presented to him The Bills concerning private persons I omit Those that are of a publick nature were as followeth 1. The Additionall Explanatory Petition and advice 2. An Act to adjourn this Parliament till the 20th of January London July 1. This day his Highnesse the Lord Protector was proclaimed in the City with great solemnity About ten a clock in the morning at Whitehall Gate the persons met who were to give attendance upon this Ceremony First the Messengers belonging to the Councill next Trumpetters next them the lifeguard of his Highnesse after them other Trumpetters next his Highnesse his Gentleman after them more Trumpetters next divers officers of the Army gallantly mounted then Trumpetters again next the Searjants at Armes and the Heralds of Armes and Garter principall King of Armes betwixt two Gentlemen-Ushers before his Highnesse Councill in their Coaches proceeding in this order to Temple-Bar At this place they were met by the Lord Major mounted on horseback in his Crimson Velvet Gown and his Colleâ— of ss. with the Recorder and Aldermen of London all in their Scarlet on horseback attended by his Officers Trumpetters and the loud Musick of the City From thence an officer of Arms proceeded before the Aldermen then next before the Lord Major his Mace-bearer the Sword-bearer with his cap of maintenance and a Herald of Armes Then proceeded severall Serjeants at Armes belonging to his Highnesse and councill with Norroy King of Armes next after them Garter principall King of Armes between two Gentlemen Ushers going immediately before the Lords of his highnesse councill and the principal secretary of State in their coaches In this manner they proceeded towards the Royal Exchange making two stands by the way First at chancery-lane end over against the Inner Temple gate where Proclamation was made by the common crier of London according to the tenor of the proclamation already published by act of Parliament the Lord Major Councill the Aldermen of London and all Officers standing bare The second stand was made in Cheapside at the end of Woodstreet where proclamation was made as before Thence they proceeded in order to the Royal Exchange ariving there at Exchange time where Proclamation was made as in all other places by sound of Trumpet in the form aforesaid and the humble petition and advice was published after which the Trumpets sounding three loud acclamations were made by the people Long live the Lord Protector Whitehall Novemb. 5. The fury of the Jesuited popish party in Poland having of late with all violence been executed in a barbarous manner upon the reformed professors who are of the Bohemian confession in those parts insomuch that the Churches are dispersed and the poor christians forced to fly into forein parts for safety of their lives divers of their exiled Pastors being come into England to seek for reliefe the case of the poor exiles stands referred by his Highnesse and the Councill to the consideration of those worthy and pious persons Ministers and others who are the Committee for Piedmont The most inhumane persecutions lately acted by the Papists and their party in Poland against our Brethren of the Reformed Religion are some of them as followeth The first remarkeable is that of Lesna a populous wealthy city and the great refuge of the Reformed who frequently came thither from other parts for shelter The church there was divided into three congregations the Bohemian the Polonian and the German This City they first set upon intending to put all to the Sword and destroy it with fire but the Citizens having notice of their coming on quitted the City leaving all their wealth behind flying through Woods and Boggs into Silesia so that the enemy entring without resistance found none but aged and bed-rid persons whom they barbaroufly flew and after they had plundered the City they reduced it to ashes In other places they cruelly murthered divers Minister of the Word and people of all ages and Sexes making them to end their lives by exquisite tortures The Pastor of the Church of Czvirzin had his eyes first pulled out because he would not renounce the faith then they pulled off with Pincers the Joynts of his fingers but he still remaining constant they poured moulten Lead into his mouth and lastly putting his head between the shuts of a door they severed it from his body The Pastor of the Church of Dembnick and two others after many vilanous abuses offered to their persons had their throats cut Finding also a young Minister in the field they cut off his head with a Sithe and afterwards mangled his body The like cruelty they acted also upon a citizen of Lesna and worse upon many others not sparing even the weaker sex nor children A pious Matron of Lesna with her three children not getting quick enough out of Town was murthered in the open street her hands and feet cut off and two of her children with their heads cut off laid upon her breasts the third by her side A Diuine burnte in the middell of his bookes his Childe pulled from the brest tost on a speare Cords drawne thorow the legs Armes Mens guttes pulled out of there mouthes A Catalogue of the names of those Honourable Persons who are by writ summoned to sit in the other house of Parliament THe Lord Richard Cromwell The Lord Henry Cromwel Lord Deputy of Ireland Nathaniel Fiennes John Lisle Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal Henry Lawrence