for secluding him from the Succession of these Crowns when they should happen to fall to him by the old known Laws of Inheritance Which action being of such mighty Consequence to the Peace or perpetual Trouble of this Nation and the Question being so happily settled it being also a leading President to many other healing actions which have happen'd since let me once take leave to break the concise Method which I at the beginning of these Notes propounded and remember in this place some Verses writ immediately upon that Transaction by a true Lover of his King and the Royal Family Glorious and great Indeed These these are they Who truly thus their noble Blood display And by the Soul which they this day have shewn Make all the Lawrels of their Line their own These are old Englands Peers hearts that despise To be o'reawd by Number and by Noise No they 're too Brave too Loyal and too Wise Thus did their mighty Ancestors combine When Force misplac'd the Crown from the right Line Thus they stood firm to Truth and never fail'd Tell the unblemisht Rose of York prevail'd And must again that sad Dispute appear No we are much too young for Plato's year Our Renown'd Peerage will not have it so The Demi-Gods and Heroes Thunder NO What remote noise is this Hark how it grows Neerer and lowder now the Torrent flows All Europe shouts aloud Spring-Tydes of Joy Salute the Brittish sle Hark how they cry Fame now is yours more from one Law refus'd Than half the Numerous Laws ye ever us'd Anno 33. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1681. IN the beginning of this Year City and Country were busy in the Election of Members to serve in the next Parliament to be holden at Oxford For the most part the Old Members were chosen again I shall give a short account of what happen'd at London on this occasion by which a guess or estimate may be made of the Transactions elsewhere The Election for that City was perform'd at Guild-Hall on Fryday the 4th of February and the choice which the Common Hall fixt upon were Sir Robert Clayton Sir Thomas Player Thomas Pilkinton and William Love Esquires To which four as soon as the Election was over a Paper was presented in the Name of the Citizens of London then Assembled in Common Hall containing a return of their most hearty thanks for their faithful and unweary'd endeavors in the two last Parliaments to search into and Discover the depth of the Plot to preserve His Majesties Royal Person the Protestant Religion and the well Establisht Government of this Realm to secure the meeting and sitting of frequent Parliaments to assert our undoubted Rights of Petitioning and to punish such who would have betray'd those Rights to promote the long wisht for Union of His Majesties Protestant Subjects to Repeal the 35. El. and the Corporation Act and more especially for their endeavors in promoting the Bill of Exclusion of James Duke of York In fine they conclude that being confidently assured that they the said Members for the City will never consent to the granting any Mony-supply till they have effectually secured us against Popery and Arbitrary Power they resolve by Gods assistance to stand by their said Members with their Lives and Fortunes After this another Paper was presented from the said Citizens to the two Sheriffs requesting them in the Name of all the said Citizens then Assembled in Common Hall to return their grateful acknowledgment to the Earl of Essex and by him to the rest of the Lords who presented the late Petition and Advice to His Majesty In like manner were the former Members of Parliament again Chosen in most places and in many such Papers of Address presented to them in their respective Countries as had been done by the Communalty of London to their Members Also contrary to the Old Customes of the Members Treating the Country where they stood now the Country in most places Treated them or at least every Man bore his own Charges About a Week before the Session the King left London and removed to Oxford appointing certain Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse to keep Garison in the Meuse during His absence Many Members of the House of Commons especially those of London went to Oxford accompany'd or attended with the Cerimonious Cavalcade of a numerous Train of Friends On the 14th of March The King and Queen enter'd Oxford Received and Presented by the Mayor and Body of that City at the East-Gate and from thence attended with Acclamations and all sort of Demonstrations of Joy to Christ-Church The next Day the Body of the University waited on Their Majesties and received the Honour to kiss Their Hands presenting at the same time to the King a large Oxford Bible and to the Queen the Cuts belonging to the History and Antiquities of the University both Richly bound The 21st of March being now arrived and the Members of both Houses of Parliament Assembled at Oxford according to the Kings Writs of Summons the Lords sate in the Gallery at the Schools and the Commons in the Convocation House His Majesties Speech at the opening of the Sessions contained That the unwarrantable Proceedings of the last House of Commons were the occasion of the Dissolution of the last Parliament That as he will never use Arbitrary Government himself so He is resolved never to suffer it in others That whosoever shall calmly consider the Proceedings in the last Parliament may perhaps more wonder at His Patience so long than that He grew weary at last That it is as much His Interest and care