provided in kinde where he was freed from corroding cares and seated on such a rock as the waves of want could not probably shake where he might sit in a calm and looking down behold the busie multitude turmoiled and tossed in a tempestuous sea of dangers And as Sir William Davenant has happily exprest the like in another person Laugh at the graver business of the State Which speaks men rather wise then fortunate He died in Decemb. 1639 having compleated seventy three years His will was made by himself above two years before his death wherein he appointed that his Executours should lay over his Grave a plain stone of Marble with this Epitaph enscribed thereon Hic jacet hujus sententiae primus Author Disputandi pruritus Ecclesiarum scabies Nomen alias quaere Which may be englished thus Here 's lies the first Authour of this Sentence The Itch of Disputation will prove the Scab of the Church Enquire his name elsewhere To acquaint the world with two or three other Instances of the readiness of his Wit he having in Rome retained an acquaintance with a pleasant Priest who invited him one evening to hear their Vesper-Musick at Church the Priest seeing Sir Henry stand obscurely in a corner sends to him by a Boy of the Quire this question written in a small piece of paper Where was your Religion to be sound before Luther To which question Sir Henry Wotton presently under-writ My Religion was to be found then where yours is not to be found in the written word of God To another that asked him Whether a Papist may be saved He replyed You may be saved without knowing that Look to your self To another whose earnest zeal exceeded his knowledge and was still railing against the Papists he gave this advice Pray Sir forbear till you have studied the Points better for the wise Italian hath this Proverb He that understands amiss concludes worse And take heed of entertaining this opinion That the further you go from the Church of Rome the nearer you are to God He left behinde him many Monuments of his Learning whose worth are such that they speak themselves more incomparably to posterity then any Eulogies I can bestow upon them Give me leave to conclude with the words of one of the learnedst Modern Criticks That for the generality of the stile throughout his Works 't is most queintly delightful gentle soft and full of all manner of blandishments onely his pen flowed a little too much with the oyly adulation of Court-flattery Questionless if Sir Henry Wotton was reduced to any of these subserviences they were occasioned from his generous expences in the time of his Embassies for his Masters honour who used him as Queen Elizabeth did Sir Francis Walsingham who had but from hand to mouth The Life of THOMAS VVENTWORTH Earl of Stafford and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland TO particularize all the actions of the Earl of Strafford would of its self require an intire Volume it being a Garden of choice Varieties wherein points of Law are interwoven with Acts of State and the Affairs of Ireland as in the same Escutcheon quartered with those of England I shall onely take a superficial view of his life and not strain my self ambitiously to shew forth the utmost reach of his perfections he being a rare conjunction of Courage attended with loyalty to danger Wisdom accompanied with Eloquence to admiration who could both think and speak speak and do whose answers and replyes to the Articles exhibited against him by the House of Commons show his abilities to be such that whatsoever is spoken of him is infinitely below what was spoken by himself He was born in Yorkshire well descended and as well educated which fitted him to sustain the weighty Affairs he afterwards underwent A great stickler at the first against the Prerogative until allured by Court-preferment he turned Royalist for the King finding his worth and ability never left till he had gained him to himself obliging him to his side by many titles of honour and places of trust whose services he found equivalent to his favours continuing to his death a trusty servant a faithful friend a prudent Counsellour and a constant adherer to his side in all his exigencies The greatest services he did to the King were during the time he was Lieutenant of Ireland by his augmenting and advancing the Kings Revenues there restoring the Churches maintenance suppressing the Out-laws establishing obedience to Royal Authority impediting the Tyranny and usurpation of the great ones over the Commons causing the Irish to leave off many of their barbarous customs and conform themselves to the more civil manners of the English which drew much hatred upon himself for changes though for the better are most times ill resented by the vulgar witness those troubles in England in the time of King Edward the Sixth Nor could these innovations have found more dislike in any Nation under the Heavens then Ireland so wedded are those people to their ancient vain ridiculous customs But since I have inserted his most remarkable actions in the Life of King Charles I shall omit those passages and come to his solemn Trial so paramount in the Equipage of all Cirumstances that as former ages have been unable so future are unlikely to produce a parallell of them This great Minister of State was by the Parliament well known for the length of it accused with twenty eight Articles of High Treason February 16. 1640. The particulars are too long for me here to recite the substance of them being that he endeavoured to subvert the Fundamental Laws and Governments of the Realms of England and Ireland and enriching himself by indirect wayes in his office for incensing the King against the Scots for endeavouring to set things amisse betwixt his Majesty and the people and to have given counsel tending to the disquiet of the three Kingdoms The 13. of April following began his Trial in Westminster-Hall where there was a Throne erected for the King on each side whereof a Cabinet inclosed about with boards and before with a Tarras before that were the Seats for the Lords of the upper House and sacks of wool for the Judges before them ten stages of seats extending further then the midst of the Hall for the Gentlemen of the House of Commons at the end of all was a desk closed about and set apart for the Lord Lieutenant and his Councel The Earl of Arundel was Lord High Steward his Accusers were Pym Glin Mainard Whitlock St. Johns Palmers Sir Walter Earls Stroud Selden Hampden and others Many dayes were spent and much Rhetorick used on both sides for the Lieutenant was no childe but as cunning in the art of defence as any man in England equal if not surpassing his Predecessour the Earl of Kildare in the time of King Henry the Eighth But the House of Commons were implacable in their hatred towards him nothing being satisfactory to them but his downfal So
universal grievance of your people 7. The great grief of your Subjects by long intermission of Parliaments and the late and former dissolution of such as have been called without the happy effects which otherwise they might have produced For remedy whereof and prevention of the dangers that may arise to your Royal Person and to the whole State they do in all humility and faithfulness beseech your most excellent Majesty that you would be pleased to summon a Parliament within some convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great Grievances which your people lye under may be taken away and the Authours and Councellors of them may be brought to such legal trial and condign punishment as the nature of their several offences shall require And that the present War may be composed by your Majesties wisdom without blood in such manner as may conduce to the honour and safety of your Majesties person the comfort of your people and the uniting of both your Realms against the common enemy of the reformed Religion And your Majesties Petitioners shall ever pray c. Concluded the 28. of August 1640. Francis Bedford Robert Essex Mulgrave Say Seal Edward Howard William Hartford Warwick Bullingbrooke Mandevile Brooke Pagett This Petition being seconded by another from the Scots to the same effect the King the twenty fourth day of the same moneth assembled the Lords together at York where it was concluded that a Parliament should be summoned to convene November the third next ensuing in the mean time a cessation of Arms was concluded between both Nations whereupon the King and Lords posted to London Tuesday November the third according to pre-appointment the Parliament assembled no sooner were they set but Petitions came thronging in from all Counties of the Kingdom craving redress of the late general exorbitancies both in Church and State many who were in prison were ordered to be set at liberty as Pryn Bastwick and Burton and the Bishop of Lincolne and many who were at liberty were ordered to be sent to prison as Sir William Beecher the Earl of Strafford and the Archbishop of Canterbury Secretary Windebank and the Lord Keeper Finch who was forced to flye the Land Ship-money was voted down the late Cannons damn'd Peace is concluded with Scotland and three hundred thousand pound allowed them for reparations This was summarily the first actings of the Parliament which gave much content to many people especially the Londoners who to the number of 15000. Petition for the abolishing of Episcopacy it self Indeed some few of the Cleargy at this time as at all others were corrupt in their lives many of them being vicious even to scandal yea many of those who pretended much purity in their conversations were most covetous and deceitful in their dealings besides their pride was intollerable insomuch that a great one amongst them was heard to say He hoped to live to see the day when a Minister should be as good a man as any upstart Jack Gentleman in England Well therefore might it it be said of the Priests of our times what Gildas sirnamed the wise wrote of the Priests of his time Sacerdotes habet Britannia sed insipientes quam plurimos Ministros sed impudentes clericos sed raptores subdeles c. Great Brittain hath Priests indeed but silly ones Ministers of Gods word very many but impudent a Cleargy but given up to greedy rapine c. Yet let none mistake me I write not thus to perswade any to an ill opinion of the Ministry for though our Church had cause to grieve for the blemishes of many yet might she glory in the ornaments of more so that Episcopacy received not at this time the fatal blow but was onely mutilated in her former glory the House of Commons voting that no Bishop shall have any vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star Chamber nor bear any sway in Temporal Affairs and that no Cleargy-man shall be in Commission of the Peace The Parliament having thus set bounds to the exorbitant power of the Cleargy they next fell upon the Tryal of the Deputy of Ireland who as you heard not long before was committed prisoner to the Tower this man at first was a great stickler against the Prerogative until allured by Court preferment he turned Royalist Westminster Hall was the place assigned for his Tryal the Earl of Arundel being Lord High Steward and the Earl of Lindsey Lord High Constable the Articles charged against him being very many are too long to recite I having more at large in their place inserted them in his Life The sum of them were for ruling Ireland and the North of England in an arbitrary way against the Laws for retaining the Kings revenue without account for encreasing and encouraging Popery for maliciously striving to stir up and continue enmity betwixt England and Scotland and for labouring to subvert Parliaments and incense the King against them yet notwithstanding this high charge the Earl by his answers so cleared himself that the King told the Lords he was not satisfied in Conscience to Condemn him of high Treason but acknowledged his misdemeanours to be very great at last wearied with the clamours of the people the Earl also by a letter desiring the same he granted a Commission to four Lords to Sign the Bill for his Execution which Execution was accordingly performed on Tower-hill May 10. 