To this he answered That whatsoever was said or done by him in that place and at that time was performed by him as a publick Man and a Member of that House and that he was and ever will be ready to give an account of his Sayings and Doings in that place whenever he should be called unto it by that House where as he taketh it he is only to be questioned and in the mean time being now but a private man he would not now trouble himself to remember what he said or did in that place as a publick Man Sir Miles Hobart was also questioned for locking the Parliament House Door and putting the Key in his Pocket to which he pleaded the Command of the House The other Gentlemen were questioned for reproving the Speaker and not permitting him to do that the King commanded him who all alledged in defence the Priviledg of the House After this they were committed some to the Tower and some to the Gatehouse and some to the Fleet And May the first the Attorney sent a Process out against them to appear in the Star-Chamber and to answer an information to be entred there against them but they refused as denying the Jurisdiction of that Court over offences done in Parliament which created the greatest and longest Controversie in Law that had been started in many years April the tenth Anno Domini 1630 dyed William Earl of Pembroke Lord High Steward of England of an Apoplexy He was the very Picture and vive Effigies of Nobility His Character His Person rather Majestick than Elegant his presence whether quiet or in motion full of stately gravity his mind generous and purely heroick often stout but never disloyal so vehement an opponent of the Spaniard as when that Match fell under consideration he would sometimes rowze even to the trepidation of King James yet kept in favour still for that King knew well enough that plain dealing was a Jewel in all men so in a Privy Councellor was an ornamental duty and the same true-heartedness commended him to King Charles with whom he kept a most admirable Correspondence and yet stood the firm confident of the Commonalty and not by a sneaking cunning but by an erect and generous prudence such as rendred him unsuspected of Ambition on the one side or of Faction on the other This universality of Affection made his loss most deplorable but men are lost when all turns to forgotten-dust That affection would not that he should be so nonpluss'd but kept his noble Fame emergent and alose and if this History shall bear it up I shall esteem it not more his felicity than my own April the twenty fifth of this year was Arraigned Convicted Anno 1631. Condemned and on May the fourteenth Executed upon Tower-Hill Mervin Lord Audley Earl of Castle-Haven for Rape and Sodomy In England fell two great Favourites of different parties Anno 1634. of the Commonalties one and of the Kings another Of the Commonalties Sir Edward Coke who died about the latter end of this Summer Sir Edward Coke departeth this life full of days he died most whereof he had spent in eminent place and honour His abilities in the Common Law whereof he passed for an Oracle raised him first to the dignity of Attorney-General to Queen Elizabeth Then of Lord Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench under King James His advancement he lost the same way he got it viz. by his Tongue so rare it is for a man very eloquent not to be over loquent long lived he in that retirement to which Court-Indignation had remitted him yet was not his recess inglorious for at improving a disgrace to the best advantage he was so excellent as King James said of him he was like a Cat throw her which way you will she will light upon her feet And finding a Cloud at Court he made sure of fair weather in the Country applying himself so devoutly to popular Interests as in succeeding Parliaments the Prerogative felt him as her ablest so her most active Opponent upon which account he was 1 Caroli made High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire on purpose to exclude him the ensuing Parliament there being an especial Nolumus and clause in his Commission prohibiting his Election not withstanding which Elected he was in Norfolk and those words of Restraint upon the debate of the Question in the House of Commons Voted void On the Kings the Great Lord Treasurer Sir Richard Weston Sir Richard Weston Lord Treasurer of England dieth Earl of Portland this year and he almost expiring together he ending this life March the thirteenth a sad loss to the King and the sadder because he thought it irreparable The truth is he was a Person very able for the Office and the Exchequer was in the mending hand while he enjoyed that place for he had a most singular Artifice both in improving the incomes and in a frugal moderation of his Masters expence But the Kings forrow was not so extreme for him but the Peoples joy was full as great for there was now grown so sad an antipathy between his Majesty and his Subjects that like those two Emperors Antonine and Geta they were always of contrary Senses and Minds rarely agreeing in any one particular The deportment whereby he so much disobliged the Commonalty was his promoting Monopolies and other advantages of Regality The Archbishop and he were usually at great odds this vacant place was at present entrusted to Commissioners until the King should otherwise dispose thereof September the 29th the Earl of Arundel