Holland and having commanded the Prince to attend him against his returne at Greenwich the Prince had beene surpriz'd and brought to London had not the King come a little before Thence he removed to Yorke where hee kept his Court all the Sommer But to returne to London the very next day after their Majesties departure the Countrey about especially Bucking hamshire being incited by the Citie and Parliament came in great swarmes and joyning with the London mechanicks they ruffled up and downe the streets and kept such a racket making the fearfullest riot that ever I believe was heard of in Parliament time so those Members which formerly were fled into the Citie were brought to the House in a kinde of triumph being garded by land and water in warlike manner by these Champions After this sundry troopes of Horse came from all the shires neare adjoyning to the Parliament and Buckingham men were the first who while they expressed their love to their Knight forgot their sworne oath to their King and instead of feathers they carried a Printed Pretestation in their hats as the Londoners had done a little before upon the Pikes point Per. This kept a foule noise beyond Sea I remember so that upon the Rialto in Venice it was sung up and downe that a Midsommer Moon though it was then midst of Winter did raigne amongst the English and you must thinke that it hath made the Venetian to shrinke in his shoulders and to looke but il favourably upon us since wee 'l have none of his currans But Sir I heard much of that Protestation I pray what was the substance of it Pat. It was penn'd and injoyn'd by the Parliament for every one to take and it consisted of many parts the first was to maintaine the true Protestant religion against all Popish innovations which word Popish as some think was scrued in of purpose for a loop-hole to let in any other innovation the second was to maintaine the Prerogative and honour of the King then the power and priviledge of Parliaments and lastly the propriety and liberty of the Subject for the two first parts of this Protestation the people up and downe seemed to have uttrly forgotten them and continue so still as if their consciences had beene tyed only to the two last and never was there a poore people so besotted never was reason and common sense so baffled in any part of the world And now will I goe to attend his Majestie at Yorke where as I told you before being loth to part with his Sword though he had half parted with his Scepter before by denying the Parliament an indefinite time to dispose of the Militia alleadging that as the Word so the thing was new He sends forth his Commissions of Array according to the old law of England which declares it to be the undoubted right and Royall Signiory of the King to arme or disarme any Subject The Parliament sends out clean counter-mands for executing the said Militia so by this clashing twixt the Commission of Array and the Militia the first flash of this odious unnaturall war may be said to break out The pulse of the Parliament beat's yet higher they send an Admirall to the sea not onely without but expresly against the Kings speciall command They had taken unto them a Military gard from the Citie for their protection without his Majesties consent who by the advice of the Lord Keeper and others had offered them a very strong gard of Constables and other Officers to attend them which the laws usually allow yet the raising of that gard in Yorkshire for the safegard of his Majesties person was interpreted to be levying of warre against the Parliament and so made a sufficient ground for them to raise an Armie to appoint a Generall with whom they made publike Declarations to live and die And they assumed power to conferre a new appellation of honour upon him as if any could conferre honour but the King And this Army was to be maintained out of the next contribution of all sorts of people so a great masse of money and plate was brought into the Guild-Hall the Semstresse brought in her silver Thimble the Chamber maid her Bodkin the Cook his Spoones and the Uintner his Bowles and every one something to the advancement of so good a worke as to wage war directly against the Sacred person of their Soveraigne and to put the whole Countrey into a combustion Per. Surely it is impossible that a rationall Christian people should grow so simple and sottish as to be so far transported without some colourable cause therefore I pray tell me what that might be Patr. The cause is made specious enough and varnished over wonderfull cunningly The people are made to believe they are in danger and a prevention of that danger is promised and by these plausible wayes the understanding is wrought upon and an affection to the cause is usher'd in by aggravation of this danger as one would draw a thred through a needles eye This huge Bug-bear Danger was like a monster of many heads the two chiefest were these That there was a plot to let in the Pope And to cast the civil Government into a French frame It is incredible to thinke