1641. Thus dyed this unhappy Earl a sacrifice to the Scots revenge cut off as it was thought not so much for what he had done as for fear of what he afterwards might do a man of the rarest parts and deepest judgement of any English man of our late times The same day fatal to the King he Signed the Bill for the Deputy of Irelands death he also Signed the Bill for a trienial or perpetual Parliament which should not be dissolved without consent of both Houses some say Duke Hamilton counselled him to it others say it was the Queen whoever it was it was his ruine for the Parliament now fearless of a dissolution began to act in an higher way then before being fortified with a strong guard of Souldiers whereof the Earl of Essex was Captain they without the Kings leave or knowledge appoint an extraordinary Assembly in the City that should mannage all weighty and great occurrences and to weaken his Majesty the more or rather to satisfie the insolence of the people they cast twelve Bishops into Prison because they went about to maintain their priviledge by the publick Charter The King moved with this accused five of the lower House and one of the upper House of high Treason their names were the Lord Viscount Mandevil Mr. Pym Mr. Hampden Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr. Hollis and Mr. Strowd This action of the Kings was by the Parliament adjudged a great breach of their Priviledges certainly it much encreased the differences between them and left scarce any possibility of reconcilement This small river of
whom you now embrace shall be your ruine and you shall bear this iniquity Now this passage of the Prophet doth by consent of Interpreters signifie the time of forty years to the destruction of Jerusalem and that Nation for their Idolatry and this Sermon being Preached in Anno 1601. just forty years before that horrid Rebellion brake forth in Ireland Anno 1641. made it appear that it had something in it of a prophetick spirit His first Church preferment was to the Chancellourship of St. Patrick in Dublin in which Mr. Cambden found him An. 1607. at what time he was composing his most excellent Brittania of whom he gives this Character in his observations concerning Dublin Most of which I acknowledge to owe to the diligence and labour of James Usher Chancellour of the Church of Saint Patrick who in various learning and judgement far exceeds his years Soon after Mr. Cambdens departure be commenc'd Batchellor of Divinity and immediately upon it was chosen Professor of Divinity in that University of Dublin which he held about thirteen or fourteen years during which time the Provostship of the Colledge falling void he was unanimously elected by the Fellows but by reason of some trouble belonging to it notwithstanding it it had a large annual allowance he refused it a thing to be taken notice of because rare amongst the Cleargy men of this latter age Soon after he proceeded Doctor of Divinity and now his eminency gained him enemies who scandalized him to King James under the notion of a Puritan but what was intended for his downfal proved for his preferment for the King entring into a free discourse with him received from him such abundant satisfaction of the soundness of his Judgement and Piety that notwithstanding the opposition of great ones without his seeking made him Bishop of Meath in Ireland just then falling void whilest he was in England upon his entering into his dignity a Wit of those times made this excellent Annagram upon him James Meath Anagrama I am the same Which he made good ever after in the whole course of his life neither being puffed up with the the windy titles of ambition nor slacking his former constancy of preaching engraving this Motto on his Episcopal Seal Vae mihi si non Evangeliza vero which he continued in the Seal of his Primacy also It is credibly reported of him that he was person of so excellent a memory that when he hath bin distant from his Library many miles without the aid of any Catalogue he hath directed his man by the figures of them imprinted in his minde to go directly to the several places where they stood to bring him such Books as he wanted During the time he was Bishop of Meath he answered that Challenge of the Jesuite Malone and coming over into England to have it Printed during his abode here Primate Hampton dying he was made Primate of Ireland An. 1624. And now though he was promoted to the highest step his profession was capable of in his native Countrey yet having some occasion of stay still in England he continued his laborious preaching in a little Village called Wicken in Essex where upon the request of some Ministers of that County to preach on the Week dayes because they could not come to hear him on the Sundayes preaching too often beyond his strength he fell into a Quartane Ague which held him three quarters of a year Scarcely had he recovered his sickness when it pleased God to make him the instrument of the conversion of an honourable person to the Protestant Religion the occasion thus the Lord Mordant afterwards Earl of Peterborough being a Papist and his Lady a Protestant both of them being desirous to draw each other to their own Religion agreed that there should be a meeting of two prime men of each to dispute what might be in controversie between them hereupon the Lord chose for his Champion one Rookwood a Jesuite Brother to Ambross Rookwood one of the conspirators in the Gunpowder Treason who went disguised under the name of Beaumont the Lady made choice of this Archbishop Drayton in Northamptonshire was appointed for their meeting place the Points proposed were concerning Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints Images visibility of the Church Three dayes were spent in disputations wherein the Archbishop was opponent and the Jesuite respondent The fourth day according to agreement the Jesuite was to have been opponent but that morning he excused himself to the Lord Mordant saying That all the Arguments he used he had framed within his own head and thought he had them as perfect as his Pater Noster but he had strangely forgotten and could not recover them again which caused him to say That he believed it was the just judgement of God upon him thus to desert him in the defence of his cause for the undertaking of himself to dispute with a man of that eminency and learning without the licence of his Superiour This excuse gave so little satisfaction to the Lord Mordant that upon some further conference with the Archbishop he became a Protestant and so continued to his dying day After this Victory over the Jesuit with the Canon bullets of his controversial Pen he disperst whole Armie of the Irish Catholicks so that they were never able to rally their Forces again After some time of tarrying in England he returned into Ireland where he was received with great acclamations of joy where he continued faithfully discharging his Office until the year before the Rebellion brake forth there in which he returned into England not long after was the great business of the Earl of Strafford in agitation I have heard it reported by men not over credulous to believe flying news that the day before the King signed the Bill for that Earls death that when the King for the satisfying of his conscience desired the opinion of him as also of the Bishops of London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle that those other four for the satisfying of the people who were then grown extraordinary insolent wished him to sign the Bill But that this Bishop advised the King not to wound his Conscience in seeking to heal State sores the truth of this I will not assert for it is confidently believed by many that Doctor Juxon Bishop of London was not assenting thereto but this is certain that when a person of honour had in the Kings presence spoken words in effect that this Bishop should advise him to the signing of that Bill that he in very great passion laying his hand upon his breast protested his innocency therein It is generally reported how true I know not that when the King heard that an honourable Lady had extended her nobleness to the Bishop that he should say That that charity of hers would cover a multitude of her sins Many endeavours not like the fire-drakes of our late Pulpits did this reverend Bishop use to draw the King and Parliament to a Reconciliation and
what he would have been had the Fates allowed him a longer life Witness such time when the French Ambassadours came over into Englad to negotiate a Marriage between the Duke of Anjou and Queen Elizabeth when for their entertainment a solemn Justs was proclaimed where the Earl of Arundel Frederick Lord Windsor Sir Foulk Grivel and he were chief Challengers against all commers in which challenge he behaved himself so gallantly that he wan the reputation of a most valiant Knight Not long after the Netherlanders oppressed with the tyanny of the Duke D' Alva under the King of Spain implored the assistance of Queen Elizabeth which matter being debated in Councel she condescended to become their Defendress and thereupon Articles being drawn five thousand Foot and a thousand Horse-men were sent under the command of Sir John Norris a renowned Souldier all retained at her Majesties pay which monethly amounted to twelve thousand five hundred twenty six pound Sterling accounting fifty six dayes to the moneth For which Moneys so disbursed the Towns of Flushing and Brill with two Sconces and the Castle of Ramekins in Holland were delivered as Pledges till the Money was repaid Over Flushing and the Castle of Ramekins was Sir Philip Sidney appointed Governour His Motto was Vix ea nostra voco who during those Wars behaved himself being entred into the Cock-pit of War most gallantly At the taking of a certain great Town named Axell where within an English mile of the Town calling so many of his Souldiers together as could conveniently hear him he expressed himself to this effect That all such of his Countreymen that exposed their lives to the hazard of Battle ought to be advised of three things First the justness of the cause Secondly for whom they fight Thirdly against whom they fight For the first the justness of the cause were it onely for the defence of the Gospel it were sufficient but the malice of the Spaniards did most evidently appear in their late attempts for Ireland and should they seat themselves in these Nertherland Provinces they might expect the same tyranny for England Then next the people for whom they drew their Swords were their Neighbours alwayes Friends and Well-willâ—â—â— to the English as contrarily those against whom they were to fight men of another Religion enemies to God and his Church a people whose unkindeness both in nature and life doth so excell that God would not leave them unpunished Furthermore he perswaded them that they were Englishmen whose valour the world both feared and admired and therefore now they should acquit themselves like English-men for their own credit and honour of their Countrey Which oration wrought in them such resolutions that they all vowed to live and die in that Service How the Dutch have since deserved their then assistance of the Queen or the blood of a Sidney as they have since demeaned themselves the world may judge Amongst other of his successes he also took in the strong Town of Dorpe But in the full career of his Victories encountering with the Spaniards