required upon the Certificate of the Judge or Two or more Justices of the Peace before whom such persons shall be convicted of such Apprehension and Conviction to pay unto the Person or Persons who shall apprehend such Offendors the Reward aforesaid within the i me aforesaid out of His Majesties Monies received by such Sheriff or Sheriffs in that County where such Conviction shall be which shall be allow'd unto him or them upon his or their accounts in the Exchequer And all Lieutenants Deputy Lieutenants Justices of the Peace Mayors Sheriffs Baylies and other Officers and persons whatsoever were required to take notice of the said Order and to be aiding and assisting in all things tending to the Execution of the same as they tender His Majesties displeasure and upon pain of being Proceeded against as Contemners of His Majesties Royal Authority This Christmass the restless and implacable Spirit of the Dissenters appeared again by dispersing in several Places in and about London a most Wicked False and Treasonous Libel relating to the Death of the Late Earl of Essex and upon strict search and enquiry after the Author One Henry Danvers Commonly call'd Colonel Danvers late of Newington in Middlesex appear'd to be the man but being upon the Discovery fled His Majesty was pleased on the 4th of Jan. to command publick Notice to be given That whereas the said Henry Danvers stands accused upon Oath of several Treasonable and Dangerous Practices and is fled from Justice Whoever shall apprehend the said Henry and cause him to be delivered into safe Custody that he may be proceeded against according to Law shall receive a Reward of 100 l. to be forthwith paid by the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury In the beginning of this Hillary Term Sir Scroop How one of the Knights of the Shire for the County of Nottingham in the late Parliaments appear'd in the Kings Bench Court to Answer to an Information for words spoke against His Majesty and Royal Highness which being Read he pleaded Guilty confest his offence with much sorrow and cast himself upon the King ' s and Duke ' s mercy To whom being the next Day introduc'd he was upon his humble Submission received to Grace upon which he acknowledg'd that he owed to his Majesties Goodness his Life and his Estate and that he would for the future dedicate both to the Service of His Majesty and the Royal Family Thus ended the 36th Year of His Majesties Reign in a State of Tranquillity and Peace after so many Terrors Disquiets and Tumults the Remembrance of which as it Magnifies our present Happiness by Comparison of past Troubles so ought we never to forget to pay our due Applause Love and Veneration to the Sacred Memory of our late Gracious Soveraign King Charles the 2d who under God has wrought this Blessed Change A Change by which He render'd His Subjects the most happy People of Europe and himself the most Glorious and Admired Prince of Christendom who by a Conduct truly Royal could reduce a People Plunged and almost overwhelm'd in Confusion into a Quiet not to be expected hardly to be hoped for and by his incomparable Prudence asswage a Faction blown up into a Tempest more Violent Deaf than Winds and Seas In what Words what Deeds can we express a Gratitude equal to such a Merit Statues of Marble and Tryumphal Arches may pay a lesser Debt of Veneration but for this Blessing such are too poor acknowledgments Let all True Englishmen raise him a Better a more lasting and more Worthy Monument a Monument of Grateful Hearts Let us Eternize His Glorious Name through all Generations Let our Applauses last for ever But above all let us express our Love and Esteem for His Memory by our unfained Loyalty true Faith and Allegiance to His most Royal and most Equal Brother the Brother of His Vertues Our present Gratious Soveraign King JAMES the Second whom God grant long to Live and Reign over us to the unspeakable Joy and Comfort of all His Majesties Good Subjects and to the Confusion of His Enemies ☞ Note that the year of our Lord in the running Title is to be supposed to begin according to the Almanack in January and not on the 25th of March. FINIS Errata PAge 15. l. penul r. tacking p. 59. l. 15. r. as was said p. 69. l. 4. r. Leoline p. 113. l. 3. for Bar. r. Court p. 149. l. 20. for Bar. r. Court p. 185. l. 17. f. Proceedings r. Judgment THE TABLE A. ADmiralty Page 198 Addresses Loyal 72 115 175 Ailworth Chamberlain of London 180 Aldermen of London changed 183 Anglesey Earl 153 Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews barbarously Murder'd 53 Argile Earl 129 Armstrong Sir Thomas 200 Arundel Earl 159 Association 93 138 Aston Lord 80 Ayres Captain 147 B. BAntham lost to the Dutch 164 Bedloe William 34 64 86 Bellasis Lord 28 45 47 Best Elias 203 Bethel Slingsby 84 91 Bishops accused unjustly for Papists 47 Whether to sit upon Tryals 52 Bishops in Scotland their Letter to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 141 Black Box 74 Bonfires forbid 77 157 185 Box Ralph 148 152 154 Bristol Artillery Company their Loyal Address 137 Broom Coroner 165 168 C. CAmbridge Vniversity Their Address 139 Can Sir Robert 88 Captain Cheek Lieutenant of the Tower 53 Caryl John 77 Castlemain Earl 77 81 Celier Elizabeth 59 79 86 185 Clarendon Earl 95 194 Coleman Edward 27 34 Colledge Steven 119 120 121 A Comet seen 92 Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Preferments 125 202 Common Council in London Loyal 167 170 Conspiracy against the King and Duke Discover'd 173 Congratulation on the Discovery 175 Coningsmark Count 135 136 Conventicles 129 147 Conwey Lord 99 Cornish Henry 84 91 156 158 D. DAnby Earl 43 44 45 50 51 113 114 193 Dangerfield Thomas 59 79 81 Daniel Peter 180 182 Danvers Henry 206 Dashwood Francis 180 182 Dean Sir Anthony 55 Declaration upon the Dissolution of the Two last Parliaments 109 For a Thanksgiving 179 De Puy 114 Drought Extraordinary 121 Durham City 201 E. EMbassador from Morocco 160 from Bantam 160 Essex Earl 98 177 Exclusion Bill 49 89 93 94 95 99 108 Expedients proposed 47. 107 F. FAsts 11 28 43 Feversham Earl 86 95 Finch Lord Chancellor his excellent Speech in Parliament 16 Dyes 159 Fish Dye 196 Fitzharris Edward 107 110 112 113 117 119 French Protestants come over 124 Frost Remarkable 188 G. GAscoigne Sir Thomas 64 65 Prince George of Denmark Marries the Lady Anne 178 Elected into the Order of the Garter 180 Godfrey Sir Edmundbury 27 29 Godolphin Lord 197 Goodenough Richard 126 Gold Sir Thomas 156 158 Graham Richard 145 Serjeant Gregory Speaker 43 H. HAil Storm Remarkable 75 Hallifax Earl 95 154 Hamden John 186 195 Harris Benjamin 69 Hide Laurence 95 Honours confer'd 160 Holloway James 197 Howard of Escrick Lord 117 118 How Sir Scroop 207 Humphrevile Charles 81 I. JEffreys Sir George 89 116 182 Jenkins Sir Leoline 69 197
January the King was pleas'd to settle the variety of Rumour and by His Proclamation then publisht absolutely to Dissolve this Parliament promising however to Issue out His Writs for a New one by the 6th of March next following Thus ended this Parliament having now been continued by several Prorogations and Adjournments 17 Years Eight Months and 17 Days being first called on the Eighth Day of May Anno Domini 1661. With this great Turn I will conclude my Historical Observations on this 30th Year of His Majestys Reign a Year very remarkable if it were only on the account of the Dissolution of this Parliament but more especially for the beginning of those Troubles and Combustions which lasted for so many Years after in Relation to the Plot. Anno 31. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1679. IN further Prosecution of those matters discover'd the last year Green the Cushion-man at Somerset-house Chappel Berry the Queens Porter there and Hill Dr. Goddens Man were on the 10th day of Feb. tryed at the Kings Bench Bar for the Murther of Sir Edmunbury Godfrey which three being convicted cheifly on the Evidene of Miles Prance a Goldsmith were found guilty and having on the next day received sentence of Condemnation to be hang'd for the said Murder Green and Hill were Executed accordingly at Tyborn Feb. 21. But Berry was reprieved for a Week longer all three denying the Fact in as positive terms as could be the last dying a Protestant of which Perswasion he had formerly been before he entred into the Queens service About this time it was that Sir Joseph Williamson quitted his Office of Secretary of State to the Earl of Sunderland To conclude the Transactions of this Month The King Directed the following Letter to the Duke of York Whitehall Feb. 28. 1678. I Have already given you my Resolves at large why I think it fit that you should absent your self for some time beyond the Seas As I am truly sorry for the occasion so may you be sure I shall never desire it longer than it will be absolutely necessary for your good and my Service In the mean time I think it proper to give it you under my Hand that I expect this Compliance from you and desire it may be as soon as conveniently you can You may easily believe with what trouble I write this to you there being nothing I am more sensible of than the constant kindness you have ever had for me I hope you are as just to Me to be assured That no absence nor any thing else can ever change me from being truly and kindly Yours C. R. And accordingly in pursuance of His Majesties pleasure within few days after this the Duke Duchess and Family leave the Kingdom and retired for a while to the Hague and from thence to Brussels And now the Parliament which had been called according to the Kings promise on the Dissolution of the last meet at the appointed 6th day of March The Kings Speech contained That in order to the uniting the minds of His Subjects both to Himself and to one another He had excluded the Popish Lords from their Seats in Parliament Caused the Execution of several men both for the Plot and Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Disbanded as much of the Army as he could get Mony to do Above all That He hath commanded his Brother to absent himself That so all colour may be taken from malicious men of pretending any influence of Popish Councils That He proposes by this means to see whether the Protestant Religion and the Peace of the Kingdom be as truly aimed at by others as they are really intended by Him if so they the Members of Parliament will lay aside all private animosities and employ their time upon the great Concerns of the Nation That he will not cease to make further search into the Plot and the Murder of Sir Edmunbury Godfrey for which he desires the assistance of both Houses That he has ordered the Penal Laws to be Executed against Papists Desires their assistance in raising Supplys for Disbanding the Army and paying off the Fleet and that they would some way make up the loss He has sustain'd by the Prohibition of French Wines and Brandy which turns only to His prejudice and the great advantage of the French That it is necessary to have a Fleet at Sea since our Neighbours are making Naval Preparations That a Constant establishment might be made for the Navy And concludes with His earnest desires to have this a healing Parliament Assuring them to defend with his life the Protestant Religion and the Laws of the Kingdom and expects to be by them defended from the Calumny as well as Danger of those worst of Men who endeaver to render both him and His Government odious to His People The Chancellors Speech was chiefly a descant on the former heads Reminding the Two Houses as p. 12. to the Plot not to over do their Business and that by being too far Transported with the fears of Popery they do not neglect the opportunities of making sober and lasting Provisions against it which says he are the only hopes of the Papists thus to see p. 14. our Zeal out-run our Discretion and that we our selves should become the unhappy occasion of making our own Councils abortive The King and Lord Chancellor having ended their Speeches the Commons returned to their own House and unanimously chose for their Speaker Mr Seymour who had officiated in that Place in the last Parliament who being the next Day presented to the King was refused and the House Ordered to proceed to a new Election which notwithstanding was not made till Saturday the 15th of March on which day they chose Mr Serjeant Gregory the said choice being on the Monday following approved by His Majesty After this the Commons draw up an Address to the King for a Fast in which also the Lords Concur and a Fast was appointed by Proclamation dated Mar. 28 to be observed throughout the Nation on the 11th of April following A Committee being appointed to enquire into the manner of suing out the Earl of Danby's Pardon which upon search being not entred in any Office from the Secretaries Office until it came to the Lord Chancellors but dispatch'd in a private manner and so reported by the Committee the House of Commons resolve Mar. 24. That an humble Address be made to His Majesty representing the irregularity and illegality of the Pardon mentioned to be granted to the Earl of Danby and the Dangerous consequence of Granting Pardons to any persons that lye under an Impeachment of the Commons of England They also desire of the Lords that the Earl of Danby may be sequestred from Parliament and put into safe Custody accordingly the Lords Order the Usher of the Black Rod to take him but upon search at his Houses both in Town and at Wimbleton he could not be found hereupon a Bill is Ordered to be brought in that Thomas
this was because the Stat. 13 of this King requires two Lawful and credible Witnesses in Cases of Treason and Dangerfield being not esteem'd such there remain'd only one Witness viz. Oates Saturday the 26th of June being four Days before the Term ended the Grand Jury of Middlesex came to the Kings-Bench Bar and by their Foreman Charles Humphrevile Esq presented to the Bench a Petition Subscribed by 21 of them and desired my Lord Chief Justice to present it to the King for the sitting of the Parliament but the Court refusing to Act in it received it not And the said Jury were at the same time Discharged from further attendance It is said that they had at that time some Bills and Presentments before them against several Persons for being Popish Recusants in Order to their Conviction all which they would have found and presented in few Hours time had they not been Discharged among the rest a Bill against the Duke of York brought into the said Jury and Promoted and in some sort attested by several Lords and Members of Parliament viz. Huntington Shaftsbury Gray of Wark Brandon Russel Candish Sir Gilbert Gerrard Sir Edward Hungerford Sir Scroop How Sir William Cooper Sir Thomas Wharton John Trenchard Esq Thomas Thynn Esq and William Forester Esq And note that the Proceedings of the Petition abovesaid were disowned by another Grand Jury of Middlesex who the same Day came in and presented the Court with a Paper Subscribed by them to that purpose desiring the Court to take particular notice of their dissent to the irregular Proceedings of the other Jury On the last Day of the Term several who should have been Tryed about the' Plot were in regard the Attorny-General had not Evidence sufficient against them some Bail'd and some absolutely Discharged by vertue of the late Act of Habeas Corpus 31. Car. 2. Among the first were Sir James Symonds Edward Peters and Needham with several others who were reputed Priests Mr. Howard Mr. Heveningham both the Ropers Sir John Gage and young Langhorn were absolutely Discharged from their long Imprisonments some having lain by it for 23 Months and the reason of their Discharge was because Mr. Attorney-General declar'd that he had but one Witness against them Sir Anthony Dean and Mr. Pepys were also at the same time absolutely Discharg'd from further attendance But one Holcroft a Conventicle Preacher having removed himself by Habeas Corpus from Cambridge Goal and appearing to be a very Seditious and dangerous Person and to be in Prison not only by Warrant of the Justices on the Oxford Act but also on 17. Car. a Capias Excommunicatum was 2. c. 2. remanded On the first of July being the Day to which the Parliament had been formerly Prorogued it was further Prorogued by Commission to the 22d of the same Month the Duke of York being present in the House and from thence to the 23d of August Bethel who had been one of the Committee of Safety in the late Times and Cornish two reputed Phanaticks had been chosen Sheriffs of London last Midsummer for the Year insuing but appearing since uncapable to bear Office in any Corporation by the Stat. 13. Car. 2. Stat. 2. c. 1. a New Election was appointed to be at Guildhall on the 14th of July against which time they capacitated themselves by receiving the Sacrament and abjuring the Covenant c. As appointed by the said Act and stood for a New Choice against whom two other Competitors appear'd Fox and Nicholson in so much that they came to a Poll a thing unusual during which time a Rlotous Assault was Committed on the Person of Sir Simon Lewis one of the then Sheriffs by Osborn a Draper and others of Bethels Party which being Represented to the King the same Night by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs in Person he Ordered a Commission of Oyer and Terminer to be Issued out for Tryal of the said Riot They continued Polling till Monday following and from thence by Adjournment to Thursday The King in the mean time being entertain'd at Supper at Sheriff Lewis's House Tuesday July 20. On the 29th of July and not before the Votes were declar'd at a Common Hall then Assembled at the Guild-Hall to stand thus Bethel 2276. Cornish 2483. Box 1428. Nicholson 1230. Whereupon the two first were declared lawfully Chosen with great Acclamations At the same time an Address was Presented to the Lord Mayor by Thomas Papillon Esq in the Name of the Commons of the City thereby Disowning all tumultuous and disorderly Proceedings in their last Assembly other than what might be the effect of Emulation for His Majesties Service and the Preservation of their own just Rights desiring his Lordship to Represent the same to the King and that he would in their Names humbly beseech His Majesty that the Parliament might speedily Assemble To which the Lord Mayor Answered in a short Speech That he had not misrepresented any thing touching their last Assembly to His Majesty That their Address touching the Parliament might have been spared in regard the King had been pleased not long since to declare to him and assure him That this Parliament should sit in November next however that he would not be wanting with all humility to lay the whole matter before him On the 23d of August being the Day to which the Parliament had been Prorogued the Houses met and were further Prorogued to the 21st of October following The King promising that they should sit then and Publishing His Proclamation to that purpose Several Remarkable Passages happen'd this long Vacation As the Death of the Earl of Ossery into whose Place of Lord Chamberlain to the Queen Succeeded the Earl of Feversham The Death of Bedloe one of the Evidence concerning the Plot. Also the Prince Palatine Eldest Son of the Elector being here in England on a Visit to the King he received News of the Death of his Father in Germany during his absence It was also during this Vacation that Elizabeth Celier before mention'd Publisht a Narrative of her Tryal and Sufferings in which were some words like Reproach to the Government for which she was Tryed found Guilty of Publishing a Libel Fined 1000 l. to stand Thrice in the Pillory Good Behavior during Life and her Book to be Burnt by the Hangman And now comes on the long expected 21st Day of October and with it the first Session of this Parliament The Day before which The Duke and Duchess of York began their Journey for Scotland by Sea The King Accompanying them as low as Woolwich and there Dineing with them on Shipboard The same Day many Members of both Houses to the Number of 200 as reported met in a kind of Caball at Dinner at the Sun Tavern behind the Exchange On the 21st the Kings Speech contain'd That He had during this long Prorogation made Alliances with Holland and Spain That He desired Mony of them for the Relief of Tangier which had already exhausted
