much the more acceptable especially since his Majesty required but the Sum which few men would deny a Friend and has a mind resolved to expose all his Earthly Fortune for Preservation of the General The Sum which His Majesty requires by these presents is which His Majesty promiseth in the Name of himself his Heirs and Successors to repay to them or their Assigns within Eighteen Months after the payment thereof to the Collector The Person whom his Majesty hath appointed is to whose hands his Majesty doth require them to send it within Twelve days after they have received this Privy Seal which together with the Collectors Acquittance shall be sufficient Warrant to the Officers of Receipt for their payment thereof at the time limited And the Collectors of the Loan were ordered to pay the Sums received into the Exchequer and to return the Names of such as went about to delay or excuse the Payment of the Sums required And now about the beginning of October the Fleet set to Sea the Lord Cecill second Son to the Earl of Exeter commanding the Land Forces and the Earl of Essex being Vice Admiral at Sea but they were surprized by so violent a Storm that the greatest part of the Navy which in all made up Fourscore Ships some being Dutch were dissipated and scattered for seven days together and an excellent Ship with an 170 Passengers in her were all cast away and lost the Design was to have furprized Cadiz in Spain to burn the Ships in the Harbour and to have taken the Spanish Plate Fleet which was daily expected from the Indies but by reason of the Plague amongst them and some other miscarriages of the Commanders the business was wholly disappointed and the Fleet returned home but four days before the Plate Fleet came Upon the Second of February was the Coronation at which the King did not pass through the City in State from the Tower as was usual but went by Water from Whitehall to Westminster for fear of the danger of a Concourse of People the Pestilence which raged the year before not being quite ceased The Bishop of Lincoln as Dean of Westminster should have performed the chief part of the Ceremony but being under displeasure Dr. Laud then Bishop of St. Davids supplied his place Divers considerable Forces had been raised both for Sea and Land for the better Discipline of whom 150 old Souldiers were sent for from the Netherlands by whose Industry they were brought into some good order against the meeting of the next Parliament which was summoned to sit Feb. 6. And being met accordingly the House of Commons chose Sir Henage Finch for their Speaker The first business they insisted upon was the rendring thanks to the King for his gracious Answer to their late Petition concerning Religion then they debated of the Publick Grievances viz. The miscarrying of the Fleet at Cadiz the evil Councellors about the King misimploying the Kings Revenue an Account of the Subsidies and three Fifteens granted in the 21 Year of King James And in the Committee of Grievances these four particulars were insisted on 1. The state of the King in the constant Revenue of the Crown and how much it had been diminished by Gifts of Lands Grants of Pensions Fruitless Embassies the Privy Purse and other ways 2. The Condition of the Subject in his Freedom about laying new impositions multiplying Monopolies Leuying of Customs without Act of Parliament and wasting the Treasure 3. The Cause of the Nations good success in former times whereby it was feared Victorious and Renowned abroad which they judged was occasioned by the Wisdom and Gravity of Counsel who ordered nothing but by publick Debate whereby there arose a readiness in the People to Assist their Soveraign in Purse and Person 4. The present Condition of the Kingdom wherein was represented the loss of its wonted Reputation through the ill success at Algier in the Palatinate in Count Manfields Expedition and at Cadiz and this was imputed to the want of such Counsels as were formerly used since for fear of not succeeding men were now afraid of venturing either there Persons or Purses There was likewise a Committe concerning Religion and the growth of Popery wherein Mr. Richard Montagues two Books before mentioned were again questioned and Articles drawn up against him charging him with several Passages for encouraging Popery and drawing his Majesties Subjects from the true Religion Established into Error and Superstition with other passages dishonourable to the late King and full of injurious and railing Language against other Persons as likewise that he endeavoured to raise Factions in the Kingdom by casting the scandalous Name of Puritan upon such of his Majesties Subjects as conformed themselves to the Doctrine of the Church of England upon which the House of Commons ordered that he should be brought to Exemplary Punishment and to have his Books burnt nor do we find that he ever made any Defence or Answer to those Articles that were brought against him It is affirmed that a while before the sitting of the Parliament Dr. Laud understanding from the D. of Buckingham that the King intended to leave Mr. Montague to a Tryal was heard to utter these words Iseem to see a Cloud arising and threatning the Church of England God in his Mercy dissipate it After this the Commons questioned several persons who were of the Council of War upon the Affairs of the Palatinate concerning the management of that business complaint was likewise made in the House of the Scotch and Irish Nobility for claiming precedency of the Peers of England of which redress was promised but a while after the Lord Martrevers Eldest Son and Heir to the Earl of Arundel Married the Daughter of the late Duke of Lenox contrary to the Kings Mind who intended her for the Lord Lorn Son and Heir of the Earl of Argile whereupon the Earl of Arundel was committed to the Tower which upon the Peers Petitioned to the King alledging That no Peer sitting in the Parliament is to be imprisoned without Order from the House of Lords unless for Felony Treason or denying to give security for the Peace Upon this there arose a Dispute which lasted for the space of two Months and then the Earl was set at Liberty In which time the House of Commons were very busie in searching the Signet Office for the Original of a Letter under the Signet written to the Mayor of York for reprieving divers Jesuites Priests and other Popish Recusants This was reported by Mr. Pim Chairman to the Committee for Religion but their proceedings therein were interrupted by a Meffage from the King sent by Sr. Richard Weston Chancellor of the Exchequer demanding a supply for the English and Irish Forces This was so highly resented that Mr. Clement Cook one of the Members openly Protested That it was better to die by a Forreign Enemy than to be destroyed at home And Dr. Turner another of the House seconded him with
Son and Heir for Rape and Sodomy many unnatural and beastly Actions being proved against him whereupon he received Sentence to be Hanged but had the Favour to be Beheaded at Tower-hill This Earl was born of a very honourable Family and educated in the Protestant Religion but turned Papist to have the more liberty to commit wickedness in which he grew to so great aheight that he impudently declared in the presence of some Lords As others had their several Delights some in one thing some in another so his whole Delight was in damning Souls by enticing Men to such Acts as might surely effect it About this time Sir Giles Allington was Convented for Marrying his own Niece and was fined Twelve thousand Pound to the King and to give Twenty thousand Pound Bond never to cohabit or come in private with his Niece again and both of them to do Penance at St. Pauls Cross or St. Maries in Cambridge which they accordingly did The Protestants were very much discontented in Ireland that the Papists were discharged from paying the State Penalty of Twelve Pence a Sunday for not going to Church whereby their Number was wonderfully increased Whereupon the King recalled the Lords Justices who then governed that Kingdom and sent Viscount Wentworth afterward Earl of Strafford thither as Lord Deputy as judging that these distempers would be better composed under a single Government In the year 1633 and the 9th of his Majesties Reign the King made a Journey into Scotland attended with several of the Nobility and Persons of Quality and June 18 was solemnly Crowned King at Edenbourgh which Solemnity being finished the King calls a Parliament and passeth an Act for Ratification of the old Acts though some affirmed That the Confirmation of Episcopacy was intended thereby and therefore though in vain opposed it upon which some of those Persons became a while after principal Men among the Covenanters In this Scottish Parliament that Nation shewed then some signs of diaffection to the King by Reason of several Acts which then passed and the generality of the People who without doubt were influenced by the greater Malecontents would not suffer the Bishop of Dumblain Dean of the Kings Private Chappel there to perform Prayers twice a day after the English manner neither durst they receive the Communiou on their knees nor wear a Surplice upon Sundays and Holy days Not long before his Majesty went to Scotland being desirous if possible to have prevented that Trouble the King writ to a Scottish Lord who was intrusted with that Crown to bring it into England that he might be Crowned here but the Lord returned Answer That he durst not be so false to his Trust but if his Majesty would be pleased to accept thereof in Scotland he should find those his People ready to yield him the highest Honour but if he should long defer that Duty they might perbaps be inclined to make choice of another King A very strange and unusual Answer from a Subject to a Prince October 13 1633. The Queen was delivered of her Second Son who was Baptized James and designed Duke of York and about that time died George Abbot L. Archbishop of Canterbury and William Laud Bishop of London was Elected into his place In the Year 1634 the English Coasts were very much Infested by Pyrates and the Fishing Trade almost ingrossed by the Hollanders and his Majesty having occasion for Money to Regain his Absolute Dominion over the Brittish Seas the Design of Shipmoney was first set on foot and Attorney General Noy being consulted about it he out of some old Records finds an Ancient President of Raising a Tax upon the Nation by the Authority of the King alone for setting out a Navy in case of danger which was thereupon accordingly put in Execution and by this Tax the King raised by Writ above Twenty thousand pound a Month though not without great discontent both among the Clergy and Laiety The Discontents in Scotland began to increase and a Book was published charging the King with indirect proceedings in the last Parliament and a tendancy to the Romish Belief and to blow up these Scoth Sparks to a Flame Cardinal Richlieu sent over his Chaplain and another Gentleman to heighten their Discontents The Author of that Book was seized and found to be abbetted by the Lord Balmerino the Treacherous Son of a perfidious Father who was thereupon Arraigned by his Peers and Sentenced to Death but Pardoned by the King At this time Gregory Panzani a Priest was sen over by the Pope with a Commission of Oyer and Terminer to decide the difference between the Jesuites and Secular Priests and Insinuating himself into the Favour of the Lord Cottington and Secretary Windebank he endeavours to discover how far the King might be perswaded about giving Toleration to the Popish Religion as to allow them a Popish Bishop to reside here but nominated and limited by the King and that the Pope might send a Nuncio to the Queen but having made some agreement between the Jesuites and Priests Panzani returned to Rome and left the further transacting of Business to Seignior Con who staid in his room In the year 1635 A Noble Fleet was fitted out by the Supply of Shipmoney consisting of Forty Sail under the Earl of Lindsey to scour the Seas from Pyrates at which time the French and Hollanders had confederated against the Spaniard in Flanders both by Land and Sea but the English Fleet removed the Hollanders from before Dunkirk and the Common People inraged by the French insolencies at Land rose up against them and Assisted the Spaniard to expel them the Countrey One Robert Par of Shropshire a Man almost an Hundred and threescore years old was this year brought to London by the Earl of Arundel as a Rarity or Miracle where he dyed soon after though it is very probable he might have lived much longer if he had continued at home for his removal from his own Air change of Diet and the tediousness of so long a Journey may be supposed to have hastned his end December 23 1635. the Lady Elizabeth the Kings Second Daughter was born and to Congratulate the Queens happy delivery the Hollander sent an Ambassador with a present of an extraordinary value that is a Massy Piece of Ambergreece Two large and almost Transparent China Dishes a Clock of most excellent Workmanship which was made by Rodulphus Emperour of Germany and likewise several curious pieces of Painting Dr. William Juxon Bishop of London about this time was made Lord Treasurer in the place of the L. Weston Earl of Portland deceased And now great differences arose about Church matters chiefly occasioned by Arch Bishop Lauds strict and zealous Enjoyning of Ceremonies as placing the Communion Table at the East end of the Church upon an Ascent with Rails Altar fashion with many other things not formerly strictly insisted on and now vehemently opposed by those who were usually called Puritans and