near to a place called Zutphen when the triumphant Laurells were ready to crown his Brows he was unfortunately shot in the thigh which is the rendezvouz of nerves and sinnews which caused a Feaver that proved so mortal that twenty five dayes after he died of the same the night of whose death was the noon of his age and the loss of Christendom His Body was conveyed into England and most honourably interred in the Church of St. Paul in London over which was fixed this Epitaph England Netherland the Heavens and the Arts All Souldiers and the world have made six Parts Of the noble Sidney for none will suppose That a small heap of stones can Sidney inclose England hath his body for she defence shed The Heavens his Soul the Arts his Fame All Souldiers his grief the World his good name Certain it is saith one that he was a noble and matchless Gentleman of whom may be justly written without Hyperbole or fiction as it was of Cato Vticensis that he seemed to be born to do that onely which he went about To speak more of him were to speak less The Life of ROBERT EARL of LEICESTER Ingenio gravis arte potens magnusque favore Principis incertam liquit post funera famam THe Earl of Leicester the Grand Politician and Proteus of those times was one of Queen Elizabeths early favourites the first whom she made Master of the Horse he was the youngest Son then living of the Duke of Northumberland beheaded primo Mariae and his Father was that Dudley which our Histories couple with Empson and so much infamed for the Catterpillers of the Common-wealth during the Reign of Henry the Seventh who being a noble extract was executed the first year of Henry the Eighth but not thereby so extinct but that he left a plentifull estate and such a Son who as the Vulgar speaks it could live without the teat for out of the ashes of his Fathers infamy he rose to be a Duke and as high as subjection could permit or Sovereignty endure and though he could not finde out any appellation to assure the Crown in his own person yet he projected and very nearly affected it for his Son Gilbert by intermarriage with the Lady Jane Grey and so by that way to bring it about into his Loins Observations which though they lie behinde us and seem impertinent to the Text yet are they not extravigant for they must lead and shew us how the after passages were brought about with the dependances and on the hinges of a collatterall workmanship and truly it may amaze a well settled Judgement to look into those times and to consider how this Duke could attain to such a pitch of greatness His Father dying in ignomy and at the Gallows his estate confiscate and that for pilling and polling by the clamour and crusifige of the people but when we better think upon it we finde that he was given up but as a Sacrifice to please the people not for any offence committed against the person of the King so that upon the matter he was a Martyr of the Prerogative and the King in Honour could do do less then give back to his Son the priviledges of his blood with the acquirings of his Fathers Profession for he was a Lawyer and of the Kings Council at Law before he came to be ex interioribus consiliis where besides the licking of his own fingers he got the King a mass of Riches and that not with the hazard but the loss of his fame and life for the Kings fathers sake Certain it is that his son was left rich in purse brain which are good foundations and fall to ambition and it may be supposed he was on all occasions well heard of the King as a person of mark and compassion in his eye but I find not that he did put up for advancement during Henry the Eights
by him for a constant Memorial The Life of GEORGE VILLERS Duke of Buckingham TAll Cedars are shaken with the wind when the humble shrub rests secure Envy strikes not at the lowly person her aim is evermore at the tallest How vain then is that man who enjoying the quiet of a retired life ambitiously hunts after honour How few Favorites go to the grave in peace Histories make mention and this Age can testify this truth will be too sadly instanced in the late Lord Duke of Buckingham who from the mean estate of a private Gentleman being raised to the highest pitch of honour a subject could be capable of came at last to an untimely end His first rise began at the Earl of Somersets fall one upon whom King James had heaped many great favours for from the degree of a Knight he was first made Viscount Rochester next sworn a Privy Councellour then created Earl of Somerset and last of all made Lord Chamberlane But this serene Sky of favour was soon over-shadowed with Clouds by the Earls undeserving for having married the Lady Frances Howard Daughter to Thomas Earl of Suffolk and not long before divorced from the Earl of Essex the unfortunate Knight Sir Thomas Overbury for speaking against the match was by their procurement committed to the Tower and not long after poysoned as I have more at large treated of in his Life for which fact both the Lady and Earl were arraigned and condemned yet through the Kings great clemency had their lives spared but were for ever banisht his presence This great Favorite being thus disgusted King James who would not long be without an alter idem or Bosom-friend took into special regard as I have intimated Master George Villers a Gentleman of a good extraction but a younger Brother and finding him susceptible and of good form moulded him Platonically to his own Idea And that he might be a fit companion for a King raised him in honour next to himself yet not all at once but by degrees making him first a Knight and Gentleman of his Bed-chamber soon after a Viscount and Master of the Horse a while after erected Earl of Buckingham then Marquess of Buckingham and made Lord Admiral King James having thus hardened and pollished him about ten years in the School of observance for so a Court is and in the furnace of tryal about himself for he was a King that could peruse men as well as books he made him the Associate of his Heir Apparent together with the Lord Cottington an adjunct of singular experience and trust in forreign travel and in a business of love and of no equal hazard enough to kindle affection even between the distantest conditions so as by various and inward conversation abroad besides that before and after at home with the most constant and best natured Prince bana si sua nocint that ever any Nation enjoyed this Duke which last title was conferred on him in Spain now becomes seized of reiterated favour as it were by descent though the condition of that state commonly be no more then a tenancy at will or at most for the life of the first Lord and rarely transmitted it being a kinde of wonder to see favour hereditary yet in him it proved far otherwise as one writes The King loves you you him both love the same You love the King he you both Buck-in-game Of sport the King loves game of game the Buck Of all men you why you why see your luck And although it be ever the perpetual lot of those who are of choicest admission into Princes favours to feel as strong stroaks of envy and ill will from beneath as they do beams of grace and favour from above the Princes love procuring the peoples hate this Duke contrarily found their affection so great towards him that in open Parliament the generality honoured him with no lesser acclamation then the preserver of his Countrey But what odde turns are in the passions of men and how little time continue their affections may appear in this those very men in a Parliament holden the first year of King Charles accusing him as the onely cause of all bad events which happened in the Common-Wealth drew up a charge of thirteen Articles against him the Prologue whereof expressing the prodigious greatness of this Duke the influence of whose power this ensuing Letter of Sir Henry Wottons doth sufficiently express My most noble Lord When like that impotent man in the Gospel I had lain long by the Pools side while many were healed and none would throw me in it pleased your Lordship first of all to pitty my infirmities and to put me into some hope of subsisting hereafter therefore I most justly and humbly acknowledge all my ability and reputation from your favour you have given me incouragement you have valued my poor indeavours with the King you have redeemed me from ridiculousness who have served so long without any mark of favour by which arguments being already and ever bound to be yours till either life or honesty shall leave me I am the bolder to beseech your Lordship to perfect your own work and to draw his Majesty to the settling of some things that depend betwixt Sir Julius Caesar and me in that reasonable form which I humbly present to your Lordship by my Nephew likewise your obliged servant being my self by a late indisposition confined to my Chamber but in all estates such as I am Your Lordships Henry Wootton But to return where I left to the preface of his Titles as I finde them copied in the Parliaments Declaration against him For the speedy redress of the great evils and mischiefs and of the chief causes of those great evils and mischiefs which this Kingdom of England now grievously suffereth and of late years hath suffered and to the honour and fafety of our Sovereign 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 said Sovereign 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 Barron 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 Gascoigne and Guyen General Governour of the Seas and ships of the said Kingdoms Lieutenant General Admiral Captain General and Governour of his Majesties Royal Fleet and Army lately set forth Master of the Horses of our Sovereign Lord the King Lord Warden Chancellour and Admiral of the Cinque-Ports and of the members thereof Constable of Dover Castle Justice in Eyre of all Forrests and Chases on this side Trent Constable of the Castle of Windsor Lieutenant of Middlesex and Buckinghamshire Steward and Bayliff of Westminster Gentleman of his Majesties
Princes This most holy Religion with the Hierarchy and Liturgy thereof we solemnly protest that by the help of Almighty God we will endeavour to our utmost power and last period of our life to keep entire and inviolable and will be careful according to our duty to Heaven and the tenour of the aforesaid most Sacred Oath at our Coronation that all our Ecclesiasticks in their several degrees and incumbencies shall preach and practise the same Wherefore we enjoyn and command all our Ministers of State beyond the Seas as well Ambassadours as Residents Agents and Messengers and we desire all the rest of our loving Subjects that sojourn either for curiosity or commerce in any Forreign parts to communicate uphold and assert this our solemn and sincere Protestation when opportunity of time and place shall be offered For the for ever silencing of such black-mouthed people I have here set down his Majesties Speech and Protestation before his receiving the Holy Eucharist at Christ Church in Oxon 1643. His Majesty being to receive the Sacrament from the hands of the Lord Archbishop of Armagh used these publique expressions immediately before his receiving the blessed Elements he rose up from his knees and beckning to the Archbishop for a short forbearance made this Protestation My Lord I espy here are many resolved Protestants who may declare to the world the Resolution I now do make I have to the utmost of my power prepared my soul to become a worthy receiver and may I so receive comfort by the Blessed Sacrament as I do intend the establishment of the true Reformed Protestant Religion as it stood in its beauty in the happy dayes of Queen Elizabeth without any connivance at Popery I bless God that in the midst of these publick distractions I have still liberty to communicate and may