is so Great that it may resist or so Small that it is contemn'd look upon my Misery with thine Eye of Mercy and let thine Infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proportion of Deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most Convenient Let not Injury O Lord Triumph over me and let my Faults by thy Hand be Corrected and make not my unjust Enemies the Ministers of thy Justice But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest Chastisment for my unexcusable Transgression if this ungrateful Bondage be fittest for my over high Desires if the Pride of my not enough humble heart be thus to be broken O Lord I yield unto thy Will and chearfully embrace what sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of since it even proceeds from thee that by thy goodness which is thy self thou wilt suffer some Beam of thy Majesty so to shine in my mind that I who in my greatest Affliction acknowledge it my Noblest Title to be thy Creature may still depend confidently on thee let Calamity be the Exercise but not the overthrow of my Vertue O let not their prevailing Power be to my Destruction and if it be thy Will that they more and more vex me with Punishment yet O Lord never let their wickedness have such a hand but that I may still carry a pure mind and stedfast Resolution ever to serve thee without fear or Presumption yet with that humble confidence which may best please thee so that at last I may come to thy Eternal Kingdom through the Merits of thy Son our alone Saviour Jesus Christ Amen Pamelia's Prayer to the Heathen Deity O All seeing Light and Eternal Life of all things to whom nothing is either so Great that it may resist or so Small that it is contemn'd look upon my Misery with thine Eye of Mercy and let thine Infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proporrion of Deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most Convenient Let not Injury O Lord Triumph over me and let my Faults by thy hand be Corrected and make not mine unjust Enemies the Minister of thy Justice But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest Chastisment for my unexcusable Folly if this low Bondage be fittest for my over high Desire if the Pride of my not enough humble heart be thus to be broken O Lord I yield unto thy Will and joyfully embrace what sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of thee since even that proceeds from thee let me crave even by the Noblest Title which in my greatest Affliction I may give my self that I am thy Creature and by thy goodness which is thy self that thou wilt suffer some Beam of thy Majesty to shine into my mind that it may still depend confidently on thee let Calamity be the Exercise but not the overthrow of my vertue let their Power prevail but prevail not to Destruction let my Greatness be their Prey let my pain be the sweetness of their Revenge let them if so it seem good unto thee vex me with more and more Punishment but O Lord let never their Wickedness have such a hand but that I may carry a pure mind in a pure Body and pausing a while O most gracious Lord said she whatever becomes of me preserve the vertuous Musidorus Having now given an Account of the design of Publishing this special Book and also what it is composed of I shall now produce divers Reasons enough I think to convince any rational Man that will not be willfully blind And first I shall give you the Noble Earl of Anglesey's Memorandum perfixt before the Book reputed to be King Charles I's called Icon Basilice and found by Edward Millington who sold the said Earl's Library all Written with the Earl's own Hand in these Words King Charles the Second and Duke of York did both in the last Session of Parliament 1675. when I shew'd Them in the Lord's House the Written Copy of this Book wherein are some Corrections and Alterations written with the late King Charles I's own Hand Assure me That this was none of the said King 's Compiling but made by Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter which I here incert for the undeceiving others in this Point by attesting so much under my Hand ANGLESEY This Noble Earl's Advertisement or Memorandum must have the greater Weight for that he concealed it for ought I can hear from the Publick which doubtless he would not have done if he had had any design to carry it on by making it Publick This Memorandum being true the World has the Words of two Kings that Bishop Gauden and not King Charles Composed this lying Book For further proof that Dr. Gauden writ this Book take a Summary Account of some Papers relating Eicon Basilice now or lately in the Hands of Mr. North Merchant living on Tower Hill London whereby it appears that Dr. Gauden late Bishop of Exeter and afterwards of Worcester was the Author of that Book and not King Charles I. as the World hath for above Forty Years been imposed upon to believe Mr. North is a worthy Person and a Member of the Church of England he and Mr. Charles Gauden the Bishop's Son married two Sisters and Mr. Gauden dying about Ten Years since all his Papers were left with his Widow and Mr. North having occasion to look them over for some relating to his Sister-in-laws affairs found these relating to the Eicon Basilice carefully tied up together Mr. North by reason of his Marriage had many years acquaintance with Bishop Gauden's Family and knows that the Bishop's Widow at first gave them to her Darling Son Iohn Gauden and upon his Death they came to Mr. Charles Gauden And further that in his many years knowledge of that Family it hath constantly and without any manner of doubt been declared that the Bishop was the Author of the Book There are several Letters and Papers I shall briefly give the Contents of them for the truth of which I shall refer to the Original Papers and to those many reverend and worthy Persons who have Read or been at the Reading of them Bishop Gauden at the time of King Charles the Second's Restauration was incumbent of Bocking in Essex and from that fat Parsonage was promoted to the Lean Bishoprick of Exeter which he complain'd was not sufficient to keep up the Port of a Bishop and thought that by his Merits he might lay claim to a better and the Death of Dr. Duppa Bishop of Winchester being daily expected he apply'd himself to the King with great Importunity to be translated thither pleading his Desert which as is evident from the Papers I mention could be no other than that of having written a Book which did such great Service to the Royal Family that King Charles the 2d thought
