the dores shut Cromwell sends a paper to the House of Commons requiring that the impeached Members and M. G. Brown might be secured and brought to justice and that the 90. odd Members that refus'd to vote against the Scotch Engagement and voted to recal the Votes for non-addresses and for a treaty might be suspended the House and that all faithful Members who were innocent of those Votes would acquit themselves by protestation from any such concurrence that there might be a distinction made between um The Paper was delivered in but they scorning to sta for an answer sent several guards to the House under the command of Pride Hewson and Hardres Waller and violently seized all those Members that they found two honest for their purposes The House being thus purged and brought to so small a number in so much that an Officer of the Army having secured some of the Members in the Lobby as they were going into the House the Speaker having not enough within to make up a House was forced to send to the said Officer to lend him his prisoners to make up a free Parliament in comes Cromwel out of the Countrey and brings Harry Martin that sanctified Members along with him to make up his numbers and to awe the City Garrisons Blackfriers and Pauls The secluded Members protest against their seclusion but the Cromwellian faction Vote their Protestation seditious scandalous and tending to destroy the visible and fundamental Government of the Kingdome Then like Cromwels good boyes they vote all the votes of the secluded Members for a personal treaty null and void and to try whether all were their trusty friends that voted for them Gourdon moved that a protestation be forthwith drawn up and that every Member set his hand to it in detestation of those repealed Votes which was drawn up afterwards and within a few daies after subscribed by The Lord Lisle Colonel Boswel Lord Grey Per. Pelham Colo. Iones Colonel Temple Colo. Ven. Sir Thomas Maleverer Sir Tho. Wroth Sir Io. Bourchier Col. Pet. Temple Tho. Chaloner Sir Gregory Norton Oldsworth Garland Sir Io. Danvers Dove Smith Frie Searle Nic. Love Io. Lisle Col. Rigby Holland Ludlow Greg. Clement Col. Purefoy Col. Stapely Dunch Cawley Downs Io. Carey Blackstone Scot. Hutchinson Mildmay Sir Iames Harrington Col. Harvey Penington Atkins Dan. Blackgrave Moor Millington Prideaux Roger Hill Denis Bond Col. Harrington Hodges Valentine The design being thus pritty well ripened the Counsel of War who managed the business in relation to the King ordered that all state and ceremony should be forborn the King and his attendants lessend which was done to mortifie him by degrees Now was it thought fit to have it moved in the House to proceed capitally against the King Cromwel after it was once proposed sinding it then his cue to speak stoop up and told them That if any mov'd this out of design he should think him the greatest Traytor in the World but since providence and necessity had cast them upon it he should pray to God to bless their Counsels though he were not provided on the suddain to give them Counsel The White Boys thus animated went on furiously and Scot with an unheard of impudence now dares to bring in the ordinance for tryal of the King it was read recommitted three several times and Commissioners names inserted consisting of divers Lords Commons Aldermen Citizens Countrey Gentlemen and Souldiers that the more persons of all sorts might be engaged in so damnable and treasonable a design and because this Ordinance and the proceedings thereupon had no foundation in Divinity Law nor Reason The Cromwellian Faction to give it a foundation and ground from the authority of their Votes declare that by the Lawes of the Land it is treason in the King to levy war against the Parliament and Kingdome of England This Vote together with the ordinance was carried up to the Lords by the Lords Grey of Groby The first debate was upon the Vote The Earl of Manchester told them That the Parliament of England by the fundamenttal lawes of England consisted of three Estates King Lords and Commons The King is the first and chiefest estate He calls and dissolves the House and confirms all their Acts and without him there can be no Parliament and therefore t is absurd to say The King can be a Traytor against the Parliament The Earl of Northumberland said That the greatest part of the people of England were not yet satisfied whether the King levied War first against the Houses or the Houses against him and therefore it was very unreasonable to declare Treason by an Ordinance when the matter of fact is not yet proved nor any Law extant to judge it by Whereupon the Lords cast off the debate and cast our the Ordinance Hereupon the Zealots of the House that is to say that Protestors were very angry at the Lords and therefore intend to rid their hands of them and the King both together and thereupon they presently passed a Vote should be impowred to act notwithstanding the Lords did not concurre with them and many of the most famous hot-spurs were so high as to insist that the Lords who would not give their concurrence to the Votes and Ordinance should