committed The Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace taking those Arms which they found in Dublin and arming whom they could on a sudden to defend themselves dispatched Letters to the King in Scotland and the Earl of Leicester then chosen Deputy but staying in England Money was wanting and no supplies neerer then England Owen O Conally the first discoverer of the Plot brought the first Letters to London upon receipt of which they rewarded Owen with a gift of 500.l and an annuity of two hundred pounds per annum and presently both Houses of Parliament met at a Conference and the House of Commons forthwith resolved into a Committee to consider of Irelands relief and also to provide for the safety of England for distractions began then to appear in England the Parliament every day considered of Irelands relief and presently ordered supplies of money to be borrowed of the City of London Victuals and Ammunition for that purpose But all relief could be but slow in such a sudden disease For the Rebellion encreased and spread through all the Kingdom and many Papists and ill-affected fled from Dublin into the Country to joyn with the Rebels whilest the City in their rooms was daily filled with poor spoiled Protestants who came naked and famished thither many of them being past relief and there perished in the City It were an endless thing to relate the pitiful condition of those woful people and what sad stories they there told concerning the bloody rage of those inhumane Irish Rebels and several tortures by which the unhappy English were brought to their ends But the Lords of the Councel and Lords Justices in a short time with those Arms of Dublin had armed many well-affected Gentlemen and sent many active Commanders out of the City to defend places neer against the approach of the Rebels About the middle of November were in Arms Sir Charles Coot Sir Henry Tichburn the Lord Lambert Sir Thomas Lucas Capt. Armstrong Capt. Yarner and the Earl of Ormond came to Dublin with an hundred Horse well armed At which time the Parliament of England till greater sums could be raised sent them over as a present comfort twenty thousand pounds But it was a long time before they could send over any forces to the relief of that bleeding Kingdom the first was a Regiment Commanded by Sir Simon Harcourt who arrived on the last of December 1641. While Ireland was thus miserably distressed the King returned out of Scotland into England and was entertained by the City of London with most pompous solemnity the whole multitude of Citizens distinguished by their several Companies in such costly Equipage as never before was known with Horse and Arms met the King and guarded him through the whole City to his Palace at White-hall Some condemned that costly entertainment of the City at such a sad time others hoped it might gain the Kings dubious affection to his people but it wrought a contrary effect in the King who began now to think he could never lose the love of the City whatsoever he did and was flattered by some with a hope that the City would assist him in curbing of the Parliament it self he grew therefore more disdainful toward the Parliament and to endear the City invited divers of the chief to Hampton Court where he feasted them and Knighted some But the honest Citizens perceiving that no good use was made of their dutiful expressions toward the King but that some bad people did openly say that the City were weary of the Parliament and would joyn with the King against it they framed a Petition to the Parliament wherein the contrary is professed and that they would live and die with the Parliament for the good of the Common-wealth While the King remained at Hampton Court the House of Commons presented him with a Remonstrance wherein the Grievances of the Kingdom are expressed but no fault laid upon himself in plain words but a Malignant party as they call them and evil Counsellors Irelands calamities seemed to be quite forgotten or rather that those inhumane Rebels were countenanced every body wondring that the King would not proclaim them Rebels and some honest Lords advising the King to proclaim them speedily that a better course might be taken against them they desired him to wash off that foul stain from himself by proceeding severely against those wicked villains who reported every where that they had authority from him to seize upon the Holds of the English Protestants that they were the Queens Souldiers and rise to maintain the Kings Prerogative against the Puritan Parliament in England they therefore advised him by all means to purge himself of that crime then which a greater on earth could not be But so strangely were things carried that although the Rebellion brake out upon the twenty third of October the King did not proclaim them Rebels till the first of January and then gave a strict command that no more then forty Copies of that Proclamation should be Printed and that none of them should be published till his Majesties pleasure were further signified so that a few only could take notice of it which made all men extreamly wonder when they observed the late contrary proceedings against the Scots who were in a very quick and sharp manner proclaimed and those Proclamations forthwith dispersed with as much diligence as might be thorow all the Kingdom But before this Proclamation came out the Parliament being somewhat troubled with some speeches of which they had been informed as if a Plot were contrived against them desired the King to allow them a Guard for security of their persons and that the Earl of Essex then Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties Houshold might be Commander of it But the King denied them a Guard giving them many fair promises of his care for their safety and that he would command such a Guard to wait upon them as he would be responsible for to Almighty God Three days after the Proclamation against those Irish Rebels being the fourth of January the King attended with about three hundred Armed Gentlemen came to Westminster and entring in Person into the House of Commons and seating himself in the Speakers Chair demanded five Members of that House to be delivered to him Mr. Hollis Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr. Pym Mr. Hamden and Mr. Strode Those five Members had by command of the House upon information of the Kings intent absented themselves Which the King finding went away after a short Speech delivered concerning them That he intended a fair Trial against them and that he was and would be as careful to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament as ever any King of England was He had the day before demanded them by his Atturney Sir Edward Herbert a Member of the House of Commons pretending a Charge of high Treason against them and with them against the Lord Mandevile a Member of the House of Lords But the Parliament did not think
