying the Odium of those sad Events on others wherewith themselves are most pleased and whereof they have been not the least occasion And certainly 't is thought by many wise men that the preposterous Rigour and unreasonable Severitie which some men carried before them in England was not the least Incentive that kindled and blew up into those horrid Flames the Sparks of Discontent which wanted not pre-disposed fewel for Rebellion in Ireland where Despair being added to their former Discontents and the Fears of utter Extirpation to their wonted Oppressions it was easie to provoke to an open Rebellion a People prone enough to break out to all exorbitant violence both by some Principles of their Religion and the natural Desires of Libertie both to exempt themselves from their present Restraints and to prevent those after-rigours wherewith they saw themselves apparently threatned by the covetous zeal and uncharitable furie of some men who think it a great Argument of the Truth of their Religion to endure to no other but their own God knows as I can with Truth
Heels were their best Weapons of Defence which carried a few home again to their Quarters and others to Teuxbury now put under command of Sir Robert Cook by Commission from Waller The main Forces of the Kings party were drawn from these parts in Glocestershire towards Reading then besieged by the Earl of Essex and so Waller got freedom for a while and with some success without blows cried him up The Man of God and being now free not to defenâ— but to seek his Game he advances to Hereford with a thousand Horse and Dragoons assisted by Massie and the greatest part of the Lord Stamford's Regiment drew up before Bister's Gate on the North side of the Town aloof off and shot at Random untill Captain Grey with a party of Musketiers over the River towards Wye Bridg made shew there of an Assault and if need were to fall back to the Water side where Seconds stood to relieve them and it was time for the Town-horse â—allied out and drove them to a Church near Owen's Gate Massie this while draws up two Sakers against Wigmarâ—sh Gate the first shot pierced the Gate and strook off an Officers head behinde it and slew others following with other shot and scowring the Street they came to parley the whole day and the next to surrender the Prisoners were the Lord Scudamore Colonel Conesby and Sir William Crofts some Arms and Ammunition but the Souldiers this time of Parley got over Wye Bridg and went into Wales The Town compounded from Plunder and so deserted And so here as other where Waller seldom staid to endure any Siege of Surrender but with his Forces â—lew up and down no where to be found The next Attempt of these Forces thus combined flesh'd for any place came up before Worcester City viewed it for a day and a night but hastened away and some disorder at the noise of the Lord Capel's advance Then was Waller ordered to march to the West of England to prevent the joyning of Sir Hopton's Forces with the rest of the Kings Army and Sir Robert Cook was sent after him and Teuxbury slighted Massie in chief over Glocester who with an hundred and twenty Horse and Dragoons marched to Stow in the Wolds to beat up the Royalists Quarters and by break of day fell upon them took a Lieutenant and twelve Troopers Horse and Arms thence to Odington a Mile off and there surprized a Captain of a Troop with fourty Men and Horse but by this they were allarmed fell upon Massie's Rear near Slaughter with execution and having also Supply from Sudeley Castle charged Massie again at Andovers Ford which put him to dismount his Dragoons dividing his Men into three Bodies the Horse into the right and left Wing but looking back to bring them on he found them faced about and flying which put Massie to a pitifull shuffle amongst the Troops but came off with loss excusing that Design with the fault upon his new raised Forces Colonel Stephens with his Lieutenant and five and twenty Souldiers taken Prisoners and a dozen slain Stephens was forward enough but followed this Design unsent for and against Massie's desire who liked no partners in honour and so suffered him and his party to be led away Prisoners to Oxford where he died Sir Iohn Winter was now got up in good command for the King his House in the Forest of Dean in Glocestershire and of a sudden claps in a sufficient Strength of his own Confidents made it tenable and afterwards inaccessible as a Goad in the side of Glocester Garison and of terrour to all the Parliaments party thereabout for during this Sir William Waller in his March to the West was met with at the Devices and there defeated to the hazzard of his whole party casting these parts into a miserable plight the Parliament placing a great interest in the success of his Forces so that the King became Master of the Field and with his gallant Army came up to the Gates of Glocester Bristol yielded up the Earl of Essex's Army pined away Sir William Waller at London for fresh Forces the Earl of Stanford shut up within Exeter and now the Kings open Field had Campaigne from Cornwall to Scotland dividing his Army the one to besiege Exeter this other with himself come to Glocester The City and Castle of Bristol had been governed by Sir Thomas Essex for the Parliament against which Prince Rupert had made an Attempt but was called off upon other Designs Afterwards comes Col. Nathaniel Fines supplants Essex and hangs up several Citizens for intending to have delivered the same up to Prince Rupert But now the Prince at leisure sets down before it the twenty fourth of Iuly made some Attempt and had it surrendred after three days Siege It was in the very entrance of this War that the Parliaments Forces garisoned Coventry and had a squint eye upon such as were for the Commission of Aray Amongst many others Doctor Bird of the Civil Law was exposed to their scrutiny for his affection to the Kings Service and therefore the first man of note thereabout who under that score of Malignancy suffered the strange Justice by Plunder a new Name for a new Offence The Doctour took leave of his Habitation intending by the power of the Sword to repair his Losses and so soon as occasion offered he was intrusted with the garisoning of Ecclesâ—all Castle in Staffordshire belonging to Doctour Wright the Bishops See of Coventry and Lichfield with Commission to raise two hundred Foot and a Troop of Horse and to be Commander in chief there and the County adjacent subordinate to none but to the King and his Lieutenant General About April 1643. the More-landers Inhabitants so called from the low grounds in Staffordshire were got together into a Body not as yet for any cause and so not certain for any side untill Colonel Gell and others of his Faction took them up for the Parliaments Service and presently were called Gell's Brigade To suppress these the Garisons thereabout for the King drew out together viz. Colonel Bagot Governour of Lichfield Clâ—se Colonel Lane Commander of Stafford Garison and Captain Bird Governour of Eccleshall Castle and from each of these such â—en as could be spared met at a Rendezvouz four Miles from Stafford but their Enemy fled and these returned And that night was Stafford Town taken by treachery of one Stephens formerly Lieutenant Colonel under command of Colonel Cumâ—erford heretofore Governour of Stafford and high Sheriff of that County Stephens was now got to the Morelanders and being well acquainted with the Avenues into the Town surprized the place so suddenly that without any stroke of defence Lane and his Men as many as could escape by flight and others Gentlemen of good worth were seized and sent Prisoners to several places I shall not lodg any suspition or jealousie upon Lane because he saved himself and others suffered Stafford taken and
Close Committee For Subjects to make foreign Confederacies without their Soveraigns assent to invade the Territories of their undoubted King to go about by force to change the Laws and Religion established is grosse Treason without all contradiction and in this case it argues strongly who have been the Contrivers and Fomenters of all our Troubles No Covenant whatsoever or with whomsoever can justifie such proceedings or oblige a Subject to run such disloyal courses If any man out of Ignorance or Fear or Credulity have entred into such a Covenant it bindes him not except it be to Repentance Neitheâ— is there any such necessity as is pretended of your present posture your selves cannot allege that you are any way provoked by us neither are we conscious to our selves of the least intention to molest you Those ends which you propose are plausible indeed to them who do not understand them the blackest Designs did never want the same pretences If by the Protestant Religion you intend our Articles which are the publick Confession of our Church and our Book of Common Prayer established by Act of Parliament you need not trouble your selves we are ready to defend them with our Bloud If it be otherwise it is plain to all the World that it is not the Preservation but the Innovation of Religion which you seek however by you styled Reformation And what calling have you to refâ—rm us by the Sword We do not remember that ever the like indignity was offered by one Nation to another by a lesser to a greater That those men who have heretofore pleaded to vehemently for Liberty of Conscience against all Oaths and Subscriptions should now assume a power to themselves by Arms to impose a Law upon the Consciences of their fellow Subjects A vanquished Nation would scarce endure such Terms from their Conquerours But this we are sure of that this is the way to make the Protestant Religion odious to all Monarchs Christian and Pagan Your other two ends that is the honour and happiness of the King and the publick Peace and Liberty of his Dominions are so manifestly contrary to your practice that we need no other motives to withdraw you from such a course as tends so directly to make his Majesty contemptible at home and abroad and to fill all his Dominions with Rapine and Bloud In an Army all have not the same intentions We have seen the Articles agreed upon and those vast Sums and Conditions contained in them as if our Countreymen thought that England was indeed a Well that could never be drawn dry and whatsoever the intentions be we know right well what will be the consequents if it were otherwise no intention or consequent whatsoever can justifie an unlawfull action And therefore you do wisely to decline all disputation about it it is an easie thing to pretend the Cause of God as the Jews did the Temple of the Lord but this is far from those evident Demonstrations which you often mention never make Consider that there must be an account given to God of all the Bloud which shall be shed in this Quarrel The way to prevent it is not by such insinuations but to retire before the Sword be unsheathed or the Breach be made too wide you cannot think we are grown such tame Creatures to desert our Religion our Laws our Liberties our Estates upon command of Foreigners and to suffer our selves and our Posterity to be made Beggars and Slaves without opposition If any of ours shall joyn with you in this Action we cannot look upon them otherwise than as Traitours to their King Vipers to their native Countrey and such as have been Plotters or Fomenters of this Design from the beginning But if mis-information or fear hath drawn any of yours ignorantly or unwillingly into this Cause we desire them to withdraw themselve at last and not to make themselves Accessaries to that Deluge of Mischief which this second Voyage is like to bring upon both Kingdoms The Scots for a Moneth together have likewise spread abroad this slander That divers of the Nobility have lately deserted the King which the Lords of the Assembly of Parliament at Oxford took upon them to convince that in time to come there might not be left one Loop-hole of Excuse for this their Rebellion Directing their Letters To the Lords of the Privy Council and Conservatours of the Peace of the Kingdom of Scotland Our very good Lords If for no other reason yet that Posterity may know we have done our Duties and not sate still whilest our Brethren of Scotland were transported with a dangerous and fatal misunderstanding c. We have thought it necessary to tell you that when you are informed that the Earls of Arundel and Thanet and the Lords of Stafford Stanhop Coventry Goring and Craven are beyond Seas and the Earls of Chesterfield Westmerland and the Lord Montague of Boughton under restraint at London for their Loyalty and Duty to his Majesty and the Kingdom your Lordships will easily conclude how very few now make up the Peers at Westminster there being not above five and twenty Lords present or privy to these Councils And so they go on to give their Reasons why this Assembly at Oxford are dissenting and absent from Westminster being forced away by the Multitude of the meaner sort of the City Rabble of London and prosecuted by unparliamentary Debates and Votes without freedom or safety to their Lives And therefore we do protest against any Invitation made to the Scotish Nation to enter this Kingdom with an Army And we do conjure your Lordships by our common Allegeance under one gracious Sovereign by the amity and affection of both Nations by the Treaty of Pacification and by all obligation divine and humane which can preserve peace upon earth to prevent the effusion of so much Christian Bloud and the confusion and desolation which must follow this Invasion c. And therefore your Lordships may be assured we shall expose our lives and fortunes in the just and necessary defence of the Kingdom Engaging our Honours to be our selves most religious observers of the Act of Pacification and we hope to receive such an answer from you as may preserve the two Nations c. Your Lorships most affectionate humble servants And signed by all the Lords and Peers of the great Assembly at Oxford about sixty as before in the Roll aforesaid We will end this year with Prince Ruperts relief of that gallant Garison at Newark from the three weeks hot siege of Sir Iohn Meldrum for the Parliament wasting his Army from seven thousand to five thousand the manner was thus Prince Rupert being at West-Chester upon Tuesday night March 12. received his Majesties commands to march with all speed to the relief of Newark with four thousand Foot under five Regiments and four Colours and two thousand Horse and Dragooners Upon these Summons he made haste to Shrewsbury speeding away Major Legge General of the
not upon it 8. Psalm 114. 6. Yea I will pray yet against their wickedness for within a while I shall even pray in their miseries 9. Isai 63. 11. Israel remembered for He that is God remembered See Epist. Mund. East 10. Matth. 27. 9. Whom they bought of the children of Israel for whom the children of Israel valued See Gosp. last Lent 11. Luke 1. 28. Hail full of grace for freely beloved See Annunc 12. Luke 1. 48. The lowliness of his hand-maid for poor degree See Magnificat 13. 1 Cor. 9. 27. Should be a castaway for reprovable See Epist. Septuag 14. Gal. 4. 25. Agar in Arabia bordereth upon Ierusalem for answereth to Ierusalem that now is See Epist. 4. Lent 15. Phil. 2. 7. Christ was found in his apparel like a man for in shape as a man See Epist. last Sund. in Lent 16. Heb. 9. 25. The high Priest entred into the holy place with strange bloud for other bloud that is not his own See Wednesd before Easter 17. 1 Peter 3. 20. When the long-suffering of God was once looked for for The long-suffering of God abode or waited See Easter Eve XII Because it mis-applieth some places of the holy Scriptures to the countenancing of erroneous and doubtfull matters 1. Revel 14. 1. To those children whom Herod caused to be murdered whom the Collect calls Gods witnesses See Innocents 2. 1 Peter 3. 17. To the time that Christ abode in the grave See Easter Eve 3. Revel 12. 7. To Michael as a created Angel See Michael And then they protest before Almighty God That we acknowledg the Churches of England as they be established by publique Authority to be true visible Churches of Christ That we desire the continuance of our Ministery in them above all earthly things as that without which our life would be bitter and wearisom unto us That we dislike not a set Form of Prayer to be used in the Church and finally That whatsoever before written is not set down of any evil minde or with a purpose to deprave the Books of Common Prayer Ordination or Homilies but onely to shew some Reasons why we cannot subscribe to all things contained in the same What they protest now was otherwise concluded to confound it A brief Narrative of the Scots affaires from 1639. We may not conceal the valiant and admired Actions of the Kings affaires in Scotland under conduct of the most Noble Iames Marquesse of Montrose Earl of Kinkardin c. General Governour by Commission for his Majesty in that kingdom A Narrative wherein we may finde Montrose his judgement and ingenuity gallantry in person patience in travel evennesse of spirit in dangers quick in resolution his wisdom in counsels his excellent vertue in all things and to all men which his very enemies could not but afford him For while the Covenanters at the first in 1638. pretended preservation of Religion the honour and dignity of the King and good of the people He sided with them they all then engaging by solemn Attestation and Oaths never to move by force but by petition to their Soveraign In 1639. Montrose was their Minion to whom they spoke out that the Stuarts had governed too long and they would now be at liberty and would strike at the Head resolving to raise an Army and at Dundee the solemn Convention resolve to invade England but had it counsel six weeks before in which time they divulge in all the three Kingdoms their several Pamphlets Apologetical seting some gloss upon their intended expedition Montrose was absent whilst this was working and being returned and made acquainted with all was intrusted to command 2000. Foot and 500. Horse and his meer friends conducted 5000. more of this Army with intention on their parts to side with the King and at the River Tweed that separates both Nations Montrose was by lot to passe over first which he did on foot and his men followed by which and other his forwardness he shadowed his intentions of Loyalty and service to his Soveraign when opportunity should minister the occasion for now a pacification is concluded Another Scotish Army is raised and marching over Tine neer Newcastle the English Army come thither to oppose them retreated to York and gave way willingly for the Scots to possesse Newcastle and a cessation agreed upon and the Treaty began at London In this time the King at York receives private Letters from Montrose professing his duty and fidelity to the King nor did they contain any more but being stollen out of his pocket by the treacherous Scots of the Kings Bed-chamber and copied out were sent to the Covenanters The Army disbanded Montrose returned into Scotland joynes in League with some prime of the Nobility to defend the Kings Cause and so by a division which was his aim but betrayed to the Covenanters who joyning with the Parliament of England by solemn engagements designed Montrose his ruine They corrupt the Courtiers and understand that the King had writ Letters to Montrose quilted in the Messengers Sadle one Stuart servant to Traquair whom they seise at the borders of Scotland and rip out the Letters yet nothing therein but what became the best of Kings to write and the best of Subjects to obey Neverthelesse the Covenanters scattered abroad Tragicall Reports of Plots between the King and Montrose for the overthrow of Religion and ruine of the Kingdoms which their Mercenary Ministers made use of to winde and turn the mindes of the people the best way to promote their cause and Rebellion They seise Montrose on the suddain with Napier Lord of Marcheston and Sir Sterling Keer his kinsmen and friends into the Castle of Edenburgh The peace concluded and the King come into Scotland called a Parliament gives them their hearts desire but could not procure Montrosses tryal nor release till after the Kings departure towards the end of the year and Montrose retires to his own house The next year 1642. the Covenanters unmask on all sides the English raise Armes for a civil war the Scots are caressed who raise forces also to assist the Parliament of England and labour all possible means to win upon Montrose and offer him to be Lord General of their Army He holds off and privately with the Lord Ogleby comes with two Troops of Horse to the Queen newly landed out of Holland at Burlington in Yorkshire and discovering to her all the former passages and the danger of the King and that there was no other way of remedy but to resist force with force and to oppose their entrance into this evil But Hamilton now returnes out of Scotland sent thither by the King to appease the Scots with whom he traiterously combines and purposely comes to the Queen to deâ—â—oy Montrose his Counsels as rash and unadvised offering himself to pacifie the Scots and so returns home and Hamilton seems there active for the King as his chief Commissioner The Scotish Covenanters of themselves summon a