French Commanding Pennington to use all Force even to sinking in case of Refusal Hereupon Pennington put his Ship into the Absolute Power of the French King and Commanded the rest to do so But the honest Sea-men refused to be slaves to the French and fight against the Protestant Religion till forced by Shots But Sir Ferdinando Gerges to his Eternal Honour brought away the Neptune with Detestation of the Action All the English Men and Boys except one Gunner who was slain in Charging a piece of Ordnance according to his defect declined the Service and quitted the Ships refusing to serve against the Rochellers In September following these seven Ships were actually imployed against the Rochellers almost to their utter ruin The French boasted that the Vantguard mow'd the Hereticks down like Grass by these wicked means were these good People wholly lost They held the Town till the Year 1628. but were reduced to incredible Misery having lived long upon Horse Flesh Hides Leather Doggs and Cats c. There were but Four Thousand lest of Fifteen Thousand Souls many dyed with Famine and they usually carried their Coffins into the Church-yard and there laid themselves and Dyed A Sad Story that ought never to be forgotten in the History of Our Blessed Martyr's Reign as wickedly call'd 7. That in Civil Matters took his Peoples Goods from them against their Wills and their Liberties against the Laws that pluck'd up the Root of all Property that acted almost like the Turks who send their Janizaries and place their Halbards at the Door and then are Masters of all for in the very beginning of his Reign he levied twelve thousand Soldiers contrary to Law and then required the Country to furnish the charge of Coal and conduct Money 8. That appointed Commissioners to Try Condemn and Execute those he unjustly call'd Delinquents by Martial Law directly against the Laws of the Land and some were Executed thereby 9. That struct directly at the Property of the Subject's Goods by issuing out Commissions contrary to many Laws for Raising Money by way of Loan and the Commissioners were ordered to certify to the Council Board the Names of all Refractery Persons particularly he Demanded One Hundred Thousand Pounds of the City of London and upon their Refusal he threatned them saying He would frame his Councils as appartained to a King 10. That against all Law required the Londoners to set forth Twenty Ships Manned and Victualed for three Months against which the Mayor Aldermen and Common Council Petition but to no purpose Being answered That Petitions and Pleadings were not to be received and that the Precedents of formers Times were Obedience not Direction The Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace of Dorsetshire being Commanded to set forth Ships insisted That the Case was without President for which they were severely checked and told that State Occasions were not to be guided by Ordinary Presidents Those Persons of Quality that refused to subscribe to the Loan were turned out of the Commission of the Peace and Lieutenancy Sir Peter Hayman upon his refusal of the Loan was commanded against his Will to go upon the King's Service beyond the Seas others of meaner Rank were either bound to appear before the Leiutenancy of the Tower to be Enrold for Soldiers for Denmark or were impressed to serve in the King's Ships Sir Randolph Crew the then Learned Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench for Declaring against the Loan and not giving Judgment that the King might Imprison during Pleasure was turned out and Sir Nicholas Hide put in his Room who presently complyed with the King Sir Thomas Darnell Sir John Corbet Sir Walter Earl Sir John Hevingham Sir Edward Hamden five of the Gentlemen Imprisoned for Refusing the Loan brought their Habeas Corpus in Michaelmas Term in the third year of his Reign The Warden of the Fleet made his Return that they were detained in his Custody by the special command of King and Sir Robert Heath then Attorney Generral justified this sort of Imprisonment though no special Cause was assign'd and the Lord Chief Justice Hide who was made on purpose for it did singly give Judgment for remanding the Gentlemen to perpetual Imprisonment 11. That Billotted Soldiers many of which were Papists upon whom he pleased for Punishments these Soldiers committed so many Disorders mastered the People and disturbed the Peace that there was a General Out-cry against them many being undone by them Yet this was not redressed 12. That in the year 1627. Issued a Commission under the Great Seal to several Temporal Lords with Neal and Laud Bishops of Winchester and Bath and Wells and others to Raise Money by way of Excise and to enforce the Payment and which is very probable to awe the Parliament which was to Assemble the 17 th of March He 13. Upon the 13 th day of January 1627. sent a private Seal to the Lord Treasurer to this Effect We command you forthwith to pay to Philip Burlemark Merchant Thirty Thousand Pounds to be paid by him over by Bill of Exchange into the Low Countrys and Germany unto Sir William Balfoure and John Dolbier Esq who was a Papist for Levying and Providing certain Numbers of Horse with Arms for Horse and Foot to be brought over into this Kingdom for our Service c. Burlemark being afterwards call'd into the House of Commons and examin'd about this matter Declared That he received the Thirty Phousand Pounds That one Thousand Horse were levied and these Horses and their Riders were to come over and Arms were to be provided for them in Holland but heard a Countermand was gone to stay them 14. That caused Mr. Chambers a Merchant to be fined two thousand Pounds to be committed to the Fleet until he made his Submission for saying That the Merchants in no part of the World are scrued and wrung as in England and that in Turkey they have more Encouragement 15. That Oppressed and Imprison'd all Rank or Order of Men viz. The Earl of Bristol was two Years confined without being charged with any Accusation or brought to Tryal or permitted to Answer for himself for offering to accuse the Duke of Buckingham He Committed the Earl of Arrundel to the Tower in time of Parliament without expressing any cause of his Commitment which was a manifest violation of the Privileges of the House of Peers and though the Lords presented a Remonstrance yet this Lord was long detained Prisoner 16. That sent a threatning Message to the House of Commons That if he had not a timely Supply he would betake himself to New Councils Which could only mean the putting an End to the use of Parliaments That at another time said to the Lords and Commons Remember that Parliaments are altogether in my Power therefore as I find the fruits of them Good or Evil they are to continue or not to be 17. His shameful betraying the poor Protestants in the Palatinate and using the Money given