be impeached for favouring the grand Delinquent Having thrown by the Lords they proceed to make themselves to have the shew of a legall power by passing these three Votes 1. That the people that is to say their own Faction are the original of all just power under God 2. That the Commons of England being chosen by and representing the people are the supreme Power of this Nation 3. That whatsoever is enacted by Law by the House of Commons assembled in Parliament hath the force of a Law This was Cromwels Chain-shot whereby he swept a King and Lords putting all the Liberties of this Nation under his own and the power of fifty or sixty of his own covetous Saints By their former contrivances having now brought themselves to such a height of power and that power to a boldnesse that durst go so farre there was a necessity for them now to proceed and therefore the next thing they did was to passe the Ordinance for tryall of the King which was carried on without one negative voice There was one rub in the way that they could not use his own Great Seal against him and a new one was long a making But after consultation they agreed upon a new way for what need ceremonies when men are resolved upon the substance They therefore proceed without any Commission under Seal upon the Ordinance and every Commissioners set his own hand and seal to the publick instrument of their transactions At the same time great endeavours are made to stop the mouths of the Ministers giving them threatning admonitions not to preach against the actings of the Parliament and the Army and the Councill of Warr finding it difficult to stop the Ministers mouths did
THE DEVILS Cabinet-Councell DISCOVERED OR THE MISTERY and INIQUITY OF THE Good old Cause Laying open all the Plots and Contrivances of O. CROMWELL and the Long PARLIAMENT In order to the taking avvay the Life of his late Sacred MAIESTY of Blessed Memory LONDON Printed by H. Brugis for Hen. Marsh at the Princes Armes in Chancery-lane neer Fleet-street 1660. THE DEVILS Cabinet-Counsell DISCOVERED THe Lord Lisle a very godly Person yet led away now and then by the Spirit to cool his Reins in Bloomsbury where he was twice discovered to be very civilly used in regard of his Authority he had given the Masterships of St. Crosses valued at 800 l. per annum I Gourdon a Lunatick and bitter-tongu'd Schismatick Lord Gray of Grooby a Saint who had nothing but Holmby Mannor-house and Parks for his share Humphrey Edwards one that waited on the King when he demanded the five Members and whose election was voted void by a Committee Nich. Love one of the six Clerks in Mr. Penruddock's place Ben. Valentine five thousand pound the better for the times Gil. Millington the Church Snuffers one that desires no better trade then scandalous Ministers Sir Hardress Waller once a Cavalier then a Presbyterian and afterwards any thing Temperate Mr. Chaloner Skippon once a poor Waggoner now in a better condition Saloway a smart prating Grocer's Apprentice newly set up for himself Okey a good sturdy Dray-man Ludlow a Leveller Smiling Sir James Harrington Waite one that thriv'd so well while he was Governour of Burleigh that he bought 500 l. per annum that was not able to buy 5 l. before Sir Henry Mildmay the Mirrour of Gratitude once the Kings Ieweller afterwards his Iudge Heveningham a slabbering Epicure Scot a Brewers Clerk Master Pursuivant to the Commom-wealth Martin a beastly profuse and extravagant Whoremaster Disborow a Clown without fear or wit Coll. Downes a meer cipher Coll. Moore Coll. of the Parliaments Guards he had the benefit of the passes out of London Will Say a famous Lawyer Isaak Penington twice broke and therefore the Parliament gave him 7000 l. to recruit him Lord Mounson a pitiful drivelling henpeckt Lord. Philip Lord Lisle famous for his silence men wonder what he did among them unless it were because his Father kept him short Blackston a poor Shopkeeper in Newcastle made Executor to Sir John Fenner trusted with 6000 l. for charitable uses and was sued in Chancery to perform the Will but got himself return'd Burges for Newcastle had 3000 l. given out of another Gentlemans estate and as much as made it up 12000 l. out of the estate of another Gentleman Dixwell once better known in Kent then trusted Greg. Clements rich in Bishops Lands once poor enough Sir Will. Brereton a good Trencher-man and Bishop of Croyden Coll. Berkstead the merciful Lieutenant of the Tower Coll. Hewson the Committee of Safety 's Apprentice killer Cornel. Holland once a Link-boy preferred by the King to the Green-cloth a great Knave Tichborn a man well known in the City Coll. Will. Purefoy he hid himself in a barley field when he should have been fighting for which a Water-man that had been his Souldier refus'd to carry him Sir Will. Constable he sold his Lands to Sir Marmaduke Langdale for 15000 l. but the Parliament gave them him again Sir Miles Levesey Plunder Master General of Kent Henry Smith made one of the six Clerks Frantick Sir Harry Vane Hair-brain'd Hesllerig Dan. Blagrave well known at Reading Miles Corbet once 3000 l. in debt more then he was worth he got