Kings Bench being removed to be Chief Justice in the Common Pleas and Sir Edmund Saunders of the Middle Temple made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench. On St. Thomas's Day the Election began for Common-Council Men in London which went generally for the Royallists and accordingly at the first Common-Council that was held it was caried by the Majority of Votes That thanks should be return'd to Sir John Moor for his good Administration of the Office of Lord Mayor last year which was done accordingly Before I conclude this 34th year of His Majesties Reign I must observe that this year was remarkable for the coming of Two very Extraordinary Embassadours to our Soveraign never known before in England One was from the Emperour of Fez and Morocco his name Hamet Ben Hamet Ben Haddu Ottor a Man of great Eminency in his own Country as report says His business about setling a Peace with Tangier much respected he was here carest at Court and at both the Universities and he seemed to express no less esteem for our Nation But at his return upon what account I know not he was reported to be received by his Master with disgrace The other Embassadour was from the King of Bantham or Surosoam in the East-Indies His business about the East-India Trade The end of this year was also remarkable for several new Titles of Honour to which His Majesty was pleased to promote several Eminent persons who had for their signal Loyalty deserved His Favour viz. 1. The Duke of Ormond Created a Duke of the Kingdom of England but by his old Title of Ormond 2. The Marquiss of Worcester Created Duke of Beaufort 3. The Lord Norris Created Earl of Abingdon 4. The Vicount Campden Created Earl of Gainsborow 5. Conniers Lord Darcy Created Earl of Holderness 6. The Lord Windsor Created Earl of Plimouth 7. The Lord Townsend Created Vicount Townsend of Raynham 8. Sir Thomas Thinne Baronet Created Baron Thinne of Warminster and Vicount Weymouth 9. Collonel George Legg Created Baron of Dartmouth 10. The Lord Allington Created a Baron of this Kingdom by the Title of Baron of Wymandley 11. Ralf Stawell Esq Created Lord Stawell of Somerton Also Collonel Churchill was Created Lord Churchill of Ay mouth in the Kingdom of Scotland On the 20th of January departed this Life in Holland Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury who had left this Kingdom some Months before under the Imputation of Treasonable Machinations and sled for the protection of those States to whom he had formerly when Lord Chancellor of England applied the old Roman Threat Delenda est Carthago Anno 35. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1683. THe Horses of England are Famous on many Accounts among others for Racing It was upon this Consideration that the French King invited into France several of our most Noted Racers by exposing a Plate or Prize of 1000 Pistoles to be run for before him in the Plain d' Achere near St Germain en lay And accordingly on the 25th of Feb. S. N. the said Race was Run before the King Queen and Dauphin by several of our prime Horses where the Duke of Monmouth's Horse won and was afterwards purchased by the said King Also that King partly upon this account was pleas'd at that time to countenance the Honourable Bernard Howard Esq a younger Brother of the Duke of Norfolk so far as to allow him to come in his Coach within the Louvre a Preheminence due only to the Princes of the Blood and some few others of highest quality in France In March ill news arrived from the East Indies importing the loss of the great Town of Bantham to the Dutch who under colour of assisting the Rebel Prince of Bantham against the King his Father came with forces and seized upon the Town turning out the English there to the great Damage of our English Factory who for a further weight to their sufferings about the same time lost their Ship Joanna cast away at Sea outward bound and in her above 10000 l. On Thursday the 22th of March happn'd a suddain Fire at Newmarket about 8 in the Evening which Consumed a great part of that Town but by the Providence of God came not on that side of the Way where the Kings Palace stood The Monday following the King Queen Duke and Dutchess Returned to Whitehall where the Court continued till Saturday the 14th of April on which Day His Majesty and His Royal Court Departed to Windsor On Tuesday the 24th of April happen'd one of the most famous and Extraordinary Exploits that was ever known in London One Broom Clark of Skinners Hall and Coroner of London having a Latitat out of the Kings Bench in an Action upon the Case at the Suit of Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubois against my Lord Mayor Sheriff North and several Loyal Aldermen the said Broom acquainting them with the Writ they all submitted to his Arrest and went with him as Prisoners to Skinners Hall and there remain'd under his Custody till one a Clock at Night In the mean time 8 Companies of the Militia are raised by order of the Leutenancy and are posted all that Night in several parts of the City to prevent any Tumults which might happen on so new a thing as the Arrest and detainer