had their several successes and losses on each other recovered from suddain ruine by the assistance of either Allies their Colleagues for the French Swede and all the Protestant Princes against the Emperour and House of Austria who had the help of Spain with the most of Catholiques The Weymarians were well reinforced by the conduct of four Marshals of France with their French Troops and undertook to quarter in Bavaria and were thwarted by the Duke of Loraine whose sufferings from the French forced him to accept the Spanish Command he was accompanied with Iohn de Werde and the Baron of Mercy directors of the Cavalrie to spie out the enemy and in the end met with the Messieurs routed each quarter after other took the Marshals prisoners with four hundred Officers and one thousand common Souldiers without counting the pillage This defeat was as famous for the Spaniard and saved Bavaria from that storm intended and put the French to raise another Army under the same name Weymarian but with a new General for Guebriana was killed the day before the fight And this glorious battel takes name of Durling where it was disputed we shall not read of any such battels so memorable in this last age the first was in May and began the happy reign of Lewis 14 th The other in the end of November and these may stand parallel with those of Leipsick and Northingen the last year This Victory set up Lorain who was caressed into a treaty by the French without any fruit having been once at Paris to that purpose and abused back again to take revenge and marches away to the Low-countries takes Falconstia and leaves the Army to the brave Baron of Mercy who takes Rotweil and Uburling comes to Fiburgh and Brisquer where he meets with his match the Prince of Conde The Parliament having sent their Emissaries to the neigbour Princes and States to caress them for their friendships the King was careful likewise to satisfie them of the true cause of these differences And as they had sent to the King of Denmark so does he also by an expresse one Colonel Cockram with these instructions You are to inform the King â—f Denmark that by his Majesties command as to the nearest ally of his Crown his Unkle and who he believes will not be unconcerned in his affairs as well in interests as affections you are sent to give a particular account of the state of his Majesties affairs to renew the antient League and Amity between the two Kingdoms and Families Royal and to reduce it to more exact particulars such as might be useful to the present affairs of England and all occurrence of those of Denmark That the present affair of your negotiation is to demand an assistance from his Majesty such as the present state of the affairs of England requires against a dangerous combination of his Majesties Subjects who have not only invaded his Majesty in his particular rights but have laid a design to dissolve the Monarchy and frame of Government under pretence of Liberty and Religion becoming a dangerous precedent to all the Monarches of Christendom to be looked upon with successe to their design That the nature of their proceedings hath been such as hath not admitted any foreign treaty to be interessed in suppressing their design without giving them advantage of Scandaling his Majesties intentions and drawing away universally the hearts of his people whom they had insinuated under pretence of Reformation of particular abuses of Government and Ministers of Estate to concur generally with approbation of their proceedings and in which though the dangerous consequence aâ—d design were visible to his Majesty a present compliance was necessary lest any publick opposition on his Majesties part that might seem to defeat the great expeâ—tations which they had raised in the Commons in those plausible particulars might have occasioned a general revolt throughout the Kingdoms great jealousies being dispersed and fomented amongst them of his Majesties Foreign Treaties and Force to be used to oppose and suppresse those their desires and the movers therein Upon the credit they had herewith on the peoples opinions they proceeded under pretence of Reformation of Religion to disolve the Government of the Church according to its constitution in England a chief column and support to that Monarchy and Crown They lastly invaded his Majesty in all the prerogatives of his Crown and under pretence of ill Ministers and Councellours of Estate whom they pretended to remove endeavoured to invest in themselves in all times for the future the nomination of all Ministers of Estate and of his Majesties Family withdrew all his Revenue into their own hands and to confirm themselves in an absolute power of disposing His estate entred upon possessing themselves of the Militia of the Kingdom His Navy and Magazines in which his Majesty being forced to appear in opposition dangerous Tumults were raised against Him so that He was forced to forsake London for preservation of His Person His Queen and Children That since for the safety of the Queen He hath been forced to send her into Holland to retire Himself to the best affected party of His Subjects from whence by Declarations setting forth the sinister proceedings of that Faction discovering their designs of innovating the Government and falsifying the scandals they had imputed to Him He hath had the advantage generally to undeceive His people to draw to Him universally the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdom But the other Faction still keeping up some interest and credit with the Commons in the desperate estate they finde themselves begin to make head against Him have appointed a General and are levying Forces to maintain their party committing divers acts of hostility violence and Rebellion That his Majesty having great encouragements given Him by the exceeding numbers of Gentry and Noblemen that resort to Him is already advanced near them with six thousand Horse and ten thousand Foot That the States of Holland have condescended to give Her Majesty the Queen a convoy of the greatest part of their Fleet now at Sea for her â—eturn into England That divers Forts and Counties upon his Majesties personal appearance have declared for Him so that His affairs at home grow daily into abetter estate as he likewise expects and hopes that all His Neighbour Princes and Allies will not look upon so dangerous a president to their own Crowns and Monarchies without contributing to suppressâ— this so pernicious a design begun within His Kingdom That to give His Majesty the juster ground to reflect upon the dangerous consequences in relation to His own interest of their successe it hath been by them publickly moved in the Commons House long since to interpose in the accommodation of the Dutch and to set out a Fleet to take away His Customs of the Sound That they have since imputed to his Majesty as a ground to scandal Him with His people that he did
as many or if you shall finde that any way inconvenient to come in person that then your Lordship will appoint such or so many to meet with the like number from hence that may consider of all means possible to reconcile these unhappie Differences and misâ—understandings that have so long afflicted this Kingdom And for the securitie of your Lordship and those that shall come with and be imploied by your Lordship we do engage our Faith and Honour and do expect the same from your Lordship desiring withall your speedie Answer which must be a Guide to our Proceedings concluding that if this shall be refused we shall hold our selves justified before God and Men whatsoever shall be the Success so we rest From the Armie Aug. 8. 1644. Your Lordships humble Servants Maurice Thomas Wentworth Lindsey Lord Hopâ—on Nothampton Cleveland Thomas Blagge Joseph Bamfield Anthony Thelwel John Owen Thomas Stradling Robert Howard John Stocker Edward Porter Gilbert Armstrong Richard Nevil Thomas Pigot John Brown Ad. Scroop Amy Polard James Hamilton Richard Thornhill John Toping James Dundasse Giles Strangways R. Smith Ja. Cary Brainford Piercy Jacob Ashley Richard Cave Bernard Stuart Bernard Astley Theophilus Gilby William Leighton William Murrey Thomas Blackwell Thomas Bellingham Richard Page Bar. Jenkins Henry Miller Richard Fielding Thomas Weston Paul Smith G. Mouldsworth Phil. Honywood Thomas Culpeper William Leak Jo. Lunther Jo. Monk Cha. Fawlk Richard Samuel Arthur Slingsby George Goring Joseph Wagstaff Thomas Basset Charls Lloyd George Lisley William St. Leager Henry Lundsford Barth Pell Henry Shelley Thomas Paulet Thomas Kirton Anthony Brocher Devery Leigh David Stringer Ja. Mowbray Charls Compton Edward Not Alexander Standish Jo. Rideck Jo. Stuart Jo. Gambling Jo. Greenvile Arthur Henningham Ja. Haswith W. Maxwel And after his defeating Essex in Cornwall he writes from Tavestock To the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament C. R. It having pleased God in so eminent a manner lately to bless our Armies in these parts with success we do not so much joy in that blessing for any other consideration as for the hopes we have it may be a means to make others lay to heart as we do the miseries brought and continued upon our Kingdoms by this unnatural VVar and that it may open your ears and dispose your minde to imbrace those Offers of Peace and Reconciliation which have been so often and earnestly made unto you by us and from the constant and firm endeavours of which we are resolved never to desist in pursuance whereof we do upon this occasion conjure you to take into consideration our too long neglected Message of the fourth of July from Evesham which we again renew unto you and that you will speedily send such an Answer thereunto as may shew unto our poor Subjects some light of Deliverance from their present calamities by a happie Accommodation toward which we do here engage the word of a King to make good all these things which we have therein promised and really to endeavour a happie conclusion of this Treatie And so God direct you in the waies of Peace Given at our Court at Tavestock Sept. 8. 1644. These Messages were in his Marches the like he continues at his Return and setling at Oxford often times ere he could procure a Treaty as in dâ—e place here after in Ianuarie But as yet no endeavours of his could prevail and it hath been urged the jealousie of mutual confidence in eithers performance certainly the mystery was whether the King should trust to Essex and his Army or Essex to his and the difficulty might be how to advise in either It was said that Essex made some Overtures fair enough but how secure I shall not conclude Essex had it expresse in his Commission To take the King from his evil Counsel he urged therefore to be voluntarily trusted with the Kings person and the Kings Army to disband upon this assurance that then his Army being on foot he would not disband untill all things were performed to the general content and peace of the Kingdom So then the difficulty how to do what each party desired to be done kept on the War to the destruction of all Besides there was a providence or fate as we say therein which the Lord Digbie in a Letter calls His superstitious Observation concerning the hand of God in the cause of the Earl of Strafford 's death And the King from thence inferres in a Letter to the Queen That nothing can be more evident than that Strafford 's innocent bloud hath been one of the greatest causes of Gods just Iudgments upon this Nation by a furious Civil War Both sides hitherto being almost equally punished as being in a manner equally guilty but now this last crying blâ—ud being totally theirs I believe it is no presumption hereafter to hope that his hand of Justice must be heavier upon them and lighter upon us looking now upon our Cause having passed by our Fault The Estates of the Netherlands had sent their Ambassadours to the Parliament but not well instructed how to make their Address it took up some time for them to have new Instructions both for the Title of their Letters and Commissions from their Masters And so after these circumstances were setled they had Audience and being the first Address of note the Parliament referred it to a Committees direction which was upon the twelfth of Iulie the Master of the Ceremonies conducted them to both Houses apart and Chairs of State were set up for their repose one in the withdrawing Room by the House of Lords the other in the inner Chamber of the Court of VVards by the Commons where reposing a while they were brought to each House delivering their Embassie first in French and after in English in effect That the high and mightie States of the United Provinces had sent them to declare their earnest desire they had to interpose and mediate a Reconciliation of the Difference between the King and Parliament of England for which purpose they had already addressed themselves to his Majestie and were now come to declare it to the Parliament They further insisting upon the great effusion of Protestant bloud both in England and Ireland as a presaging inducement of their Desires to have a Peace accorded between the King and Parliament that so they might concur together for the Extirpation of Poperie and setling of the Protestant Religion in all the three Kingdoms and with the assistance of the States to defend it against all foreign powers The Ambassadours had received Letters from the Kings Court at Oxford intimating the Kings Successes in the North which the Parliament desired to correct and to evidence their Victories eight and fourty Colours of Horse and Foot were received from their Northern Commanders the Scots General the Lord Fairfax and his Son Sir Thomas and lay in their view in the House of Commons which was no otherwise resented than that they might as well have made the number
in the sight of Almighty God that I will not disclose nor reveale unto any Person or Persons whatsoever who is not a Commissioner any matter or thing that shall be spoken of during the Treaty by any one or more of his Majesties Commissioners in any private Debate amongst our selves concerning the said Treaty so as to name or describe directly or indirectly the person or persons that shall speak any such matter or thing unlesse by the consent of all the said Commissioners that shall be then living Memorandum That it is by all the said Commissioners agreed that this shall not binde where any ten of the Commissioners shall agree to certifie his Majesty the number of the Assenters or Dissenters upon any particular result in this Treaty not naming or describing the persons Upon the Kings former Message from Evesham Iuly 4. And his second Message from Tavestock Septem 8. and the consideration of the Parliaments late Propositions sent to the King at Oxford Novem. 23. which he Answered in the general the effect whereof produced an offer of the King for a Treaty so that at last it was assented unto and Commissioners appointed on all sides for the King and for the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland to Treat at Uxbridge the 30. of Ianuary The day came and after eithers Commission was assented unto the Kings Commissioners complain against one Mr. Love who preached in Uxbridge to the people that very day Thursday Market day Telling them that the Kings Commissioners came with hearts full of bloud and that there is as great distance between this Treaty and Peace as between Heaven and Hell With divers other seditious passages against the King and his Treaty It was Answered that Mr. Love was none of their Train and that they would present this Complaint to the Parliament who will no doubt proceed in justice therein who was sent to the Parliament and slightly blamed but grew into so much favour with a Faction and therein very bold that we shall finde him hereafter a Traitor and sentenced to be hanged drawn and quartered but had the favour of the Ax. The observable end of many such in these times Commissioners pro Rege Duke of Richmond and Lenox Marquess of Hertford Earl of Southampton Earl of Kingston Earl of Chichester Lord Capel Lord Seamour Lord Hatton Lord Culpepper Sir Edward Nicholas Sir Edward Hide Sir Richard Lane Sir Thomas Grandure Sir Orlando Bridgeman Mr. Io. Ashburnham Mr. Ieffery Palmer Doctor Stuard Commissioners pro Parl. Earl of Northumberland Earl of Pembroke Montgomery Earl of Salisbury Earl of Denbigh Lord Wenman Mr. Hollis Mr. Pierpoint Sir Hen. Vane Iunior Mr. Crew Mr. Whitlock Mr. St. Iohns Mr. Prideaux Lord Loudon Sir Charles Ersken Scots Commissioners Mr. Doudas Mr. Brackley Mr. Henderson Then they proceed to their Order of Treaty 1. concerning Religion 2. Militia 3. Ireland But ere the Treaty began this Paper was delivered in to the Commissioners of Parliament from the other for reconciling all differences in the Matter of Religion and procuring a Peace we are willing 1. That freedom be left to all Persons of what opinion soever in Matters of Ceremony and that all the penalties of the Lawes and Customs which enjoyn these penalties be suspended 2. That the Bishops shall exercise no Act of Iurisdiction or Ordination without the consent and Councel of the Presbyters who shall be chosen by the Clergy of each Diocess out of the Learned'st and gravest Ministers of that Diocess 3. That the Bishop keep his constant Residence in his Diocess except when he shall be required by his Majesty to attend him on any occasion and that if he be not hindered by the Infirmity of old age or sickness he preach every Sunday in some Church within his Diocess 4. That the Ordination on Ministers shall be alwayes in the Publick and Solemn Manner and very strict rules observed concerning the sufficience and other qualifications of those men who shall be received into holy Orders And the Bishop shall not receive any into holy Orders without the Approbation and consent of the Presbyters or the Major part of them 5. That competent Maintenance be established by Parliament to such Vicarages as belong to Bishops Deans and Chapters out of the Impropriations according to their value of the several Parishes 6. That no Man shall be capable of two Parsonages or Vicarages with cure of Souls 7. That toward the setling of the Publick peace a hundred thousand pounds shall be raised by Parliament out of the estates of Bishops Deans and Chapters in such manner as the King and Parliament shall think fit without the Alienation of any of the said Lands 8. That the Iurisdiction in causes Testamentary Decimals and Matrimonials be setled in such a manner as shall seem most convenient by the King and Parliament And likewise that Acts to be passed for regulating of Visitations and against immoderate Fees in Ecclesiastical Courts and abuses by frivolous Excommunications and all other abuses in Ecclesiastical Iurisdictions as shall be agreed upon by King and Parliament And if the Parliaments Commissioners will insist upon any other things which they shall think necessary for Religion the Kings Commissioners shall very willingly apply themselves to the consideration thereof But no Answer was given thereto The Parliaments Commissioners paper concerning Religion That the Bill be passed for Abolishing and taking away of all Archbishops Bishops c. according to the third Proposition That the Ordinances concerning the calling and sitting of the Assembly of Divines be confirmed by Act of Parliament That the Directory for Publick Worship already passed both Houses and the Propositions concerning Church Government annexed and passed both Houses be Enacted as a part of Reformation of Religion and Vniformity according to the first Proposition That His Majesty take the Solemn League and Covenant and that the Covenants be enjoyned to be taken according to the second Proposition To this was annexed the following Paper That the ordinary way of dividing Christians into distinct Congregations and most expedient for edification is by the respective bounds of their dwellings That the Minister and the Church Officers in each Congregation shall joyn in the Government of the Church as shall be established by Parliament That many particular Congregations shall be under one Presbyterial Government That the Church be Governed by Congregational Classical and Synodical Assemblies to be established by Parliament That Synodical Assemblies shall consist both of Provincial and National Assemblies Which Papers suffered three dayes of the Treaty in dispute The next three dayes were ordered for the Militia and was afterwards resumed for other three dayes Propositions concerning the Militia 4 February We desire that the Subject of England may be Armed Trained and Disciplined as the Parliament shall think fit That the like for Scotland as the Parliament there shall think fit An Act for setling the Admiralty and forces at Sea and
strength of Murray Rosse Sutherland Cathnes and the Sept of Frasers were ready to meet him with a desperate Army of five thousand Horse and Foot Montrose had onely fifteen hundred for those of Clanrenold and Athole men hoping no use of them got leave to go home with the Spoil of Arguile and to return when he had occasion this was his comfort he had Souldiers brought up to hardness the others new raised raw and rude Nay if Montrose could be made afraid Arguile with three thousand Foot was at an old Castle Innerlogh upon the bank of Logh-Aber Montrose meant to fight him first where he knew the Coward lodged and leaguer'd to see the Game plaid over by the Northern men But Montrose now thirty miles off seeks him out not the ordinary way but about through unknown by-paths monstrous to imagine and killing the Scouts came upon Arguile ere he was aware yet in a fright he was allarm'd it was Mid-night but Full Moon light as day by which they skirmished whilest Arguile was got in a Cock-boat ready to quit all The Morn was Candlemas day and by the Sound of Montrose's Trumpets a sign that he had Horse though unusual there the Arguile's Sirname began the Battel but the common Souldiers in the front after once Discharge began to run when with a Shout eagerly pursued the rest were routed and ran all 9. miles upon execution fifteen hundred slain the chief of that Name fell in Campo Belli in the Field of War I cannot say in the Bed of Honour in that Rebellion and such as could be saved he used courteously and sent them home They did not fight but fly so as of Montrose's men but three killed and many hurt amongst whom was Sir Thomas Oglebey Son to the Earl of Arley of which he died after He had done good Service in England under his Father in Law the Lord Ruthen Earl of Forth and Branford and this Victory ended this year but opened a way to Montrose for future Victories The Queens industry in France had laboured out a Design of some Assistance from the Duke of Lorain who was at leasure with a rambling Army and Money in his Purse to do somewhat for any body and with Reputation to himself he thought not amiss to treat with the Queen of England now in the French Court at Paris and he with his Forces about Colein Much trouble there was in earnest which way to pass to the Water-side whether through France or Holland then where to land in England Westward or Northward But the Cardinal Mazarine was too wise for either he went on in Richlieu's former Rode to increase not to amend the English miseries and so the King was abused in the help from Lorain though it held on in hope the next year The King had treated with Denmark whose natural affection to him by bonds of affinity intended his assistance but he became suddenly imbroiled in his home-affairs by the ambitious success of the Swedes in Germany and so in their conquering condition fell upon Denmark upon the credit of that great Astrologer Ticho Brahe who had foretold That the good King Christian should be driven out of his Kingdom and that this mutable fate shouldâ— fall upon him 1644. The Design of the Swede was sudden in a word to snap some Ships and Barques at Anchor in the Haven and so entered into the Isle of Fune and craftily rendered themselves Masters of all unawares without a blow The King of Denmark strucken with amazement at this Invasion instantly gives notice to the States General at the Hague but the cause he could not unless that of Ambition and Treachery in a Neighbour Nation but we may ghess the reason and it was thus The good King Christian for so he was esteemed always endeavoured by solicitation to mediate the Mischiefs of Germany and to interpose his Arbitration as yet Neuter both Enemies accept him Umpire and the place Munster and their Ambassadours to meet there and in the mean time the Emperour was induced to withdraw his Garison from Wolfenbotel rendering the Town to the Duke of Luneburgh the Swede grew jealous of their cause to intrust it with the Dane as more affectionate to the Empire and so minding to be afore-hand sends no Ambassadour but marches with his Army into his Territories and hires Ships and Sâ—a-men in Holland General Torstenton for the Swedes advanceth into Holstein surprizes Kiel and with ease and speed seizes Iutland onely the Isle of Fune was made defensible the Approaches intrenched and Torstenton repulsed there The Dane on the sudden gets together a little Fleet which lay before Getenburgh prepares more Ships and Men and implores assistance from his Friâ—ns on all sides complaining of this treacherous Invasion without cause given or pretended and that in time of peace and kindness from this King but on the sudden the Swedes had surrounded their Adversaries and another of their Generals Coninxmark takes the Arch-bishoprick of Bremen belonging to the King when he was Prince so that the good old man hâ—d but two Islands left him Zeland and Fune and at Sea the Swedes had hired Vessels from Holland under Martin Ties whom yet the Dane drove into a Neighbour Port. The King was as full of courage as age threescore and seven years old and now his own Admiral himself in the fights and bloud round about him whose example exhorted all and forced the Swedish Fleet with â—ull sail to fly to the Haven of Kiel then comes the King a shore and becomes his own â—eneral by land waging the War by Skirmishes the Swedes having got the strong place Christian Pries leaving the King but two more Gluckstat and Cremp When in comes Gallâ—sso from the Emperour and arrives at Oldesto enters Hamburgh and Lubeck Treats with the Danâ—â— against the common Enemy the Swede The French Mediatour was the Ambassadour Monsiâ—ur de la Tuillerie his Outward Errand was so but his aime was otherwise to undoe the House of Austria by any means Richlieu's Maxime bequeathed to Mazarine The Dunkerkers took part with the Dane not willing to let goe the Sound a prey to be divided between the Hollander and Swede and so to give leave to all Traders into the Baltick Sea to which the King inclined and with those helps to attach his Enemies on all sides Now were the Politick Agents set on work to serve the Interest of their respective Masters French and Holland joyned Arguments against all Allies to deter the Dane from doting on the Emperialist ayd and so to endanger his amity with all other Potentates Enemies to that ambitious House of Austria During disputes on Land the Swedes Fleet got loose into the main Sea which cost Admiral Galdie his head for suffering their escape And the King Marches with sixteen thousand men all Germans into Scaâ—â— and there to give Gustavus Horne battel but the French Tuillerie seeing the odds against his Masters interest steps in between