and censures as by the rest of the Knights citizens and burgesses assembled in the Commons house of Parl. c. And the Sheriffs and other Officers and Persons to whom it appertaineth shall make returns and accept and receive the returns of such elections in like manner as if Writs of Summons had issued and been executed as hath been used and accustomed And in default of the Sheriffs and other Officers respectively in not accepting or making return of such elections it shall and may be lawful to and for the several Freeholders and other persons that have elected to make returns of the Knights c. which shall be as good and effectual to all intents and purposes as if the Sheriff or other Officers had received a Writ of summons for a Parliament and had made such returns any Writ c. to the contrary notwithstanding And in case any person shall be so hardy as to advise or put in execution any such Writs c. then he or they so offending shall incur the penalties contained in the Statute of Premunire made in the 16 year of Rich. the 2d. and be deprived of the benefit of the Law in any case c. And if any Sheriff Constable of the Castle of Dover or Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports shall not perform his duty enjoyned by this Act then he shall lose and forfeit the sum of one thousand pounds and every county city cinque-port and borough that shall not make election of their knights citizens barons and burgesses respectively shall incur the penalties following that is to say every County the sum of one thousand pounds and every City which is no County two hundred pounds and every Cinque-Port and Borough the sum of one hundred pounds All and every of which several forfeitures and all other forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall and may be recovered in any of the Kings Courts of Record at Westminster by and in the Name of the Lord Major of the City of London for the time being by action of Debt Bill Plaint c. wherein no Essoin Protection c. shall be in any wise prayed granted or allowed And if any person after notice given that the Action depending is grounded or prosecuted upon or by vertue of this Statute shall cause or procure any such Action to be staid or delayed before judgment that then the said persons so offending shall incur and sustain all and every the pains penalties and forfeitures as aforesaid The fifth part of all and every the forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall go and be to and for the use and behoof of the City of London and the other four parts and residue to be employed and disposed to and for such only uses intents and purposes as by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled shall be declared and appointed And be it further Enacted That the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses to be assembled at any Parliament by vertue of this Act shall and may from time to time at any time during such their assembly in Parliament choose and declare one of themselves to be Speaker for the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons assembled in the said Parliament as they shall think fit And it is further enacted That all Parliaments hereafter to be assembled by authority of this Act and every Member thereof shall have and enjoy all Rights Priviledges Jurisdictions and Immunities as any Parliament summoned by Writ under the great Seal of England or any Member thereof might or ought to have and have voices in such Parliament before and without the taking of the several Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance or either of them any Law or Statute to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding For Signing of this Bill thanks were given to the King at White-hall the same afternoon by both Houses of Parliament By this time being the end of December that Cessation of Arms which was spoken of before between the English and Scotish Armies was expired and by the Parliament now renewed for a month longer for the Paliament although the King as is said before called them Rebels and desired to have them driven out of England had a better opinion of them and at this time of renewing the Cessation ordered that the Scots should be recompensed for all their charges and losses by that mischievous war which the King had raised against them and within few dayes after examination of those losses and charges the Parliament ordered that the Scotish Ships taken since that war should be restored to them and 4000. l. in money given them to rig those ships it was further resolved by both Houses that the full sum of 300000 l. should be given to them in these words Towards a supply of the losses and necessities of our brethren of Scotland And that the Parliament would in due time take into consideration the manner of raising daies of Paiment for which three daies after the Scotish Commissioners then Resident at London gave thanks to the Parliament not only for that great Sum of 300000. l. but for the stile of Brethren which so kindly they had used towards them The Parliament of England as a further strengthning of the Nations amity Ordained at that time That all Books Libels and Proclamations against the Scots should be called in and a thanksgiving to God should be in all Churches of England for that happy Peace The payment of two Armies for so long a time was a great charge to the poor people of England which they without any grudging or repining at the King as cause of that great burden in hope to gain him for the future bore with exceeding patience they willingly parted with six Subsidies and were content with the taxation of Poll-money a personal assessment of the whole Kingdom wherein every Duke was assessed at 100. l. a Marquess at 80. l. Earls at 60. l. Viscounts and Barons at 40. l. Knights of the Bath at 30. l. Other Knights at 20. l. Esquires at 10. l. Men of 100. l. per annum at 5. l. every common head at six pence The King in February had declared to the Houses his intention concerning a marriage for his eldest Daughter the Princess Mary who was then betwixt 9 and 10 yeers of age the husband appointed for her was the yong Prince William of Nassau Son to Henry Prince of Orange a youth about 16 yeers of age the matter was then in agitation and fair Propositions made upon it to the King by the Ambassadors of the States General The Parliament were pleased with the marriage and not long after the yong Prince arived in England and was by the King and Queen with all the Court joyfully received and entertained at London After convenient time spent in the English Court he was upon the second day of May with great solemnity Married at White-hall to the Princess Mary On the tenth day of May Thomas Earl of Strafford who had