His Purse That He would not have them meddle with the Succession of the Crown in the Right Line but proceed in the Discovery of the Plot and to the Tryals of the Lords c. After this the Chancellor making no set Speech the Commons return'd to their own House and unanimously chose for their Speaker Mr. Williams of Grays-Inn Recorder of Chester One of the first things the House of Commons did was to Purge their own House of certain Members Sir Robert Can a Burgess for Bristol for having said there is no Plot but a Presbyterian Plot Sir Francis Withins head Steward of Westminster and one of the Burgesses for the same for having Declar'd himself abhorrent to the late Tumultous Petitions for the Parliaments sitting The first of these was expell'd the House and Committed to the Tower the other only expell'd But both Order'd to receive their Censure on their Knees And several other Members were declar'd Guilty of the last mention'd Offence On the 30th of October the King Publisht a Proclamation promising His Pardon to all that within two Months shall come in and make any further Discovery of the Plot. And this was done upon an Address of Parliament In the mean time the Commons not satisfied in punishing their own Members who had appear'd against Petitioning for the Parliaments fitting they take notice of others who were without their Walls and among the rest Sir George Jeffreys becomes the Object of their Displeasure who being Recorder of London the Kings Serjeant at Law and Chief Justice of Chester is for the pretended Crime above specified on the 13th of November Voted a Betrayer of the Rights of the Subject and an Address Order'd to be made to His Majesty to remove him from all Publick Offices At the same time it was Order'd that a Committee enquire into all such Persons as have been advising or promoting the late Proclamation stiled a Proclamation against Tumultuous Petitioning But about the same time a matter of much greater concern was thus mannaged On the 11th of November was past in the House of Commons a Bill entituled An Act for securing the Protestant Religion by disabling James Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Territories thereunto belonging Which Bill was on the 15th carryed up to the Lords House by my Lord Russel attended by almost all the Commons who gave a Hum at the Delivery They being departed it was read once and being put to the Vote whether it should be read a second time it was carryed in the Affirmative by two Voices On the second reading it was debated till 11 a Clock at night the King being present all the while and then thrown out of the House by a Majority of about 30 Votes in which Majority were all the Bishops then present which were 14. Several other matters were transacted in Parliament of great moment but in regard the Daily Votes and transactions of the House of Commons was by Order of that House daily made publick in Print I refer the Reader for Particulars to what has been publisht and in these Papers take notice only of some of the most material Passages Among which it may be observed that Mr. Seymour the late Speaker and for whose Election the Commons in the late short Parliament did very much stickle was now ordered to be Impeacht and thò not at the same time yet not long after Impeachments were Voted and drawn up against Sir Francis North Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir William Scroggs Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench Sir Thomas Jones second Justice of the said Court and Sir Richard Weston Puisny Baron of the Exchequer for several pretended Misdemeanors In the mean time William Lord Viscount Stafford one of the 5 Popish Lords in the Tower was brought to his Tryal on an Impeachment of High Treason The Tryal began in Westminster Hall on Tuesday the 30th of November being the next day after the Term ended Which Impeachment and Evidence upon the same was managed by a Committee of the Commons The Tryal lasted for a Whole Week and The Evidence against him were Oates Turberville and Dugdale Of the Lords who sate upon the Tryal the Lord Chancellor being Lord High Steward 31 pronounced him not Guilty and 55 Guilty And accordingly Judgment was pronounced against him on Wednesday the 7th of December But his Execution was respited till Wednesday the 29th of December on which day he was Beheaded on Tower-Hill protesting with his last breath his Innocency as to those Crimes of which he stood Condemn'd It is observable that Bethel and Cornish being then Sheriffs of London and having received the Kings Writ for the Execution of the said Viscount Stafford by severing his Head from his Body according to the constant Course in such Cases had notwithstanding the Confidence to demur upon it whether he ought to be Beheaded or according to the Common Judgment hang'd and quartered and for this they apply'd themselves to the two Houses of Parliament To which the most Honourable House of Lords Answered roundly That the Kings Writ ought to be obey'd But the Commons by way of Concession viz. That they were Content that the said Lord be Executed by severing his Head from his Body only During these Transactions a Comet with a most Prodigious Stream of light appear'd in the West the Star from which the Blaze proceeded was but small and when first discover'd appeared not much above the Horizon but every night afterwards it appear'd higher and higher in the beginning of the Night and consequently setting later and later its Lustre and magnitude also decaying I am neither able nor willing to make any Remarques on the Nature of these Meteors Or to say how far such noxious Exhalations may incline Mankind to Mischief And least of all will I pretend to Interpret whether this Finger of the Almighty is thus seen in the Heavens to Point out Good or Bad Events All that I design is innocently to observe and Remember the Naked Matters of Fact as they happen without disguize or Comment Two things more very observable happen'd before Christmass One was An Address of the House of Commons presented to His Majesty on the 21st of December in answer to His Speech of the 15th wherein he demanded once more Supplies of Mony for the defence of Tangier The effect of the said Address was to deny in as modest Terms as could be all Supplies of Mony for that purpose unless His Majesty would be pleas'd to pass a Bill to Seclude the Duke of York from Inheriting to the Crown and to enable the Protestants of this Nation to Associate themselves for the security of the Protestant Religion the Defence of the King and Kingdoms The other was a most Remarkable Speech Spoke in the House of Lords by the Earl of Shaftesbury the King being then present at least wise so pretended and Printed which being full of Audacious and
very little the substance of what he had to say or discover being by him delivered to Dr. Hawkins Minister of the Tower for his Wife and therefore it is to be presumed that he Dyed no Papist in regard he had the assistance of a Protestant Minister which all Papists have been known to rerefuse on those occasions His Discovery is since Printed About this time several Factious People were committed to the Tower for High Treason namely Rouse Hayns White and one Colledge commonly call'd the Protestant Joyner But above all let it be remember'd that on July 2. the Earl of Shaftsbury commonly call'd by way of Excellency The Protestant Earl was before the Council at Whit hall to which the King came from Windsor that day on purpose accused of High Treason and for the same committed to the Tower and his Papers seized At the Sessions at the Old Bayly which followed soon after the Earl of Shaftsbury and the Lord Howard moved to be Bail'd but they were answered by the unanimous opinion of the Judges That it was not in the Power of that Court to Bail out of the Tower At the same Sessions it was that a Bill of Indictment of High Treason was delivered to the Grand-Jury of London against Colledge commonly call'd the Protestant Joyner but the Jury made for the purpose as is supposed appear'd so partial and Arbitrary in their proceeding that notwithstanding the home Oaths of several Witnesses among which were Dugdale and Smith two of the great Evidence against the Plotters and another who had been a Member of the House of Commons they brought in the Bill Ignoramus But another Bill being exhibited soon after to the Grand-Jury at the Assizes at Oxford against the said Colledge part of the Treasonable Words and Matters being Transacted there the Bill was found there on the same Evidence which was rejected at the Old Bayly And in August he was Tryed Condemn'd and Executed at Oxford The Weather that happen'd this Summer was memorable for an extraordinary Drought all over England and also beyond Sea all April May and June and some part of July but about the beginning of July fell such plentiful Rains that the Ground which in all parts was Scorcht up like the High-Ways almost to a miracle became as fresh and Green again as on May Day Dayseys and the other Flowers of the Spring appear'd again towards the End of July With Grass in abundance in some places and expectations of a second Hay-time to recompence the want of the first On the 28 of July the Parliament sate in Scotland where his Royal Highness Presided as His Majesties High Commissioner At the opening of the Sessions the Kings Letter was read setting forth That He had call'd them at that time to advise of such things as may truly conduce to the security and Interest of that Kingdom and as an eminent Expression of His Favor He hath named his most dear and most intirely beloved Brother James Duke of Albany and York to be His Commissioner there c. After this the Duke made a Speech Declaring the high esteem he had of the great Honor and happiness the King had been pleased to do him in making choice of him to serve as his Commissioner in that his antient Kingdom since it shews to all the World the Goodness the King hath for him and Confidence he hath in him and capacitates him not only to serve His Majesty as becomes a Loyal Subject but also to evince the real concern he hath for the good of that Kingdom and his readiness to serve it and improve its Interest That His Majesty had commanded him to assure them that he will inviolably maintain and protect the Protestant Religion as by Law Establisht in that Kingdom and the Church Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops That he will maintain and allow the Properties and Rights of His Subjects according to the due course of Law and that he doth expect that they will not be short of the Loyalty of their Ancestors in vigorously asserting and cleering His Royal Prerogative and in declaring the Rights of His Crown in its natural and Legal course of Descent c. After this the Duke entertained the whole Parliament at a Splendid and Royal Feast The Lords by themselves and the Commons by themselves at several Tables On the First of August The Parliament returned a most Loyal and Dutiful Answer to His Majesties Letter which Answer being so mighty full of true Loyalty it would be an Injury to abridge it in this place every Line every word carrying the true and emphatical marks of gratitude and Duty I therefore refer to the Print Also in pursuance and Confirmation of their Loyal Affections on the 14th of Aug. the Parliament past a Bill entituled An Act acknowledging and asserting the Right of Succession to the Imperial Crown of Scotland By which they recognize and declare That the said Crown is by Inherent Right and the nature of the Monarchy as well as by the fundamental and unalterable Law of the Realm transmitted and devolved by Lineal Succession according to proximity of Blood and that no difference in Religion no Law nor Act of Parliament can alter or divert the Right of Succession and Lineal descent of the Crown to the neerest and Lawful Heirs and therefore they declare it High Treason by Writing Speaking or any other manner of way to endeavor the alteration suspension or diversion of the Right of Succession At the same time they past another Act ratifying all former Laws for the security of the Protestant Religion On the 31st of August Oates was by Order of Council expell'd from Whitehall his Sallery taken off and accused of Misdemeanors Great Numbers of Poor French Protestants about this time flockt over out of France to whom our King was so Gracious as by Act of Council to declare His Pleasure that all His Officers and Magistrates should give 'em the same Countenance and Favour with His own Subjects That He would take 'em into His Protection That He would grant 'em His Letters of Denization forthwith upon their request and That He would intercede with the next Parliament to obtain for them an Act of Naturalization He also granted very ample Letters Patents for Collecting Monies all over England for their Relief Dated the 10th of September this Year On Michaelmas Day being the Customary Day for the Annual Choice of the Lord Mayor of London Sir John Mooor an Addresser was Chosen into that Office for the Year Insuing tho' with a great and unusual opposition by the Fanatick Party The New Sheriffs were Alderman Pilkinton a City Member in the two last Parliaments and one Mr. Shute Which two New Sheriffs being employ'd to invite the King to the Lord Mayors Feast The King was Graciously pleas'd to accept of the Invitation and Declar'd That He liked the Message but not the Messengers This Summer the King was pleas'd to appoint under Him certain Deputies or
Commissioners of Ecclesiastical Affairs to whom He delegated His Power to dispose of all such Ecclesiastical Preferments which belong to His immediate Patronage The Names of which Commissioners were the Arch Bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of London the Lord Radnor Lord Hallifax Lord Hide and Mr. Seymour Note by the Common Law the Lord Chancellor of England shall present to all Churches in the Kings Gift which He hath in Right of His Crown under the value of 20 Marks per annum Fitz. h. N. B. Fol. 35. k. At the Sessions for the County of Middlesex held at Hicks-Hall the Week before Michaelmas Term Sir George Jefferies being then Chairman on the Bench required Goodenough the under Sheriff to alter two of the Panel as the Justices may do by the Stat. 3. H. 8. ch 12. Which He refusing the two High Sheriffs were call'd and not appearing they were Fin'd each 50 l. Notwithstanding that the Recorder put in a Protest that the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex were never bound to attend or appear in Person at Hicks-Hall After this the said Fine being Estreated a Common Council in London Declar'd that they would stand by their Sheriffs and defend them against any Suit of Law that shall be brought touching this matter and that at the Charges and Expence of the City At the Sessions for London held at this time one Rouse being Charged with High Treason and a Bill of Indictment Exhibited to the Grand Jury attending for that City against Him They found the Bill Ignoramus after the same manner as had been formerly done in the Case of Colledge On the 24th of November all the Judges of England sate with the Mayor and Aldermen by special Commission of Oyer and Terminer at the Old-Baily and the Grand Jury being call'd and Sworn of which Sir Samuel Barnardiston Foreman a Bill of Indictment of High Treason was deliver'd to them against the Earl of Shaftsbury The Evidence were all Examined in open Court who all Swore very full to the Treason two of which Evidence were Turbervile and Smith but the Jury return'd this Bill also Ignoramus upon which the People gave a shout The Witnesses who gave Evidence against the said Earl were assaulted by the Rabble and in such Danger of their Lives that the Sheriffs were necessitated to Guard them at Night as far as the Savoy homewards Several Bonfires were made that Night in the City at which several Riotous Actions were Committed In particular one Capt. Griffith living in Newgate-street a Capt. of the Trained Bands and a Common Council-man coming home about 11 at Night and finding a Bonfire neer his own Door and endeavouring to oppose it was knockt down wounded in the Head and in danger of His Life Others were seen about the same time of Night to march through Warwick-Lane one of which had his Sword drawn crying no York no Popish Successor and at the same time crying up a Monmouth a Shaftsbury a Buckingham and thus they Proceeded till stopt by the Watch at Ludgate On the 28th of November the last day of the Term the Earl of Shaftsbury and Lord Howard prisoners in the Tower were admitted to Bail in the Kings Bench the Earl of Shaftsbury had for his Bail the Lord Russel Sir William Cooper Mr. Mountigue and Mr. Charlton Himself was bound in a Recognizance of 3000 l. and the Bail each in 1500 l. The Lord Howard was also Bailed in the same manner By Order of Council to the Lord Mayor and from him to the Officers of every Ward and Parish all Bonfires and Bells Ringing were Prohibited that Night The Act of Test which past in the Parliament in Scotland the last Sessions was the occasion of several Discontents and Emotions amongst the Fanatick Party there The Act enjoyn'd a certain Oath or Ingagement to be taken by all Officers in Church and State and Graduates in their Universities to maintain the Form of Government as now Establisht which Test tho' explain'd and qualified was notwithstanding so contrary to the sense of the Factious Party in that Kingdom that several of their Ministers refused it and some of the Laity among whom of greatest note was Archibald Campbel Earl of Argile a Man of such Turbulent behaviour that he was about this time Impeacht of High Treason and found Guilty But being after his Conviction kept for some time a Prisoner at Edinborough he found means to make his Escape into England as some thought where he harbour'd unknown after whose flight his Arms were with all publick Solemnity reverst and torn and such other marks of dishonour denounced against him as in such like Cases are by the Customs of Scotland due to Traytors The Proceedings of the Justices of Peace for the County of Middlesex at their Sessions at Hick-Hall before Hillary Term were of note on diverse accounts First They order'd by their publick Act of Sessions dated the 13th of January that whereas the Constables and Church Wardens c. of every Parish and Precinct within the said County had been enjoyn'd last Sessions to make a Return the first Day of this of the Names of the Preachers in Conventicles and the most considerable frequenters of the same within their several Limits which Order not being obey'd but contemn'd by some it was therefore by the Justices then Assembled desired that the Lord Bishop of London will please to direct those Officers which are under his Jurisdiction to use their utmost diligence that all such Persons may be Excommunicated who commit crimes deserving that Ecclesiastical censure and that the said Excommunications may be Published in the Parishes where the Persons live that they may be taken notice of and obvious to the Penalties that belong to Persons Excommunicate viz. Not to be admitted for a Witness or returned upon Juries or capable to sue for any Debt And they further Order'd at the said Sessions that the Stat. 1. El. and 3. Jac. be put in due execution for the Levying 1 s. per Sunday upon such Persons who repair not to Divine Service and Sermons at their Parish or some other publick Church Also there was another Act of the same Sessions at Hicks-Hall which bore Date the 18th of January with which the Justices of Peace attended upon His Majesty at White-Hall the same Day and presented the Paper to His Royal Hands It contain'd That they the said Justices were sensible of their great Honour and happiness in being the first who return'd their humble and hearty acknowledgment for His most Gracious Declaration which being followed by a multitude of Addresses from all Parts of the Kingdom His Majesty hath had a full Discovery of His Peoples affections and that his Enemies were neither so numerous nor formidable as they were by some apprehended to be That now as His Majesty can have no cause to fear them so they the said Justices hope He will never be perswaded to trust them That they are ashamed that they were not likewise the first
of this City and in this and all other things this Court will endeavor to maintain the Rights and Priviledges of the Chair and of the whole City and wherein ye think that we do otherwise the Law must Judge between us With this Answer the Lord Mayor commanded them in the Kings name to depart He also commanded Sheriff Pilkinton to go out and cause 'em to depart which Mr. Sheriff could not disobey thô he himself and all that party were dissatisfied with the Answer And thus this matter rested at that time Wednesday 9th of Aug. the King was pleased to send Sir Lionel Jenkins to fetch the Privy Seal from the Earl of Anglesey which was accordingly deliver'd up And in the beginning of Michaelmass Term following disposed to the Marquiss of Hallifax On the 15th day of August the Dutchess of York was deliver'd at St. James's of a Daughter which was on the 16th day Baptized by the Bishop of London and named Charlotte-Maria The God-father was the Duke of Ormond the Countesses of Clarendon and Arundel Godmothers But the Infant dyed in less than 3 Months During this Long Vacation Mr. Box who had been chosen Sheriff to serve with Mr. North did think fitting to fine rather than take upon him the Office Hereupon the Lord Mayor at a Common Hall held the 19th of September proposed the Electing of an other Sheriff in his place which thô much opposed by the adverse party crying no North no North no Election c. Yet the Lord Mayor went on in the Election and by the Majority of his party Peter Rich Esq a Lieutenant Collonel in Southwark and twice a Burgess in Parliament for that Burrough was chosen and so declar'd whereupon the Mayor dissolved the Court and returned to his House Notwithstanding which the two Sheriffs continued the Assembly and put the question to their own party then remaining the other side being departed with the Mayor whether they wou'd abide by their former choice of Papillon and Dubois or not and thereupon notwithstanding that the Mayor sent 'em word the Court was dissolved and requir'd 'em to depart made a Pole and then cast up their Books and declared the said Papillon and Dubois Sheriffs Elect. But the next Morning my Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen waiting upon the King at Whitehall gave a full account of the Proceedings Whereupon the two Sheriffs were sent for to the Council severely checkt and told that they had been Guilty of a High Misdemeaner and in fine dismist upon good Bail to Answer to an Information for the same On the 28th of September in the morning Mr. Dudly North and Mr. Rich were according to Custom sworn Sheriffs of London and Middlesex before the Lord Mayor in the Hustings At which time to prevent a Tumult a Company of the City-Train-Bands were drawn up in Guild-Hall The 30th of September the said Sheriffs were presented by the Recorder in the Exchequer and Sworn there the old Sheriffs giving up their Office at the same time But on Michaelmass day being the Customary time for Election of a Lord Mayor of London the Faction Muster'd their utmost Strength against Sir William Prichard the next in Course setting up against him not only Gould but Cornish who had been Sheriff but the year before and at the first appearance Gould and Cornish had the Majority of Votes till at last upon a long Scrutiny and a thorough examination into the Capacity of the Voters it was found that a great number had appear'd for them who were not legally intituled to Voices no less as reported than 60 of one Company viz. the Merchant Taylors which kind of people being struck out of the Number it appeared that Sir William Prichard had 2138 Votes and Gould 2124. Whereupon on the 25th day of October Sir William was by the Court of Aldermen declar'd at Guild-Hall Lord Mayor Elect and the usual Ceremonies then and there perform'd to him as such with mighty acclamations from all the Loyal party in London The 30th of October he was Sworn at Westminster At which Solemnity some Factious Companies refused to attend as other years On the 6th of November the 5th happening on a Sunday the Rabble were so unruly after the Bonfires that they gather'd together in a great number at least 1500. Crying a Monmouth and knocking down such as they suspected not to be of their own Gang and committing many other riotous actions in Cheapside and thereabouts till dispersed by my Lord Mayor and Sheriffs assisted by some of the Train-Bands who took several of the Rioters and committed them some to Newgate some to the Counters This occasion'd a stricct Order of Council November 10th That no person whatsoever should presume to make any Bonfires without special Order so to do by the Magistrates Which Order being vigilantly observed by the Justices of Middlesex and my Lord Mayor who with the Sheriffs rid up and down the Streets of London all Friday Night the 17th of November No Riotous Actions and Burning of the Pope was suffer'd that Night as usual some years past Afterwards at the Latter end of this Mich. Term Mr. Williams and Mr. Wallop Councellors at Law moved in the Court of Kings Bench for a Mandamus to be directed to Sir John More and the Aldermen of London to Swear either Gould or Cornish into the Office of Mayor of London but this Motion was lookt upon as ridiculous and my Lord Chief Justice refused to give it the least Countenance such a Mandamus in the Disjunctive being a thing never heard of and absur'd in it self This Term also it was That by publick Authority all the Weekly Intelligencies which hetherto were publisht every Day but Sunday were prohibited and the Hawkers silenc'd On the 24th of November the great Cause was Tryed at the Kings Bench Bar between his Royal Highness and the late Sheriff Pilkinton for these words spoken of the Plantif viz. He Fired the City and is now come to cut our Throats This was the greatest Scandalum Magnatum that was perhaps ever Tryed and the Words being proved by Sir William Hooker and Sir Henry Tulse Aldermen of London the Jury found for the Plantiff and gave 100000 l. Damages On the last day of the Term Pilkinton render'd himself in discharge of his Bail a Prisoner in Execution Into whose place of Alderman was Elected Mr. Sheriff North. On Wednesday the 29th of November Dyed at his House in St James's Park the Illustrious Prince Rupert Prince Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Cumberland c. in the 63d year of his Age. After whose Death His Majesty was pleased to confer the Constable-ship of Windsor-Castle on the Right Honourable the Earl of Arundel On Monday the 18th of December The Right Honorable Henneage Earl of Nottingham Lord high Chancellor of England departed this Life Into whose Office Succeeded Sir Francis North then Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Francis Pemberton then Lord Chief Justice of the