respect to my self whatever is whispered to the contrary that hath made me thus long omit to declare my readiness thereto it being not unknown to divers men of Honour that I had resolved it after the action of Glocester but that some importunities pressed on me with arguments of publick advantage and that by those of unquestionable affection over-ruled me therein I now do it and return my Commission into those hands that gave it me wishing it may prove as good an expedient to the present distempers as some will have it believed which I shall pray for with as hearty a zeal as any can desire my doing this which I now do I think it not immodest that I intreat both Houses that those Officers of mine which are now laid by might have their debenters audited some considerable part of their Arrears payed them for their support and the remainder secured them by the publick Faith and that those of them that remain questioned may be brought to some speedy trial whereby they may receive either the punishment or justification that is due to them under which notion I remember onely three of whom I must testifie that they franckly and couragiously have adventured their lives and lost their blood for the Publick and that with continued fidelity for ought ever I could observe My Lords I know that jealousies cannot be avoided in the unhappy condition of our present affairs yet wisdome and charity should put such restraints thereunto as not to allow it to become destructive I hope that this advice from me is not unseasonable wishing my self and my friends may amongst others participate the benefit thereof this proceeding from my affection to the Parliament the prosperity whereof I shall ever wish from my heart what return soever it brings me I being no single example in that kinde of that fortune I now undergoe Good man little dreamed he heretofore to be so soon discarded being lately caressed from the King and the whole body of that Army offering to him the wayes and means of reconciliation and peace then in his power which indeed was some reason of his remove To tamper with an Enemy gives cause of suspition from those that imploy him and in truth they found him honourable and honest We say no more but they mistrust him and he comforts himself Not to be the single example of eminent Persons of this kinde and fortunes No we need not wander much out of the way to fetch a President from his Father for tampering with Tyrone he forfeited his head not long after Indeed Denbigh was neglected and Manchester was wise and saw how the world went biassed with desperate design to undoe all as they imagined But upon these surrenders the Lord calls a conference with the Commons and conclude this Declaration Whereas the Earl of Essex Earl of Manchester and Earl of Denbigh had this day in the House of Peers laid down their Commissions the House did declare that they did esteem it an acceptable service in this conjuncture of time and as an evident demonstration of the fidelity and care these three Lords had to the publick and therefore desired the House of Commons to concur for payment of their Officers arrears And a Committee was chosen to consider of gratifying those Lords for their former faithfull service Which when it shall come to their Receipt I shall not fail to remember the summons of their reward But not to trouble your expectation I shall take leave at this time to sum up his future condition He retired out of the publick apparance unto Eltham House in Kent where his melancholy disposition contracted into a Fever of which he dyed at London September 24. 1646. Of whom more particular in that due place and time The Earl of Warwick also surrenders his Commission of Admiral and that Office intrusted to Commissioners six Lords and twelve Commons they are named the Earls of Essex Northumberland Pembroke Warwick the Lords Say and North. But the Commons did the work the others for names sake onely Sir T. Fairfax in a Triumphing March sets out of London towards VVindsor his Army being compleat but stayed for the finishing the great Ordinance For discharging the Members of Parl from all Offices Military and Civil which indured notable debates ere that the Houses could concurre in each particular the substance thereof was That all and every the Members of either House shall be discharged at the end of fourty daies after the passing of the Ordinance of all their command Military or Civil conferred by Parliament since the 20. of November 1640. That all other Governours and Commanders not Members by Land or Sea shall continue in their Offices wherein they were intrusted the 20 of March 1644. Provided and excepted that Lieutenants or their Deputies in the several Counties Cities and Places or of any Custos Rotularum or Iustices of Peace or Sewers or any Commission of Oyer and Terminer or Goal Delivery And also that those Members of either House who had Offices by Grant from his Majesty before this Parliament and were by Him displaced before the sitting of this Parliament and have since by the Parliament been restored shall not be discharged from their said Offices or Profits thereof but shall enjoy the same April 3. At this time came forth a grievous complaint of a scandalous Pamphlet as they call'd it in Print Entituled A Character of a London Diurnal fathered by Mr. Cleveland of St. Iohns Colledg in Cambridg and appears say they a precious piece of wit in the eyes of Malignants I shall not thereby confess my self to be one if I commend it But did ever any man read more mistaken stuff forced together then what may be found in the Diurnals News Books of that time we hope that this History shall not be arraigned by those Texts The King continues at Oxford Garison but hath all things in readiness to march out for the City was hard beset by the Parliaments Forces the two Princes Brothers with Goring Hopton Gerard and others are all met at Bristol to confer about the war The Forces of Greenvile and Dorington continue blocking up of Taunton in the West Langdale hath lately relieved Sir Winter's house in the Forest of Dean and beat of Col. Massey with great loss Lieutenant General Cromwel and Waller follow the Western war and are now about Salisbury Skippon about Buckingham Brown about Abbington Brereton in Cheshire And the Scots sent unto by several Messengers to march Southwards the North being well cleared But the General Fairfax quartered at Windsor Lieutenant General Cromwel with a Brigade of but eleven hundred Horse had fallen upon the Kings Horse under the Command of the Earl of Northampton and part of the Queens Regiment at Islip Bridge neer Oxford and had taken four hundred Horse two hundred Prisoners the Queens Colours and those that escaped fled to Blackington House where Colonel Windebank kept a Garison for
testimony thereof if it shall please you to expresse it to us wherein we may be useful to the States our honoured neighbours and Predecessors in the like sufferings Sir Iohn Winter was up again and obtains from Prince Rupert two thousand Horse and fifteen hundred Foot and so manages his business as drawes all Glocester Forces upon him marching to Westbury quartering within a mile of Winter but then Massie not able to do much against six thousand Horse and Foot drove after the rear of their march and attending their motion with petty Forces of fifteen hundred Horse and Foot and some Forces from Northampton and Warwick was got to Lidbury whither came a part of the Army within half a mile of the Town to surprize or summon it Massie commands his Horse to mount and marches off the Foot that the Cavaliers right or left wing might not get before him which they endeavoured by sending one party to the Towns end to keep him play whilest two other parties fetched a compass on either hand but Massie was enforced to entertain the other with several changes Here was Backhouse mortally wounded Massie's Horse shot under him but Prince Rupert plyed him so close that Massie drawes off retreats and then flies a sore day to Massie being in the instant of surprize but escaped Here the Prince being to form sufficient powers summons the County to this Protestation as the Parliament had done in the like President That they believe no power of Pope or Parliament can depose the King and absolve them from their natural obedience to his royal person and Successors that the two Houses of Parliament without the Kings consent have no power to make lawes or to binde or oblige the Subjects by their Ordinances that they believe the Earls of Essex and Manchester Sir Thomas Fairfax and Sir William Waller together with all such as have already or shall hereafter take up Arms by Authoritie or Commission from the Members of Parliament at Westminster pretending to fight for King and Parliament doe thereby become actual Rebels and as such ought with all their adherents and partakers to be presented and brought to condigne punishment That they will never bear Arms in their quarrel but will if they be thereto called assist their Sovereign and his Armies in the defence of his Royal person Crown and Dignity against all contrary Forces to the utmost of their skil and power and with the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes That they will not discover the secrets of his Majesties Armie unto the Rebels nor hold any correspondence with them and all designs of theirs against the Kings Armie for the surprizing or delivering up of the Cities of Hereford or Worcester or any other of his Majesties Forts they shall truly discover unto those whom it shall concern so soon as it comes to their knowledge That his Majesties taking up of Arms for the causes by himself so often declared in Print is justly necessary That they shall endeavour all they can to hinder popular Tumults Risings Rendezvouz Meetings Confederacies and Associations of the people Townes Hundreds and Counties which are not warranted to Assemble by his Majesties express Commissions and in the sence he means it and that they detest from their hearts the seditious and traiterous late invented National Covenant and protest never to take it All these particulars to vow and protest sincerely to observe without Equivocation or mental Reservation This was conceived by the people very just and reasonable for it was a Riddle to the meanest understanding for the King to fight against those that pretended to fight for him This Protestation therefore taught them how to distinguish that the Parliament borrowed the Kings name to amaze the people Prince Ruperts Army the main rest of the Kings affairs draining Garisons and taking in to him the lesser Brigades Colonel Goring's Brigade passed from Bristol over Severn to the Prince at Hereford And now Rupert drawes thence the Infantry and Artillery lay between Worcester and Bewdly commanded by Sir Iacob Ashly whilest Rupert and Maurice with the Horse and some select Foot fetcht off the King from Oxford assisted also with Goring's Horse and Dragoons who left his Majesty at Stow and marched back over the Hills into the West through the Glocester-shire Borders Glocester association in much want received three hundred and fourty Auxiliaries in two Troops from the Grand Garison Newport Paynel out of Buckingham-shire and with all thâ—se and their own were hardly able to keep their Counties from daily distresses surprizal and imprisonments Sir Iohn Winter having with much resolution and providence maintained his House Lidney a Garison against several assaults of his Adversaries and now called away to publick service into the body of the Army and not willing to leave his House a prey to his Enemies advantage deserted and fired it having weakened his adverse party round about and left them nothing to live upon naked and ruined And now comes a larger supply of Horse to Glocester from the remainder of Colonel Beke and Dalby's Regiments commanded by Major Baller and so was enabled for some enterprize Evesham had much distressed VVorcester hindering the Parliaments Committee for establishing that County Massie therefore drew forth before it with five hundred Foot from Glocester and two hundred from VVarwick who belonged to the VVorcester Committee with a strong able Brigade of Horse and summoned Colonel William Leg Governour of Evesham to make a speedy surrender of the Garison with all Persons Arms Ammunition and Provision which he there held against the King and Parliament and the Iustice of them both Or upon the refusal to expect such Iustice as Fire and Sword would inflict To which he received this Answer You are hereby answered in the name of His Majesty that this Garison intrusted to me I will defend so long as I can with the Men Arms and Ammunition therein being nothing terrified with your pittifull summons perceiving that you are a stranger and slenderly acquainted with our strength and resolution not admitting any further Treaty but you to do your worst The Assault was to be made upon each part of the Town VVorcester side was to be stormed in five places and one place of the Bridge on the other side of the River The commanded parties of the Foot were lead on by the several Captaines and seconded by the Horse divided into three Bodies After the disposition of the Design and the night spent in Alarms the signal was given a little after break of day when Horse and Foot fell on both together in a furious assault broke up the Pallasadoes filled the Grafts with Fagots made sundry passages recovered the works and stood firm on the Parapet whilest the Musquetiers from within played furiously on the Assaylants The Foot having recovered the shelter of the Ditch beat off them within got up by Scaling Ladders stood upon the breast Works and some entered but were bravely
beaten off and afterwards were driven on again by the Horse up to the top of the Works where they stood firm and fired but then again beaten off by the violent charge of the Horse within until a party of the Assaylants Horse on that side drew up close and having a small breach made for their entrance fell in and beat off those within from that Bulwark this while another Party had made a breach and entred near the Bridge and now they tumble over the Works on all sides and charge up both Horse and Foot with equal gallantry bore down those within and mastered the Garison This Conflict was hot and difficult for almost an hour and maintained by the Garison with wondrous courage and resolution The Assaylants lost many men two Officers and a dozen private Souldiers there and in other places more than they within The Prisoners taken were about five hundred of whom two Colonels one Major thirteen Captains and other Gentlemen Reformadoes The evening before the assault about a hundred Horse were sent to keep off any approaching Horse from Worcester and kept guard five miles from Evesham faced a Party of Horse who gave the Alarm to Worcester where they finde four great Guns to summon the County This was Massie's last action to take leave of his Government at Glocester where he did very diligent and acceptable service but was evil requiâ—ed by the Parliament and after other publick actions took his farewell at London and got over beyond the Seas taking part with the Royalist against the Parliaments designs ever after to this day And hereupon it was ordered by the Parliament that Master Luke Nurse Maior of Glocester Alderman Singleton and Colonel Blunt or any two of them shall have the command of the Garison of Glocester and of the Forces and Garisons in Glocester-shire as Colonel Massie had untill the appointed Governour come down there or the Parliament take further order The King marching as we said towards Chester the fear of his approaching made Brereton quit the siege and so the Kings Work being done wheeled about and sat down before Leicester and after sumons not long about it with great courage in an instant fell to storming the last of May the first news whereof sends away Fairfax thither leaving the siege of Oxford to Brown onely for Cromwel is gone to the Isle of Ely his old Garison to order them into a frame But Leicester though not able to withstand the potency of the Kings entrance yet they held fight for three hours in the Market-place having their Cannon at the cross to oppose the Assaylants But being overcome were killed the Committee men imprisoned the Scotish Reformadoes and Dalbin's men slain Major Emis Barchly and some others fled and escaped to Rochingham Castle The Governour Colonel Gray and Hacker taken Prisoners and much Ammunition and Plunder of the Town sent to the Kings Garisons thereabout as Newark Belvoir Ashby de la Zouch This was a notable advantage to the Kings affairs for the present and gave him good cause to say in a Letter to the Queen I may without being too much sanguine affirm that since the Rebellion my affaires were never in so hopefull a way And thus it seemed to the Parliament themselves and therefore Fairfax is sent for out of the West who comes to Newport Pagnel Cromwel from Ely their Forces about Oxford called off opened that City to more Elbow room All the Forces of the associated Counties are called into a Body with the help of the Scots also and all to Rendezvouz at Brickill Friday the 5 of Iune and Scouts sent out who bring word of the Kings being about Daventry And now was Cromwel called for who by the late Ordinance was near his time limited to quit the field and to come to counsel the civil affairs in Parliament But there was need of his valour and interest in the Army and therefore Fairfax beseeches the Parliament to spare his return and to Authorize his continuance in the Army as also to Commission him Lieutenant General of the Horse and Skippon ordered to draw the form of a Battel for now they meant to fight Whilst the King drives the Countrey of Cattel and Plunder and sends all to his Garison of Oxford Himself and Army now near Northampton Fairfax at Geslington the Scots come down to Notingham And so near each Army to other that the twelfth of Iune their Forces Skirmish with equal successe and sufficient to Alarm each other for now they mean to fight The King continued about Daventry and quartered upon Burrough-hill Fairfax is come within four miles at Gilborough advancing directly upon the King who was abroad not a Hunting as is surmized and the Souldier not very careful having expected the Enemy and took leasure to have them nearer And now take Alarm towards night and there it rested till the next day But Fairfax rides about his Guards at midnight heedful to observe and coming to an Horse Quarter he had forgot the Word Excusing himself to be their General and desired the Centinel to give it him who refused to take notice of any mans person nor to give but to take the Word and so the General was stopt in a great shower of rain till he had aid from the Captain of the Guard to give the Word to the General for which judgement and discretion the Centinel was preferred but this was in the dark night The Duke of Buckingham Lord General and Admiral was so served at Portsmouth his brave Fleet ready to disembarque there He would needs skip from Dinner with his Courtiers about him and to 〈◊〉 a sight at Sea but mounting the Works was charged to stand till a Corporal was called who took him by the Coller set his Sword point to his breast and carried him prisoner to the Guard without any respect or reverence to his person indeed the Duke was angry for by that stop he lost his desire and of which he complained to the Governour who said himself would have done so and to make all friends the Corporal was well rewarded About five a clock in the morning Iune 13. the King drew off from Burrough Hill towards Harborough and Pomfrait that if the Enemy followed they might fight him at more advantage further Northward but Cromwel is come in from the Associated Counties and brings six hundred good Horse and Dragoons and bids them draw out to Battel each one ordered to his Port. The Van of the King was at Harborough the Rear within two miles of Naseby It was midnight when the King raises Prince Rupert quartered near hand and calls a Councel of war and all conclude speedily to give Battel and because Fairfax had been thus forward on his way the King resolved not to stay for him but to finde him out And Saturday Iune 14. Fairfax had marched from Gelling towards Nasebie and by the morning sun-shine might see the King puting his Army
the Scots Horse and Dragoons at Bewdly then marches to Tedbury and Ashburn and Skirmishes with Sir Iohn Gell and soundly beat him and took Prisoners then he comes to Welbeck-House August 16. But the Club-men increase numbers of several bodies in the Western Counties and are met with by Lieutenant General Cromwel disputing to have their men returned who were lately taken at Shaftsbury and Mr. Newman the Club Captain threatning that ten thousand men of that Gang were gotten together in Wilts and Dorsetshire and resolving to secure themselves from Plunder Cromwel talks little as to any other satisfaction but suddenly sets upon a party of them about Hamilton Hill near 2000. gotten together within an old Trench To whom he sends a Forlorne of fifty Horse but were answered with Bullets then a second Message and a third but seeing no other Answer could be expected he draws out the General Captain Lieutenant to reduce them to reason And whilest these dispute a narrow passage Major General Desborough wheeled about to their Rear beat them from their Works with some Execution upon a score of them hurt many and took 300. prisoners 14. of August and sends them to Sherburn the main Sticklers were Tubmen-preachers and other such like Ministers Nor would this Defeat suppresse the Fury for now they march formidable being to chuse their party and although this Encounter hapned yet I finde they are caressed for their Interests and their best plea was for the Kings Cause but did not declare pretending this while to be Neuters The Parliament therefore being put to it and considering the dangerous consequence publish an Ordinance against the Malignant Clubmen in several Counties That it shall be held Treason for any person to convene and Assemble together in a Warlik posture in any parts within the power of the Parliament without the directions and approbation of Parliament or some Authorized by them giving Authority to their Forces to seize such men and their Leaders to condigne punishment The King had a Flying Army not certain in any place nor whether he intended but mastering where he came Alarm'd his Enemies who while they consult to joyn Forces he is gone otherwhere doing his work as he went worsting his Adversaries and forcing Contributions thereabouts So that the Parliament were amazed how to give directions to their Forces abroad And of a sudden we finde him surprizing Huntington which he enters on Sunday afternoon in Service time with little resistance at the Bridge and to their cost that kept it the Captain and Lieutenant and most of his men slain and the Town submitted to a Ransome 24. August From thence he marches to Cambridge Forced the Town and Skirmished then to Owborn and by the way fined St. Ives 500. l. his Forces marched in several Brigades and did their Enemies much mischief Himself marches to Doucaster his way to Oxford 28. August Where he findes many missing some of his Nobles very Right Honourably run away to the Parliament being inticed it seems by the late Propositions for peace sent to his Majesty that all such should be received upon payment of the tenth part of their Estate Which allured them to come by scores and yet the word received did deceive them imagining that all comers should be so received no such matter fo the most of them of Estates were clapt up having no passes for the sence of the Propositions did not serve their turn Then finding their Error they get Passes so numerous from the Parliaments Forces that the Commons increase their Fine to these Conditions Such if they come not in by the first of December next shall pay the fifth part and those that were to be received on the payment of the third part shall pay the halfe of their Estates The King states not long at Oxford Factions and self interest guiding the most of their affairs and therefore he being well recruited gets out again to Wales and was at Ludlow 29. Septem and from thence he marches towards the Relief of Chester seriously beset by Brereton and others of long time And Major General Poins with a party of Horse appointed to attend his Majesties motion Skirting his Rear to take up what fell to ground in a wearied march some lame Horses which are reckoned to be his Life Guard The King came near to Chester Poins hastens his pursuit presumeing to fight upon hope of help from the Besiegers who did the work So then on Bauton Heath two miles off Chester there the King makes a holt to provoke the other who now engaged was soon worsted and forced back gave ground and retyred with much loss and had been more near his ruine but then in the Interim comes Colonel Iones and Lauthian with 500. Horse and 300. Foot drawn off from the Leaguer with this Signal the report of two great Guns which gave some encouragement to Poins to Rallie so the King was beset Rear and Front with fresh men and over-powered also with great number retreated into Chester the Town much weakened by the Batteries the Mines ready for springing and to fall on to Storming the King takes leave and marches thence into Wales again After the taking of Sherburn Fairfax calls a Councel of War and resolve to besiege Bristol governed by Prince Rupert and sufficiently well conditioned He sets down the 24. of August and thus enquarters Ireton with a Brigade of four Regiments of Horse one of Dragoons and five hundred Foot undertakes that side next Glocester and Fairfax the other side his Head Quarters about Cheere Rupert suddenly Sallies out and worsted his Enemy ere he was settled fires Bedmister and some Blindes being houses in the Suburbs in Temple-street His Forces are sufficient well furnished with provisions for food and fighting and yet he disarms the ill-affected for Fairfax increased in men by the assistance of the Clubbers who came opportunely to joyn with him and instantly fell upon a Fort near the Town called Porteshead-point and with much losse had it rendred at last with six pieces of Ordnance one Demi-culverin and 150. Arms the Garison about fourty men upon Conditions to march home It is a Fort of consequence commanding the Ships and Boats of the Rivers mouth so that 7. of their Ships entred Severn safely and Anchored in Kings Rode to block up that side Fairfax thus fitted commands a Fast and afterwards to Storm But sends to Rupert to surrender and to save bloodshed and hazard to the City His first Answer was to have time to send to the King but that refused he declines a Treaty but to make short work sends Propositions upon which he will surrender in effect Every man to march away in the height of Honour with their Arms flying Colours Drums Trumpets c. and as much Powder and match as they can carry about them with Bagg and Baggage Horse Arms ten Guns fifty Barrels of Powder c. and lastly the Lines and Fortifications slighted