that countenanced those two Court Parasites and Ear-Wiggs Mountague and Manwaring who poysoned the Ears of King Charles the First with such infectious Doctrine that proved to be fatal to the King and Kingdoms 'T is true indeed both Montague and Manwaring were doom'd and condemn'd for the same in open Parliament Sentenced and Fined and made incapable of all Ecclesiastical Benefices and Promotions But King Charles was so much in Love with these two wicked Levites and their Doctrines that soon after the Parliament was dissolved he punished them with two Fat Bishopricks That the World may know for what Manwaring was thus Rewarded by the King I shall produce three of his pernicious Assertions out of his two Sermons before the King Printed under the Title of Religion ond Allegiance 1. That the King is not bound to observe the Laws concerning the Subjects Rights but that his Will in Imposing Loans and Taxes without consent in Parliament doth oblige the Subjects Conscience Upon Pain of Eternal Damnation 2. That they who refused the Loan did offend against the Law of God and against the Kings Supreme Authority and thereby became Guilty of Impiety Disloyalty Rebellion c. 3. That Authority of Parliament is not necessary for the raising of Aids and Subsidies and Dr. Sibthorp Vicar of Brackley printed a Sermon which he Preached at the Assizes at Northampton and Dedicated to the King wherein he Poysons his Country with these vile Positions 1. That it is the Prince's Duty to direct and make Laws his Text by the way was Rom. 13.7 Render therefore to all their Dues he justified this by that Opposite Proof Eccles 8.3 4. He doth whatsoever pleases him Who may say unto him what doest thou 2. That all Antiquity is absolutely for absolute Obedience to Princes in al Civil and Temporal Things 3. That if Princes command any thing which Subjects may not perform because against the Laws of God of Nature or Impossible yet they are bound to undergo the Punishment without Resistance and so to vield a Passive Obedience where they cannot Exhibit an Active One. P g Sh k and others have largely since that time obliged the World with these Enslaving Doctrines As this King took great care to Reward such Ministers as these so he was resolved to make Examples of those Pious and Worthy Clergy-men that stood up against the Oppressions of those Times for Brevities Sake I shall instance but two of the many that might be Named The first was that Good Man Dr. Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury because he could not in Conscience comply with the King who with Menaces required him to License that abominable Sermon of Sibthrops before mention'd and thereby make that Good by Divinity which had been done against the Laws And when the Lord Conway Secretary of State was sent with a threatning Message from the King to him this good Old Man persisted in his Refusal saying with the Psalmist I shall not be affraid of any Evil Tydings for my heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. The King instantly Suspended this Archbishop and also confined him and committed the Archiepiscopal Jurisdiction to five Bishops all of the New Church of England and Sibthorp's Patrons viz. London Durham Rochester and Oxford and honest Laud of Bath and Wells The second was Dr. Williams Bishop of Lincoln who also felt the heavy Oppression of this Protestant King In the first Year of his Reign he was Lord Keeper of the Great Seal but upon his appearing in Parliament against the Kingdoms great Grievance the Duke of Buckingham he was Disgraced und Sequestred from the King's Presence and Council Table In his second Year he was accused for speaking publickly against the Loan and also for refusing to give way to proceedings in his Courts against the Puritans The King Imprison'd him in the Tower but this good Bishop out-living his Imprisonment upon the King 's throwing the Gauntlet he came to a Tryal of Skill for the Old English Liberties and he resolutely said Nolumus Leges Angliae Mutari and took Command in the Parliament's Army and bravely asserted his Country's Liberties with his Sword If I should proceed to relate how this King dealt by the Nobility and Gentry both Lawyers and others that stood up for the Laws of the Land and Liberties of the People this Tragical Story would swell to too great a Bulk for a Preface I shall therefore give a short Account of the matters contained in the following Treatise viz. that He Favoured Protected and was Ruled by the worst of Men both Clergy and Laity Secondly That He highly favoured Papists Thirdly That He Govern'd by an Arbitrary Power and raised Money upon his Subjects without Act of Parliament which is directly against the Constitution of the Government of England and of a most dangerous Consequence to the People of England for when ever such a Power is Established in these Kingdoms the People may bid a sad farewell to all their Felicity for they would soon undergood the same Miserable Fate the poor People of France have done ever since that King violated their Magna Charta call'd the Edict of Nants c. which is to be Taxed according to that Prince's Will and Pleasure Fourthly That he was not that Pious Prince the mad World without reason would represent him to be of all these you have too many Instances in the following Treatise which for the satissfaction of Mankind contains not onely 26 Articles or Charges against this King but also the following Tracts all of which were never Printed at large in any one Book before viz. The Popes Letter to King Charles I. and King Charles his Letter in Answer thereunto calling the Pope Most Holy Father c. The Articles of Marriage made in Favour of Papists with France King Charle 's Commission to the Irish Rebels and Philem Oneles and Rorie Macquire 's Declaration thereupon King Charles II's Letter to the Court of Claims of Ireland in behalf of that great Rebel the Marquess of Antrim to restore him to his Estate for that the said Marquess had made it appear that what he acted in that Rebellion was done by the Express Orders and Commands of Charles I. His Father King Charles I's Warrant by Secretary Nicholas to the King's Printer Commanding him to Print no more than Forty Proclamations that Proclaimed the Irish Rebels An Abstract of those Strange Articles of Peace that King Charles the First made with the Irish Rebells The two Letters he writ to assure the Rochellers of his relieving them and the miserable and deplorable Remonstrance those poor People made to him upon his Sacrificing them to the Mercy of the French King The Earl of Anglesey 's Memorandum Dr. Anthony Walker and Mrs. Gauden 's Proofs that Eicon Basilice was not Writ by King Charles but by Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter That Copy of the Kings and Pamelia's Prayers taken out of Eicon Basilice and Sir Philip Sydneys Arcadia will agree almost
