Order After which ended and her Majesties Assent thereunto then the Dissolution of the Parliament followed by the Lord Keeper which is entred in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House in these words following viz. Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae Dissolvit hoc praesens Parliamentum THE JOURNAL OF THE House of COMMONS A Journal of the Passages of the House of Commons in the Parliament holden at Westminster Anno 43 Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1601. which began there on Tuesday the 27 th Day of October and then and there continued until the Dissolution thereof on Saturday the 19 th Day of December ensuing Anno 44 Reginae ejusdem THIS large and copious Journal containeth in it not only a number of excellent Passages concerning the Orders and Priviledge of the House of Commons which are usually found in other Journals of the same House but also much matter touching the publick State and that great grievance of the Realm by reason of Patents of Priviledge or Monopolies in the abdication or censure of which her Majesty most graciously concurr'd with her Subjects In which also a great number of Speeches and other Passages which were not found in the Original Journal-Book of the said House are supplied out of a Journal of the same House taken at this Parliament by one of the Members thereof But yet to avoid confusion whatsoever is here inserted out of the said private Journal is particularly distinguished from that which is taken out of the above-mentioned Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons by some Animadversion or expression thereof both before and after the inserting of it The tenth Parliament of our Sovereign Lady Elizabeth by the Grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen Defender of the Faith c. begun at Westminster upon Tuesday being the 27 th day of October in the forty third year of her Majesties Reign upon which day many of the Knights for the Shires Citizens for Cities Burgesses for Boroughs and Barons for Ports returned into the same Parliament did make their appearance at Westminster aforesaid before the Right Honourable the Earl of Nottingham Lord Admiral and Lord Steward of her Highnesses most Honourable Houshold and did then and there take the Oath according to the Statute in that behalf made and provided tendred by the said Earl or by his Deputies who were Sir William Knolls Comptroller of her Majesties Houshold Sir John Stanhop her Highness Vice-Chamberlain Sir Robert Cecill Principal Secretary and John Herbert Esq second Secretary After which all the said Lord Steward's Deputies and some others of the House of Commons having gotten into the Upper House and her Majesty with divers of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being set the greatest part of the residue of the Members of the said House of Commons had notice thereof about four of the Clock in the Afternoon being at that time still suting in the said House and expecting her Majesties Pleasure to be sent for up unto the said Upper House according to the antient usage and custom of former Parliaments And thereupon the said residue repaired immediately unto the Door of the said House but could not be let in the Door being still kept shut and so returned back again unto their own House much discontented Shortly after which time the Right Honourable Sir William Knolls one of the Deputies aforesaid came down into the said House of Commons and so being there set with the said residue for some little space of time M r Richard Lieffe one of the Barons returned into this present Parliament for the Port of Hastings in the County of Sussex stood up and shewing unto the said Comptroller the wrong done unto the greatest part of the Members of this House in their not being suffered to come into the said Upper House to hear her Majesties Pleasure signified by the Mouth of the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England humbly desired the said Comptroller to be a means that the effect thereof might be imparted unto some of the Members of this House for their better satisfactions Which as his Honour did think very reasonable and meet to be done at convenient time so did he impute the said fault wholly to the Gentleman-Usher of the said Upper House Which done and the residue of the said Deputies being shortly after come into the said House of Commons and there sitting the said M r Comptroller after some pause stood up and shewing unto this House that his place was to break the silence of this House for that time and putting the House in mind to make Choice of a Speaker according to her Majesties Pleasure given unto them in that behalf shewed that in his opinion he thinketh M r John Crooke Recorder of London returned one of the Knights for the City of London into this present Parliament to be a very fit able and sufficient Man to supply the whole Charge of the said Office of Speaker being a Gentleman very Religious very Judicious of a good Conscience and well furnished with all other good parts yet leaveth nevertheless the further consideration thereof to this House and so did sit again Which done and no one contrary Voice at all being delivered the said M r Crooke after some large Pause first taken stood up and very Learnedly and Eloquently endeavoured to disable himself at large for the burthen of that charge alledging his great defects both of Nature and of Art fit to supply that place and shewing all full Complements for the same to abound in many