brought up to London out of Shropshire one Robert Parr as the wonder of our times for long life he having attained to the age of near 160 and probably might have continued longer had not so tedious a journey and over-violent agitation of his aged Body accellerated his end so that it may be said he sacrificed some years to others curiosity In Michaelmas-Term was canvassed and debated the grand Controversie between the King and Subject about Ship-Money Anno 1635. The great Debate about Ship-money for the Ship-Writs having been issued out August the 11 to divers Counties many Inhabitants and among the rest Mr. Hambden of Buckingham-shire assessed by the Sheriff made default of payment whereupon the King equally hating to be either flattered into or frighted from the belief of its Legality wrote a Letter to the Judges demanding their Opinions upon the case stated To which the Judges delivered their Opinions as followeth May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE have according to your Majesties Command severally and every Man by himself and all of us together taken into our serious consideration the Case and Questions signed by your Majesty and inclosed in your Letter And we are of opinion That when the good and safety of the Kingdom in general is concerned and the whole Kingdom in danger Your Majesty may by Writ under your Great Seal of England Command all the
one word I am commanded by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House to present unto your Lordships their most affectionate Thanks for your ready condescending to this Conference which out of confidence in your great Wisdoms and approved Justice for the service of his Majesty and the welfare of this Realm they desired upon this occasion The House of Commons by a fatal and universal concurrence of Complaints from all the Seabordering parts of this Kingdom did find a great and grievous interruption and stop of Trade and Traffick The base Pirates of Sally ignominiously infesting our Coasts taking our Ships and Goods and leading away the Subjects of this Kingdom into Barbarous Captivity while to our shame and hinderance of Commerce our Enemies did as it were Besiege our Ports and Block up our best Rivers Mouths our Friends on slight pretences made Embargoes of our Merchants Goods and every Nation upon the least occasion was ready to contemn and slight us So great was the apparent diminution of the ancient Honour of this Crown and once strong reputation of our Nation wherewith the Commons were more troubled calling to remembrance how formerly in France in Spain in Holland and everywhere by Sea and Land the Valours of this Kingdom had been better valued and even in latter times within remembrance when we had no Alliance with France none in Denmark none in Germany no Friend in Italy in Scotland to say no more united Ireland not setled in peace and much less security at home when Spain was as ambitious as it is now under a King Philip the Second they called their Wisest the House of Austria as great and Potent and both strengthned with a Malicious League in France of persons ill-affected when the Low-Countries had no being yet by constant Councels and Old English ways even then that Spanish pride was cool'd that greatness of the House of Austria so formidable to us now was well resisted and to the United Provinces of the Low-Countries such a beginning growth and strength was given as gave us Honour over all the Christian World The Commons therefore wondring at the evils which they suffered debating of the causes of them found they were many drawn like one Line to one Circumference of Decay of Trade and Strength of Honour and Reputation in this Kingdom which as in one Centre met in one great man the cause of all whom I am here to name the Duke of Buckingham Here Sir Dudley Diggs made a stand as wondring to see the Duke present yet he took the Roll and read the Preamble to the Charge with the Duke's Titles which I shall here for the Readers Satisfaction insert and so proceed For the speedy Redress of the great evils and mischiefs The Preamble to the Impeachment against the Duke of Buckingham and of the chief causes of those evils and mischiefs which this Kingdom of England now grievously suffereth and of late years hath suffered and to the honour and safety of our Soveraign Lord the King and of his Crown and Dignities and to the good and welfare of his People The Commons in this present Parliament by the Authority of our Soveraign Lord the King assembled do by this their Bill shew and declare against George Duke Marquess and Earl of Buckingham Earl of Coventry Viscount Villers Baron of Whaddon Great Admiral of the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and of the Principality of Wales and of the Dominions and Islands of the same of the Town of Calais and of the Marches of the same and of Normandy Gascoin and Guyen General Governor of the Seas and Ships of the said Kingdoms Lieutenant-General Admiral Captain-General and Governor of his Majesties Royal Fleet and Armado lately set forth Master of the Horse of our Soveraign Lord the King Lord Warden Chancellor and Admiral of the Cinque-Ports and of the Members thereof Constable of Dover-Castle Justice in Eyre of all Forests and Chases on this side of the River of Trent Constable of the Castle of Windsor Lieutenant of Middlesex and Buckinghamshire Steward and