in every Word Twenty Articles against that wicked Prelate Laud and to give a clear Demonstration of this Holy Martyrs Religion and Piety His Declaration for the lawfulness of Sports and Pastimes on the Lord's Day is printed in this Book at Large To conclude If all these and many more sad matters of Fact already in this and other Books produced to the World will not be of force enough to satisfie the generality of Mankind that they have been most notoriously imposed upon by the Clergy and some of the Laity in their Defence of King Charles I. against the Parliament of 1640. and People of England I shall conclude that nothing but the coming down of an Angel from Heaven will be able to convince them of their Error I shall therefore leave them to God and end all with this hearty Prayer That he would be pleased so to open their Eyes that they might see what will make for the Peace and Happiness of these Kingdoms and no longer promote and keep up those Unhappy Divisions that are yet amongst us after above 40 Years Controversie on this Melancholly Subject ERRATA PAge 2. line 5. read Immerited p. 4. l. 11. r. Gorges p. 4. l. 15. r. Desert f. Defect p. 4. last line r. Coat p. 5. l. 24. r. that p. 6. l. 12. r. the King p. 6. l. 25. r Bath p. 9. l. 13. r. Prins p. 10. l. 25. Dele and also King Charles II's Declaration after his Restoration p. 12. l. 23. r. Papists p. 14. l. 10. r. things f. time p. 15. l. 10 r. proportion p. 18. l. 5. dele it p. 18. l. 9. incert to after Relations p. 21. l. 21. r. Wentworth p. 21. l. 28. r. Suspiria p. 23. l. 3. r. dismiss p. 27. l. 25. r. have done p. 28. l. 27 r. Zyons p. 37. l. 18. r. alia p. 39. l. 21. after imaginable r. to enslave his people p. 44. l. 25. r. Article p. 46. l. 12. r. therein p. 48. l. 12. r. irreconcilable p. 50. l. 29. r. have p. 51. l. 34. dele not p. 54. l. 19. r. cordially f. Cardinals ENGLANDS Black List OR A short Account of some of the many Illegal Arbitrary Popish and Tyrannical Actions of King Charles I. falsely and unjustly call'd the Pious Martyr of ever Blessed Memory I shall not pretend to describe them Gradually or Annually but as they Occur 1. HE took in the Duke of Buckingham to be one of the chief Conductors of all his Affairs notwithstanding the said Duke was impeached for a very suspicious Playster and Portion administred to King James the First See the Earl of Bristols and Sir Dudley Digg's Speeches against him in Rushworth The Duke's Mother and many near about him were Papists and advanced Men popishly Devoted to places of the chief Câ—mmand in the Court and Camp Three Parliaments in the beginning of this Reign found and declared this Duke the cause of all their Miseries and Disasters the Grievance of Grievances yet King Charles would against all Justice protect him 2. He made that wicked Bishop Laud who was afterwards deservedly beheaded another of his Favourites by whose precious Councils poor England hath notoriously suffered to write his Life according to his Actions would sufficiently darken the Lustre of those immerite and impious Encomiums given by that Notorious Jacobite Mr. Wharton The Pious Dr. Abbatt then Arch Bishop of Canterbury hath in his Writings given a sad account of him 'T is said that Archbishop Sancroft had a great hand in putting forth this Book 3. His Marrying Heneretta Maria of France a violent Papist and agreeing to private Articles in favour of Papists viz. That those who had been Imprisoned as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal should be Released That Papists should be no more molested for their Religion by which means the Papists grew impudent and Scoff'd at Parliaments and Law Read the Articles at large in this Book 4. That received a Letter from the Pope and writ him an Answer saluting Antichrist with the Title of Sanctissime Pater Most Holy Father That Procured the Pope's Dispensation for his Marriage which was solemnized by Proxy according to the Ceremonies of the Romish Church See the Pope's and King's Letter at large in this Book 5. That pursuant to his Private Article with France immediately Granted a special Pardon to twenty Popish Priests for all the Offences they had Committed against the Laws and Built a Chapel at Somerset-House with Conveniencies for Fryars which were permitted to walk abroad in their Habits Baker the Jesuit was one of many that was Pardoned after the Lords and Commons had sent a Petition to him for advancing the True Religion and suppressing of Popery He made Weston who died a Papist his Lord Treasurer and preferred so many Papists to places of great Trust as Lord Lieutenants Deputy Lieutenants Justices of the Peace c. That the Commons of England complain'd by their Petition of near One Hundred of all Ranks he restrain'd the Ecclesiastical and Temporal Courts from intermedling with Papists which was little less then a Tolleration He not only Schreened but Pardoned Mountague his Chaplain whom the Commons had Voted had endeavoured to Reconcile England to Rome and instanced that he maintain'd these Positions That the Church of Rome is and ever was a True Church That Images might be used for the instructions of the Ignorant and for Exortation of Devotion That Saints have a Memory and a more peculiar charge of their Friends and that it may be admitted that some Saints have a peculiar Patronage Custody Protection and Power as Angels also have over certain Persons and Countrys by special Deputation That impiously and prophanely scoffed at Preaching Lectures Bibles and all shew of Religion and though the Commons prayed that for these and other matters Mountague might be Punished and his Books Burnt yet the King would do neither but Pardon'd him as aforesaid being incensed at the Commons prosecuting a Man after his own Heart 6. That to the great Dishonour of England the Scandal of the Protestant Religion and the great Weakening of the Protestant Interest abroad Did lend Eight Ships Equip'd with the subsidies given for the relief of his distressed Protestant Sister the Electress Palatine and the poor oppressed Protestants of the Palatinate to the French King to fight against the miserable Protestants of Rochel Captain Pennington in the Vantguard went Admiral the Commanders and Mariners protested against the Service though tempted with Chains of Gold c. Declaring they would sink rather then fight against their own Religion The Duke of Rohan and the French Protestants sollicited the King not to let the Ships go again and had good Words and Hopes Nevertheless Ordered Pennington by Letter Dated the 28th of July 1625. without Delay to Consign the Vantguard into the Hands of the Marquess de Effiat for the French King's Service and to require the seven other Ships in his Name to put themselves into the Service of the
