expressions he had injured the propriety of the Subject and had put such dâ—scontent upon the City that they were the lesse willing upon any occasion to concurre for the advantage of the Kings service The Lievetenant Replyed First That though all the Charge were in the most strict Strafford's Reply and rigid way or sence verified against him yet hee could not conceive by what interpretation of Law it could be rech't home to high-Treason And to that common objection that the treason was not individuall but Accumulative hee replyed that under favour he thought to that manner were as much as to say no Treason at all Because First That neither in Statute Law Common Law nor practise there was ever till this time heard of such a matter as Accumulative-Treason or a Treason by way of consequence but that it is a word newly coyned to attend a Charge newly invented such an one as never was before Secondly That treason was a thing of a simple and specificative nature and therefore could not be so by accumulation but eyther must be so in some or eyther of the Articles or else could not be so at all Thirdly Hee did conceive that it was against the first principles of Nature and false therefore could not be so by Accumulation but eyther must be so in some or each of the Articles or else could not be so at all That a heape or Accumulation should be and not be of Homo-geneous things and thrrefore that which in its first being is not treasonable can never confer to make up an accumulative Treason Cumulus an heape of Graine so called because every or at least some of the individuals are graine if otherwaies an heape it may be but not an heape of graine Just so perhaps these Articles may make up an heape of Felonies Oppressions Errors Mis-demeanors and such like and to the thinge it selfe I shall give an answere when under that name they shall be Charged against me but they can no waies conferre to the making up of Treason unlesse some at the least bee Treason in the Individuall Secondly That the testimonies brought against him were all of them single not two one way and therefore could not make Faith in matter of Debt much lesse in matter of Life and Death yea that it was against the Statute expresly to impeach a man of high-Treason under the evidence of two famous witnesses much lesse to adjudge and convince him upon attestation of one Thirdly To the Lord-Treasurors testimony he did with all his heart condiscend unto it but upon these grounds only that there was a present necessity of money that all the Councell-Boord had so voiced with him yea before himselfe and he allwaies thought it presumption in a man not to follow the wiser and more judicious And that there was then a Sentence of the Starre-chamber for the right of paying Ship-money for his part he would never be more prudent then his teachers nor give judgement against the Judges And therefore he thought it not farre amisse to advise the King for the collecting of that which by Law was his owne in such a present and urgent necessity and although his opinion and it was no more had beene amisse he hoped that though in case of Religion being attended with stubbornnesse and pertinacy it might come home to Heresie yet in his case opinion could not reach so farre as Treason unlesse it be Treason for a man to speake his judgement freely when he is upon his oath to doe the same Fourthly For the words about â—ining he had already acknowledged in his generall Answeres to be true but with these qualifications that it was his opinion only that it was upon the refusall as he conceived of a just service that hee had spoken them by no meanes to praejudice the Citizens but to make them the more quick and active in the Kings service that no ill consequence at all hapned upon them that they were words might have beene spared indeede but innocently though suddenly spoken which he hoped might proceede from a man of such a hasty and incircumspect humor as himselfe made so both by nature and his much infirmity of body without any minde at all to Treason And that if all Chollerick expressions of that nature should bee accounted treasonable there would be more suits of that kinde fly up and down Westminster-hall then Common-Law Fiftly To those words attested by the Alderman hee positively denyed them and hoped they should never rise up against him in judgement because the testimony was single and not positive but only to his best remembrance and that it was exceeding strange that not any one man neither of the Councell or other Aldermen were so quick to observe them but only Alderman Garway which he thought sufficient to nullifie that single testimony except he could demonstrate himselfe to have some rare and singular faculty of hearing In the Close He desired the Lords from his misfortune to provide for their own safety and seriously to consider what a way was chalked out to ruine them both in their lives and their estates if for every opinion given in Councell or words suddainly or hastily spoken they who are borne to weild the great affaires of the Kingdome should be arraigned and sentenced as Traytors Then they went to the twenty sixth Article and Charged thus That the Lord Strafford having by his wicked advices exhausted Charge Article 26 the Kings Treasury did also Councell him First To imbase the Coyne by an allay of copper-money Secondly To seize upon all the Bulloyne in the Mint Thirdly That in discourse with some of the Aldermen about that businesse he had said the City was more ready to countenance and relieve the Rebells then the King