other Learned and grave Members of this House in the end prayed most humbly that they would accept of his due excuse and be pleased to proceed to a new Election and did then sit down again Whereupon the said M r Comptroller did stand up and said that hearing no negative Voice he took it for a due Election and demanding the further opinion of this House therein they all Answered Yea and gave their Assents Whereupon the said M r Comptroller and the Right Honourable Sir John Stanhop her Majesties Vice-Chamberlain immediately went to the said M r John Crooke and did set him in the Chair which done the said M r Crooke after some little pause did stand up and yielding unto this whole House most humble thanks for their great good opinion of him and loving favour towards him and praying them to accept of his willing mind and readiness and to bear with his unableness and wants in the service of this House referr'd himself to their good favours And then the said M r Comptroller signified further unto this House that her Majesties Pleasure was that the Members of this House having made choice of their Speaker should present him unto her Highness upon Friday next following in the Afternoon And so then every man departed and went his way On Friday the 30 th day of October about one of the Clock in the Afternoon the Knights Citizens and
Anno Dom. 1601. which was the last Parliament of her Majesties Reign a greater viz. of four Subsidies and eight Fifteenths and Tenths was again yielded unto whence it is plain that whatsoever is once granted by the Subject may often be raised but seldom falleth THE JOURNAL OF THE House of COMMONS A Journal of the House of Commons in the Parliament holden at Westminster Anno 39 Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1597. which began there on Monday the 24 th Day of October and then and there continued until the Dissolution thereof on Thursday the 9 th Day of February Anno 40 Reginae ejusdem THIS present Journal of the House of Commons is not only abundantly stored with many and sundry Passages touching the Orders Use and Priviledge of the House it self but containeth in it excellent matter touching the publick affairs of Church and State in which also her Majesty was most graciously pleased to give the said House free Liberty to reform some abuses of the first and to search into the dangers of the latter And that this said Journal might be the more exact and copious in some few places the defects thereof are supplied out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House and out of a certain imperfect and fragmentary Journal of the House of Commons The ninth Parliament of our Soveraign Lady Elizabeth by the Grace of God of England France and Ireland Queen Defender of the Faith c. begun at Westminster upon Monday being the 24 th day of October in the thirty ninth year of her Majesties Reign Upon which day many of the Knights of the Shires Citizens of Cities Burgesses of Boroughs and Barons of Ports did make their appearance at Westminster being returned into the same Parliament for the same Shires Cities Boroughs and Ports before the Right Honourable the Earl of Nottingham Lord Steward of her Majesties most honourable Household And did then and there in the Room commonly called the Court of Requests take the Oath of Supremacy seven or eight at a time being Enacted by and contained in the Statute de an 1 Reginae Eliz. Cap. 1. before the said Lord Steward and before Sir William Knolles Knight Comptroller of her Majesties Houshold Sir John Fortescue Chancellor of the Exchequer and Sir Robert Cecill Principal Secretary his Lordships Deputies And thereupon the said Knights Citizens Burgesses and Barons entring into their own House and expecting her Majesties further Pleasure her Highness then being in her Royal Seat in the Higher House of Parliament the said Commons were commanded to come before her Highness and being there Assembled the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Egerton Knight Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England delivered unto the said Commons the Causes of her Majesties Calling of this Parliament and so in the end willed them to repair again into the said House of Commons and there to make choice of their Speaker according to the former laudable usage and custom of the same House in that Case accustomed and willed them to present him unto her Majesty upon the Thursday next following Which done the said Commons presently repaired unto their own House and there being Assembled and sitting some space of time very silent at last the Right Honourable Sir William Knolls one of her Highness most Honourable Privy Council and Comptroller of her Majesties Household stood up and spake to the effect following Necessity constraineth me to break off this silence and to give others cause for speech According to the usual Custom we are to chuse our Speaker and though I am least able and therefore unfit to speak in this place yet better I deem it to discover my own Imperfections than that her most sacred Majesties Commandment to me delivered should not be fulfilled or your Expectation of this first days work by all our silences to be in any sort frustrate First therefore I think it very expedient to remember the Excellent and Learned Speech of that good man my Lord Keeper at which all of us or the most part of us at the least were present who very wisely shewed the Cause of calling this Honourable Assembly shewing unto us that it is partly for the reforming