this Sacrament be my damnation if my Heart do not joyn with my Lips in this Protestation But to proceed in our History the King was not so busie in preparing against the Scots but they were as forward in providing for his resistance those of the Nobility and Gentry who stood firm for the King they imprisoned they invited and procured to their service many Commanders from Holland and reared works of Fortification in all places agreeable to their designs In this state stood the Affairs of both Kingdoms when April 13. according to pre-appointment the Parliament assembled the Earl of Strafford being led into the upper House by two Noble men to give them account of his proceedings in Ireland having there obtained the grant of four Subsidies for the maintenance of ten thousand Foot and fifteen hundred Horse implicitely hinting agreeable to what Scheme England should proportion their supplies The King also to forward the business sent a message to the Lower House representing to them the intollerable Indignities and Injuries wherewith the Scots had treated him and withal declared to them that if they would assist him with supplies suitable to the exigency of his sad occasion he would for ever quit his claim of Ship-money and into the bargain give them full content in all their just demands This Message delivered by Secretary Vane he whether wilfully or casually mistaking I leave undetermined required twelve Subsidies whereas it was said his express order was onely for six This Proposition raised the House of Commons to such animosity as the King advising with his Juncto their Compliance was represented to him so desperate as May the fifth he ordered the Dissolution of the Parliament But though the Parliament were sullen and would not give down their milk the Gentry and others contributed largely especially the Cleargy who in their Convocation granted a Benevolence of four shillings in the pound to be assest upon all the Cleargy for six years together towards this Expedition With these and other forementioned aids a Royal Army was raised whereof the Earl of Northumberland was appointed Generalissimo and the Earl of Strafford Lieutenant General but both Generalls falling sick the charge of the Army was committed to the Lord Conway who marching with the Army as far as Newburn upon Tine was encountred by the Scots and worsted three hundred of the English being slain and taken Sir Jacob Astley then Governour of New Castle hearing of this Defeat deserted the same as not tenable against so potent an Army which Town was taken into the Scots possession The King who had stayed behinde during the time the Queen was brought to bed of her third Son Henry advances after his Army when at Northalerton he was certified of the Lord Conway's discomfiture and Sir Jacob Astley quitting New Castle this being accounted an unlucky omen some of the Lords desirous of Peace working upon the occasion presented to the King at York this following Petition To the Kings most excellent Majesty The humble Petition of your Majesties most loyal and most obedient Subjects whose Names are under-written in behalf of themselves and divers others Most Gracious Sovereign The zeal of that duty and service which we owe to your Sacred Majesty and our earnest affection to the good and welfare of this your Realm of England have moved us in all humility to beseech your Royal Majesty to give us leave to offer to your Princely Wisdom the apprehension which we and others your faithful Subjects have conceived of the great distempers and dangers now threatning the Church and State and your Royal Person and of the fittest means by which they may be removed and prevented The evils and dangers whereof your Majesty may be pleased to take notice are these 1. That your Majesties sacred Person is exposed to hazard and danger in the present Expedition against the Scottish Army and by occasion of this War your Majesties Revenue is much wasted your Subjects burthened with coat and conduct of money billiting of Souldiers and other Military Charges and divers Rapines and Disorders committed in several parts of this your Realm by the Souldiers raised for that service and your whole Kingdom become full of fears and discontents 2. The sundry Innovations in matters of Religion the Oath and Cannons lately imposed upon the Cleargy and other your Majesties Subjects 3. The great encrease of Popery and the employing of Popish Recusants and others ill-affected to the Religion by Laws established in places of power and trust especially in commanding of Men and Arms both in the Field and sundry Counties of this your Realm whereas by Law they are not permitted to have any Arms in their own houses 4. The great mischiefs which may fall upon this Kingdom if the intentions which have been credibly reported of bringing in Irish and Forreign Forces should take effect 5. The urging of Ship-money and prosecution of some Sheriffs in the Star-Chamber for not levying it 6. The heavy charge upon Merchandize to the discouragement of Trade the multitude of Monopolies and other Patents whereby the Commodities and Manifactures of the Kingdom are much burthened to the great and
that sufficient and real security be given for performance of what shall be agreed upon I permit either by leaving strong Towns or other Military force into the Rebels possession until Articles be performed to give such assurance for performance of Conditions as you shall think necessary for to conclude a Peace provided alwayes that you take at least as great care by sufficient security that Conditions be performed to me And to make sure that he Peace once set all things shall return into their ancient chanels Thirdly for Ireland I confess they have very specious and proper Arguments to propose this point the gaining of no Article more conducing to their ends then this and I have as great reason in honour to take care how to answer this Accompt all the world knows the eminent inevitable necessity which caused me to make the Irish Cessation and there remain yet as strong reasons for the concluding of the Peace wherefore ye must consent to nothing to hinder me therein until a clear way be shown me how my Protestant Subjects may probably at least defend themselves and that I shall have no more need to defend my Conscience and Crown from the injuries of this Rebellion His Majesties Letter to the Duke of Richmond in pursuance of the said Instructions Richmond I thank you for the account you sent me by this Bearer and have nothing of new to direct you in but onely to remember you that my going to Westminster is not to be mentioned but upon probable hopes of procuring a Treaty with the Commons there or thereabouts and that you mention the security I ask with my coming to West And I hope I need not remember you to cajole well the Independents and Scots this Bearer will tell you how well our Western and Northern association go on to whom I refer you for other things I rest Directions for Secretary Nicolas to the same effect First for Religion and Church Goverment I will not go one step further than what is offered by you already 2. And so for the Militia more than what ye have already allowed me but even that you must observe that I must have a nomination of the full half as if the total number Scots and all be thirty I will name fifteen yet if they I mean the English Rebels will be so base as to admit of ten Scots to twenty English I am contented to name five Scots and ten English and so proportionably to any number that shall be agreed upon 3. And for gaining of particular persons besides security I give you power to promise them rewards for performed services not sparing to ingage for places so they be not of great trust but as much profit as you will with this last you are onely to acquaint Richmond Southampton Culpeper and Hide His Majesties Letter to his Commissioners at Uxbridge for procuring longer time to conclude the Treaty Right trusty c. Having received from you a particular account of your proceedings in the Treaty and observing thereby how impossible it is within the dayes limited to give such full answer to the three Propositions you are now upon as you might if upon consideration had of the rest of the Propositions you could clearly see what fruit such answers will produce in order to a blessed peace for the present and the future good and happiness of this Kingdom we have thought it fit to advise you that you propose and desire of the Commissioners with whom you treat that they will procure such further time to be allowed after the expiration of the twenty dayes as may be sufficient for you upon a full understanding one of another upon the whole to make such a conclusion that all our Subjects may reap the benefit good men pray for deliverance from these bloody distractions and be united in peace and charity and if you think fit you may communicate this our Letter to them So we bid you heartily farewel Given at our Court at Oxon. Feb. 13. 1644. Thus by these former passages all wise men may perceive how far the King declared the truth of his intentions which finding frustrate he speedily sent this Letter to the Queen His Majesties Letter to the Queen March 5th 1644. Dear Heart Now is come to pass what I foresaw the fruitless end as to a present peace of this Treaty but I am still confident that I shall finde very good effects of it for besides that my Commissioners have offered to say no more full measured reason and the Rebels have stucken rigidly to their Demands which I dare say had been too much though they had taken me Prisoner so that assuredly the breach will light fouly upon them We have likewise at this time discovered and shall likewise make it evidently appear to the world that the English Rebels whether basely or ignorantly will be no great difference have as much as in them lyes transmitted the command of Ireland from the Crown of England to the Scots which besides the reflection it will have upon these Rebels will clearly shew that reformation of the Church is not the chief much less the onely end of the Scotch Rebellion but it being presumption and not piety so to trust a good cause as not to use all lawful means to maintain it I have thought of one means more to furnish thee with for my assistance than hitherto thou hast had it is that I give thee power to promise in my name to whom thou thinkest most fit that I will take away all the Penal Laws against the Roman Catholicks in England as soon as God shall enable me to do it so as by their means or by their favours I may have so powerful assistance as may deserve so great a favour and inable me to do it But if thou ask what I call that assistance I answer that when thou knowest what may be done for it it will be easily seen if it deserve to be so esteemed I need not tell thee what secresie this business requires yet this I will say that this is the greatest part of confidence I can express to thee for it is no thank to trust thee in any thing else but in this which is the onely thing of difference in opinion betwixt us and yet I know thou wilt make make as good a bargain for me even in this I trusting thee though it concern Religion as if thou wert a Protestant the visible good of my Affairs so much depending on it I have so full entrusted this Bearer Pooly that I will not say more to thee now but that herewith I send thee a new Cypher assuring thee that none hath or shall have any Copy of it but my self to the end thou mayest use it when thou shalt find fit to write any thing which thou wilt judge worthy of thy pains to put in Cypher and to be deciphered by none but me and so likewise from him to thee who is eternally thine The Spring