time he should stand committed to the Serjeants Ward till Two Thousand Pound Bail could be procured for his appearance next Sessions And though the King took him into Protection as his Servant yet his Bail-bond remained uncancelled Divers Laws were Enacted in this Parliament as one about Observation of the Lord's day another for restraint of Tipling in Inns Alehouses c. These passed likewise in the House of Commons A Bill for Tunnage and Poundage but this miscarried in the House of Lords because the Commons had limited it to a year whereas it was formerly granted to the Kings Predecessors during their lives it being intended to reduce the Customs to the Rate at which they were settled in the Reign of Queen Mary During the fitting of the Parliament the Lord Mordant a Papist and his Wife a Protestant being both desirous of each others Conversion they put their cause upon a dispute between James Usher L. Archbishop of Amargh and one Rookwood a Jesuite who called himself Beaumont this was acted at Drayton in Northamptonshire the points disputed on were Transubstantiation Praying to Saints Images and the Visibility of the Church wherein the Learned Primate so foil'd his Adversary that the Lord Mordant was Convinced and Converted to the Protestant Religion and his Lady further confirmed therein On the Eleventh of July 1626 the Parliament by reason of the sickness Adjourned till August 1. and then met again at Oxford where the King first by himself and next by his two Secretaries the Lord Conway and Sir John Cook declared to them the necessity of setting forth a Fleet for the recovery of the Palatinate which was the Countrey of the Prince Palatine of the Rhyns who married the Kings Sister and was then unjustly detained from him by the Emperour of Germany and the King of Spain the Lord Treasurer likewise instanced the several Sums of Money which King James died indebted to the City of London This occasioned very warm Debates in the House of Commons who alledged That evil Councels guided the Kings Designs That the Treasury was misimployed That our necessties arose through Imprevidence That it would be necessary to Petition the King for a stricter hand and better Councel to manage his Affairs That though a former Parliament engaged the King in a War yet if things were managed with Contrary designs and the Treasure misimployed this Parliament was not bound to be carried blindsold in Designs not guided by sound Council That it was not usual to grant Subsidies upon Subsidies in one Parliament and no Grievances rednessed With several other Passages of the like Nature They likewise very much reflected upon the miscarriages of the Duke of Buckingham who was then a person of very considerable Trust but however they promised to consider of the Kings desires and presented him a Petition against Popish Recusants giving an Account of their damage ascribing certain Causes of their growth and offering divers Remedies thereunto unto which a satisfactory Answer if any thing would have satisfied was returned And hereupon there followed a Debate about Supplies some were for contributing presently others demurr'd as disliking the design in hand and in conclusion the Major part agreed not to give And being incensed against the Duke of Buckingham they began to think of divesting him of his Offices and to require an Account of the Publick Moneys wherewith he had been intrusted all which they intended to include in an humble Remonstrance to prevent which the King resolved to Dissolve the Parliament and accordingly the Usher of the Black Rod was sent from the House of Lords to the Commons who were then resolved into a Grand Committee and understanding the Kings pleasure they caused the Speaker to keep his Seat while they agreed upon a Message of Thanks to his Majesty for his Gracious Answer to their Petition for Religion and for his care of their Health in giving them leave to depart this dangerous time of Sickness with a dutiful Declaration of their Affection and Loyalty and of their purposing to supply him in a Parliamentary way in fit and convenient time After which they were accordingly dissolved Now the War with Spain being intended both for the recovery of the Palatinate and to prevent disturbance in our Civil Estate the Councel hereupon resolve with all speed to set forth a Fleet and to preserve strict Unity and Peace with France Denmark and the United Provinces and with the Hollanders the King had already entered into a League Offensive and Defensive against the House of Austria and likewise had promised to assist them in soliciting other Princes to enter into the same Confederation upon Condition that they should bear a Fourth part of the Charge of the Fleet and in pursuance hereof the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Holland were sent to the Hague and there meeting with the Ambassadors of France and Denmark they concluded a League for restoring the Liberties of Germany the two last Ambassadors having no further power from their Supteams A while after the Dissolution of the Parliament the King published a Proclamation Commanding the return of all Children of Noble-men which had been sent to be Educated in Seminaries and Popish Schools beyond Sea that none who had received Orders from Rome should presume to confer Orders or Exercise Ecclesiastical Functions in any of his Dominions and likewise that the Statute be put in Execution for the departure of Priests and Jesuites out of his Majesties Dominions By reason of the Dissolving the Parliament the Act of Subsidies was prevented and the King was necessitated to take up Money upon Loan of such Persons as were of Ability to lend and to that end he directed his Letters to the Lord Leiutenants of the several Counties To return the Names of those Men whom they thought most sufficient The places of their Habitations and what Sums each might be judged able to lend and to the persons returned Letters were Issued forth in the Kings Name to this purpose That his Majesty having observed in the Presidents and Customs of former times That all the Kings and Queens of this Realm upon extraordinary occasions have used either to resort to those Contributions which arise from the generality of Subjects or to the private helps of some well affected in particular by way of Loan in the former of which as his Majesty has no doubt in the Love and affection of his People when they shall again Assemble in Parliament so for the present he was inforced to proceed in the latter course for supply of some Portions of Treasure for divers publick Services which without manifold Inconveniences to his Majesty and his Kingdoms cannot be deferr'd and therefore this being the first time that his Majesty hath required any thing of this kind he doubts not but he shall receive such a Testimony of good affection from them among other of his Subjects and that with such alacrity and readiness as may make the same so
among them His Majesty having received it returned this short Answer thereunto That he would have them in the first place Consult about Matters of the greatest Importance and that they should have time enough for other things afterward This happened in the year 1626 and in the Second Year of his Majesties Reign about which time the Earl of Bristoll being ordered by the King to be Examined by a Committee of Lords concerning his Negotiation in Spain and having been in Prison and prohibited access to His Majesty ever since his return received a Letter from the Lord Conway wherein in order to his Relief he propounded to him from His Majesty this Choice Whether he would be quiet and not be questioned for what was past and enjoy the benefit of the late Gracious Pardon or whether he would stand upon his Justification To which he Answered That he did humbly acknowledge and accept of his Majesties Grace and Favour And at the same time he Petitioned the House of Lords for his Liberty or to come to a Tryal who apylying themselves to his Majesty he granted a Writ for the Earls coming to Parliament but with a Proviso That his Personal Attendance should be forborn whereupon the Earl sent another Petition to the Lords that he might be heard both as to his Restraint and of what he had to say against the Duke At which the King was much concerned and signified to the Lords That it was his Royal Pleasure that the Earl of Bristol might be sent for as a Delinquent to answer his Offences to the House and his scandalizing the Duke of Buckingham and his Majesty likewise by Reflection Upon this the Earl was accordingly brought to the Bar and being ready to be impeacht of High Treason by the Attorney General he besought their Lordships That as he was a Freeman and Peer of this Realm untainted and had something to say of high Consequence for his Majesties Service he might have liberty to speak Which being granted him he said I accuse that Man the Duke of Buckingham of High Treason This unexpected procedure of the Earl occasioned the Attorney General to draw up a Charge against him consisting of Eleven Articles containing Matters of divers Natures whereupon the Earl afterwards gave a large Account of the Duke of Buckinghams proceedings towards him and then preferr'd Twelve Articles against him and besides these Articles against the Duke the Earl of Bristol exhibited Eleven others against the Lord Conway the Earl likewise gave in his Answer to each particular Article of his Impeachment Now whilst these two Peers were thus contesting the House of Commons presented an Impeachment to the Lords against the Duke consisting of Twelve Articles to each of which the Duke made Replies and the last of them being a matter of general Discourse it may seem necessary to insert it with the Dukes Answer thereto That the Duke being a Sworn Servant of the the late King did cause and provide certain Plaisters and Potions for his late Majesty K. James in in his last Sickness without the Privity of his Majesties Physicians and that although those Plaisters and Potions formerly applied produced such ill Effects as many of his Sworn Phisicians did disallow as prejudicial to his Maiesties Health yet the Duke did apply them again to his Majesty whereupon great Distempers and dangerous Symptoms appeared in him which the Physitians imputed to those Administrations of the Duke whereof his late Majesty also complained which is an Offence and Misdemeanor of so high a Nature as may be called an Act of Transcendent Presumption And the said Commons by Protestation saving to themselves the liberties of exhibiting hereafter any other Accusation or Impeachment against the Duke and also of Replying unto what the Duke shall Answer unto the said Articles do pray That the said Duke may be put to Answer all and every the Premises and that such Proceeding Examinations Tryals and Judgments may be upon every of them had as is agreeable to Law and Justice To this Article the Duke of Buckingham Replyed That his late Majesty being sick of an Ague a Disease out of which the Duke recovered not long before asked the Duke what he found most Advantagious to his Health The Duke replyed a Plaister and Possit Drink administred unto him by the Earl of Warwick 's Physician whereupon the King much desired the Plaister and Possit drink to be sent for and the Duke delaying it the King commanded a Servant of the Dukes to go for it against the Dukes earnest request he humbly D Buckingham stab'd by Felton Mr Pryn Burton Bastnich in the Pillory The Tumult in Scotland upon Reading the Comon pray r craving his Majesty not to make use of it without the Advice of his own Physicians and Experiment upon others which the King said he would do and in confidence thereof the Duke left him and went to London and in the mean time he being absent the said Plaister and Posset Drink were brought and at the Dukes return his Majesty commanded the Duke to give him the Posset Drink which he did the Physicians then present not seeming to mislike it afterwards the Kings Health declining and the Duke hearing a Rumour as if his Physick had done his Majesty hurt and that he had administred Physick without Advice the Duke acquainted the King therewith who with much discontent replyed They are worse then Devils that say so About this time the King again earnestly pressed the House of Commons for a speedy Supply by their Speaker Sir Heneage Finch giving them to understand That if there did not pass the Bill of Subsidy by the end of the week following it would inforce him to take other Resolutions and if by their denial or delay any thing of ill consequence should fall out either at home or abroad he called God and Man to witness that he had done his part to prevent it by calling his People together to advise with him whose sitting if they dispatched this according to his desire he resolved to continue for the dispatch of other Affairs and after their Recess to bring them again together the next Winter Before the Commons sent an Answer they drew up a Petition to his Majesty That he would be pleased to Remove from all places of Trust and Authority all such Persons as were either Popish Recusants or according to the Direction of former Acts of State justly to be suspected to be such And herewith they likewise sent a large Scrowl of the Names of all such Noblemen and others as continued in places of high Trust in the several Counties of England The Answer to the late Articles against the Duke of Buckingham being by him delivered into the Lords House he desired their Lordships to send to the Commons for a speedy Reply whereupon the Commons required a Copy of his Answer But the Duke fearing what might be the Effect thereof humbly applyed himself to the Lords whom he intreated