Bayliff of Westminster Gentleman of his Majesties Bed-Chamber and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council in his Realms both of England Scotland and Ireland and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter The Misdemeanors Misprisions Offences Crimes and other matters comprized in the Articles following And him the said Duke do Accuse and Impeach of the said Misdemeanors Misprisions Offences and Crimes And now my Lords This lofty Title of this mighty man methinks doth raise my Spirits to speak with a Paulo majora canamus and let it not displease your Lordships if for Foundation I compare the beautiful Structure and fair Composition of this Monarchy wherein we live to the great work of God viz. the World it self in which the solid Body of incorporated Earth and Sea as I conceive in regard of our Husbandry Manufactures and Commerce by Land and Sea may well resemble us the Commons and as it is encompassed with Air and Fire and Spheres Celestial of Planets and a Firmament of fixed Stars all which receive their heat light and life from one great glorious Sun even like the King our Soveraign so that Firmament of fixed Stars I take to be your Lordships those Planets the great Officers of the Kingdom that pure Element of Fire the most Religious Zealous and Pious Clergy and the Reverend Judges Magistrates and Ministers of Law and Justice the Air wherein we breathe all which encompast round with cherishing comfort this Body of the Commons who truly labour for them all and though they be the Footstool and the lowest yet may well be said to be the setled Centre of the State Now my Lords if that glorious Sun by his powerful Beams of Grace and Favour shall draw from the bowels of this Earth an Exhalation that shall fire and burn and shine out like a Star it needs not be marvell'd at if the poor Commons gaze and wonder at the Comet when they feel the effects and impute all to the corruptible matter thereof But if such an imperfect Meteor appear like that in the last Age in the Chair of Casiopea among the fixed Stars themselves where Aristotle and the old Philosophers conceived there was no place for such corruption The Meteor in 1680. is worth your observation upon this very account then as the learned Mathematicians were troubled to observe the irregular motions the prodigious magnitude and the ominous Prognosticks of that Meteor so the Commons when they see such a Blazing-Star in course so exorbitant in the affairs of this Common-wealth cannot but look up upon it and for want of Perspectives commend the nearer examination to your Lordships who may behold it at a better distance Such a prodigious Comet the Commons take this Duke of Buckingham to be And so the Commons do the Duke of York now cum multis aliis c. Anno Domini 1680 and 1681. and
agreed to give him five Subsidies whereof Secretary Coke was the first Evangelist and Porter of that good news to the King who received it with wondrous joy and asked the Secretary by how many Voices it was carried Sir John replyed but by one At which perceiving the Kings countenance to change Sir said he your Majesty hath the greater cause to rejoyce for the House was so unanimous therein as that they made but one voice whereupon the King wept and bad the Secretary tell them He would deny them nothing of their Liberties which any of his Predecessors had granted The stream of affairs running thus smoothly The Subjects Libetty under debate without the least wrinkle of discontent on either side the House of Commons first insisted upon the Personal Freedom of the People and resolved for Law That no Freeman ought to be imprisoned either by the King or Council without a legal Cause alledged This opinion of the House was reported to the Lords at a Conference by Sir Edward Coke Sir Dudley Diggs Mr. Selden and Mr. Littleton Sir Dudley Diggs citing Acts 25. vers 27. It seemeth an unreasonable thing to send a Prisoner and not withal to signifie the Crimes laid against him This business stuck very much in the Lords House The Lords nice in the business who were willing that the Nails should be pared not the hands tyed of the Prerogative several and great Debates there were about it The Attorney pleading eagerly though impertinently for the King and the ancient Records were so direct for the People and so strongly enforced as the Attorney had no more to say but only I refer my self to the Judgment of the Lords and when these Lords were to give Judgment concerning it the Ducal or Royal party for they were both one were so prevalent as they who leaned the other way durst not abide the Tryal by Vote but calling the Lord-Keeper down moulded the House into a Committee until the Lord Say made a motion That they who stood for the Liberties being effective about fifty might make their Protestation and that to be upon Record And that the other opposite party should also with Subscriptions of their Names enter their Reasons to remain also upon Record that so Posterity might not be to seek who they were who so ignobly betrayed the Freedom of our Nation and that this done they should proceed to a Vote At which the Court-party were so daunted as that they durst not mutter one syllable against it Personal Liberty being thus setled next they fall upon Liberty of Goods the unbilleting of Soldiers and nulling of Martial-Law in times of Peace and finding Magna Charta and