Kings Bench being removed to be Chief Justice in the Common Pleas and Sir Edmund Saunders of the Middle Temple made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench. On St. Thomas's Day the Election began for Common-Council Men in London which went generally for the Royallists and accordingly at the first Common-Council that was held it was caried by the Majority of Votes That thanks should be return'd to Sir John Moor for his good Administration of the Office of Lord Mayor last year which was done accordingly Before I conclude this 34th year of His Majesties Reign I must observe that this year was remarkable for the coming of Two very Extraordinary Embassadours to our Soveraign never known before in England One was from the Emperour of Fez and Morocco his name Hamet Ben Hamet Ben Haddu Ottor a Man of great Eminency in his own Country as report says His business about setling a Peace with Tangier much respected he was here carest at Court and at both the Universities and he seemed to express no less esteem for our Nation But at his return upon what account I know not he was reported to be received by his Master with disgrace The other Embassadour was from the King of Bantham or Surosoam in the East-Indies His business about the East-India Trade The end of this year was also remarkable for several new Titles of Honour to which His Majesty was pleased to promote several Eminent persons who had for their signal Loyalty deserved His Favour viz. 1. The Duke of Ormond Created a Duke of the Kingdom of England but by his old Title of Ormond 2. The Marquiss of Worcester Created Duke of Beaufort 3. The Lord Norris Created Earl of Abingdon 4. The Vicount Campden Created Earl of Gainsborow 5. Conniers Lord Darcy Created Earl of Holderness 6. The Lord Windsor Created Earl of Plimouth 7. The Lord Townsend Created Vicount Townsend of Raynham 8. Sir Thomas Thinne Baronet Created Baron Thinne of Warminster and Vicount Weymouth 9. Collonel George Legg Created Baron of Dartmouth 10. The Lord Allington Created a Baron of this Kingdom by the Title of Baron of Wymandley 11. Ralf Stawell Esq Created Lord Stawell of Somerton Also Collonel Churchill was Created Lord Churchill of Ay mouth in the Kingdom of Scotland On the 20th of January departed this Life in Holland Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury who had left this Kingdom some Months before under the Imputation of Treasonable Machinations and sled for the protection of those States to whom he had formerly when Lord Chancellor of England applied the old Roman Threat Delenda est Carthago Anno 35. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1683. THe Horses of England are Famous on many Accounts among others for Racing It was upon this Consideration that the French King invited into France several of our most Noted Racers by exposing a Plate or Prize of 1000 Pistoles to be run for before him in the Plain d' Achere near St Germain en lay And accordingly on the 25th of Feb. S. N. the said Race was Run before the King Queen and Dauphin by several of our prime Horses where the Duke of Monmouth's Horse won and was afterwards purchased by the said King Also that King partly upon this account was pleas'd at that time to countenance the Honourable Bernard Howard Esq a younger Brother of the Duke of Norfolk so far as to allow him to come in his Coach within the Louvre a Preheminence due only to the Princes of the Blood and some few others of highest quality in France In March ill news arrived from the East Indies importing the loss of the great Town of Bantham to the Dutch who under colour of assisting the Rebel Prince of Bantham against the King his Father came with forces and seized upon the Town turning out the English there to the great Damage of our English Factory who for a further weight to their sufferings about the same time lost their Ship Joanna cast away at Sea outward bound and in her above 10000 l. On Thursday the 22th of March happn'd a suddain Fire at Newmarket about 8 in the Evening which Consumed a great part of that Town but by the Providence of God came not on that side of the Way where the Kings Palace stood The Monday following the King Queen Duke and Dutchess Returned to Whitehall where the Court continued till Saturday the 14th of April on which Day His Majesty and His Royal Court Departed to Windsor On Tuesday the 24th of April happen'd one of the most famous and Extraordinary Exploits that was ever known in London One Broom Clark of Skinners Hall and Coroner of London having a Latitat out of the Kings Bench in an Action upon the Case at the Suit of Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubois against my Lord Mayor Sheriff North and several Loyal Aldermen the said Broom acquainting them with the Writ they all submitted to his Arrest and went with him as Prisoners to Skinners Hall and there remain'd under his Custody till one a Clock at Night In the mean time 8 Companies of the Militia are raised by order of the Leutenancy and are posted all that Night in several parts of the City to prevent any Tumults which might happen on so new a thing as the Arrest and detainer of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London a thing never heard of before in the times of Peace And it so happen'd that one Fletcher a Common Serjeant of the Poultry Counter having an Action of Debt upon Bond of 400 l. against the said Broom which Action had been enter'd the Week past and Broom acquainted with it who promised to give Bail but the Serjeant finding that promise not perform'd and perceiving him to act so Malipertly with the Chief Magistrates of the City he makes no further delay but Arrests his person in Skinners Hall and carries him forthwith to the Counter Broom being thus gone and no body left in Charge of my Lord Mayor and his fellow Prisoners they demanded if there was any about the House that had any orders to detain 'em any longer in that place which being Answer'd in the Negative they all departed peacibly to their several homes On Tuesday the 8th of May was Tryed at Guild-Hall before my Lord Chief Justice Saunders the Great Riot committed last June at the Election of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex And this was upon an Information exhibited in the Crown Office by Mr. Attorney-General of which I made mention formerly Upon a full Evidence 14 persons were found Guilty viz. The then Sheriffs Pilkinton and Shute The Lord Gray of Wark Sir Thomas Player Cornish Bethel Jinks Goodenough Deagle Jekel Freeman Wickham Keys and Swinock On the Last Day but one of Trinity-Term they were all Fined severally as follows Pilkinton 500 l. Shute 1000 Marks Cornish the same Summ Lord Gray the same Sir Thomes Player 500 Marks Bethel 1000 Marks Jinks 300 Marks Deagle 400 Marks Freeman 300 Marks Goodenough 500 Marks Keys 100 Marks
His Most Sacred Majesty and his Royal Highness viz. Collonel John Rumsey Richard Rumbold Maulster Richard Nelthorp Esq Edward Wade Gent. Richard Goodenough Gent. Capt. Walcot William Thompson James Burton and William Hone For the Discovery of any of which 100 l. was offer'd as a reward to the Discoverer Also another Proclamation came out not long after Dated the 28th of June For the Apprehending of James Duke of Monmouth Ford Lord Gray Sir Thomas Armstrong Knight and Robert Ferguson who were also fled for the Discovery of any of which 500 l. was offer'd as a reward to the Discoverer The Crimes alledged in the said Proclamations are For Traiterously Conspiring to Compass the Death and Destruction of the King and His dearest Brother the Duke of York to effect which they have held several Treasonable Consultations to Levy Men and to make an Insurrection in this Kingdom On the 2d of July the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common Council of the City of London in a Body waited on His Majesty in the Banqueting-House and Presented him with their Address of Congratulation Importing their thanks to Almighty God for bringing to Light this impious and Execrable machination designed for the destruction of His Majesties Royal Person and of his dearest Brother James Duke of York and for the Destruction of His Majesties best Subjects and to involve this and the future Generation in Confusion Blood and misery carried on by Conventiclers and Atheistical Persons c. Which Address being Graciously received by His Majesty they then Waited on His Royal Highness and made their Complement to him on the same occasion Soon after this the Members of the Middle-Temple Address'd in the like manner who thought themselves concern'd more than ordinary to shew their Loyalty in regard some of the first Discover'd Conspirators did unhappily appear to be of that Society After which almost innumerable Addresses on the same Subject flow'd from all parts of the Kingdom At the same time also the Ambassadors and Ministers of Foraign Princes Congratuled His Majesty in their Masters Names for His happy Delivery from the Designed Assasination The King of France also Publisht in His Dominions an Edict or Proclamation for the Apprehension of those Four mention'd in our Kings Proclamation of June the 28th and proposed 500 Pistols for the Discovery of each On the 12th of July was Tryed at the Old Bayly the above mention'd Captain Walcot for this horrid Conspiracy and upon a full and cleer Evidence was found Guilty of High Treason The next Day the Lord Russel eldest Son and Heir apparent to the Earl of Bedford was Tryed for the same Treason and upon a cleer Evidence given by the Lord Howard of Escrick and others was found Guilty The same Day also Hone and Rouse were Tryed and found Guilty of the same horrid Crime All which received Sentence of Death the next day from the Recorder Sir George Treby viz. the Lord Russel by himself and Walcot Hone and Rouse together but the Judgment was the same to be drawn Hang'd and Quarter'd During the Tryal of the Lord Russel 4 Companies of the Guards were drawn into Smithfield and there posted all the Day two Companies of the Trained Bands in St Bartholmews Hospital and a Party of the Life Guard Waited at the Gates of the Old Bayly attending upon the Lord Howard In the mean time viz. on Friday the 13th of July about 9 of the Clock in the Morning a sad and desparate action was Committed on himself by one of these unhappy Conspirators Arthur Earl of Essex being a Prisoner in the Tower on the account of this execrable Treason was so far transported by the Devils Temptations as to dispair of all mercy and during a short absence of them that attended to Murder himself by Cutting his own Throat with a Raisour On Friday the 20th of July Three of the foresaid Traytors were executed at Tyburn viz. Walcot Hone and Rouse according to the Common Judgment in Treason Drawn Hang'd and quartered But the Lord Russel by reason of his noble Birth had the favour from the King to have the Common Judgment mitigated thô he was against such mitigation as is reported in the case of the late Vicount Stafford and was on the day following viz. Saturday the 21th of July Beheaded in Lincolns-Inn Fields For which purpose a Scaffold was erected that Morning on that side of the Fields next to the Arch going into Duke Street in the middle between the said Arch and the corner turning into Queen-street 10 Companies of the Guards and a Troop of Horse were drawn up in the Fields at that time to secure the Peace against so vast a Concourse of People as appeared there on that occasion The Lord Russel was Beheaded by three stroaks of the Executioner at half an hour after 10 in the morning On the same Day the 21th of July was assembled a Convocation of the University of Oxford in their Convocation House there at which in a Solemn and formal manner they Condemn'd 27 Propositions as false seditious and impious and most of them Heretical and Blasphemous infamous to Christian Religion and destructive of all Government both in Church and State Which wicked Propositions were Collected out of several modern Authors namely Buchanan Milton Hobs Goodwin Baxter Julian Protestant Reconciler c. Which said Books were at the same time Ordered to be Burnt and were Burnt in the Court of the Schools of the said University On Saturday the 28th of July being St. Anns Day about 10 in the Evening The Lady Ann second Daughter to his Royal Highness was Married to Prince George Brother to the King of Danemark Which Prince arrived at Whitehall the Thursday sennight before The Ceremony of the Marriage was performed by the Bishop of London in the Presence of the King Queen Duke and Dutchess with most of the Great Personages of the Court. All That Night and the next the Bells Proclaimed the Publick Joy And presently after they received the Congratulations of all the Embassadours and Publick Ministers in Town The like also from the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen in their Scarlet Soon after which was publisht His Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects dated the 28th of July whereby was set forth a short Narration of the Treasonable Conspiracy as it hath been lately discovered by undoubted proof and the Confession of divers of the Accomplices for which happy discovery His Majesty appointed by the said Declaration a Solemn day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God to be celebrated throughout the Kingdom on Sunday the 9th day of September next and that the said Declaration be publickly read in all Churches as well on Sunday the 2d Day of September as on the Day of Thanksgiving aforesaid The same Day of Thanksgiving was also appointed to be observed in Scotland On Tuesday the 7th of August Prince George was design'd to be Install'd Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Garter at
Windsor but the Ceremony was put off to a further day and on the First of Jan. following he was elected into the Order at Whitehall Saturday the 25th of August the Dutchess of York and Princess visited Bartholmew Fair attended by the Earl of Clarendon with several other Lords and Ladies of the Court not in State but partly Incognito The Day for Election of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex which of Course is on the 24th Day of June was this year adjourn'd to the 5th Day of September on which Day the Livery Men of the City being Assembled at Guild-Hall they confirm'd my Lord Mayors choice of Peter Daniel Esq and chose to serve with him Francis Dashwood Esq Sheriffs for the year insuing At the same time Mr. Deputy Ailworth was chosen into the Office of Chamberlain of the City of London in the Room of Sir Thomas Player removed All which with the other Elections of Bridgmaster and Ale-Cunner was perform'd with the ancient gravity and Moderation and not at all with such Riotous and Factious heats and animosities as of late years The 9th of September was Solemnized according as it had been appointed with Thanksgiving in all Churches for Gods Gracious preservation of His Majesty and his Royal Brother from the late cursed Conspiracy of those that call themselves True Protestants Nor were those of the Communion of the Church of Rome unmindful of this deliverance but did also concur with His Majesties Protestant Subjects in expressing their Loyal Joy on the same occasion and on the same 9th of September did Celebrate in all their publick Chappels at London an extraordinary Service on this account In this Month the right Honourable Sir Francis North Lord Keeper was Created a Baron of this Kingdom by the Title of Lord Guilford On Michaelmass Day the usual time for the Election of a new Lord Mayor the Choice was Adjourn'd over for six Days longer but before that Day came the King being displeased at the Delays of the City in not Signing the Particulars by their Common Council formerly yielded relating to their Charter caused the Attorney-General to enter Judgment of Seizure in the Quo Warranto which was done on Thursday October the 4th and thereupon His Majesty gave Sir William Prichard His Commission to Execute the Office of Lord Mayor of London during pleasure so also to the two new Sheriffs Mr. Daniel and Mr. Dashwood all which were Sworn with the usual Oaths At the same time Mr. Jenner of the Inner Temple was knighted by the name of Sir Thomas Jenner and made the Kings Recorder of London in the Room of Sir George Treby displaced About the same time it was that the Eminently Loyal Sir George Jeoffreys was made Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench in the place of Sir Ed. Saunders who dyed last Term And in the Common Pleas Sir Francis Pemberton being put out Sir Thomas Jones was made Lord Chief Justice there in his Room And Sir Francis Pemberton practized at the Common Pleas Bar as a Serjeant in the following Term. On Sunday the 7th of October my Lord Mayor and the two Sheriffs appear'd at Guild-Hall Chappel as usually in their Gowns and Chains but none of the Aldermen in their Gowns and Chains but several of the Loyal Aldermen attended in their ordinary habits 16 of them being made Justices of the Peace by the Kings new Commission in which 8 Factious Aldermen were left out viz. Allin Frederick Laurence Clayton Ward Shorter Gold and Cornish But on Saturday the 13th of October The King sent a new Commission to the City impowering the abovesaid 16 Loyal Aldermen together with 8 new Aldermen viz. Sir Benjamin Newland Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir John Buckworth Samuel Dashwood one of the present Sheriffs Charles Duncomb Jacob Lucy Peter Palavazine and Benjamin Thorogood to act as Aldermen in their several Wards in the said Commission mention'd And accordingly several of them attended on my Lord Mayor the Day following at Guild-Hall Chappel after the usual form and manner in Gowns and Chains and the next Week assembled in a Court of Aldermen as formerly On Saturday the 27th of October Aaron Smith who had given scandalous Instructions to Colledge at his Trayal at Oxford and had also behaved himself insolently at the said Tryal and who had been since Tryed upon an Information for the same and found Guilty was now brought to the Kings-Bench Bar and received Judgment for his said offence viz. 500 l. Fine to Stand in the Pillory the Tuesday following at Westminster and at the Old Exchange the next Tuesday after to be bound to his good Behaviour for one Year and Imprisonment till this be performed Monday the 29th of October being the next Day after Simon and Jude is the annual Solemnity of Swearing the Lord Mayor of London in the Exchequer And accordingly this Year His Majesty having appointed Sir Henry Tulse by His Commission to execute that Office during His Pleasure he was after the usual manner attended to Westminster by the Companies did the usual Ceremonies in Westminster-Hall made the usual Cavalcade in London but without Pageants and Dined at Grocers-Hall the other Companies Dining at their several Halls as in former Years On the 5th of November several Tumults and Riotous Actions being Committed by the Rabble in and about London especially upon the Sieur Citters Ambassador from the Vnited Provinces by assaulting his Coach and throwing into it several Squibs Stones and Firebrands whereby his Lady who was then with him was dangerously wounded and Complaint hereof being made to the King in Council on the 7th of November His Majesty was pleas'd to order for the future That no Person or Persons whatsoever do presume to throw any Squibs or other Fireworks in the Streets of London or Westminster or other place within the Weekly Bills of Mortality nor assemble together for the making of Bonfires And the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Justices of Peace in their respective Limits are required to take due care for the Performance of the said Order of Council In this Michaelmas-Term Mrs. Celier who had formerly stood in the Pillory and been Fined 1000l for which she had lain a Prisoner in Newgate for several Years was now Bail'd out upon a Writ of Error which she had brought to reverse all the Proceedings On the 22d of November this Michaelmas-Term Algernoon Sidney Esq who had been arraign'd for High Treason on the 7th Instant was Tryed for the same and found Guilty at the Kings-Bench Bar and on the 26th being the Monday following he was brought to the said Bar and received Sentence of Death as usual in the Cases of High Treason and was beheaded at Tower-Hill on the 7th of December following On Saturday the 24th of November The Duke of Monmouth came in voluntarily about 5 at Night and surrender'd himself to Mr. Secretary Jenkins having before writ a very Submissive Letter to His Majesty entirely resigning himself to His Majesties disposal