so well furnished with able Horse as the other This fight was made Octob. 15. Colonel Sanderson was here taken Prisoner and soon exchanged for Colonel Slingsbie And here was taken Digbie's Cabinet and therein all those Letters concerning the Irish affairs and the Marquess of Ormond which are bound up together with those of the Kings at Nasebie But most of those Letters were indeed taken here being the Duplicates of the Originals For Digbie was sometime Secretary of State And indeed here were other Letters also of late date bewailing his low and decaying condition since Nasebie fight and evermore advises Ormond to make peace or cessation with the Irish Rebels But however he in person is to come over speedily to the King with all the Ammunition and Forces that he can command leaving the rest and the Rebels to dispute the quarrel together Promising Ormond to be rewarded and preferred to any dignity if the King prospers But if my undertakings succeed ill he and the rest of his Friends and Followers will have the honour to dye nobly in an honest cause In another Letter upon occasion of Prince Ruperts advice of a Treaty the King checks him for it wonders he was so much misled and tels him that to condescend lower than his terms at Uxbridge would be as bad as a submission which the will never do so long as he lives And in another Letter of late date at Newark Octob. 10. The King declares the ground of his coming to Newark rather than any other Garison being the most unlikely to be besieged Colonel General Poins being he saies much broken with pursuing him that he hath the greatest strength there to break out upon any occasion and to get to Montrose who by an express gave him to understand that his condition and late Rout at Philipbaugh was not so great as was reported but he was in a hopefull way to do his Majesty more service by an addition of Forces from Kilcan which were coming to him and be able to assist the King But Digby was met with at Carlisle Sands routed and he â—led to the Isle of Man and thence to Ormond in Ireland Indeed the King was staggering and unstable in his resolutions what to do which the Court observed and so mistrusting each the other a wonder it was what a wildeness possessed his affairs His Councellors endeavouring their own respective Interests which he saw plainly and therefore declined them and took up his trust with such as he could finde for his purposes which now began to be desperate and daily worse and worse His Armies separate without order or dependancy of Council at home or directions abroad so that now no supplies hopefull for his Garisons they were bought and sold onely some slight defence for the purpose thereupon to surrender them with the better colour Not a day passed but such News came Post to the Parliament being wearied with giving rewards to the bringers These Garisons in this moneth Bristol Farley Castle the Devises Laicuk house beaten at Rowton Battel Berkly Castle Winchester Basing Sherburn fight Tiverton taken Langford Shelford house Balton Castle Beeston Castle Belvoir Castle and other Garisons so hard beset as no hope of relief Newark Oxford Dennington Exeter and others Latham Hereford Dartmouth Poulderham not possible to hold out And to increase the Kings discontent upon these mishaps his friends fall out before his face At Newark it was thus Digby being gone as you have heard North-wards and out of the reach of revenge General Gerard said he was a Traitor and had done the King great dis-service The Lord Bellasis lately made Governour there in the place of Sir Richard VVillis took Digbie's part highly against the opinion of the two Princes Rupert and Maurice with divers others that stood for Gerard. In fine they fell to parties and to their swords But to this hubbub being at the end of the Feast which Bellasis made The King comes in to the fray unfortunate even in the Proverb and parts the fight but increases the fewd by siding for Digby For upon further debate of this business the two Princes Rupert and Maurice General Gerard the Lord Hawley Sir Richard VVillis late Governour of Newark and some hundreds more Gentlemen of quality one sayes 400 had laid down their several Commissions and were retired to VVorton House within fourteen miles of Newark standing upon their Guard and subscribing to a Declaration that if they can procure their Pass beyond Seas they will engage their Lives and Honour never to return and take up Arms against the Parliament and send to Colonel Rositer this their Resolutions and by him had their desires sent up to the Houses And that the Princes had sent Sir William Valentine Colonel Osbourn and some others to Treat with Colonel General Poins therein by whom they write Letters to the Parliament in all their behalfs and signed Rupert and Maurice To which the Parliament incline and give Rositer Order to grant them their Pass to London and from thence beyond Seas and this was done upon the late Ordinance That all Persons going beyond Seas by Warant of either Houses and afterwards returning take up Arms against the Parliament shall have neither pardon nor quarter given them by the State 28. October But the King is gone from Newark to Oxford guarded with 300. Horse who upon their return back were routed by Poins Thursday 6. Novem. And the same day he sits down before Belvoir and Summons the Governour Colonel Sir Iervas Lucas who returns this smart Answer SIR I am no lesse distrustful of Providence then you are and was not placed here by the King to surrender to Rebels and for the effusion of blood you mention the crime will be your own not mine Therefore I will not give you an inch of ground which I am able to maintain with my Sword in spight of all your attempts made against this place and your servant 21. Novem. Jervas Lucas This angered Poins who fell upon their Out-works took them by Storm and the Stables and Out-houses putting all to the Sword but with extream losse of his own many slain and divers wounded Together with those lye the Springs and Well that water the House which is closely besieged with a resolution to starve not to Storm it And indeed after four moneths suffering the House and Castle was delivered up to Poins the 2. of February with as honourable conditions as could be desired And the next day Sir Iervas and his Lady with their Officers and others 200. with a Convoy for six daies to attend them to Litchfield It was the fourth of December before the Countess of Darby could be enforced by these two years siege last past to render Latham House to the Parliament upon these Conditions The Governour Officers and Souldiers to passe out either to Tidbury or Ashby de la Zouch And not long after viz. the 18. of December was that stout
without the House of Lords We the Commons c. remembering that in the beginning of this War divers Protestations Declarations Suggestions c. were spread abroad by the King whereby the sincere Intentions of the Parliament for the publick good were mis-represented and so no need of a present War which is otherwise apparant by discoverie of the Enemies secrets and Gods immediate Blessings and Successes upon the Parliaments affairs and which Mistakes for some time had blemished the justice of this cause that if the Enemie had prevailed how dangerous the consequence would have been is now apparant And now notwithstanding Gods blessing on all our Endeavours Forces and Armies c. there are still the same spirits though under Disguise putting false constructions upon what hath already passed the Parliament as upon the thing under present Debate begetting a belief That we now desire to swerve from our first grounds aims and principles in the undertaking this War to recede from the solemn League and Covenant and Treaties between us and Scotland and that we would prolong these uncomfortable Troubles and bleeding Distractions to alter the fundamental constitution and frame of this Kingdom to leave all Government of the Church loose and unsetled and our selves to exercise the same arbitrary power over the persons and estates of the Subjects which this present Parliament thought fit to abolish by taking away the Star-chamber High Commission and other arbitrary Courts and the exorbitant power of the Council Table All which c. though our former actions are the best Demonstrations of our faithfulness to the publick yet if mis-believed may involve us into new Imbroilments We do declare our Endeavours are to setle Religion according to the Covenant to maintain the fundamental Rights of the Kingdom the Liberties of the Subject to desire a well-grounded peace in the three Kingdoms c. In effect Concerning Church-government we having so fully declared for a Presbyterial Government having spent so much pains taken up so much time for setling of it passed most of the particulars brought to us from the Assemblie of Divines called onely by us to advise of such things as shall be required of them by the Parliament and having published several Ordinances for putting the same in execution because we cannot consent to the granting of an arbitrary and unlimited power and jurisdiction to near ten thousand Iudicatories to be erected within this Kingdom and this demanded in a way inconsistent with the Fundamentals of Government excluding the power of Parliaments in the exercise of that Iurisdiction nor have we yet resolved how a due regard may be had that tender consciences which differ not in any Fundamentals in Religion may be so provided for as may stand with the Word of God and the peace of the Kingdom And let it be observed that we have had the more reason not to part with the power out of our hands since all by-past Ages manifest that the Reformation and purity of Religion and the preservation and protection of the people hath been by Parliament and the exercise of this power our Endeavours being to setle the Reformation in these Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches and according to our Covenant Concerning a peace which is the right end of a just VVar to that purpose both Houses of Parliament have framed several Propositions to be sent to the King such as they hold necessary for the present and future safety of this Kingdom some of which are transmitted to our Brethren of Scotland where they now remain whose consent we doubt not to obtain since the Parliament of England is and ought to be sole and proper Iudg for the good of this Kingdom wherein we are so far from altering the fundamental constitution and Government of this Kingdom by King Lords and Commons that we onely have desired that by the consent of the King such powers may be setled in the two Houses to prevent a second and more destructive VVar not judging it wise or safe for the pretended power of the Militia in the King to have any authoritie in the same for the future introducing an arbitrary Government over this Nation and protecting Delinquents by force from the justice of Parliaments the chiefest grounds of the Parliaments taking up Arms in this Cause We do declare we will not interrupt the ordinary course of Iustice nor intermeddle in cases of private interest And as the Parliament have already for the benefit of the people taken away the Court of Wards and Liveries and all Tenures in capite and by Knights Service so we will take special care for the peoples ease in Levies of Moneys and in reducing Garisons Lastly whereas both Nations have entered into a solemn League and Covenant and Treaties between us concluded which we shall and have duly performed that nothing be done to the prejudice of either of them presuming that the good people of England will not receive prejudicate opinions by any forced constructions of that Covenant which is only to be expounded by them by whose authority it was established in this Kingdom April 18. But in great regret the Parliament order that the Preface to the Pamphlet intituled The Scots Commissioners Papers and the stating of the Question about the Propositions of Peace was this day burnt by the Hangman April 21. At length of time the eleventh of Iuly the tedious Propositions are finished and sent to the King by the Committee Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery and the Earl of Suffolk Mr. Goodwin Sir Iohn Hippesley Mr. Robinson and Sir Walter Earl The Propositions in general are these 1. That his Majesty would pass an Act for the Nulling of all Oaths Declarations and Proclamations against the Parliament of England of Scotland their Ordinances or their Adherents 2. The King to swear and sign the Covenant and an Act for the three Kingdoms to swear unto 3. An Act to take away Bishops and their Dependents 4. To confirm by Act the Assembly of Divines at Westminster 5. To settle Religion as the Parliament shall agree 6. In unity and uniformity with Scotland as shall be agreed upon by both Parliaments 7. An Act to be confirmed against Papists 8. Their Childâ—en to be educated in the Protestant Religion 9. And for Levies against their Estates 10. Against saying of Mass in this Kingdom 11. And in Scotland if they think fit 12. For observation of the Lords Day against Pluralities Non-Residents and for Regulating the Universities 13. That the Militia of England Ireland and Wales by Sea and Land be in the hands of the Parliament for twenty years and the like for Scotland and to raise Moneys for the same and to suppress all Forces raised in that time without their authority against all foreign Invasion Provided that the City of London may enjoy their Privileges to raise and imploy their
hath to dispose of the King of England if he were in Scotland That he came voluntarily and continues voluntarily That the Scotish Armies are not tied to be subject to the Resolutions and Directions of the either Kingdom but of both jointly The Scots say It is a fundamental Right and Libertie c. That none can without consent impede or restrain the Scotish King from coming amongst them to perform the Duties of a King Under which the Scots cover over their act of Admission and Reception of his person And in opposition to the Votes of Parliament the Scots say It is one thing what the Parliament of England might have done in another Cause and War before their Engagements and Covenant it is anther thing what ought to be done after such Conditions and Ties imposed c. That the ends of the Covenant are not to be prosecuted by the two Kingdoms as they are two distinct Bodies acting singly but they were united by solemn Covenant made to Almighty God and by League each to other as one entire Body to prosecute the Cause That if the Scotish Army should deliver up his Majesties person without his own consent c. this act of the Army were not agreeable to the Oath of Allegeance obliging them to defend his Majesties person from all harms and prejudices nor to the solemn League and Covenant which was not intended to weaken but to strengthen the mutual Allegeance c. whom therefore the Scotish Army cannot deliver to be disposed of by any others at pleasure The Scots do assert That the King coming voluntarily to their Army they cannot in duty deliver him against his will to the two Houses of Parliament without the consent of the Kingdom of Scotland The place of the Kings Residence is at his own Election in either of the Kingdoms as the exigence of affairs shall require and as he shall think fit or else must be determined by the mutual consent and advice of both Kingdoms And much more to this effect which was scoffingly answered somewhat impudently in a Pamphlet intituled An unhappy Game at Scotch and English wherein says the Title their Scotch Mists and Fogs and Gain-sayings their Iuglings their Windings and Turnings hither and thither backwards and forwards and forwards and backwards again their Breach of Covenant Articles and Treaties their King-craft present Design against the two Houses of Parliament and People of England their Plots and Intents for Usurpation and Government over us and our Children detected discovered and presented to the view of the World as a dreadfull Omen Allarm and Warning to the Kingdom of England Then follows Scripture-proof Ier. 5. 4. And although they say the Lord liveth surely they swear falsly Hosea 10. 3. They have spoken words swearing falsly in making a Covenant thus Iudgment springeth up as Hemlock in the Furrows of the Field EDINBURGH Printed as truly as the Scotch Papers were at London by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty and are to be sold at the most solemn Sign of the two Houses of Parliament 1646. Then in the Pamphlet he recites a pretended Argument of the Scots Argument The two Houses of Parliament have voted the Disposal of the Kings person as they shall think fit Ergo The Scotch Armies may not deliver up his person to the said two Houses for fear of harm to his person Which Argument he retorts upon them thus Argument 1. My gude Lord Lesley says he came to Monsieur Montril Ambassadour for France residing at Southwell there to commune with the King Ergo My gude Lord Lesley fell down on his knees resigned up his Sword and laid it at the feet of the King and then received it again of the King Argument 2. My Lord of Northumberland and Sebran the French Agent looked through an Hedg and the one saw the other Ergo They two are both nigh of a kindred Now having says he sent you a pair of brave Scotified Arguments wee 'l throw an English Bone after them for your Armies to gnaw upon Argument Sir John and the King are skipt on the Colt of an Ass. But the King and the Scots have agreed on their Lots Ergo When the King hath got all hee 'l turn our Brethren to grass And so runs on in an impudent jearing non-sense way not able to answer the reasonable Arguments of the Scots in that point But of this Injury the Commissioners complain to the Parliament and had no Remedy It was the eighth of December before the Money could be procured for the Scots Army raised out of the Sale of Bishops Lands and other the Lands of the Church for from that Sacrilege they must have their Rewards and Payment of the first two hundred thousand pounds upon these terms viz. That the two hundred thousand pounds is to be told at York and one hundred thousand pounds thereof to be paid at Northallerton within five Days after it is told That when that Money comes to Topcliff the Scots shall give Hostages that they shall quit all tâ—â—ir Quarters Possessions and Garisons on the South side of Time and of Newcastle and Tinmouth with all the Arms c. within ten Days upon which performance the Hostages to be redelivered Upon the Delivery of the Garisons on the South side of Tine and Newcastle Tinmouth c. the Kingdom of Scotland shall have Hostages upon re-delivery of theirs for assurance that the other one hundred thousand pounds shall be paid on the North side Newcastle within a Mile of the Works within eight Days after the quitting Newcastle Tinmouth c. and all the Forces to be drawn on the North side of Tine Upon the Delivery of the other hundred thousand pounds on the North side of Newcastle our Hostages to be delivered to us And upon the coming of the Money out of Newcastle Hostages are to be delivered to us That their Army do march out of the Kingdom Barwick Carlisle and the Garisons of Scotland slighted within ten Days after the Payment and the Hostages then to be delivered back For the Payment of the other two hundred thousand pounds the Scots Commissioners desired That it might be paid out of the sale of Delinquents Estates or setled by some other particular security But the Parliament would give no other security but the Publick Faith of the Kingdom for the same Nine hundred pounds was allowed to the Tellers of this first two hundred thousand pounds Sixteen thousand pounds were allowed for the Charges of the Carriages and conveying this two hundred thousand pounds to York which was just six and thirty Carts laden from London the sixteenth of December And instantly an Ordinance passed in Parliament That all such persons as shall hereafter raise Forces against the Parliament of England or either House of Parliament or their Forces shall die without mercy and have their Estates confiscated What Mass of Moneys were issued out by Parliaments Order for although they had all in