of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London a thing never heard of before in the times of Peace And it so happen'd that one Fletcher a Common Serjeant of the Poultry Counter having an Action of Debt upon Bond of 400 l. against the said Broom which Action had been enter'd the Week past and Broom acquainted with it who promised to give Bail but the Serjeant finding that promise not perform'd and perceiving him to act so Malipertly with the Chief Magistrates of the City he makes no further delay but Arrests his person in Skinners Hall and carries him forthwith to the Counter Broom being thus gone and no body left in Charge of my Lord Mayor and his fellow Prisoners they demanded if there was any about the House that had any orders to detain 'em any longer in that place which being Answer'd in the Negative they all departed peacibly to their several homes On Tuesday the 8th of May was Tryed at Guild-Hall before my Lord Chief Justice Saunders the Great Riot committed last June at the Election of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex And this was upon an Information exhibited in the Crown Office by Mr. Attorney-General of which I made mention formerly Upon a full Evidence 14 persons were found Guilty viz. The then Sheriffs Pilkinton and Shute The Lord Gray of Wark Sir Thomas Player Cornish Bethel Jinks Goodenough Deagle Jekel Freeman Wickham Keys and Swinock On the Last Day but one of Trinity-Term they were all Fined severally as follows Pilkinton 500 l. Shute 1000 Marks Cornish the same Summ Lord Gray the same Sir Thomes Player 500 Marks Bethel 1000 Marks Jinks 300 Marks Deagle 400 Marks Freeman 300 Marks Goodenough 500 Marks Keys 100 Marks
Windsor but the Ceremony was put off to a further day and on the First of Jan. following he was elected into the Order at Whitehall Saturday the 25th of August the Dutchess of York and Princess visited Bartholmew Fair attended by the Earl of Clarendon with several other Lords and Ladies of the Court not in State but partly Incognito The Day for Election of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex which of Course is on the 24th Day of June was this year adjourn'd to the 5th Day of September on which Day the Livery Men of the City being Assembled at Guild-Hall they confirm'd my Lord Mayors choice of Peter Daniel Esq and chose to serve with him Francis Dashwood Esq Sheriffs for the year insuing At the same time Mr. Deputy Ailworth was chosen into the Office of Chamberlain of the City of London in the Room of Sir Thomas Player removed All which with the other Elections of Bridgmaster and Ale-Cunner was perform'd with the ancient gravity and Moderation and not at all with such Riotous and Factious heats and animosities as of late years The 9th of September was Solemnized according as it had been appointed with Thanksgiving in all Churches for Gods Gracious preservation of His Majesty and his Royal Brother from the late cursed Conspiracy of those that call themselves True Protestants Nor were those of the Communion of the Church of Rome unmindful of this deliverance but did also concur with His Majesties Protestant Subjects in expressing their Loyal Joy on the same occasion and on the same 9th of September did Celebrate in all their publick Chappels at London an extraordinary Service on this account In this Month the right Honourable Sir Francis North Lord Keeper was Created a Baron of this Kingdom by the Title of Lord Guilford On Michaelmass Day the usual time for the Election of a new Lord Mayor the Choice was Adjourn'd over for six Days longer but before that Day came the King being displeased at the Delays of the City in not Signing the Particulars by their Common Council formerly yielded relating to their Charter caused the Attorney-General to enter Judgment of Seizure in the Quo Warranto which was done on Thursday October the 4th and thereupon His Majesty gave Sir William Prichard His Commission to Execute the Office of Lord Mayor of London during pleasure so also to the two new Sheriffs Mr. Daniel and Mr. Dashwood all which were Sworn with the usual Oaths At the same time Mr. Jenner of the Inner Temple was knighted by the name of Sir Thomas Jenner and made the Kings Recorder of London in the Room of Sir George Treby displaced About the same time it was that the Eminently Loyal Sir George Jeoffreys was made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench in the place of Sir Ed. Saunders who dyed last Term And in the Common Pleas Sir Francis Pemberton being put out Sir Thomas Jones was made Lord Chief Justice there in his Room And Sir Francis Pemberton practized at the Common Pleas Bar as a Serjeant in the following Term. On Sunday the 7th of October my Lord Mayor and the two Sheriffs appear'd at Guild-Hall Chappel as usually in their Gowns and Chains but none of the Aldermen in their Gowns and Chains but several of the Loyal Aldermen attended in their ordinary habits 16 of them being made Justices of the Peace by the Kings new Commission in which 8 Factious Aldermen were left out viz. Allin Frederick Laurence Clayton Ward Shorter Gold and Cornish But on Saturday the 13th of October The King sent a new Commission