Church for the decoring of it according to their old Custom But withal We do here account still as prohibited all unlawful Games to he used upon Sundays only as Bear and Bull-baitings Interludes and at all times in the meaner sort of People by Law prohibited Bowling And likewise We bar from this Benefit and Liberty all such known Recusants either Men or Women as will abstain from coming to Church or Divine Service being therefore unworthy of any Lawful Recreation after the said Service that will not first come to the Church and serve God Prohibiting in like sort the said Recreations to any that though conform in Religion are not present in the Church at the Ser-Service of God before their going to the said Recreations Our Pleasure likewise is That they to whom it belongeth in Office shall present and sharply punish all such as in Abuse of this Our Liberty will use these Exercises before the ends of all Divine Services for that Day And We likewise straightly Command that every Person shall resort to his own Parish Church to hear Divine Sirvice and each Parish by it self to use the sâ—id Recreation after Divine Service Prohibiting likewise any Offensive Weapons to be carried or used in the said times of Recreations And our Pleasure is That this Our Declaration shall be Published by Order from the Bishop of the Diocess through all the Parish Churches and that both Our Judges of Our Circuit and Our Justices of Our Peace be informed thereof Given at Our Mannor of Greenwich the Four and Twentieth Day of May in the Sixteenth Year of Our Reign of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the One and Fiftieth Here follows King Charles II. Corroborating Declaration to have the Recreations and Sports to be used on the Lord's Day NOW out of a like Pious Care for the Service of God and for suppressing of any Humors that oppose Truth and for the Ease Comfort and Recreation of Our well deserving People Wo do ratifie and publish this our Blessed Father's Declaration The rather because of late in some Counties of Kingdom We find that under pretence of taking away Abuses there hath been a general Forbidding not only of ordinary Meetings but of the Feasts of the Dedication of the Churches commonly called Wakes Now Our express Will and Pleasure is that these Feasts with others shall be observed and that Our Justices of the Peace in their several Divisions shall look to it both that all Disorders there may be prevented or punished and that all Neighbourhood and Freedom with Manlike and Lawful Exercises be used And We farther command Our Justices of Assize in their several Circuits to see that no Man do Trouble or Molest any of Our Loyal and Dutiful People in or for their lawful Recreations having first done their Duty to God and continuing in Obedience to Us and Our Laws And of this We command all Our Judges Justices of the Peace as well within Liberties as without Mayors Bayliffs Constables and other Officers to take notice of and to see observed as they tender Our Displeasure And We farther Will that Publication of this Our Command be made by Order from the Bishops through all the Parish Churches of their several Diocesses respectively Given at Our Palace of Westminster the 18th of October in the Ninth of Our Reign God save the King A true Copy of the Commission said to be given by the King to his Catholick Subjects of Ireland with the Warrant and Deposition annexed From our Camp at Newrie this Fourth of Nov. 1641. Philem. O. Neale Rorie Macguire To all Catholicks of the Romish Party both English and Irish within the Kingdom of Ireland we wish all Happiness Freedom of Conscience and Victory over the English Hereticks who have for a long time Tyrannized over our Bodies and usurped by Extortion our Estates BE it hereby made known unto you all our Friends and Country-men That the King 's most Excellent Majesty for many great and urgent Causes him thereunto moving reposing Trust and Confidence in our Fidelities hath signified unto us by his Commission under the great Seal of Scotland bearing date at Edinburgh the first Day of this Instant October 1641. and also by Letters under his Sign Manuel bearing date with the said Commission of divers great and heinous Affronts that the English Protestants especially the Parliament there have published against his Royal Prerogative and also against our Catholick Friends within the Kingdom of England The Copy of which Commission we have here sent unto you to be published with all Speed in all parts of this Kingdom that you may be assured of our sufficient Warrant and Authority herein The Commission CHARLES by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all Our Catholick Subjects within Our Kingdom of Ireland Greeting Know ye That We for the Safeguard and Preservation of Our Person have been enforced to make Our Abode and Residence in Our Kingdom of Scotland for a long Season occasioned by reason of the Obstinate and Disobedient Carriage of Our Parliament in England against Us who have not only presumed to take upon them the Government and Disposing of those Princely Rights and Prerogatives that have justly descended upon Us from Our Predecessors both Kings and Queens of the said Kingdom for many hundred Years last past but also have possessed themselves of the whole Strength of the said Kingdom in appointing Governours Commanders and Officers in all parts and places therein at their own Wills and Pleasure without Our Consent whereby We are deprived of Our Sovereignty and left naked without Defence And forasmuch as We are in Our self very sensible That those Storms blow aloft and are very likely to be carried by the Vehemency of the Puritan in another Copy Protestant Party into Our Kingdom of Ireland and endanger Our Regal and Authority there also Know ye therefore That We reposing much Care and Trust in your Duties and Obedience which We have for many Years past sound do hereby give unto you full Power and Authority to Assemble and meet together with all the Speed and Diligence that a Business of so great a Consequence doth require and to Advise and Consult together by sufficient and discreet Numbers at all Times Days and Places which you shall in your Judgments hold most Convenient and Material for the Ordering Settleling and Effecting of this Great Work mentioned and directed unto you in Our Letters and to use all politick Ways and Means possible to possess your selves for Our Use and Safety of all the Forts Castles and Places of Strength and Defence within the said Kingdom except the places Persons and Estates of our Loyal and Loving Subjects the Scots and also to Arrest and Seize the Goods Estates and Persons of all the English Protestants within the said Kingdom to Our use and in your care and speedy performance of this Our Will and Pleasure we