how the Pulpits up and down London did ring of this by brain-sicke Lecturers of whom some were come from New England others were pick'd out of purpose and sent for from their own flocke in the Countrey to possesse or rather to poyson the hearts of the Londoners to puzzle their intellectuals and to intoxicate their braines by their powerfull gifts It was punishable to preach of Peace or of Caesars right but the common subiect of the Pulpit was either Blasphemie against God Disobedience against the King or Incitements to Sedition Good Lord what windy frothy stuffe came from these fanaticke braines These Phrenetici Nebulones for King James gives them no better Character in his {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} who may be said to be mad out of too much ignorance who neverthelesse are come to that height of prophanenesse and pride that they presume to father all their Doctrines all their non-sence raptures and ravings upon the holy Spirit Nor did the Pulpit onely helpe to kindle this fire but the Presse also did contribute much fewell What base scurrilous Pamphlets were cried up and down the streets and dispersed in the Countrey What palpable and horrid lyes were daily printed How they multiplied in every corner in such plentie that one might say there was a superfaetation of lyes which continue unto this day One while the King of Denmarke was comming over from the Sound another while the king of France had an huge Armie about Calais design'd for England another while there was an Armie of Irish Rebels comming over with the privitie of the King another while a plot was cried up and down to burne London another while there were subterranean invisible Troopes mustered under
his father of so fresh and famous Memorie had left him and to which he had been sworne at his Coronation they put themselves in Armes and rais'd Forces to beat down the Mitre with the Sword if the Scepter would not do it To the frontiers they came with a great Armie not halfe so great as was bruited pretending they came as Petitioners though they brought their Petition upon their Pikes point Some of the great ones about the King grew cold in the action and what a Pacification was then shuffled up and how a Parliament was called thereupon in Scotland with other passages is a fitter subject for a storie than a discourse Peregr I could have wish'd two things that either his Majestie had given them battail then having the flower of his Nobilitie and Gentrie with him who I understood came with all chearfulnesse and promptitude to attend him or else that after the said Pacification his Majestie had shaken off all jealousies and with a royall freedom and a commanding confidence gone amongst them to hansell their new Parliament House at Edenburgh for it is probable it had averted those showers and cataracts of miseries which have fallen upon us since but I pray Sir proceed Patr. As they say There is no winde but blowes some bodie good so it was thought this Northerne Cloud did England some advantage for a Parliament was summon'd hereupon a Parliament do I call it It was rather an Embryo of a Parliament an Ephemeran of 20 dayes In this sitting his Majestie declared unto both Houses the indignities he had received by his Scotch Subjects and therefore purpos'd a supply to be made of 12 Subsidies to suppresse that Rebellion and in lieu thereof he was willing to forbear and utterly abolish the Ship money which he had reason to thinke legall at first being advised thereunto by Noy his Attourney Generall who had such a mighty repute in the Law yet he would not rest there but he advised further with his learned Councell who concurred in opinion with Noy nor would he rest there also but he had the approbation of all the Iudges singly and afterwards the major part of all the Twelve joyntly upon a Demurre This was enough to induce his conscience to hold it legall all this while it was clearly proved that the monies levied this way were employed to no other but the intended service The guarding of the narrow Seas and not onely for that but to preserve his right of Dominion in them being the fairest flower of his Crown which was not onely discoursed of abroad but began to be questioned and touching danger how could England be but in apparent dangers considering how all her next neighbours were in actuall hostilitie which made huge Fleets of Men of War both French Dunkerkers Hamburgers and Hollanders to sail ever and anon in her Channels and hard before her royall Chambers nor came there one penny of that publike Contribution to his private Coffers but he added much of his own Demeanes for the maintenance of a Royall Fleet every Sommer yet he was ready to passe any Bill for the utter abolishing of the said Ship money and for redressing of any other grievances provided they would enable him to suppresse this Scots Rebellion some say the House was inclinable to comply with his Majesties demands but as the ill spirit would have it that Parliament was suddenly broke up and I would that they