obvious to every body why it is fit for me to be attended by some of my Chaplains whose opinions as Clergie-men I esteem and reverence not only for the exercising of my Conscience but also for clearing of my judgment concerning the present difference in Religion as I have at full declared to Mr. Marshal and his fellow Minister Having shewed them that it is the best and likelyest means of giving me satisfaction which without it I cannot have in these times whereby the distractions of this Church may be the better setled Wherefore I desire that at least two of these Reverend Divines whose Names I have here set down may have the liberty to wait upon me for the discharging of their Duty to me according to their function Charles Rex Holmby 17. Feb. 1656. Bish. London Bish. Salisbury Bish. Peterborough Dr. Sheldon Clerk of my Closet Dr. Marsh Dean of Yorke Dr. Sanderson Dr. Baily Dr. Haywood Dr. Beal Dr. Fuller Dr. Hamond Dr. Tayler For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore c. The Guardians Commissioners had two of their own Ministers Mr. Marshal and Mr. Caryl who undertok the King but so lamely as that they may be said to halt after Henderson And truly the King rather pittying then despising them and would never be perswaded to hear their preachings nor overswayed with their Councel The Guardians had kept a bounteous house it seems and were soundly chidden by the Parliaments Letters for spending the States Revenue so fast and therefore for want of better work they are very busie to new Model his Majesties litle Family into lesse and by degrees to none at all His hard condition to be minced meat and drink out of his own We may not omit the Remembrance of that worthy learned Lawyer Mr. Serjeant Glanvile mightily persecuted for malignancy of being of the Kings party Imprisoned in several durances and lastly of long time committed to the Tower two years without any charge at all against him he is now released upon Bail and this justice was done to him by the favour of the Lords House to which the Commons had been alwayes and now was dissenting We may observe that he had been hardly used heretofore in the beginning of this Kings Reign for not consenting to some passages of State and then sent to Sea which he humbly endured with patience and Loyalty And now also his Conscience bearing witnesse he suffers for his Sovereigns sake faithful to his principles The King having no Answer concerning his Chaplains writes again for them to come and comfort him It being now seventeen daies since I wrote to you from hence and not yet receiving any Answer I cannot but now again renew the same And indeed concerning any thing but the necessary duty of a Christian I would not thus at this time trouble you But my being attended with some of my Chaplains whom I esteem and reverence is so necessary for me even considering my present condition whether in relation to my conscience or a happy settlement of the distractions in Religion that I will slight divers kindes of censures rather than not to obtain my demand nor shall I wrong you as in this to doubt the obtaining of my wish it being totally grounded upon Reason For desiring you to consider not thinking it needful to mention the divers reasons which no Christian can be ignorant of for point of Conscience I must assure you I cannot as I ought take in consideration those alterations in Religion which have and will be offered unto me without such help as I desire because I can never judg rightly of or be altered in any thing of my opinion so long as any ordinary way of finding out the truth is denied me but when this is granted I promise you faithfully not to strive for victory in Argument but to seek and submit to truth according to that judgment which God hath given me alwaies holding it my best and greatest conquest to give contentment to my two Houses of Parliament in all things which I conceive not to be against my conscience or honour not doubting likewise but that you will be ready to satisfie me in reasonable things as I hope to finde in this particular concerning the attendance of my Chaplains upon me Charles Rex Holmby 6. March For the the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore To which the Parliament give Answer That all those the Kings Chaplaines are disaffected to the Established Government of the Church and have not taken the Covenant but for others that have if his Majesty please they shall be sent to him This troubled the King to be denied such as every Christian hath liberty to choose their Ghostly Fathers Spiritual Comforters This makes him complain When Providence was pleased to deprive me saies the King of all other civil comforts and secular Attendance I thought the absence of them all might best be supplied by the attendance of some of my Chaplains whom for their Function I reverence and for their Fidelity I have cause to love By their Learning Piety and Praiers I hoped to be either better enabled to sustain the want of all other enjoyments or better fitted for the recovery and use of them in Gods good time so reaping by their pious help a spiritual harvest of Grace amidst the thorns and after the plowings of temporal crosses The truth is I never needed or desired more the service and assistance of men judiciously-pious and soberly-devout The solitude they have confined me unto adds the Wilderness to my temptations for the company they obtrude upon me is more sad then any solitude can be If I had asked my Revenues my power of the Militia or any one of my Kingdoms it had been no wonder to have been denied in those things where the evil policie of men forbids all just restitution lest they should confesse an injurious usurpation But to deny me the Ghostly comfort of my Chaplains seems a greater rigor and barbaritie then is ever used by Christians to the meanest Prisoners and greatest Malefactors whom though the justice of the Law deprives of worldly comforts yet the mercy of Religion allows them the benefit of their Clergie as not aiming at once to destroy their Bodies and to damn their Souls But my Agony must not be releived with the presence of any one good Angel for such I account a Learned Godly and Discreet Divine and such I would have all mine to be They that envy my being a King are loth I should be a Christâ—an while they seek to deprive me of all things else they are afraid I should save my Soule Other sense Charitie it self can hardly pick out of those many harsh Repulses I received as to that Request so often made for the attendance of some of my Chaplains I have somtime thought the Unchristiannesse of those denials might arise from a displeasure some men had to see me prefer my own Divines
of this Synod is to have meetings and Counsels together and are able to draw their brethren Pupils of their Faction as servum pecus slavishly yet with much zeal to voice as they please for their ends These prime men of God are almost deified by the Commons and are honour'd by the subtil and cunning Nobles and Gentlemen caressed and invited principal Guests to their Ladies and Wives And therefore however this Church Government pretends purity it is protestatio contra factum And Mas Robert Bruce was so attended into Edenburgh which occasioned King Iames to say Bruce intends to be King and to declare himself heir to King Robert the Bruce and it may easily be so believed if we confer the story of Mas Bruce his carriage with King Iames being seriously asked by the King whether upon his coming to the Crown of England he might not redeem the Roman Catholicks of Scotland Angus Huntly and Arrol in point of State security and give them a pardon and to restore them to their honour and Lands Bruce answered you may pardon Angus and Arrol but not Huntly Nay said the King rather he then they he my kinsman and friend doe as you think fit replyed Bruce you shall not have me and Huntly both for you see the story and yet this man was but a Minister at Edenburgh The General Assembly the great and high Sanhedrim the last resolution of faith the ultimate decision of all Controversies Infallibilitie the Jurisdiction universal concerning Ecclesiastica Ecclesiasticos and all Temporalia in ordine ad spiritualia It hath an Independent Soveraignty immediately from Christ to punish in Estate Life or Body in Life and death The King is to be Excommunicable and every Individual person whatsoever is to concur to compel censure punish dethrone un-King to kill c. It is composed of Commissioners from all the Presbyteries each Presbyterie sending two preaching Elders and a Lay Elder Every Corporation one Commissioner The Universities send Commissioners Lay-men and Graduates in Liberal Arts and Sciences The King is a Member Personally or Virtually and Representatively He hath one voice affirmative only Some hold he is there Princeps membrum some say he sits there as the Representative of the Civil body of the Kingdom and hath power to keep the peace there He may have four or five Assistants for advice whilst matters are in debating but in Vote he hath only one voice and that Affirmative only not Negative and is bound to put it to execution though against his conscience for Potestas juris is radically in the whole Assembly the King having but potestatem facti to be an Executioner Rei judicatae The King presides they say but so that it is only civilly in his civil capacity He cannot propose any thing Spiritual the Moderator must He cannot hinder the proposing of any thing concerning the Kingdom of Christ for then it were no free General Assembly Nay if the thing proposed be Spiritual and twisted with things civil and so endanger a change and distemper in the State and Government or danger to the King or Crown the Moderator or any Commissioner only hath power to propose and to determine it and that for God and Christs glory And observe that the proper Moderator should be a Preaching-Elder though we have noted before how Laymen Buchanan Melvil and Bruce have been Moderators but a Lay Elder cannot be Moderator Here is the Legislative Power the Soveraignty of Christs Kingdom the highest Tribunal and Judicatory of Christ upon Earth from which no Person no Officer no condition of Creature is priviledged from it no appeal They indict the Assembly by their own power Necessarily once a year they meet This Assembly vindicateth to it self only authoritativè within the Church of the Kingdom and Nation Yet consensivè and charitativè to extend to all Churches in the World what ever it be that concerneth fidem cultum Regimen c. credenda agenda And in ordine ad Spiritualia they will give the King Laws repeal his Laws command obedience to theirs otherwise Excommunication follows and if he neglect that then they incite inferiour Magistrates Nobles and Commons to order him compel and force him He is in a worse condition under this Soveraignty then under the Pope who is but One these a multitude And in this Assembly the Lay Judges Elders are de jure divino in the highest points of Faith Worship c. and have Vocem deliberativam vocem decisivam and to give Normam fidei cultus politiae what shall we say now to that of the Councel of Chalcedon Concilium Episcoporum est c. and that old verse Ite for as Laici non est vobis locus ici By the power of this Assembly all things there done are animated with a Potestative power by the influence which these Orders received from that Legislative power Christ hath intrusted them within his Oeconomical Kingdom They are above the King and his Soveraignty Their constant Tenet That if the King Queen Regent or Protector of the people or any other in whose person Soveraignty is fixed or will not submit to this holy Scepter any man or men are bound to doe it at their direction Representatively by a Fiduciary trust One of their own says that there is no authority above the Brotherhood No Magistrate may lawfully maim or deform the body of Christ the Church no lawful Church Government is changeable at the pleasure of the Magistrate of necessity all Christian Magistrates are bound to receive this Government Another says That what the holy Brotherhood cannot obtain by suit and dispute the people must bring it to pass The Scots maintain Religion may be reformed or preserved by violence if the King will not the Nobles may if neither of them will the people must Inferiour Magistrates and people may joyn every Individual in this good work may and ought to their utmost power intend and endeavour Reformation they have Texts of Scripture for all of Phineas who killed the Adulterers of Ehud who slew Eglon of Iael who killed Sisera of Matthias who killed a Iew for committing Idolatry and who in the same zeal killed the Kings Commissioner and all to be done in zeal as they fancy to God and his Cause All well affected may Covenant and Combine for doing this work The Confederates may by themselves give Orders of Reformation without the Authority of Soveraignty The have protested in Scotland against King and Parliament contemned Soveraign Authority usurped Royal power renounced their lawful Soveraign command all the Brotherhood to be assistant Denounce War against their Adversaries hear of no peace but enter combination for mutual defence Depose the Queen Regent And for Presidents of all or any of these we may have them in the History of Knox. In a word so absolute so incontroleable is this high Celestial Court that it commandeth conscience and Soul disposeth of Body and Estate that if you conform not to their
Tyranny neither Soul Body nor Estate can be in peace Of their Government in practice the Scotish Form of Church-government hath been studiously endeavoured of many men by importunity of divers Petitions to the Parliament to be established in England upon pretence of the Solemn League and Covenant but the Parliament hath artificially declined that establishment by ordaining Commissioners in every County to superintend the Presbyteries and to receive Appeals from them and by reserving the supreme power of the last sentence in themselves and from this their Ordinance the Scots could never remove them The reason of this great difference in judgment between persons so considerable is by considering the Frame of it as it is set down in that Model of Discipline contained in their Psalm Book and in the two Books of Discipline and the Confession of their Faith by which we may see the Inference and the Evidence to be pernicious to Civil power grievous to the people and destructive to the common peace And first of the power of their Government 1. They challenge a power absolute and independent of the King to convene in Assemblies at their own pleasure time and place 2. Book of Discipline cap. 7. 2. They claim power to make Constitution Ecclesiastical without the Christian Magistrate ibid. 3. To abrogate the Laws of the Land touching Ecclesiastical matters if they judg them hurtfull or unprofitable ibid. 4. The civil Magistrate must be subject to their power 1. Book Discip. cap. 7. so that all the power they allow the civil Magistrate in Church affairs is onely to be the Executioner of their Decrees 5. It is true they hold that to disobey or resist any lawfull Authority is sin whilest they pass not the bounds of their Office and from hence no doubt the Inference is good but see the dangerous Consequence at this time in the general disaffection of Regal power supposing them to have no other Drift than to clip the Wings of Sovereignty a gross Mistake for whosoever shall be invested with that civil power which shall be taken from the King be it in the Parliament or in any other Protection must succeed him in the enmity which this Presbyterian power will exercise against the civil power against the civil Magistrate in common when it complies not with them So that if they have a minde to call a general Assembly though the King and Parliament finde it needless inexpedient dangerous as the times may be they will over-rule and must be obeyed and all their Constitutions and Canons yielded unto or to repeal all Laws concerning the Church If opposed by King and Parliament they will incite the people against them 6. If the civil Magistrate punish not with Death whom they think deserve it the Church may excommunicate the Offender not onely for his Crime but as suspect to have corrupted the temporal Judge and so the Judge hereby deâ—amed See their Psalm Book 7. They determine that the temporal Magistrate before the Statute is bound to punish Adultery with Death by Gods own Law If this be true why are we not bound to all the Judicials of Moses to punish Theft not with Death but Restitution besides others touching Inheritances Purchases and other temporal things which would confound our temporal Laws 8. They hold it unlawful for the Civil Magistrate to pardon capital Offenders 1 Book Discip. cap. 9. which puts such a Tie upon Soveraign power as robs them of their noblest vertue Mercy inclining Offenders to be desperate 9. They exact it a Duty in the Magistrate to maintain the Ministry with his own Rents if need require and themselves being Judges of this need if the Minister be not relieved out of the Kings Rents they may warrant his Subjects to take Arms against him 2. Book Discip. cap. 10. In a word they may deal with all civil causes for a spiritual end as the Pope expresses In ordine ad bonum spirituale and these Presbyters In ordine ad bonum Ecclesiae The persons in whom this power is placed are partly of Ministers who admit no superiority but a parity and partly of Lay Elders who joyn with the Minister in the Government of the Kirk and all Government and Discipline is exercised joyntly by them by plurality of Voices in the several Parishes who are subordinate to a Classis made up of the Ministers and Layâ—Elders of the Parishes within the bounds thereof as the several Classes are to the Provincial Assembly consisting of Ministers and Elders out of every Classis within the Province and Provincial Assemblies are in like manner subordinate to the National Assembly chosen out of all the Provinces in the Kingdome and this National Assembly acknowledgeth no Superiour upon Earth Now if the Presbyterian power it self be so pernicious as it appears in several particulars expressed in their Book of Discipline surely to put it it into such hands as by this Model it must needs make all impartial men averse from it 1. For first it admits of no superiority but requires a parity of those that govern of manifold inconvenience The Resolutions in publick and private affairs will be very slow The difference of Opinions and Interests is like to breed Factions and Contentions often corrupt and Reason and Experience teach us that amongst many Equals popularity will make some one Leader of the rest and he will offend more than any Bishop laying the blame upon others 2. Secondly the mixture of Lay-men and Ministers is like to breed Emulations whilest each one sides with his own Order against the other and men grosly ignorant in Divinity must be Judges of Doctrine and others submit to their Judgement who neither know right nor are willing to do it for where the minde that should rule is weak the corrupt passions that should be ruled break into all disorder These men must be trusted with others souls besides their quiet Reputation and Purses exposed to blinde Malice Revenge Envy Covetousness Partiality Insolence 3. The kindes of persons to be chosen Lay Elders we shall finde them to be either for activeness or greatness the active men in a Parish have commonly neither wealth wit nor honesty and thereby likely to bring all to confusion If great men in Estates or Honour they may use that power to enthral their Tenants Husbandmen and Yeomen of England to the same slavery as that sort groan under in Scotland 4. 'T is true Appeals seem to give Remedy but see the trouble and charge from Parish Session to the Classis thence to the Provincial Assembly thence to the general Assembly and then to the Parliament and there to a Committee to examine thence to their Report and there it may lodge till you have Relief Never And lastly if this Church-government be in the hands of Ministers and Lay Elders of ten thousand Parishes and the State see it necessary to alter it to another Form they shall never be able to wrest this power out of
Kings cause the danger of the Kingdome and after all to beseech a conference with Montrose But he returned answer with peevish scorns Wherefore Montrose resolves to surprise into reason Therefore in depth of Winter the last of December he marches through Angus over Gransbaw hills and so with a few men he comes direct North into Sâ—ratbogge where Huntly kept in hold but with wondrous cunning escaped to his Castle Bogye upon the mouth of the River Spey that runs North and South Thither posts Montrose with two men and so disguised rushes in and salutes him Where they confer and over-mastred with Montrose's reason and perhaps loyalty to his Sovereigns cause they agree and shook hands in earnest Huntlâ—y to pass over the Spey and fall down into Murray Land South-West Montrose to march Southwards on the East side to Strath-spey and then suddenly to meet and Besiege Innerness a Garison in the North of Murray Land on the Sea Coast above the great Lake Nessa which was near froze And his two Sons Alboin and Lewis coâ—firmed friendship and obedience hereto upon the most assurance by oath that could possible be given from men of Honour and by force of fair means to draw to them the Earl of Seafort Montrose accordingly Marches with his Forces towards Innerness and sends Patrick Graham and Dromond to raise the whole men seven hundred who were put to it for the Arguile Party and others were fallen upon the Mack-Gregories and Mack-Nubies who sided with Montrose with fifteen hundred men Having already fired a Town in the Lakes and besieged Ample Castle from which they are forced by the Athole men and pursued but Face about and fight and being Routed fly and many slain and so return to Montrose Of whom we take leave till we meet the next year The Foraign Affairs speak the surrender of Dunkirk to the French the tenth of October and the same day the news was carried to the King and Queen Regent newly arrived at Paris from Fountain-Bleau the Spaniards have now but three Haven Towns in Flanders Newport and Baukerber which are not fit for greater Vessels then of ten Tun and that of Ostend in truth capable of greater but those less safe there than in the open Road. The Besieged Marched out of Dunkirk that night with fifteen hundred Foot and three hundred Horse besides four hundred sick and wounded persons they have lost in their defence six or seven hundred of their best men those that marched out were conducted to Newport The Duke of Anguien now Prince Conde put in the Marshall of Rantzaw Governour thereof The Holland Ships assisted the French here We may not confound the Original and Natural Inhabitants with an heap of divers Nations who being brought under the Banners of Spain into their Haven commodious for Sea-roads did exercise that Piracy which naturally the Spaniard doth not profess The chiefest of the Natural people are Flemings a Generation of good men lovers of Traffique Improvers of Handicraft as appears by the great Trade and Commerce of those most populous Towns of Flanders and the rest of the Netherlands Another sort of them subsisting wholly by Thieving and Piracie The fifth of September the Emperour at Prague came attired in his Emperial Robes with his Eldest Son in white cloth of Tyssue early into the Cathedral Church of the Castle attended with divers Princes and Lords that bare several dignities and honours in the State of Germany the Emperour sat upon a Throne of Gold the Son upon Silver who having been re-attired with Royal Abiliments in a side Chappel was conducted by the Estates of Bohemia unto his Throne where after Masse he went and kneeled down before the Cardinal of Harach invironed with sixteen Prelats in Pontificalibus Annointed him and put on his Head a Regal Crown whereupon he was proclaimed King of Bohemia and received the Oath of Allegeance of the Peâ—rs and States of that Kingdom and the Ceremonies and Feastings finished the Father and Son went to Lintz The Parliament and Scot having bought and sold the best Bargain are soon decieved of their Prize by a third party as bad as both the other The Parliament jealous of any present Power to prevail but themselves by degrees debate the lessening of the Army thereby to be rid of such whom they misliked And to send over thousands of them into Ireland to manage that War against the Rebells there But the Souldiers set on begin to Mutiny and being ripe for acting their Commanders underhand abet them and after some alteration it â—ell into Sedition and so into Division those for the Parliament fared the worse and were Cashiered And therefore â—twas necessary for some truly affected to discriminate the other Those who were intrusted were called Agitators two out of each Regiment who indeed with others of more power Acted for erecting a Democracie having seized the King out of custody of the Parliaments Commissioners under pretence of favour and freedom of his person they indulge him with many small Experiments for the present of his Chaplains converse with his Children caress him to his most eminent Palace so that the Camp and Court seemed one nay they frame Proposals to provide for the King the Army and people envy at the Parliament accuse divers Members of high Treason urge the Dissolution of the Parliament regnant and all this seemingly for the Kings Interest In fine the Military march up to the Parliament and formidable put them in fear Some of the Members of either Houses with their Speakers fly to the Camp for succour the City and such as stay behinde prepare for a Defence whose Circle being too wide for their Management and unfaithfull to themselves fall into Factions the whole City submit to the Discretion of the Army who first ingratiate the Speakers and Members in the Camp and setle them into their Seats again with condign punishment and Impeachment of high Treason upon the Lord Mayor Aldermen divers Lords and many Members The Tower and City Militia are new-modelled into other hands their Fortifications demolished and their Lines of Communication levelled the Admiralty ordered into Commissioners ad yet for all these punishments the City give thanks and pay a Largess to the Army Thus the former eminent power the Presbyter by their own weight and pride sink and raise the other yet these are at their wits end also unresolved and unsetled The people at gazâ— for a Government Proposals from the Army and Propositions from the Parliament the King refuses as in hope to have them lessened which they take for an advantage to themselves The Wheel turns and he is threatned and under hand advised of some Danger to his person which whilest he seeks to avoid he falls into their Pit prepared for him and afterwards into eminent Destruction which the story too soon discovers We may wonder what becomes of the Prince Elector Palatine he remained at Westminster for his Interest might