shall perceive your wonted Duty and Allegiance unto Us which We shall accept and reward in due time Witness Our self at Edinburgh the first day of October in the Seventeenth Year of Our Reign More of these secret Intreagues of King Charles the First and Second you will find in a Book Entituled Great Britain's Miseries in a short History of the manifold Difficulties this Kingdom has laboured under these 40 Years last past A LETTER From Pope Gregory XVth to Charles Steward Prince of Wales and since King of England during the time of his being in Spain As likewise the said Prince's Answer Both taken out of the History of England at the Pages 1162 1163 1164. Written by the Sieur Andrew du Chesne being the Third Edition printed at Paris in the Year 1641 by William Loyson at the Pallace in the Middle of the Prisoners Gallery and which are also to be met with in the French Mercury of the Year 1623 when these Letters were Written both which the said King never Disown'd Most Noble Prince AFter wishing you all immaginable Health and the Illumination of Gods Divine Grace We give you to Understand That whereas Great Britain has always abounded in Virtues and in Persons of singular Merit and Esteem and consequently fill'd both Worlds with the Glory of its Renown so she has also very frequently exacted the Consideration and Commendation of the Apostolick See And indeed the Holy Church was but yet in its Infancy when the King of Kings pitch'd upon it for the Portion of his Inheritance and which he did with so great Zeal and Affection that scarce the Roman Eagles got possession of it before the Cross And we may withal Observe that many of its Kings likewise being instructed in the surest means of their Salvation have all along prefer'd the Holy Cross to the Regal Scepter and the Doctrine of Religion either to Ambition or Covetousness transmitting thereby Examples of Piety both to foreign Nations and Posterity So that having sufficiently merited in Heaven the Privileges and Preeminences of Beatitude they have also Obtain'd on Earth the Triumphal Ornaments of never-dying Sanctity And now altho' the Church of England has for some time been born and seperated from the true Catholick Faith yet at the same time we perceive the Court of Great Britain adorn'd and embellish'd with so many Moral Virtues that we cannot but be encourag'd in our Love towards her and should Acknowledge her as one of the chiefest Ornaments of the Christian Name provided she were but Qualify'd and Influenc'd with the Orthodox and Universal Truth For which reason and so much the rather as we have the deepest Sence of and the sincerest Respect for the Glory of your most Serene Father and your own great Natural Abilities so we heartily and passionately desire that the Gates of Heaven may be set open to you and the Tenets of the True Church be receiv'd by you Moreover whereas Gregory the Great Our Glorious Predecessor of most pious Memory first taught the People of your Nation to obey the Law of the Gospel and to submit to the Apostolic Authority so we tho' Inferiour to him both in Piety and Virtue yet of the same Name and Dignity with him do think it but reasonable that we follow his holy Steps and endeavour to procure the Salvation of your Country especially at thsi Juncture when your happy Intentions Most Noble Prince have rais'd in us hopes of a successful Event Therefore as you are at present at the Court of the most Catholick King with Inclinations to make an Alliance with the House of Austria we cannot but extreamly commend Your Design and the rather by reason that we are satisfy'd that your principal end in it is the promoting the Advantage of our Supream Prelacy and Dignity For since you seem so earnestly to desire the Infanta of Spain in Marriage we may easily infer that in all probabily the ancient seeds of Christian Piety which have formerly flourish'd so prosperously in the Hearts of the Kings of Great Britain may revive and recover their pristine Glory in you and we cannot think that he who professes so sincere an esteem for such an Alliance should be an Enemy to the Catholick Religion or be ever enclin'd to molest the Holy See In pursuance whereof we have commanded continual and most humble Orations to be put up to the Father of Mercies that it would please his Divine Goodness to establish you as the blooming Flower of Christendom and the Sole Hopes of Great Britain in the Throne of your Noble Ancestors who for the most part have all made it their chiefest Business to Assert the Authority of the Soveraign Pontificat and to combat the Monsters of Heresy Propose to Yourself the Modells of former Ages inspect the Behaviour of your Fore-fathers and they will shew you what Method you are to take to get the Throne of Bliss and what Policy Temporal Princes have always made use of to inherit an Eternal Kingdom Behold your gloriours Predecessors Enthron'd above Who formerly waited on by Angels went to Rome to Honour and do Homage to the Lord of Lords and to the Successors of his Holy Apostle St. Peter Their Works and Examples are of so many Voices whereby God Exhorts you to imitate their Lives to whose Empire you shall one day arrive Is it possible that you can suffer the Hereticks to Profane and Condemn those Holy Men whom the Faith of the Church enjoyns us to believe to Reign above the Clouds with Jesus Christ and to have command and Authority over all the Principalities and Potentates of the Earth See these blessed Saints stretch out their Arms to Conduct you safe to the Court of this most Catholick King and behold with what Ardour they desire to lead you to the Bosom of the Mother-Church That Church which is often suppliant with inexpressible Agonies before the Throne of Almighty Wisdom for your Reformation and Safety and which even now tenders its Apostolick Charity with all imaginable Christian Affection to receive you to her self You that are her Darling Son You that are her most desir'd tho' hitherto her too misguided Off-spring Certainly you can never be more Obliging to the Christian State than to put the Prince of Apostles into the possession of your most noble Island which has almost all along hitherto approv'd its self the most potent Arbiter both of Church and State The most glorious Work will the easier be Effected if you first shew an Example by Opening to God that knocks at the Door of your Heart and wherein consist the Absolute Happiness and Salvation of this Kingdom This is so great Charity occasions us to desire that You and your most Serene Father should be qualify'd with the glorious Titles of Deliverers and Restorers of the Ancient and Paternal Religion of Great Britain which we hope may be speedily Effected by means of the great Power and Goodness of God in whose Hands the Hearts