and that the King of France did use to mannage such businesses not by Treaties or Requests but by sending forth his Commissaries to take Accompt of mens Estates accompanied with Troopes of Horses The Proofes were First Sir Thomas Edwards who declared that in discourse with the Lord Strafford having remonstrated unto him that their goods were seized on beyond Seas because of the mony taken out of the Mint he told him that if the Londoners suffered it it was deservedly because they had refused the King a small Loane of money upon good security and that he thought them more ready to helpe the Rebels then the King Secondly Mr. Palmer declared that he spake something about the King of France but whether with relation to England or not hee did not remember Thirdly Sir William Parkise attested in the same words and withall that the Lord Cottington was then present and could declare the whole businesse Fourthly Sir Ralph Freeman declared that in a discourse with the Lord Strafford hee had said that the servants in the Mint-house would refuse to worke the Copper mony And hee replyed that then it were well to send those servants to the house of Correction They closed the Charge
last with new matter or with supplementall Proofe hee might have leave to speake something in his owne Defence The Lord Steward answered It was all the reason in the world The Lievetenant went on thus MY LORDS This day I stand before you Charged with high-Treason My Lord Straffords last speech in the Hall the burthen is heavie yet farre the more in that it hath borrowed the Patrociny of the House of Commons If they were not Interessed I might expresse a no lesse easie then I doe a safe issue and good successe to the businesse but let neyther my weakenesse pleade my Innocence nor their power my guilt If your Lordships will conceive of my Defences as they are in themselves without referrence to eyther and I shall endeavor so to present them I hope to goe away from hence as cleerly justified as I am now in the testimony of a good Conference by my selfe My Lords I have all along my Charge watched to see that poysoned arrow of Treason that some men would faine have to be feathered in my heart and that deadly cup of wine that hath so intoxicated some petcy misalleaged Errors as to put them in the elevation of high-Treason but in truth it hath not beene my quicknesse to discern any such Monster yet within my breast though now perhaps by a sinistrous Information sticking to my cloathes They tel me of a two fold Treason one against the Statute another by the Common-Lawe this direct that consecutive this individual that Accumulative this in it selfe that by way of construction For the first I must and doe acknowledge that if I had the least suspition of my owne guilt I would spare your Lordships the pains cast the first stone at my self passe Sentence of condemnation against my selfe And whether it be so or not I refer my selfe to your Lordships judgement and Declaration You and only you under the favour and protection of my gracious Master are my Judges under favour none of the Commons are my Peeres nor can they be my Judges I shall ever celebrate the providence and wisdome of your noble Ancestors who have put the keyes of Life and Death so farre as concerns you and your posterity into your own hands not into the hands of your inferiours None but your own selves know the rate of your noble blood none but your selves must hold the ballance in dispencing the same I shall proceede in repeating my Defences as they are reduceable to these two maine points of Treason and for Treason against the Statute which is the only Treason in effect nothing is alleaged for that but the fifteenth two and twentith and twenty seventh Articles Here he brought the sum of all his Replies made to these three Articles before and almost in the same words as before only that testimony of Sir Henâ—y Vanes because it seemed pressing he stood upon it and alleaged five Reasons for the nullifying thereof First That it was but a single testimony and would not make Faith in a matter of Debt much lesse in a matter of Life and Death yea that it was expresly against the Statute to impeach much lesse to condemn him upon high-Treason under the testimony of two famous witnesses Secondly That he was dubious in it and exprest it with an as I doe remember and such or such like words Thirdly That all the Councell of eight except himselfe disclaime the words as if by a singular providence they had taken hold of his eares only Fourthly That at that time the King had levied no forces in Ireland and therefore hee could not bee possibly so impudent as to say to the King that hee had an Army there which hee might imploy for the reducing this Kingdome Fiftly That he had proved by witnesses beyond all exceptions Marquesse Hamilton the Lord Treasurer the Earle of Northumberland Lord Cottington Sir William Pennyman and Sir Arthur Terringham that there was never the least intention to land those Forces in England Hee went on So much for the Articles that concerne Individuall Treason To make up the Constructive-Treason or Treason by way of Accumulation Many Articles are brought against me as if in an heap of Felonies or Misdemeanors for in their conceit they reach no higher some prolificall seede apt to produce what is treasonable could lurke Here I am charged to have designed the ruine and overthrowe both of Religion and State The first seemeth rather to have beene used to make me odious then guilty for there is not the least proofe alleaged concerning my confederacy