to the City impowering the abovesaid 16 Loyal Aldermen together with 8 new Aldermen viz. Sir Benjamin Newland Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir John Buckworth Samuel Dashwood one of the present Sheriffs Charles Duncomb Jacob Lucy Peter Palavazine and Benjamin Thorogood to act as Aldermen in their several Wards in the said Commission mention'd And accordingly several of them attended on my Lord Mayor the Day following at Guild-Hall Chappel after the usual form and manner in Gowns and Chains and the next Week assembled in a Court of Aldermen as formerly On Saturday the 27th of October Aaron Smith who had given scandalous Instructions to Colledge at his Trayal at Oxford and had also behaved himself insolently at the said Tryal and who had been since Tryed upon an Information for the same and found Guilty was now brought to the Kings-Bench Bar and received Judgment for his said offence viz. 500 l. Fine to Stand in the Pillory the Tuesday following at Westminster and at the Old Exchange the next Tuesday after to be bound to his good Behaviour for one Year and Imprisonment till this be performed Monday the 29th of October being the next Day after Simon and Jude is the annual Solemnity of Swearing the Lord Mayor of London in the Exchequer And accordingly this Year His Majesty having appointed Sir Henry Tulse by His Commission to execute that Office during His Pleasure he was after the usual manner attended to Westminster by the Companies did the usual Ceremonies in Westminster-Hall made the usual Cavalcade in London but without Pageants and Dined at Grocers-Hall the other Companies Dining at their several Halls as in former Years On the 5th of November several Tumults and Riotous Actions being Committed by the Rabble in and about London especially upon the Sieur Citters Ambassador from the Vnited Provinces by assaulting his Coach and throwing into it several Squibs Stones and Firebrands whereby his Lady who was then with him was dangerously wounded and Complaint hereof being made to the King in Council on the 7th of November His Majesty was pleas'd to order for the future That no Person or Persons whatsoever do presume to throw any Squibs or other Fireworks in the Streets of London or Westminster or other place within the Weekly Bills of Mortality nor assemble together for the making of Bonfires And the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Justices of Peace in their respective Limits are required to take due care for the Performance of the said Order of Council In this Michaelmas-Term Mrs. Celier who had formerly stood in the Pillory and been Fined 1000l for which she had lain a Prisoner in Newgate for several Years was now Bail'd out upon a Writ of Error which she had brought to reverse all the Proceedings On the 22d of November this Michaelmas-Term Algernoon Sidney Esq who had been arraign'd for High Treason on the 7th Instant was Tryed for the same and found Guilty at the Kings-Bench Bar and on the 26th being the Monday following he was brought to the said Bar and received Sentence of Death as usual in the Cases of High Treason and was beheaded at Tower-Hill on the 7th of December following On Saturday the 24th of November The Duke of Monmouth came in voluntarily about 5 at Night and surrender'd himself to Mr. Secretary Jenkins having before writ a very Submissive Letter to His Majesty entirely resigning himself to His Majesties disposal
Evidence not appearing so home as expected they were now Bail'd and so continued till the last Day of Hillary-Term following at which time they were Discharged on their own single Recognizance to appear in Trinity-Term next without being brought to any Tryal But now arrives the 10th of July on which Day the King was pleas'd to Dissolve the present Parliament by Proclamation with a Declaration of His Intention to call another on the 17th of October following On the 18th of July Sir George Wakeman Baronet the Queens Physitian William Marshal William Rumley and James Corker Benedictin Monks were Tryed for High Treason relating to the late Plot the Evidence Oates Bedloe and others But the Jury found 'em not Guilty and they were discharged Several Libels hereupon flew abroad against my Lord Chief Justice Scroggs who notwithstanding did sufficiently acquit himself from all aspersion in the Judgment of sober People In August the King fell dangerously ill at Windsor upon the Intelligence of which His Royal Highness came over Post to His Majesty But it pleas'd God that the King recovering His Health to the great Joy of the Nation The Lord Mayor of London with the Court of Aldermen and a Train of 30 Coaches and about 100 Horsemen went on Monday the 15th of September to Windsor to Congratulate His Majesty's Recovery which Complement was as kindly received as handsomely performed On the Wednesday following the King attended by His Royal Highness and the whole Court rerurn'd to Whitehall that Night by the Lord Mayors express Order there were Bonfires throughout the whole City for His Majesty's return as well to His former Health as place of Residency But it seems the Duke of Monmouth having contracted the Kings Displeasure on