The King's Answer BEfore the receipt of your Petition His Majesty well foresaw the danger that threatens himself and Crown and therefore resolved the 24th of this Instant to Summon all the Peers and with them to Consult what in this Case is fittest to be done for his own honour and fafety of the Kingdom where they with the rest may offer any thing that may conduce to those ends According to this Resolution the Lord-Keeper had Directions from the King to issue out Writs of Summons for their appearing at York on the day prefixt which he punctually pursued Soon after the presenting of this Petition from the Lords came another from the Scots the substance whereof was a Desire That His Majesty would call a Parliament for setling a firm peace between the two Nations To this Petition the King replyed with signification of what he had ordered before in reference to himself and to the welfare of both Kingdoms And the Truth of it is it was high time for an Accommodation to be effected for Lesley now began to rant it in New-Castle and the parts adjacent as Brennus did at Rome with a Vae Victis He imposed a Tax of 350 pounds per diem upon the Bishoprick of Durham and 300 pounds upon Northumberland upon pain of Plundering and yet permitted Souldiers to rifle Houses break open Shops and act what insolencies they pleased seized upon four great English Ships laden with Corn as lawful prize they not knowing in whose possession the Town was till they enter'd the Haven The first day of the Lords Assembling at York it was resolved that a Parliament should be Summoned to convene at Westminster November the Third Then a Message was sent to the Scots desiring a speedy Treaty at York The Scots replied They held that no place of security for their Commissioners considering that the Lieutenant of Ireland who commanded His Majesties Army was one who had proclaimed them Traytors in Ireland before the King had done the same in England and who had threatned to destroy their Nation both Root and Branch and against whom as a chief Incendiary of the late Troubles they intended to complain whereupon it was concluded that the Treaty should be held at Rippon which accordingly took place The Parliament now approaching whose Convening was attended by this Kingdom with so much longing such impatience of desires as every moment which retarded it was interpreted as a kind of Grievance to the Subject for we began now to think that nothing could make us a happy People but a Parliament and that no Parliament could make us miserable This was the Sence of the greater part of this Nation and if this Parliament succeeded not adequate to some Mens Vote perhaps the miscarriage of their hopes may be somewhat imputed to this Sence Over-ruling Providence delights oft to order the Operations of free and natural Agents counter to Mans Expectations to teach us the vanity of that Faith which is founded upon Causes subaltern And oh that I could here but express to the life the high Expectations of the People from this Parliament which came with such a terrible swing after so long an Interval and so many Dissolutions that put the whole Nation into such a Consternation as I presume the like President cannot be produced out of the Records of Antiquity since William the Conqueror did first invade our English Territories But however Courteous Readers for your present Divertisement I will here make a small Attempt to express the present Thoughts and Expectations of that Parliament which in process of time brake forth into a Civil War and I pray God I may never live to see the like again the which I shall represent under the Emblem of a new tight and well-built Ship which upon the Launching was named The Bon Resolution although some would have it called The House of Commons others The Three Estates and others The Swiftsure and was immediately employ'd in His Majesties Service but being for some time wind-bound within the Harbor viz. about 12 days the Captain of the said Ship coming early out of his Cabin one morning and finding the Wind tackt about and blowing fair for his intended Voyage being upon the Quarter-Deck he knocks up his Seamen and salutes them after this manner viz. ARise you Mortals from your Dens of Sleep Neptune now calls to launch into the Deep The Wind blows fair it 's lately turn'd South-west And we must Sail directly to the East For Pearls and Diamonds Jewels of great Rate Which in the Acquest sometimes a broken Pate Hath been our Lot yet still we venture must You know our Shipwrights wherein so great a Trust Is now repos'd in us comes from Whitehall Our late Commission whence we may learn All Which way to steer our course and will direct Whom we must crush and whom we must protect In this our Voyage 'T is the Common-weal Of these Three Kingdoms That a Roaring Peal Of Small and Great Shot now aloud must Ring From this our Vessel To preserve the King In all His Legal Rights But to advance Against all those who have lead up a Dance As will in time if Heavens do not prevent Destroy both King and all the Parliament And in