Lord President of his Highness privy Council The Lord Charls Fleetwood Robert Earl of Warwick Edmond Earl of Mulgrave Edward Earl of Manchester William Lord Viscount Say and Seal Lord John Cleypole Mr. of the Horse Philip Lord Viscount Lisle Charls Lord Viscount Howard Philip Lord Wharton Thomas Lord Fauconbridge Lord John Disbrow Lord Edward Montague Generals at Sea George Lord Evre The Lord Whitelock Sir Gilbert Pickering Col William Sydenham Sir Charls Wolseley M. G. Philip Skippon Lord Strickland Col. Philip Jones Sir William Strickland Francis Rous Esq John Fiennes Esq Sir Francis Russel Sir Thomas Honywood Sir Arthur Hesilrigg Sir John Hobart Sir Richard Onslow Sir Gilbert Gerard Sir William Roberts John Glyn Oliver St. John Lords Chief Justices William Pierrepoynt Esq John Jones Esq John Crew Esq Alexander Popham Esq Sir Christopher Pack Sir Robert Tichborn Edward Whalley Esq Sir John Barkstead Knight Lievtenant of the Tower Sir Thomas Pride Sir George Fleetwood Richard Ingoldsby Esq Sir John Hewson James Berry Esq William Goffe Esq Thomas Cooper Esq Edmond Thomas Esq George Monck Commander in Chiefe of his Highnesse forces in Scotland David Earle of Castils Sir William Lockhart Sir Archibald Johnston of Warriston William Steel Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord Broghil Sir Mathew Tomlinson In number Sixty The Reader is to excuse this List if the names be not set down in their due order because the Copy came to my hand as here you see it Some Heads of the Speech made by His Highnesse January 1657. HIs Highnesse
instruments to do execution at a distance more then ordinary and they had also a strange sort of long Bullets in the nature of slugs contrived on purpose to rend and tear These things are made manifest not only by many particulars of discoverie but by the confession also of one of the Parties viz. Cecil who hath cast himself upon the good grace and mercy of his Highness The seveâ—â—â— Passages and proceedings at the Tryall of Miles Sindercomb alias Fish at the upper Bench Bar in Westminster-Hall on Monday February 9. 1656. before the Lord Chief Justice Glyn and Mr. Justice Warburton being indicted of high Treason for conspiring against the Life of his Highness the Lord Protector he was found guilty by the Jury and received Sentence to be hang'd drawn and quarted at Tyborn according to Law The Indictment was for High Treason to this effect viz. THat Miles Sindercomb alias Fish and one William Boyes with divers other Rebels and Traytors against the Lord Protector and Government of the Common-wealth not having the fear of God in their hearts but moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devill on the * 17 of September 1656. and divers other dayes and times as well before as after at Westminster and divers other places in the County of Middlesex falsly maliciously and trayterously did conspire compass and imagine the death of the said Lord Protector and to subvert and alter the Government of this Commonwealth and to raise Warre within the same For effecting whereof 1 They took a Room in the house of one Edward Hilton and divers Rooms in the house of one James Mydhope in Westminster whether they brought Guns Harquebusses and Pistols charged with leaden bullets and iron Sluggs to shoot kill and murder him 2. January 1. 1656. they provided Horses and Weapons of War And 3 Took a house and Banquetting house at Hammersmith of one Henry Busby for the same purpose 4 January 9. 6. 6. they conspired to burn White-hall where his Highness was in his own Person and to that end brought a basket filled with Match Brimstone Gunpowder and other combustible Stuff and materialls and set the same on fire in the Chappel there to the great danger and disquietment of his Highness and ill example of others in contempt of the Law against their due obedience to his Highness and Government against the Peace and form of the Statute c. Thus far the Indictment Whereupon being arraigned he pleaded Not Guilty and for his Tryall put himselfe upon his Country and the issue being joyned there was immediately impanelled a Jury of Gentlemen of worth and quality to passe upon his life and death he challenged severall of them and twelve being sworn with his own consent His Highnesse Attorney Generall the Indictment being opened proceeded to the Evidence which was very full and clear and two Witnesses at the least to all the points of the Indictment with many aggravating Circumstances The particulars whereof are herein after mentioned The evidence to prove the Indictment 1. THat there was one Toope of his Highnesse Lifeguard who was drawn into the businesse and he proved fully 1. What person Sindercomb is how he inveagled him the said Toope with money in hand and promises of more and great preferment to joyn with him to murther his Highnesse saying Spain could never obtain a peace with us untill he were taken out of the way 2. The circumstances of Time Place Means and manner designed for this murther 3. That he the said Toope was to give notice when his Highness went forth and at what end of the Coach he sate 4. Their buying and keeping of fleet Horses 5. Their intent to fire White-hall the Firework placed in the Chappell and other Circumstances 6. Sindercombs resolution if the fire did not take to kill the Protector what ever came of it Also one John Cecil proved the whole design of Sindercomb and Boyes how long it was in