was not admitted in whereupon the King with his Guard of Pensioners were resolved to force their Entrance which the Commons having notice of they suddenly went all out of the House and this was the end of this Parliament After their Dissolution the King publisheth a Declaration of the Causes thereof and then question'd Eleven of the Refractory Members at the Council Table who were all committed to divers Prisons About the same time the Marquis of Huntley Sheriff of the greatest part of Scotland neglecting the Order of the Council for seizing some Priests and Jesuites who publickly said Mass and committed other Insolences at Aberdeen with several other Lords who joyned with him and refused to appear upon Summons and had likewise given notice to the Priests and Jesuites to escape were proclaimed Rebels and Traitors to the King and Kingdom upon which they fled into England The French King having had much loss by the War with England did now therefore propose and conclude a Peace with the King consisting of several Articles A Paper was about this time dispersed abroad containing some Projects how the King might Augment his Revenues without the help of Parliaments upon which the Earls of Bedford Somerset and Clare with others where committed upon Information that they had dispersed some Copies of them but Sir David Fowls soon cleared them who deposed upon Oath that it was contrived near Sixteen years before by Sir Robert-Dudley Son to the Earl of Leicester when he was in Italy The dissolving the last Parliament procured great Animosities in the People against the Prime Ministers of State which occasioned divers Invective Libels to be dispersed abroad whereof one against Bishop Laud was found in the Dean of St. Pauls Yard to this Effect Laud look to thy self be assured thy life is sought as thou art the Fountain of Wickedness repent of thy monstrous sin before thou be taken out of the World and assure thy self Neither God nor the World can endure such a vile Councellor or Whisperer Another very bitter Libel was scattered against the Lord Treasurer Weston On the other side some considering the unsuccesfulness of this and the two former Parliaments advised never for the future to call any more Parliaments and to that end the forementioned Book of Projects was published and addrest to the King proposing some methods to prevent the Impertinency of Parliaments as he called them for time to come by the Example of Lewes 11th of France who pretended that the Commons or Third Estate did incroach too much upon the Nobility and Clergy dissolved it and never after suffered the People freely to Elect their Representatives but nominated certain Eminent Persons himself instead thereof which is called L' Assembly des Notabiles or the Assembly of Chief or Principal Men and the Methods proposed to avoid Parliaments were 1. To have a Fortress in every considerable Town 2. To cause high-ways to be made through all such Towns 3. To make none of the Inhabitants Governors of those Fortresses 4. To let none pass through those Towns without a Ticket 5. To have the Names of all Lodgers taken by Innkeepers 6. To impose a general Oath upon the Subjects not to oppose any of these Contrivances And to increase the Kings Revenue the Advice was 1. To demand the Tenth part of every Mans Estate 2. To buy all Leases upon the Crown Lands 3. To take the benefit of Salt into his own hands 4. To demand a Rate for Sealing the Weights every year 5. To lay a Taxe upon Wools. 6. Upon every Lawyers Fee 7. Upon Inns and Victualling Houses for a Licence 8. Upon all Cattle Flesh and Horses sold in the Market 9. Upon all Lands Alienated 10. To set a Rate upon all Offices in his Majesties Grant 11. To Reduce his Majesties Houshold to board wages 12. To lay a Taxe upon White Meats on fasting days 13. To lay an Imposition upon the Papists Lands 14. To Advance some Hundreds of Persons to Honours 15. To prohibit excess in Apparel which would save the Gentry more Money then what they were Taxed would amount to The Insurection of the Apprentices at Lambeth The E of Strafford beheaded on Towerhill Cheapside Cross pulled down in 1643. Upon May 29. 1630 the Queen was delivered of a Son at St. James's who was Christened Charles and Preserved by Providence to Succeed his Father in these Three Kingdoms as his Rightful Inheritance after the Miseries of a long and tedious Exile from his Native Countrey unto which he was at length happily Restored with the general Consent and Acclamations of the whole Kingdom The King of France and the Prince Elector Yalatine represented by the Duke of Lenox and the Marquis Hamilton were his Godfathers and the Queen Mother of France represented by the Dutchess of Richmond his Godmother It was observed that at his Nativity a Star was seen at Noon-day which might portend some extraordinary Passages of this Princes Life About this time Dr. Leighton was sentenced in the Star Chamber to have his Body Whipt his Fore-head Stigmatized his Ears Cropt his Nose Slit for publishing a Book called Sions Plea wherein he exhorted the late Parliament to smite the Bishops under the Fifth Rib and called the Queen the Daughter of Heth a Canaanite and Idolatress which Sentence was accordingly inflicted on him In Ireland the Papists presumed on St. Stephens day to say Mass in Dublin while the Lords Chief Justices were at Church who having notice thereof ordered the Preists Crucifixes and Vestments to be seized and Eight Popish Aldermen were likewise Imprisoned for not Assisting the Mayor but some Papists making a Tumult rescued the Priests whom the Guards again forced to deliver back Upon Information of this Riot and Insolency Fifteen Houses were by special Order from the Council seized upon for his Majesties use and the Priests and Fryers so disturbed that two of them hanged themselves Neither did the Papists agree together for there were great Contests in England between the Jesuites and Secular Priests The Earl of Essex had many years before married the Lady Howard who complaining of his Insufficiency for Marriage Duties the Cause was brought to a Tryal and it being made appear by a Jury of Midwives and the Earls own Confession That he never could and believed he never should carnally know her Thereupon Sentence of Divorce between him and his Lady was pronounced by the Bishops However the Earl was resolved to try his Fortune once more and therefore upon his return out of the Low Countreys where he had been for some time a Souldier he now Married a Daughter of Sir William Paulet of Wiltshire but a while after she objecting the same cause of complaint desired likewise to be Divorced from him which the Earl easily cousented to and it was done accordingly In the year 1631 and the 7th of his Majesties Reign Mervin Lord Audly and Earl of Castlehaven was Tryed by his Peers upon the Petition of his own
Non-conformists which caused them to be charged with Faction yet some of the Episcopal Party Asserted That the Communion Table ought to stand in the middle of the Quire according to the Primitive Example and a Book supposed to be written by Dr. Williams B. of Lincoln was Published to this purpose His Majesty considering the good Success of his former Fleet fits out another in the year 1636 under the command of the Earl of Northumberland who going Northward scowred the Seas of the Holland Busses and reduced them to desire leave of his Maiesty to Fish there which the King upon divers Considerations granted them Several Gentlemen of Quality had refused to pay the Imposition of Ship-money and among the rest Mr. Hamden of Buckinghamshire upon which his Majesty refers the whole business to his Twelve Judges in Michaelmas Term 1636 Ten of whom that is Brampton Finch Davenport Denham Jones Trever Vernon Berkly Crawly Weston gave their Judgments against Hamden and his Associates and subscribed their Names to be Inrolled in all the Courts ol Westminster Hall but Hutton and Crook refused it This year March the 17. the Kings Kings Third Daughter the Princess Ann was born In the Thirteenth year of his Majesties Reign 1637 Dr. Bastwick Mr. Pryn and Mr. Burton received a severe Censure for writing against Bishops and their Government they being all three Sentenced to pay Five Thousand Pounds Fine to the King to lose their Ears in the Pillory and to be Imprisoned which they accordingly suffered Bishop Williams of Lincoln having the great Seal taken from him in the first year of his Majesties Reign he so deeply resented it that ever after he studied Revenge and a Bill being preferr'd against him in the Star Chamber for some dishonourable Speeches of the King he endeavoured by some indirect means to clear his Innocence and was therefore this year sentenced Ten thousand Pounds Fine to the King Imprisonment in the Tower during Pleasure to be suspended ab Officiis et Beneficiis from his Bishoprick and the Profits thereof and to be referred to the High Commission Court as to what concerned them His Majesty desiring an Uniformity in Religion in England and Scotland a thing before designed by King James in pursuance thereof enjoyned the Scots the use of the English Liturgy the Surplice and other Habiliments and began first at his own Chappel and in this year 1637 Proclamation was made that the same Order should be observed in all Churches wherewith the Bishops were contented but not the Kirk nor the People who were so inraged thereat that when the Dean of Edenbourgh began to Read the Common Prayer in St. Giles Church with his Surplice on July 13. the Council Bishops Lords and Magistrates being present the Women and then the ordinary sort of men made such a disturbance and noise with Cursing Clapping their hands and so great Rudeness that nothing could be heard but their Clamours upon which the Bishop of Edenbourgh who was to preach that day stept up into the Pulpit to reprove them which increasing their Fury they assault him with such a shower of Stones Seats Stools Cudgels and whatever else was near that his life was much indangered thereby and the Arch-bishop of St. Andrews Lord Chancellor interposing was like to have been as rudely handled had not the Provost Bayliffs and others with much trouble turned these Rioters out of the Church the Dean then proceeding to read the Service Book though not without great noise from the Multitude about the Church The like disturbance happened in other places but in the Afternoon the Book was again read without much trouble after which some of the Disturbers were seized and punished but with no great Severity and the Ministers were promised Protection and Maintenance in Reading it so that all at present seemed calm and quiet till after Harvest at which time such a confluence of People came to Edenbourgh as gave just cause to the Council to fear an Insurrection to prevent which they Issued out several Proclamations That no Church matters should be resolved on but that all persons depart home unless they can shew some cause to the Council upon pain of Rebellion Yet this was so little regarded by the People that the B. of Galloway going the next day to the Council was pursued and assaulted by them even to the Council Chamber and being with difficulty got in the House was presently incompassed and his Person peremptorily demanded upon which those within required Aid of the Provost and Council of Edenbourgh but their Condition was as bad being likewise beset in their Town house by the People who would not let them go out till they had subscribed 1. To joyn in Opposition to the Service Book and in Petitioning to that purpose 2. To restore two or three of their silenced Ministers Which being related to the Council the Lord Traqnair and another went in Person to the Town House where they found the Tumult somewhat quieted by those Concessions but in coming back they were furiously assaulted in the Grass-street and the L. Traquair was trodden under foot his Hat Cloak and white Wand was taken away and himself halled to the Council House The Lords whereof weighing their own danger sent secretly to some of those Noblemen and Gentlemen who disliked the Service Book and were then assembled in the common cause against it by whom they were safely guarded through the multitude to their several Houses And now judging themselves secure they make Proclamation for breaking up all Conventions and keeping the Peace which had the contrary effect Two Petitions being presented to them One from the Common sort of Men Women and Children the other in the Name of the Noblemen Gentlemen and Ministry against the Service Book and Canons these Petitions were sent to the King who being offended therewith adjourned the Term to Sterling and by Proclamation forbid upon extreamest Penalty such Tumultuous Meetings Against which Proclamation the Earl of Hume the Lord Lindsey and divers others made Protestation and in pursuance thereof they set up Four Tables or Committees 1. Of the Nobility 2. Of the Gentry 3. Of the Barons 4. of the Ministry to prepare Matters for the General Council consisting of several Commissioners taken out of the other The next year 1638 the Scots entred inta a Solemn League and Covenant to preserve the Religion there protest resolving to maintain it and to that purpose they sent for General Lesly and other Officers from beyond Sea providing themselves likewise with Arms and Ammunition whilst D. Hamilton who was appointed to allay these heats and Distempers seemed secretly to foment them by spending a great deal of time in Declarations Proclamations Messages and Letters and afterwards makes such Propositions to the Confederates about calling a General Assembly as were very distasteful to the Covenanters and increased their Fury Whereupon Hamilton obtained of the King the Sole and Unlimited Power of Managing that Affair and then
acquainted them with a Declaration which he had procured of the King That he did discharge the Service Book Book of Canons and high Commission and likewise did annul and rescind all Acts for establishing them and did discharge the urging the Practice of the Five Articles of Perth and that all Persons whomsoever shall be liable to the Censure of Parliament General Assembly or any other Judicatories according to the Nature of the Offence That the Ancient Confelsion of Faith and Band annexed shall be subscribed and received as in K. James time That a General Assembly be holden at Glafcow Nov. 21. 1638 and a Parliament at Edenbourgh May 15. 1639 All former Offences to be pardoned and a General Fast appointed This Declaration being published the Marquess and Council subscribed the Covenanters Confession of Faith c. yet still some matter remained for a Protestation which was read by one Johnson wherein the People were exhorted to consider with whom they had to deal and exceptions were made against Bishops and their Voting in the Assembly After this they Elect Commissioners for the Assembly whom they moved to cite the Archbishops and Bishops to appear there as Guilty Persons which being refused they themselves present a Bill of Complaint against them to the Presbytery at Edenbourgh who accordingly warned them to appear at the next General Assembly At their Meeting the Bishops sent in a Protestation against their Assembly which the Covenanters would not vouchsafe to read but presumed to forbid Six Lords of the Privy Council to fit in their Assembly though nominated by the King His Majesty having notice of their proceedings as to the Bishops and other matters ordered their Assembly to be dissolved which was done accordingly Nov. 21. 