it cannot be whilst you are in those hands I wish with my soul your Majesty were at my house in Broad street where I am confident I could keep you private till this Storm were over but beg your Majesties pardon and shall not presume to offer it as an advice it is only constant zeal to your service who am Your most dutiful Subject E. R. November 9. 1647. Which the King read without much regret for he was prepared to prevent the danger And accordingly about nine a clock at night their Hub-bub was up at Hampton Court of the Kings escape which Newes came to the House of Commons early the next morning in a Letter from L. Colonel Cromwel to the Speaker and dated at twelve a clock that night Which intimated no more but That the King was this night expected at Supper and the Commissioners entering his Chamber with Colonel Whaley found his Cloke carelesly cast upon the ground by the way into the entry Chamber that leads to the back-stairs down into the Vault to the River side the King leaving some Letters upon the table of his own hand writing 11. Novemb. 1647. Those Letters were three The first was directed to Colonel Whaley Colonel Whaley I have been civily used by you and Major Huntington I cannot but by this parting farewel acknowledg it under my hand as also to desire your protecting my Houshold-stuff and movables of all sorts which I have left behinde me in this House c. I assure you it was not the Letter that you shewed me to day that made me take this resolution nor any advertisement of that kinde but I confesse that I am loath to be made a close Prisoner under pretence of securing my life So being confident that you wish my preservation and restitution I rest Your friend Charles Rex The second Letter was directed to the Lord Mountague Mountague First I doe hereby give you and the rest of your fellows thanks for the civilities and good conversation that I have had from you Next I command you to send this my Message which you will finde upon this Table to the two Houses of Parliament and likewise to give a Copy of it to Colonel Whaley to be sent to the General Likewise I desire you to send all my Saddle-Horses to my Son the Duke of York As for what concerns the resolution I have taken my Declaratorie Message saies so much that I refer you to it and so I rest Your assured friend C. Rex Novem. 11. 1647. The Letter or Message to the Parliament was thus Charles Rex Liberty being that which in all times hath been but especially now is the common theme and desire of all men common reason shewes that Kings lesse than any should endure Captivity And yet I call God and the World to witnesse with what patience I have endured a tedious restraint which so long as I had any hopes that this sort of my suffering might conduce to the peace of my Kingdom or the hindering of more effusion of blood I did willingly undergo But now finding by too certain proofs that this my continued patience would not only turn to my personal ruin but likewise be of much more prejudice then furtherance to the publick good I thought I was bound as well by Natural as Political obligations to seek my safety by retiring my self for some time from the publick view both of my friends and enemies And I appeal to all indifferent men to judge if I have not just cause to free my self from the hands of those who change their principles with their conditions and who are not ashamed openly to intend the destruction of the Nobility taking away their Negative Voice and with whom the Levellers doctrine is rather countenanced than punished And as for their intentions to my person their changing and putting more strict Guards upon me with the discharging most of all those Servants of mine who formerly they willingly admitted to wait upon me does sufficiently declare Nor would I have this my retirement misinterpreted for I shall earnestly and uncessantly endeavour the setling of of a safe and well grounded peace where ever I am or shall be and that as much as may be without the effusion of more Christian blood for which how many times have I desired prest to be heard and yet no ear given to me And can any reasonable man think that according to the ordinary course of affairs there can be a setled peace without it Or that God will blesse those who refuse to hear their King surely no. Nay I must further add that besides what concernes my self unlesse all other chief interests have not only a hearing but like wise just satisfaction given unto them to wit the Presbyterian Independents Army those that have adhered to me and even the Scots I say there cannot I speak not of Miracles it being in my opinion a sinful presumption in such cases to expect or trust to them be a safe or lasting peace Now as I cannot deny but that my personal security is the urgent cause of this my retirement so I take God to witness that the publick peace is no less before my eyes and I can finde no better way to express this my Profession I know not what a wiser may do than by desiring and urging that all chief interests may be heard to the end each may have just satisfaction As for example the Army for the rest though necessary yet I suppose are not difficult to content ought in my judgment to enjoy the liberty of their consciences have an Act of Oblivion or Indempnity which should extend to all the rest of my Subjects and that all their Arrears should be speedily and duely paid which I will undertake to do so I may be heard and that I be not hindered from using such Lawful and honest meanes as I shall chuse To conclude let me be heard with freedom honour and safety and I shall instantly break through this cloud of retirement and shew my self really to be Pater Patriae Hampton Court Novem. 11. 1647. For the Speaker of the House of Peeres pro tempore c. Hereby it appears on whom the King lodgeth the cause of his discontent those who change their Principles with their condition destroy Nobility c. and by whose votes his restraint and sufferings increased The next day the twelveth of November the General writes to the Speaker also of what Colonel Whaley had informed him concerning the Kings escape Being says he the same which the Commissioners can relate to the House now ready to attend them and that himself is to go to the Rendezuouz of the Army at Ware and shall be there three dayes Yours Thomas Fairfax Putney Novem. 12. 1647. These were all the satisfaction that the Parliament as yet could have of the Kings escape and therefore those his chiefest Servants Ashburnham Berkley and Legg were to be enquired after and
from Michaelmas last and out of Compositions that shall be made before the concluding of the Peace and the Arrears of such as have been already made the assistance of the Clergy And the Arrears of such Rents of his own Revenue as his two Houses shall not have received before the concluding of the Peace his Majesty will undertake within the space of eighteen moneths the payment of 400000. pounds for the satisfaction of the Army And if those means shall not be sufficient his Majestie intends to give way to the sale of Forest Lands for that purpose this being the publick Debt which in his Majesties judgment is first to be satisfied and for other publick Debts already contracted upon Church Lands or other Ingagements his Majestie will give his consent to such Act or Acts for raising of monies for payment thereof as both Houses shall hereafter agree upon so as they be equally laid whereby his people already too heavily burthened by these late distempers may have no more pressures upon them than this absolute necessity requires And for the further securing of all fears his Majesty will consent that an Act of Parliament be passed for the disposing of the great Offices of State and naming of Privy Councellours for the whole term of his Reign by the two Houses of Parliament their Patents and Commissions being taken from his Majesty and after to return to the Crown as is expressed in the Article of the Militia For the Court of Wards and Liveries his Majesty very well knows the consequence of taking that away by returning of all Tenures into common Soccage as well in point of Revenue to the Crown as in the protection of many of his Subjects being Infants Nevertheless if the continuance thereof seem grievous to his Subjects rather then he will fail on his part in giving satisfaction He will consent to an Act for taking of it away so as a full recompence be setled upon his Majesty and his Successours in perpetuity and that the Arrears now due be reserved unto him towards the payment of the Arrears of the Army And that the memory of these late distractions may be wholly wiped away his Majesty will consent to an Act for suppressing and making null of all Oaths Declarations and Proclamations against both or either House of Parliament and of all Indictments and other proceedings against persons for adhering unto them and his Majesty proposeth â—as the best expedient to take away all seeds of future differences that there be an Act of Oblivion to extend to all his Subjects As for Ireland the cessation there is long since determined but for the future all other things being fully agreed his Majesty will give satisfaction to his two Houses concerning that Kingdom And although his Majesty cannot consent in Honour and Iustice to avoid all his own Grants and Acts past under his great Seal since the two and twentieth of May 1642. or to the confirming of all the Acts and Grants passed under that made by the two Houses yet his Majesty is confident that upon perusal of particulars he shall give full satisfaction to his two Houses to what may reasonably be desired in that particular And now his Majesty conceives that by these his offers which he is ready to make good upon the settlement of a Peace he hath clearly manifested his intentions to give full security and satisfaction to all Interests for what can justly be desired in order to the future happiness of his people and for the perfecting of these concessions as also for such other things as may be proposed by the two Houses and for such just and reasonable demands as his Majesty shall finde necessary to propose on his part he earnestly desires a personal Treaty at London with his two Houses in Honour Freedom and Saftety it being in his Iudgement the most proper and indeed only means to a firm and setled Peace and impossible without it to reconcile former or avoid future misunderstandings All these things being by Treaty perfected his Majesty believes his Houses will think it reasonable that the Proposals of the Army concerning the Succession of Parliaments and their due elections should be taken into consideration As for what concerns His Kingdom of Scotland his Majesty will readily apply himself to give all reasonable satisfaction when the desires of the two Houses of Parliament on their behalf or of the Commissioners of that Kingdom or of both joyned together shall be made known unto him C. Rex Islle of Wight 17. Nov. 1647. For the Speaker of the House of Peers c. And although the King is sufficiently alone from evil Councellours the Parliament have no minde that he should have any company and therefore send a Messenger with Warrants to seize those three Servants that waited on him thither But Hamond excuses them not to be delivered up to the Officer his reasons are truly noble and like a Souldier which he directs to the Speaker of the Lords House the Earle of Manchester My Lord Yesterday came an Officer with Warrants for apprehending c. And finding the matter of very great importance I have desired the Messenger to forbear the execution of his Warrants till I have given the Parliament to understand that in case they should be put in execution it would be impossible for me to preserve the person of the King in security to be disposed by the Parliament unless I should keep him close prisoner which I concieve neither fit nor safe for me to do especially of my self The ground being this The King hath declared himself to me that he came from Hampton Court for no other cause but for the preservation of his Person which was as he apprehended in such danger that he could not with safety continue longer there otherwise he would not have departed thence nor from the Army and that he chose this place rather than any other where he was at liberty that he might still continue under protection of the Army my self being a member thereof and that he might have free entercourse with the Parliament for the settlement of Peace to which he professes greater inclinations and desires then ever The King saith that in case these Gentlemen be taken from him and punished as evil doers for counselling him not to go out of the Kingdom but rather to come to the place where he now is for the ends aforesaid and for their endeavouring accordingly in attending him hither he cannot but himself expect to be dealt with accordingly his case being the same My Lord besides the care I shall alwaies have of these Gentlemen they have engaged their Honours not to depart from me and truly were not their ends the same with their pretences in relation to the Peace of this Kingdom they would never have advised and conducted the King hither There will be none left here for his attendance which besides the offence how great the inconveniencies will be to him your
Lordships cannot be ignorant And further give me leave to adde if so unworthy a servant as I am and that which concerns my honour were at all worthy your consideration whether it would not much reflect on me in case these Gentlemen should be removed from hence The King and they have freely thrown themselves upon me for safety upon confidence as they please to say of my honour and honesty and the satisfaction they expect it would have given the Parliament the King being necessitated to remove c. Yet whatever is commanded by Authority of Parliament though never so contrary to my sense or honour shall never be disobeyed by my Lord Carisbroke Caste 19. Nov. 1647. Your Lordships servant Ro. Hamond The King was now at leisure to bethink himself what advantage a personal Treaty would be to him and being mindful of what he had lately writ to the Parliament concerning the same in his last Message to them from Carisbroke Castle He writes to them again 6. December for an Answer CHARLES REX Had his Majesty thought it possible that his two Houses could be imployed in things of greater concernment then the peace of this miserable distracted Kingdom He would have expected with more patience their leisure in acknowledging the receipt of his Message of the 16. of November last But since there is not in nature any consideration preceding to that of Peace his Majesties constant tenderness of the welfare of his Subjects hath such a prevalence with him that he cannot forbear the vehement prosecution of a personal Treaty which is only so much the more desired by his Majesty as it is superiour to all other means of Peace And truly when his Majesty considers the several complaints he daily hears from all parts of this Kingdom that Trade is so decayed all Commodities so dear and Taxes so unsupportable that even natural subsistence will instantly fail His Majestie to perform the trust reposed in him must use his utmost endeavours for Peace though he were to have no share in the benefit of it And hath not his Majesty done his part for it by divesting himself of so much Power and Authority as by his last Message he hath promised to doe upon the concluding of the whole Peace And hath he met with that acknowledgment from his two Houses which this great grace and favour justly deserves Surely the blame of this great retarding of Peace must fall somewhere else than on his Majesty To conclude if ye will but consider in how little time this necessary good work will be done if you the two Houses will wait on his Majesty with the same resolutions for Peace as he will meet you he no way doubts but that ye will willingly agree to this his Majesties earnest desire of a personal Treaty and speedily desire his presence amongst you where all things agreed on being digested into Acts till when it is most unreasonable for his Majesty or his two Houses to desire each of other the least concession this Kingdom may at last enjoy the blessing of a long wisht for peace Carisbook Castle Decemb. 6. 1647. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated c. And accordingly the monstrous distractions of the State and Army wrought upon both to satisfie the King and peoples desires and therefore to oppose his demands they prepare four Bils as a pledge of trust to which if he assent it would draw on a Treaty touching the rest which they intended by Propositions to be compleated with speed The four Bills were these 1. That it be lawful for the future to order the Militia of the Kingdom without the Kings consent to raise what Armies they please All others under pain of Treason are prohibited to assemble to the number of thirty persons without the Authority of Parliament 2. That it be lawful for the Houses to sit to adjourn their sitting to what place they please to assemble at what time soever and at their own discretion 3. That all the Oaths Interdictions and Declarations sent forth in publick against either Houses be accounted and declared void 4. Whomsoever of the Nobility the King had dignified with Titles from the time himself departed and carried away the great Seal of the Kingdom the same be degraded of their Honours And these to be passed into Acts. The Bills and the Propositions in effect as before with some alterations were thought fitting to be sent together which were brought to the King by Commissioners but the Scotish Commissioners followed at their heeles and presented the day before the Scots came 29. of Decem. at Carisbrook Castle to which he said though they were long yet he would shortly give Answer The next day the Scots came and present a Paper of their dissent in these words That the new Propositions and the Bills therewith presented to your Majesty are so prejudicial to Religion the Crown and the Union and Interest of the Kingdoms and so far different from the former proceedings and engagements betwixt the Kingdoms as we cannot concur therein Therefore we do in the Name of the Kingdom of Scotland dissent from these Propositions and Bills now tendered to your Majesty Louderdale Erskin Kenners Barkey And Publish their Reasons in a Declaration First in the matters of Religion Next concerning the interest and power of the Crown which they are bound by Covenant Allegeance and Duty not to diminish which power principally consists in making and Enacting Laws and in protecting and defending his Subjects and the exercise of that power are the parts and duties of that function That the Scepter and Sword are the Badges of that power And concerning the Militia they conceive that in his Majesties Message from Carisbroke Castle he hath offered that which is very satisfactory but that the King his posterity and Crown should be thereof divested for ever how can he or his posterity protect either without that power Touching confirming of Titles of honour the King ought not to be deprived of that which hath been held and is a Flower of his Crown See the Kings own Arguments in his Declarations May 1642. and concerning Hull That they had desired a personal Treaty with the King in London November 5. and afterwards November 17. to all which they never received Answer and that some things were to be distinguished but the expresse conditions of their League and Covenant the duty of their Allegeance and the treaties between the Kingdoms are such strong obligations as all that Honour or Conscience must acknowledg to be inviolably observed That the sending of Propositions without a Treaty hath been essayed without successe That the new Propositions are lesse to the advantage to the Crown then the former therefore unlike to have better successe than formerly That the Parliament have ever acknowledged the removal of the Kings person from his Parliament to be the chief cause of all the War and that then his presence
him whether this suddain change be sutable to his Ingagement or for a man of honour or honesty to deal thus with them that had so freely cast themselves upon him and whether the Commissioners were acquainted herewith he answered No but that he had the Parliaments Authority to do it and that he plainly saw by his Answer to the Propositions that he acted by other councils than stood with the good of the Kingdom Do you infer this sayes the King from my Answer and commanded Ashburnham to read the Copy thereof aloud to the company Hamond replied to all that he hoped of the good liking of the Houses thereto The King answered for once I will dare to be a Prophet for if ever the Parliament return an Answer to this believe me not but instead of all they will give the Governour thanks for his severity and send him a gratuity which they did And all parted with tears and much grief to the King Which so exasperated the people of the Island that somewhat happened like a mutiny and one Captain Barley heated with passion and misjudgment beat a Drum in Newport crying out for God and the King and the people but was soon suppressed interpreting this attempt to be a design they said to take away the King to seize the Castle and to do such like impossibilities Hereupon the Vice Admiral Rainsborough is commanded with a Fleet to surround the Isle and Land Forces are sent thither to strengthen the places and Votes passed the House for the trial of the chief Actors in this Mutiny Decem. 30. And Baily was arraigned at Winchester condemned for High Treason and accordingly hanged drawn and quarterd for Sir Harry Mildmay sometime Master of the Jewel house to the King and his Houshold servant alwaies had particular thanks of the House for his good service at Southampton upon the Commission of Oyer and determiner for the trial of Captain Baily Febr. 2. The Kings Answer read in the Houses and the effect known to the Army that hereby he was in a Gin and upon ruine they all piece again and the Agitators are brought into order only two Dissenters in honour to Military Discipline were shot and others imprisoned and all men had leave and liking to exclaim against him even in Pulpits generally countenancing the opinion of the most exasperated Members to consult of Interdictory Votes against all Commerce with the King which was set out the tenth of Ianuary 1. That the Houses for the future should have no access to or commerce with the King 2. Nor by any person whatsoever unless having obtained leave of both Houses 3. That no Messenger nor Paper should be recieved at any time from the King 4. That he shall incur the pains of High Treason that shall act to the contrary These were long debated below and the Houses made thin ere they were resolved And the first Vote held the whole day the Members wearied perhaps sooner than perswaded to the hopes of better events than followed the latter three were harsh yet necessarily depending Howbeit the higher House held to the tugg for many dayes till the Messengers of the Army came and gave thanks to the Commons and the old Artifice was set on work by the Rabble to rail at the Lords and some other terrors of Guards to the dissenting Peers made them at last to joyn with the Commons in these Votes and had thanks from the Army that the Souldiers would defend the priviledges of the upper House And for what was done then and subsequently acted there were Emissaries ordained to extort gratulatory Petitions from the people for what was done and to desire some more severe course upon the King But in fine the Parliament was put to it to give their Reasons of those Votes in a publick Declaration 15. Febr. In which they endeavour to set forth the fruitless addresses formerly made to the King which besides the suffering of many hundred thousands free-born people have not moved him That 7. Applications with Propositions have been tendered wherein the Parliament have yielded up not only their will and affections but reason and judgment yet he never accepted of any sent him No not after he was gone from Oxford his Towns and Armies overcome The last address was but for four Bills which they judged just honourable and necessary for safety during the after Treaty Then they remember many nay all the passages complainable of his Reign as hath been particularly set forth heretofore in their several Remonstrances where to the King gave Answers all which are but the repetition of former observations sufficiently expressed throughout this History and to say it over again will but trouble the Reader nor make more advantage to either party than as heretofore hath been And they conclude That he hath not only forgot his duty to the Kingdom but care and respect to himself and Family and that they could give many reasons more why they will make no more addresses and yet they will use their utmost endeavours to settle the present Government as may best stand with the Peace and happines of this Kingdom And hereupon almost together comes out the Armies Declaration in reference to the former of the Parliament We finde say they That the Parliament have insisted only upon some few things so essential to that interest of the Kingdom which they have hitherto engaged for as that without betraying the safety of the Nation and themselves and all that had engaged with them in that cause without denying that which God in the issue of the War hath born such testimony unto that they could goe no lower and these things granted they have offered to Treat of all the rest so that by and with the Kings denial we can see no hopes of settlement or security that way And therefore understanding that on Munday last the House of Commons have resolved not to make any further address to the King nor receive any from him nor to suffer either in others We do freely and unanimously declare for our selves and the Army that we are resolved through the grace of God firmly to adhere with and stand by the Parliament in their said Votes and in what shall be further necessary for prosecution thereof and for the sitting and securing of the Parliament and Kingdom without the King and against him or any other that shall partake with him Windsor Ian. 11. It is true that it cannot be conceived that the King could have any possible means to make Answer to the Parliaments Declaration and Army there were too many spies upon him Yet not long after some one so well affected to the Kings Service that whilst he is a prisoner takes upon him the Kings Cause and published an Answer such as it is which we submit to censure The Title stiles it His Majesties Answer to a Pamphlet Intituled a Declaration of the Commons of England in Parliament assembled expressing their Reasons and Grounds