their stead set up a Scarlet Whore Of whose sweet Nature we have long before Known by Experience and now for to be cheated By their Sham-Plots again and to be defeated Huzza Brave Lads This thing shall never be We 'll rather chuse upon a Triple Tree To take our chance and now Heavens crown the Event And bless our Vessel and our good Intent Heavens bless us from the Sally Men of War Heavens bless us likewise that we do not jar Among our selves If such a thing should be And that our Seamen now should disagree And fight for Thimbles Bodkins and Gu-gaws Instead of fighting for the Good Old Cause Of Liberty and Property Oh! this Evil Would make us Zealots for the Pope and Devil More than for Christs true Church which now doth stand In danger much if these should have Command Within our British Isle which to prevent God bless our King and His next Parliament Which now approacheth whom we must defend And so our Ship the Lord Almighty send Into safe Harbor when that we shall bring Peace to the Church and Honor to the King And when our Pearls and Diamonds shall arrive We 'll fix them fast upon King CHARLES his Hive His Crown shall glister like the Rising Sun Courage Brave Boys Our Wars shall then be done When we shall see those Fellows sent from hence With all their Tories to that place from whence They first did rise which was from that Grand Syre Who claims the Patent to be the great Lyar And Forger of all Mischiefs both in Church and State But will at length get such a Broken Pate As will confound him and his Holy Church When as Old Nick shall leave him in the Lurch To him I 'll
Subjects of this your Kingdom at their charge to provide and furnish such number of Ships with Men Victual Munition and for such time as your Majesty shall think fit for the defence and safeguard of the Kingdom from such peril and danger and that by Law your Majesty may compel the doing thereof in case of refulsal or refractoriness And we are also of opinion That in such case your Majesty is the sole Judg both of the danger and when and how the same is to be prevented and avoided John Bramston John Finch Humphrey Davenport John Denham Richard Hatton William Jones George Crook Thomas Trever George Vernon Robert Barkley Francis Crauly Richard Weston These Opinions being subscribed by all the Judges and inrolled in all the Courts in Westminster-Hall the King thought he had now warrant sufficient to proceed against all defaulters and especially against Mr. Hambden who being summoned by process appeared and required Oyer of the Ship-Writs which being read he demurred in Law and demanded the Opinion of all the Judges upon the Legal sufficiency of those Writs This great Case coming to be argued in the Exchequer the Major part of the Judges delivered their Opinions in favour of the Writs and accordingly gave Judgment against Mr. Hambden yet did not the question altogether so repose but Mr. Hambden observing some Judges viz. Crook and Hatton of a contrary sense held up the Contest still though all in vain all his inquietude not gaining him the least acquittal until an higher Power interposed About the beginning of January this year Anno 1639. Sir Thomas Coventry dyeth dyed Sir Thomas Coventry Lord-Keeper of the Great Seal of England a Dignity he had Fifteen years enjoyed if it be not more proper to say That Dignity had enjoyed him so long this latter affording not one every way of more apt qualifications for the place His front and presence bespake a venerable regard not inferior to that of any of his Ancestors His train and suit of followers was disposed agreeably to shun both envy and contempt not like that of the Viscount St. Albans or the Bishop of Lincoln whom he succeeded ambitious and vain His port was State their 's Ostentation they were indeed the more knowng men but their Learning was extravagant to their Office of what concerned his Place he knew well enough and which is the main acted according to his knowledg for in the administration of Justice he was so erect and so incorrupt as captious malice stands mute in the blemish of his fame a miracle the greater when we consider that he was also a Privy Councellor A Trust wherein he served his Master the King most faithfully and the more faithfully because of all those Councils which in those times did so much deceive his Majesty and I pray God there were fewer at this juncture of time than there is he was an earnest disswader and did much disaffect those Sticklers who rather laboured to make the Prerogative tall and great as knowing that such men loved the King better than Charles Stuart so that although he was a Courtier and had for his Master a passion most intense yet had he also always of passion some reserve for the publick welfare An Argument of a free noble and right principled mind for what both Court and Country have always held as inconsistent is in truth erroneous and no man can be truly Loyal who is not also a good Patriot nor any a good Patriot the Ballance indispensably ought to be kept even who is not truly Loyal To this worthy Gentleman