Religion should be the last thing upon which he should Treat for if he do agree upon strickness against the Catholicks it would discourage them to serve him and if afterwards there should be no Peace he could never expect succours from Ireland or any other Catholick Prince In another of her Letters we find her writing thus January 17. 1644. It comforts me much to see the Treaty shall be at Uxbridge I received Yesterday Letters from the Duke of Lorrain who sends me word if his service be agreeable to you he will bring 10000 Men. Above all have a care not to abandon those who have served you as well the Bishops as the poor Catholicks By the King's Letters to the Queen in February when the Treaty at Uxbridge was depending He Stiles the Parliament Unreasonable Stubborn Perfidious Rebels presses her to hasten all possible Assistance to him particularly that of the Duke of Lorrain He tells her That the limitted days for treating are now almost expired without the least Agreement upon any one Article wherefore I fend for enlargement of days That the whole Treaty may be laid open to the whole World and I assure thee thou needst not doubt the Issue of this Treaty for my Commissioners are so well chosen though I say it that they will neither be Threatned nor Disputed from the Grounds I have given them which upon my Word Is according to the little Note thou so well remembers Be confident that in making Peace I shall ever shew my Constancy in adhereing to Bishops and all our Friends which could be meant of no other than the Catholicks for the Queen in her Letter before mentioned had given him Charge of both together and not forget to put a short Period to this perpetual Parliament We find in another Letter Dated the 5 th of March expressing himself in these Words I have thought of one means more to furnish Thee with my assistance than hitherto thou hast had it is That I give Thee power to promise in my Name that I will * If this were so good a King Why so much clamour against King James the II. for designing the same thing take away all the Penal Laws against the Roman Catholicks in England as soon as God shall enable me to do it In relation to Ireland he wrote to the Marquess of Ormond to this Effect Jan. 7. The Rebells here have agreed to Treat and most assuredly one of the first and chiefest Articles they will insist on will be To continue the Irish War which is a Point not popular for me to break on of which you are to make a double use First To hasten with all possible diligence the Peace there the timely conclusion of which will take off that Inconvenience which otherwise I may be subject to by the Refufal of that Article upon any other Reason Secondly By dexterous conveying to the Irish the danger there may be of their Total Exclusion from those Favours I intend them in case the Rebells here clap up a Peace Not doubting of a Peace I must again remember you to press the Irish for their speedy Assistance to Me here and their Friends in Scotland I desire that the Irish would send as great a Body as they can to Land about Cumberland which will put those Northern Counties in a brave Condition Upon the 14 th January he Writes thus to the Queen As for the Peace of Ireland to shew Thee the Care I have had of it and Fruits I hope to receive from it I have sent Thee the last Dispatches I have sent concerning it For God's sake let none know the particulars of my Dispatches Some secret piece of Villany against his Protestant Subjects no Doubt that he was so affraid of having it Discovered Another Letter to Her of the 20 th of March hath this Expression I find that thou much mistakes me concerning Ireland I desire nothing more than a Peace there and ever forbid thy Commerce there By another Lettter he commanded Ormond to Dispatch the Irish Peace out of hand and thereby promises that the Penal Laws against the Roman Catholicks Shall not be put in Execution The Peace being made and that when the Irish give him that Assistance which they have promised for the suppression of this Rebellion then he would consent to the Repeal of them by a Law and Concludes Recommending to him again the speedy dispatch of the Peace of Ireland Another Letter to Ormond upon the 27 th of February 1644. was That he thought himself bound in Conscience not to lose that assistance which he might hope from his Irish Subjects for such scruples as in a less pressing condition might reasonably be struck at by him and therefore Commanded him to conclude a Peace with the Irish whatever it cost so that his Protestant Subjects there might be secured and his Regal Authority preserved If the present taking away the Penal Laws against Papists will do it said he I shall not think it a hard Bargin so that freely and vigourously they engage themselves in my Assistance against my Rebells of England and Scotland for which no Conditions can be too hard not being against Conscience or Honour By another Letter to the Marquess of Ormond in the same Month he Writes thus Now again I cannot but mention the necessity of hastning the Irish Peace for which I hope you are already furnished by Me with Materials sufficient But in case against all Expectation and Reason Peace cannot be had upon those Terms you must not by any means fall to a New Rupture with them but continue the Cessation ⸫ There was at this time high Division in London between the Presbyterians and Independants therefore to ruin both by fomenting misunderstandings between them the Independants are to be Cajoled a thing worthy remembrance in all times He wrote to the Duke of Richmond one of his Commissioners for the Uxbridge Treaty To remember to Cajole well the Independants and the Scots nay he instructed Secretary Nicholas to bribe the Commissioners for the Parliament with the promise of Security Rewards and Places Now upon the whole matter let any impartial and unbyassed Person tell me whether he doth not in his Conscience believe that the Parliament were far more sincere in making an Honourable Peace for poor England than this apparently False Popish and tricking King whom the wicked part of Mankind so madly cry up for a Martyr 26. That for many Reasons it was concluded That King Charles had no small share in the abominable Act of Poysoning his own Father King James I. and that Good Man Prince Henry his Son It being very plain divers Parliaments were but short lived if they did but mutter that an Enquiry should be made of their untimely Ends and that the Duke of Buckingham was protected for that and other Villanies And that I may Demonstrate to the World more fully than I have already done in the 6 th Articles That King