1638 and the Covenanters immediately according to their usual method Issued out a Protestation against it and likewise declared 6 former Meetings which were opposite to their ways to be void and of none Effect and soon after they abolished Episcopacy and then prepared for a War as being sensible that the King would maintain the Rights of the Bishops and would likewise strictly call them to Account for their late Transactions About this time a Letter was sent by the Scots to the King of France to implore his Assistance Signed by several of the Nobility The King of England prepares an Army for Scotland with which in the year 1639 he marcheth in Person into the North but while he stayed at York some of the Scots Nobility tampered with the Eaglish telling them that the ruin of the Scots would enable the King to be more severe toward his English Subjects by which Intelligence and Correspondence it was evident that the English had no mind to Fight though their Army was much stronger than the Scots whereupon by the Mediation of some Persons a Treaty of Peace was begun and soon finished wherein it was agreed That His Majesty should publish a Declaration whereby all should be confirmed which his Commissioners had promised in his Name That a General Assembly and a Parliament be held at Edenbourgh in a short time And lastly That upon disbanding their Forces dissolving their Councils and restoring the King to his Forts and Castles c. the King was to recall his Fleet and Forces and make restitution of their Goods since the Breach The Kings Declaration was no sooner published but the Covenanters set forth another Protestation for adhereing to there Assembly at Glasco and their Covenant whereupon the King who intended to be present at their General Assembly not finding the Scots punctual in performing Articles and perceiving they would treat of some matters distasteful to him goes into England after which the Assembly sate at Edenbourgh and abolished Episcopacy the Liturgy High Commission and Book of Canons and then made several demands of the King of a various nature His Majesty understanding how things went and that the Scots levyed Taxes and prepared Arms he commanded by his Commissioner the Earl of Traquair that their Parliament should be Adjourned for some time but the Covenanters declared against this Command and sent a Remonstrance to the King and afterward Hamilton and Traquair likewise came to London where there were such proceedings as did the more exasperate the jarring parties against each other In this year 1639 a Spanish Fleet of near Seventy Sail and Twenty five thousand Men designed to be landed at Dunkirk for the relief of Flanders were set upon by the Dutch in the Downs and Eleven of them taken and sent into Holland three perished upon the Coast of France one near Dover and five were sunk in the Fight What the real intent of this Fleet was is yet uncertain for it seemed unlikely that Twenty five thousand Men should be sent only for a Recruit and the Admirals refusing to shew his Commission when required thereto by the King makes it seem yet mon suspicious The Scots Commissioners having delivered their Message return home to Edenbourgh Nov. 19. 1639. the same night that a great part of the Castle Walls fell down and the Anniversary of the King Birth day A while after the King sent the Lord Estrich and others to tepair the Walls who were resisted by the Covenanters as not judging the Lord Estrich to be a fit Governour for the Castle which Office was designed him by the King The King being hereat extreamly offended resolved since fair means would not prevail to force the Scots to reason and to that end considers how to make provisions for Men and Money and calling a secret Cabinet Council consisting only of Archbishop Laud the Earl of Strafford and Duke Hamilton who drove on his own particular interest it was concluded That for the Kings supply a Parliament must be called in England and another in Ireland but because the Debates of Parliament would take up some time it was resolved that the Lords should subscribe to lend the King money The Earl of Strafford subscribed Twenty thousand pound the Duke of Richmond as much but Hamilton pretended poverty preserving his money for other uses the rest of the Lords Judges Officers and other Dependants and many of the Gentry yea even several Popish Recusants contributed according to their ability The Scots on the other side fore-seeing the storm prepared for their own Defence making Treaties in Denmark Sweden Holland and Poland and the Jesuits who are never idle did likewise endeavour to foment the differences to which end Con the Popes Nuncio Sir Toby Matthews Read and Maxwell two Scots endeavoured to perswade the discontented People That the King designed to iuslave them to his will and pleasure Which practices of theirs were discovered by Andreas Habernsfield a Nobleman of Bohemia who declared That many of the Nobility of England and chief Favourites at Court were consenting to these Transactions and particularly the Earl and Countess of Arundel Secretary Windebank and Endymion Porter Con also performed the part of a Firebrand as all his Successors
the Popes Nuncio's that came after him did likewise and had formerly offered a Cardinals Cap to the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Popes Name In the year 1640 and the Sixteenth of the King a Parliament was called at Westminster April 13. in which the Earl of Strafford was highly honoured for his good service in Ireland in obtaining four Subsidies to maintain Ten thousand Foot and Fifteen hundred Horse And that England might follow this Example the King tells the Parliament that if they would supply him so as to suppress the Insolencies of the Scots he would acquit his claim to Shipmoney and giue satisfaction to their just Demands By which Proposals the Parliament were sensible of the Kings Necessities and therefore required satisfaction 1. For clearing the Property of the Subject 2. For establishing the True Religion 3. For Priviledges of Parliament But whilst they were debating whether the Grievances of the People or the Kings Supply should be first considered and Matters were in an hopeful posture Secretary Vane either accidentally or on purpose overthrew all at once by declaring that the King required Twelve Subsidies whereas he at that time only desired Six which so much inraged the House and made things so ill that by the Advice of the Junto the Parliament was dissolved having only sate Twenty two days however the Privy Councel likewise advised their Dissolving being assured the heats in the House of Commons were so great that they intended that very day to have voted against the War with Scotland whereby the King would have been in a worse condition than before their sitting About the same time a Convocation of Bishops sate with Commission to make such Canons as they judged for the peace of the Church and amongst other things they imposed an Oath called c. Et cetera as an Anticovenant against the Scots which because it occasioned much difference may not be unfitly inserted I A. B. Do swear that I do approve the Doctrine and Discipline or Government established in the Church of England as containing all things necessary to Salvation and that I will not endeavour by my self or any other directly or indirectly to bring in any Popish Doctrine contrary to that so established nor will I ever give my consent to alter the Government of this Church by Archbishops Deans and Arch Deacons c. Et cetera and so forth as it stands now established and as by right it ought to stand nor yet ever to subject it to the Usurpations and Superstitions of the See of Rome And all these things do I plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to the plain and common sense or understanding of the same words without any Equivocation mental Evasion or secret Reservation whatsoever And this I do heartily willingly and truly upon the faith of a Christian So help me God in Jesus Christ This Oath was imposed upon all Ministers and gave great Offence This was the chief business of this Convocation which ended May 26 1640. Arch Bishop Laud by his earnest proceedings against Nonconformists and such as were called Puritans and by his strict enjoyning of Ceremonies especially reviving old Ceremonies which had not been lately observed procured much hatred to himself from the People particularly the Londiners who had a particular disgust against him for his severity upon Mr. Burton Pryn and Bastwick insomuch that upon May 9 1640 a Paper was fixed upon the Royal Exchange inciting the Apprentices to rise and sack his House at Lambeth the Monday after which they were the more inclined to do because it was reported that he was the chief instigator of the King to dissolve the last Parliament but the Arch Bishop had notice of their Design and provided accordingly however upon Monday at midnight about Five Hundred of them beset his House and endeovoured to enter but were repulsed and forced to depart having in some measure vented their Spleen in words and breaking his Glass-Windows The next day many of them were apprehended and imprisoned but three days after they were forcibly rescued from thence by their Companions who broke open the Prison doors for which one of the Ring-leaders was drawn hanged and quartered and his head and quarters set upon London-Bridge The King grew daily more offended against the Scots and calls a Select Juncto to consult about them where the Earl of Strafford delivered his mind in such Terms as were afterward made use of to his distruction War against them was resolved on and Money was to be procured one way or other the City of London was invited to lend but refused and pleaded poverty being distasted iâ— seems at some proceedings in the Star Chamber about their Plantation of London Derry in Ireland which was judged to be forfeited for some alledged misdemeanors and the Undertakers fined yet the Citizens were willing to offer a large Sum for the building a Magnificent Pallace for the King in St James's Park which took no effect The Gentry contributed indifferent freely so that with their Assistance the Royal Army was compleated the King himself being Generalissimo the Earl of Northumberland General and the Earl of Strafford Leiutenant General Northumberland falls sick and therefore the King takes the Command upon himself and sends away part of the Army Horse and Foot under the Lord Conway into the North. July 20th 1640. the Queen was delivered of a Son who was Châ—istened Henry afterward Created Duke of Glocester In the mean time the L. Conway had but ill Success for having drawn about 1200 Horse and 3000 Foot to secure the Passes upon the Riveâ— Tyne the Scotch Army under their General Lesly advanced thither better provided then before and August 27 Lesly desired leave of the L. Conway for his whole Army to pass to the King with their Petition which was denied whereupon about 300 Scotch Horse attempted to pass the River but were beaten back by the English Musquetiers who were placed under a Breast-work Lesly comes on with his Horse and charges Commissary General Wilmot who maintained the ground very stoutly till overborn with multitude and Canon they were put to a disorderly Retreat both Horse and Foot upon which the L. Conway hastes to the King with the unwelcome News Sir Jacob Astly Governor of Newcastle finding himself unable to deâ—end the place deserts it sinking the great Guns â—n the River whereby Newcastle and Durham came â—n a short time into the hands of the Scots And now Strafford comes up with whom the King retreats â—o York and stays there while Strafford who was â—ow sole Commander charges the whole miscarâ—iage upon Conway who as stoutly denies it The King had formerly declared the Scots to be Rebels and Traytors by Proclamation and commanded that publick Prayers should be put up against them in all Churches but at this time he is contented to treat with them and to that end he receives a Petition from them complaining of their Grievances To which he answers by
his Secretary of Scotland that he expects their particular demands which he receives in three days all tending to require a Parliament to be called in England without which there could be no satisfactory redress for them they had likewise before their March into England published a Declaration called The Intentions of the Army viz. Not to lay down Arms till the Reformed Religion were setled in both Nations upon sure grounds and the Causes and Abbettors of their present Troubles that is Arch-Bishop Laud and the Earl of Strafford were brought to publick Justice in Parliament At the same time Twelve English Peers that is the Earls of Bedford Hartford Essex Warwick Mulgrave Bristol Bullingbrook Say and Seal Mandevil Howard Brook and Paget drew up a Petition which they delivered to the King for the sitting of the Parliament After which divers others were presented to the same purpose from the City of London and several other parts of the Kingdom all centring in this that nothing could relieve the Pressures of the Kingdom but a Parliament To this the King condescends in part giving hope likewise of further satisfaction ere long and 〈◊〉 the present Summons the Lords to appear at Yorâ— Sep. 24. which they did and upon the first day oâ— their meeting it was agreed That a Parliameâ—â— should be called to meet November 3 following anâ— then for the relief of the North sorely suffering under Leslies Army the Bishoprick of Durham beinâ— then taxed 360 l. and Northumberland 300 l. a day it was resolved that a Treaty should be set on Fooâ— and that Sixteen English Lords should meet with as many Scots and York was proposed for the placâ— of Treaty which the Scotch Commissioners refused as not judging it safe by reason of the presence oâ— the Earl of Strafford who hath proclaimed them Traytors in Ireland and was now chief Commander of the Kings Army and a Capital Enemy to their Nation and against whom they had matter of high Complaint therefore it was concluded to be held at Rippon where among other things it was agreed that the Scotch Army should be maintained by the English till the Treaty was ended and peace secured that there should be a safe Convoy for all Letters between the Scots and the Parliament of England The first of these Articles seemed unreasonable and dishonourable to the English Nation and the Earl of Strafford was so offended thereat that he desired leave of the King to give them Battel and was willing as he writ to Arch-Bishop Laud to undertake upon the Peril of his Head with his Army of English Grashoppers to beat those Sons of Anak home again for so much Superlour were the Scots then accounted to the English as to matter of Souldiers but October 16. the English Commanders whether through Fear Favour or out of a Political Maxim not to fight against the Scots condescended to Articles of Agreement which were afterward signed by the King himself This Treaty of Rippon was but previous to another of higher Importance at London for a general concluding and making up all differences between the King and his Subjects of Scotland during which Treaty James Earl of Montross made several Applications to the King and by Letters offered his service to him testifying his disslike of the Scotâ—ish Proceedings but these his Letters were said to have been secretly taken out of the Kings Pockets and conveyed to the Covenanters by the means of Hamilton who understanding Montross his design used all means to render him odious to the People and so unserviceable to the King And now the time approached for the sitting of the Parliament who accordingly met November 3. 