him and the memory of his deceased Father His head on the Block he ended his life in these words Merciful Iesus gather my soul unto thy Saints and Martyrs who have run before me in this race He was learned in the Mystery of things Divine and Humane and in the knowledge of Eastern Tongues in History Law and Politiques and alike excellent for the intergrity of his life And preferred to this commendation by a neer observer of him that he loved the old fashion piety with his soul to explain his meaning he saies and yet Not a vain and Superstitious professor of it before others but to distinguish him a sound Protestant Professor and no new Fangler Hugh Scrimiger sometime his Servant had leave to bury his body and continuing sorrowful ere the Scaffold was taken away he passing by fell into a swound and being carried home dyed at his own door Then followed Andrew Gutlery Son to the deserving Bishop of Murrey and by his Judges hated the more for that Blair fell upon him also to repent for siding in the evil Cause He answered therefore came I here to suffer for a good Conscience and a good King which he embraced without fear and would dye without dread of death for his sins he trusted were satisfied by the merits of his Saviour to whom he recommends his soul. The last was William Murrey brother to the Earl of Tullibardin a youth of 19. years at the most who told them That this his day of suffering he accounted a meer honour to his House that he descended of that Ancient Family should deliver up his life for his good King and his Cause and desires that his Parents would not grieve at the shortness of his life being abundantly recompensed with the honourable death And so with his own and good mens prayers he suffered Execution also Montrose much troubled to hear of their deaths was extreamly importuned to sacrifice such Prisoners as he had being they said real Traytors indeed and for which Justice he had Warrant from Gods Vice-gerent the King But as he nere put any to death in cold blood as yet so he would never be said to break his word of Quarter by exchange or imprisonment All this time had Huntley trifled in Plundering as he Marched and gave way to the relief of Innerness and retreats to the Spye notwithstanding Montroses several Messages to him to return to the Siege or to joyn their Forces and to descend Southward and to oppose a new Enemy Major General Middleton Marching with six hundred Horse and eight hundred Foot as far as Aberdine but Huntley would not Although there came in to Montrose many friends and Tenants of the Earl of Seafort the L. Rose and from the farthest Northern Islâ—nds Sir Iames Mack-donel Mack-lins and Glengar the chief of Mac-renalds and many more And by this means before the end of March he might have Marched Southward with a greater Army then ever had been beheld in Scotland But for the present he surrounds and besieges Innerness for the commodious Haven and sent back three Troops of Horse to lodge about the Passes of Spye to have a Watch upon Middleton who was now eighty miles off And had timely warning to draw off from the Siege and from the Enemies strength of Horse and to Retreat beyond Nessa with some Skirmishes and equal loss and so passed by Benly into Rose and after through Long-Nasse Strath-glasse and Harrage into the bank of Sprey And being now not far from Huntley he takes a Troop of Horse and gallops to him twenty miles sending word before that he was coming to crave his Councel in the Kings affairs but Huntley took Horse and fled and the other returned the last of May. By whose example Seaford and others began to falter which put resolution in Montrose to force all the Northern Parts which he could easily doe having tried all the fairest means and failed therein for of late Middleton was entred into Aberdine with five hundred men whom Huntley had besieged and taken upon his own score in revenge to the Town which he plundered though the Kings friends and released all Prisoners that were of Middletons men Montrose busie about his Northern designe on the last of May comes a Herald from the King whose misfortune had as you have heard elsewhere cast himself upon the Scotish Convenanters Army at Newcastle this time twelve moneth 13. of May and commands Montrose to lay down his Arms and Disband and to pass over to France till his Majesties further pleasure The valiant man was amazed at this sad news being assured that they had forced this upon the Kings miserable condition with some secret hint to look to himself also But Montrose must obey and Summons all his Consederates whom he conceived this disbanding would concern and principally he sends Hurrey to Huntley that Montrose was willing to come to his Castle for to be present at this Consultation he Answered The K. had written to him of the same and that his Commands may not admit of second thoughts but to obey as he would They replyed that it was likely Montrose was of that opinion too however ever it might concern them all to provide for prevention of future mischiefs and the very joynt consult would advantage them even in the Enemies opinion He replyed that he had resolved for himself and would have nothing to doe with any body else Montrose sends his Answer to the King by Letters wherein he humbly presumed to be so far inquisitive of his condition with the Covenanters if safe in their hands whether his Majestie was stedfastly resolved to Disband that Army of friends who had exposed their lives and fortunes for his Cause whilst his Enemies were Armed in both Kingdoms what course should be taken for them and their safety not to be left to the mercy of murderous men and in a word whether his particular service might be acceptable in any other way To these he received no open Answer but had returned to him some Articles signed by the Covenanters which he in great regret refused as unconscionable and not vouchsafing to Treat therein he speeds the Messenger back to the King professing that as he had not taken up Arms but by the Kings Commission so he would have no Conditions prescribed him to lay them down by any mortal man but the King himself Therefore he humbly besought the King to sign the Conditions to which though perhaps very harsh he promised obediently to submit unto but disdained the Commands of any other Many of his Friends had underhand sought their peace with the Enemy and Huntley and his Party to please them resolved to force Montrose submission Antrim was arrived alone from Ireland without any Forces but sought to draw the Highlanders to himself calling Montrose in scorn the Governour of the Low lands But Montrose was to depart by the Articles before the first of September
And thus by degrees they are preferred and the Courts filled And whilst the Treaty is in some likelyhood to conclude fair the Armies Petitions speak home for a scrutiny to be taken for discovery of contrivers and actors in the late bloody Wars that speedy Justice be done upon them That the same fault may have the same justice and punishment in the person of the King or Lord as in the person of the poorest Commoner That such as speak or act in the Kings-behalf till he be acquitted of shedding innocent bloud be proceeded against as Traytors These and other such like Petitions set the wheele on going towards the Kings after destruction The Head Quarters were now at Windsor where the Army concluded the large Remonstrance commended by the Generals Letter and brought up to the Parliament by half a dozen Officers It was of the greatest length which we must abreviate The Preamble shews the miscarriages of the King and Parliament in former Treaties And therefore urge Reasons to lay aside any further proceedings therein and to return to their former Votes of Non-â—ddress and to settle the Government that he may not be 〈◊〉 and that they proceed against the King by way of justice for evils done by him and in order thereunto that he be kept in safe custody 2. To lay aside that bargaining Proposition with Delinquents which will present the thing done by contract with the King and not in a way judicially 3. And in order to all they offer First That the King be brought to justice as the capital cause of all Secondly That a peremptory day be set for summoning the Prince of Wales and Duke of York and if they refuse to declare them incapable of Government or Succession and stand exiled as Traytors and if they render themselves yet they to be proceeded against for satisfaction that the Revenues of the Crown be sequestred Thirdly That publick justice be done against the Actors in the late Wars Fourthly And others upon submission may have mercy and conclude as usual That the Armies Arrears may be paid the County eased of free-quarter publick debts paid a period to be put to this Parliament A new Representative of the people for governing and preservation of the whole body of people in this Nation That no King be admitted hereafter but upon election of and as upon trust for the people who is to be limited by the Representative c. 16. Novem. The Parliament read this Remonstrance which endured a high debate and was referred to be further discussed some dayes after In the mean time the General sends his Letters to Colonel Hamond to render up his Command to Colonel Ewers who is to take charge of the King but the Parliament Vote him hereupon to stay there of which the General hath notice 27. Novem. The Army fast and pray and receive Petitions from several Counties in order to what they intend to resolve And therefore Hamond submits and delivers up the King to Ewers and comes towards the Army The Parliament are angry and Vote a Letter to the General That his Orders and Instruction to Colonel Ewers for securing the Kings person are contrary to their resolutions and instructions to Colonel Hamond And that it is the pleasure of the House that his Excellency recall his Orders and that Colonel Hamond be free to take his charge in the Isle of Wight the Treaty being ended But in stead of an obedience hereto he salutes them with a sharp Letter for money to pay Arrears of the Army to spare free Quarter upon the County or he must be forced to change his quarters and come nearer London And withall is published a Declaration of the Army in confirmation of their late Remonstrance Windsor 30. Novem. Which Declaration the Parliament are resolved not to tak◠〈◊〉 â—onsideration Herâ—â—pon the Army Marches to London and Quarter at Whitehall St. Iames's the Mewes and in several Towns and Hamlets about the City The King is removed by Ewers out of the Isle of Wight to Hurst Castle and the City in fear are raising 40000. l. forthwith for the Army At the reading of the Remonstrance to the King at Newport and concerning the intended Tryal of him he propounded four Queries First Whether this Remonstrance be agreeable to the former Declarations of the Army and if not whether the Parliament would make good their Votes that after he had consented to what they desired he should be in a capacity of Honour Freedom and Safety Secondly Whether his acknowledgment of the guilt of the blood that hath been spilt in the late Wars nothing being as yet absolutely concluded or binding could be urged so far as to be made use of by way of evidence against him or any of his party Thirdly Whether the Arguments that he hath used in a free and personal Treaty to lessen or extenuate and avoid the exactness of any of the conditions though in manner and form only might be charged against him as an Act of Obstinacy or wilfull persistance in what is alleged against him in that he goes on in a destructive course of enmity against the people and the Laws of the Land when he hath declared that his Conscience was not satisfied concerning divers particulars in the Propositions Fourthly Whereas by the Letter of the Law all persons charged to offend against the Law ought to be tryed by their Peers or equals what the Law is if the person questioned is without a Peer and if the Law which of it self is but a dead Letter seems to condemn him by what power shall judgement be given and who shall give it or from whence shall the administrators of such judgement derive their power which may by the same Law be deemed the Supream power or Authority of Magistracy in the Kingdom At at his removal from the Isle of Wights he framed a Declaration concerning the Treaty and his dislike of the Armies proceeding commanding one of his servants to see it published for satisfaction to all his Subjects Decemb. 1648. When large pretences prove but the shadows of weak performances then the greatest labours produce the smallest effects and when a period is put to a work of great concernment all mens ears doe as it were hunger till they are satisfied in their expectations Hath not this distracted Nation groaned a long time under the burden of Tyranny and oppression and hath not all the blood that hath been spilt these seven years been cast upon my head who am the greatest sufferer though the least guilty And was it not requisâ—â—e to endeavour the stopping of that flux which if not stopt will bring an absolute destruction to this Nation And what more speedy way was there to consummate these distractions than by a personal Treaty being agreed upon by my two Houses of Parliament and condescended to by me And I might declare that I conceive it had been the best physick had not the
declaring the Kings Concessions to be a ground for settlement of a peace notwithstanding the visible defects of them in the Essentials concerning the liberties of the Kingdom c. And â—herefore desire that all such faithful Members who are innocent will protest against the said Votes by publick Declaration and the rest to be expelled the House that so the well-affected may proceed to set a short period to your own power to provide for a speedy succession of equal Representatives according to the Armies late Remonstrance But as we said the Parliament adjourning till this Munday 11. Decem. and not sitting that day neither the Army Dâ—clare a new Representative which they call an Agreement of the people for future Government of the Nation to be subscribed by all the people The Preamble whereof was in effect We having by our late labours made it appear at what rate we value our freedom and God owning our cause hath delivered our enemies into our hands we ought as bound in mutual duty to each other to avoid the danger of returning into a slavish condition and another chargeable war so that when our common rights shall be cleared their endeavours will be disappointed that seek to be our Masters Our troubles having been occasioned either by want of National meetings in Councel by the undue or unequal constitution thereâ—f or by rendring those meetings uneffectual And therefore we are agreed to provide that hereafter our Representatives be neither undertain for time nor unequally constituted nor be made useless to the end for which they are intended In order hereunto they declare That this Parliament be dissolved the last of April next The Representatives of the whole Nation to consist of three hundred persons The Manner of the eleâ—tion they propound 1. That the Electors be Natives such as have subscribed this agreement such as are assessed for the relief of the poor men of 21. years of age and House-keepers in that Division and for seven years no person that hath adhered to the King or shall oppose this agreement or not subscribe hereto shall have voice in Election 2. That after 14. years such persons may be elected that have voice in Elections and for the present none shall be Eligible who have not voluntarily assisted against the King either before June 1645. or in money Plate or Arms lâ—nt upon the Propositions May 1643. or have abetted the treasonable design in London 1647. or who declared for a Cessation of Arms with the Scots or ingaged in the last Summers Wars against the Parliament 3. That whoever is incapable by the former Rules and yet shall Vote in Elections or sit in Representative shall lose the moity of his Estate he having above 50. l. and if under then three moneths imprisonment And if any oppose the Elections then to lose his whole Estate or a years imprisonment if under 50. l. per an 4. That 150. Members at least shall make an Act of Law And these shall within twenty dayes after their first sitting appoint a Câ—uncil of State to continue untill the second Representative and the Council to Act as they shall direct by instructions 5. That no Officer of State Treasurer or Receiver while such shall be a Representative 6. No Lawyer shall practice whilst he is of any Representative or Council of State 7. That the Representative only without the consent of any other person shall Enact Alter Repeal and declare any Laws to the erecting and abolishing of Officers of Courts of Iustice but with these Exceptions following Not to compel tender Consciences in matters of Religion or Worship No person to be impressed to Serve in War by Land or Sea No person after the dissolution of this present Parliament shall be questioned concerning the late War otherwise then in execution or pursuance of the determination of the present House of Commons against such as have adhered to the King and also Accomptants for money That all manner of persons be subject to the publick Laws and such as have now priviledge shall be nulled and none priviledged hereafter That the Representatives meddle not with the execution of Laws not give Judgement upon any mans person That no Representative shall take away Common Right or Level mens Estates destroy proprieties or make all things common 8. That the Council of State in case of danger may summon a Representative for a Session of fourty daies and to dissolve two moneths before the next appointed Representative 9. The publick faith of the Nation shall be made good save that the next Representative may continue or Null all gifts of money made by the present House of Commâ—ns to themselves or any Lords 10. If any Officer or Leader in any Army or Garrison shall resist the Orders of any Representative shall forthwith lose the protection of the Law and dye without mercy The House moulded as others would have it yet many of the Members could not digest the Choake-paer Proposals Declaration Engagement Agreements but somewhat must be done they debate that point of Proposal of the eleven Members formerly put out and since re-admitted and to please the Army Vote and un-vote and conclude of these Votes now That the Votes of 3. Jan. 1647. for revoking the Order of 9. Septem 1647. for disabling Com. Copley to be a Member is of dangerous consequence and is hereby repealed That the receiving the other ten Members was unparliamentary and is therefore Null That the Vote of 30. June 1648. for the opening away to the Treaty with the King be Null That the Vote of 3. of Jan. 1647 forbidding all address to the King to be taken off was aparantly destructive to the Kingdom Divers of the proscribed Members were made Prisoners as Brown Clotworthy Waller Massey Copley to St. Jame's And now both Houses Vote no Address to be made to the King nor Message from him upon pain of Treason And that the Vote of 28 July to Treat with the â—ing was destructive to the Kingdom The King in a very sad condition by his stricter imprisonment in Hurst Castle and hearing of these Votes prepares his Solâ—loquies for comfort in death meditating thereon in these words As I have leasure enough saies the King so I have cause more then enough to meditate upon and prepare for my death for I know there are but a few steps between the Prisons and the Graves of Princes It is Gods indulgence which gives me the space but mans cruelty that gives me the sad occasions for these thoughts For besides the common but then of mortality which lies upon me as a man I now bear the heavy load of other mens ambitions fears jealousies and cruel passions whose envy or enmity against me maâ—es their own lives seem dâ—adly to them while I enjoy any part of mine I thank God my prosperity made me not wholly a stranger to the contemplations of mortality Those are never unseasonable since this is alwaies uncertain death being