as theirs to preserve the Liberty of the Subject because the Crown can never be safe when that is in Danger that neither Liberty nor Property can subsist long when the just Rights and Prerogatives of the Crown are Invaded or the Honour of the Government brought low and into disreputation that He hath call'd this Parliament so soon to shew that no Irregularities in Parliaments shall make him out of Love with them That the Just care they ought to have of Religion ought not to be so managed and improved into unnecessary fears as to be made a Pretence for Changing the Foundation of the Government that He hopes the Example of the ill success of former heats will dispose them to a better Temper that they would not lay so much weight upon any one Expedient against Popery as to determine all other are ineffectual that they ought to remember that without the safety and Dignity of the Monarchy neither Religion nor Property can be preserved that He cannot depart from what he had formerly so often declar'd touching the Succession but to remove all reasonable fears that may arise from the possibility of a Popish Successors coming to the Crown if means can be found out that in such a Case the Administration of the Government may remain in Protestant Hands he shall be ready to hearken to any such Expedient by
of this City and in this and all other things this Court will endeavor to maintain the Rights and Priviledges of the Chair and of the whole City and wherein ye think that we do otherwise the Law must Judge between us With this Answer the Lord Mayor commanded them in the Kings name to depart He also commanded Sheriff Pilkinton to go out and cause 'em to depart which Mr. Sheriff could not disobey thô he himself and all that party were dissatisfied with the Answer And thus this matter rested at that time Wednesday 9th of Aug. the King was pleased to send Sir Lionel Jenkins to fetch the Privy Seal from the Earl of Anglesey which was accordingly deliver'd up And in the beginning of Michaelmass Term following disposed to the Marquiss of Hallifax On the 15th day of August the Dutchess of York was deliver'd at St. James's of a Daughter which was on the 16th day Baptized by the Bishop of London and named Charlotte-Maria The God-father was the Duke of Ormond the Countesses of Clarendon and Arundel Godmothers But the Infant dyed in less than 3 Months During this Long Vacation Mr. Box who had been chosen Sheriff to serve with Mr. North did think fitting to fine rather than take upon him the Office Hereupon the Lord Mayor at a Common Hall held the 19th of September proposed the Electing of an other Sheriff in his place which thô much opposed by the adverse party crying no North no North no Election c. Yet the Lord Mayor went on in the Election and by the Majority of his party Peter Rich Esq a Lieutenant Collonel in Southwark and twice a Burgess in Parliament for that Burrough was chosen and so declar'd whereupon the Mayor dissolved the Court and returned to his House Notwithstanding which the two Sheriffs continued the Assembly and put the question to their own party then remaining the other side being departed with the Mayor whether they wou'd abide by their former choice of Papillon and Dubois or not and thereupon notwithstanding that the Mayor sent 'em word the Court was dissolved and requir'd 'em to depart made a Pole and then cast up their Books and declared the said Papillon and Dubois Sheriffs Elect. But the next Morning my Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen waiting upon the King at Whitehall gave a full account of the Proceedings Whereupon the two Sheriffs were sent for to the Council severely checkt and told that they had been Guilty of a High Misdemeaner and in fine dismist upon good Bail to Answer to an Information for the same On the 28th of September in the morning Mr. Dudly North and Mr. Rich were according to Custom sworn Sheriffs of London and Middlesex before the Lord Mayor in the Hustings At which time to prevent a Tumult a Company of the City-Train-Bands were drawn up in Guild-Hall The 30th of September the said Sheriffs were presented by the Recorder in the Exchequer and Sworn there the old Sheriffs giving up their Office at the same time But on Michaelmass day being the Customary time for Election of a Lord Mayor of London the Faction Muster'd their utmost Strength against Sir William Prichard the next in Course setting up against him not only Gould but Cornish who had been Sheriff but the year before and at the first appearance Gould and Cornish had the Majority of Votes till at last upon a long Scrutiny and a thorough examination into the Capacity of the Voters it was found that a great number had appear'd for them who were not legally intituled to Voices no less as reported than 60 of one Company viz. the Merchant Taylors which kind of people being struck out of the Number it appeared that Sir William Prichard had 2138 Votes and Gould 2124. Whereupon on the 25th day of October Sir William was by the Court of Aldermen declar'd at Guild-Hall Lord Mayor Elect and the usual Ceremonies then and there perform'd to him as such with mighty acclamations from all the Loyal party in London The 30th of October he was Sworn at Westminster At which Solemnity some Factious Companies refused to attend as other years On the 6th of November the 5th happening on a Sunday the Rabble were so unruly after the Bonfires that they gather'd together in a great number at least 1500. Crying a Monmouth and knocking