the Trial was January 6. engrossed and read and the manner referred to the Commissioners who were to try him in the Painted Chamber Munday the 8. of January a Proclamation resolved to be made in Westminster Hall the Commissioners to sit the next day to which intent Mr. Denby the younger a Serjeant at Arms to the Commissioners rid into the Hall the Drums of the Guard beating without the Palace and in like manner at the Old Exchange and in Cheapside Jan. 9. The Commons Vote the Title in Writs of Caroli dei gratia c. to be altered that great Seal be broken and ordered a new one with the Arms of England and the Harp for Ireland with this word The great Seal of England and on the reverse the Picture of the House of Commons with these words In the first year of Freedom by Gods Blessing 1648. Now there was a new Tribunal erected there being appointed 150 Judges or Tryers that so in number they might represent the people who are improved to covenant hear Judge and Execute Charles Stuart King of England of these there were of several sorts of persons six Earls of the upper House the Judges of the Kingdom Commanders of the Army Members of the Commons Lawyers men of several Trades and Professions The Presbyterian Ministers now too late disclaim against the prosecutions and the English Nobility offer themselves pledges on the the Kings behalf but all too late and now the penitent Scots with their predecessor repent themselves of their Silver and in a Declaration express their dislike The High Court of Justice was framed in the upper end of Westminster Hall betwixt the then Kings Bench and the Chancery Saturday Jan. 20. the King was brought from St. James through the Park in a Sedan to White Hall thence by Water with guards to Sir John Cottons House at the back end of Westminster Hall The Judges met in the Painted Chamber attending the President Bradshaw in his Scarlet Robe the Sword born before him by Collonel Humphry the Mace by Serjeant Denby the younger and twenty men for his guard with Partizans himself sits down in a Crimson Velvet Chair of State fixed in the midst of the Court with a Desk before him and thereon a Cushion of Crimson Velvet the seats of each side benches covered with Scarlet Cloath the Partizans divided themselves on each side O yes and silence made the great Gate of the Hall was opened for any one to enter Collonel Tomson brought forth the Prisoner the Serjeant with his Mace received him to the Bar where was placed a red Velvet Chair the King looks sternly on the Court where he spyes one person who had received signal favours from him at the sight of whom as I received it from one in the Court he laid his hand on his breast and pronounced to himself scarce audibly Caesars words Et tu Brute after which he sat down not shewing the least regard to the Court but presently rises and looks downwards on the guards and multitudes of the spectators The Act of parliament for the Tryal of Charles Stuart King of England was read over by the Clerk one Phelps who sat on the right side of the Table covered with a Turky Carpet placed at the feet of the President upon which lay the Sword and Mace The several names of the Rolls of Tryers were called over and eighty answered to their names in the charge the King is accused in the name of the People of England of Treason Tyranny and of all the Murthers and Rapines that had happened in the War they imposed all the weight of the accusation on this that he raised War against the Parliament A great many people looking on with groans and sights deploring the condition of their King The President stood up and said Sir you have heard your Charge containing such matters as appear by it and in the close it is prayed that you answer to your Charge which this Court expects The King whilest he heard this Charge with a majestick countenance and a smile in answer to the President asks the new judges by what Auhority they did bring to Tryal a King their most lawful Sovereign against the Publick Faith so lately given him when he commenced a Treaty with the Members of both Houses By what saith he emphatically lawful Authority for saith he I am not ignorant that there are on foot every where every mans unlawful powers as of Thieves and Robbers in the High Way he bids them onely declare by what authority they had arrogated this whatsoever power to themselves and he would willingly answer to the things objected which if they could not he advised them to avert the grievous crimes from their own heads and the kingdom whatsoever they did he resolved not to betray the charge committed to him by God and confirmed by ancient descent The President rejoynes that he was called to an account by authority of the people of England by whose election he was admitted King The king replyed the Kingdom descended to him in no wise elective but hereditary above a thousand years that he stood more apparently for the Liberties of the People of England by refusing as unlawful and arbitrary authority then the Judges or any other asserting it That the authority and power of the people was shewed in Parliamentary Assemblies but that here appeared none of the Lords who to the constituting of a Parliament ought to be there and which is more some King ought to be present but that neither the one nor the other nor both the Parliament Houses nor any other judicature on earth had any authority to call the King of England to an account much less some certain Judges chosen onely by his Accusers masked with the authority of the Lower House and the same proculated Howbeit he willed them again that they would at least produce this their Authority and he would not be wanting to his defence forasmuch is was the same offence with him to acknowledge a Tyrannical Power as to resist a lawful one The president often interrupting the Kings Speech told him that they were satisfied with theâ—r authority as it is upon on Gods authority and the kingdom in doing justice in this their present work The Munday after the Court met in the Painted Chamber where it was resolved that the king should not be suffered to argue the Courts Jurisdiction but that the President should tell him that the Commons in Parliament had constituted that Court whose power was not to be disputed that if he refuse to answer it shall be accounted a contumacy to the Court that if he answer with a Salvo his pretended Prerogative above the Court he shall be required to answer positively yea or no that he shall have a copy of his Charge till he own the Court and delare his intentions to answer on his second Tryal Sollicitor Cook moves that the Prisoner may make a positive answer or that the Charge may
or four pieces of gold when this was done and his arms tied he asked the Officers If they had any more dishonour as they conceived it to put upon him he was ready to accept it Then commanding the Hangman at the uplifting of his hands to tumble him over he was accordingly thrust off by the weeping Executioner who with his more honest tears seemed to revile the cruelty of his Countrey men I shall conclude with the Poet. Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futurae Et servere modum rebus sublata secundi Some write that though he had not the courteous invention of an Epitaph by any of his Friends to memorize him that he was so zealous of the Fame of his great Master Charles the first the with the point of his Sword he wrote these following Lines Great Good and Just could I but rate My griefs and thy so rigid fate I 'de weep the world to such a strain As it should deluge once again But since thy loud tongu'd Blood demands supplies More from Briareus hands then Argus eyes I le sing thy obsequies with Trumpets sounds And write thy Epitaph with Blood and Wounds Montross One that detested the harsh dealings of the Scots to this Martial Earl writ these two Latine Verses A Dolor Inferni fraudes Capitis que Rotundi Et Judae suavium det Deus ut Caveam The Life of JAMES USHER Archbishop of Armagh The Countrey of Ireland hath from old brought forth so many pious and learned men that several Writers have termed it The Land of Sains Amongst the rest this worthy Prelate is not the least Ornament unto that Nation one who was a person of great Piety of singular Judgement learned to a miracle so excelling in knowledge both Humane and Divine that I cannot write so high of his worth as his merits raised themselves above all expression He was born at Dublyn in the Year of our Redemption 1580. extracted from honest and able Parents his Father was one of the Clerks of the Chancery a man of excellent parts and endowments His Mother of the Family of the Stanihursts sufficiently famous in Richard Stanihurst Irelands Cambden the most eminent Philosopher of his time This his good though seduced Mother through the subtilty of the Popish Priests was drawn into the Romish Perswasion and notwithstanding great means was used for the reclaiming her yet continued she therein to the day of her death His Grandfather by his Mothers side was chosen three times Speaker of the House of Commons in Parliament in Ireland His Uncle by his Fathers side was one of his Predecessors Archbishop of Armagh And as he was thus nobly descended so was he as well educated being at eight years old sent to the Grammar School Sir James Fullerton being his School-master and Sir James Hamilton afterwards Lord Viscount Clandeboise Usher to the School who were by King James sent out of Scotland upon another design but disguized themselves under that employment Under these two he so profited that in four years time he excelled in Grammar Rhetorick and Poesie and was so affected with Chronology and Antiquity that in his early years he drew out an exact Series of Times when each eminent person lived The next year being the thirteenth of his age he was admitted into the Colledge of Dublyn being the first Schollar that was entered into it and truly it is a question whether the Colledge received more Honour thereby in having so learned a man recorded in the Frontispiece of their Admission Book or the from the Colledge in honouring him to be their first Graduate Fellow Procter c. At the same time also Sir James Hamilton hitherto Usher of the School was chosen Fellow of the Colledge and so became his Tutour under whom he attained to a perfection in the Greek and Hebrew Languages which he wanted when he came to the Colledge He thus increasing in knowledge as in years looked still further as he did account all knowledge vain which tended not to the establishment of his minde and to the good of his future estate For the furtherance of this Atchievement he read many Books amongst other that of Stapletons Fortress of the Faith wherein he blotteth our Church with Novelty in dissenting from them who from all Antiquity had maintained the same Faith this plunged our great Schollar into several doubts that the ancientest must needs be the best as the nearer the Fountain the purer the streams and that Errors were received in succeeding Ages according to that known speech of Tertullian Verum quodcunque primum adulterum quodcunque posterius For the rectifying of his judgement herein with indefatigable pains and industry he read over most of the Ancient Fathers and most Authors writing of the Body of Divinity whereby he not onely settled his Opinion but also became able to dispute with the prime of the adverse party Having taken the Formality of Batchelour of Arts Anno 1598. The Earl of Essex being sent over Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and Chancellour of the University of Dublin there was a solemn Act for his entertainment wherein Mr. Vsher answered the Philosophy Act with great applause And now his Father intended to send him over into England to the Inns of Court for the study of the Common Law but God who intended him for a Labourer in his own Vineyard prevented his intentions by death leaving his son a good Estate in Land but he fearing it might be an hinderance to his studies gave a great part of the Estate to his Brothers and Sisters and devoting himself wholly to the study of Divinity was chosen Fellow of the Colledge soon after he commenced Master of Arts about which time he disputed with Henry Fitz-Symonds the Jesuit who gave him great commendations for his abilities and said That of those which were not Catholiques he was one of the most learned Soon after was he chosen Catechist of the Colledge and immediately after notwithstanding he was not-twenty one years of age he was ordained Minister and afterwards proved mighty powerful in his preaching converting many Papists to the Protestant Religion who came so constantly to hear him and so admired his Doctrine that it was well hoped the Nation would be of one heart and one minde but through the connivance of some in Authority the Statutes made against Papists were suspended and they obtained little less then a tolleraton in their Religion which caused many of them to withdraw themselves again This pious Bishop entertaining an holy Indignation thereat preached a Sermon to the State at Christ Church in Dublyn taking for his Text this passage in Ezekiel Chap. 4.6 where the Prophet by lying on his side was to bear the iniquity of Judah forty dayes I have appointed thee day for a year even a day for a year as the Old Translation of that Bible he then used reads it making this application thereof From this year will I reckon the sin of Ireland that those