utterly to demolish the said Town Castle and Mole at Tangier to choke up the Haven and to bring off the Ordinance and English Inhabitants to England sending the Foraigners to their several Countries but first compounding with every Man for his Ground Estate and Property in their several Houses all which was accordingly done in about six Months time Anno 36 Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1684. I Begin my Historical Collections this Year with an Occurrence of Extraordinary Note viz. the Bayling the Lords in the Tower which tho' often moved for yet could never be obtain'd till now The Earl of Danbys Case was argued this Hillary Term and on the last Day of the Term being February the 12th the Judges in the Kings-Bench did severally give their Opinions and their Reasons for the same concluding all in one Judgment That his Lordship ought to be Bail'd and accordingly Bail was taken His Bail were The Duke of Somerset The Duke of Albemarl The Earl of Oxford The Earl of Chesterfield The other Lords being within the same Reason were admitted to the same Advantage as also the Earl of Tyrone who had lain Prisoner in the Gate-House about the same space of time with those in the Tower Their several Bail were For the Earl of Powis The Duke of Norfolk The Duke of Beaufort The Earl of Pembroke The Earl of Peterborough For the Lord Arundal of Warder The Earl of Dorset The Earl of Scarsdale The Earl of Bath The Earl of Clarendon For the Lord Bellasis The Earl of Aylesbury The Earl of Westmerland The L. Vicount Falconbridge Sir John Talbot For the Earl of Tyrone The Earl of Roscommon The Earl of Mount-Alexander The Earl of Carlingford The Lord Annesley The Principal Lords were bound in a Recognizance of 10000 l each and their several Bail in 5000 l each upon Condition that the abovemention'd principal Lords do appear in the House of Lords the next Sessions of Parliament and not depart without leave of that Court. On the same Day Mr. John Hamden received Judgment He had been accused and Committed for High Treason in the late accursed Conspiracy but in regard there wanted the Circumstance of Two Witnesses against him which is necessary in all Cases of that nature he was Indicted and Tryed in the Kings-Bench Court this Term and found Guilty of a High Trespass and Misdemeaner in Conspiring to Levy War c. and now his Judgment was That he should pay 40000 l for a Fine to the King and find Sureties for his good Behavior during Life and to be Committed till this be paid and done The Lord Brandon Mr. Booth Major Wildman Mr. Charleton Mr. Trenchard and some others who had been accused for being in the said Conspiracy and had been since admitted to Bail were on this last Day of Hillary-Term absolutely discharg'd It is observable in relation to the late great Frost That the extremity of that Weather had made such a Mortality and Sickness as I may call it among Fish not only of fresh Rivers and Ponds but even at Sea that abundance of Fish of almost all sorts were observed to dye of themselves and float to Shore upon which account several Physitians of the Roman Catholick Religion having consider'd of the eating of Fish they agreed that it must needs be unwholsome whereupon a general dispensation was granted by the Ecclesiasticks of that Party to all Roman Catholicks for the eating of Flesh three Days in the Week viz. Sundays Tuesdays and Thursdays all the Lent this Year A thing not known before Acts of Hostility being fiercely pursued this Spring between the French and Spaniard both by Sea and Land His Majesty of Great Brittain being concern'd on neither side but at Amity with both was pleas'd to Command by His Proclamation Dated at Newmarket March the 12th That the Peace should be kept inviolably on both sides in all Roads Creeks and Ports of His Dominions and that all His Commanders and Officers should oppose themselves against any that should assault any of the Ships of His Allies in any His Roads Creeks or places under His Protection c. On the 14th of April Sir Leoline Jenkins obtain'd leave of His Majesty to surrender his place of Secretary of State and Sidney Godolphin Esq now Lord Godolphin was Sworn Secretary On the 21st of April James Holloway Merchant being out-law'd in Treason having been Indicted for the late Conspiracy and fled was brought to the Kings-Bench Bar where the Attorney-General declared to the Court and the Court to him That if he thought he could make himself appear Not Guilty the King would wave his Attainder by Outlary and he might stand a Tryal by a Jury But he Declar'd That he could not undertake to make himself appear Not Guilty for he had confest his Guilt to the King Whereupon a Rule of Court was made for his Execution on the 30th of the present April on which Day he was accordingly Executed On Saturday the 10th of May Titus Oates was arrested at the Amsterdam Coffee-House in an Action of Scandalum Magnatum at the Suit of His Royal Highness the Duke of York for calling the said Duke Traytor and other abominable Language He was carried to Woodstreet-Counter where he lay two Days and was then removed by Habeas Corpus to the Kings-Bench Prison The next Term he let Judgment go by default and on the last Day of the Term a Writ of Enquiry of Damages was Executed at the Kings-Bench Bar where the Jury upon hearing the Evidence gave 100000 l Damages About the beginning of May the King was pleased to revoke and determine the Commission formerly granted to several Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of England and to commit those Affairs to the Care of His Royal Highness Also in this Month of May a Noble and most Elaborate Statue of his Now Majesty in gray Marble was erected on a Curious Pedestal of the same in the very middle or Center of the Old-Exchange The Garb and Habit was that of a Roman Caesar The Workman that Cut it was Mr. Grinlin Gibbons the most Famous Statuary that England ever produced and equal if not Superiour to the best of Europe in this Age. This was performed at the charge of the Hamborough Company and Cost 500 l. The Inscription on the Pedestal is Carolo II Caesari Britannico Patriae Patri Regum Optimo Clementissimo Augustissimo Generis humani Delicijs Vtriusque fortunae Victori Pacis Europae Arbitro Maris Domino Vindici Societas Mercatorum Adventur Angliae Quae per CCCC jam prope Annos Regia Benignitate floret Fidei intemeratae Gratitudinis Aeternae Hoc Testimonium Venerabunda posuit Anno Sal. Humanae MDCLXXXIV On the 28th of May His Majesty was pleased to declair in Council at Hampton-Court That he thought it fit and for His Service that his Royal Highness should be present at the Meetings of the Council And accordingly the Duke Sate that Day and
Jenner Sir Thomas 182 The five Jesuites Tryed and Executed 55 Ignoramus Juries 118 120 126 127 146 Jones Sir Thomas 90 182 Ireland Pickering and Groves 35 K. KIng Charles I. His Statue and Inscription 169 A Monument and Funeral Voted for Him 4 King Charles II. His Statue and Inscription 199 His Admirable Prudence and Conduct 208 L. LAnghorn Richard 55 Langhorn Junior 83 Landsdown Lord 191 Lauderdale Duke 14 Lewis Sir Simon 84 London Petition 97 Address to their Members 103 Loyal Address 116 Lord Mayor of London Arrested 165 The Act disown'd by the Common Council 167 Loyal Lieutenancy of London 116 Vid. Quo Warranto M. LOrd Mayor and Aldermen of London go to Windsor to Congratulate 57 Arested 165 Middlesex Grand Jurys 82 Loyal Address 130 Militia 33 Monmouth Duke 54 57 60 74 79 80 163 185 187 Moor Sir John the Loyal Lord Mayor of London 116 125 149 159 N. NEwmarket Fire 164 News Factious silenced 75 109 158 North Sir Francis 90 109 181 North Sir Dudly 148 Norwich Loyal Address 115 O. OSsery Earl 86 Otes Titus 33 124 198 203 204 Oxford the King and Queen receiv'd there 105 Parliament there 105 Vniversity condemn 27 Propositions Seditious and impious 178 P. PArliament The long one Dissolved 37 Another call'd at Westminster 40. Dissolved 56. Another call'd at Westminster 58. Sit. 87. Dissolved 98. Another call'd and sit at Oxford 105. Dissolved 108 Papists Banisht 10 Miles from London and Westminster 29 32 Not to remove above five Miles from their homes 31. Excluded from sitting in Parliament 32 33 Payton Sir Robert 59 77 Papillon Thomas 85 165 202 Pemberton Sir Francis 109 159 182 Pepys Samuel 55 Peter Lord 187 Petitioning in an illegal manner 61 62 69 Pilkinton Thomas 125 158 Plot business its beginning 26 Plunket Oliver 116 118 119 Pope burning 59 157 Popish Lords Committed 28 Impeacht 35 45 47. Bail'd 194 Powis Countess 59 75 77 Prance Miles 38 Pritchard Sir William 156 165 167 182 202 Privy Council 45 Proclamations for a Fast 28 43. Against Papists 29 31 32. Against illegal Petitions 62. For Discovery 88. Against Highway-men 70 205. Against Duels 70 Against News Pamphlets 75. For Apprehension of Conspirators 174. Of Neutrality 196 Pretections of the Commons discharg'd 8 Q. QAarrel in the House of Commons 32 Quo Warranto London 146 170 171 172 181 R. RAces of English Horses in France 163 Reading Nathaniel 46 Rebellion in Scotland 54 204 Review of the Land Forces 201 Rich Peter 154 Riots 107 157 166 184 Roswel Thomas 203 Rouse John 119 126 176 177 Rupert Prince Palatine Dies 159 Russel Lord 176 177 S. SAunders Sir Edmund 159 182 Sawyer Sir Robert 11 12 Scaffolds in Westminster-Hall removed 169 Scotland Rebellion there 54 204 Loyal Parliament there 121 Their Acts 123 128 Bishops there write to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 141 Scrogs Sir William 21 58 64 90 Seymer Speaker 43 90 Shaftsbury Earl 8 93 119 127 128 144 161 Shandois Lord 73 Sheriffs of London Committed to the Tower 149 Bail'd Ibid. Shute Samuel 125 Sidney Algernoon 185 Smith Aaron 183 Smith Francis 109 Staley William 34 Stafford Vicount 76 91 92 Statue of King Charles 1. 169 Of King Charles 2. 208 Symonds Sir James 83 T. TAngier 78 87 93 94 191 Tasburgh Richard 76 Thanksgiving Meeting Prohibited 142 Appointed for the Discovery of the Conspiracy 179 181 Thinne Thomas 135 136 Titchburn Sir Henry 77 Trade with France Prohibited 10 Treby Sir George 176 182 Tulse Sir Henry 184 Tumult at Edinburgh 142 at Dublin 144 V. VIenna Siege and Relief 190 Votes Printed 90 W. WAkeman Sir George 27 56 Walcot Hone and Rouse 176 War with France promoted by the House of Commons 5 7 9 10 12 Ward Sir Patience 167 Weston Sir Richard 90 Whitfield Thomas 69 Williamson Sir Joseph Secretary of State 31 32 39 Wilmore John 145 156 Withens Sir Francis 72 88 Wi. Williams Speaker 88 107 Y. YOrk the Most Illustrious Duke 30 39 40 49 57 58 60 66 68 87 93 94 95 96 132 137 139 140 141 143 146 174 198 200 201. Some Books Printed for Sam. Lowndes over against Exeter-Exchange 1. AN Introduction to the Old English History Written by Robert Brady M. D. Folio 2. A general Chronological History of France beginning before the Reign of King Pharamond and ending with the Reign of King Henry the Fourth by the Sieur de Mezeray Fol. 3. Parthanissa that most Fam'd Romance the six Volumes Compleat by the Right Honourable the Earl of Ossory Fol. 4. Clelia an excellent New Romance the whole Work in five Parts Fol. 5. The Compleat Horseman and expert Farrier Written by Thomas de Grey the 5th Edition 6. Saducismus Triumphatus or a full and plain Evidence concerning Witches and Apparitions by Joseph Glanvil Chaplain in Ordinary to his late Majesty with some Additions by Dr. Moor and Dr. Horneck the 2d Edition 7. Two choice and useful Treatises the one Lux Orientalis Written by Mr. Glanvil the other A Discourse of Truth by the Reverend Dr. Rust Lord Bishop of Bromer in Ireland with Annotations on them both by Dr. More 8. The Great Law of Consideration Written by Dr. Horneck the 4th Edition 9. Papismus Regiae potestatis eversor Reverendus admodum Episcopus Lincoln Anglicè Scripsit 10. An Anatomick-Chirurgical Treatise of Glandules and Strumaes or Kings-Evil-Swellings c. by John Brown one of His Majesties Chyrurgions 11. Paul Festeaus French and English Grammer being the Newest and exactest Method now extant for the attaining to the Elegancy and Purity of the French Tongue the Fifth Edition 12. Claudius Maugers Letters in French and English the Second Edition with Additions 13. The Mirror of Fortune or the True Characters of Fate and Destiny 14. The Situation of Paradise found out being an History of a late Pilgrimage unto the Holy-Land 15. Credulity and Incredulity in things Divine and Spiritual by Morick Causabon D. D. Prebendary of Canterbury 16. The French Rogue being a pleasant History of his Life and Fortune 17. Cicero against Cataline in four Invective Orations Englished by Christopher Wase 18. China and France in Two Parts 19. The Fire of the Altar by Dr. Horneck the 2d Edition 20. Cambridge Jests or Witty Alarms for Melancholy Spirits the 2d Edition 21. Idea Eloquentiae Authore Joanne de Kerhuel S. E. M. An Advertisement THere is now in the Press and will be Published the next Term these two Books viz. A Compleat History of England c. in Folio Written by Dr. Brady The Crucified Jesus c. Written by Dr. Anthony Horneck
A Compendious View Of the late TUMULTS TROUBLES In This KINGDOM BY WAY OF ANNALS For SEVEN YEARS VIZ. From the beginning of the 30th to the End of the 36th Year of the Reign of His late Majesty King Charles II. of Blessed Memory By J. W. Esq Longa est Injuria Longae Ambages Sed summa sequar Fastigia Rerum Vir. Aen. 1. London Printed by Edw. Jones for S. Lownds over against Exeter Exchange in the Strand 1685. To the Right Honourable HENRY Earl of Clarendon Vicount Cornbury and Baron HIDE of Hindon One of the Lords of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Council MY LORD I Present your Lordship with a small Compendium of many Great and Strange Revolutions The Greatest perhaps that ever happen'd in England in so short a space of Time A Tempestuous season in which some Waves have dasht against your Lordship thô of so eminent a Character for Loyalty and Goodness But when Princes themselves suffer 't is the best Subjects Glory to suffer with them This My Lord was no New thing to your Lordship who was in a manner born a Sufferer for Monarchy and whose Blooming Years had the Honour to share in the same Exile with your King 'T is strangely fatal to consider that those against whom the disaffected Party made of late the Lowdest outcry were Old Cavaliers A Word almost forgotten had not that Occasion brought it again to Memory It seems there needs no more than to read the Faction backwards and one may see by their false Clamours who were the Kings best Ministers and Friends 'T was the true Honour and Allegiance of that August Assembly in which your Lordship made one of the Better Part that has Eternized the Fame of Englands Baronage and made it Glorious and beloved for ever No will Posterity forget a just Applause to the Illustrious Name of Clarendon when they read it in the List of those Truly Noble Peers who in Duty to the Crown and Royal Family incurr'd the Angry Vote of a numerous a Violent and Over-daring Party Your Lordship being so far and so honourably concern'd in the History of these Times it is my Ambition to take this Occasion to declare my self MY LORD Your Lordships Most Obedient Humble Servant James Wright THE Preface THere are some Scandals so Gross that the Bare Repetition of them is a sufficient Refutation and manifestation of their Falsehood In like manner some Actions are so unwarrantable to all men of Reason that only to relate them is to disgrace the Actors and those Principles that occasion'd such extravagant behaviour Such I esteem the factious Tumults and Riotous Proceedings which of late Years have disturb'd the Quiet of so many honest Men and Loyal Subjects to the Terror of this and Amazement of all the Neighboring Nations The Vehemency of which Revolutions did appear too like that of Naples in the Year 1647. 'T is true these were not so suddain nor altogether so Bloody which must be ascribed to the Almighty Power and Goodness of God and the Vigilant Prudence of His late Majesty of glorious Memory We see what the Party offer'd Not to mention the Street-Tumults How like were the Riots at our Guild-Hall to those at their Church of the Carmelites And to their tumultuous burning the Gabellers Goods I think I may not unaptly compair our burning the Pope and other Burnings And to parallel their Massaniello a poor Fisherman but of stupendious Authority had not we also a little Creature of as Low and obscure Quality bateing his assumed Cassok who was as much adored and I may say almost Deifyed by the Rabble I am heartily sorry and asham'd to think That the chief chief Disparity between their Case and ours will appear to the Disadvantage of the English For what the Neopolitans did they were induced to on the sole Account of their grievous and Intolerable Gabells but we a free and happy People became Seditious and so very unquiet for no present Cause but only future apprehensions and as the Event has shewed 'em to be meer Chimaerical and empty Fears But praised be God Peoples Eyes begin to be open and time has apply'd a Collyrium that makes us see cleerly through the Pretences and Vmbrage that was raised to serve a Faction It is easy now to distinguish the stalking horse from the Fowler that sculks behind Which thing of late Years many either cou'd not or wou'd not see being inwardly as Purblind as he was outwardly that misled ' em And in this I think the Nation is not a little obliged to the Excellent Author of the Observator A person who may be compared to some Pictures that are placed too neer the sight to discover their true value I am confident that the next Age who will behold him at a more advantagious and impartial Distance will have a truer and far greater esteem of his Merits I do not at all admire but think it extream natural that the Disloyal Party and their Adherents do hate him with such a perfect hatred How could they Possibly do otherwise to one who discovers their Cheat and puts 'em by from what they had been so long designing when they were arrived almost to the very Day of Execution The Subject of this little Book most of which was Printed before His late Majesty fell ill is only to remember in a short Abstract what strange and unwarrantable Proceedings have been within the space of Seven Years lately past with what Heats they were transacted how Truth and Loyalty were run down with noise and Cant and how People were scared out of their Wits with such Monstrous Legends that had not we who are now alive seen it with our Eyes who would have believed it Posterity will scarce credit the folly of their Ancestors or if they do they will blush to think an Englishman cou'd be so far imposed upon The Memory of these things ought to keep People from Runing upon the same Shelves and Sands where formerly we were in Danger to have perisht He that would give a Punctual and Particular Account of all the Narratives Discoveries Tryals Executions Speeches Votes Accusations Examinations Commitments Tumultuous Elections Petitions Ryots Libells and Seditious Attempts of all sorts during the said time must write a History more Voluminous than Fox or Hollinshead I pretend not therefore to observe all particulars that happen'd in this space of time but only those which I thought most Material and of greatest Note What I have related was set down every thing at the time when it happen'd Meer matter of Fact without any Reflections otherwise than as the thing it self does reflect to the Dishonour of that Faction which has occasion'd all these past Troubles and to the Glory of that God who has deliver'd us out of the Danger I hope those who have been seduced and misled by Specious pretences into ill Actions as Charity bids me think there are many such will by reflection on the past see and abhor
their Errors They need not blush to Repent and Confess such faults which some of Note and Quality have done already Heaven is full of those that have been Converts But the Impenitent must fill another place where it will be a Double Hell to remember that they might once have received Grace and pardon but refused it A BRIEF Historical Account Of the PUBLICK TRANSACTIONS During the 30th Year of the Reign of KING CHARLES II. Anno Dom. 1678. I Design in the Method observed by Annalists to commit to memory the Publick Transactions during the 30th Year of His Majesty's Reign a Year which seems remarkable and to promise more than usual since that number hath been more than once signal in the course of His Royal Life In the 30th Year of this Century 1630 He was Born the 30th day of May compleated the first day of His Age on the 30th day of January He began His Reign in the 30th Year of His Age 1660. He was by the miraculous Providence of God restored to the possession of His Three Kingdoms after a long and barbarous Exile In the beginning of this Year we find the Parliament sitting The King had newly made a Speech to both Houses the substance of which was That for their satisfaction he had made such Alliances with Holland as are for the preservation of Flanders and which cannot fail of that end unless prevented by the want of due Assistances to support those Alliances or by the small regard the Spaniards themselves must have to their own Preservation That he cannot suspect the want of assistance by reason of their repeated Engagements that a War which must be the necessary consequence of those Alliances ought neither to be Prosecuted by halves nor want such assurances of perseverance as may give him encouragement to persue it that He had used all means possible by a Mediation to have procured an Honourable and safe Peace knowing how preferable such a Peace would have been to any War that this Kingdom must necessarily own the vast benefits it has received by Peace whilst its Neighbours only have yet smarted by the War but finding a Peace no longer to be hoped for by fair means it shall not be his fault if it be not obtain'd by force that for this reason he has recall'd his Troops out of France and consider'd that we cannot have less Forces on our part than 90 Sail of Capital Ships and 30 or 40 Thousand Land-men that he is contented that such Monys as shall be given to these uses be appropriated as strictly as they can desire that he hath directed such larger dimensions for the Building the New Ships as will cost him above 100000 l. more than the Act allows that for repairing the Old Fleet and buying Stores c. He hath expended a great deal more than 200000 l. He hath born the charge of a Rebellion in Virginia and a New War with Algiers that he stands engaged to the Prince of Orange for his Neices Portion that he cannot be able to maintain his constant necessary Establishments without the New Imposition on Wines be continued that to remove all sorts of Jealousies he hath Married his Neice to the Prince of Orange thereby giving full assurances never to suffer that Princes Interest to be ruin'd if assisted as he ought to be to preserve them that he expects from them a plentiful supply suitable to such great occasions and that these considerations being of the greatest Importance that ever concern'd the Kingdom he would therefore have them enter immediately upon them without suffering any other business whatsoever to divert ' em Before the Parliament proceeded to Answer this Speech they Sate on part of the 30th of January the Aniversary Fast and then Voted 70000 l. for a solemn Burial of his late Majesty King Charles I. and to erect a Monument for the said Prince of Glorious Memory the said Sum to be rais'd by a Two Months Tax to begin at the expiration of the present Tax for Building Ships This tho' in truth an Affair to which the Nation has stood obliged this 29 Years yet being never mention'd till yesterday when first moved in the House of Commons by my Lord O-Brian Eldest Son to the Earl of Tumond and whose Son lately had Marry'd my Lord Treasurers Daughter seem'd surprizing The next Day being the 31 of January the House of Commons in return to the Kings Speech presented their Address to His Majesty at White-hall containing thanks for his care exprest for the preservation and Encouragement of the Protestant Religon in concluding a Marriage between his Niece and the Prince of Orange beseech him not to admit of any Treaty of Peace whereby the French King shall be left in possession of any greater Dominion or power than is left him by the Pyrenaean Treaty that both on our parts and the parts of the Confederates no Ship nor Vessel may be admitted to come out of any Port of France but that the Ships and Men be seized and the Goods destroy'd that he would please to provide that none of the parties who shall joyn in this Alliance and Confederacy against France depart from the said Alliance till the said King be reduced to the said Treaty that neither we nor the Confederates admit any Trade with France or suffer any Goods to be Imported from thence on pain of Forfeiture that His Majesty in making such Confederacies as necessary for attaining these ends shall never doubt of the affections of the People Lastly they renew their former protestations and engagements to persevere in the prosecution of the said War and when he shall be pleas'd to Impart such Alliances and Confederacies to them in Parliament to give such ready assistances upon all occasions as may bring the War to a happy conclusion To this Address the King return'd the following Answer in Writing which was read in the House of Commons the 4th of February That he was not a little surpriz'd to find so much inserted there of what should not be and so little of what should that his Speech was to both Houses joyntly and the return ought to be from both That in the Address of the 20th of May last you did invite him to a League offensive and defensive with Holland against the French King and for the preserving the Spanish Netherlands and upon his Declaration of such Alliances assured such speedy assistances as may fully Answer the occasion that he hath made such Alliances yet finds no return but the Old promises upon new Conditions and so He may be used to Eternity should he seem satisfied with such proceedings that on the 28th of May last he told you how highly he was offended at the great Invasion of his Prerogative yet you take no notice of it but add to your former ill conduct new Invasions you desire him to oblige his Confederates never to consent to a Peace till the most Christian King be reduced to the Pyrenaean