six other Statutes explanatory of it to be expresly on their side they Petitioned the King to grant them the benefit of them whereupon he declared Himself by the Lord-Keeper unto them in his Verbis That He did hold the Statutes of Magna Charta and the six other insisted upon for the Subjects Liberty to be all in force and assured them that he would maintain all his Subjects in the just freedom of their Persons and safety of Estates and that he would govern according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm and that his People should find as much security in his Royal Word and Promise as in any Laws they could make so that hereafter they should have no cause to complain and therefore he desired no doubt nor distrust might possess any man but that they would proceed speedily and unanimously on with their business This Message begat a new Question Whether or no his Majesty should be trusted upon his Royal Word Some thought it needless because of his Coronation-Oath binding him to maintain the Laws of the Land That Oath was as strong as any Royal Word could be Others were of opinion That should it be put to Vote and carried in the Negative it would be infinitely dishonourable unto him in Foreign parts who would be ready to say The People of England would not trust their King upon his Royal Promise At length in the height of this Dispute stands up Sir Edward Coke and thus informed the House We sit now in Parliament and therefore must take his Majesties Word no otherwise than in a Parliamentary-way that is The King sitting on his Throne in his Royal Robes his Crown on his Head his Scepter in his Hand in full Parliament both Houses being present all these Circumstances observed and his Assent being entred upon a Record make his Royal Word the Word of a King in Parliament and not a word delivered in a Chamber or at second hand by the mouth of a Secretary or Lord-Keeper therefore his Motion was That the House should More Majorum according to the custom of their Predecessors draw a Petition De Droict of Right to His Majesty which being confirmed by both Houses and assented unto by the King would be as firm an Act as any This Judgment of so great a Father in the Law The Petition of Right presented by this Parliament at this time ruled all the House and accordingly a Petition was framed and at a Conference presented unto the Lords the substance whereof after the recital of several Statutes relating to the Priviledge of the Subject was reduced to four Heads The Petition being presented to his Majesty after two several Answers thereunto which did not please the Parliament he did the third time give them this Answer the Petition being read thereunto Le droict soit faict comme il est desire This I am sure is full yet no more than I granted you in my first Answer you see now how ready I have shewed my self to satisfie your Demands so that I have done my part wherefore if this Parliament have not an happy conclusion the sin is yours I am free The King having ended the Houses testified their joy with a mighty shout and presently the Bells rung and Bonefires were kindled all the City over Nor was the true cause so distinctly known for many apprehended at first that the King had delivered the Duke up to them to be sent to the Tower on which misprision some said the Scaffold on Tower-hill was instantly pulled down the People said his Grace should have a new one It is said that the House of Lords made Suit to the King upon this happy accord That he would be pleased to receive into Grace those Lords who were in former disfavour which he readily yielded unto And admitted the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop of Lincoln the Earls of Essex Warwick Bristol and the Lord Say to kiss his hand The Petition thus granted the Commissions of Loan and Excise were instantly out-lawed and at the entreaty of the House of Peers cancell'd in the Kings presence Having thus secured the faults they removed the faulty and resolved upon a large Remonstrance to the King ripping up the Grievances themselves and the Authors of them This Remonstrance consisted of six Branches
leave him and his Tory Crew And now proceed to what doth here ensue Tuesday Novemb. 3. being the day prefixt and the Parliament assembled His Majesty bespake them in these words My Lords THE knowledge 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 Honor 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 And had His Majesty kept close to this resolution some think things had ne'er come to that extremity that afterwards they did as those of my Lords that waited upon me at York very well remember I there declared Therefor 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 asbamed to say those Charges I have been at have been meerly for the securing the good of this Kingdom though the Success hath not been answerable to My desires Therefore I shall only desire you to consider the best way for the Security of this Kingdom wherein there are two things chiefly considerable 1. The chasing out the Rebells 2. That other in satisfying your just Grievances wherein I shall promote 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 that waited on me at York assisted me will only maintain my Army for two months 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 Rebels be put out of this Kingdom Secondly The securing 