the River of Trent purposely to let in the Waters the which course they continued till they had drowned 8000. Acres of Corn and Rape then growing and the Corn stacks generally half way with the greatest part of mens houses and habitations by the space of ten weeks Now fearing they should be punished for these insolencies and desirous to keep what they had thus gotten they drew to their assistance Mr. Lilburne J. W. and one Noddel a Solicitour who notwithstanding the Court of Exchequer made a decree for establishing the possession again with those from whom they had wrested it and that this decree was published upon the place in presence of divers of the inhabitants they openly declared That they would not give any obedience thereunto nor to any order of the Exchequer or Parliament and said they could make as good a Parliament themselves some said It was a Parliament of Clouts and that if they sent Forces they would raise Forces to resist them moreover from words they proceeded to action so that within ten dayes time they totally demolished the whole Town of Stantoft and other houses thereabouts to the number of eighty two habitations defaced the Church burnt Stables and Out-houses broke in pieces a Wind-mill destroyed all the Corn and Rape on the ground no less then 3400. Acres so as the dammage at that time was estimated to be 80000. pounds or more Moreover Lilburne with his associates agrees with several men of Epworth that in consideration of 2000 Acres of Land for him and J. W. and 200. Acres to Noddel they would defend them in all those riots and insurrections and maintain them in possession of the rest of the Land this bargain being made Lilburne with Noddel and others came to Stantoft Church on the Lords day and forced the Congregation from thence employing the same to the use of a Stable Cow-house Slaughter-house and to lay his Hay and Straw therein For these tumultuous practices as also for joyning with one Mr. Primate in seeking to defraud the Common-wealth of the Collory of Harraton in the County of Durham the sequestered estate of Thomas Wray Esquire which Mr. Primate pretended a right unto though upon examination it proved otherwise this following Act for his Fine and Banishment was publisht against him Whereas upon the fifteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred fifty one A Judgement was given in Parliament against the said Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburne for high Crimes and Misdemeanours by him committed relating to a false malicious and scandalous Petition heretofore presented to the Parliament by one Josiah Primate of London Leather-seller as by the due proceedings had upon the said Petition and the Judgement thereupon given at large appeareth Be it therefore enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authority of the same that the fine of three thousand pounds imposed upon the said John Lilburne to the use of the Common-wealth by the Judgement aforesaid shall be forthwith levied by due process of Law to the use of the Common-wealth accordingly And be it further enacted that the sum of two thousand pounds imposed by the said Judgement upon the said John Lilburne to be paid to Sir Arthur Hesilrige for damages and the sum of two thousand pounds likewise imposed by the said Judgement upon the said John Lilburne to be paid to James Russel Edward Winslow William Molins and Arthus Squib in the said Judgement named that is to say to each of them five hundred pounds for their damages shall be forthwith paid accordingly And that the said Sir Arthur Hesilrige James Russel Edward Winslow William Molins and Arthur Squib their Executors and Administrators shall have the like remedy and proceedings at Law respectively against the said John Lilburne his Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns for the recovery of the respective sums so given to them by the said Judgement as if the said respective sums had been due by several Recognizances in the nature of a Statute Staple acknowledged unto them severally by the said John Lilburne upon the said fifteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred fifty one And be it likewise enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the said John Lilburne shall within twenty dayes to be accompted from the said fifteenth day of January one thousand six hundred fifty one depart out of England Scotland Ireland and the Islands Territories and Dominions thereof And in case the said John Lilburne at any time after the expiration of the said twenty dayes to be accompted as aforesaid shall be found or shall be remaining within England Scotland Ireland or within any of the Islands Territories or Dominions thereof the said John Lilburne shall be and is hereby adjudged a Fellon and shall be executed as a Fellon without benefit of Cleargy And it is lastly enacted by the Authority aforesaid that all and every person and persons who shall after the expiration of the said twenty dayes wittingly relieve harbor or conceal the said John Lilburne he being in England Scotland or Ireland or any the Territories Islands or Dominions thereof shall be hereby adjudged accessary of Fellony after the Fact And all Judges Justices Majors Bayliffs Sheriffs and all other Officers as well Military as Civil in their respective places are hereby required to be aiding and assisting in apprehending the said John Lilburne and in putting this Act in due execution Lilburne hereupon sets Sail for Holland with a resolution as he set forth in print Never to see England so long as Cromwels hateful and beastly tyranny lasted unless it were in a way to pursue him as the grandest Tyrant and Traytor that ever England bred some report that during his abode there he negotiated with the Lord Hopton Collonel Charles Lloyd and others of the Royal Party that for the sum of ten thousand pounds he would destroy the Lord General Cromwel the Parliament and Councel of State that then sat at Westminster and settle Charles Stuart in his Throne in England or else he would have a piece of him nailed upon every post in Bruges But for the truth of this besides his own denyal I cannot conceive he should have any thought that Party would trust him especially with such a sum of money having before declared himself so great an enemy to the late King But what ever were the motives that induced him resolved he was to come into England again to which purpose he sent Cromwel this introducing Letter For his Excellency the Lord General Cromwel These present My Lord At my discourse with you in your Gallery about four or five moneths ago I had thought I had given your Lordwip so full satisfaction in every thing that might remove all jealousies from you of my disserving you in any kinde that of all men in the Parliament I little imagined to have found your honour to be the principal man to banish me into a strange Countrey where
commanding wise deportment that at his pleasure he governed and swayed the House as he had most times the leading voice Those who finde no such wonders in his speeches may finde it in the effect of them most of the people he was concerned in being as they term it enemies to book learning and whosoever should endeavour with an eloquent oration or otherwise go about to reconcile them make them friends should make them enemies such great adorers are they of the Scripture phrase though but little practisers such as our late times have brought forth Indeed he usurpt his holy oyl quotations very frequently which was so advantageous to his designs that Cicero and Demosthenes with all their Tropes and Figures could never have so perswaded and moved the people as he with one Text of Scripture aptly applyed the Dove and the Serpent of Scripture and some small parcel of policy to what he intended slily intermixed But his side standing in more need of action then eloquence he quitted the House and betook him to the Field to manifest his courage as well as his eloquence maintain by his deeds what his words had introduced Having raised a Troop of Horse at his own costs and charges he marched against the Muses to Cambride whereof he was Burgess seizing on a very considerable sum of money and plate which the Colledges had raised and were sending away unto Oxford which as it was very advantageous to his own side money being the very life and sinews of War so d d it much weaken the adverse party who had alwayes great want of it The Parliament having on their side the rich City of London that inexhaustible bank of treasure By this means he strengthened himself with sufficient aids to oppose the Lord Capel who was to have been seconded by Prince Rupert and should have seized on Cambridge thereby to have impeded the association of the adjoyning Counties for the Parliament He being advanced from a Captain to a Collonel having compleated a Regiment of Horse to the full number of a thousand men in the Spring of the year he marches to Lowerstoft in Suffolk where he suddenly surprized Sir Thomas Barker Sir John Pettas his Brother with above twenty other persons of note who were entring into an association for the King several persons of quality and divers Noblemen hourly flocking to that rendezvouz this other service was very seasonably rendered to the Parliament the Kings Party both in Suffolk and Norfolk being much discouraged by this success Having by new raised aids inforced his Army to a very considerable strength he marched into Lilcolnshire with a resolution to assist those Forces which lay about Newark a very strong and stout Garrison of the Kings where by their daily excursions they kept all the Countrey thereabouts in awe which he not onely blocked up but also defeated part of the Earl of Newcastles Army which came to relieve them I shall not need to particularize all his actions his other intervening Atchievements are more at large related in the Life of King Charles To look forwards onely to mention the Battel of Marston Moor where by his valour he turned the scales of Victory which at the first enclined to the Kings side as also at that fatal Fight at Naseby where the Kings Foot were all cut in pieces or taken Prisoners His memorable discomfiture of the Kings Forces at Preston in Lancashire over Duke Hamilton and