Treaty a Determination fitting only for God Almighty since none but He can tell the terms of Peace who knows the event of War You desire him not to suffer a Ship of theirs to come from France under pain of Confiscation not excepting Allies Prince or Ambassadors if any among them that he does not believe any Assembly of Men ever gave so great and publick a provocation to the whole World without so much as considering to provide one Ship Regiment or penny towards justifying it that however if by your assistance he may be put into Armes sufficient for such a Work He will not be weary till Christendom be restored to such a Peace that it shall not be in the power of any one Prince to disturb it that the Rights of making and managing War and Peace are in His Majesty and if you think he will depart from any part of that Right you are mistaken the Reins of Government are in his hands and he hath the same care to preserve them there as to preserve his own Person he keeps both for his Peoples protection and safety and that if this House will encourage His Majesty to go further in Alliances you must consider of raising speedy supplies for from the consideration of those he must take his measures Some things of note however were done before the Supply was concluded The House of Commons took off all written Protections which had been by some Members granted to such as were not really their Servants to an incredible number Voting no Protection allowable to any but their Menial Servants actually in Service and that without a written Certificate And now was the Earl of Shaftsbury releas'd from his Confinement in the Tower where he had been close Prisoner ever since last Spring and restored to his place in Parliament having first made the following Submission at the Lords Bar Feb. 25. viz. 1. I do acknowledge that my endeavouring to maintain that this Parliament was Dissolved was an ill advised Action for which I humbly beg pardon of the Kings Majesty and this most Honourable House 2. I do acknowledge that my bringing a Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Kings Bench was a high violation of your Lordships Priviledge and a great aggravation of my former offence for all which I beg pardon Subscribed Shaftsbury The next Day he sate in the House of Lords On the 27. The City was not a little Allarm'd with the French Kings taking of Ghent and the great danger of several other places of note in Flanders That Night were sent from London 12 Companys of Foot for Ostend follow'd the next Day by the Dukes of Monmouth and Albermarle the Earls of Mulgrave and Plymouth c. most of which Lords soon after return'd About a Fortnight after this a Poll-Bill for raising Monys past both Houses and presently after the Commons express their impatiency for a War their Transactions running in these Terms March 14. Upon several motions made for considering of the deplorable condition of the Nation resolved in a Committee of the whole House That it is the opinion of this Committee that an Address be presented to the King humbly to advise His Majesty that His Majesty to quiet the minds of his Loyal Subjects and to encourage the Princes and States Confederates against the French King would be graciously pleased to proclaim and enter into an actual War with the French King and to give his Majesty assurances that this House will constantly stand by and aid His Majesty in the prosecution thereof with necessary and plentiful suppplies and assistances and that His Majesty will presently dismiss the French Ambassador and recal his from France and Niminghen Which Address was the next Day drawn up accordingly and sent to the Lords for their Concurrence but never proceeded further Wednesday 27th of March the Parliament was Adjourn'd by the Kings Order till the 11th of April being the Week after Easter the King having first Sign'd the Poll-Bill in which was a strict Appropriating Clause for the Mony so Levy'd to be applied to no use but the intended French War also another Clause Prohibiting the Importation of any French Commodities for Three Years Soon after which the French King prohibited ours for Ten Years Thursday the 11th of April the Parliament met again and Adjourn'd to the Monday following at which time by the Kings appointment they chose a New Speaker in the House of Commons Sir Robert Sawyer one of the Kings Council Learned and a great Practicer in the Exchequer and from thence Adjourn'd over to Monday the 29th of April During these Intervals a strict Fast is kept on Wednesday the 10th of April in London and the Wednesday Fortnight following through England to implore Gods Blessing upon His Majesty and his Kingdoms and for the averting of Gods Judgments Monday the 29th of April the Houses met again the King and Lords in their Robes My Lord Chancellor in a long Speech recited all the Addresses that they had made in relation to a War with France what the King had already done in pursuance of the same and joyning an effectual League with the Confederates to that end and how ready the King was to pursue their desires but that now he discovered the Dutch were entring upon a Treaty of Peace with the French King and that without his consent or privity and therefore His Majesty demands the advice of his Houses how to proceed Monday following being the 6th of May Sir Robert Sawyer excused himself in a Letter that he could not attend the House by reason that he was taken very ill of the Stone occasioned by his long sitting last Saturday whereupon the Old Speaker was again chosen and reinstated in the Chair The same Day the King returned a short Answer to an Address of the House of Commons Voted on the said last Saturday which contain'd their humble Advice that he would forthwith enter into the present Alliance with the Confederates and an Actual War with France c. To which this Answer was read by one of the Secretaries of State viz. C. R. HIs Majesty having been acquainted with the Votes of the 4th Instant is very much surprized both with the matter and manner of them but if His Majesty had had Exceptions to neither yet His Majesty having asked the Advice of both the Houses doth not think fit to give any Answer to any thing of that nature till he hath a concurrent Advice of both Houses Among which mentioned Votes of the 4th Instant beside the Advice abovesaid this was past by a majority of 16 Voices That the late Leagues made with the States-General of the United Provinces are not pursuant to the Addresses of this House nor consistant with the good and safety of the Kingdom In the mean time the Commons are not at all discouraged with this Answer but draw up an Address and present it to the King at Whitehall on Saturday the 11th of May in the afternoon
In fine the same method of proceedings may be made use of against the Commons by the Lords These Inconveniencies the King is Resolved to abolish and hath Commanded me to say to you State super vias antiquas If this Session do not repair the misfortunes and amend the faults of the last it will look like a fatality upon the Nation He whose house is destroyed by Fire would find but little Comfort in saying the Fire did not begin by his means but it will be a perpetual Anguish to him to remember that it lay in his power to extinguish it And so concludes with strong persuasives to Peace and a Composure of all Differences Monday May 27. Resolved in the House of Commons That the House taking into Consideration the State of His Majesties Affairs and the great charge and Burthen that His Majesty and the Nation lyes under by the Army now in Being are humbly of Opinion That if His Majesty please to think fit to enter into the War against the French King this House is and always will be ready to support and assist him in that War But if otherwise That they will proceed to the Consideration of providing for the Speedy Disbanding of the Army The House further Ordered That the Members of this House who are of His Majesties privy Council do acquaint the King with these Votes and pray His Majesties Answer To this the King returned the following Answer which was read in the House of Commons the next day It contained That the French King hath made such offers of a Cessation till the 27th of July as His Majesty doth not only believe will be accepted but will end in a General Peace yet since that is not certain he does not think it prudent to dismiss either Fleet or Army before that time nor doth he think it will add much to the charge in regard the raising Mony and paying them off would take up that time were they to be Disbanded as speedily as possibly In the mean time he desires Mony for their subsistance that as hetherto they have been the most orderly Army that ever came together they may be encouraged to continue so And concludes with reminding the House of the 200000 l. formerly mentioned in His Speech which he wants for His Houshold The next day of sitting being Thursday the 30th of May the Commons Vote unanimously That all Forces rais'd since the 29th of September last except those transported to Forrain Plantations be forthwith paid off and Disbanded and that they Consider of a Supply for that purpose The last of May being the first day of Trin. Term Sir William Scroggs at that time Puisne Judge in the Common-Pleas took his place in the Kings Bench as Lord Chief Justice of England to which he was preferr'd by the Kings especial Favour on the removal of Sir Richard Rainsford who resigned a few days before And was Succeeded in the Common-Pleas by Baron Bartu and Serjeant Brampston promoted to his Place in the Exchequer June 4th the Commons Vote 200000 l. to be raised by a Monthly Tax in Six Months after the Land Tax now in being be expired with a Clause That this be for the Disbanding of the Army by the end of this present June The next day they Voted the King 200000 l. more Towards the Defraying the expences of the Fleet. Soon after which the King sent them a Message by one of the Secretaries of State containing That His mind was still the same with what he delivered the 23 of May last That the Army and Fleet ought to be kept up till the expected Peace be concluded He also recommended to their Consideration whether it were not dishonourable for him to recal His Forces in Flanders from those Towns which he had taken into His Protection before they could provide themselves of other Succours Here upon they extend the time as to the Forces in Flanders to the 27 of July Saturday the 15th of June The Commons Resolved That after Tuesday following no motions should be made for any new Supplys of Money till after the Recess nor any more private Bills brought in till after the said Recess The Tuesday following the King sent for the Commons up to the Lords House and told 'em in a long Speech That the season requiring a Recess by the middle of next Month at farthest it is convenient that we part fairly and with a perfect confidence of one another Therefore he opens His Heart freely to them in some particulars of nearest concern That what he told 'em at the beginning of this Session concerning a Peace seems already to be determined at least as to Spain and Holland in which Peace His part will be not only that of a Mediator but also to give His Warranty in it That Spain writes word that unless England bares the charge of maintaining Flanders even after the Peace they will not be in a Condition to support it long That to this end it is necessary not only to keep up our Navy at Sea but to give the World some assurance of being well United at home That thô the House of Commons may think such a Peace as ill a bargain as War because it will cost them Mony yet if they seriously consider that otherwise Flanders had been lost perhaps by this time He believes they will give much greater Summs than this will cost rather than the single Town of Ostend should be in the French hands and 40 of their men of War in so good a Haven overagainst the Rivers Mouth That we cannot but be pleased to understand the Reputation we have gained abroad by having in 40 days rais'd an Army of 30000 Men and prepaired a Navy of 90 Ships Therefore if they desire to keep up the Honour of the Crown at home and look to the safety of the Balance of Affairs abroad and pursue the War of Algiers if they desire he should pass any part of His life in quiet and all the rest in confidence and kindness with them and other suture Parliaments if so That they must find a way not only to settle for His life His Revenue as at Christmass last but also to add a new Fund of 300000 l. Per annum upon which he will pass an Act to settle 50000 l. upon the Navy and Ordinance and shall be also always ready to consent to all such Laws as they shall propose for the good of the Nation Then he reminds 'em to inable him to keep His word with the Prince of Orange in the payment of His Neices Portion which is 40000 l. the first payment being now due and demanded by him This Speech being ended the Commons returned back and Voted His Majesty the thanks of the House for His gracious expressions in His Speech Yet nothing of importance was done that day but a Denial of the 300000 l. Per annum demanded and not only so but a motion being made for a Compensation on the lost part
present to be past into Laws to make them safe in the Reign of His Successor so as they intend not to Impeach the Right of Succession nor the Discent of the Crown in the true Line and also as they restrain not any Power or just Right of His Protestant Successor such Bills shall find from him a ready concurrence Soon after this came out another Proclamation whereby all Roman Recusants and such reputed were enjoyn'd under the Penalty of the Laws to repair to their own homes and not to remove more than Five Miles from thence without Licence Excepted out of this Proclamation the Inhabitants of London and Westminster Monday the 18th of November the House of Commons being informed that Sir Joseph Williamson Secretary of State had lately Countersigned several Commissions for Roman Recusant Officers with a Non-obstante to the Oaths and Test he was by the said House Committed to the Tower The next Day the King sent for the Commons to attend him at the Banquetting-House and told 'em That tho' they Committed His Servant without acquainting him yet He intends to be freer with them and acquaint them with His intentions to release His Secretary which accordingly He did that Day About this time a Bill having been sent up from the Commons to the Lords House for Excluding all Popish Members to sit in either House of Parliament it was past in the said Lords House with some little alterations and a Clause in Favour of His Royal Highness and the said Bill being sent back to the Commons it past there also November 21st with the said alterations but not without some difficulty for Sir Jonathan Trelauny and one Mr. Ash being heated in debate and words of reproach passing between 'em Sir Jonathan struck the other a cuff on the Ear which being return'd by Ash over the Face they were both about to Draw but this disturbance being at last quieted by the Speaker Trelauny was sent to the Tower there to remain all this Sessions and Ash received a Reprimande from the Speaker About the same time came out an Order of Council explaining the late Proclamation whereby all Papists were Banisht 10 Miles from London not to extend to Merchant strangers and such Outlandish who repair hither on the account of Travail And now the Commons begin to look towards the Army again resolving November 25. That it is necessary for the safety of His Majesty's Person and Preservation of the Government that the Forces raised since the 29th of November 77. be forthwith paid off and Disbanded and for this the King requires more Mony In the mean time Oats the great Discoverer of the Plot accuses the Queen hereupon the King places a stricter Guard upon him than ever but the Commons Novemb. 29. order an Address to be made to His Majesty That the said Oats be freed from his restraint attended by his own Servants and that a competent allowance be appointed for his maintenance and that the Queen with all her Servants and all Popish Recusants or such suspected be removed from Whitehall Saturday Novemb. 30. the King had two Bills presented to him one of which viz For Exclusion of all Popish Members to fit in either House of Parliament with a Clause in favour of the Duke of York He past The other which was for raising a third part of the Militia to be in constant Arms for a time He refused alledging That that were to put the Militia out of his Power which thing He would not do no not for one hour but if the Parliament will assist Him with Money for that purpose He will take care to raise such a part of the Militia as shall secure the Peace of the Government and His own Person In the mean time while these things are transacting in Parliament one William Staly a Goldsmiths Son a Roman Recusant is Arraigned at the Kings Bench Bar found guilty and condemned of High Treason for speaking certain words against the Kings Life and accordingly was hanged and quartered at Tyburn but on Petition the King granted his Quarters to his Father who abusing the Kings mercy buried him in Covent-Garden Church-yard with too much State and Ceremony for which reason by His Majesties Order his Quarters were that very night taken up conveyed to Newgate and soon after set up on the Gates of London The same week that Staly was executed Mr. Coleman was arraigned and tryed at the aforesaid Bar and condemned of High Treason The Evidence was the aforementioned Oats and one Bedloe and his own Letters but both the aforesaid Tryals being in Print I shall take no farther notice of particulars The King gave back all Mr. Colemans Estate to his Wife and Children and his Quarters to be Buried Thursday December 4 The Commons Impeacht the Lords Arundel of Warder Bellasis Poâ—is Petre and Stafford of Treason other high Crimes and Misdemeanors severally which several Impeachments were carried up by five several Members of the House of Commons Two Days before the said Lords had been found Guilty upon special Indictments to the same purpose by the Grand Jury of Middlesex before special Commissioners sitting at Westminster but now for some Reasons those proceedings were waved and it was thought more effectual to proceed by way of Impeachment before the House of Lords in Parliament Tuesday December the 17th Ireland Pickering and Groves were Condemned of High Treason as Conspirators in the Plot but their Execution was respited for some time At the same time Whitebread and Fenwick were arraigned but their Tryal put off till the 15th of January And now some of the Members of Parliament begin to accuse one another December the 23d Mr. Mountigue Son to the Lord Mountigue and late Ambassador in France now a Burgess for Northampton carries up five Articles against the Lord Treasurer and Sir John Earnly another Member of the House of Commons accuses the said Mr. Mountigue of holding a Correspondence with the Popes Nuncio at Paris In the mean time the Parliament sit incessantly without Adjournment these Hollidays but only for Christmas-Eve and Christmas Day requiring a full appearance of all their Members not disabled as well Lords as Commons enjoyning all in Town not to depart under strict penalties and sending their Messengers for all absent in the Country But it pleas'd the King on Monday the 30th of December to Prorogue both Houses till the 4th of February following Not long before which the Commons had given more Mony for the Disbanding the Army but inserted a Clause in the Bill for the Mony to be paid into the Chamber of London which proviso would not pass in the Lords House and therefore the Bill remain'd abort During this Interval the Reports were various touching the next sitting it being sometimes affirmed that the Session was further Prorogued till the 25th of February then again that the Parliament would certainly meet at the 4th of February the Day first appointed till at last on the 24th Day of
Earl of Danby render himself to Justice by a certain day or in default thereof to be Attainted which Bill was read twice and committed In the mean time the Lords had past a Bill in their House for banishing and disabling the said Earl which being sent down to the Commons for their Concurrence was by them rejected as a Censure too favourable They also Vote an Address to be made to His Majesty That the said Earl be not permitted to reside in any of His Majesties Houses of Whitehall Somerset-house and St. James's Also another Address for a Proclamation to apprehend the said Earl and that no Subject presume to harbour or conceal him In the mean time the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Danby was highly canvast at several Conferences between the Lords and Commons till at last on the 16th of April a Message is brought from the Lords House to acquaint the Commons That the Earl of Danby had the last night rendred himself to the Usher of the Black Rod and is committed by their Lordships to the Tower On the same 16th of April 4 of the 5 popish Lords in the Tower who had been on the 9th instant Impeacht gave in their Answers in Person viz. Powis Stafford Petre and Arundel but the Lord Bellasis being disabled by the Gout had his Answer received in Writing On the 20th of April the King was pleas'd to declare to His Privy Council His pleasure to dissolve them and to constitute a new one which for the future should consist of the constant number of 30 Members of which 15 to be certain viz. 1. The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 2. Bishop of London 3. Lord Chancellor 4. One of the Chief Justices 5. The Admiral 6. Master of the Ordenance 7. Treasurer 8. Chancellor of the Exchequer 9. Privy Seal 10. Master of the Horse 11. Lord Steward 12. Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold 13. Groom of the Stole And the two Secretaries The other 15 elective at the Kings pleasure 10 out of the Nobility and 5 Commoners Besides these such Princes of the Blood as shall be at Court A Lord President and a Secretary of Stotland but these uncertain And according to this new Model so many of them as were in Court did the next morning being April 21 meet in the Council Chamber and were there Sworn Privy-Counsellors The same day His Majesty was pleased to acquaint the two Houses with what he had done and that He was resolved in all His weighty and Important Affairs next to His great Council in Parliament to be advised by this Privy Council After this viz. on the 24th day of April Nathaniel Reading Esquire was Tryed before my Lord Chief Justice North and several other special Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer sitting in the Kings-Bench Court at Westminster His crime of which he stood indicted was for endeavoring to stifle Bedlo's Evidence against the Popish Lords or at least to lessen the same which being proved by the Oaths of the said Bedloe one Wiggins his Man and one Mr Speke which two last Bedloe had hid privately in his Chamber to over-hear their discourse he was found guilty had Judgment to stand in the Pillory for an hour in the Palace-Yard Imprisonment for one year and fined 1000 l. Which Sentence was accordingly Executed About this time it was that the Bishops of Ely Gloucester and Bath and Wells were accused for Papists but the Accusation quickly fell it being discovered to be a malicious contrivance to blast their Reputation and fix a Scandal on the whole Order On the 25th of April the Earl of Danby and Lord Bellasis appear'd in Person at the Bar of the Lords House the Earl putting in his Plea and the Lord Bellasis his Answer The next day the Lords Stafford Arundel and Powis appear'd at the same Bar and having retracted their former Pleas to their Impeachments which appeared insufficient to the House of Commons put in their further Answers to the same After this on the last day of April His Majesty was pleased to send for the Commons to attend Him in the House of Lords and acquaint 'em by the mouth of the Lord Chancellor That he was ready to agree to any Laws to secure Religion so the Discent of the Crown in the Right Line be not defeated and therefore he is willing that a Provision be made First to distinguish a Papist from a Protestant Successor then to limit the Authority of the First in these particulars viz that all Church preferment may be confer'd on Pious and Learned Protestants That there may not want a Parliament on the Kings Death but that the Parliament then in being or the last that sat should at such time reassemble without any new Summons or Election That during the Reign of any Popish Successor no Privy Counseller no Judge at the Common Law or in Chancery shall be put in or displaced but by Authority of Parliament That none but Protestants be Justices of Peace so also for Lord Lieutenants Deputy Leiutenants and Officers in the Navy not to be put in or removed but by Authority of Parliament concluding that it is hard to invent any other restraint to be put on a Popish Successor yet if any thing else can occur to the Wisdom of the Parliament whereby to secure Religion and Liberty without defeating the Right of Succession it self that His Majesty is most ready to consent to it After the Consideration of this Speech had been Adjourn'd over from time to time It was at last Resolved on the 11th of May in the House of Commons in defence of the Kings Person and the Protestant Religion that they will stand by His Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes and that if His Majesty should come by any violent Death which God forbid that they will revenge it to the utmost upon the Papists And according to this Vote they drew up an Address on the 14th with this varation in the form of Words viz. We shall be ready to Revenge upon the Papists any violence offered by them to your Sacred Majesty The Words by them being neither exprest nor intimated in their Vote though essential and necessary to the Justice of the intended Revenge Further then this they took no notice of the Kings Resolution exprest in the said Speech but contrary to that Clause which related to the Succession on the 15th of May they brought in a Bill to Disable the Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England which being Read the first time on the said 15th of May was on the 21st read again and Committed to a Committee of the whole House yet the House divided on the Question Yeas 207. Noes 123. But the Parliament being soon after Prorogued it never proceeded further In the mean time the two Houses of Parliament are very earnest in debating the Methods relating to the Tryals of the five Popish Lords in the Tower and the Earl of Danby which last being on the third of