with the Popish-faction nor could there be any indeede never a servent in Authority beneath the King my Master was ever more hated and maligned by those men then my selfe and that for an Impartiall and strict executing of the Lawes against them Here your Lordships may observe that the greater number of the witnesses used against me eyther from Ireland or from Yorkeshire were men of that Religion But for my owne Resolution I thanke God I am ready every houre of the day to seale my disaffection to the Church of Rome with my deerest blood But my Lords give me leave here to poure forth the griefe of my Soule before you these proceeding against me seeme to be exceeding rigorous and to have more of praejudice then equity that upon a supposed Charge of my Hypocrisy or Errors in Religion I should be made so monstrously odious to three Kingdomes A great many thousand eyes have seen my Accusations whose eares shall never heare that when it came to the upshot I was never accused of them Is this fayre dealing amongst Christians but I have lost nothing by that Popular applause was ever nothing in my conceipt the uprightnesse and integrity of a good Conscience was and ever shall be my continuall feast and if I can be justified in your Lordships judgements from this grand imputation as I hope now I am seeing these Gentlemen have throwne downe the Bucklers I shall account my selfe justified by the whole Kingdome because by you who are the Epitomy the better part yea the very Soule and life of the Kingdome As for my Designe against the State I dare pleade as much Innocency here as in matter of my Religion I have ever admired the wisdome of our Ancestors who have so fixed the pillars of this Monarchy that each of them keepe a due proportion and measure with other and have so handsomly tyed up the nerves and sinnews of the State that the strayning of any one may bring danger and sorrow to the whole oeconomy The Praerogative of the Crowne and the Propriety of the Subject have such mutuall relations this takes protection from that that foundation and nourishment from this And as on the Lute if any one string be too high or too lowly wound up you have lost the Harmony so here the excesse of a Prerogative is oppression of pretended Liberty in the Subject Disorder and Anarchy The Praerogative must be used as God doth
ever establish betwixt you and your Subjects Sir My consent herein shall acquit you more to God then all the world can doe beside To a willing man there is no injury done And as by Gods-grace I forgive all the world with a calmnesse and meekenesse of infinite contentment to my dislodging Soule so Sir I can give the Life of this world with all cheerefulnesse Immaginable in the just acknowledgment of your exceeding favours and only beg that in your goodnesse you would vouchsafe to cast your gracious Regard upon my poore Sonne and his three sisters lesse or more and no otherwise then their unfortunate Father shall appeate more or lesse guilty of this Death God preserve your Majesty Your Majesties most Humble and Faithfull Subject Servant STRAFFORD Tower May 9. 1641. The Petition of THOMAS Earle of Strafford to the right-Honorable the Lords Spirituall and Temporall in the Parliament at Westminster 1641. Sheweth THAT seeing it is the good will and pleasure of God that your Petitioner is now shortly to pay that duty which we all owe to our fraile Nature He shall in all Christian patience and Charity conforme and submit to that Justice in a comfortable assurance of the great hope laid up for us in the Mercy and Merits of our Saviour Blessed for ever Only he humbly craves to returne your Lordships most humble thanks for your noble Compassion towards those Innocent Children who now with his last blessing he commits to the protection of Almighty God beseeching your Lordships to finish your pious Intentions towards them and desiring that the reward thereof may be given you by him who is able to give above all that we are able either to aske or thinke wherein I trust the honorable House of Commons will afford rheir Christian assistance And so beseeching your Lordships charitably to forgive all his omissions infirmities he doth heartily and truly recommend your Lordships to the Mercies of our heavenly Father that for his goodnesse he may protect you in every good work Amen There was a foolish ridiculous and scandalous Speech printed which was pretended to have been spoken by the Earle of Strafford to certaine Lords before his comming out of the Tower which is protested against and avowed to be false by the Lord Primate of Ireland E of Cleveland E of Newport Lo. Rich Sir William Bâ—lfoure Sir William Wentworth Sir George Wentworth Dr. Carre Dr Price De Mortuis nil nisi verunt The Paper conteining the Heads of the Lord Straffords last Speech written with his own hand as it was left upon the Scaffold falling out of his Bosom 1. Come to pay the last Debt we owe to sinne 2. Rise to Righteousnesse 3. Dye willingly 4. Forgive all 5. Submit to Justice but in my intentions Innocent from subverting c. 6. Wishing nothing but good Prosperity to King and People 7. Acquit the King constreined 8. Beseech to Repent 9. Strange way to write the beginning of Reformation and settlement of a Kingdome in blood 10. Beseech that demand may rest there 11. Call not blood on themselves 12. Dy in the Faith of the Church 13. Pray for it and desire their Prayers with me A true-copy of his Speech delivered on the Scaffold My L. Primate of Ireland IT is my very great comfort that I have your Lordship by me this