some account or other not commonly known His Majesty was pleas'd to take from him his Commission of Captain General and for a time expel him the Kingdom soon after this the said Duke went over to Vtrecht and at the same time His Royal Highness return'd to Brussels But this last it seems without designs of any long stay there for on Sunday Night the 12th of October His said Royal Highness the Dutchess and Family arrived at St. James's to the surprize of some and Joy of others The King having call'd a New Parliamenz as he had formerly promised on the Dissolution of the last to meet on the 17th of October He was now further pleas'd to Prorogue it from the time appointed to the 26th of January following On the first Day of Michaelmas-Term my Lord Chief Justice Scroggs took occasion to make an Excellent Speech in the Kings-Bench Court concerning the many Scandalous Libels that had been Publisht against him since Sir George Wakemans Tryal and acquittal in which Speech he purged himself at large of any Corruption and with a great measure of Courage declar'd That he was neither afraid nor ashamed to own what he had done That the Impeachment of the course of Publick Justice by vulgar noise and clamour did not at all terrify him to a Compliance with the Rabble against his Conscience and Understanding nor to try any cause otherwise then according to the Evidence and the probability and credibility it carries with it Mr. Justice Jones and Justice Dolbin spoke also to the same purpose and appear'd as Compurgators of the Chief Justices Integrity Much discourse there was at this time and many Narratives came out daily concerning the Discovery of a New Plot which the Papists was is said had contrived to lay on the Presbyterians The chief Discoverer was one Dangerfield alias Willoughby Several were accused and laid up as Conspirators among whom the Countess of Powis Mrs Celier Sir Robert Payton and Mr Gadbury The Effigies of the Pope in all his Pontificalibus had been for several years past solemnly burnt by the people in the Month of November yearly but never with so much Ceremony as on the 17th of November this year it being a Day observed by some in memory of Queen Elizabeth The Procession consisted of one personating the Dead Body of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey carried on a Horse with a Bell-man to mind the People of his Murther Priests in Copes with a large Silver Cross Carmelite and Gray Friers six Jesuites and after them the Waits several Bishops some in Lawn Sleeves others with Copes and Miters on then six Cardinals and after them the Pope on a Pageant with Boys and Incense Pots and other Ceremonious Pomp behind him the Devils Representative In this manner they marched about five at night from Bishopsgate to the Temple-gate at Chancery Lane End attended with Thousands of People at which appointed station they Committed the Effigies to the Flames of a very extraordinary Bonfire at which time the mock-Devil departed and the Shew ended On Thursday the 27th of November The Duke of Monmouth arrived in the night time at London on whose return the Citizens exprest a mighty Joy by Bonfiers Fire-works and Ringing of Bells all the next day and most part of the night In the mean time his Royal Highness with his Duchess and Daughter attended with a Guard and Retinue suitable to their Quality made a Journey into Scotland Where being arrived The Duke was at Edenborough on the 4th of December received and Complemented by the Privy Council of that Kingdom with abundance of Respect and Honor The Lord Chancellor made a Speech in the name of all the Council to which his Royal Highness Answer'd in very affectionate Terms expressing his great satisfaction at the Civilities he had received since his arrival in that Kingdom And declaring his readiness to promote the Honor and Service of the King and the Interests of the Scottish Nation About this time great endeavors were used to procure a Multitude of Hands to Petitions which were framing in London Westminster and several Counties to be presented to the King for the sitting of the Parliament on the 26th day of January next according to the last Prorogation which manner of Petitioning being unwarrantable and tumultuous the King was pleased in Council Dec. 10. to Order the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to take care in their several stations of His Majesties Honor and of the peace and safety of the City and not to suffer such persons that should sign such Petitions or go about to procure hands to them to go unpunished but that they should proceed against them or cause them to be brought before the Council Board to be punished according to a Resolution of all the Judges of England 2. Jac. which may be seen Cro. 2. part of Reports fol. 37. His Majesty was further pleased to issue out His Proclamation dated the 12th day of December containing That whereas he hath been informed that divers evil disposed persons endeavor in several parts of this Kingdom to frame Petitions to His Majesty for specious Ends and purposes relating to the publick and thereupon to collect and procure to the same the hands and subscriptions of