down such as they suspected not to be of their own Gang and committing many other riotous actions in Cheapside and thereabouts till dispersed by my Lord Mayor and Sheriffs assisted by some of the Train-Bands who took several of the Rioters and committed them some to Newgate some to the Counters This occasion'd a stricct Order of Council November 10th That no person whatsoever should presume to make any Bonfires without special Order so to do by the Magistrates Which Order being vigilantly observed by the Justices of Middlesex and my Lord Mayor who with the Sheriffs rid up and down the Streets of London all Friday Night the 17th of November No Riotous Actions and Burning of the Pope was suffer'd that Night as usual some years past Afterwards at the Latter end of this Mich. Term Mr. Williams and Mr. Wallop Councellors at Law moved in the Court of Kings Bench for a Mandamus to be directed to Sir John More and the Aldermen of London to Swear either Gould or Cornish into the Office of Mayor of London but this Motion was lookt upon as ridiculous and my Lord Chief Justice refused to give it the least Countenance such a Mandamus in the Disjunctive being a thing never heard of and absur'd in it self This Term also it was That by publick Authority all the Weekly Intelligencies which hetherto were publisht every Day but Sunday were prohibited and the Hawkers silenc'd On the 24th of November the great Cause was Tryed at the Kings Bench Bar between his Royal Highness and the late Sheriff Pilkinton for these words spoken of the Plantif viz. He Fired the City and is now come to cut our Throats This was the greatest Scandalum Magnatum that was perhaps ever Tryed and the Words being proved by Sir William Hooker and Sir Henry Tulse Aldermen of London the Jury found for the Plantiff and gave 100000 l. Damages On the last day of the Term Pilkinton render'd himself in discharge of his Bail a Prisoner in Execution Into whose place of Alderman was Elected Mr. Sheriff North. On Wednesday the 29th of November Dyed at his House in St James's Park the Illustrious Prince Rupert Prince Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Cumberland c. in the 63d year of his Age. After whose Death His Majesty was pleased to confer the Constable-ship of Windsor-Castle on the Right Honourable the Earl of Arundel On Monday the 18th of December The Right Honorable Henneage Earl of Nottingham Lord high Chancellor of England departed this Life Into whose Office Succeeded Sir Francis North then Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Francis Pemberton then Lord Chief Justice of the
Wickham 100 Marks Swinnock 500 Marks and Jekel 200 Marks On the 19th of May being the last Saturday in Easter Term Sir Patience Ward one of the Aldermen of London was Tryed at the Kings Bench Bar upon an Information of Perjury for giving false Evidence upon Oath in the Cause Tryed last Mic. Term between the Duke and Pilkinton The Perjury was proved upon him by the Oaths of several Aldermen and other persons of great Credit among which were two of the Jury that Tryed the said Cause between the Duke and Pilkinton Whereupon the said Sir Patience was Convicted and found Guilty by the Jury but the Judgment of the Court was respited till next Term. The better part of the City of London both for Number and Quality appear'd about this time very Loyal and as an Instance of their Good Affections it was Resolved at a Common-Council held at Guild-Hall May 22. That whereas Sir William Pritchard Knight Lord Mayor of this City was in a rude manner lately Arrested at the Suit or in the name of Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubois and whereas it hath been alledged by the said Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubois that the Action upon which the said Arrest was was prosecuted at the Instance of the Citizens of London the Members of this Court to deliver themselves and the said Citizens from this untrue imputation do declare that they were not privy or consenting to the said Action or Arrest and do disown and disapprove the same And not long after Broom the Coroner was by the Common-Council put out of that Office and made uncapable of enjoying any place of preferment in the City Soon after viz. on the 25th of May was set up in one of the Niches of the Old Exchange a Curious Statue of King Charles the First with this Inscription underneath cut in Marble ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ Serenissimi ac Religiosissimi Principis Caroli Primi Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae Regis Fidei Defensoris Bis mar â—ris in Corpore in Effigie Impiis Rebellium manibus ex hoc loco deturbata confracta A. D. MDCXLVIII Restituta hic demum collocata A. D. MDCLXXXIII Against the beginning of Trinity Term the Scaffolds in Westminster-Hall after they had stood there and cumber'd the Hall for above Three Years were by order from my Lord Chamberlain taken down and removed On Wednesday the 6th of June was held a Common Council at Guildhall in London where all the Treasonable and irregular Acts of that Court in the Times of Rebellion were Repeal'd and a Bill past in the said Common Council for declaring and asserting the Antient Rights of the Chair by which Bill my Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen were restored to their negative Voice which had been taken away by an Act in the late Rebellious Times and never question'd before that Also it was at this Common Council declar'd and Enacted That my