day in regard I have beene known to you these many yeares and I doe thank God and your Lordship for it that you are heere I should bee very glad to obteine so much silence as to bee heard a few words but I doubt I shall not the noise is so great My Lords I am come hither by the good will and pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last debt I owe to sinne which is death and by the blessing of that God to rise again through the mirrits of Jesus Christ to righteousnesse and life aeternall Heere hee was a little interrupted My Lords I am come hither to submit to that Judgement which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented minde I thank God I doe freely forgive all the world a forgivenesse that is not spoken from the teeth outwards as they say but from the very heart I speake it in the presence of Almighty God before whome I stand that there is not a displeasing thought arising in me towards any man living I thank God I can say it and truly too my conscience bearing me witnesse that in all my imployment since I had the Honour to serve his Majestie I never had any thing in the purpose of my heart but what tended to the Joynt and Individuall prosperity of King and people although it hath beene my ill fortune to bee misconstrued I am not the first that hath suffered in this kinde it is the common portion of us all while wee are in this life to err Righteous Judgment wee must wait for in another place for heere we are very subject to bee mis-judged one of another there is one thing that I desire to free my selfe of and I am very confident speaking it now with so much cheerfullnesse that I shall obteine your Christian charity in the beliefe of it I was so farre from being against Parliaments That I did allwayes think the Parliaments of England were the most happy constitutions that any Kingdome or Nation lived under and the best means under God to make the King people happy For my Death I heere acquit all the world and beseech the God of Heaven heartily to forgive them that contrived it though in the Intentions and purposes of my heart I am not guilty of what I dy for And my Lord Primate it is a great comfort for me that his Majesty conceives me not merriting so severe and heavy a punishment as is the utmost execution of this Sentence I do infinitly rejoyce in this mercy of his and I beseech God returne it into his own bosome that hee may find mercy when hee stands most in neede of it I wish this Kingdome all the Prosperity and happinesse in the world I did it living and now dying it is my wish I doe most humbly recommend this to every one who heares mee and desire they would lay their hands upon their hearts and consider seriously whether the beginning of the happinesse and reformation of a Kingdome should bee written in Letters of blood consider this when you are at your homes and let me be never so unhappy as that the last drop of my blood should rise up in Judgement against any one of you But I feare you are in a wrong way My Lords I have but one word more and with that I shall end I professe that I dy a true and obedient Sonne to the Church of England wherein I was borne and in which I was bred Peace and prosperity bee ever to it It hath beene objected if it were an objection worth the answering that I have beene inclined to Popery but I say truly
to have been sufficiently proved and then in the matter of Law that hee had incurred the censure of treason for intending to subvert the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome for though said they hee cannot bee charged by Letter of Statute of the twenty fift of Edward the third yet hee is within the compasse of the Salvo whereby it is provided that the King and Parliament hath power to determine what is Treasonable and what not and that they were confident the Lords would ratify and approve of this Bill of theirs and give Judgement accordingly The motion was stoutly opposed by three great Lawyers all members of the House Seilden Holborne and Bridgeman who made it manifest that the Salvo 25 of Edward 3 was repealed and that no man could now be convict of Treason but by the Letter of that statute But being put to voice it was carryed for the Bill and a Committee appointed for to draw it up This gave occasion of much talke abroad and they who were otherwise the Lord Straffords enemies could not finde equity enough in the Bill of Attainder Some could not conceive what difference Imaginable was betwixt the Bill and the Charge presented before for in the Charge hee was accused of Treason and the Bill though they had no Legislative power seem'd nothing but an Affirmation of the same Others who would have the Bill understood of a Definitive sentence because it was consecutive to the Proofs were not satisfied but that it was against all practice that the Commons should give sentence upon the death of a peere And that it was against Common equity too that the party accusant should give the Judgement if the complayners were admmitted to bee Judges A third sort gave it out that this was no Sentence against the Lord Strafford but only a passing of a new act of Parliament about a matter not hitherto declared Treasonable but yet these doubted that by declaring the matter of fact to bee approved and applying the censure to it in reference to the Lord Strafford it would ever be thought a Sentence against him to blemish his own fame and the blood of his posterity Moreover that if they were about to make an new act it were strange to punish a man for the breach of such a Statute as was not yet