who gave that Counsell had been in Arabia or beyond the Line in their way to Madagascar who neverthelesse have got to be in high request with this present Parliament His Majestie being reduced to these streights and resenting still the insolence of the Scot proposed the businesse to his Privie Councell who suddenly made up a considerable and most noble sum for his present supply whereunto divers of his domesticke Servants and Officers did contribute Amongst others who were active herein the Earle of Strafford bestirr'd himselfe notably and having got a Parliament to be called in Ireland he went over and with incredible celeritie raised 8000 men who procured money of the Parliament to maintain them and got over those angry Seas again in the compasse of lesse than six weekes You may infer hence to what an exact uncontrollable obedience he had reduced that Kingdom as to bring about so great a worke with such a suddennesse and facilitie An Armie was also raised here which marched to the North and there fed upon the Kings pay a whole Sommer The Scot was not idle all this while but having punctuall intelligence of every thing that passed at Court as farre as what was debated in the Cabinet Counsell and spoken in the Bed-chamber and herein amongst many others he had infinite advantage of us He armed also and preferring to make England the stage of the War rather than his own Countrey and to invade rather than to be invaded He got over the Tweed and found the passage open and as it were made for him all the way till he came to the Tine and though there was a considerable Armie of Horse and Foot at Newcastle yet they never offered so much as to face him all the while At Newburgh indeed there was a small skirmish but the English Foot would not fight so Newcastle gates flew open to the Scot without any resistance at all where it is thought he had more friends than foes and who were their friends for this Invasion I hope Time and the Tribunall of Justice will one day discover His Majestie being then at Yorke summoned all his Nobles to appear to advise with them in this exigence Commissioners were appointed on both sides who met at Rippon and how the hearts and courage of some of the English Barons did boil within them to be brought to so disadvantageous a Treatie with the Scot you may well imagine So the Treatie began which the Scot would not conforme himselfe unto unlesse he were made first Rectus in Curia and the Proclamation wherein he was declared Traitour revoked alleadging it would be dishonourable for his Majestie to treat with Rebels This Treatie was adâ—ourned to London where this present Parliament was summoned which was one of the chiefest errands of the Scot as some thinke And thus farre by these sad and short degrees have I faithfully led you along to know the true Originals of our calamities Peregr Truly Sir I must tell you that to my knowledge these unhappy traverses with Scotland have made the English suffer abroad very much in point of Nationall honour therefore I wonder much that all this while there is none set a worke to make a solid Apologie for England in some communicable Language either in French or Latin to rectifie the world into the truth of the thing and to vindicate her how she was bought and sold in this Expedition considering what a partie the Scot had here and how his comming in was rather an Invitation than an Invasion and I believe if
it had been in many parts of the world besides some of the Commanders had gone to the pot Patr. It is the practise of some States I know to make sacrifice of some eminent minister for publike mistakes but to follow the thred of of my Discourse The Parliament being sate His Majestie told them That he was resolved to cast himselfe wholly upon the affection and fidelitie of his People whereof they were the Representative Bodie therefore He wished them to go roundly on to close up the ruptures that were made by this unfortunate War and that the two Armies one domestique the other forreigne which were gnawing the very bowels of the Kingdom might be dismissed Touching grievances of any kinde and what State was there ever so pure but some corruption might creep into it He was very ready to redresse them concerning the Ship-money He was willing to passe a Bill for the utter abolition of it and to establish the propertie of the Subject therefore he wished them not to spend too much time about that And for Monopolies he desired to have a list of them and he would damne them all in one Proclamation Touching ill Counsellours either in Westminster Hall or White Hall either in Church or State he was resolved to protect none therefore he wished that all jealousies and mis-understandings might vanish This with sundry other straines of princely grace he delivered unto them but withall he told them that they should be very cautious how they shook the frame of Government too farre in regard it was like a Watch which being put asunder can never be made up again if the least pin be left out So there were great hopes of