well by scandalous Ministers Harvey Bishop of Fulham though not so by inheritance Illegally elected by colour of the Nevv Seal Coll. Norton Rowl Wilson Coll. I. Hutchinson Coll. Rigby Governour of Bolton Anthony Stapely Valentine Walton a Knave and a Cuckold or a Cuckoldly Knave which you please Coll. Boswell Sir Arthur Hesllerig's Friend by his Daughters meanes Augustine Garland Peters's Pot-companion Bradshaw the impudent brazen-fac'd President Cromwell Bell-wether to the Flock Ireton his bosome fellow worker in iniquity Maj. Gen. Harison chief Holder forth to the fift Monarchy-men Ven the broken Silk-man that govern'd Windsor Castle Coll. Hammond he had a thousand pounds and five hundred pounds per annum given him for his good service THE DEVILS Cabinet-Counsell DISCOVERED THe Independent Faction being become considerable their first design was to monopolize all power into their hands This was effected first by dashing the Earl of Essex and Sir William Waller one against another which was easily done by taking hold of their severall misfortunes the one at Lislethiel in Cornwall the other at the Devises in Wiltshire My Lord of Manchester also being a Lord and therefore not to be confided in was undermin'd and accus'd by Cromwell of high Crimes and so discarded Then was the Army new modell'd and under Sir Thomas Fairfax Cromwell got the sole command of the Army He was no sooner in power but by his own diligence the help of his Faction he endeavours to make himself famous and popular by taking to himself the honour of other mens atchievements To this purpose the News books are taught to speak no language but Cromvvell and his party and to be silent in such actions wherein he could claim no share That the Army might be sutable to him and his designs carried on without interruption all pretences of scandals and crimes are laid hold of at the Councels of Warre to remove the Presbyterian party that the Independents and Sectaries might be let into their rooms The next study of Cromwell was how to make this Army become his creatures which he thus contriv'd The two Houses in a full and free Parliament had ordained the disbanding of the Army Cromwell knowing how much this would be against the Armies will put the Houses again upon passing this Ordinance Protesting in the presence of Almighty God before whom he stood that he knew the Army would disband and lay down their Armes at their dore whensoever they should command when at the same time he had his Agitators animating the Army against the major part of the House under the notion of men that sought their ruine and making traiterous comments upon the Ordinance He knew the Army hated nothing more then disbanding and therefore would not be a little enraged against the promoters thereof and thus by causing fears and jealousies in the Army he easily provok'd them to mutiny against the Parliament By this mutiny having made them sure to his own interest Cromwell leaves the Parliament not daring to trust himself among them where now both he and his Son Ireton publickly joyn with the Army at New-Market in trayterous Engagements Declarations Remonstrances and Petitions pend by Cromwell himself tending altogether to nothing but sedition whereby the Army and the Parliament were easily rendered odious to one another Having thus debauch'd the Army he plotted in his own Chamber how to secure the Garrison Magazine and train of Artillery
at Oxford and surprise the Kings person at Holmby which was done by his Instrument Cornet Ioyce with a commanded party of Horse by which action Cromwell now thought himself so secure that when Ioyce giving him an account of what he had done told him that he had now the King in his power Cromwell repli'd Then have I the Parliament in my pocket It was not for him publickly to own so impudent an act therefore he had recourse to his wonted dissimulation protesting in the sight of God his ignorance in that business both to the King and Parliament adding to his Protestation an Execration upon his Wife and Children Having so farre prosper'd in his design as to get the King into his clutches the next contrivance was to get the Parliament into his power This was to be effected by purging both Houses so that there might be no Members here but what should be absolutely of Cromwels Faction to which purpose they send first a confused impeachment against eleven of the Members who thereupon modestly withdrew to free the Parliament from such danger as they should incurre by protecting them But while these things were acting Cromwell finding he could not compasse what he intended against the Parliament but that he must make the City his enemies casts about how to cheat the Countrey it being dangerous to have both City and Countrey his enemies at that time Agents are therefore imploy'd to spread Books and Pamphlets about the Kingdom wherein particular notice is taken of the pressures and grievances of the Nation courting them to neglect the King and the Parliament as unable to relieve them and to make their addresses to the Army who had it in their hands onely to restore the King uphold the Parliament