May demanded at the Bar of the Lords House whether he would rely upon and abide by the Plea of his Pardon return'd for Answer That being advised by his Council that his Pardon is good in Law he doth insist upon his Plea and desires that his Council may be heard With which their Lordships acquainting the Commons they Order a return to be made to their Lordships by the whole House in these words on the 5th of May. My Lords the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled are come up to demand Judgment in their own Names and the Names of all the Commons of England against Thomas Earl of Danby who stands Impeacht by them before your Lordships of High Treason and divers high Crimes and Misdemeanors To which he has pleaded a Pardon which Pardon the Commons conceive to be illegal and void and therefore they do demand Judgment of your Lordships accordingly On the 6th of May it was ordered in the House of Lords that Saturday next be appointed for the Earl of Danby's Plea to be argued and that the five Lords in the Tower be tryed this Day Sennight With which Orders they acquainted the Commons the next Day and that their Lordships had appointed an Address to be made to His Majesty to appoint a Lord Steward for the said Tryals The Commons not well satisfied with these proceedings desire that a Committee of both Houses may be nominated to consider of the most proper ways and methods of Proceeding upon Impeachments according to the usage of Parliament But the Lords refused to agree to the Proposal as inconformable to the Rules and Orders of proceedings of their House which is and ever must be tender in matters relating to their Judicature Upon this Answer the Commons resolve May 9. That no Commoner whatsoever presume to maintain the validity of the Pardon pleaded by the Earl of Danby without the leave of this House first had and that the Persons so doing shall be accounted Betrayers of the Liberties of the Commons of England After this it seems that the Lords did recede from their former resolution for on the 11th of May they acquainted the Commons by Message That they had appointed a Committee consisting of Twelve Lords to joyn with a Committee of the House of Commons to consider of propositions and circumstances in relation to the foresaid Tryals Which joint Committee of both Houses meeting they dis-agreed about the Bishops being present at the Tryals for the Lords having resolved in their House That the Lords Spiritual have a right to stay in Court in Capital Cases till the Court proceed to the Vote of Guilty or Not Guilty Hereupon the Commons resolved on the other side to insist upon it that the Lords Spiritual ought not to have any Vote in any Proceedings upon Impeachments against the Lords in the Tower The two Houses seeming to disser on this point the Bishops thought to find out a Medium and on the 16th of May desired leave of the House of Lords that they might withdraw themselves from the Tryals of the said Impeached Lords with the Liberty of entring their usual Protestations But this did not satisfie the House of Commons who on the 24th of May Resolve that they cannot proceed to the Tryal of the Five Lords before Judgment be given on the Earl of Danby's Pardon and in the point of the Bishops Voting in Capital Offences For which they drew up Reasons and the 26th of May delivered the same to the Lords at a Conference which being very large and in print I shall here omit And in this posture did the Publick Transactions in Parliament appear on the 27th day of May at which time it pleas'd His Majesty to Prorogue both Houses until the 14th day of August next About this time the King was pleased to remove Sir John Robinson from being Lieutenant of the Tower and confer the Place on Captain Cheek The Troubles in Scotland which broke out in this Month gave occasion of much discourse and no little alarm in England They begun in the Barbarous Murder of Dr. Sharp Archbishop of St. Andrews on the 3d of May as he was travelling from Edinburgh to his own Residency The Murderers were a company of Inveterate Covenanters who in regard the said Bishop had been formerly one of their Party and now revolted as they called his honest Reformation bore him a most immortal hatred having attempted his Life several times before But the Assassins stop not at Murder for soon after this they gather into a Body in the Western parts of Scotland and fall into open Rebellion and Treason on the 29th a Party of the Rebels well mounted and armed came to Rugland proclaim the Covenant and burnt the following Acts of Parliament viz. The Act concerning the Kings Supremacy The Recissory Act by which all the Mock-Laws made in the times of the late Anarchy were repeal'd The Act for establishing Episcopacy And the Act appointing the Anniversary of the 29th of May They also publisht an Insolent Declaration full of Treason and the very Spirit of Scotch Covenanters commonly there called WHIGS With such as these their Army increased daily to such a considerable number that the King Commissioned the Duke of Monmouth as Generalissimo to suppress the Insurrection which not long after with the assistance of the Loyal Gentry and Heretors of that Nation he did in one Battle killing some and taking several Hundreds of Prisoners of which some few being hang'd especially those who were more immediately concern'd in the Arch-Bishops Murder the rest were Transported But to return to London On the 13th of June Thomas White alias Whitebread Provincial of the Jesuits in England William Harcourt John Fenwick John Gaven and Anthony Turner all Jesuits were Tryed at the Old-Baily and found Guilty of High Treason as Conspirators in the late Plot The next Day Richard Langhorn Esq a Barister of the Inner-Temple was Tryed at the same Bar for the same Crime and being also found Guilty all six had Sentence of Condemnation and were accordingly Executed the five Jesuits on Fryday the 20th of June and Mr. Langhorn on the 14th of July following All departing this Life with the greatest Protestations of Innocence as to the Crimes Objected as could be possibly expected On the last Day of Trinity-Term being the 9th of July Sir Anthony Dean and Samuel Pepys Esq two Members of the present Parliament were on a long debate let to Bail in the Court of Kings-Bench at Westminster the Principals in a Recognizance of 10000 l. a piece and every one of the Bail 5000 l. They had been Committed to the Tower by Order of the House of Commons on the 20th of May last their Accusation Treason Piracy and Felony on the Stat. 31. El. 4. And being on the first Day of this Term removed by Habeas Corpus into this Court the said Crimes were here charged against 'em in several Affidavits by Scot and Moon but it seems the
Evidence not appearing so home as expected they were now Bail'd and so continued till the last Day of Hillary-Term following at which time they were Discharged on their own single Recognizance to appear in Trinity-Term next without being brought to any Tryal But now arrives the 10th of July on which Day the King was pleas'd to Dissolve the present Parliament by Proclamation with a Declaration of His Intention to call another on the 17th of October following On the 18th of July Sir George Wakeman Baronet the Queens Physitian William Marshal William Rumley and James Corker Benedictin Monks were Tryed for High Treason relating to the late Plot the Evidence Oates Bedloe and others But the Jury found 'em not Guilty and they were discharged Several Libels hereupon flew abroad against my Lord Chief Justice Scroggs who notwithstanding did sufficiently acquit himself from all aspersion in the Judgment of sober People In August the King fell dangerously ill at Windsor upon the Intelligence of which His Royal Highness came over Post to His Majesty But it pleas'd God that the King recovering His Health to the great Joy of the Nation The Lord Mayor of London with the Court of Aldermen and a Train of 30 Coaches and about 100 Horsemen went on Monday the 15th of September to Windsor to Congratulate His Majesty's Recovery which Complement was as kindly received as handsomely performed On the Wednesday following the King attended by His Royal Highness and the whole Court rerurn'd to Whitehall that Night by the Lord Mayors express Order there were Bonfires throughout the whole City for His Majesty's return as well to His former Health as place of Residency But it seems the Duke of Monmouth having contracted the Kings Displeasure on some account or other not commonly known His Majesty was pleas'd to take from him his Commission of Captain General and for a time expel him the Kingdom soon after this the said Duke went over to Vtrecht and at the same time His Royal Highness return'd to Brussels But this last it seems without designs of any long stay there for on Sunday Night the 12th of October His said Royal Highness the Dutchess and Family arrived at St. James's to the surprize of some and Joy of others The King having call'd a New Parliamenz as he had formerly promised on the Dissolution of the last to meet on the 17th of October He was now further pleas'd to Prorogue it from the time appointed to the 26th of January following On the first Day of Michaelmas-Term my Lord Chief Justice Scroggs took occasion to make an Excellent Speech in the Kings-Bench Court concerning the many Scandalous Libels that had been Publisht against him since Sir George Wakemans Tryal and acquittal in which Speech he purged himself at large of any Corruption and with a great measure of Courage declar'd That he was neither afraid nor ashamed to own what he had done That the Impeachment of the course of Publick Justice by vulgar noise and clamour did not at all terrify him to a Compliance with the Rabble against his Conscience and Understanding nor to try any cause otherwise then according to the Evidence and the probability and credibility it carries with it Mr. Justice Jones and Justice Dolbin spoke also to the same purpose and appear'd as Compurgators of the Chief Justices Integrity Much discourse there was at this time and many Narratives came out daily concerning the Discovery of a New Plot which the Papists was is said had contrived to lay on the Presbyterians The chief Discoverer was one Dangerfield alias Willoughby Several were accused and laid up as Conspirators among whom the Countess of Powis Mrs Celier Sir Robert Payton and Mr Gadbury The Effigies of the Pope in all his Pontificalibus had been for several years past solemnly burnt by the people in the Month of November yearly but never with so much Ceremony as on the 17th of November this year it being a Day observed by some in memory of Queen Elizabeth The Procession consisted of one personating the Dead Body of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey carried on a Horse with a Bell-man to mind the People of his Murther Priests in Copes with a large Silver Cross Carmelite and Gray Friers six Jesuites and after them the Waits several Bishops some in Lawn Sleeves others with Copes and Miters on then six Cardinals and after them the Pope on a Pageant with Boys and Incense Pots and other Ceremonious Pomp behind him the Devils Representative In this manner they marched about five at night from Bishopsgate to the Temple-gate at Chancery Lane End attended with Thousands of People at which appointed station they Committed the Effigies to the Flames of a very extraordinary Bonfire at which time the mock-Devil departed and the Shew ended On Thursday the 27th of November The Duke of Monmouth arrived in the night time at London on whose return the Citizens exprest a mighty Joy by Bonfiers Fire-works and Ringing of Bells all the next day and most part of the night In the mean time his Royal Highness with his Duchess and Daughter attended with a Guard and Retinue suitable to their Quality made a Journey into Scotland Where being arrived The Duke was at Edenborough on the 4th of December received and Complemented by the Privy Council of that Kingdom with abundance of Respect and Honor The Lord Chancellor made a Speech in the name of all the Council to which his Royal Highness Answer'd in very affectionate Terms expressing his great satisfaction at the Civilities he had received since his arrival in that Kingdom And declaring his readiness to promote the Honor and Service of the King and the Interests of the Scottish Nation About this time great endeavors were used to procure a Multitude of Hands to Petitions which were framing in London Westminster and several Counties to be presented to the King for the sitting of the Parliament on the 26th day of January next according to the last Prorogation which manner of Petitioning being unwarrantable and tumultuous the King was pleased in Council Dec. 10. to Order the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to take care in their several stations of His Majesties Honor and of the peace and safety of the City and not to suffer such persons that should sign such Petitions or go about to procure hands to them to go unpunished but that they should proceed against them or cause them to be brought before the Council Board to be punished according to a Resolution of all the Judges of England 2. Jac. which may be seen Cro. 2. part of Reports fol. 37. His Majesty was further pleased to issue out His Proclamation dated the 12th day of December containing That whereas he hath been informed that divers evil disposed persons endeavor in several parts of this Kingdom to frame Petitions to His Majesty for specious Ends and purposes relating to the publick and thereupon to collect and procure to the same the hands and subscriptions of
England having been demanded their Opinions made their Report in Council and declared for Law That His Majesty may Prohibit the Printing and Publishing of all News-Books and Pamphlets of News whatsoever not Licensed by His Majesty's Authority as manifestly tending to the Breach of the Peace and Disturbance of the Kingdom And accordingly the King issued out His Proclamation to suppress 'em May 12. On the 11th of May being about the middle of Easter Term a Bill of Indictment of High Treason against the Lady Powis was deliver'd to the Grand Jury of Middlesex who not being satisfy'd with the sufficiency of the Evidence after a long Examination brought the Bill in Ignoramus The storm of Hail that fell at London on the 18th of May about eleven of the Clock in the morning is not to be past without Observation which though it came not very thick nor continu'd long yet was of such note that some were measured above six Inches about I saw many fall bigger than Pigeons Eggs or ordinary Walnuts none less than ones finger end and hard as Stones till they had lain a while Several Rooks in the Temple Garden were beaten down from the Trees and killed with this Hail as so many Shot or Bullets On Wednesday the 19th of May Richard Tasburgh of Flixton in the County of Suffolk Esq was Tryed at the Kings Bench Bar upon an Indictment of High Treason in Conspiring the Death of the King but upon a long Evidence to little purpose was found Not Guilty the Jury never going from the Bar and discharg'd On Friday the 21 of May was brought to the same Bar by Habeas Corpus William Viscount Stafford who much complaining of his long Imprisonment was informed by the Court That all the Judges had resolved upon mature Consideration that he being Impeacht of Treason in Parliament he could not be tryed out of Parliament and for the same reason also it was out of the Power of this Court to Bail him That he and the other Lords in the Tower were not within the benefit of the late Act touching Habeas Corpus's That the Court was sorry they could not relieve him and that there was no way for him to come to his Tryal but by the sitting of the Parliament The day following Sir Henry Tichburne the elder Roper and John Caryl Esq were Bail'd at the same Bar though accused of High Treason yet in regard there appeared but one Witness against them viz. Oats they were discharged of their Confinement upon Bail On the last day of the Term the Lady Powis Sir Robert Payton and one Bedingfield were absolutely discharg'd of all attendance The same day a Bill of Indictment of High Treason was found and brought in by the Grand Jury of Middlesex against the Lord Castlemain The Nine and twentieth of May being the solemn Anniversary for the Kings Birth and Restoration past this year with the usual Church Service and the Joy of Bells but without any Bonfires at night all Bonfires not only on this but any other day whatsoever having been forbid by order of the Privy Council April 7. without Licence first obtain'd from the Council or other Magistrates Such Bonfires as of late having been observed the occasions of tumult and dangerous opportunities of Sedition This day was also observed at Edinburgh with great solemnity and triumph Fifty old Men the Number of His Majesty's Age attending the Ceremony each having a Largess of 50 s. The King and the Dukes Healths were publickly drank at the Market Cross the Conduits running Claret and abundance of Oranges Lemons and Sweatmeats thrown abroad About the 10th of June arrived ill News from Tangier the Moors on the 14th past so straitned Charles Fort with their Siege that the English Garison being but 180 Men under Captain Trelawney resolved to quit it as desperate and fight through the Enemy to the Town of Tangier accordingly they laid a Mine to blow it up after their departure and passing through the Enemies Works in the night which Passage they found more difficult than expected the whole Army of the Moors were alarmed and came in upon them kill'd neer 150 cut the Captain all to pieces about 38 men escaping through Henrietta Fort being also at the same time lost to the Enemy On the the first day of Trinity Term Mrs. Celier was tryed for High Treason at the Kings Bench Bar the Indictment run in the usual form as against the rest of the Plotters but the chief and indeed only Evidence against her Thomas Dangerfield being proved by Records then produced so great and infamous a Criminal his Testimony was refused by the Court to be admitted and chiefly in regard he stood Outlaw'd of Felony and Felony not being exprest in his Pardon she was therefore found Not Guilty and Dangerfield himself committed to custody till he could find Bail to Reverse the Outlawry to Answer the Felony and for his good Behaviour But within a few days after the said Dangerfield producing a Newgate Pardon whereby all Felonies were Pardoned and his name being found therein he was discharg'd And now it was that His Majesty in pursuance to what He had done in April and to remove all pretences of the disaffected in the Point of Succession publisht his Declaration Protesting on the Word of a King and the Faith of a Christian That He was never Married to Mrs. Bar low alias Waters the Duke of Monmouth's Mother nor to any other Woman besides the now Queen Which Declaration was on the 15th of June in this Trinity Term Registred on Record in the High Court of Chancery all the great Lords of the Privy Council who were present when His Majesty Declared and Signed the same attesting the Action upon their Corporal Oaths in open Court The Lord Chancellor declaring at the same time That this Declaration is not inrolled here to receive any augmentation of repute or force from this Court for it cannot receive more than it hath already but only to be preserved here as in a Repository or Registry and he doubts not but it will also find a more Noble Registry than this that is the Hearts of all the Loyal Subjects of the Nation Other notable passages are to be Observed this Term On the 22d of June the Lord Aston was brought to the Kings-Bench Bar in Order to his Tryal but the Attorney-General not being ready with the Kings Evidence the Tryal was put off to the Fryday following on which Day the Court did not proceed to the Tryal for the same reason and the Lord Aston was Bail'd the next Day to appear the first Day of next Term. On the 23d of the same Month the Lord Castlemain was Tryed for High Treason the Evidence against him Oates and Dangerfield the last of which tho' admitted to be Sworn yet finding no credit with the Court and Jury on the account of the Infamy of his many Crimes the Verdict was brought in Not Guilty and the Prisoner Discharged And