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 only 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 Safety of the Kingdom that I should freely leave to you where to begin Only this that you may know the better 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 Happy Parliament That you on your part as I on mine lay aside Suspition one of another as I promised my Lords at York It shall not be my Fault if this be not a Happy and Good Parliament The King having ended the Lord Keeper in pursuance of His Majesty's Commands gave them a Summary Account and Relation of all Things relating to the Scottish Invasion I dare not say Rebellion for that the King represented them under that Disgustful Character was very ill resented by some considerable Peers whereof His Majesty having notice told the Parliament two days after He must needs call them Rebels so long as they have an Army that does invade England The remainder of this Week was spent partly in settling Committees for General Grievances and partly in set Speeches Rhetorically declaiming against and dissecting them The remainder of the particular Transactions of this year of the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament and of the year succeeding 1641. I shall not here relate at large but refer you to the Annals of King Charles the First written by this ingenious Author from whom I have borrowed and transcribed the major part of my precedent Relations who ends at the Death of the Earl of Strafford which was May the 12th 1641. And after that I must refer you for the remainder of that year unto Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle of the Kings of England c. But the particular heads of those Transactions as to matter of fact I shall be willing here to recite for your Courteous Readers present satisfaction in manner and form as followeth viz. 1. Several Petitions against Grievances 2. Priviledges of the Lords House Vindicated 3. The Lieutenant of Ireland Impeached of high Treason 4. The Northern Armies in want 5. Bishop of Lincoln Enlarged 6. Justice Howard assaulted by a Papist 7. Prinn and Bastwick enter London in Triumph 8. Secretary Windebanck flieth 9. Votes against Ship-money 10. The London Petition against Bishops 11. The late Canons Damn'd 12. The Lord-Keeper Finch defends his Innocency 13. He is Voted Traitor upon four Considerations and thereupon he flyeth beyond Sea 14. The Kings Speech for Bishops 15. One Goodman a Priest reprieved 16. A Remonstrance against Goodman the Priest 17. The Kings Answer to that Remonstrance 18. The Scottish Commissioners Demands and the Answer thereunto 19. A Match propounded between the Lady Mary and the Prince of Orange 20. The Kings Speech to the Lords concerning that Match 21. Some Plots of the Papists 22. The Earl Berkly Impeacht of High-Treason 23. The King passeth a Bill for Trienial Parliaments and his Speech concerning it 24. The Bill of Subsidies passeth at the same time and Bonefires and other tokens of joy were made that night in the City of London by Order of Parliament 25. William Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterbury accused of high Treason in fourteen Artieles 26. The Lord Digbyes Speech for Episcopacy 27. The Charge against the Earl of Strafford is given and his Answers thereunto and Westminster-Hall is appointed for his Trial. 28. The Commons justifie their Charge by Law 29. The Earl answereth by Councel 30. The Commons Vote him guilty of High-treason 31. The Commons Petition the King against Papists and the King's Answer 32. The Kings Speech to the Parliament in defence of the E of Strafford 33. The Prince of Orange Marryeth the Lady Mary 34. A Tumult in Westminster crying for Justice against the Earl 35. A Protestation framed by the Commons 36. A Bill propounded for the continuation of the Parliament 37. The Earl of Strafford Vored by the Lords House guilty of High Treason 38. Two Bills tendered to the King who is much perplext what Answer to return 39. The Earl
himself by Letter desires the King to pass the Bill 40. Censures upon the Kings passing the Bill for the Parliaments continuation 41. The Kings Letter in behalf of the Earl to the House of Lords and their answer thereunto 42. The Earl brought to the Scaffold and his last Speech before his Execution 43. The Earls Character Here I must refer you at large to Sir Richard Baker p. 511. c. 44. The Earls Children restored to their Honour and Estates 45. The Earls of Hartford Essex Bedford Warwick Lord Say with some others made Privy-Councellors 46. The Lord Treasurer and other great Officers resign up their places 47. The Star-Chamber abolished and the high Commission Court put down 48. Ship-money relinquish'd by the King 49. Five Judges for Ship-money Impeached of high Misdemenours and Berkly accused of high Treason 50. Several Laws passed by the King for regulating abuses and disclaiming Priviledges 51. The Treaty between the two Kingdoms confirmed 52. The Earl of Holland made General of the English Army and a Pole raised for the payment of them 53. Both Armies are Disbanded and the King takes a Journey into Scotland and there confers honours upon several persons of that Kingdom 54. A Bloody Rebellion breaks forth in Ireland 55. Owen O Conally an Irish Protestant discovers the Plot prevents the seizure of Dublin Caestle 56. The Earl of Leicester chosen Deputy of Ireland 57. The Irish