Sir Marmaduke Langdale the last of them as valiantly faithful to the King as the other was disloyal their united Forces amounting to twenty five thousand his not above ten thousand at most although indeed he found little opposition save onely of those few Forces of Sir Marmaduke Langdales who fought it out courageously to the last man Should I thus continue to signalize his Trophies I might tire out the Reader with his strange Successes let it suffice then that his actions with such fame arrived at the House that in recompence they first bestowed on him the Generalship of the Horse and afterwards the Lieutenant Generalship of all the whole Army Certainly if his ambition had terminated here and his wonderful successes had not raised his thoughts higher if he could not for his Martial merits have been beloved he had power enough to have rendred himself-safe and for his valiant Atchievements fear'd honour'd and admir'd Raised to this degree of Command he was more careful of hazarding his person then before well knowing the loss of a General is the most irreparable of all losses for him to expose his person to trivial hazards in the breath of whose nostrils the victorious Atchievements of the Souldiers remains is too impertinently adventerous as if 't were more glorious to fight then command whereas that is more especially the vertue of a common Soldier this other of a Leader whose principal talent lies more in direction then execution more in the brain then hand thus that ever to be deplored Laureat of our times the Gentleman of the long Robe the Oracle of the Kings Councels the Lord Faukland was as unfortunately lost as unnecessarily engaged in the Field But to proceed he grew so subtilly careful as to maintain a fair correspondency there was no place taken no Battle won but he was the first that brought or sent word to the House by which he insinuated himself into the affections both of the Parliament and People expressing his own actions in such terms as whilest he seemingly attributed much to others he drew the whole commendation thereof to himself One thing that made his Brigade so invincible was his arming them so well as whilest they assured themselves they could not be overcome it assured them to overcome their enemies He himself as they called him Ironside needed not to be ashamed of a Nick-name that so often saved his life These were his acts whilest Lieutenant General by which he got so great a name in War as Essex Waller and those other great names before him excepting onely Sir Thomas Fairfax's Laurels which were interwoven with his the rest were swallowed up in his most inimitable successes even as great Rivers are swallowed up by the Ocean For the rest of his actions whilest he was General Itis conquering Ireland his subduing Scotland the many other Battles he fought till his finishing the War in England To treat also largely of these his Trophies would weary the pen of a serious though industrious Writer that sadly considers the incivility of those late Civil Wars howsoever they were strange successes and so many that as a Modern Poet agrees with what I have expressed It were a work so great Would make Olympus bearing Atlas sweat I shall therefore summarily relate the most notable Occurrences then happening leaving the less Affairs to be related by more voluminous Authors No sooner were the Civil Wars of England terminated by the discomfiture of all the Kings Armies the taking of his own person and putting him to death but the
upon the Coast of France as they were returning homewards from the Venetian service richly laden being all men of War of considerable burthens Soon after so great their feud was that the Navies engaged in another Fight at a place called the Kentish Knock wherein the Dutch were again defeated eleven of their men of War set upon four of the English in the Straights took the Phenix Frigot and much damaged the other In a short space after another Sea Engagement ensued on the Back-side of Goodwin Sands wherein the English were worsted four ships taken and a considerable loss of men The greatest fight of all was near the Isle of Wight and Portland wherein the Dutch received a great overthrow fifty Merchants being taken nine men of War above two thousand slain and fifteen hundred taken Prisoners But this great Victory soon after received a check the English Fleet in the Levant Seas being again worsted by the Dutch with the loss of divers ships and men But leaving off these Sea Affairs for a time let us come to General Cromwel from whom I have already been enforced to digress who pretending for the better accomplishing of his own designs the dilatory proceedings pernicious and arbitrary actings in the Parliament to perpetuate their Session to be very dangerous and enthrall the Nation this train of his he knew would take well with the people who were great adorers of the name of liberty and desirous of change he therefore resolved to put a period to the Parliament and accordingly accompanied by the chief Officers of the Army he entered the House and having declared his intentions some by force some through fear and others not without a great deal of reluctancy and murmuring departed the House To set a fair gloss upon what he had done and to give some satisfaction to the people he publishes a Declaration the substance whereof followeth That after God was pleased marvellously to appear for his people in reducing Ireland and Scotland to so great a peace and England to perfect quiet whereby the Parliament had opportunity to give the people the harvest of all their labour blood and treasure and to settle a due liberty in reference to Civil and Spiritual things whereunto they were obliged by their duty engagements and those great and wonderful things God hath wrought for them But they made so little progress therein that it was matter of much grief to the good people of the Land who thereupon applied themselves to the Army expecting redress by their means who though unwilling to meddle with the Civil Authority agreed that such Officers as were Members of Parliament should move them to proceed vigorously in reforming what was amiss in the Common-wealth and in settling it upon a foundation of Justice and Righteousness which being done it was hoped the Parliament would have answered their expectations But finding the contrary they renewed their desires by an humble Petition in August 1652. which produced no considerable effects nor was any such progress made therein as might imply their real Intentions to accomplish what was petitioned for but rather an averseness to the things themselves with much bitterness and opposition to the people of God and his spirit acting in them insomuch that the godly party in Parliament were rendred of no further use then to countenance the ends of a corrupt party for effecting their desires of perpetuating themselves in the supream Government For obviating these evils the Officers of the Army obtained several meetings with some of the Parliament to consider what remedy might be applied to prevent the same but such endeavours proving ineffectual it became evident that this Parliament through the corruption of some the jealousie of others the non-attendance of many would never answer those ends which God his people and the whole Nation expected from them But that this cause which God had so greatly blessed must needs languish under their hands and by degrees be lost and the lives liberties and comforts of his people be delivered into their enemies hands All which being sadly and seriously considered by the honest people of the Nation as well as by the Army it seemed a duty incumbent upon us who had seen so much of the power and presence of God to consider of some effectual means whereby to establish righteousness and Peace in these Nations And after much debate it was judged necessary that the Supream Government should be by the Parliament devolved upon known persons fearing God and of approved integrity for a time as the most hopeful way to countenance all Gods people reform the Law and administer Justice impartially hoping thereby the people might forget Monarchy and understand their true interest in the election of successive Parliaments that so the Government might be settled upon a right Basis without hazard to this glorious cause or necessitating to keep up Armies for the defence of the same And being still resolved to use all means possibly to avoid extraordinary courses we prevailed with about twenty Members of Parliament to give us a conference with whom we plainly debated the necessity and justness of our Proposals The which found no acceptance but instead thereof it was offered that the way was to continue still this Parliament as being that from which we might probably expect all good things This being vehemently insisted on did much confirm us in our apprehensions That not any love to a Representative but the making use thereof to recruit and so to perpetuate themselves was their aim in the Act they had then under consideration For preventing the consummating whereof and all the sad and evil consequences which upon the grounds aforesaid must have ensued and whereby at one blow the interest of all honest men and of this glorious Cause had been endangered to be laid in the dust and these Nations embroyled in new troubles at a time when our enemies abroad are watching all advantages against and some of them actually engaged in War with us we have been necessitated though with much reluctancy to put an end to this Parliament This Declaration was seconded by another for settling a Councel of State to give some satisfaction to the people what Government they intended which Declaration for the Readers further satisfaction take as followeth Whereas the Parliament being dissolved persons of approved fidelity and honesty are according to the late Declaration of the 22. of April last to be called from the several parts of this Commonwealth to the Supream Authority and although effectual proceedings are and have been had for perfecting those Resolutions yet some convenient time being required for the assembling of those persons it hath been found necessary for preventing the mischiefs and inconveniences which may arise in the mean while to the publick Affairs that a Councel of State be constituted to take care of and intend the peace safety and present mannagement of the Affairs of this Commonwealth which being settled accordingly the same is hereby