1640 which was looked upon by Arch-Bishop Laud as a fatal day for Summoning of Parliaments in reference to Church matters the Parliament in King Henry the Eighths time which pulled down Abbies and Monasteries being likewise Assembled upon November 3. Whereupon he advised the King for lucks sake to put off their meeting for 2 or 3 dayes but the King not minding any such Observations did not regard it To give some Account of the temper of those times it may not be amiss to repeat the words of a Person of Honour who was then a Member of the House of Commons and hath lately published some Passages concerning that Parliament Never Parliament saith he was assembled when the People were in an higher discontent then at this time such a general Diffidence there was as they thought themselves sure of nothing the increase of Ceremonies made them fear the approach of a Religion hateful to them the laâ—â— business of Ship-money together with some Impâ—sitions without the consent of Parliament causeâ— them to apprehend the loss of Property in the Estates and they had little hope of Redress 〈◊〉 Parliaments because his then Majesty had beeâ— so unhappy as to be put upon a sudden Dissolutioâ— of all Parliaments formerly by him called Theâ— wanted not Persons ill disposed and seditious 〈◊〉 trumpet these things in the ears of the generalty whereby they incensed them so far as thereâ—â— they found means to raise a Power against theâ—â— Soveraign Mr. William Lenthal was Chosen Speaker of thâ— House of Commons and the King in a Speech tâ—â—â— them that the Scottish Troubles were the Cause oâ— their present Meeting and therefore requires theâ— to consider of the most expedient means for caâ—â—ing them out and then promises that he will heaâ—tily and clearly concurr with them for the satisfying their just Grievances After which he gaâ—â— them an Account of his want of Money for thâ— Maintaining of his Army and how dishonourablâ— it would be to the English Nation if his Armâ— should be disbanded before the Scots were put ouâ— of the Kingdom and desired them to consider oâ— the Oppression of the Northern Countreys during thâ—… Treaty It was ill resented by many that the King should call the Scots Rebels whereupon he took occasion to tell them that he must needs call them Rebels as long as they have an Army which did invade England The Commons then Voted down all Monopolies and all such Members as had any benefit by them were expelled out of the House Complainâ— was made in the House of Lords against Sir William Beecher one of the Clerks of the Council for violating their Priviledges in searching the Earl of Warwicks and the Lord Brooks Studies Cabinets and Pockets upon the dissolving the last Parliament upon which he was committed Prisoner to the Fleet though he pleaded the Command of the Secretary of State for his so doing The Earl of Strafford is Impeached of High Treason by the Commons in the House of Lords whereupon he is sequestred from the House and likewise his Friend Sir George Ratcliff is sent for out of Ireland by a Serjeant at Arms In the mean time the Bishop of Lincoln who was Prisoner in the Tower is released and likewise Mr. Pryn and Mr. Burton who are brought in great Triumph to London and
December 3. they presented their Petition against their Prosecutors And now the Papists began to fear a Cloud for Justice Howard was to deliver up a Catalogue of all Recusants within the Liberties of Westminster to prevent which he was stabbed by one Mr. John James in Westminster hall for which he was imprisoned in the Gate-house in order to a more severe punishment But Sir Francis Windebank Secretary of State fearing to be called to Account by the Parliament for reprieving Jesuits and Priests which he knew would be produced against him if not worse matters fled privately into France December 7th the Commons Voted Ship-money with the Opinion of the Judges thereupon to be Illegal and a Charge of High Treason was ordered to be drawn up against eight of them and they resolved to begin with the Lord Keeper Finch December 11th Alderman Pennington and some hundreds of Citizens presented a Petition subscribed by 15000 Hands against Church Discipline and Ceremonies and a while after the House of Commons Voted That the Clergy in a Synod or Convocation have no power to make Canons or Laws without Parliaments and that the Canons are against the Fundamental Laws of this Realm the Kings Prerogative the Property of the Subject the Right of Parliaments and tend to Faction and Sedition In pursuance hereof a Charge was ordered to be drawn up against Arch-bishop Laud as the principal framer of those Canons and other Delinquencies which Impeachment was seconded with another from the Scotch Commissioners upon which he was committed to the Black Rod and 10 weeks after Voted Guilty of High Treason and sent to the Tower The Scots likewise prefer a charge against the Earl of Strafford then in Custody requiring Justice against them both as the great Incendiaries and Disturbers of Church and State and Sir George Ratcliff the Earls Bosom Friend had Articles also drawn against him to this purpose That he had conspired with the Earl to bring Ireland under an Arbitrary Government and to subvert the Fundamental Laws and to bring an Army from Ireland to subdue the Subjects of England That he perswaded the Earl to use Regal Power and to deprive the Subjects of their Liberties and Properties That he countenanced Papists and built Monasteries to alienate the Affections of the Irish from England That he withdrew the Subjects of Scotland from their King And lastly That to preserve himself and the Earl of Strafford he laboured to subvert the Liberties and Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland The Lord Keeper Finch was the next Person designed to be censured and notwithstanding a Speech made in his own Vindication he was Voted a Traytor upon several Accounts and among the rest for soliciting perswading and threatning the Judges to deliver their Opinions for raising Ship-money and for several ill Offices done in moving the King to Dissolve the last Parliament and causing the publishing the Kings Declaration thereupon Next day he was accused before the Lords but he foresaw the Storm and went over into Holland The Parliament having now removed their Enemies and increasing in Reputation were designing a Bill for a Triennial Parliament for promoting which Petitions came from divers places one whereof was subscribed with 800 Hands directly against Episcopacy which the King took notice of and calling both Houses together tells them Of their slowness and the charge of Two Armies in the Kingdom and that he would have them avoid two Rocks the one about the Hierachy of Bishops which he was willing to Reform but not to alter The other concerning frequent Parliaments which he liked well but not to give his Power to Sheriffs and Constables About this time one Goodman a Popish Priest condemned at the Sessions in London was reprieved by the King upon which both Houses petitioned to know who were the Instruments of it and receiving an unsatisfactory Answer they Remonstrated against the Toleration of Papists and the Popes Nuncio Rosetti and this Goodman whom they desired might be left to the Justice of the Law To this the King answers That the increase of Popery and Papists in his Dominions is extreamly against his mind and that he would use all possible means for the restraining of it As for the Popes Nuncio Rosetti he had no Commission but only to preserve Correspondence between the Queen and the Pope which was allowed her by the Articles of Marriage however he had prevailed with her to remove him and is contented to remit the particular Case of Goodman to both Houses The Scots had been now quartered in England five months during which a Cessation had been concluded at Rippon but the full Pacification was reserved for London where Commissioners sate on both Parties to hear the Demands of the Scots and to make answer thereunto After which the Scots presented the great Account of their Charges which was Five hundred fourteen thousand one hundred twenty eight pounds nine Shillings besides the loss of their Nation which was Four hundred and forty thousand pounds This Reckoning startled the English Commissioners till the Scots told them They did not give in that Account as expecting a Total Reparation of their Charges and Losses but were content to bear a part of it hoping for the rest from the Justice and Kindness of England There was some opposition made to the Demands however Moneys were raised for the present from the City of London for the Supply of both the Northern Armies as the Parliament had done once before At this time a Match was propounded between the young Prince of Orange and the Lady Mary Eldest Daughter to the King which his Majesty liked well of and communicated it to the Parliament with whom it found an unanimous and general Reception in regard of the Alliance to be thereupon concluded with the States General and likewise that he was of the same Protestant Religion with England so that the Marriage was soon concluded Presently after four Members of the Commons delivered a Message to the Lords of a Popish Design of Levying an Army of Fifteen thousand in Lancashire and Eight thousand in Ireland and that the main promoters thereof were the Earls of Strafford and Worcester In February Sir Robert Berkly one of the Judges about Ship-money was accused of High Treason and committed Prisoner to the Black Rod. In this Month the King passed that Act for a Triennial Parliament and to let them know what value he put upon this great favour his Majesty told the Two Houses That hitherto they had gone on in those things which concerned themselves and now he expected they should proceed upon what concerned him The King then likewise signed the Bill of Subsidies which gave them such universal content that Sir Edward Littleton Lord Keeper was ordered To return the Humble Thanks of Both Houses to his Majesty at Whitehall Upon which there were Bonefires and Bells ringing in and about London in the same manner as formerly upon granting the Petition of Right March 1 1640
Archbishop Laud upon an Accusation of High Treason by the Commons was committed to the Tower And now Episcopacy it self was called in question and though the Lord Digby made a witty and weighty Speech in Defence of it and Archbishop Usher gave his Judgment for the Moderation and Emendation of it and the Liturgy not the Extirpation thereof yet the Wings of Episcopacy were shrewdly clipt for March 10 the Commons Voted That no Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star Chamber nor be concerned in any Temporal matters and that no Clergy-man should be a Justice of Peace Upon Monday March 26 1640. the Earl of Straffords Tryal began in Westminster-hall the King Queen and Prince being present and the Commons likewise being there as a Committee at the managing their Accusation the Earl of Arundel was Lord High Steward and the Earl of Lindsey Lord High Constable the Earl of Strafford though he had but short warning yet had gotten his Defence ready against the time The Accusation was managed by Mr. Pym consisting of Twenty eight Articles to most of which the Earl made Particular Replies But the Commons were resolved to prosecute him to the utmost and had therefore procured the Parliament of Ireland to prosecute him there also as guilty of High Treason which being unexpectedly produced extorted from the Earl this passionate Expression That there was a Conspiracy against him to take away his Life At which the Commons cryed out against him That standing Impeached of High Treason he durst accuse the Parliament of two Kingdoms of Conspiracy against him But besides all these certain notes were produced against him which were taken by Sir H. Vane in a close Committee of select Counsellors whom the King had chosen to consult about his second Expedition against the Scots out of which it was alledged against the Earl That he had given the King advice to borrow an Hundred thousand pound of the City of London To levy Ship-money rigorously and that his Majesty having tryed the Affections of his People was absolved and loosed from all Rules of Government and might do what power would admit and having an Army in Ireland might imploy it for the reducing of this Kingdom which he was sure could not hold out five months And London being full of the Nobility the Commission of Array was to be set on foot and all Opposers thereof to be severely dealt with To this the Earl replyed That he conceived it lawful for a Privy Counsellor to have freedom of Voting with others and as to the matter of the English Army he thought that the single Testimony of one man Secretary Vane was not of Validity in Law much less in Life and Death and that the Depositions of Secretary Vane was doubtful as appeared by several Examinations and that there were present at the Debate but eight Privy Counsellors whereof two were not to be produced and four others declared upon their Honours that they never heard him speak those words or any like them and lastly that if he had spoken them which he yet granted not that the word This Kingdom could not imply England the debate being concerning Scotland there being not the least intention of Landing the Irish Army in England and concluded his Defence with telling the Lords that he was accused as guilty of Treason for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Land but it seemed strange to him that it should be Treason together which was not Treason in any part and lastly desired the Lords to consider how their own Priviledges and other Ministers of State would suffer by his Condemnation The Commons must now justifie their Charge by Law to which end they produced the Salvo annexed to the Stat. of 25 Ed. 3. The words were these Because all particular Treasons could not be then defined therefore what the Parliament should declare to be Treason in time to come should be punished as Treason And so this Salvo was to be the Ground work of the Bill of Attainder This being a point of Law the Earl had Council allowed him who answered on his behalf That the Statute which they cited was but a Declarative and a Penal Law awd would no way admit of such Consequential and Inferential Constructions and that this Salvo was repealed by an Act of Parliament in the Sixth of Henry the fourth And so the Court Adjourned without prefixing any time of Meeting for the Commons proceeded to dispatch their Bill of Attainder and April 19 1641 they Voted the Earl Guilty of High Treason upon the Evidence of Secretary Vane and his Notes And upon the 25th they passed the Bill and sent to the Lords for their Concurrence to whom it seemed at first so perplext a business that the Commons were forced to send Mr. Saint John the Kings Sollicitor to confer with them about it who gave them such satisfaction that thence forward they shewed greater propensity to the Earls Condemnation In the mean time the Commons petitioned the King 1. To remove all Papists from Court. 