those Laws which be amiss partly quite to repeal others partly to augment those that be good and partly to Enact new Laws both for the Honour and profit of her Majesty and for the benefit of the Common-wealth And in conclusion wished us to depart from whence we came and there to chuse our Speaker who ought to be the Mouth of us all and to whom we might commit such weighty affairs as in this place should be debated amongst us For unfit it is if we have occasion to go unto the Sacred presence of her Majesty to go either confusedly without order or unorderly without Judgment Now because that knowledge doth rest in certainty I will with the more speed set afoot this motion deliver my opinion unto you who is most fit for this place being a member of this House and those good abilities which I know to be in him here he made a little pause and the House hawked and spat and after silence made he proceeded unto this place of dignity and calling in my opinion here he stayed a little M r Serjeant Yelverton looking upon him is the fittest man to be preferred after which words M r Yelverton blushed and put off his Hat and after sate bare-headed for I am assured that he is yea and I dare avow it I know him to be a man wise and learned secret and circumspect Religious and faithful no way disable but every way able to supply this place Wherefore in my Judgment I deem him though I will not say best worthy amongst us yet sufficient enough to supply this place and herein if any man think I err I wish him to deliver his mind as freely as I have done if not that we all join together in giving general consent and approbation to this motion So that the whole House cried I I I let him be And then Master Comptroller made a low reverence and sat down and after a little pause and silence M r Serjeant Yelverton rose up and after a very humble reverence made spake in effect thus much WHence your unexpected choice of me to be your Mouth or Speaker should proceed I am utterly ignorant If from my merits strange it were that so few deserts should purchase suddenly so great an Honour Nor from my ability doth this your choice proceed for well known it is to a great number in this place now assembled that my Estate is nothing correspondent for the maintenance of this dignity For my Father dying left me a younger Brother and nothing to me but my bare Annuity Then growing to mans estate and some small practice of the Law I took a Wise by whom I have had many Children the keeping of us all being a great impoverishing to my Estate and the daily living of us
divina Abbas Monasterii beatae Mariae sanctique Botolphi de Thorney subjectionem et fidelitatem omnimodas cum orationibus assiduis et devotis ad comparend ' pro me et nomine meo in Parliamento vestro coram vestra regia celsitudine vicessimo die Mensis Januarij prox ' futur ' post datum presens apud Westm ' favente gratia Spiritûs sancti felicitor inchoand ' Nè personali comparitione in eodem penes vestram regiam celsitudinem quoties opus sucrit excusand ' precipuè pretextu adversae valetudinis nostrae caeterisque ex causis justis veris et probabilibus quod interesse non valemus prout affectamus Qua proptervestrae Regiae humilitèr celsitudini supplicamus quatenus absentiam nostram personalem in hà c parte excusatam gratiose dignetur habere vestrae Clementia Majestatis et ut vestro Mandato in quantum possumus in omnibus pareamus Reverendos in Christo Patres Sancti Albani Sti ' Edmundi de Bury Sti ' benedicti de Ranisy et Sti ' Gutlaci de Coland ' Abbates conjunctim et divisim et corum quemlibet nostros veros et Legitimos procuratores Atturnatosque fideles tenore presentium constituimus et ordinamus promittens me ratum gratum et firmum perpetuo habiturum quicquid praedicti pro me et nomine meo fecerint vel alter fecerit in premissis seu aliquo promissor ' vestrae Regiae celsitudini humilitèr supplico quatenus absentiam meam personalem hac vice ex Regia mansuetudine habere dignemini gratiose excusatam In cujus Rei testimonium Sigillum nostrum Commune present ' est appensum Dat' apud Thorney praedict ' decimo quarto die Mensis Januarij An. Regni Regis Henrici Octavi Quinto Sometimes also the said Sickness or cause of Absence is Testified by Oath as appears in the Original Journal of the Upper House A. 6. H. 8. Feb. die 12. where James Marshal servant to the Lord Scroop made Affidavit of his Lord's detention by Sickness But even Anciently if the Parliament were to be Assembled by reason of some great and extraordinary occasion And that the King declared in his Writ of Summons that he would not admit of any Proxies ista vice then none did presume to send them but upon the King's Licence first obtained as appears ex Rotulo Parliamenti A. 6. Ed. 3. die 27. Januarij A. 22. Ed. 3. die 20. Novemb. A. 6. Ric. 2. die 2. Jan. ct A. 11. Ric. 2. die 20. Martij But of later times since the 38th year of H. 8. the Lords in their very Proxies do express their absence to be by the King or Queen's Licence and oftentimes the Clerk of the Upper House doth insert the Memorial of their return with their expression of their absence by the said Licence And in making of Proxies it hath always been at the free Choice and Election of a Spiritual Lord that sent the said Proxie to constitute some other Spiritual Lord or a Temporal Lord or both and so likewise mutatis mutandis hath the liberty been of a Temporal Lord although there appears but three Presidents thereof during her Majesties Reign of which the first was in A. 5. Regin Eliz. where William Bishop of Exeter constituted for his Proctor Francis Earl of Bedford And the second in A. eodem Regin ejusdem where Thomas Archbishop of York Constituted the Earl of Bedford his joynt Proctor with Richard Bishop of Ely and Rowland Bishop of Bangor And the third and last in A. 28. 