which on the contrary command obedience to Princes Nor by mans Laws nor by the Laws of our Land sith the Laws of England injoyn all accusations to be read in the Kings name nor do they indulge any power of judging even the most abject subject to the lower or Commons House Neither lastly does their power flow from any Authority which might be pretended extraordinary delegated from the people seeing ye have not asked so much as every tenth man in this matter The President ever and anon as before interrupting his Speech now very unhandsomly if not insolently rebukes the King bids him be mindful of his doom affirming That the Court was abundantly satisfied of their Authority nor was the Court to hear any Reasons that should detract from their power But what saies the King or where in all the world is that Court in which no place is left for reason Yes answered the President you shall finde Sir that this very Court is such a one But the King presses That they would at least permit him to exhibite his Reasons in writing which if they could satisfactorily Answer he would yield himself to their jurisdiction Here the President not content to deny grew into anger commanding the Prisoner to be taken away The King replyed no more to these things then Remember saies he That 't is your King from whom you turn away the ear In vain certainly will my Subjects expect justice from you who stop your ears to your King ready to plead his cause The 3. daies Tryal Tuesday was in effect the same the same Demands of the Court and the like Answer of the King and so adjourn to the next morning Wednesday ten a clock but they were so busied in the Painted Chamber before in the examining of witnesses as they said that an Officer came out to the people and told them so and that they should finde the Court there upon Summons for as yet they were not resolved when to sit For it was Saturday after 27. Ian. before they Assembled and 68. of the Tryers answered to their names The President in Scarlet Robe and as the King came the Souldiers were directed to cry out for Execution of Justice Execution belike to forwarn the King of what he should now expect The King speaks first and desires to be heard a word or two but short and yet wherein he hopes not to give just occasion to be interrupted and goes on A suddain Iudgment saies the King is not so soon recalled But he is sharply reproved of contumacy The President profusely praises the pâ—â—ience of the Court and commands him now at length to submit otherwise he shall hear the Sentence of death resolved upon by the Court against him The King still refuses to plead his cause before them But that he had some things conducing to the good of the people and peace of the Kingdom which he desires liberty to deliver before the Members of both Houses But the President would not vouchsafe him so much as this favour lest it should tend he said to the delay or retardation of Iustice Whereupon the King replies It were better sustain a little delay of a day or two then to precipitate a sentence which would bring perpetual Tragedies upon the Kingdom and miseries to children unborn If saies he I sought occasions of delay I would have made a more elaborate contestation of the cause which might have served to protract the time and evade at least the while a most ugly Sentence but I will shew my self such a Defender of the Laws and of the Right of my Countrey as to choose rather to dye for them the Martyr of my people then by prostituting them to an Arbitrary power go about to acquire any manner of Liberty for my self but I therefore request this short liberty of speaking before a cruel sentence be given for that I well know 't is harder to be recalled then prevented and therefore I desire that I may withdraw and you consider They all withdraw The King to Cottons House the Tryers into the Court of Wards and in half an hour return And the President with the same harshness as he began proceeds into a premeditated Speech to hasten Sentence which the King offers reason to forbear whilst he may be heard before his Parliament and this he requires as they will answer it at the dreadful day of judgement and to consider it once again But not prevailing the President goes on wherein he aggravates the contumacy of the King and the hatefulness of the crimes he asserts Parliamentary Authority producing examples both Domestick and Foreign especially out of Scotland wherein the people had punished their Kings He affirms that the power of the people of England over their King was not less That the guilt of this King was greater than of all others as being one who according to Caligulas wish had attempted to 〈◊〉 off the neck of the Kingdom by a War waged against the Parliament for all which the Charge calls him Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and a publick Enemy to the Common-wealth and it had been well Sir saies he if that any of all these terms might have been spared if any of them at all This wrung a start from the King who astonished could not Answer but with an Interrogatory how Sir And the other goes on to argue that Rex est dum bene Regit Tyrannus qui populum opprimit and by this definition he lodges on the Kings Arbitrary Government which he saies he sought to put upon the people His Treasons he stiles a breach of trust to the Kingdom as his superiour and is therefore called to an account Minimus majorem in judicium vocat His Murthers are many all those that have been committed in all the War between him and his people are laid to his charge all the innocent bloud which cannot be cleansed but by the blood of him that shed the blood so then for Tyranny Treason Murthers and many more crimes And so as a Iudge indeed uses to Iayl birds he wishes the King to have God before his eyes And that the Court calls God to witness that meerly their conscience of duty brings them to that place and this imployment which they are resolved to effect and calls for Gods assistance in his Execution The King offered to speak to these great Imputations in the charge but he was told his time was past the Sentence was coming on which the President commanded to be read under this form Whereas the Commons of England in Parliament have appointed them an High Court of Justice for the Tryal of Charls Stuart King of England before whom he had been three times convented and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other crimes and misdemeanours was read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England c. as in the Charge which was read throughout To which Charge he the said Charles Stuart was
Court Besides all this the peace of the Kingdom is not the least in my thoughts and what hopes of settlement is there so long as power reigns without rule of Law changing the whole frame of that Government under which this Kingdom hath flourished for many hundred years nor will I say what will fall out in case this lawless unjust proceeding against me go on and believe it the Commons of England will not thank you for this change for they will remember how happy they have been of late years under the Reign of Queen Elizabeth the King my Father and my self untill the beginning of these unhappy troubles and will have cause to doubt that they shall never be so happy under any new And by this time it will be too sensibly evident that the Arms I took up were only to defend the fundamental Laws of this Kingdom against those who have supposed my power hath totally changed the ancient Government Thus having shewed you briefly the Reasons why I cannot submit to your pretended Authority without violating the trust which I have from God for the welfare and liberty of my people I expect from you either clear reasons to convince my judgement shewing me that I am in an errour and then truly I will readily answer or that you will withdraw your proceedings After Sentence the King being hurried away was mocked of the Souldiers suffering many things like to Christ they laying aside all reverence to Soveraignty acted Triumph on the Prisoner crying out justice justice That one defiled his venerable face with spittle I abhor to say it was wittingly done but we are assured he wiped it off with his Handkerchief they puft Tobacco fume no smell to him more offensive and cast their Tobacco pipes at his feet And such as salute him they Bastinado One that did but sigh out God have mercy had his Pasport They intrude almost into his Closet hardly permitting him private devotion with his own Chaplain the Bishop of London In their devotions interrupted and himself disturbed whilst he prayed and prepared for this bitter cup. But he with Majesty of minde when they cryed out for justice Poor souls saies he for a piece of money they would do so for their Commanders and at these Rebels he said Christ suffered more for my sake such as dissembled irreverence he with easie contempt eâ—â—ded by neglecting it Yet that little time was lent him he betakes himself to confessions of his sins pardon of his Enemies receiving the Eucharist reading the Scriptures godly conferences doing all the duties of piety And thus holily he seeks to overcome the terrors of death ere they assail him Whilst he prayes they prepare for his execution Sir Hardress Waller Colonel Harrison Colonel Doan Com. Gen. Ireton and Col. Okes are to consider of the time and place for execution And in the Painted Chamber Munday the 29. of Ianu. the President and Judges meet and with the â—â—mmittee resolve That the open street before White-Hall is the fittest place that the King be there executed tomorrow Tuesday between ten and two a clock upon a Scaffold covered with black near the Banquetting House where he was wont to ascend his Throne and shew the pomp of Majesty due to Princes there must he pass to his Funeral Pulpit and lay aside the spoiles of Majesty where he had put on the Insigns thereof It was supposed that the King would not submit his neck to his enemies Axe and therefore it was so provided with Staples and Cords that he could not resist And the Commons house considered that in case of execution they ordered a Proclamation to be made throughout the Kingdom To declare it high Treason to Proclaim any King of England without consent of the present Parliament for so the House is stiled And that none upon paines of imprisonment preach or speak any thing contrary to the present proceeding of the Supream Authority of the Nation the Commons of England assembled in Parliament A Member of the Army gave in the desires of the King That in respect Sentence of death was past upon him and the time of execution might be nigh That he might see his Children and to receive the Sacrament and to prepare himself for death and that the Bishop of London might pray with him in private in his Chamber This night Saturday 27. Ian. the King lodged at White-hall and the next day Sunday the Bishop preached there before the King in his Chamber and this Sunday the President and all the Members of the High Court of Justice fasted in the Chappel of Whitehall and Mr. prayed for them On Sunday means was made to deliver a Letter to him from his son the Prince of Wales which the King read and burnt it and then he was conveyed to St. Iames's the next morning being Munday While the Dutch Ambassadour had audience of the House read their â—â—structions and Letters of Credence in French their desires was to intercede for the Kings life and to keep and preserve a fair correspondence betwixt this Nation and the Estates of the Netherlands This day his Children had leave to visit him but stayed not long His Children being come to meet him he first gave his blessing to the Lady Elizabeth and bad her remember to tell her brother Iames when ever she should see him that it was his Fathers last command that he should no more look upon Charls as his eldest brother only but be obedient unto him as his Soveraign and that they should love one another and forgive their Fathers Enemies Then said the King to her Sweet-heart you 'l forget this no said she I shall never forget it while I live and pouring forth abundance of tears promised him to write down the Particulars Then the King taking the Duke of Gloucester upon his knee said sweet-heart now they will cut off thy Fathers head upon which words the child looked very stedfastly on him mark child what I say they will cut off my head and perhaps mak thee a King but mark what I say you must not be a King so long as your brothers Charles and Iames do live For they will cut off your Brothers heads when they can catch them and cut off thy head too at last and therefore I charge you do not be made a King by them At which the child sighing said I will be torn in pieces first which falling so unexpectedly from one so young it made the King rejoyce exceedingly Another Relation from the Lady Elizabeths own hand What the King said to me the 29. of Ian. 1648. being the last time I had the happiness to see him he told me he was glad I was come and although he had not time to say much yet somewhat he had to say to me which he had not to another or leave in writing because he feared their cruelty was such as that they would not have permitted him to write to me He
party not bound to observe the Articles but to assist the Parliament in defence of the common cause Octob. 16. And by this President they afterwards would not endure any new triall Upon this score of the common cause Mr. Iohn Fountain a Lawyer at London was desired whâ—t he would please to lend who answered That it was against the Petition of Right to answer Yea or No. Whereupon the House of Commons for that contempt in not giving his Answer at all committed him to the Gate-house declaring further the imbecillity of his judgment or positive refraction to draw on others to the like Errour And such as refuse their Contribution of money or plate are disarmed and if in the least measure active in words or perswasion against the Parliament have the brand of Malignancie their persons secured and within a little time after made Delinquents and forfeâ—t all And because the Earl of Essex gave a deep yellow for his colours every Citizens Dame to the Draggle-tail of her Kitchin had got up that colour of the cause untill the Earl of Pembroke and Mountgomerie in a fume with a Parliament Captain swore That his Turdcolour'â— Skarf should not excuse him from Commitment But some not affecting that color set up others in disdain to the Generals which increasing to a Faction some urging of a Design to be distinguished by these Ribands the Parl. declare That such persons as shall be seen to wear them for distinction shall be forthwith committed and further proceeded against as Malignants endeavouring to set Divisions among the people In the Generals Commission the fourth Article is printed and published That whosoever shall return from the King to the Parliaments Armie within ten Days after Publication shall have reception and pardon excepting persons impeached of Delinquencie or Treason or have been eminent Actors against the Parliament and except the Earls of Bristol Cumberland New-castle Rivers and Carnarvan Secretarie Nicholas Endimion Porter Mr. Edward Hide the Duke of Richmond Viscount Newark Viscount Falkland now principal Secretarie of State to the King And thus marshalled in this order The King having sent over the Queen out of the danger of these Distractions into Holland and remaining at the Hague she made application to the Prince of Orange to whose Son the Princess Maria was maried by whose interest she had the fairer means to promote the Kings affairs with the States of the United Provinces for Arms and Ammunition which had been procured by the Lord Digby there and some Officers sent over to the Kings Army The Parliament having knowledg hereof send over Mr. Walter Strickland a Member of the House of Commons their Residenciary with Credential Letters to the States thus To the High and Mighty Lords the States of the United Provinces High and Mighty Lords We are commanded by the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England to signifie unto your Lordships that they have chosen and appointed the Bearer hereof Walter Strickland Esq to repair to your Lordships and to present to you in their Names and in the Name of the whole Kingdom a Declaration and some Propositions and Desires very much importing the maintenance of the Protestant Religion which is the surest Foundation of the safetie and prosperitie of this Kingdom and your State and the ancient amitie between us to the advantage of both desiring your Lordships to give ear to what shall be delivered or propounded to you by him And to expedite your Answer thereunto in such manner as shall stand with your Wisdoms and the due respect of the common good of the State and of your selves which is the earnest desire of Your affectionate Friends and Servants Mandevil Speaker pro tempore for the Lords House William Lenthal Speaker of the House of Commons A Declaration of the Lords and Commons of the Parliament of England to the High and Mighty Lords the States of the United Provinces We the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled taking into serious consideration the meanes of composing the great distempers and combustions begun in this Kingdom which threaten the destruction and ruine of it and of all other Protestant Princes and States have thought good to make this Declaration to the High and Mightie Lords the States of the United Provinces That we under stand by a Letter of the Lord Digby a person fled out of this Kingdom for high Treason That as he often endeavoured by his wicked and malicious counsels to make division between his Majestie and the Parliament and hath been in great part the cause of that miserable and unnatural War which is made against us by his Majestie so he hath laboured by all means in the United Provinces to provide Arms Powder and Ammunition for the fomenting of that War and making it more dangerous to this Kingdom and for this purpose did address himself to the Prince of Orange by whose countenance and help as we are informed by the Lord Digby's own Letters he hath made provision of great quantities of Ordnance Powder Arms and divers other sorts of warlike provision And we are further informed by credible advertisement that the Prince of Orange in favour of the Lord Digby and those other wicked Counsellours and Incendiaries who being joyned together in these mischievous practises against the peace of this Kingdom hath not onely licensed but the better to encourage divers Commanders experienced Officers and Souldiers to resort into this Kingdom in aid of them against the Parliament hath promised to reserve their places for them in their absence and doth cause other provision of the same kinde to be made and prepared to be sent over for their supplie to the great hurt of this Kingdom and the danger of interrupting the most necessarie profitable and long continued amitie between the two States We further desire to let them know that we cannot believe that this is done by any authoritie or direction from their Lordships considering the great help that they have received from this Kingdom when heretofore they lay under the heavie oppression of their Princes and how conducible the friendship of this Nation concurring with the wisdom valour and industrie of their own people hath been to the greatness and power which they now enjoy Neither can we think that they will be forward to help to make us slaves who have been usefull and assistant in making them free-men Or that they will forget that our Troubles and Dangers issue from the same Fountain with their own and that those who are set a work to undermine Religion and Libertie in the Kingdome are the same which by open force did seek to bereave them of both It cannot be unknown to that wise State that it is the Iesuitical Faction here that hath corrupted the counsels of our King the consciences of a greaâ— part of our Clergie which hath plotted so many mischievous Designs to destroy the Parliament and still endeavoureth to divide Ireland from
comes the Marquesse Douglasse and Sir Io. Daliel with other his friends in this Extremity with a small Party of Horse not a hundred charged through the Enemy and escaped and being pursued he made his Stand slew divers and took Bruce a Captain of Horse and two Cornets with their Colours Prisoners Traquair Triumphingly reported Montrose and the Kings party totally defeated But Montrose was well and made the best use of his evil fortune and therefore marching easily with good guard and valiant hearts he marched Northwards forded over Cluid River where met him by the way many of his Souldiers with the Earls of Crawford and Airly and now he was strong two hundred Horse and some Foot and with convenient hast he resolves to go Northward into Athole and so passing over Forth River and then Erne he comes to Perthshire And in his way he had sent Dowglasse and Airly with Angus North East and the Lord Eisken into Marria to raise their friends and dependance and sent Daliel to the Lord Carnegy with Commissions to that purpose and Letters to Mac-Donel and to Aboin to return to him with their Forces About August the Atholâ— Men furnished him with four hundred good Foot to march Northwards and when ever he returned Southward he should command the whole County only they desired to be spared now for their harvest Montrose with wonderful speed and unspeakable toil clambers over Gransbane Mountains to meet with Aboin and Mac-Donel whom he expected and so the return of other his Messengers with their New Forces then to return Southward again to meet with the Kings Horse which by sundry Letters he was promised from England Aboin was of himself faithful and forward enough but restrained Ersken was sick and Huntly was returned home but with envy and ambition crossed under hand Montrose's designs but at last Aboin meets him with fifteen hundred Foot and three hundred Horse at Druminore a Castle of the Lord Forles and that his Brother Lewes was coming with more Thus impowered he instantly returns the same uncouth wayes over Gransbane Mountains and to take up Erskins and then Murries Forces and so to march Southward Lewis was come and marching together the first dayes Journey stole away the next with such Forces aâ—s followed him And the third day after his Brother Aboin with the rest of his Men desired leave to return pretending their Fathers Command the Marquesse Huntly whose County was in danger by the Enemy now about Marre and would suddainly ransack their Country but was content his Father should be treated with To him therefore Montrose sends Donald Lord Rose and Iermin kinsmen whom he had lately releived from Imprisonment Rose was honest and ashamed of his Kinsmans refusal fell sick and could not return Iermin most noble never forsaking Montrose to the death came back with doubtful Letters fast and loose And so Aboin must go home Montrose came down through the plaines of Marre and Scarschiock into Athole and so with increase of Forces he falls into Perth Here Aboin sends him word that he had got leave to return and would be with him before the time limited by his Forlough And here also meets him two Messengers after each other Captain Thomas Ogleby of Pomie and Captain Robert Nesbet with Commands from the King That if possible he should march Southward to the borders to meet the Lord Digby Son to the Earl of Bristol who was sent to him with a Party of Horse The same Bearers he dispatches with the Letters to Huntly and Aboin but in vain expectation he trifled away much time at Strath Erne in the Perth And here dies that gallant Man the Lord Napier of Marcheston truly Noble of an Ancient Family his Father and Grand-father Philosophers and Mathematicians Famous through Christendom But indeed this man exceeded them in Civil Affairs highly heretofore esteemed by King Iames and lately by K. Charls made Lord Treasurer of Scotland and advanced into the Rank of higher Nobility his Loyalty had suffered all the effects of his Enemies malice often Imprisoned Sequestred and Plundered of all his Substance whose Elaborate Discourses of the Rights of Kings and of the Original in the Turmoyls of Great Britain I have heard of and read some Manuscripts in Parcels but heartily wish may be publick Montrose is now passed the Forth and come into the Lands and Estate of Sir Iohn Buchanan a stiff Ring-leader of the Covenanters and descended from old Buchanan ingrateful Schoolmaster to King Iames and yet for his sake he and King Charles had advanced this man to what he was Hereabouts at Leven Montrose Encamps being so near Glasco that oftimes he forces the City on purpose to deter the Convention of the Coâ—enanters here who sat in Councel to arraign their Prisoners whom Montrose endeavoured to rescue Here they had for their Guard three thousand Horse and he not more than 3. hundred and fifteen hundred Foot wasting the Countrey without resistance Notwithstanding before he came they had executed three gallant men we may not neglect their memory The first was the afore mentioned Sir William Rollock Montrose his first Friend and Companion in Arms. He was sent to the King after the Battle of Aberdine and taken prisoner and condemned but upon Arguiles offer of life he was dealt with to murder Montrose whose life he valued far above his own and to save him he accepted this offer and so got loose and instantlyâ— found out by Montrose discovering all which saved Montrose for the present and was the cause of his own suffering promising upon his word that if he did not doe it to return prisoner by such a day which he did to the grief of Montrose and paid dear for it to the death The next was the aforesaid Alexander Ogleby Eldest Son to Sir Iohn Imercarrit descended from those Famous in the Scotish Chronicles he was not yet more then youth under eighteen but of a dareing Spirit and Loyal to the King for which he was executed Unless we admit him of the Family in deadly fewd with Arguile Then comes Sir Philip Nesbit I finde him the Son of Col. Nesbit a Regiment in the Kings service in England we may adde those two Irish men that suffered at Edenburgh some dayes before Colonel O-Cahen and Colonel Laghlin the crime of them all concentred in this new Treason against the King and Covenanters Montrose having long looked for six weeks his absent Confederates out of the North Mac-donel Alboin and others the Lord Digby's Forces defeated by the way and he not able to hold out a piercing hard winter Camp He the 20. of November departs from Levin Marching Northward over the Snowy Mountains of Taich through Woods and Loghes the Strathern and over the River Tay returns into Athole where he met Captain Ogleby and Captain Nesbit whom we told you he had sent with the Kings Letters to Huntly but prevailed not Here against Montrose sends to Sir Iohn Dalyel to mediate the