2. For disarming of them generally throughout the Kingdom 3. For disbanding the Irish Army To which the King answered 1. They all knew what Legal Trust the Crown hath in that particular therefore he shall not need to say any thing to assure them that he shall use it so as there shall be no just cause of scandal 2. As for the second he is content it shall be done by Law And for the last he had entred into Consultation about it finding many difficulties therein and doth so wish the disbanding of all Armies as he did conjure them speedily and heartily to joyn with him in disbanding those two here Scots and English The House of Commons having finished their Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford and the King fearing the Conclusion and being willing to do some good Office to him His Majesty May 1 1641 calls both Houses together and in a Speech tells them That he had been present at the hearing of that great Cause and that in his Conscience positively he could not condemn him of High Treason and yet could not clear him of misdemeanours but hoped a way might be found out to satisfie Justice and their fears without oppressing his Conscience And so he dismissed them to their great discontent which was propagated so far that May 3. near a Thousand Citizens most of them armed with Swords Cudgels and Staves came thronging down to Westminster crying out for Justice against the Earl of Strafford especially applying themselves to the Earl of Montgomery Lord Chamberlain by whose perswasions and promises their fury was partly abated However they posted upon the Gate at Westminster a List of the Names of those who would have acquitted the Earl whom they stiled Staffordians The Parliament being Informed that some endeavours were used to raise a Disgust in the English Northern Army against their Proceedings they now enter into a National
Protestation to maintain with Life Power and Estate the True Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations Which was ordered to be printed and published through the Kingdom May 5. The Lords acquainted the Commons That they thought it the safest course to lay by the Bill of Attainder because it brought in the King for Judge And the next day they debated the several Articles of his Impeachment and voted the Earl guilty of High Treason upon Two of them that is the 15th For Levying of moneys in Ireland by force in a Warlike manner And the 16th For Imposing an Oath upon the Subjects of Ireland The Commons had now finished a Bill For the Continuance of the Parliament which having passed the Lords was tendred to the King to be signed together with the Bill of Attainder His Majesty answered That on Monday following he would satisfie them and on the Sunday before the King spent the whole day in consulting about the Earl of Strafford with the Judges and Bishops The Judges told him That in point of Law according to the Oath made by Sir H. Vane of the Earls advice to raise Horse to awe this Nation he was guilty of Treason In the evening the Five Bishops viz. of Armagh London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle were called in to the King to satisfie his Conscience about it who all agreed That the King might shew mercy without any scruple and that he could not condemn the Earl if he did not think him Guilty This was to matter of Fact but as to matter of Law He was to rest in the Opinion of the Judges Monday May 10. The King gives Commission to several Lords to pass Two Bills one the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford The other For Continuing the Parliament during the pleasure of both Houses Which last Act was occasioned for satisfying the Scots who required Vast Sums of Money and for disbanding both the Armies whereby great Taxes were laid upon the People by Act of Parliament which could not possibly be levied in a short time and therefore there needed a present Supply from the City of London who as it was alledged would not part with their money least a Dissolution of the Parliament should happen before payment upon which Account the King was pressed to pass this Act. The same day the Bill was passed against the Earl of Strafford the King sent Sir Dudley Carlton Secretary of State to acquaint the Earl with what was done and the motives thereto whereat the Earl was greatly astonisht but the next day the King being troubled writes a Letter with his own hand to the House of Lords and sent it by the Prince of Wales telling them That whereas Justice had been satisfied in his Condemnation an intermixture of mercy would not now be unseasonable and therefore he desired them that if it might be done without any discontent to the People the Earl might be permitted to fulfil the Natural Course of his Life in close Imprisonment sequestred from all Publick Affairs provided he never attempted to make an Escape however he thought it a work of Charity to repreive him till Saturday But nothing could be obtained in favour of him but that the Lords said Their Intention was to be suitors to His Majesty to shew favour to his innocent Children and that whatever provision himself had made for them it might be confirmed Some Designs were said to have been laid for his Escape however May 12 1641 the Earl of Strafford was conveyed from the Tower by a Guard consisting of the Trained Bands Marshals men Sheriffs Officers and Warders of the Tower Before him went his Gentleman-Usher bare headed and he himself followed accompanied with the Archbishop of Armagh and others As he went along he passed by Arch-bishop Lauds Lodging and spying him at the Window he called to him for his Prayers and his Blessing but the Bishop at the sight of him was so surpriz'd that for some time he could not recollect himself and being reprehended by his Friends of an undecent Pusillanimity He Replyed That he doubted not but when that bitter Cup should come to his turn he should taste it with a most Christian Courage The Earl being come to the Scaffold upon Tower-hill addrest himself to the Arch-bishop of Armagh to this Effect That he was come to pay the laâ—â— Debt he owed to Sin with a good hope of rising agaiâ— to Righteousness That he dyed willingly forgave alâ— and submitted to Justice He professed himself guiltless as to the matter for which he dyed He wished aâ—â— prosperity to the King and People and acquitted him from the guilt of his death as having acted thereiâ— no otherwise then as constrained He advised his Adversaries to repent of their Violent Proceedings againâ—â— him and telling them that he thought it a strange waâ— to write in Blood the beginning of Reformation and Settlement of the Kingdom However he wished that hiâ— Blood might rest and not cry against them He declared He died in the Faith of the Church of England for whose happiness he prayed and concluded his Speech with intreating the Spectators to pray for him After which he kneeled down to Prayer and rising up again took his last leave of his Brother Sir George Wentworth and all his Friends sending his Love to his Wife and his Blessing to his Children with a most strict Injunction to His Onely Son Never to meddle with the Patrimony of the Church And theâ— giving the sign to the Executioner his head waâ— severed from his body at the first stroke This was the end of that Great and Able Minister of State who is reported when he heard the King had consented to the Bill of Attainder to have lift up his Eyes to Heaven and clapping his hand upon his heart to have cried out perhaps in immitation of Cardinal Woolseys Complaint Put not your Trust in Princes nor in the Sons of Men for in them is no Salvation And indeed it seemed very hard that he shou'd be made guilty of High Treason by a Bill framed on purpose without former President and to which His Majesties Consent was in a manner extorted and which he afterward bewailed with great remorse of Conscience though it is said the King was not so much convinced by any thing said to him but the chief Motive was a Letter from the Earl wherein he thus concluded Sir To set your Majesty's Conscience at Liberty I do most humbly beseech you for the Preventing of such mischiefs as may happen by your refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove praised be God I cannot say this accursed but this Unfortunate Thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall forever establish between You and Your Subjects My consent herein shall more acquit you to God then all the world can do beside To a willing man there is no injury
done His Character is Expressed by the King his Master in his Eikon Basilike who said He looked upon the Earl of Strafford as a Gentleman whose great Abilities might make a Prince rather afraid than ashamed to Imploy him in the greatest Affairs of State The fall of this powerful man so startled other great Officers of State that several resigned their places About the same time some discontents arose between the Parliament and the English Army in the North but a while after both Armies were disbanded The payment of Tonnage and Poundage had been much questioned since 1628 but now the King at the request of the Commons was content to relinquish his Claim to it and afterward pasied a Bill for Pole-money and two others for putting down the Star chamber and High Commission Courts which had proceeded with too much severity having so far out grown the power of the Law that they would not be limited nor guided by it July 5. A Charge was brought into the House of Commons against Dr. Wren Bishop of Ely being accused of some Treasonable Misdemeanors in his Diocess who thereupon Voted him unworthy and unfit to hold or exercise any Office or Dignity in Church or State and desired the Lords to join with them to request the King for his Removal from his service and so he was committed to the Tower and about the same time the Writs for Ship money and all the Proceedings therein were by the Kings consent adjudged void and 5. of the Judges that gave their Opinions for it were Impeached of high misdemeanors that is Bramston Trevor Weston Davenport and Crawly and Berkly another of the Judges was accused for Treason but no further prosecution was made therein August 6. Both the English and Scotch Armies were disbanded and four-days after the King went toward Scotland and was entertained with great demonstrations of Affection by that Nation and conferred several Places of Honour and Power upon divers of them confirming likewise the Treaty between the two Nations by Act of Parliament October 23 1641. A Horrid and Notorious Rebellion broke out in Ireland which was managed with such secrecy that it was not discovered till the night before it was to have been put in Execution which was in divers places carried on with such fury that Two hundred thousand English Men Women and Children were in a short space barbarously murdered by all manner of most cruel torments that their Devlish minds could invent And this was chiefly occasioned by the Instigation of the Irish Popish Priests Monks and Fryers who every where declaimed loudly against the Protestants saying That they were Hereticks and not to be suffered any longer to live amongst them That it was no more sin to kill one of them then to kill a dog and that it was a mortal and unpardonable sin to relieve or protect any of them Yea the Priests gave the Sacrament to divers of the Irish upon Condition they should spare neither Man Woman nor Child of the Protestants saying That it did them a great deal of good to wash their hands in their blood and that they were worse than Dogs and if any of them died in the Quarrel before their bodies were cold their souls should be in Heaven without ever calling in at Purgatory by the way This bloody Rebellion happened in a time wherein the Irish had all the Priviledges and Liberty they could reasonably expect and the ancient hatred which the Irish had born to the English did now seem to be forgotten Forty Years of Peace having compacted and cemented them together both by Alliances and Marriages which were all now miserably broken and destroyed The Castle of Dublin wherein were Ten thousand Arms and all other Forts and Magazines in the Kingdom were to have been surprized and all the English Protestants that would not joyn with them were to be murdered but the seizing of the Castle was happily prevented by one Owen Conally from some discourse accidentally in a Tavern with one Hugh Mac Mahon Grandson to the Great Earl of Tyrone the night before the intended Execution Upon this Discovery Mac Mahon and Lord Mac-Guire were seized by the Lord Chief Justices of Ireland and many Principal Conspirators escaped that night out of Dublin so was Dublin saved that all Ireland might not be lost in one day But the horrid Design was past prevention as to the General for the Conspirators were in Arms at the day appointed in all the Counties round about and poor English Protestants daily arrived there robbed and spoiled of all they had giving lamentable Relations how their Houses were seized the Towns and Villages fired and in all parts all manner of cruel Outrages and Villanies committed The Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace taking those Arms which they found in Dublin and Arming whom they could to defend themselves sent Sir Henry Spotswood to the King then in Scotland with an Account of all that happened who dispatched Sir James Stuart with Instructions to the Lords of the Privy Council in Ireland and to carry all the Money his present Stores would supply He likewise moved the Parliament of Scotland as being nearest for their assistance but they excused it because Ireland was a dependant upon the Crown of England but if the State of England would use any of their men for that service they would make Propositions in order to it At the same time likewise the King sent Post to the Parliament of England and a while after Owen O Conally the First Discoverer of the Plot came to London and brought Letters to the Earl of Leicester who was chosen Deputy but not yet gone over wherein the Lords Justices desired some Reward might be given him upon which the Parliament Voted him a Gift of 500 l. and an Annuity of 200 l. a year and at a Conference of both Houses they passed several Votes for the Relief of Ireland yet little was done till the Kings return from Scotland which was about the end of November The Irish to dishearten the English from any resistance bragged That the Queen was with their Army That the King would come amongst them also and asist them That they did but maintain his Cause against the Puritans That they had the Kings Commission for what they did shewing indeed a Patent themselves had drawn but thereto was affixed an Old Broad Seal which had been taken from an Ancient Patent out of Farnham Abby by one Plunket in the presence of many of their Lords and Priests as was afterwards attested by the Confession of several That the Scots were in the Confederacy with them And to seem to confirm this last they abstained for some time from destroying the Estates or murdering any of that Nation And on the otherside to incourage the Irish they produced pretended Letters wherein they said they were informed from England That the Parliament had passed an Act all the Irish should be compelied to the Protestant worship