Lord Mayor has sufficient and lawful Power of Choosing one Sheriff And accordingly my Lord Mayor did the next day declare his Choice at the Bridg-House Feast by Drinking to Mr. Alderman Daniel as one of the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex for the Year insuing On the first Tuesday in Trinity-Term Judgment was given in the Court of Kings-Bench in the Quo Warranto brought last Trinity-Term against the City of London of which I made mention in the last Year The Pleadings were large on both sides The chief Crimes on which this Writ was grounded were Two For exacting Tolls in their Markets illegally and for framing and Printing a scandalous Petition wherein they charged the King with obstructing the Justice of the Nation by Proroguing the last Parliament Whether these were sufficient Causes of seizing their Liberties was argued pro and con by the Sollicitor General and the Recorder last Hillary-Term and by the Attorney-General and Mr. Pollixsin last Term very largely and elaborately And now my Lord Chief Justice Saunders being Sick and absent Justice Jones having concisely Summed up all the Proceedings past in a very pithy and solid Speech gave Judgment and declar'd it to be the unanimous opinion of that Court That the Liberties and Franchises of the City of London be seized into the Kings Hands After which he Declar'd by the Kings express Order That Judgment should not be enter'd till His Majesties Pleasure be further known Thursday the 14th of June was held a Common Council in London at which Court the following Petition was Order'd to be Presented to the King at Windsor it was entituled the humble Petition of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council Assembled It acknowledged their hearty and unfeigned sorrow for the misgovernment of that City of late Years which occasion'd a Quo Warranto to be brought against them and Judgment therein That they are deeply sensible and thankfully acknowledge the Kings great Favour in not requiring Judgment to be immediately enter'd thereon In this distressed condition they humbly cast themselves at His Royal Feet imploring His Princely Compassion and Grace begging Pardon for all Offences with most solemn promises and assurances of constant Loyalty and obedience to His Majesty His Heirs and Successors and of a regular Administration of His Government in that City for the future and humbly beg His Majesties Commands and directions This Petition was carried and Presented by the Lord Mayor and several Loyal Aldermen and Citizens of London on Munday the 18th of June After which my Lord Keeper by the Kings Command Declar'd That for the sakes of so many of the present Magistrates and other eminent Citizens in London who are of undoubted Loyalty and affection to His Majesties Service His Majesty will shew the City all the Favour they can reasonably desire In fine That His Majesty requires their Submission to these Regulations That no Lord Mayor Sheriff Recorder Common Serjeant Town-Clerk or Coroner of London or Steward of Southwark shall be capable of or admitted to the exercise of their respective Offices before His Majesty shall have approved them under his own Sign manual That His Majesties disapproving the Mayor twice He may if he please nominate a Lord Mayor himself so also for Sheriffs Nevertheless the Election of these Officers may be according to the antient usage of the City with some small Restrictions then specified On Wednesday the 20th of June was held a Court of Common Council again at Guild-Hall the Question being put whether they should assent and submit to His Majesties Order of Regulation as above exprest it was carried in the affirmative by the Majority of 18 Voices The Yeas being 104 and the Nays 86. Towards the end of this Trinity-Term was discover'd a Damnable Plot and Conspiracy carried on by those who call themselves True Protestants Mr. West of the Temple was first apprehended examined and Committed And His Majesties Proclamation Dated the 23 of June came out for the apprehension of others who had Conspired against the Lives of
Windsor but the Ceremony was put off to a further day and on the First of Jan. following he was elected into the Order at Whitehall Saturday the 25th of August the Dutchess of York and Princess visited Bartholmew Fair attended by the Earl of Clarendon with several other Lords and Ladies of the Court not in State but partly Incognito The Day for Election of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex which of Course is on the 24th Day of June was this year adjourn'd to the 5th Day of September on which Day the Livery Men of the City being Assembled at Guild-Hall they confirm'd my Lord Mayors choice of Peter Daniel Esq and chose to serve with him Francis Dashwood Esq Sheriffs for the year insuing At the same time Mr. Deputy Ailworth was chosen into the Office of Chamberlain of the City of London in the Room of Sir Thomas Player removed All which with the other Elections of Bridgmaster and Ale-Cunner was perform'd with the ancient gravity and Moderation and not at all with such Riotous and Factious heats and animosities as of late years The 9th of September was Solemnized according as it had been appointed with Thanksgiving in all Churches for Gods Gracious preservation of His Majesty and his Royal Brother from the late cursed Conspiracy of those that call themselves True Protestants Nor were those of the Communion of the Church of Rome unmindful of this deliverance but did also concur with