29. Regin praedict ' where Hugh Bishop of Bangor did Constitute William Lord Burleigh Lord Treasurer of England his joynt Proctor with John Archbishop of Canterbury but in former time the Presidents of this nature are more frequent For there was so little observation kept in this kind as sometimes the Lords Spiritual and Temporal did Constitute the Judges and Barons of the Exchequer being but attendants on the House for their Proctors and sometimes Strangers as the Abbot of Selby in Edward the third's time Constituted John Goldale a Monk of that house and William R. Clerk his Proctors and these also were sometimes appointed Tryers of Petitions joyntly with the Lords as appears A. 14. Ed. 3. and sometimes Committees with the Lords prout patet ex rotulo Parliam ' de A. 14. Ed. 3. N. 13. 14. 18. These Animadversions being thus premised of Proxies in general now follow some others that concern the Particular Proxies foregoing and the residue that were returned at this Session on Saturday the 4th day of February ensuing and on Wednesday the 8th day and on Saturday the 18th day of March following and on Tuesday the 4th day of April ensuing And therefore in the first place it shall not be amiss to make remembrance that in the Journal of this Parliament I have caused the entry of all Proxies whatsoever as well ordinary as extraordinary to be Transcribed because it is the first Parliament of her Majesty whereas in most of the residue I have only caused those to be inserted into my Journals which were extraordinary and unusual And whereas the word Vacat is added at the beginning of the entrance of the return of the Proxie of Thomas Tresham Prior of St. Johns of Jerusalem in England as also before that of William Lord Euers which are before amongst others set down The reason of the first I cannot possibly Guess because neither the Archbishop of York to whom the said Thomas Tresham had sent his Proxie was himself absent nor the said Prior present nor dead before the return of his said Proxie as may easily be gathered but for the other it is plain that the Lord Clinton whom the Lord Euers did Constitute for his Proctor was absent at the beginning of this Parliament and did himself send his Proxie which is entred at the beginning of the Original Journal Book of the Upper House to have been returned on Saturday the 4th day of February although the word Vacat be prefixed also before the entrance of the return of the same because he afterwards came to the Parliament himself and served in Person in the Upper House the greatest part of the continuance thereof and from these examples may be gathered the true Causes both why and when a Proxie that is returned becometh void either when the Peer or Lord that sends the Proxie dies himself or comes to the House in Person before the end of the Parliament or that the Proctor or Proctors whom he constitutes do die or be otherwise absent and send their Proxies themselves for in this latter case those Proxies are to be repealed by the Lord Chancellor as there is a President for it in the end of the Original Journal Book of the Upper House A. 33. et 34. H. 8. in the case of Nevil Lord Latimer for though the absent Lord or Lords to whom the Proxie is directed do constitute other Proctors yet they cannot execute such Proxies as are
But the next day after he and they came before the King and declared his disability to serve by reason of a sudden sickness and that the Commons had chosen Sir John Dorewood in his place beseeching his Majesty to allow thereof which the King did and Commanded Sir John Dorewood to be their Speaker And then the said Sir John Dorewood made the common Protestation for himself and the Commons but no excuse N. 63. The next excuse is in an 5 H. 4. n. 8. of Sir Arnold Savage which the King would not allow of An. 6 H. 4. n. 8. Sir William Sturing made no excuse and an 7 8 H. 4. n. 9. Sir John Tibtot desired to be excused by reason of his Youth but the King affirmed the Election and all other Speakers in H. 4. his time desired to be excused Some Speakers also under H. 5. desired to be excused and some others did not for it was not constantly observed but from the sixth year of H. 6. since which time they have all except two desired to be excused yet none were excused save only Sir John Popham Knight an 28 H. 6. whom the King discharged and thereupon the Commons chose and presented William Tresham Esq who made no excuse neither did Sir William Oldham an 29 H. 6. desire to be excused These Animadversions upon the Speakers Speech which he first makes unto her Majesty containing his excuse being thus inserted as aforesaid now follows the second Speech of the said Speaker upon his allowance by her Majesty The substance of which being not found in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons I have supplied according to the usual Form The said Sir Thomas Gargrave being allowed and confirmed Speaker of the House of Commons by her Majesty having tendred his humble thanks for her Highness gracious Opinion of him and added some Expressions in honour of her Majesty in the end of his Speech He came according to the usual Form to make certain Petitions in the behalf of the House of Commons and of himself in