succeeded Sir John Finch formerly Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. The Heer Somerdick An Embassador from the States of Holland Embassador from the States of Holland in the Month of January had Audience of the King He had with him Count William of Nassaw and the Rhine-Grave with a very splendid train his business was to give his Majesty satisfaction concerning the late Attack made upon the Spaniards by the Dutch Fleet in the Downs and the Embassy was sweetned by some overture of Marriage between the young Prince of Orange and the Kings Eldest Daughter On the Thirteenth of April A Parliament fits in England after near 12 years interval April 1640. A Parliament met and sate and the Deputy of Ireland being not long before Created Earl of Strafford and made Lord Lieutenant of that Kingdom was lead into the upper House by two Noblemen where he gave an account of his service in Ireland where he had obtained the grant of four Subsidies for the maintenance of an Army Mr. John Glanvil was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons and generally the choice of Members to that House was so good that great probabilitles were given of a happy Union betwixt the King and the Parliament Some few days after a Report was made to the Lords by the Lord Cottington who with Windebank and the Attorney General were sent by the King to the Lord Lowden to examine him concerning a Letter before mentioned that the Lord did acknowledge the Hand-Writing to be his and that it was framed before the pacification at Berwick and was never sent to the King but only prepared in a readiness should need require and that it was supprest upon that pacification nevertheless it was thought fit he should continue in the same state until clearer Evidence should be given either for or against him Soon after the King sent a message to the Lower House about Supplies representing unto them the intolerable indignities and injuries wherewith the Scots had treated him and withal declared unto them that if they would assist him sutable to the exigency of his sad occasion he would for ever quit his claim of Shipmoney and into the bargain give them full content in all their just demands But they replied as being somewhat deliberate in this affair of Money that they expected first security from his Majesty in these three particulars viz. 1. For the clearing the Subjects Property 2. For the Establishment of Religion 3. For the Priviledg of Parliament Many Conferences there was had between the Lords and Commons as to this old Contest which should precede The Lords after a strong division among themselves at length Voted for the King and the Commons for the Subject But it was not long before this unhappy difference was unhappily decided For Secretary Vane who was employed to declare the particulars of the Kings desires required twelve Subsidies whereas it was said his express order was for only six some there are who suspect this mistake to have been not involuntary but industrious in him as to his Majesties service but leaving that undetermined the House of Commons was raised by this Proposition to such animosity as the King advising with his Juncto The Parliament dissolved May the fifth 1640. having sate about 3 weeks their complyance was represented to him so desperate as that May the fifth he ordered the Dissolution of
MVLTVM in PARVO aut VOX VERITATIS WHEREIN THE PRINCIPLES PRACTICES AND TRANSACTIONS OF THE English Nation But more especially and in particular BY THEIR Representatives Assembled in PARLIAMENT Anno Domini 1640 1641 As also 1680 1681. ARE Most faithfully and impartially Examined Collected and Compared together for the present seasonable Use Benefit and Information of the Publick AS ALSO The Wonderful and most Solemn Manner and Form of Ratifying Confirming and Pronouncing of that most dreadful Curse and Execration against the Violaters and Infringers of MAGNA CHARTA in the Time of HENRY the Third King of England c. All which is earnestly recommended to the most serious and impartial Consideration and perusal of all His MAJESTIES most Loyal and most Obedient Subjects the true Tory Phanatick and Bloody Papist only excepted within His Realms of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging By THEOPHILUS RATIONALIS a Person of Quality and a most true Lover of his King and Country LONDON Printed for Rich. Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-Row 1681. THE Epistle Dedicatory To the KING' 's most Excellent Majesty CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland Protestant King Defender of the Faith c. Most Dread Soveraign I Have presumed to prostrate the ensuing Lines at Your Majesties feet in regard you are the only Person in all your Three Kingdoms that is most nearly and principally therein concerned And I dare be bold to affirm although they are very high proud and lofty words viz. That if Your Majesty shall be pleased without prejudice prepossession and partiality most solemnly and seriously to peruse the same and will be pleased to take your future measures accordingly I say then I am very confident and fully assured unless I have no reason nor understanding remaining in me but am delivered over into a reprobate sense That Your Majesty may yet be unless the Decree be already gone out against us for our total ruine and destruction one of the greatest and happiest Monarchs this day in the Christian World Verbum sapienti c. I have done my duty and have discharged my Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy unto your Sacred Majesty whom God long preserve and am GREAT SIR Your Majesties most Loyal most Obedient and most Faithful Subject and Servant to Love Honour and Serve You and my Countrey usque ad Mortem Theophilus Rationalis THE INTRODUCTION AUT LIBER ad LECTOREM STand off proud Rebels Royalists draw near To see your Prince i' th' front the Pope i' th' rear Let not the Pope affright you nor dispose Your thoughts to wander after Charles his foes The Center clears all doubts that shall arise From Hellish Plotters under a disguise Of State-reformers though at the self-same time Both Church and State their principal design Is for to ruine But still in Masquerades The Pope and Devil being chief Comrades Unto these Hellish Monsters who would bring Destruction to your Church confusion to your King Heavens bless your Head with such as will now please To guard him from such Sycophants as these Who doubtless will by their inveterate hate At length prove ruine both to Church and State If not prevented by Gods liberal hand Under Great Charles who hath the sole Command And Power to save you if he will but call His Council once again near to Whitehall And let them sit for to dispatch this Crew Of Wolves and Tygers Then will straight ensue A lasting Peace 'twixt Him and People both I must conclude to speak the rest I 'm loth This Book it self will speak enough to bring Peace to the People Honour to your King AMEN To all the truly Loyal-Hearted Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of this Land The most grave sober serious and truly Religious People and most faithful obedient Subjects unto his present Majesty though called by the Nick-names of Fanaticks Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Arminians Socinians Latitudinarians c. ROwze Loyal Fannees look well to your Guard The bold God-damme's are in your Rear-ward Pray do not budg keep close within your Station These men of late have poison'd half the Nation With bloody Tenets under a disguise To make you Traitors and a legal Prize The Soveraign Tree of Tyburn to advance Where Ketch their Foreman must lead up the dance Call'd Towzer's Mole-trap and the Tories Gin Now have at all to catch poor Fannees in God help you now They swear they will you kill Because of you they cannot have their will You have say they disturb'd both Church State For which they love you with a mortal hate And now they 'l hang you t'rid themselves from evil And send you packing to Old Nick the Devil By some Sham-Plots This is the only way To slay such Rebels as have gone astray So long a time from their most holy Church And now Old Nick shall leave them in the lurch Damm them and Sink them all they shall not live There 's not a man whom our Great Charles shall give To him his Life If we may have our will This is the time to use our utmost skill We 'll tell Great Charles that if he now should spare But one of these all his three Kingdoms are In danger to be lost and with this hellish hook We 'll catch the Fish and then how will they look Like Sons of Whores when Ketch shall them befool And mount them up upon his three legg'd Stool Courage brave Towzers Here 's a noble Plot Effect but this the first will be forgot Make King and Council both to understand That damn'd Rogue Godfrey with his proper hand Did slay himself Our work will then be done And we shall shine like to the glorious Sun At his Meridian height and ever after We 'll break our Fasts with merriment and laughter To see what Fools we made the Tory Crew Who to the Plot did straightway bid adieu And swore to boot that we were innocent Of all the Impeachments which the Parliament Did fasten on us whom we have outdone Although as guilty as our rising Sun Will shew himself when as he shall appear Before his Equals to bring up the Rear Of all the Plots and Sham-Plots that have been Contriv'd by us er'e since his Coming in Here stop you Helhounds in your full career These Loyal Fanns will make you quake for fear Their God above will surely them defend And bring your Rogueships to your fatal end Who then shall smile and have you in derision For all your Libels and your late Misprision Of Treason on them from your bitter Gall To make them Rebels to their Kings Whitehall But hark You shall be Summon'd 'fore the Council-Board Of the next Parliament where a wise word We shall not hear from you only Evasions Lyes Shifts and Stories Mental reservations For to evade your guilt which shall appear As clear as Crystal in our Hemisphere When as bright Sol shall mount his