hand That Sindercomb engaged him the said Cecil in it what words were used how it should be done what the consequence of he murder would be the money provided and that when it should have been done he the said Cecil was designed to goe to Col. Sexby and to share with Sindercomb in his honor and profit That the first thing agreed on was to provide good Horses What moneys were paid by Sindercomb Sindercomb's resolution to assassinate his Highness when he went abroad and the manner how That they were upon the Road 5 or 6 times on purpose and in Hide Park with Swords and Pistolls charged and had notice given them by Toope of his Highness coming That the hinges of Hide Park Gate were fyled off in order to their escape That they took an house with a Banqueting house at Hammer smith to shoot him with Guns made on purpose to carry 10 or 12. Bullets at a time That Toops was to give notice of his Highness passing that way and at which end of the Coach he sat That he the said Cecil saw one of the Guns provided which would carry 12 Carbine bullets and a slugg He spake fully to the design of firing Whitehall described the fire work prepared and the nature and intention of it and other circumstances Moreover that Boyes assured them That when the Protector should be dispatched Forces would come from Spain and Flanders and a great part of the Fleet would fall off And that he beleeved Sexby to be the main Agent herein at Brussels He proved also the discourse Boyes had about seizing Portsmouth or some other Port in the West and of a great summe for that purpose That 30 or 40 are engaged in this design to kill the Protector and it was so ordered that not above two should know each other untill the matter should be ripe for execution And that Boyes knew the whole number He spake fully to that design to kill his Highness the first day of the Parliament and their taking houses for that purpose at Westminster and bringing Armes thither and other Circumstances That Boyes goes by severall names and in severall habits sometimes as a poor Priest in raged cloaths sometimes well Clad as a Gentleman It was further proved by the said John Cecill and Coll James Mydhope That in order to the destroying of his Highness he the said Cecil Sundercomb and Boyes took the said Mydhopes House near the Abbey at Westminster and when they took it Sundercomb called himselfe John Fish Clark to one Mr Havers a pretended Gentleman of Norfolke and Cecill went by the name of Mr Havers Coachman It was proved likewise That the first day of the Parliament after they had taken Mydhops house he being there Sundercomb and Cecil went thither to him from one Edward Hilton a Sempsters house in Kingstreet Westminster where they left a great * Trunk full of Arms brought from Flandors and carrying with them in a Violl case one Harquebuss and some Pistols charged with leaden bullets
and preservation of 〈◊〉 and safety and just Rights and Priviledges of the People thereof And shall in all things according to our best knowledge and power govern the People of these three Nations according to Law The speech of the Lord Widdrington Speaker of the Parliament at the Investiture of his Highnesse the Lord Protector 26. June 1657. May it please your Highnesse YOu are now upon a great Theator in a large Chore of People You have the Parliament of England Scotland and Ireland before you on your right hand my Lords the Judges and on your left hand the Lord Major Aldermen and Sheriffs of London the most noble and populous City of England The Parliament with the interposition of your suffrage makes Laws and the Judges and Governours of London are the great Dispensers of those Laws to the people The occasion of this great convention and intercourse is To give an Investiture to your Highnesse in that eminent place of Lord Protestor A name you had before but it is now setled by the full and unanimous consent of the People of these three Nations assembled in Parliament You have no new name but a new date added to the Old Name The sixteenth of December is now changed to the 26 of June I am commanded by the Parliament to make oblation to your Highnesse of Four things in order to this Inauguration The First is a Robe of Purple an Embleme of Magistracy and imports righteousnesse and justice When you have put on this Vestment I may say and I hope without offence that you are a Gown man This Robe is of a mixt colour to shew the mixture of Justice and Mercy which are then most excellent when they are well tempered together Justice without mercy is Wormwood and bitternesse and Mercy without Justice is of two soft a temper for Government For a Magistrate must have two hands Plectentem Amplectentem The Next thing is a Bible a Booke that contains the holy Scriptures in which you have the honour and happinesse to be well versed This is the Book of life consisting of two Testaments the Old and New In the first we have Christum velatum Christ in Types shadows and Figures in the latter we have Christum revelatum Christ revealed This Book carries in it the Grounds of the true Christian Protestant Religion it s a Book of Books it contains in it both Precepts and Examples for good Government Alexander so highly valued the Books of his Master Aristotle and other great Princes other Books that they have laid them every night under their Pillows These are all but legends and Romances to this one Book a Book to be had alwayes in Remembrance I find it said in a part of this Book which I shall desire to read and it is this Deut. 17. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdome that he shall write a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests and the Levites And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord God and to keep all the words of his Law and those Statutes to do them That his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandment to the right hand or to the left to the end he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdom he and his Children in the midst of Israel The next thing that I am to offer to your Highnesse is a Scepter not unlike a Staffe for you are to be a staffe to the weak and poor It s of antient use in this kind its said in Scripture in reference to Judah the Royall Tribe That the Scepter shall not depart from Judah It was of like use in other Kingdoms and Governments Homer the Prince of the Greek Poets calls Kings and Princes Scepterbearers The last thing is a sword not a military but a civill sword a sword rather for defence then offence Not to defend your self only but others also This Sword is an embleme of Justice The noble Lord Talbot in Henry the VI Time wrote upon his Sword Ego sum Talboti propter occidendum inimicos meos This Gallant Lord was a better Souldier then a Critiek If I might presume to fix a Motto upon this Sword it should be this Ego sum Domini Protectoris ad protegendum populum meum I say this Sword is an Embleme of Justice and is to be used as King Solomon used his for the discovery of the truth in points of Justice I may say of this sword as King David said of Goliahs sword There is none like this Justice is the proper virtue of the imperiall Throne and by Justice the Thrones of Kings and Princes are established Justice is a Royal virtue which as one saith of it doth imploy the other three Cardinall virtues in her service 1. Wisdom to discern the nocent the innocent 2. Fortitude to prosecute and execute 3. Temperance so to carry Justice that passion be no ingredient and that it be without confusion or precipitation You have given ample testimony in all these particulars so that this Sword in your hand will be a right sword of justice attended with Wisdom Fortitude and Temperance When you have all these together What a comely and glorious sight is it to behold A Lord Protector in a Purple Robe with a Scepter in his hand a Sword of Justice girt about him and his eyes fixt upon the Bible Long may you prosperously enjoy them all to your own comfort and the comfort of the people of these three Nations His Highnes standing thus adorned in princely State according to his merit and dignity looking up unto the Throne of the most High who is Prince of Princes and in whom is all his confidence Mr. Manton by prayer recommended his Highnesse the Parliament the councill his Highnesse forces by Sea and Land the whole Government and People of these three Nations to the blessing and protection of God Almighty After this the people giving severall great shouts and the trumpets sounding his Highnesse sat down in the Chair of State holding the Scepter in his hand At the right Elbow by his Highnesse Chair sate his Excellency the Lord Ambassadour extraordinary of France at the left his Excellency the Lord Ambassadour extraordinary of the states Generall of the Vnited Provinces On the right side of the chair stood the Earle of Warwick bearing the Sword and on the left side the Lord Major of London with the City Sword Near to his Highnesse stood the most noble Lord the Lord Richard Cromwell his excellency the Lord Fleetwood Lord deputy of Ireland the Right honourable the Lord Cleypool Master of his Highnesse Horse his Highnesse councill and all the officers of State attending There stood also upon the lower descent near the Earle of Warwick the Lord Viscount Lisle and Generall Montague and on the
the Lord strengthning us to stand by your Highnesse with our lives and shall not be wanting to improve our interest with the Lord for his gracious and mighty assistance with you in the further prosecution of the great work he hath called you to Charls Fleetwood William Goffe John Barkestead Howard Richard Ingoldsby Thomas Pride James Berry Thomas Cooper Philip Twisleton Edward Grosvener John Disbrow Henry Ingoldsby Thomas Talbot George Sedascue Thomas Kelsey Tobias Bridge John Nelthorpe William Bâ—teler Hezekiah Haynes Edward Whalley John Clarke Thomas Sadler Ralph Cobbet Edward Salmon John Mill William Stane Henry Whalley Thomas Margetts By the Committee for the affairs of the poor Protestants in the Valleyes of Piedmont THe All wise and Holy God whose wayes of Providence are alwayes righteous though often secret and unsearchable hath made it the constant lot and portion of his people in this World to follow the Lord in bearing his Cross and suffering persecutions thereby holding forth and verifying that irreconcileable Enmity between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent which was visible betimes in the Blood shed of righteous Abel whom Cain though his Brother slew being of the wicked one yea and for this cause for that his own works were evill and his Brothers good Thus they that are born after the flesh persecute them that are born after the Spirit to this day and so will do while the World lasteth In which Cause and Quarrell the Lord hath very many glorious ends But