a Calme after that cold Northerne Storme and that we should be suddenly rid of the Scot but that was least intended untill some Designes were brought about The Earle of Strafford the Archbishop of Canterbury the Iudges and divers Monopolists are clapt up and you know who took a timely flight to the other side of the sea and in lieu of these the Bishop of Lineolne is enlarged Bastwick Burton and Prynne are brought into London with a kinde of Hosanna His Majestie gave way to all this and to comply further with them he took as it were into his bosome I mean he admitted to his Privie Counsell those Parliament Lords who were held the greatest Zelots amongst them that they might be witnesses of his secretest actions and to one of them He gave one of the considerablest Offices of the Kingdom by the resignation of another most deserving Lord upon whom they could never fasten misdemeanour yet this great new Officer will come neither to the same Oratorie Chappell or Church to joyne in Prayer with his Royall Master nor communicate with him in any publike exercise of devotion and may not this be called a true Recusancie To another he gave one of the prime and most reposefull Offices about his own person at Court and thereby he might be said to have given a Staffe to beat himselfe Moreover partly to give his Subjects an Evidence how firmely he was rooted in his Religion and how much he desired the strengthening of it abroad the Treatie of marriage went on 'twixt his eldest daughter and the young Prince of Orange Hereunto may be added as a speciall Argument of compliance and grace the passing of the Bill for a Trienniall Parliament and lastly which is the greatest evidence that possibly can be imagined of that reall trust and confidence he reposed in them He passed the Act of Continuance Peregr Touching the Trienniall Parliament there come some wholesome fruit out of it for it will keep all Officers in awe and excite the Nobilitie and young Gentrie of the Kingdom to studie and understand the Government of the Land and be able to sit and serve their Countrey in this great Senate but for this Act of Continuance I understand it not Parliaments are good Physicke but ill meat they say abroad that England is turned hereby from a Monarchie to a Democracie to a perpetuall kinde of Dictatorship and whereas in former times there was an Heptarchie of seven Kings in her They say now she hath seventy times seven But in lieu of these unparallell'd Acts of grace and trust to the Parliament what did the Parliament for the King all this while Patr. They promised specially upon the passing of the last Act That they would make him the most glorious the best beloved and richest King that ever reigned in England and this they did with deep protestings and asseverations But there intervened an ill favoured accident which did much hurt viz. A Discourse for truly I thinke it was no more which some green heads held to bring up the Northerne Armie to checke the Puritan partie and the rabble of the Citie This kept a mighty noise and you know who fled upon it and much use was made of it to make that Cloud of Jealousie which was but of the breadth of an hand before to appear as big as a mountain Yet his Maiestie continued still in passing Acts of Grace and complying with them in every thing He put over unto them the Earle of Strafford who after a long costly Triall wherein he carried himselfe with as much acutenesse dexteritie and eloquence as humane brain could be capable of for his defence he was condemned to the Scaffold and so made a sacrifice to the Scot who stayed chiefly for his head which besides those vast summes of money was given him to boot Peregr Touching the Earle of Strafford 't is true he was full of abilitie elocution and confidence and understood the Lawes of England as well as any yet there were two things I heard wherein his wisdom was questioned first that having a charge readie against his chiefest Accusers yet he suffered them to have the prioritie of sute which if he had got he had thereby made them Parties and so incapable to be produced against him Secondly that during the time of his Triall he applied not himselfe with that compliance to his Iury as well as to his Iudges for he was observed to comply onely with the Lords and not with the House of Commons Patr. Howsoever as some say his Death was resolved upon si non per viam Iustitiae saltem per viam expedientiae which appeares in regard the proceedings against him are by a clause in the Act not to be produced for a leading case or example to future ages and inferiour Courts I blush to tell you how much the rabble of the Citie thirsted after his bloud how they were suffer'd to strut up and down the streets before the Royall Court and the Parliament it selfe with impunitie they cried out that if the Common Law fail'd club Law should knocke him down and their insolencie came to that height that the names of those Lords that would not doom him to death should be given them to fix upon posts up and down and this was the