one word I am commanded by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House to present unto your Lordships their most affectionate Thanks for your ready condescending to this Conference which out of confidence in your great Wisdoms and approved Justice for the service of his Majesty and the welfare of this Realm they desired upon this occasion The House of Commons by a fatal and universal concurrence of Complaints from all the Seabordering parts of this Kingdom did find a great and grievous interruption and stop of Trade and Traffick The base Pirates of Sally ignominiously infesting our Coasts taking our Ships and Goods and leading away the Subjects of this Kingdom into Barbarous Captivity while to our shame and hinderance of Commerce our Enemies did as it were Besiege our Ports and Block up our best Rivers Mouths our Friends on slight pretences made Embargoes of our Merchants Goods and every Nation upon the least occasion was ready to contemn and slight us So great was the apparent diminution of the ancient Honour of this Crown and once strong reputation of our Nation wherewith the Commons were more troubled calling to remembrance how formerly in France in Spain in Holland and everywhere by Sea and Land the Valours of this Kingdom had been better valued and even in latter times within remembrance when we had no Alliance with France none in Denmark none in Germany no Friend in Italy in Scotland to say no more united Ireland not setled in peace and much less security at home when Spain was as ambitious as it is now under a King Philip the Second they called their Wisest the House of Austria as great and Potent and both strengthned with a Malicious League in France of persons ill-affected when the Low-Countries had no being yet by constant Councels and Old English ways even then that Spanish pride was cool'd that greatness of the House of Austria so formidable to us now was well resisted and to the United Provinces of the Low-Countries such a beginning growth and strength was given as gave us Honour over all the Christian World The Commons therefore wondring at the evils which they suffered debating of the causes of them found they were many drawn like one Line to one Circumference of Decay of Trade and Strength of Honour and Reputation in this Kingdom which as in one Centre met in one great man the cause of all whom I am here to name the Duke of Buckingham Here Sir Dudley Diggs made a stand as wondring to see the Duke present yet he took the Roll and read the Preamble to the Charge with the Duke's Titles which I shall here for the Readers Satisfaction insert and so proceed For the speedy Redress of the great evils and mischiefs The Preamble to the Impeachment against the Duke of Buckingham and of the chief causes of those evils and mischiefs which this Kingdom of England now grievously suffereth and of late years hath suffered and to the honour and safety of our Soveraign Lord the King and of his Crown and Dignities and to the good and welfare of his People The Commons in this present Parliament by the Authority of our Soveraign Lord the King assembled do by this their Bill shew and declare against George Duke Marquess and Earl of Buckingham Earl of Coventry Viscount Villers Baron of Whaddon Great Admiral of the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and of the Principality of Wales and of the Dominions and Islands of the same of the Town of Calais and of the Marches of the same and of Normandy Gascoin and Guyen General Governor of the Seas and Ships of the said Kingdoms Lieutenant-General Admiral Captain-General and Governor of his Majesties Royal Fleet and Armado lately set forth Master of the Horse of our Soveraign Lord the King Lord Warden Chancellor and Admiral of the Cinque-Ports and of the Members thereof Constable of Dover-Castle Justice in Eyre of all Forests and Chases on this side of the River of Trent Constable of the Castle of Windsor Lieutenant of Middlesex and Buckinghamshire Steward and Bayliff of Westminster Gentleman of his Majesties Bed-Chamber and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council in his Realms both of England Scotland and Ireland and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter The Misdemeanors Misprisions Offences Crimes and other matters comprized in the Articles following And him the said Duke do Accuse and Impeach of the said Misdemeanors Misprisions Offences and Crimes And now my Lords This lofty Title of this mighty man methinks doth raise my Spirits to speak with a Paulo majora canamus and let it not displease your Lordships if for Foundation I compare the beautiful Structure and fair Composition of this Monarchy wherein we live to the great work of God viz. the World it self in which the solid Body of incorporated Earth and Sea as I conceive in regard of our Husbandry Manufactures and Commerce by Land and Sea may well resemble us the Commons and as it is encompassed with Air and Fire and Spheres Celestial of Planets and a Firmament of fixed Stars all which receive their heat light and life from one great glorious Sun even like the King our Soveraign so