Rebellion occasioned by the insurrection in Scotland 58. The King receives Intelligence of what hapned in Ireland and sends Sir James Stuart with instructions thither and moves the Parliament of Scotland for Aid which they Excuse 59. The Irish pretend the Kings Commission for what they did thereby to dishearten the English and also feigned Letters that the Parliament would compell them to Protestancy 60. The Irish Rebells possess themselves of all strong places in Vlster 61. They contrary to Articles of Surrender Massacre the poor English but save the Scots 62. The Parliament of England designs Money for Ireland 63. Forces raised to go against the Rebells 64. The Earl of Ormond made Lieutenant-General of the Forces there 65. A Regiment sent to Ireland under Sir Simon Hartcourt 66. The King returns out of Scotland and the Parliament present a Remonstrance to him at Hampton-Court as also a Petition with the Remonstrance 67. An Act published in Scotland against Levying Arms without the Kings Commission 68. The King receives the Parliaments Petition but desires them not to publish the Remonstrance 69 The Remonstrance is Ordered to be published in all parts of the Kingdom and the King answers the Petition and Vindicates himself from the Aspersions of the Remonstrance 70. The Commons pass a Bill for disabling all in Holy Orders to exercise temporal Jurisdiction 71. The tumult upon the Lords slighting the Bill comes to their House and clamour againg the Bishops and some of the Commons justifie those tumults 72. The Lords sends a Writ directed to the Sheriffs and Justices to suppress those tumults 73. Whereupon the Constables and Justices are sent for by the Commons 74. The Bishops Protestations against the actions of the Parliament and they are charged with high Treason and committed to the Tower where they continued about four Months 75. The Parliament Petition the King for a Guard 76. The King denies the Petition and chargeth Kimbolton and five Members more of the Commons with high Treason 77. The Commons justifie the accused Members 78. The King comes to the House to demand the Delivery of the five Members and the Commons Vote this a breach of Priviledge 79. The King removes to Hampton-Court and sends a Message to the Parliament 80. The Commons Petition the King for the Militia to be put into their hands 81. The Queen accompanies the Princess Mary into Holland and the King removes to York and there issues out Commissions of Array And so Finis Coronat Opus I have proceeded to the last day of 1641. For I find March 28. 1642. The King and Parliament differ about who shall be chief Commander at Sea where I am willing to leave them and dare not launch out any farther as to the Merits of the Cause And now in the close of all if you will please to give me leave faithfully to examine and compare together the Transactions Principles and Practices of the Commons of England in particular as being Assembled in Parliament Anno Domini 1640 and 1641 as also Anno Domini 1680 and 1681. whose Transactions Debates and Speeches are all so lately Printed that I need not here insert the Particulars but refer you unto the Debates themselves And I do clearly find the same English Spirit so far as 1641. pray take notice I proceed no further in this Multum in Parvo runs almost exactly Parallel with the present years of 80 and 81. And when you have perused and seriously considered them within your selves I do presume and am very apt to conjecture that you who are of a sober mind and wish from your Heart and Soul all Peace Prosperity and Happiness to your King and Country That you will say with me That although they are not enough to satisfie and silence an high Tory and bloody Papist yet they are Arguments and Demonstrations strong enough in Conseience to convince any Atheist in his sober mind of the Reality and good Intentions against Popery and Slavery many times slily introduced by some unworthy Sycophants and corrupt Ministers of State of the before-mentioned precedent Parliaments And although we live at present in an Age of Wonders viz. of wonderful Signs wonderful and most prodigious Comets and Blazing Stars and wonderful Apparitions for a particular whereof viz. of such as have happened in the last year 1680 pray read Mr. Christopher Ness his late Book the Title whereof is Wonderful Signs for Wonderful Times yet I say the major part of us do turn all these things into perfect Ridicule and Scorn and are far from deterring us from the evil of our ways but do still run on Jehu-like and persist in our accustomed Sins and Dalilah-like Provocations against God and are all of us the Lord of Heaven knows in a very unprepared frame temper and disposition to meet him and to kiss the Rod in the ways of his Judgments when they shall come suddenly upon us like an armed Man and there shall be none to deliver us out of his avenging hand Him that hath an Ear to hear let him hear And among the many Wonders which we have already had I have made bold here to insert one more which for ought I know may suddenly come to pass in the midst of us and pray pardon my plainness and well-meaning and hearty wishes therein the which you may please to peruse in manner and form as followeth viz. A Wonder strange I will you tell From Heaven 't will be and not from Hill When as King CHARLES shall be content In Love to meet his Parliament And let them sit