undecent Expressions was by order of the Lords House burnt by the Common Hangman at the Exchange and in the Pallace yard On the 4th of January His Majesty was pleased to send His Message to the House of Commons in Answer to their Address of December 21. abovemention'd in which Message He let them know That he had received their Address with all the disposition they could wish to comply with their reasonable Desires but upon perusal of it he was sorry to see their thoughts so wholly fixt on the Bill of Exclusion as to determine that all other remedies for the Suppressing of Popery will be ineffectual That His Majesty is confirm'd in His opinion against That Bill by the Judgment of the House of Lords who rejected it That He thinks there remains nothing more for Him to say in Answer to the foresaid Address then to recommend to this House the Consideration of all other means for the preservation of the Protestant Religion to which they have no reason to doubt His concurrence whensoever they shall be presented to Him in a Parliamentary way And in conclusion again He urges them to the preservation of Tangeir On the Friday following being the 7th of January the House entred upon the Consideration of the said Message and resolve as the opinion of the House That there is no security or safety for the Protestant Religion the Kings Life or the Well constituted and establisht Government of this Kingdom without passing a Bill for disabling James Duke of York to inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging and that to rely upon any other means or remedies without such a Bill is not only insufficient but dangerous That till such a Bill be past this House cannot give any Supply to His Majesty without danger to His Majesties person Extream hazard of the Protestant Religion and unfaithfullness to those by whom this House is intrusted That all persons who advised His Majesty in His last Message to this House to insist upon an opinion against the Bill for Excluding the Duke of York have given Pernicious Council to His Majesty and are Promoters of Popery and Enemies to the King and Kingdom And as such they name George Earl of Hallifax Henry Marquiss of Worcester Henry Earl of Clarendon against which as also against Lewis Earl of Feversham and Laurence Hide Esq they Vote an Address to be presented to His Majesty to remove them from all Offices of Honour and Profit and from His Majesties Councils and Presence for ever They further Vote and Resolve the same day That whosoever shall herafter Lend or cause to be Lent by way of advance any Mony upon the Branches of the Kings Revenue arising by Customs Excise or Hearth Mony shall be adjudg'd to hinder the sitting of Parliaments and shall be responsible for the same in Parliament On the Monday following being the 10th of Jan. the King was pleas'd to determin this Session by Proroguing the Parliament to the 20th day of Jan. then next following at the same time passing only Two Publick Bills viz. One about Irish Cattel and One about Burying in Woollen The House of Commons were it seems aware of this Prorogation and therefore that very morning the first thing they did after they were sate and before the Usher of the Black Rod came in they Resolved That whosoever advised His Majesty to Prorogue this Parliament to any other purpose then in Order to the passing of a Bill for the Exclusion of James Duke of York is a Betrayer of the King the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom of England a Promoter of the French Interest and a Pensioner to France On the 13th of Jan. a Court of Common Council being Assembled in London they ordered to be drawn up and Presented to the King a Petition setting forth That whereas the Parliament had convicted one of the 5 Popish Lords in the Tower and were about to convict the other 4 of High Treason That they had Impeacht the Chief Justice Scroggs and were about to impeach other Judges and all this in order to the preservation of His Majesties Life the Protestant Religion and Government That they were much surprized to see the Parliament Prorogued in the hight of their buisiness That their only hopes were that this was done only in order to bring such Affairs about again as were necessary to the Settling the Nation They therefore pray'd that His Majesty would be pleas'd to let the Parliament sit at the day appointed and so to continue till they had effected the great Affairs before them To this effect were the words of their Petition which was further ordered to be delivered that night or as soon as may be by the Lord Mayor attended with the new Recorder George Treby Esq and certain Members of the Court of Aldermen and Common Council But before the said 20th day of Jan. arrived the King was pleased by his Proclamation bearing date at Whitehall Jan. 18. to dissolve this Parliament and intimate His Royal pleasure and intentions to call an other to sit on the 21st of March following at Oxford Not long after this viz. on the 25th of Jan. the Earl of Essex and other Lords Presented to the King a Petition setting forth That whereas the Nation and His Majesties Person were in imminent danger from the Papists unto which no stop or remedy could be provided unless by a Parliament That several Parliaments being call'd and assembled they were Prorogued and dissolved before any sufficient order could be taken therein c. That His Majesty had been prevailed with to call another at Oxford where neither Lords or Commons can be in safety but will be dayly exposed to the Swords of the Papists and their adherents the liberty of speaking thereby destroyed and the validity of their Acts and proceedings left disputable the straightness of the place unfit for such a Concourse of persons as now follows every Parliament and the Witnesses which are necessary to give Evidence upon the Commons Impeachment unable to bear the charges of such a Journey and unwilling to trust themselves under the Protection of a Parliament that is it self evidently under the Power of Guards and Soldiers They therefore pray that the Parliament may sit at Westminster This was subscribed Monmouth Kent Huntington Bedford Salisbury Clare Stamford Essex Shaftsbury Mordant Evers Pâ—get Grey Herbert Howard Delamer About the same time the King was pleased to displace my Lord Sunderland from the Office of Secretary of State and to confer the said Office on my Lord Conway and several other Members of the Privy Council were then also alter'd And thus concluded the 32d year of His Majesties Reign observable for divers matters but above all for the Transactions of the Lords in Parliament who by their Prudent and Judicious proceedings on the 15th of November defeated the industrious malice of the Dukes Enemies by rejecting the Bill past by the Commons
for secluding him from the Succession of these Crowns when they should happen to fall to him by the old known Laws of Inheritance Which action being of such mighty Consequence to the Peace or perpetual Trouble of this Nation and the Question being so happily settled it being also a leading President to many other healing actions which have happen'd since let me once take leave to break the concise Method which I at the beginning of these Notes propounded and remember in this place some Verses writ immediately upon that Transaction by a true Lover of his King and the Royal Family Glorious and great Indeed These these are they Who truly thus their noble Blood display And by the Soul which they this day have shewn Make all the Lawrels of their Line their own These are old Englands Peers hearts that despise To be o'reawd by Number and by Noise No they 're too Brave too Loyal and too Wise Thus did their mighty Ancestors combine When Force misplac'd the Crown from the right Line Thus they stood firm to Truth and never fail'd Tell the unblemisht Rose of York prevail'd And must again that sad Dispute appear No we are much too young for Plato's year Our Renown'd Peerage will not have it so The Demi-Gods and Heroes Thunder NO What remote noise is this Hark how it grows Neerer and lowder now the Torrent flows All Europe shouts aloud Spring-Tydes of Joy Salute the Brittish sle Hark how they cry Fame now is yours more from one Law refus'd Than half the Numerous Laws ye ever us'd Anno 33. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1681. IN the beginning of this Year City and Country were busy in the Election of Members to serve in the next Parliament to be holden at Oxford For the most part the Old Members were chosen again I shall give a short account of what happen'd at London on this occasion by which a guess or estimate may be made of the Transactions elsewhere The Election for that City was perform'd at Guild-Hall on Fryday the 4th of February and the choice which the Common Hall fixt upon were Sir Robert Clayton Sir Thomas Player Thomas Pilkinton and William Love Esquires To which four as soon as the Election was over a Paper was presented in the Name of the Citizens of London then Assembled in Common Hall containing a return of their most hearty thanks for their faithful and unweary'd endeavors in the two last Parliaments to search into and Discover the depth of the Plot to preserve His Majesties Royal Person the Protestant Religion and the well Establisht Government of this Realm to secure the meeting and sitting of frequent Parliaments to assert our undoubted Rights of Petitioning and to punish such who would have betray'd those Rights to promote the long wisht for Union of His Majesties Protestant Subjects to Repeal the 35. El. and the Corporation Act and more especially for their endeavors in promoting the Bill of Exclusion of James Duke of York In fine they conclude that being confidently assured that they the said Members for the City will never consent to the granting any Mony-supply till they have effectually secured us against Popery and Arbitrary Power they resolve by Gods assistance to stand by their said Members with their Lives and Fortunes After this another Paper was presented from the said Citizens to the two Sheriffs requesting them in the Name of all the said Citizens then Assembled in Common Hall to return their grateful acknowledgment to the Earl of Essex and by him to the rest of the Lords who presented the late Petition and Advice to His Majesty In like manner were the former Members of Parliament again Chosen in most places and in many such Papers of Address presented to them in their respective Countries as had been done by the Communalty of London to their Members Also contrary to the Old Customes of the Members Treating the Country where they stood now the Country in most places Treated them or at least every Man bore his own Charges About a Week before the Session the King left London and removed to Oxford appointing certain Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse to keep Garison in the Meuse during His absence Many Members of the House of Commons especially those of London went to Oxford accompany'd or attended with the Cerimonious Cavalcade of a numerous Train of Friends On the 14th of March The King and Queen enter'd Oxford Received and Presented by the Mayor and Body of that City at the East-Gate and from thence attended with Acclamations and all sort of Demonstrations of Joy to Christ-Church The next Day the Body of the University waited on Their Majesties and received the Honour to kiss Their Hands presenting at the same time to the King a large Oxford Bible and to the Queen the Cuts belonging to the History and Antiquities of the University both Richly bound The 21st of March being now arrived and the Members of both Houses of Parliament Assembled at Oxford according to the Kings Writs of Summons the Lords sate in the Gallery at the Schools and the Commons in the Convocation House His Majesties Speech at the opening of the Sessions contained That the unwarrantable Proceedings of the last House of Commons were the occasion of the Dissolution of the last Parliament That as he will never use Arbitrary Government himself so He is resolved never to suffer it in others That whosoever shall calmly consider the Proceedings in the last Parliament may perhaps more wonder at His Patience so long than that He grew weary at last That it is as much His Interest and care as theirs to preserve the Liberty of the Subject because the Crown can never be safe when that is in Danger that neither Liberty nor Property can subsist long when the just Rights and Prerogatives of the Crown are Invaded or the Honour of the Government brought low and into disreputation that He hath call'd this Parliament so soon to shew that no Irregularities in Parliaments shall make him out of Love with them That the Just care they ought to have of Religion ought not to be so managed and improved into unnecessary fears as to be made a Pretence for Changing the Foundation of the Government that He hopes the Example of the ill success of former heats will dispose them to a better Temper that they would not lay so much weight upon any one Expedient against Popery as to determine all other are ineffectual that they ought to remember that without the safety and Dignity of the Monarchy neither Religion nor Property can be preserved that He cannot depart from what he had formerly so often declar'd touching the Succession but to remove all reasonable fears that may arise from the possibility of a Popish Successors coming to the Crown if means can be found out that in such a Case the Administration of the Government may remain in Protestant Hands he shall be ready to hearken to any such Expedient by
which the Religion may be preserved and the Monarchy not destroy'd that therefore they would provide for Religion and Government together with regard to one another because they support one another and that they would make the known Establisht Laws of the Land the Rules and Measures of all their Votes because He is resolved they shall be His. After this Speech the Commons return'd to their House and Chose for their Speaker William Williams Esq who had managed that Office in the last Parliament Who being the next Day presented made a Speech to the King and claim'd by humble Address as his Words were The Antient Rights of the Commons Nothing of extraordinary note passed till Saturday the 26th of March on which Day it was that the House of Commons were informed that the Lords had refused to proceed upon the Impeachment of the Commons against Edward Fitz-Harris for High Treason but had directed that he should be proceeded against at the Common Law Hereupon they Vote That this refusal of the Lords to proceed in Parliament upon such Impeachment is a Denial of Justice and a Violation of the Constitutions of Parliaments an Obstruction to the further Discovery of the Popish Plot and of great Danger to His Majesties Person and the Protestant Religion And further they resolve That for any inferior Court to proceed against Edward Fitz-Harris or any other Person lying under an Impeachment in Parliament for the same Crimes for which he or they stand Impeached is an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament On the Monday following the Bill against the Duke of York was Read the first time and Order'd a second Reading When on a suddain the King sends for the Commons up to the House of Lords and tells them That He perceived heats betwixt the Lords and them and therefore He had Order'd the Chancellor to Dissolve the present Parliament which he accordingly did immediately The same Day the King left Oxford and came to Windsor that Night the next Morning by Eight a Clock to Whitehall Not long after this His Majesty was pleas'd to Publish in Print a Declaration to all his Loving Subjects in which He set forth the Reasons which induced Him to Dissolve His two last Parliaments His reasonable desires which He had proposed to 'em with their unwarrantable proceedings in return declaring however that He is not yet out of Love with Parliaments but that He will frequently advise with them as His great Council which He hopes ere long to find in a better Temper much to this purpose were the Contents of that Declaration which by His Majesties Order in Council was appointed to be Read in all Churches and Chappels About the same time all the Factious News call'd Domestick Intelligence and Weekly Printed for Francis Smith Ben. Harris and Langly Curtis were by Order of Council as reported put down and silenced And the abovemention'd Francis Smith a Notorious Libel Printer was Committed to Newgate In Easter Term this year Sir Francis Pemberton became Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench in the Room of Sir William Scroggs who had obtain'd a Writ of Ease Great Expectation there was to see what the Court would do in the Case of Edward Fitz-Harris and some Hesitation the Grand-Jury of Middlesex of which one Mr. Godfrey Brother and Heir to the late Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was the Foreman made to receive the Bill of Indictment against him in regard he had been Impeacht by the House of Commons till they were inform'd and satisfied by the Court that all the Judges of England had the Day before met and resolved upon that question Nemine Contrad cente that they might lawfully proceed in the Tryal notwithstanding the aforemention'd Votes of the House of Commons after this the said Jury found the Bill and Fitz-Harris was Arraign'd at the Bar on the last Day of April he was thrice bid to hold up his Hand insisting upon the Impeachment in Parliament but at last he held up his Hand and heard his Indictment Read which was for High Treason exprest in a certain Writing call'd The True Englishman full of most horrid Expressions against the King as if he were a Conspirator in the Plot and exciting the Nation to rise as one Man against him c. To which Indictment he put into Court a Dilatory Plea against the Jurisdiction alledging that he being Impeacht by the Commons in Parliament he cannot be Tryed here but this Plea not being under Councils Hand was refused to be received however the Court gave him time to consider whether he would stand by such a Plea in regard it might be fatal unto him in case it should be over-Ruled and assign'd him for Council Sir Francis Winnington Mr. Williams Mr. Pollexfen and Mr. Wallop as he desired to argue the said Point of Judicature next Wednesday if he persisted in such Plea On the said Wednesday being the 4th of May the Prisoner was again brought to the Bar attended with His Council at which time the Kings Attorney Sir Robert Sawyer enter'd a Demurrer to the Prisoners Plea and insisted chiefly on the manifest defect of form in regard the Plea run that the said Fitz-Harris was Impeacht at the late Parliament at Oxford de Alta proditione but does not say of what sort or manner of Treason nor sets forth the Impeachment at large which a Plea ought to do when it is to the Jurisdiction After this the Council of the Prisoner joyn'd in Demurrer but upon their earnest motion tho' opposed by the Attorney General time was given them to next Saturday Morning to maintain the said Plea by Argument if they can At which time it was argued largely by Williams Winnington Wallop and Pollexfen for the Prisoner and by the Attorney General the Sollicitor Serjeant Jeoffreys and Sir Francis Withens for the King the Kings Council and also the Court declaring that they medled not at all with the Priviledge of the House of Commons or Jurisdiction of the Lords in Parliament which was not in the Point tho in truth the Council for the Prisoner would fain have put that upon 'em but only as to the form of the Plea After all the debate which lasted from 8 till after 12 that Day the Lord Chief Justice declar'd that the Court would take a convenient time to consider before they gave their Judgment On the Wednesday following being the 11th of May the Prisoner being again brought to the Bar by the Lieutenant of the Tower my Lord Chief Justice in the Name of the whole Court gave Judgment and declar'd That he and his Brothers had Consider'd of the Plea that they had also consulted with others of the Judges and that himself Justice Jones and Justice Raymond were of opinion that the Plea was insufficient Dolbin doubting the Plea was therefore over ruled and the Prisoner ordered to Plead over and accordingly he pleaded not Guilty and alledging that a material Evidence on his part was now in
Holland His Tryal was put off till the first Thursday next Term which is the 9th of June On the 14 of May being the last day but one of the Term the Earl of Danby was brought by Habeas Corpus from the Tower to the Kings Bench Bar where by his Council he urged hard that he might be Bail'd but the Court being unsatisfied that they had sufficient Jurisdiction in his Case he being committed by Authority of Parliament and as it seemd not being within the benefit of the Habeas Corpus Act he was remanded back to the Tower On the last day of Easter Term Fitz-Harris was again brought into the Kings Bench Court to give Evidence to the Grand-Jury upon a Bill of Indictment against De Puy who had been Groom of the Robes to the Duke The Jury desired that the Evidence might be given to them privately But the Court overruled that and Fitz-Harris declared upon Oath Publickly in Court a great deal of Scandalous stuff not fit to be mentioned relating to the Death of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey which the said De Puy had told him a little before the Death of the said Knight but all this Fitz-Harris spoke from De Puy's mouth Of his own knowledge he said only this That the Earl of Danby coming down the great Stairs at Winsor he heard him say that now he would make Godfreys heart ake To this he added that De Puy told him presently after the Murder that the Earl had sent Godfrey on an arrant from which he would never return Upon this Evidence the Earl of Danby's name was inserted into the Bill of Indictment against De Puy as accessary to the said Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey and the Bill was accordingly found against them both At the same time it was that the said Jury presented the Court with a Petition that they would intercede with the King for the sitting and Continuance of a new Parliament During all this Easter Term and many Months after many Loyal Addresses flowed to the King from all parts of England full of Congratulations and nothing of that factious strain which had almost rendred the very word Petitioning to be scandalous among these Loyal Addresses that from Norwich ran highest for the Kings Prerogative and a little reflecting on the exorbitances of the late Commons but as if this were a notorious Scandal to the Parliament the Grand-Jury of Middlesex above mentioned presented the same as a publick Libel but this did not discourage the Loyal party who still continued their Addresses It would be tedious to name all and how kindly they were received by the King who never suffered those who brought 'em to depart without some gracious mark of His Favor Not so to those who took upon them in their Petitions to direct His Majesty about the Calling and continuance of Parliaments To this Purpose its observable that the City of London were divided in these matters Part of them being most of the Court of Aldermen and some of the Common-Council had drawn up a Loyal Address in like manner as the whole Burrough of Southwark had done this they Presented to the King at Windsor by the Hands of Sir William Turner and Sir John Moor with abundance of Countenance and Favour But another Party having composed a far different Petition both for form and matter and it being also the same Day carried to Windsor by the Lord Mayor one Alderman and the Recorder they were refused to be admitted to the Kings Presence but orderd to attend at the Council at Hampton Court the Thursday following where they received a Repremend from my Lord Chancellor Finch now newly created Earl of Nottingham At the same time it was that the Leiutenancy of the City of London attended with their Loyal Offers of their Lives and Fortunes among these was Sir George Jeffryes the Kings Serjeant and late Recorder of London with his Sword on as one of the said Leiutenancy On the 8th of June in Trinity Term was Dr. Oliver Plunket Tryed for High Treason at the Kings Bench Bar the Evidence against him were all profest Papists as said and came out of Ireland the chief matters Sworn against him That he was made Primate of Ireland by the Pope at the King of France's recommendation that upon that account he having ingaged to do that King all the Service he could he had actually Levied among his Popish Clergy great Sums of Mony therewith to introduce the French Dominion into that Kingdom and extirminate the Protestants Upon this Evidence he was found Guilty The next day being Thursday the 9th of June Fitz-Harris was Tryed at the same Bar for High Treason the chief Evidence against him were Everard and Sir William Waller for the Prisoner appear'd Oats and Colonel Mansell and told a long story Scandalous in it self but of no weight My Lord Chief Justice therefore according to the Evidence which was home and clear against the Prisoner directed the Jury to find for the King which being also the directions of the other 3 Judges the Jury after above an half hours consultation brought in their Verdict Guilty Presently after this Tryal Mrs. Fitz-Harris the Prisoners wife and her Maid accused my Lord Howard of Escrick of the Contrivance of that Treasonable Libel of which her Husband was Convicted upon which accusation the said Lord was committed to the Tower on Sunday morning June 12. On the Wednesday following being the 15th of June Plunket and Fitz-Harris were severally brought to the Kings Bench Bar and received Judgment of Condemnation as in cases of High Treason About this time it was that the King in Council was pleas'd to order a Parliament to be call'd in Scotland on the 28th of July I must not forget that on the last day of Trin. Term a Bill of Indictment against the Lord Howard being delivered in to the Grand-Jury of Edmunton Hundred then serving in the Kings Bench for the County of Middlesex Sworn to by Mrs. Fitz-Harris and her Maid and some others and the said Jury not thinking the Evidence sufficient they were about to indorse it with an Ignoramus when Mr. Ward one of the Clerks of the Crown Office attending upon them withdraw'd it from before ' em Of this action they complain'd to the Court but being told that the Attorney General might stop these proceedings as he saw occasion or words to that purpose with which the Jury being nothing satisfied they went immediately and preferr'd a Bill of Indictment against the said Ward to the July of Oswelston Hundred then attending for this misdemanor which Bill the said last mention'd Jury found On Friday the First of July Dr. Oliver Plunket the Popish Primat of Ireland and Edward Fitz-Harris were both Executed at Tyburn for the several Treasons of which they were severally Tryed and Condemn'd the last Term. Plunket in a long Speech declar'd his Innocency forgave his Enemies and Pray'd for the King Queen and Duke of York But Fitz Harris said