that Firmament of fixed Stars I take to be your Lordships those Planets the great Officers of the Kingdom that pure Element of Fire the most Religious Zealous and Pious Clergy and the Reverend Judges Magistrates and Ministers of Law and Justice the Air wherein we breathe all which encompast round with cherishing comfort this Body of the Commons who truly labour for them all and though they be the Footstool and the lowest yet may well be said to be the setled Centre of the State Now my Lords if that glorious Sun by his powerful Beams of Grace and Favour shall draw from the bowels of this Earth an Exhalation that shall fire and burn and shine out like a Star it needs not be marvell'd at if the poor Commons gaze and wonder at the Comet when they feel the effects and impute all to the corruptible matter thereof But if such an imperfect Meteor appear like that in the last Age in the Chair of Casiopea among the fixed Stars themselves where Aristotle and the old Philosophers conceived there was no place for such corruption The Meteor in 1680. is worth your observation upon this very account then as the learned Mathematicians were troubled to observe the irregular motions the prodigious magnitude and the ominous Prognosticks of that Meteor so the Commons when they see such a Blazing-Star in course so exorbitant in the affairs of this Common-wealth cannot but look up upon it and for want of Perspectives commend the nearer examination to your Lordships who may behold it at a better distance Such a prodigious Comet the Commons take this Duke of Buckingham to be And so the Commons do the Duke of York now cum multis aliis c. Anno Domini 1680 and 1681. and
leave him and his Tory Crew And now proceed to what doth here ensue Tuesday Novemb. 3. being the day prefixt and the Parliament assembled His Majesty bespake them in these words My Lords THE knowledge that I have of the Scotish Subjects was the cause of my calling of the last Assembly of Parliament wherein if I had been believed I do most sincerely think that things had not fallen as We now see but it is no wonder that men are so slow to believe that so great a Sedition should be raised upon so little ground But now My Lords and Gentlemen the Honor and Safety of this Kingdom lying so heavily at stake I am resolved to put My Self freely upon the Love and Affections of my English Subjects And had His Majesty kept close to this resolution some think things had ne'er come to that extremity that afterwards they did as those of my Lords that waited upon me at York very well remember I there declared Therefor my Lords I shall not mention Mine own Interest or that Support I might justly expect from you till the Common Safety be secured though I must tell you I am not asbamed to say those Charges I have been at have been meerly for the securing the good of this Kingdom though the Success hath not been answerable to My desires Therefore I shall only desire you to consider the best way for the Security of this Kingdom wherein there are two things chiefly considerable 1. The chasing out the Rebells 2. That other in satisfying your just Grievances wherein I shall promote you to concur so heartily and clearly with you that all the World may see my intentions have ever been and shall be to make this a glorious and flourishing Kingdom There are onely two things more that I shall mention to you the one is to tell you That the Loan of Money which I lately had from the City of London wherein the Lords that waited on me at York assisted me will only maintain my Army for two months from the beginning of that time it was granted Now my Lords and Gentlemen I leave it to your Consideration what Dishonour and Mischief it might be in case for want of Money my Army be Disbanded before the Rebels be put out of this Kingdom Secondly The securing the Calamities the Northern People endure at this time and so long as the Treaty is on foot And in this I may say Not only they but all this Kingdom will suffer the harm therefore I leave this also to your Consideration for the ordering of the Great Affairs whereof you are to Treat at this time I am so confident of your Love to me and that your Care is such for the Honour and Safety of the Kingdom that I should freely leave to you where to begin Only this that you may know the better the State of all Affairs I have commanded my Lord Keeper to give you a short and free Account of those things that have happened in this Interim with this Protestation That if his Account be not Satisfactory as it ought to be I shall whensoever you desire it give you a Full and Perfect Account of every Particular One thing more I desire of you as one of the greatest means to make this an Happy Parliament That you on your part as I on mine lay aside Suspition one of another as I promised my Lords at York It shall not be my Fault if this be not a Happy and Good Parliament The King having ended the Lord Keeper in pursuance of His Majesty's Commands gave them a Summary Account and Relation of all Things relating to the Scottish Invasion I dare not