which he did first desire Liberty of access for the Members of the said House to her Majesties presence upon all urgent and necessary occasions Secondly that if in any thing he should mistake or misreport any thing which should be committed unto him to declare that his unwilling miscarriage therein might be pardoned Thirdly That they might have Liberty and Freedom of Speech in whatsoever they had occasion to propound and debate in the House And lastly that all the Members of the House with their Servants and necessary Attendants might be exempted from all manner of Arrests and Suits during the continuance of the Parliament and the usual space both before the beginning and after the ending thereof as in former times hath always been accustomed To which Speech of the said Speaker the Lord Keeper by her Majesties Commandment made a large Answer which is verbatim set down in the Journal-Book of the Upper House upon this instant Saturday the 28 th day of Jan. in which he intimated at large among other things that her Majesty did graciously allow of those Liberties and Priviledges for which the said Speaker had Petitioned so as they were discreetly and modestly used In which Speech of the Speaker's in general it may first be observed that at this day it is in the Speakers Power to deliver in his Speech what shall best please himself whereas antiently he delivered nothing but what the House gave him in Charge to speak as may be gathered by the Parliament Rolls de an 1 R. 2. an 2 R. 2. an 3 R. 2. an 6 R. 2. an 17 R. 2. in an 4 in an 10 H. 4. and in divers other Parliaments in the times of H. 5. H. 6. and Ed. 4. And for those three Priviledges before mentioned which Sir Tho. Gargrave the Speaker did in his foregoing Speech desire of her Majesty in the name and on the behalf of the House of Commons they were no other than the said House did doubtless enjoy in antient time although they were never desired by the then Speakers of the same House nor were any of them ever Petitioned by any Speaker until in the Parliament de an 28 H. 8. as may very probably be gathered by the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House de an eodem And as to the first Petition which he made in the name of the House of Commons for free access to her Majesty it is plain that the said House enjoyed it during the Reign of K. E. 3. prout patet ex Rot. Parl. de an 51 Ed. 3. n. 87. when Sir Thomas Hungerford was Speaker and in the time since under R. 2. H. 4. and their Successors the Presidents are so frequent as they need no vouching And as touching this foregoing Petition it is first Recorded in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House to have been made de an 28 H. 8. by Richard Rich the then Speaker and in a like Journal-Book de an 31 H. 8. by Thomas Moyle the Speaker in that Parliament and the same course hath been constantly observed by all the Speakers since of whose Speeches there is any good memorial remaining And as touching the second Petition which the said Sir Thomas Gargrave made unto her Majesty in the name of the House of Commons for freedom of Speech there is no Record that it was ever Petitioned for until in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House de an 33 H. 8. it is entred to have been made by Thomas Moyle the then Speaker yet was it never denied them before for the said Commons would never suffer any uncomely Speeches to pass of private men in their House much less of the King or any of the Lords and in Ed. 3. his time who was an absolute Prince and beloved of his People the Commons themselves did oftentimes discuss and debate many things concerning the Kings Prerogative and agreed upon Petitions for Laws to be made directly against his Prerogative as may appear by divers of the said Petitions yet they were never interrupted in their consultations nor received any check for the same as may appear by the very Answers to their Petitions The Presidents in the two succeeding Kings times are not of so good a stamp as those of Ed. 3. because R. 2. was much over-ruled in his young Years and H. 4. was an Usurper and so was compelled to seek for the love of his Subjects yet was there one passage in his Reign which proved him a most wise and just King after he had attained the Crown For in Rot. Parl. de an 2 H. 4. n. 11. the Commons Petitioned the King that he would not suffer any report to be made unto him of any matters either moved or debated amongst them until they be concluded nor give them any credit whereunto the King assented and for the freedom of Speech which the Commons enjoyed in succeeding times the Presidents are so
with great care and charge to your Self And thus my Lords diversly bound as your Majesty hath heard are now to open to your Highness their humble Petitions and Suits consisting in two points chiefly which not sundrily or the one without the other but both jointly they desire your Highness to assent to The Former is that it would please your Majesty to dispose your self to Marry where it shall please you with whom it shall please you and as soon as it shall please you The second that some such limitation might be made how the Imperial Crown of this Realm should remain if God call your Highness without Heirs of your Body which our Lord defend so as these Lords and Nobles and other your Subjects then living might sufficiently understand to whom they should owe their Allegiance and Duty due to be done by Subjects and that they might by your Majesties Licence and with your Favour treat