King as not willing to have them too strong yet promised to take such care for their security from Violence as he would for the preservation of Himself and Children and if this general Assurrnce would not suffice to remove those Apprehensions he would command such a Guard to wait upon them as he would be responsible for to Almighty God This Answer being unsatisfactory the City joyn with them and in their Common Council drew up a Petition complaining That the Trade of the City was decayed to the utter Ruin of the Protestant Religion and the Lives and Liberties of the Subjects by the Designs of Papists Foreigners and Domesticks more particularly their fomenting the Irish Rebellion by changing the Constable of the Tower and making preparations there By the fortifying of White-hall and his Majesties late Invasion of thâ— House of Commons Whereupon they pray Thaâ— by the Parliaments Advice the Protestants in Ireland may be relieved the Tower to be put into hands of Persons of Trust a Guard appointed for the safety of thâ— Parliament and that the Five Members may not be restrained nor proceeded against but by the Priviledges of Parliament And besides this The King riding into London the Citizens in multitudes flockeâ— about his Coach beseeching him To agree with his Parliament and not to violate their Priviledges To their Petition the King returned Answer That he could not express a greater sense of Ireland that he had done That meerly to satisfie the City he had removed a worthy Person from the charge of the Tower and that the late Tumults had caused him to fortifie White-hall for the security of his own Person That his going to the House of Commons was to apprehend those five Members for Treason to which the Priviledges of Parliament could not extend and that yet he would proceed against them no otherwise than legally And now such numbers of ordinary People daily gathered about Westminster and White-hall that the King doubting of their Intentions thought fit to with-draw to Hampton Court taking with him the Queen Prince and Duke of York where he and his Retinue and Guard quickly increased by accession of divers of the Gentry But the next day the Five Members were triumphantly guarded to Westminster by a great number of Citizens and Seamen with hundreds of Boats and Barges with Guns in them shouting and hallowing as they passed by White-hall and making large Protestations at Westminster of their constant fidelity and adherence to the Parliament About this time the Parliament had notice the Lord Digby and Collonel Lunsford were raising Troops of Horse at Kingston where the County Magazine was lodged whereupon they order That the County Sheriffs Justices of Peace and the Trained Bands shall take care to secure the Countreys and their Magazine and suppress all unlawful Assemblies Lunsford was seized and sent to the Tower but Digby escaped beyond Sea The King removed to Royston at which time Sir Edward Harbert Attorney General is questioned at the Lords Bar to answer concerning the Articles against the Five Members where it had gone hard with him if the King at his earnest Supplication had not taken him off by a Letter to the Lord Keeper Littleton who succeeded L. Finch wherein the King clears the Attorney General and takes the whole business upon himself yet concludes That finding cause wholly to desist from proceeding against the Persons Accused he had commanded his Attorney General to proceed no further therein nor to produce nor discover any proof concerning the same And so this Breach between the King and Parliament seemed at present to be made up At this time the Scots having a considerable Interest in their Britttish Plantations in Ireland make Proposals for Transporting 2500 Souldiers thither which were accepted by both Houses and afterward consented to by the King after which the Scotch Commissioners interposed their Meditation for composing the differences between the King and Parliament which were now grown to too great an height for which Mr. Pym was ordered by the Commons to give them the thanks of the House January 20. The King sends a Message to the Parliament proposing the security of his own just Rights and Royal Authority and That since particular Grievances and Distractions were too many and would be too great to be presented by themselves that they would comprize and digest them into one entire body and send them to him and it should then appear how ready he would be to equal or exceed the greatest Examples of the most Iudulgent Princes in their Acts of Grace and Favour to the People After this the Commons move the Lords to joyn with them in Petitioning for the Militia and the Command of the Tower but they not complying the House of Commons singly of themselves Importune the King to put those things into the hands of the Parliament as the only available means for removal of their Fears and Jealousies But the King not willing to part with the Principal Jewels of his Crown signified to them That he thought the Militia to be lawfully subject to no command but his own and therefore would not let it out of his hands That he had preferred to the Lieutenancy of the Tower a Person of known Fortune and unquestionable Reputation and that he would prefer none but such to the command of his Forts and Castles yet would not intrust the power of conferring those Places and Dignities from himself being derived to him from his Ancestors by the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom Yet the Commons would not desist but again petitioned and were again refused Soon after divers Petitions were delivered to the Parliament against the Votes of Popish Lords and Bishops in the House of Peers as one from Suffolk with 1500 and another from the Londoners with 2000 hands and a Third from the City Dames All which were Answered That the Commons had already endeavoured Relief from the Lords in their Requests and should so continue till Redress were obtained And shortly after the Lords passed the Bill For disabling all Persons in Holy Orders to have any Place or Vote in Parliament or to exercise any Temporal Jurisdiction At the same time they petition the King again for the Militia and for clearing Kimbolton and the Five Members by his Answer to both which they understood his Resolution Not to intrust the Militia out of himself nor to clear the Members but only by a General Pardon which was unsatisfactory The King now at Hampton Court thought fit to send for all his Domestick Servants of either House of Parliament and particularly the Earls of Essex and Holland but they refused to come excusing themselves with The necessity of performing their duties in Parliament and discharging the Trust reposed in them For which they were put from their Places at Court The Lord Digby about this time sent Three Letters from Middleburg in Zealand where he was fled out of England one to the Queen and two others to Secretary
Leg with the Kings own hand with the Direction signed C. R. The business of the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members The suspicious designing a Guard about his Person and under hand promoting the Irish Rebellion The ordering Sir John Pennington to land the Lord Digby beyond Sea from thence to alienate the King from his Parliament and to procure Forreign Forces for his Assistance which now said they appeared more credible by reason of his removal with the Prince and the manifold Advertisements from Rome Venice Paris and other parts certifying that the Popes Nuncio had sollicited the Kings of France and Spain to lend his Majesty 4000 Men apeice in reference to some Design against Religion and the Parliament and lastly They desire him to turn away his wicked Councellors and to rely upon his Parliament which if he would do they would sacrifice their Lives Fortunes and utmost endeavours to the Supportation of his Soveraignty After the reading of the Declaration the Lords would have perswaded the King to come near the the Parliament and to grant the Militia for a time which his Majesty refused and told them in short That their Fears and Doubts and Jealousies were such as he would take time to satisfy the whole World of but that his own doubts were not Trivial occasioned by so many Scandalous Pamphlets and Seditious Sermons divers publick Tumults hitherto uninquired into and unpunished and sometime after the King published a Declaration to the People in Answer to theirs the sum of which was That he had no evil Councellors about him but leaves such to their censure where they should find them That he desired the Judgments of Heaven might be manifested upon those who had any design against the Protestant Profession That the Scottish Troubles were buried in perpetual silence by the Act of Oblivion and passed in Parliaments of both Kingdoms That they charging him with any inclining to the Irish Rebels was a high and causless injury to his Royal Reputation That he never intended to exasperate the late Army or in any wise to use them against the Parliament That Captain Leg's Petition was brought to him subscribed by the Officers of the Army desiring that the Parliament might not be hindred from reforming the Church and State to the Model of Queen Elizabeths days and was advantageous to them And to assure Sir Jacob Ashly of his Opinion therein he writ C. R. That the Lord Digby and Mr. Jermin neither were at White-hall nor had any Warrant from him after the Restraint That he had given sufficient Answer about Kimbolton and the five Members That the care of his own safety caused him to raise a Guard at White-hall and to receive the Loyal Tender which the Gentlemen of the Inns of Court did make him of their Service And that he looked upon their Forreign Advertisements by them mentioned as meerly wild and irrational The King goes further Northward whilst the Parliament Voted the Ordinance for Defence of the Kingdom not to be prejudicial to the Oath of Allegiance but to be obeyed as the Fundamental Laws and that the Kings Commands for Lieutenancy over the several Counties were illegal and void but he coming to Huntington sends them a Message March 15. That he intends to make his Residence at York and desires them to hasten their Succours for Ireland and not upon any pretence of Order or Ordinance to which he is not a Party of the Militia or any other thing to Do or Execute against the Laws which he himself was to keep and his Subjects to obey declaring his Subjects not to be obliged to obey any Act Order or Injunction to which he hath not given consent In answer to which they resolve That the absence of the King so far from his Parliament was destructive to the Relief of Ireland and therefore all those Councellors which advised him to it are to be suspected as Favourers of that bloody Rebellion as likewise those who perswaded his Majesty to question or contradict their Votes which was a high breach of Priviledge of Parliament March 16. The King at Stamford published a Proclamation for putting the Laws in Execution against Popish Recusants and from thence he goes to York and there March 24 Repeals his Grant for passing the Bill against Tonnage and Poundage of June 22 last past commanding the payment thereof for the future according to the Act of the First of King James and so this year ended It was now the year 1642 and the 18th of his Majesties Reign when a fresh Difference arose for the Earl of Northumberland Admiral of England being indisposed the King ordered Sir John Pennington Vice Admiral to take the charge of the Summer Fleet for the Narrow Seas but the Parliament earnestly desired that it might be conferred upon the Earl of Warwick but were refused by the King to their great distaste During the Assizes at York the Gentry Ministers and Freeholders of that County presented a Petition to the King to endeavour an Agreement with the Parliament who advises them to apply themselves to the Parliament for the good of all And next day he sends a Message to the Houses That he intended to raise his Guard out of the Counties near Chester Two thousand Foot and Two hundred Horse to be supplied with Arms from the Magazine at Hull upon taking the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance That if the Parliaments Undertaking for the Irish War would not suffice to defray the Charges of raising and paying them he would pawn or sell his Land or Houses desiring them withal to quicken their Levies for Munster and Connaught as the Scots already did theirs of Ulster and offers his Person against the Rebels The Parliament having for some time mistrusted the Kings going North to be intended for seizing the Magazine at Hull endeavoured to prevent it declaring their suspicion of his design to raise an Army and therefore pray That it might be removed from thence to the Tower of London as a place of more safety and easier transport for Ireland and that the Repreive for the popish priests in Newgate may be recalled and they executed And to make all sure Sir John Hotham a Member of the House of Commons is sent down to take upon him the Government of that place who by his sudden coming thither prevented the Earl of New-castle who was designed by the King to be Governor thereof so that when the King came to Hull in Person with his Guard consisting of Lords and Gentlemen April 23. 1642 he finds the Gates shut upon him and the Bridges drawn up but from the Wall Hotham appears and upon his knees intreats his Majesty Not to command that which without the breach of his Trust he could not yeild obedience to Whereupon the King finding his entrance prevented caused Hotham instantly to be proclaimed Traytor and by Letters to the Parliament complained of that Indignity and required satisfaction but they justified him therein and sent a