scarcely have any sort of the Churches Enemies more clearly followed the pernitious wayes of Cain herein than hath the Anti-Christian Faction of Rome done that Mother of Harlots and abominations whose garments are died red with the blood of Saints which they have alwayes cruelly shed and made themselves drunk with even the blood of those holy Followers of the Lamb chiefly who would not receive Antichrists mark nor worship his Image nor drink of the Golden Cup of his Fornications but rather come out from them and witnesse against them though they did it in sack-cloth and were slain for it Among those chosen and faithfull Witnesses the Lord seemed very signally to have raised up those Christians who though dispersed in divers Countreyes have been commonly known by the name of Waldenses who for some Centuries of years have lived among their enemies as Lambs among Wolves to bear their Testimony for the truth of Christ against the Apostacies and Blasphemies of Rome for which they have been killed all the day long and appointed as sheep for the slaughter Nevertheless the Lord the great Shepheard of the sheep hath made their blood thus shed to become a constant seed of faithfull and Valiant witnesses for him which is indeed the more marvellous in our eyes that this Bush hath so long burned and is not yet consumed This little flock and remnant which the Lord hath left and reserved are scattered in the Valleyes of Piedmont of whose tragicall sufferings we have not long since heard and have drawn forth our bowels to them whereof a very faithfull accompt is given to the World both for satisfaction of Brethren and Friends and for stopping the mouthes of all Calumnies The other part of this poor yet precious Remnant hath been dispersed in the Kingdoms of Bohemia and Poland whose sufferings together with the Lords signall providences about them have been very eminent and remarkable as hath been made appear unto us by three godly persons delegated by those persecuted Churches which are now the sad Monuments of their Enemies rage and of the Lords sparing Mercies These have made their addresses to his Highness the Lord Protector by Petition declaring the deplorable estate wherein this persecuted Remnant now lieth and with loud cryes importuning the Christian Bowells and Bounty of this Nation which cannot but be moved to mourn over them and to shew mercy to them And indeed upon a due sense and consideration of this lamentable subject even common humanity but much more christian charity should provoke us to a fellow feeling of their present distressed condition These somtimes flourishing churches where by degrees worn out by the constant underminings and open out rages of the Antichristian party being first driven out of Bohemia into Poland then after their taking root and spreading in Poland unto a numerous company were forced out of the chief Cities there and now at last by the Jesuited and inraged Polish Army persecuted in their few hiding places with fire and sword Their Ministers were tortured to death by most exquisite and unheard of Barbarism by cutting out of the tongues of some pulling out the eyes and cruelly mangling the Bodies of others nor did their rage and Brutish Cruelty reach only to Ministers but to others yea even to women and young Children whose heads they cut off and them at their dead mothers breasts Nay their rage brake out not only upon the living not one of whom they spared that fell into their hands but also upon the dead plucking the bodies of honorable persons and others out of the graves tearing them to pieces and exposing them to publick scorn But the chief Eye sore and object of their Fury was the City of Lesna which after plundering and murthering all whom they found therein they burned to ashes and laid in rubbish only the Lord in his mercy having alarm'd the City of their enemies approaching March the greatest part of the Inhabitants being three famous Churches saved themselve by flight and are now wandring up and down in Silesia the Marguifate of Brandenburg Lusatia and Hungary poor destitute afflicted and naked His Highness and the Councill having referred unto this Committee the Testimonials and Petitions sent by the said Churches We finding upon examination thereof their case to be thus deplorable which is more at large stated and declared in their own Narrative have caused the said Narrative to be translated and here with published thereby to stirr up the Lords people in these Nations to put on bowels of mercies toward these their exiled and afflicted brethren refreshing their hearts by your love and the tokens of it in a cheerfull and liberall supply which will not only preserve this holy seed from perishing that hath a blessing in it but also uphold among them the Purity of Religion and power of the Gospel The rather considerng the present freedome from these bloody outrages we the people of these Nations do by the blessing of the Lord enjoy the continuance whereof we may the more comfortably hope for by how much our compassions are more freely extended to those in misery And if a cup of cold water given to one disciple as such shall not lose its reward how much more when a bountifull relief is given to more then five thousand disciples Which we should be the more forward to advance because they acknowledge they have received much confirmation in the Religion for which they suffer by light received from