His Majesties Protestant Subjects in expressing their Loyal Joy on the same occasion and on the same 9th of September did Celebrate in all their publick Chappels at London an extraordinary Service on this account In this Month the right Honourable Sir Francis North Lord Keeper was Created a Baron of this Kingdom by the Title of Lord Guilford On Michaelmass Day the usual time for the Election of a new Lord Mayor the Choice was Adjourn'd over for six Days longer but before that Day came the King being displeased at the Delays of the City in not Signing the Particulars by their Common Council formerly yielded relating to their Charter caused the Attorney-General to enter Judgment of Seizure in the Quo Warranto which was done on Thursday October the 4th and thereupon His Majesty gave Sir William Prichard His Commission to Execute the Office of Lord Mayor of London during pleasure so also to the two new Sheriffs Mr. Daniel and Mr. Dashwood all which were Sworn with the usual Oaths At the same time Mr. Jenner of the Inner Temple was knighted by the name of Sir Thomas Jenner and made the Kings Recorder of London in the Room of Sir George Treby displaced About the same time it was that the Eminently Loyal Sir George Jeoffreys was made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench in the place of Sir Ed. Saunders who dyed last Term And in the Common Pleas Sir Francis Pemberton being put out Sir Thomas Jones was made Lord Chief Justice there in his Room And Sir Francis Pemberton practized at the Common Pleas Bar as a Serjeant in the following Term. On Sunday the 7th of October my Lord Mayor and the two Sheriffs appear'd at Guild-Hall Chappel as usually in their Gowns and Chains but none of the Aldermen in their Gowns and Chains but several of the Loyal Aldermen attended in their ordinary habits 16 of them being made Justices of the Peace by the Kings new Commission in which 8 Factious Aldermen were left out viz. Allin Frederick Laurence Clayton Ward Shorter Gold and Cornish But on Saturday the 13th of October The King sent a new Commission to the City impowering the abovesaid 16 Loyal Aldermen together with 8 new Aldermen viz. Sir Benjamin Newland Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir John Buckworth Samuel Dashwood one of the present Sheriffs Charles Duncomb Jacob Lucy Peter Palavazine and Benjamin Thorogood to act as Aldermen in their several Wards in the said Commission mention'd And accordingly several of them attended on my Lord Mayor the Day following at Guild-Hall Chappel after the usual form and manner in Gowns and Chains and the next Week assembled in a Court of Aldermen as formerly On Saturday the 27th of October Aaron Smith who had given scandalous Instructions to Colledge at his Trayal at Oxford and had also behaved himself insolently at the said Tryal and who had been since Tryed upon an Information for the same and found Guilty was now brought to the Kings-Bench Bar and received Judgment for his said offence viz. 500 l. Fine to Stand in the Pillory the Tuesday following at Westminster and at the Old Exchange the next Tuesday after to be bound to his good Behaviour for one Year and Imprisonment till this be performed Monday the 29th of October being the next Day after Simon and Jude is the annual Solemnity of Swearing the Lord Mayor of London in the Exchequer And accordingly this Year His Majesty having appointed Sir Henry Tulse by His Commission to execute that Office during His Pleasure he was after the usual manner attended to Westminster by the Companies did the usual Ceremonies in Westminster-Hall made the usual Cavalcade in London but without Pageants and Dined at Grocers-Hall the other Companies Dining at their several Halls as in former Years On the 5th of November several Tumults and Riotous Actions being Committed by the Rabble in and about London especially upon the Sieur Citters Ambassador from the Vnited Provinces by assaulting his Coach and throwing into it several Squibs Stones and Firebrands whereby his Lady who was then with him was dangerously wounded and Complaint hereof being made to the King in Council on the 7th of November His Majesty was pleas'd to order for the future That no Person or Persons whatsoever do presume to throw any Squibs or other Fireworks in the Streets of London or Westminster or other place within the Weekly Bills of Mortality nor assemble together for the making of Bonfires And the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Justices of Peace in their respective Limits are required to take due care for the Performance of the said Order of Council In this Michaelmas-Term Mrs. Celier who had formerly stood in the Pillory and been Fined 1000l for which she had lain a Prisoner in Newgate for several Years was now Bail'd out upon a Writ of Error which she had brought to reverse all the Proceedings On the 22d of November this Michaelmas-Term Algernoon Sidney Esq who had been arraign'd for High Treason on the 7th Instant was Tryed for the same and found Guilty at the Kings-Bench Bar and on the 26th being the Monday following he was brought to the said Bar and received Sentence of Death as usual in the Cases of High Treason and was beheaded at Tower-Hill on the 7th of December following On Saturday the 24th of November The Duke of Monmouth came in voluntarily about 5 at Night and surrender'd himself to Mr. Secretary Jenkins having before writ a very Submissive Letter to His Majesty entirely resigning himself to His Majesties disposal