say Rebellion for that the King represented them under that Disgustful Character was very ill resented by some considerable Peers whereof His Majesty having notice told the Parliament two days after He must needs call them Rebels so long as they have an Army that does invade England The remainder of this Week was spent partly in settling Committees for General Grievances and partly in set Speeches Rhetorically declaiming against and dissecting them The remainder of the particular Transactions of this year of the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament and of the year succeeding 1641. I shall not here relate at large but refer you to the Annals of King Charles the First written by this ingenious Author from whom I have borrowed and transcribed the major part of my precedent Relations who ends at the Death of the Earl of Strafford which was May the 12th 1641. And after that I must refer you for the remainder of that year unto Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle of the Kings of England c. But the particular heads of those Transactions as to matter of fact I shall be willing here to recite for your Courteous Readers present satisfaction in manner and form as followeth viz. 1. Several Petitions against Grievances 2. Priviledges of the Lords House Vindicated 3. The Lieutenant of Ireland Impeached of high Treason 4. The Northern Armies in want 5. Bishop of Lincoln Enlarged 6. Justice Howard assaulted by a Papist 7. Prinn and Bastwick enter London in Triumph 8. Secretary Windebanck flieth 9. Votes against Ship-money 10. The London Petition against Bishops 11. The late Canons Damn'd 12. The Lord-Keeper Finch defends his Innocency 13. He is Voted Traitor upon four Considerations and thereupon he flyeth beyond Sea 14. The Kings Speech for Bishops 15. One Goodman a Priest reprieved 16. A Remonstrance against Goodman the Priest 17. The Kings Answer to that Remonstrance 18. The Scottish Commissioners Demands and the Answer thereunto 19. A Match propounded between the Lady Mary and the Prince of Orange 20. The Kings Speech to the Lords concerning that Match 21. Some Plots of the Papists 22. The Earl Berkly Impeacht of High-Treason 23. The King passeth a Bill for Trienial Parliaments and his Speech concerning it 24. The Bill of Subsidies passeth at the same time and Bonefires and other tokens of joy were made that night in the City of London by Order of Parliament 25. William Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterbury accused of high Treason in fourteen Artieles 26. The Lord Digbyes Speech for Episcopacy 27. The Charge against the Earl of Strafford is given and his Answers thereunto and Westminster-Hall is appointed for his Trial. 28. The Commons justifie their Charge by Law 29. The Earl answereth by Councel 30. The Commons Vote him guilty of High-treason 31. The Commons Petition the King against Papists and the King's Answer 32. The Kings Speech to the Parliament in defence of the E of Strafford 33. The Prince of Orange Marryeth the Lady Mary 34. A Tumult in Westminster crying for Justice against the Earl 35. A Protestation framed by the Commons 36. A Bill propounded for the continuation of the Parliament 37. The Earl of Strafford Vored by the Lords House guilty of High Treason 38. Two Bills tendered to the King who is much perplext what Answer to return 39. The Earl
To this he answered That whatsoever was said or done by him in that place and at that time was performed by him as a publick Man and a Member of that House and that he was and ever will be ready to give an account of his Sayings and Doings in that place whenever he should be called unto it by that House where as he taketh it he is only to be questioned and in the mean time being now but a private man he would not now trouble himself to remember what he said or did in that place as a publick Man Sir Miles Hobart was also questioned for locking the Parliament House Door and putting the Key in his Pocket to which he pleaded the Command of the House The other Gentlemen were questioned for reproving the Speaker and not permitting him to do that the King commanded him who all alledged in defence the Priviledg of the House After this they were committed some to the Tower and some to the Gatehouse and some to the Fleet And May the first the Attorney sent a Process out against them to appear in the Star-Chamber and to answer an information to be entred there against them but they refused as denying the Jurisdiction of that Court over offences done in Parliament which created the greatest and longest Controversie in Law that had been started in many years April the tenth Anno Domini 1630 dyed William Earl of Pembroke Lord High Steward of England of an Apoplexy He was the very Picture and vive Effigies of Nobility His Character His Person rather Majestick than Elegant his presence whether quiet or in motion full of stately gravity his mind generous and purely heroick often stout but never disloyal so vehement an opponent of the Spaniard as when that Match fell under consideration he would