place in less then four hours time he destroyed them all to their inestimable detriment not sixty of his own men being lost But to return into England June the 20. 1657. the Protector with great pomp and magnificence was installed at Westminster the Parliament then sitting to which purpose at the upper end of Westminster Hall a rich Cloath of State was set up and under it a Chair of State placed upon an ascent of two degrees covered with Carpets and before it a Table with a Chair appointed for the Speaker of the Parliament and on each side of the Hall upon the said structure were Seats raised one above another and decently covered for the Members of Parliament and below them Seats on one side for the Judges of the Land and on the other side for the Aldermen of the City of London About two of the Clock in the afternoon the Protector met the Parliament in the Painted Chamber and passed such Bills as were presented to him after which they went in order to the place appointed in Westminster Hall the Protector standing under the Cloath of Estate the Lord Widdrington Speaker of the Parliament addrest himself to him in this Speech May it please your Highness You are now upon a great Theatre in a large Chore of people you have the Parliament of England Scotland and Ireland before you on your right hand my Lords the Judges and on your left hand the Lord Major Aldermen and Sheriffs of London the most noble and populous City of England The Parliament with the interposition of your sufferage makes Laws and the Judges and Governours of London are the great dispensers of those Laws to the people The occasion of this great convention and intercourse is to give an investiture to your Highness in that eminent place of Lord Protector a name you had before but it is now settled by the full and unanimous consent of the people of these three Nations assembled in Parliament you have no new name but a new date added to the old name the 16. of December is now changed to the 26. of June I am commanded by the Parliament to make oblation to your Highness of four things in order to this Inauguration The first is a Robe of Purple an Embleme of Magistracy and imports righteousness and justice when you have put on the vestment I may say and I hope without offence that you are a Gown man This Robe is of a mixt colour to shew the mixture of justice and mercy which are then most excellent when they are well tempered together Justice without Mercy is wormwood and bitterness and Mercy without Justice is of a too soft a temper for government for a Magistrate must have two hands Plectentem Amplectentem The next thing is a Bible a Book that contains the holy Scripture in which you have the honor and happiness to be well versed This is the Book of life consisting of two Testaments the old and new In the first we have Christum velatum Christ in Types Shadows and Figers in the latter we have Christum revelatum Christ revealed This Book carries in it the grounds of the true Christian Protestant Religion it s a Book of Books it contains in it both precepts and examples for good government Alexander so highly valued the Books of his Master Aristotle and other great Princes other books that they have laid them every night under their Pillows These are all but Legends and Romances to this one Book a Book to be had alwayes in remembrance I finde it said in a part of this Book which I shall desire to read and it is this Deut. 17. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write a copy of this Law in a Book out of that wich is before the Priests and the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord God and to keep all the words of his Law and those Statutes to do them That his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandment to the right hand or to the left to the end he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdom he and his Children in the midst of Israel The next thing that I am to offer to your Higness is a Scepter not unlike a staff for you are to be a staff to the weak and poor it 's of ancient use in this kinde it 's said in Scripture in reference to Judah the Royal Tribe That the Scepter shall not depart from Judah It was of like use in other kingdoms and governments Homer the Prince of the Greek Poets calls Kings and Princes Scepter-bearers The last thing is a Sword not a Military but a Civil Sword a Sword rather for defence then offence not to defend your self onely but others also the Sword is an Embleme of Justice The noble Lord Talbot in Henry the Sixths time wrote upon his Sword Ego sum Talboti propter occidendum inimicos meos This Gallant Lord was a better Souldier then a Critick If I might presume to fix a Motto upon this Sword it should be this Ego sum Domini Protectoris ad protegendum populum meum I say this Sword is an Embleme of Justice and is to be used as King Solomon used his for the discovery of truth in the points of Justice I may say of this Sword as King David said of Goliah's Sword There is none like this Justice is the proper vertue of the Imperial Throne and by Justice the Thrones of Kings and Princes are established Justice is a Royal vertue which as one saith of it doth employ the other three Cardinal Vertues in her service 1. Wisdom to discern the nocent from the innocent 2. Fortitude to prosecute and execute 3. Temperance so to carry Justice that passion be no ingredient and that it be without confusion or precipitation You have given ample testimony in all these particulars so that this Sword in your hand will be a right Sword of Justice attended with Wisdom Fortitude and Temperance When you have all these together what a comely and glorious sight is it to behold A Lord Protector in a purple Robe with a Scepter in his hand a Sword of Justice girt about him and his eyes fixt upon the Bible Long may you prosperously enjoy them all to your own comfort and the comfort of the people of these three Nations The Speech being ended Master Speaker came from his Chair took the Robe and therewith vested the Protector being assisted therein by the Earl of Warwick the Lord Whitlock and others Which done the Bible was delivered him after that the Sword girt about him and last of all he had the Scepter delivered him These things being performed Master Speaker returned unto his Chair and admimistred him his Oath in haec verba I do in the presence and by the
name of God Almighty promise and swear that to the uttermost of my power I will uphold and maintain the true Reformed Protestant Christian Religion in the purity thereof as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to the uttermost of my power and understanding and encourage the Profession and Professours of the same and that to the utmost of my power I will endeavour as Chief Magistrate of these three Nations the maintenance and preservation of the Peace and Safety and just Rights and Priviledges of the People thereof and shall in all things according to our best knowledge and power govern the people of these three Nations according to Law These Ceremonies being performed a Herald of Arms by sound of Trumpet proclaimed him Lord Protectour of England Scotland Ireland and the Dominions thereto belonging hereupon the Trumpets sounded again and the people after the usual manner gave several acclamations with loud shouts crying God save the Lord Protectour His Higness had scarce accepted of these Honours but as if the ill affected would not let him breath yet another Plot is discovered Collonel Edward Sexby is said to have conspired against the Lord Protector for which he was committed to the Tower where having continued about half a year he died But to reflect a little back Mazarine that great Minister of State on which hinge all the grand Affairs of France turn perfects a Peace with England the Protector having no regard to those advantages that Spain might render him as to Commerce the places of Hostage which she proffered to put into his hands as Gravelin Dunkirk and others he was swayed with other Interest which he best understood himself to prefer an Alliance and League with France before all those advantages except his civillity induce't him which seldom had such power over him to look more lovingly upon France as the weakest at that time being abandoned by some of her Allies as quite disordered by an Intestine War in her own Bowels her Navigation totally ruined as the Pirates of Dunkirk had blockt up all her Sea Ports whereas the English scowred those Seas chast away the Pyrates and reduced the Mounsieur and Diego by their successes to their so likely advantageous peace Indeed as one writes it was a high generosity since the English caused the French to lose Graveling and Dunkirk to help France again to take those places In the mean space was not here rare bandying of Interests France having thus perfected a Peace with England they joyntly resolve to unite against the Spaniard hereupon Sir John Reynolds with six thousand Foot was sent into Picardy to joyn with the French Cavalry which compleated as gallant an Army as had been seen in France for many years together These joyntly besiege and take Mardike a strong Fort of the Spaniards in Flanders whereof Major General Morgan took possession for the English as the earnest of further Conquests which the Spaniards attempting for to regain were twice repulsed with very great loss But the joy of these Successes was mitigated by the death of Admiral Blake who as he got his Honour by the Sea died on it and that within sight of Plimouth He was a man who had deserved of his Countrey and might justly be stiled the Neptune thereof His Body was brought with a Naval pomp by water from Greenwich to Westminster being a suitable Ceremony to his employment and was there buried in Henry the Sevenths Chappel Upon whom an Ingenuous person bestowed this Epitaph Here lies a man made Spain and Holland shake Made France to tremble and the Turks to quake Thus he tame'd men but if a Lady stood In 's sight it rais'd a Palsie in his bloud Cupids Antagonist who in his life Had Fortune as familiar as a VVife A stiff hard Iron Souldier for he It seems had more of Mars then Mercury At Sea he thundered calm'd each raging wave And now he 's dead sent thundring to his Grave Soon after was St. Venant taken by the English the Lord Henry Cromwel made Deputy of Ireland Sir John Reynolds Collonel VVhite and some other Officers drowned upon Goodwin Sands as they were coming out of Flanders into England One writes that the subtilty of discovering of Plots though but in the Embrio or before they are hatcht in the time of peace is the most succinct way of letting of blood March 24. the last day of the year accounted for 1657. a great Conspiracy was again discovered in London several Regiments ' as was said being enrolled who on the first day of May in the night time should have set fire on several parts of the City and whilest the confusion and horrour thereof had seized all men they should have made a general masacre of all who opposed them Hereupon several persons were apprehended as Doctor Hewet Sir Henry Slingsby Collonel Asbton c. and a High Court of Justice erected for the tryal of them and first they began with Sir Henry Slingsby the Articles charged against them will in part discover themselves in their several speeches made just before their deaths In short they were both condemned Dr. Hewet professing himself to be ignorant of such Law though amongst the most learned Divines few of them were more knowing in the Gospel being taken in three defaults upon formalities of the Court was proceeded against as mute June 8. 1658. was the day appointed for their beheading Sir Henry Slingsby first mounting the stage spake in effect as followeth That he stood condemned by the Court of Justice as contriving and endeavouring to withdraw divers Officers of the Garrison of Kingston upon Hull from their duty and perswading them to a surrendring and yielding up of that Garrison and one that held correspondence with some beyond sea to that end That it was true he had conference upon that account with the Officers of that Garrison and that he gave Major Waterhouse a Commission signed Charles R. But that it was but an old one that had lain by him though he thought fit to make use of it to the Major Many passages he said there were which he would not insist on that some friends of his had made application to his Highness for the saving his of life but it seems it was thought fit not to be granted and therefore he submitted and was ready to dye c. Having uttered these and the like words he took off a Ring from his Bandstrings wherein instead of a Seal engraven was the Picture of the late King exactly done and giving it to a Gentleman that stood by him he said Pray give this to Harry Then he addrest himself to prayer wherein he continued some time taking leave of his friends he submitted his neck to the Block and had his head severed from his body at one blow by the Executioner This at one blow by the Executioner the Reader may observe hath been very often repeated in this Volume His Tragick Scene being