return into England and to that his Pallace Also His Royal Highness being Captain of the Artillery Company was invited and Feasted by that Company in London Thursday in Easter Week One thing more ought not to be forgot as well for the Dukes Honour as the gratitude of the Bishops in Scotland That is a Letter Subscribed by seven Bishops there and directed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury soon after the Dukes departure and bears date at Edinbourgh March 9th 1682. Setting forth That since his Royal Highness came into that Kingdom they the said Bishops found their case much changed to the Better and their Church and order sensibly releived and rescued which next to the watchful providence of God they can ascribe to nothing so much as to his Royal Highness gracious owning and vigilant protecting of them who upon all occasions gave fresh instances of his eminent Zeal against the most unreasonable Schism which by renting threatens the Subversion of their Church and Religion and concerns himself as a Patron to them in all their publick and even personal Interests That they did never propose to his Royal Highness any rational Expedient which might conduce to the relief or security of the Church which he did not readily embrace and effectuate That the Peace and tranquility of that Kingdom is the effect of his prudent and steddy conduct of Affairs That the humours of the wicked Phanaticks there are much restrained from Dangerous eruptions upon their apprehensions of his vigilance and Justice And that they desire the said Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to make their dutiful acknowledgements to His Royal Highness for all His Princely Favours to them with assurance of their most firm endeavors to serve him of their most fervent Prayers for His Temporal and Eternal Happiness Subscribed Alex. St. And. Arth Glascuens Jo. Edinburgens Ja. Gallouidiens Andr. Dunkelden Geor. Erechin Ja. Dumblanen About Easter certain Persons to the number of many Hundreds as reported did design to meet at a publick Thanksgiving Sermon and Dinner pretended for Gods wonderful Providence in delivering and protecting His Majesties Person the Protestant Religion and English Liberties from the hellish and frequent attempts of their Enemies the Papists and Tickets of Invitation to this purpose were deliver'd abroad for a Meeting on Friday the 21st of April Which Meeting was by special Order of His Majesty in Council April the 19th Prohibited and supprest in regard the appointing of publick Fasts and Thanksgivings is a matter of State belongs only to His Majesty by His Prerogative and therefore such a Thanksgiving being appointed by the Subject His Majesty lookt upon the same as an insolent Attempt in manifest derogation of His Right and of dangerous Consequence On the 3d of May His Royal Highness left the Court at Windsor in order to His Journey into Scotland from thence to fetch hether the Duchess great with Child He went by Sea in the Glocester Frigat attended by several other Vessels In which Voyage the Dukes Ship striking on the Lemon-ore Sands in Yarmouth Road the Vessel was lost with above 100 Men but the Duke and several others of the greatest Quality went off timely into a Yaut attending and arrived safely in Scotland Where a little before had been an Insurrection or Tumult of Apprentices at Edinborough supprest by the Soldiers not without Blood About the same time another Tumult of Apprentices was begun at Dublin but quickly supprest The Insuing Easter Term yeilded several passages of publick note in the Kings Bench Court at Westminster The Earl of Shaftsbury had brought his Action of Scandalum Magnatum against one Mr. Craddock a Citizen and Mercer in Peter-Noster-Row for speaking some Words of the said Earl importing him to be a Traytor which Action being laid in London and the Defendants Council shewing that there was no likelyhood of a fair Tryal by a London Jury by reason that the Earl was not only Free of the City but also of the Skinners Company of which Sheriff Pilkinton was Master and that therefore the Jury ought to arise out of some Neighbouring County to which the Court inclined and gave the Earl his choice of any County of England but the Earl replying That he had rather lay down his Action than admit it to be Tryed in any other County in regard most of them had put Abhorrences upon him which positive resolution of his did confirm the Lord Chief Justice in his Opinion of the Earls confiding in a London Jury and therefore order'd that unless he would consent to Try it by a Country Jury it should not be Tryed in London whereupon the Earl discontinued his Action The like Rule was made soon after in the same Court between the said Earl and Mr. Graham Principal of Cliffords Inn against whom his Lordship had brought an Action of Conspiracy he having been appointed by the Kings Council to be Sollicitor in the Indictment against the said Earl at the Old-Baily The like Rule also in the Exchequer in Slingsby Bethels Case Also Wilmore the Ignoramus Foreman of Collidges Grand Jury having convey'd away a young Boy and sent him to Jamaica a Writ de Homine replegiando was brought against him upon which Writ the Sheriffs of London making an insufficient Return and obstinately refusing to return Elongatus est which was the Return proper in this Case they were both brought into the Kings Bench upon an Attachment where they received a severe reproof from the Court and were glad to submit with assurance of better behaviour for the future Hereupon Elongatus est being return'd a Capias in Withernam issued out against Wilmore to take him into Custody and detain him until he produces the Boy Nor was this fufficient but the said Wilmore was on the 23d of May Tryed at the Kings Bench Bar upon an Information exhibited by the Attorney General for conveying away the said Boy being under the Age of 13 and unknown to his Parents and upon a full Evidence of the foul Fact he was found Guilty by a Kentish Jury who never went from the Bar. Really the London Jurys were at this time notorious to the whole Nation for partiality The foresaid Wilmore had been Indicted in the City for the said Crime of Boy-stealing but the Grand Jury there found the Bill Ignoramus Also one Harris Tryed at Guild-Hall for dispersing a most wicked Libel was against a most apparent and home Evidence and the Positive directions of the Court found Not Guilty for which finding the said Jury could give no other reason than their own Arbitrary Will For such like Actions as these His Majesty was pleas'd to Order the Attorney-General to bring a Quo Warranto against the City of London of which more hereafter On the 27th of May The Duke Dutchess and Lady Anne arrived at Whitehall having been met there by the King and Queen who came from Windsor that Morning and were all entertain'd at Dinner that Day at my Lord Arlingtons at
Hereupon His Majesty and his Royal Highness went down to the Secretaries Office where the Duke of Monmouth was who shew'd himself very sensible of his Crime in the late Conspiracy making a full Declaration of it and having shew'd an extraordinary Penitence for the same and made a particular Submission to his Royal Highness for his misbehavior to him His Majesty and his Royal Highness received so much satisfaction that upon his Royal Highness ' s desire and Mediation His Majesty was pleased to Pardon the said Duke and order the Attorney-General to stop further Proceedings against him On the last Day of Michaelmas Term six Prisoners then in the Tower for High Treason were Bail'd viz. the Lord Gerard Brandon Mr. Booth Mr. Trenchard Mr. Hamden Jun. Mr. Charleton and Major Wildman all which being accused for Conspirators in the late detestable Plot and but one Witness against them they were Bail'd out in 2000 l apiece and 1000 l their Sureties except Mr. Hamden against whom there being a Bill of Indictment for High Misdemeaners he was bound in 10000 l. himself and 5000 l. his Sureties On Thursday the 6th of December one Johnson a Cracktbraind Fellow met the King as he was walking in St. James Park and laying his Hand on his Sword told His Majesty he had wrong'd him and demanded satisfaction but being seiz'd by the Guards and appearing to be Distracted upon Examination he was tied Neck and Heels together for a while at the Guard Stables and let go again On Friday the 7th of December the Duke of Monmouth being fallen again into the Kings displeasure for refusing to Sign what he had confest upon his coming in was Banisht the Court and expell'd the Royal Presence This was on the same Day that Sidney was beheaded on the Tower-Hill Friday the 4th of January the Lord Peters who had lain a long time a Prisoner in the Tower on the account of Oates's Plot without being brought to his Tryal departed this Life in his said Confinement A little before his departure the said Lord sent to the King a Letter wherein he disown'd in his last Words and upon his Salvation the matters which he stood accused of About the middle of December this Year began a very eminent and extraordinay Frost it lasted without any considerable Intermission till the 5th of February during which time the Thames was Frozen over with a solid and Contiguous Ice in all places above the Bridge Booths built thereon with Thousands of People continually walking over and Sliding I my self walkt over at the Temple and so all along the Channel to Westminster Stairs on the 9th of January Also on or about the same Day Coaches went over at Sommerset-House and at the Temple In the Extremity of this Weather the King granted His Letters Mandatory Dated the 4th of January to the Bishop of London to make a Collection in all Parishes in London and the Subburbs of the same for the relief of the Poor encouraging His Subjects to such a needful Charity by his own Example having order'd large Sums of Mony to be Issued out of His Treasury for that purpose which Letters were Read in all Churches the two following Sundays and Collections made accordingly On the 23d of January being the First Day of Hillary Term the Lawyers went over the Ice from the Temple to Westminster-Hall and back again as familiarly as on the Land some walkt on Foot and some went in Coaches which carried People from the Temple Stairs to Westminster for the same fare as by Land and plied between those two places though not in so great Numbers as the Watermen do in Summer Abundance of Booths were erected Cross between the Temple and Southwark in which place an absolute Fair was held for above a Fortnight of almost all sorts of Trades and Printing Presses erected both for Letters and Pictures a Bull Baited a Fox Hunted and a whole Ox Roasted on the Ice over against Whitehall Nor was this Frost thus Wonderful only above the Bridge but Booths were erected and People past over on the Ice frequently in diverse places below the Bridge And the Sea it self frozen for divers Miles from the Shore on the Coasts of England France and especially Holland Insomuch that for above a Fortnight no Packet Boat or any other Vessel of Intelligence could either come out of those parts or go from hence Thus ends this Year a Year of Extraordinary note in England for the happy Discovery of a Hellish Conspiracy against the Lives of his Sacred Majesty and Royal Highness and against the Antient Government of this Kingdom both in Church and State a Conspiracy contrived and carried on by Protestant Dissenters inveterate Calvinists and old Common-wealths-men Nor was this Year less remarkable abroad partly for the Death of Anna Teresia Queen of France and Alphonso King of Portugal but above all for the formidable and Bloody Descent of the Turks into Hungary Invited thither by Count Tekeley a Protestant Rebel against the Emperor The Mahumetan Army consisting of 150000 fighting Men Horse and Foot came before Vienna on the 9th of July Commanded by the Grand Visier in Person The Emperor had retired two Days before and left the City under the Command of Count Staremberg who defended it bravely notwithstanding all the Bloody Assaults and utmost endeavors of the Enemy till on the 12 2 of September the Seige was rais'd in the highth of the Defendants Extremity by the coming of the King of Poland who having joyn'd with the Imperial Forces Commanded by the Duke of Lorrain not only beat off and routed the Turkish Army with vast Slaughter and no less Booty but pursuing his Blow took from them the Fort of Barkan and the City of Gran formerly call'd Strigonium after it had been possest by the Turks 78 Years Which City had been formerly before it was lost by the Christians the Metropolitan City of Hungary To the Glory of the English Nation some of our Country Men were present at the Siege of Vienna in defence of which they Signalliz'd their Valour In particular the Lord Landsdown Eldest Son of the Earl of Bath whom for his extraordinary merits the Emperor created a Count of the Sacred Empire An Honour which the Ancestors of the Lord Arundel of Warder had formerly attain'd in the defence of Strigonium One thing more renders this Year remarkable which was partly Domestick and Partly Foraign Tangier in Africa being possest by the Portugals came to the Crown of England with our now Queen Catherine and having cost our King since he had it vast Sums of Mony in defending it against the Moors and also in making the greatest part of a Mole there which not being found so feasible as expected the Charges very great and certain the Expectation of any advantage from thence very uncertain His Majesty was pleased about the end of this last Summer to commission my Lord Dartmouth attended with about 20 Sail of Ships to go and
continued so to do On Wednesday the 11th of June Sir Thomas Armstrong was brought to London and committed to Newgate in order to his Execution being Outlawd in High Treason He had been taken at Leyden in Holland by Order of the States there and immediately brought to Roterdam and Shipt away for England There needed no Tryal of him in regard he fled and was Outlawd and did not yield himself within a year so as to have any benefit of the Stat. 5. E. 6. 11. Wherefore he was Executed at Tyburn on the 20th of June being a Friday the same Day of the same Month and the same Day of the Week on which the five Jesuits were Executed in the same manner at the same place just five years before His head was set up on Westminster-Hall between those of Cromwell and Bradshaw one of his Quarters upon Temple Bar two others at Aldersgate and Algate and the 4th was said to be sent down to Stafford for which Town he had been a Burgess in Parliament On Thursday the 26th of June His Royal Highness the Duke of York being Captain of the Artillary Company of London did them the Honour to march in their Head through the City to the Artillary Ground and there Lead 'em up in Person with mighty Joy and Acclamations On the 7th of July the City of Durham surrender'd their Charter into the Hands of their Prince the Bishop of Durham soon after which surrender He granted them a new one reserving to himself the Confirmation of their Mayor Aldermen and Chief Officers in like manner as the King had done before in other parts of this Kingdom Most Corporations having surrenderd and renew'd about this time On the first of October was made a Review or Muster of His Majesties Land Forces on Putney Heath a most Gallant Military appearance The Horse that Day consisted of the Three Troops of Guards and of their Three of Granadiers of the Earl of Oxfords Regiment of Horse Guards and the Lord Churchills Regiment of Dragoons The Foot were Two Batalions form'd from the Royal Regiment of Guards and their Granadiers One Batalion from the Coldstream Regiment of Guards and Granadiers One Batalion from the Earl of Dunbarton's Regiment and their Granadiers and One from the Admiral Regiment The total of Horse and Foot which then Rendavouz'd were above 4000 advantagiously Trained and well clad Men. All being that Day commanded by the Earl of Craven At which Review both their Majesties and Royal Highnesses were present with great satisfaction About this time His Majesty was pleas'd to Dissolve the Commission formerly granted in the year 1681 to certain Commissioners to dispose of Ecclesiastical Preferments belonging to the Crown So that the said Preferments are now again in His Majesties immediate disposal Sir William Prichard the late Loyal Lord Mayor of London having this Summer brought His Action upon the Case against Mr. Papillon for causing him to be Arested in the time of his Mayeralty without any legal cause of Action of which I made mention in the last year the cause was Tryed before my Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys by Nisi Prius at Guild-Hall on the 6th of Nov. And upon a full hearing of the Evidence the Jury found for the Plaintiff and gave him 10000 l. Damages Other matters of Publick Concern were transacted this Michaelmass Term. Several Factious persons were convicted and Sentenced for Speaking Scandalous and Sedicious Words of the Government In perparticular Elias Best commonly call'd the Protestant Hop-Merchant was fined 1000 l. to stand thrice in the Pillory and good Behaviour during Life Dalby and Nicholson two of Oates's Men for the like and one Mr. Butler of Northamptonshire convicted upon an Information for presenting and Reading to the Knights of the Shire chosen for that County at the last Election a Seditious Paper of Address to them from some factious persons for which he was fined 500 Marks and good behaviour during Life And to shew What matters are too frequently transacted in Conventicles one Thomas Roswell a Conventicle Preacher at Redriff was this Term Tryed and convicted of High Treason in speaking certain very foul and Treasonable Words on the 14th of September last in his Preachment at his said Conventicle but some questions arising in Relation to the form of his Indictment which being argued by Council on both sides the Court took time to advise of their Judgment till next Term and before that arrived the said Roswell obtained His Majesties Gracious Pardon But as if this was not sufficient to shew the ill Principles of the Dissenting Party about the same time news arrived at London of the most Barberous Act in Scotland that has been heard of in many Years Some desperate Rebells there had in the Night time affixed a most Villanous and Trayterous Paper on several Crosses and Church Doors in that Country and therein declared War against the King under the name of Charles Stuart and publisht their Resolutions to kill and destroy all those that serve and adhere to Him in pursuance whereof they came on the 19th of November at Night being about 36 Footmen and 16 Horsemen to an Inn called Swine-Abby 13 Miles from Edinborough and there Barberously Murder'd two Gentlemen of His Majesties Horse Guards in their Beds cutting and mangling their Bodies and carrying away with them several Pieces of their Flesh Also this Michaelmass Term on the 13th of November Titus Oates was in the Kings Bench Court indicted for Perjury in Relation to Ireland's being in London at that time the said Oates Swore to at his Tryal to which Indictment he pleading Not Guilty the Tryal was appointed to be next Term. After this at the Sessions in the Old Bayly December 12th he was again Indicted upon an other Indictment of Perjury in Relation to his being Present at the supposed Consult of the Jesuits at the White-Horse Tavern and upon Not Guilty pleaded this also was appointed to be Tryed in the Kings Bench. Court next Term And the Indictment was removed thither The Roads being this Winter extreamly infested with Robbers His Majesty was pleased on the 19th of December to Order in Council and declare His pleasure for redress That all His Officers of Justice and other His loving Subjects do use their utmost Diligence and Endeaver for the apprehending all Robbers and Highway Men And for the Encouragement of such as shall apprehend any such Offender it was further Order'd That such Person or Persons who shall at any time from the present till the 19th of December 1685 and after that day till His Majesty shall please to recall this Order either by Proclamation or His Order in Council apprehend any Robber or Highway Man and cause him to be brought into Custody shall within 15 days after his Conviction have a Reward of 10 l. for every such Offender so apprehended and Convicted And all Sheriffs of the Respective Counties where such Conviction shall be had are by the said Order