sometimes rowze even to the trepidation of King James yet kept in favour still for that King knew well enough that plain dealing was a Jewel in all men so in a Privy Councellor was an ornamental duty and the same true-heartedness commended him to King Charles with whom he kept a most admirable Correspondence and yet stood the firm confident of the Commonalty and not by a sneaking cunning but by an erect and generous prudence such as rendred him unsuspected of Ambition on the one side or of Faction on the other This universality of Affection made his loss most deplorable but men are lost when all turns to forgotten-dust That affection would not that he should be so nonpluss'd but kept his noble Fame emergent and alose and if this History shall bear it up I shall esteem it not more his felicity than my own April the twenty fifth of this year was Arraigned Convicted Anno 1631. Condemned and on May the fourteenth Executed upon Tower-Hill Mervin Lord Audley Earl of Castle-Haven for Rape and Sodomy In England fell two great Favourites of different parties Anno 1634. of the Commonalties one and of the Kings another Of the Commonalties Sir Edward Coke who died about the latter end of this Summer Sir Edward Coke departeth this life full of days he died most whereof he had spent in eminent place and honour His abilities in the Common Law whereof he passed for an Oracle raised him first to the dignity of Attorney-General to Queen Elizabeth Then of Lord Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench under King James His advancement he lost the same way he got it viz. by his Tongue so rare it is for a man very eloquent not to be over loquent long lived he in that retirement to which Court-Indignation had remitted him yet was not his recess inglorious for at improving a disgrace to the best advantage he was so excellent as King James said of him he was like a Cat throw her which way you will she will light upon her feet And finding a Cloud at Court he made sure of fair weather in the Country applying himself so devoutly to popular Interests as in succeeding Parliaments the Prerogative felt him as her ablest so her most active Opponent upon which account he was 1 Caroli made High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire on purpose to exclude him the ensuing Parliament there being an especial Nolumus and clause in his Commission prohibiting his Election not withstanding which Elected he was in Norfolk and those words of Restraint upon the debate of the Question in the House of Commons Voted void On the Kings the Great Lord Treasurer Sir Richard Weston Sir Richard Weston Lord Treasurer of England dieth Earl of Portland this year and he almost expiring together he ending this life March the thirteenth a sad loss to the King and the sadder because he thought it irreparable The truth is he was a Person very able for the Office and the Exchequer was in the mending hand while he enjoyed that place for he had a most singular Artifice both in improving the incomes and in a frugal moderation of his Masters expence But the Kings forrow was not so extreme for him but the Peoples joy was full as great for there was now grown so sad an antipathy between his Majesty and his Subjects that like those two Emperors Antonine and Geta they were always of contrary Senses and Minds rarely agreeing in any one particular The deportment whereby he so much disobliged the Commonalty was his promoting Monopolies and other advantages of Regality The Archbishop and he were usually at great odds this vacant place was at present entrusted to Commissioners until the King should otherwise dispose thereof September the 29th the Earl of Arundel brought up to London out of Shropshire one Robert Parr as the wonder of our times for long life he having attained to the age of near 160 and probably might have continued longer had not so tedious a journey and over-violent agitation of his aged Body accellerated his end so that it may be said he sacrificed some years to others curiosity In Michaelmas-Term was canvassed and debated the grand Controversie between the King and Subject about Ship-Money Anno 1635. The great Debate about Ship-money for the Ship-Writs having been issued out August the 11 to divers Counties many Inhabitants and among the rest Mr. Hambden of Buckingham-shire assessed by the Sheriff made default of payment whereupon the King equally hating to be either flattered into or frighted from the belief of its Legality wrote a Letter to the Judges demanding their Opinions upon the case stated To which the Judges delivered their Opinions as followeth May it please your most Excellent Majesty WE have according to your Majesties Command severally and every Man by himself and all of us together taken into our serious consideration the Case and Questions signed by your Majesty and inclosed in your Letter And we are of opinion That when the good and safety of the Kingdom in general is concerned and the whole Kingdom in danger Your Majesty may by Writ under your Great Seal of England Command all the