extant in Rerum naturâ which should in reason referre only to future obedience And what is more strange though there were a new Statute yet by what Authority the Parliament hath or could declare any Individuall or Accumulative Act which is allready to bee Treasonable which must bee Treason by virtue of a Statute or else no Treason at all now there is none can bee brought except the twenty fift of Edward the third whereof the Letter of that Stattute cannot by their own Confession nor was not so much as once alledged against the Lord Strafford and for the Salvo or Proviso which they mainly insisted on the same stands repeald by two posteriour Acts of Parlyament You have the Mutterings of all sorts of People The Lords feâ—ring the proceedings as a beaten path troden out to the ruine of their own Lives and Estates told the house of Commons in their conference upon Thursday that they would go on the same way they did already and according to the order of the house give full audience to the Lord Straffords councell in matter of Law and that they themselves as competent Judges would by themselvâ—s only give Sentence in the cause nor was there any course suitable to the practice and Stat. of the Kingdome the safety of the Nobility or to Equity or Common Justice It was replyed by them of the lower House that they were resolved to go on with their Bill and if the same should bee rejected by the Lords they feared a Rupture and Division might follow to the utter Ruine and Desolation of the whole Kingdom that no content would be given to the subject and this was a strong Argument indeed yet better beseeming Partiality and violence then the pretended Justice and piety of the times unlesse the man who had so much intruded vpon their right and discontented the people might bee punished as a Traytor And for the practice of the Kingdome that no man had ever found such a Favourable hearing and that the Processe against Essex Norfolk and somerset were all of them closed up in one day Upon Friday the Lords gave answer that they could expect nothing from the House of Commons but what should tend to the peace and Preservation of the Kingdome nor was there a more forceable way then to preserve the Lawes and Customes thereof least innovation so much complained of by them might unhappily be found among themselves that the subjects should have all that Justice could afford but that an act of Injustice would never give satisfaction to the world nor safety to themselves the eyes of all forraigne States being fixed vpon the businesie now in agitation and the wisdome of our Nation either to bee much advanced or depressed by their Judgements in this case That the Processe against Norfolk and Essex for Somerset was convict only of fellony and had not so much Animad version to save himselfe by his Booke were for Direct and formall Treasons comprised in one or two Individuall Acts but this against the Lord Strafford only Arbitrary and Accumulative to bee pict out of the twenty eight Articles And therefore that it was impossible to have a full examination of them all to give Sentence against him And those noble men were charged with some Actuall breach of Statutes formerly made but heere a new Staute was to be made or else hee to bee found guiltlesse They concluded that they had given order for his appearance on Saterday And that in the great Hall at Westminster where the House of Commons might if they pleased bee present After some deliberation with the House the Conferrers answered that since the Lords had so resolved they would not deny to bee there present and to heare what his Councell could say for him but to reply any more in publique they neither could nor would because of the Bill allready past only if the Lords should take any scruple in the matter of Law they would bee ready to give them satisfaction by a private Conferrence so they willingly declined to doe what indeede they could not possibly doe that is to give publique satisfaction in the matter of Law Upon Saterday they conveened in the great Hall but they that were of the Committee for the great charge did not stand at the Barre as before but sat promiscuously with the rest of their fellowes so that a mouth was not oppened in the behalfe of the House of Commons all that day After they were set the Lord Steward told the Lievetenant that the Lords had resolved to give him a faire hearing in the matter of Law And therefore desired that the councell might keepe that distance Moderation and respect
praejudiciall unto my Lord Strafford First In that they should suppose that to be done which is not proved to be Secondly That the matter of Law ariseth so naturally from the matter of Fact that it will be impossible to separate one from the other Thirdly That it is the course of all Judicatories first to settle the Verdict and upon that to fixe the Arguments otherwise hee could conceive no possible way of proceeding And therefore in the Lord Straffords name he most humbly entreated that the Lords would either wholly determine the matter of Fact or whether Treason or not for then all other proceedings in Lawe were unnecessary but whether done or not done or else to give them some States of the question whereunto they might confine themselves Upon this motion the House was adjourned for that day nor hath it met since for the House of Commons are turned to their old bias and will heare of nothing but the Bill of Attainder but the Lords seeme to be more resolute then before because they finde that they have no Authority to declare a Treason in a