at last though too much time were lost was contented to admit of that Article as the Parliament had done But that way which the Parliament thought most powerful to Reduce Ireland was by adventuring for proportions of Land there to be shared amongst the English Adventurers according to those sums of money which they would disburse or subscribe That so whosoever in person or purse helped towards the conquest of those bloody Rebels might be recompensed if the Work were done Propositions were framed in Parliament to that purpose The King confirmed these Propositions though at first he laughed at them and was heard to say That they were like to him who sold the Bears skin before the Bear was killed At last an Act was made enabling the Parliament with power to carry on that War until Ireland should be declared wholly subdued and that no Peace or Cessation of Arms should be ever made with the Rebels unless both Houses of Parliament consented to it The King then offered to go in person over into Ireland But the Parliament thought it was not fit to hazard the Kings person in such an expedition The King was then at Hampton Court distasted at the City and pretending the reasons of his absence to be fear of Tumults for besides what was before spoken of the numbers which flocked to Petition at Westminster the King was advertised That the day after he retired to Hampton which was about a week after his going to the House of Commons divers Citizens with Boats and Guns in them brought the five Members to Westminster with many promises not to forsake the Parliament From thence upon the twentieth of January the King sent a Message to the Parliament desiring them that seeing particular grievances were so many as that it would be tedious to present them by themselves they would digest them into one Body that so a clear Judgement might be made upon them And then they should see how ready he would be to equal or exceed the greatest examples of most indulgent Princes in their Acts of Grace and Favor to the People The Parliament gave him thanks and resolved speedily to consider of it but desired the King in the mean time to give them a sure ground of security while they discharged their Trust by putting the Tower with other principal Forts and the whole Militia of the Kingdom into such hands as the Parliament might trust and recommend to him The King refused to grant that Petition alleaging that he would reserve to himself the disposal of all those places as a principal and inseparable Flower of his Crown nevertheless he promised to entrust none but faithful Persons in any of those places Many reasons were shewed on both sides and many Petitions and Answers passed they still pressing for this Grant of the Militia and the King still denying it The King then residing at Hampton Court had found out a new way to weaken the Parliament in their number by sending for some who were his Servants to leave their sitting in the House to attend him Especially he aimed at the Earl of Essex his Lord Chamberlain and the Earl of Holland Groom of the Stool both whom he sent for but they chose rather to obey his Parliament-Writ than his private Command and continued sitting For which he sent a Messenger to demand the Staffe of the one and the Key of the other being the Ensigns of their Offices which they willingly resigned The Lord George Digby about that time had written a Letter to the Queen from Midleborough in Zealand whither he had fled from England when the Lords in Parliament had sent for him upon some Misdemeanors and if he appeared not in twenty days had proclaimed him Traytor in which he intimates That if the King will declare himself and retire to a safe place he should be able to wait upon him from thence as well as from any part of England over and above the service which he might do for him there in the mean time This Letter was intercepted and brought to the Parliament whereby they began to understand that the King had some design in hand against them which they more plainly afterwards discerned The King and Queen about the middle of February with their eldest Daughter Mary Princess of Orange went to Canterbury From which place while some of the Members of both Houses went between London and that City upon divers businesses the King signed the Bill for taking away Bishops Votes in Parliament From Canterbury they went to Dover from whence the Queen passed into Holland under pretext of keeping her Daughter company to her Husband But she carried with her the Crown-Jewels of England and pawned them there whereby she bought Arms for that War which ensued and was it seems then designed by the King against the Parliament After her departure the King taking the Prince and Duke of York with him went to Theobalds there he received a Petition from the Parliament on the first of March one thousand six hundred forty one wherein they desired him to Grant the Militia to abide neer London and not to carry the Prince away All which he denied and went immediately to New-Market There he was presented with a Declaration drawn by both Houses The Earls of Pembrook and Holland with some Commoners carried it In which they repeat the old Grievances his wicked War against Scotland the Irish Rebellion raised here by many presumptions his attempt of engaging the English Army against the Parliament his entring the House of Commons with the like and that his fear to reside neer London is without ground and pretended for nothing but to perplex the Common-wealth to hinder the relief of Ireland and encourage the ill-affected party in this Kingdom to which the King Answered with great indignation and afterwards answered it by a long Declaration of his own endeavoring to clear himself of some things and extenuate or excuse others accusing them for coining to themselves needless Fears and Jealousies and so these Commissioners departed from Theobalds while the Parliament suffered him without any real hinderance to the Peoples great griefs he passed to the City of York The Parliament in the mean time sit and Vote only against the Kings evil Counsel and make three Votes 1. That the Kings absence so far remote from his Parliament is not only an obstruction but may be a destruction to the Affairs in Ireland 2. That when the Lord and Commons in Parliament shall declare what the Law of the Land is to have this not only questioned and controverted but contradicted and a command that it should not be obeyed is an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament 3. That they which advised the King to absent himself from the Parliament are enemies to the peace of this Kingdom and justly to be suspected as favorers of the Rebellion in Ireland From York the King sent a Message to the Parliament on the eighth of April 1642. that he would