Committee of the Lords and Commons to reside there for the better securing the Garrison to them and gave the Governor power to raise the Trained Bands for his defence after which the King hearing that the Parliament had raised a Guard of themselves without his consent and reflecting upon the business of Hotham he summoned the Gentry of Yorkshire to a Meeting and acquainted them That his Magazine at Hull was going to be taken from him against his will the Militia against the Law and his consent put in execution and Sir John Hothams Treason countenanced so that he was resolved to have a Guard to secure his person in which he desired their assistance that he might be able to protect them the Laws and the true Protestant Religion from violation or injury The King had hereby indifferently strengthened himself and more had come in had not those Members of Parliament who came to the King at York prevailed with some of the Free-holders to protest against it And the Parliament declare That the Subjects unless bound to it by special Service could not be commanded to attend the King at his pleasure without transgressing against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom And that whosoever upon pretence of his Majesties Command shall take up Arms in a warlike manner shall be esteemed disturbers of the peace and to be proceeded against accordingly In the mean while Sir Thomas Gardiner who had been Recorder of London for six years being Impeached by the Parliament and in danger of hanging was glad to shift for himself and by flight escaped to the King at which time his Majesty endeavoured to have removed the Term from London to York but was much opposed therein by the Parliament who Voted it Illegal and forbid the L. Keeper to issue out Writs or Seal any Proclamation to that purpose The Parliament now proceed to put the people into a Military posture requiring all Persons in Authority to put the late Ordinance of the Militia in Execution which the King by his Proclamation forbids but for the Peoples satisfaction the Parliament publish'd a severe Declaration to the same Effect as their former Remonstrance only this was added That the King at his being in Scotland had countenanced the Irish in their Rebellious Designs and that his connivance was manifested by his tedious with-holding the Proclamation whereby they were declared Traytors till Jan. 2. being almost a Quarter of a Year after the breaking out of the Rebellion and then had appointed but forty Copies to be printed none of them to be published without his pleasure signified whereas his Proclamations against the Scots had been dispersed throughout all the Kingdom with publick Prayers and Execrations The King makes a speedy Answer hereunto not much differing from what he had said before yet tells them That as to the business of the Irish his Council in Ireland had desired them no sooner nor so many Copies by twenty as he had Signed and and sent them His Majesty had written a Letter to his Privy Council of Scotland to take away from them all suspicion of those Imputations so frequently laid to his Charge of being Popishly affected to be guilty of the bloodshed in Ireland and to bring in Forreign Forces Wherewith they seemed so satisfied that they returned a most respectful Answer and presently interposed their Mediation to heal the Breach before it grew wider humbly desiring the King to hearken to his Parliament as his greatest his best and most unparallel'd Council and discouraging him from any personal Journey into Ireland This Message was sent by the Earl of Lowden Chancellor of Scotland and after this the Scots Petition to the Kings Privy Council there Not to meddle with any verbal or real Engagement for the King against the Parliament Hereupon the English Parliament publish a Protestation wherein they vindicate their own proceedings and declare the great sense they had of the Affection of their Scotish Brethren manifested unto them in so many particulars and more especially the mentioned Petition The Earl of Bristol an Old Experienced Statesman prudently foresaw that such unhappy beginings must necessarily have a very bad Issue therefore earnestly endeavoured an Accommodation by stating the Case in the House of Lords representing the Offers of the King on the one side and the Professions of the Parliament on the other and likewise the dreadful Effects of a Civil War then likely to ensue by the Example of the woful Desolations in Germany and the expensive Troubles in Scotland and then proposes some methods for preventing these dangers as 1. That a select Committee of Parliament should truly state the matters in difference with the most probable ways of reconciling them 2. To consider particularly what may be expected either in point of supporting the King or releiving his People And lastly how the Conditions agreed upon may be secured And to shew the necessity of this course he discovers the deplorable State of Ireland the debts and necessities of the Crown the distractions which were likely to produce confusion of Religion most dangerous and destructive to a State besides the general Distraction of the Subjects who between Commands and Countermands knew not whom to obey This was admitted as good and solid Reason but Divine Justice would not so permit the Sins of the English Nation to go unpunished and the L. Bristols Speech though well received yet proved ineffectual In the mean time the Kings Guard increases at York which the House Voted a preparation for War against the Parliament a Breach of the Trust reposed in him by his People and that all such as serve him there are Traitors to the Laws of the Kingdom as the 11 Rich. 2. and the 1 Hen. 3. This was followed by another Declaration or Remonstrance of the misactions of the King and their own Priviledges which the King answers and they again reply to and May 28. the Parliament ordain That all Sheriffs Justices c. make stay of all Arms and Ammunition going to the King at York the King on the other side forbids all Persons belonging to the Trained Bands or Militia of the Kingdom to obey any Order or Ordinance of any of the Houses divers Members of both Houses withdrew themselves to the King as being unsatisfied with their proceedings whereupon the Parliament Ordered That all such as did not make their Personal Appearance by June 16 ensuing should be fined an 100 pounds toward the Irish Wars such only excepted as were imployed by the Parliament They likewise understood that the Queen had pawned the Crown Jewels in Holland for Money to be transported to the King which to prevent him of they order That whoever hath or shall pay lend send or bring any Money in Specie into this Kingdom for or upon those Jewels or accept of any Bill hereafter shall be an Enemy to the State June 2. The Parliament sent to the King Nineteen Proposition 1. That all the Kings Privy
That if he had the least Thoughts of disagreeing with the happiness of this Kingdom he would not advise with such Councellors as they were And so the upper Schools were assigned to the Lords and the Convocation House to the Commons In this Parliament besides the Prince D. of York L. Keeper Littleton Treasurer Cottington D. of Richmond and Marquess of Hartford there were 19 Earls and as many Lords and 117 Knights and Gentlemen and afterwards 5 Lords and 23 Gentlemen more came to them The first thing they fell upon was to consider of means for effecting a Peace to which end a Letter was written to the E. of Essex and subsigned by all their hands who returned no answer but sent it to the Parliament at Westminster Jan. 16. 1643. The Scots Army entred England by the way of Newcastle being 18000 Foot and 2000 Horse under Gen. Levens For assisting the Parliament in pursuance of the Solemn League and Covenant and declaring the Justness of their Cause which they profess to be Reformation of Religion Honour of the King and Peace of the Kingdoms and that the main end of their coming is to rescue the King from his pernicious Counsellors The Parliament caresse the Scots Army and impower them to assess for themselves the Twentieth part of all Malignants Estates as they called them in the North besides what other Counties were assessed for them But the E. of Newcastle is marching to give them rougher entertainment and the L. Fairfax sent his Son Sir Thomas against him Sir John Mâ—ldrum with 700 men besieged Newarks and is blockt up by Prince Rupert whereupon they parleyed and upon Articles were suffered to march away leaving their Match Bullet Powder Cannon and all other Fire-Arms behind them In the mean time Matters are preparing for Scotland by James Marquss of Montro's who had formerly sided with the Covenanters but now the King understanding he had really forsaken them gives him a Commission to be General Governor of Scotland and orders him Forces to go into the heart of that Kingdom for a diversion to the Scots In the year 1644. the Twentieth of his Majesties Reign Sir Will. Waller defeats the L. Hoptons Forces and takes Winchester and Oliver Cromwell was made Governor of Ely Beudly is surprized by Coll. Fox for the Parliament and the Garrisons of Selby and Heintough are taken by the L. Fairfax and his Son Prince Rupert raiseth the siege at Latham House The King at this time in the presence of the Peers at Oxford received the Sacrament at Christs Church at the hands of Bishop Vsher where he used these solemn Protestations My Lords I espy here many resolved Protestants who declare to the world the Resolution I do now make I have to the utmost of my power prepared my Soul to become a worthy Receiver and may I so receive comfort by the Blessed Sacrament as I do intend the establishment of the True Reformed Protestant Religion as it stood in its beauty in the happy days of Q. Elizabeth without any connivance at Popery I bless God that in the midst of these Publick Distractions I have still Liberty to communicate and may this Sacrament be my damnation if my heart do not joyn with my lips in this Protestation The Parliament at Westminster Voted it Treason for any Member or Member of either House to desert them and to go to the King and they never to be received again The King marcheth out of Oxford and iâ— followed by Essex and Waller he defeats Waller at Cropredy-Bridge and Essex is blockt up by the Kings Forces in Cornwall and July 4th the King sends several Letters to the Parliament about a Treaty of Peace Sept. 12. the Parliament at Oxford Assemble again but falling into Factions and Divisions the King in March following Dissolves them The Earl of Newcastle was besieged in York about two months to whose relief Prince Rupert advanceth Northward with a great Power of Horse and Foot upon whose approach to the City the Beseigers drew off and those within sally out upon their Rear the E. of Newcastle being thus relieved joyns with P. Rupert resolving to follow the Parliamentarians and give them battle which accordingly they did upon a Plain called Marston-Moor where about 9000 men were slain for the Royalists having near routed the Parliaments Army pursued the Chace so far that the Victory was snatcht out of their hands and the Parliament obtained an entire Victory after 3 hours Fight resolutely maintained on both sides After which York was delivered up to the Parliament and they soon became Masters of all the North and Levens the Scotch General takes Newcastle After this Battel which was the greatest both for the fierceness of it and for the number of Souldiers on both sides P. Rupert goes into Lancashire but the E. of Neweastle lately made Marquess with his two Sons and his brother Sir Charles Cavendish General King the Lord Falconbridge the Lord Widdrington the Earl of Cranworth the Bishop of London-derry Sir Edward Widdrington Coll. Carnaby Col. Basset Col. Mouson Sir William Vavasor Sir Francis Mackworth with about eighty other persons upon some discontent refused to engage any further in the Kings Cause and went over to Hamburgh New Levies are now made by the Parliament and 〈◊〉 Attempts were made by the Parliamentarians upon Dennington Castle but in vain The Queen goâ—ng from Oxford to Exeter was there delivered of a daughter June 16 1644. who was called Henrietta Maria and afterward went from thence to Pendenâ—is Castle in Cornwall where she embarqued for France and did not return again to England till His present Majesties Happy Restoration in 1660. Banbury Castle is relieved by Sir William Compton having been besieged about 11 weeks by the Parâ—iamens Forces Coll. Myn is defeated by Massy near Glocester and himself slain and about 170 Officers and Souldiers taken Prisoners Prince Rupert sending 500 Horse and Foot to fortifie Beachly in order to his going to Ashferry they are routed by Massey who soon after takes Monmouth Town Newberry seemed to be a Place destined for Martial exploits for October 27. another great Battel was fought there between the Kings party and the Parliaments under Essex Waller and Manchester wherein the Royalists were worsted and between 4 and 5000 men slain on both sides Novemb. 19. Monmouth is retaken by the Kings Forces December 23. Sir Alexander Carew was beheaded for endeavouring to deliver up the Island of Plymouth to the Kings Forces Two Principal Irish Rebels the L. Macguire and Mac-mahon had been sent from Ireland and imprisoned in the Tower from whence they made their escape but being retaken and Tryed were found guilty of High Treason and were both Drawn Hang'd and Quartered at Tyburn though Macguire pleaded his Priviledge to the Lords as a Peer of Ireland Archbishop Laud having been accused by thâ— Parliament in 1640. as the framer of the Canons 〈◊〉 Convocation and other Delinquencies and thâ— Scots joyning him and the