fact already past the Salvo of the twenty fift of Edward the third being Repealed withall that if the Bill of Attainder should proceede the King hath as great power to hinder that at the last blow as any other Stat. but I hope the Lords will disburthen him of that envie All they which stand oblieged to the Lord Strafford in blood affection or deserving and all who have beene interessed with him in the Kings service and many too who both hate his person and dislike his proceedings will doubtlesse looke to it and tender their owne safety all of them in likelyhood being subject to the Charge of Treason if ever they chance to be called to doe the King service in any place of importance I cannot expresse how much the voice of the multitude is now altered from what it was lately nothing now talked of what should be done but only of what must be done so that if the Lord Strafford dies his very enemies will confesse that it is done more for necessity then for Justice and rather for the satisfaction of rancorous apprehensions then for any guiltinesse in the Cause Thursday last viz. Aprill 29. was designed for the Agitation Thursday of the long intermitted busines concerning the Lievetenant And the way was this The Lords did meete at the great Hall at Westminster about nine of the clock not in their Robes nor did the Lord Steward The foâ—mality â—f a conference sit upon his sack but with the rest promiscously nor did the Committee for the House of Commons stand at the Barre but sat with the rest of their fellowes and the Earle of Strafford sat behinde the place where he used to sit before The reason of these changes were because the Diet was appointed not for a meeting but for a Conference so curious are we and that 's all about formalities The King Queene and Prince were there according to their custome not a man spake a word in the house all the time but only Master St. John the Kings Sollicitor one of the Committee whose drift and purpose was to furnish the Lords with reasons why the House of Commons had proceeded with a Bill of Attaindor And withall to reply to what the Lord Strafford had spoken eyther by himselfe or his Councell in matter of Lawe The Speech is in Print If it were not without my Sphere to give my opinion of Master St. Johns speech it should be this That he spake little or nothing to purpose except in his fift or sixt Arguments and in them I beleeve without his booke if not I should conceive it better and safer to live under the Lawes of any other Nation then these of England where all Lawe is at last resolved into an Arbitrary power and that by these very men who so much elsewhere enveigh against it Of the Presidents which seeme to pinch hardest many of them were since the Proviso Repealed which is an Argument in my apprehension of the pleaders penurie others nothing to purpose as that of Felony c. to the other few if Lawyers can give satisfaction I am confident Master St. John did rather advantage then hurt the Earle by his pleading The next news which we expect to heare is with what Resolution he went out of this World for it is concluded amongst the major part of his Judges that one must die for the people It were well if the blood of one two or three could satisfie The Bill for certain is past the higher House to which 't is thought the King will be perswaded to give way The Scaffold is built upon the Tower Hill God grant him mercy for his other sins and I hope he will easily answere that of Treason He dies as we heare upon the twenty third Article for the words attested by Sir Henry Vane though his Majesty publiquely protested the words were never spoken by him Upon the close of Master St. Johns speech the House dissolved nor was there a word spoken but by Master St. Johns only the Lord Lievetenant used the last part of his Rhetorique and by a dumbe eloquence Manibus ad Syderatensis all along Master St. Johns speech made his Replies with a deepe silence Upon Friday he Petitioned the Lords to be heard againe and that because his Lawyers had not fully spoken at their last meeting but this was denied him because the House were to have the last speech nor were they content to speake againe Upon this information or what else is not known the King it seemes fearing the Inconstancy of the Lords came to the House on Saterday at ten of the clock and having called for the House of Commons spake much to this effect THAT Hee had sincerely without Affection The Kings speech to the House of Commons or Partialitie endeavored to informe himselfe concerning the Livetenants Charge and had at length seriously pondered with himselfe both concerning the matter of Fact and the matter of Lawe and now it stood him in hand to cleere their judgements then to exonerate his own Conscience For them Hee had two things to declare First That there was never such a project nor had the Lord Strafford ever offered such advise for the transporting of the Irish Army into England so that in nothing the Livetenant had beene more misunderstood then in that Which imputation did in no small measure reflect on himselfe the King as if he had intended to make War upon his own good Subjects which thought he said was farre enough from his brest nor could any man in probability thinke so unworthily of him who had perceived how graciously he had dealt with his Subjects elsewhere that had deserved a great deale worse Secondly That the Lievetenant had never advized him to establish an Arbitrary Government nor if he had should he have escaped condigne punishment nor would any of his good Subjects ever