and give them their Freedoms and Liberties and to take away from them all Taxes and Excises by these and the like pretences they deceived the people so far as to make them patiently bear the burthen of free quarter and to make Addresses to the Army for free quarter Having Iull'd the people into a sleep they now seek how to quarrell with the City They had withdrawn their quarters some thirty miles from London in a pretended obedience to the Parliament of which pretended example of their submission they made singular use against all objections but finding their designs retarded both in City and Parliament by the remainder of that party which they had left they must therefore find a quarrel to march against the City to give the Houses a stronger purge then they had formerly done Hereupon the Army demands the City Militia and had it granted by a packt company of the lower House when most of the Members were absent The City petition for their former Militia and to second their Masters many of the Apprentices came down with another of theirs it was not long ere Cromwell who watch'd for this opportunity had his Agents among them to keep up the Ryot and increase it as much as in them lay particularly one Highland was observed more active then all the rest This was cunningly contriv'd to encrease the sdandall upon the City The Army was now upon their march to London whereupon the speaker and about forty Members more having left about one hundred and forty sitting in the House sled to the Army It is thought that what the Speaker did proceeded from certain strong Threats and Menaces of Cromwell and Ireton for that he had solemnly professed a day or two before to Sir Ralph Ashton and others that he scorned to do such a base unjust and dishonourable act and that he would rather die in his chair Hereupon the remaining Members choose a new speaker and proceed to act one way while the Army with both the fugitive Speakers and the sugitive Members vote another signing engagements to live and die with the Army The Army were so overleavend with this engagement that they send out Warrants to the Trained Bands to march with them against the City The City hearing of their approch sent Commissioners sundry times to mediate an accord but the Army would give them no better termes then these that they should yield to desert both Houses and the impeached Members that they should call in their Declarations relinquish the Militia deliver up their forts to the Army with the Tower of London and the Magazines there disband all their Forces and turn the Reformadoes out of the line receive such guards of horse and foot as the Army should appoint demolish their works and suffer the Army to march in triumph through the City All which was suddainly and dishonourably yielded to so great was the undermining strength of Cromwels party to weaken the hands of all his opponents This being effected the fugitive Members were brought agin into the House And now we must look upon the Army and Parliament acting and consulting together They put into imployments none but men of their own faction that they may have all in their own hands they alter and divide the Militia of London setting up particular Militia's at Westminster Southwark and the Hamlets to make them weaker by such a division and demolish the lines of Communication and fright many more members from the House partly by threats and partly by false impeachments Then they declare all void which the Parliament had done in their absence and when many of the Commons were refractory and denyed to pass this ordinance they were either urged to it with threats or forced to depart the house Sir Arthur Haslerig telling them some heads must fly off and that he feared the Parliament of England could not save the Kingdome but they must look another way for safety That they could not satisfie the Army but by declaring all void from the beginning In which words he was seconded by Vane Prideaux Gourdon Mildmay Scott and Holland whom we must henceforward look upon as the Protectors greatest instruments And because this did not wholly effect the design they produce a scandalous letter from the Army wherein the members that sate while the two Speakers were absent were called pretended Members and threatned that if they would not give their assents topass the ordinance they should sit in the House at their peril for the Army would take them as Prisoners of war and trye them at a Counsel Thus the Members being frighted away the next day in a very thin assembly of Olivers creatures the ordinance passed and thus had Cromwel and his few conspirators what so far they sought for that is to say the whole power of the Parliament and Army This being done several accusations of high Treasons were brought against the Earles of Suffolk Lincoln Middlesex the Lords Berkley Willoughby Hunsdon and Maynard they were committed to the Tower that so those Lords that had engaged with the Army might have their house to themselves Several Petitions were likewise exhibited to the Houses bearing these titles to the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled distinct