Charles I. did most Dishonourably and Perfidiously Betray the poor Protestants of the Isle of Rhee and Rochel I shall produce Copies of two of his Letters to them LETTER I. The King of England's Letter Directed to the Mayor Sheriffs Peers Burghers and Inhabitants of the City of Rochell dated 19 th of May Old Stile 1628. Gentlemen BE not Discomforted though my Fleet be return'd hold out unto the last for I am resolved that all my Fleet shall Perish rather than you shall not be Relieved and to this end I have Countermanded it and have sent Ships to make them change their Design that they had taken to come back I shall shortly send you some number of Ships to reinforce it and with the help of God the Success will be happy for that Deliverance Your Good Friend CHARLES R. And on the 21 st in the Morning there came to Rochell from England a Soldier bringing another Letter from the King Dated 27 th of May Old Stile sealed with the Arms of England which was as followeth Gentlemen I Have been troubled to here that my Fleet was upon the Point of Returning without Answering my Commands which were to force the Entry of your Provisions whatever came of it and have given it new Orders to Return into your Road and not stir untill it hath relieved you with Victuals or that I have sent them an Additional strength for which I have caused Men to work with all Diligence Be assured that I will never Abandon you and that I will imploy all the Force of my Kingdom for your Deliverance untill it please God to bless Me with giving you an assured Peace Given at Our Palace at Westm May 27 1628. Old Stile GENTLEMEN Your Good Friend CHARLES R. Whosoever shall carefully Read and Consider these two Letters and the Sollemn Declarations there and observe how contrary to his Royal Word he Sacrificed these Poor Protestants will have cause to harbour the worst of thoughts of this King and to blush at the horrid Impudence and Impiety of those Wicked Wretches that would make a Saint and a Martyr of him And to demonstrate this Treachery I shall incert a Copy of the Remonstrance made by one of the Deputies of the City of Rochel because it will very much illustrate the Subject and be as an Eternal mark of Infamy to the Memory of that Prince and deserves to be Engraven on Brass and Wrote on Marble that so the Remembrance of it may never be lost it is as followeth A Copy of the Remonstrance of the Sieur Vincent to the King of Great Britain drawn out of his own Journals SIR THE Grief which obliges us to fill the Ears of Your Majesty with our Cries and to Reiterate them so often ought to be extream to the last Degree Behold us now Sir prostrate at your Feet to Wash them with our Tears and God Almighty Grant that we do not in a little time come to Sigh out our last Breath with the News of the Desolation of our City We know not how Sir to conceal it from You the Sence we have of Her being at Her last Gasp puts us into Despair seeing the Succours which Your Majesty hath made us hope would be ready hath been deferred from day to day for many Weeks together SIR the City of Rochell did by us beg of You with all the Humility they were capable of Expressing to receive them into your Protection and You as Solemnly agreed to it since they have had at divers times all the Assurances possible as well from your own Month as under the Hand of Your Majesty that you would never abandon them Whereupon by a Miracle of Constancy they have held our hitherto firm a whole Year contending with the Horrours of a most gastly Famine that thereby they might give Your Majesty full leisure to send them the Succours You were graciously pleased to promise them and thus constant and unshaken were they even when all Europe believed they ought to have despaired in that after they had Relief as they thought several days in their sight it returned without effecting or attempting any thing And though our Enemies have from thence taken occasion to make them divers Overtures of Accommodation which their extream Necessities seemed to Counsel them to hearken unto yet they chose rather to run the Hazzard of their utter Destruction then to be wanting in the least to the Promises we had Sworn for them to Your Majesty or to shew they had the least Diffidence of your Protection After all this Sir shall it be Recorded in the History of Your Reign That they perished in your Hands without having reaped any other Fruit of the Good Will Your Majesty hath professed towards them and of the Assurance they have therein relied upon then the rendring them irrecountable to their King from whom otherwise they might have hoped to have found Grace and Favour Pardon Sir this from a People who see themselves upon the very Threshold of their Sepulchers if they cannot avoid Sighs which may seem undecent in your Royal Presence It is common for those that are near their End to finish their Lives with Groans In the Name of God Sir so long as there remains any Breath in us and before we do quite Expire command your Succours to hasten to our Assistance provided that diligence be yet used we will remain Caution to Your Majesty with the Peril of our Heads that they will arrive time enough to save us As to the Impossibilities that some may be willing to find in it permit us to tell You freely Sir That those are only founded either in their fear or their very little Affection for us and that besides the Report which some Persons unsuspected have made to Your Majesty we beseech You be You judge whether our City which is within fight of the Digne and Pallisade and carriage of her Cannon would send time after time to implore Your Assistance if they thought it would be unprofitable to them and if having every day offers of Capitulation upon advantagious Conditions if they would hearken to it for themselves alone they would be so imprudent to neglect the opportunity But we are ready if it shall please Your Majesty to permit it to take upon us the first Risques and Hazzards of the Execution to the end that we may be justified to all the World in the sincerity of our Proceeding and that it may not be imputed to us that we are prodigal of the Blood of Your Majesties Subjects to ill purpose to be sparing of our own No Sir there is no such impossibility as what some would pretend The only Cause of our Fears comes from the slowness and continual neglects from one Day to another and one Week to another which makes our hopes Recoil After the Return of your Fleet we comforted our selves with the Promise that was made us by Your Majesty That it should depart again within fifteen days but when