and confer together this Parliament time for the well-doing of this The former of these two which is your Marriage they do in their hearts most earnestly wish and pray as a thing that must needs breed and bring great and singular comfort to your Self and unspeakable joy and gladness to all true English Hearts But the second carrieth with it such necessity that without it they cannot see how the safety of your Royal Person the preservation of your Imperial Crown and Realm shall be or can be sufficiently and certainly provided for Most Gracious and Soveraign Lady The Lamentable and pitiful Estate and Condition wherein all your Nobles and Councellors of late were when it pleas'd God to lay his heavy hand upon you and the amazedness that most men of understanding were by the Fruit of that Sickness brought into is one cause of this their Petition The second the aptness and opportunity of the time by reason of this Parliament whereby both such advice consideration and consent as is requisite in so great and weighty a cause may be better heard and used than at any other time when no Parliament is The third for that the assenting and performing of these Petitions cannot as they think but breed great terror to our Enemies and therefore must of necessity bring great surety to your Person and especially by addition of such Laws as may be joined with this limitation for the certain and sure observing of it and preserving of your Majesty against all practices and chances The fourth Cause for that the like as it is supposed hath been done by divers of your Noble Progenitors both of old time and of late days and also by other Princes your Neighbours of the greatest Estate in Europe and for that Experience hath taught that good hath come of it The fifth for that it appeareth by Histories how that in times past persons Inheritable to Crowns being Votaries and Religious to avoid such dangers as might have hapned for want of Succession to Kingdoms have left their Vows and Monasteries and taken themselves to Marriage as Constantia a Nun Heir to the Kingdom of Sicily Married after fifty Years of Age to Henry the Sixth Emperour of that name and had Issue Frederick the Second And likewise Peter of Aragon being a Monk Married the better to establish and pacify that Kingdom Again Antonius Pius is as much commended for that not two days before his Death he said to his Council Laeto animo morior quoniam filium vobis relinquo Pyrrhus is of all Godly men detested for saying he would leave his Realm to him that had the sharpest Sword What but want of a Successor known made an end of so great an Empire as Alexander the Great did leave at his Death The sixth cause is for that my Lords do judge the performing of this will breed such an universal gladness in the Hearts of all your true and loving Subjects that likely and probably you shall find them in all Commandments ready and glad to adventure their Goods Lands and Lives in your Service according to their bounden Duties which of necessity must breed great surety also to your Majesty The seventh cause because the not doing of this if God should call your Highness without Heir of your Body which God grant never be seen if it be his Will and yet your Majesty right well knoweth that Princes and their Off-spring be they never so great never so strong never so like to live be yet Mortal and subject every day yea every hour to Gods Call my Lords think this happening and no limitation made cannot by their Judgments but be the occasion of every evident and great danger and peril to all Estates and sorts of men of this Realm by the Factions Seditions and Intestine War that will grow through want of understanding to whom they should yield Allegiance and Duty whereby much innocent blood is like to be shed and many of those to lose their Lives that now would gladly bestow them for your sake in your Majesties Service The eighth for that the not performing of this the other happening doth leave the Realm without Government which is the greatest danger than can happen to any Kingdom For every Prince is anima Legis and so reputed in Law and therefore upon the Death of Princes the Law dyeth all the Offices of Justice whereby the Laws are to be Executed do cease all Writs and Commandments to call parties to the Execution of Justice do hang in suspence all Commissions for the Peace and for the punishment of Offendors do determine and lose their force whereby it followeth consequently that Strength and Will must Rule and neither Law nor Reason during such a Vacation and inter-Reign wherein such an incertainty ofSuccession is like to last so long as it is to be feared if Gods mercy be not the greater that thereby we may become a prey to Strangers which our Lord defend or at least lose the great honour and estimation that long time hath pertained to us And like as most Gracious Soveraign my Lords have been moved for the Worldly respect aforesaid to make these their humble Petitions to your Majesty so by the Examples Counsels yea and Commandments that they have heard out of the sacred Scriptures and for Conscience sake they feel themselves constrained and enforced to do the like God your Highness knoweth by the course of the Scriptures hath declared Succession and having of Children to be one of the principal Benedictions in this Life and on the contrary he hath pronounced contrary wise and therefore Abraham pray'd to God for Issue fearing that Eliazar his Steward should have been his Heir and had promise that Kings should proceed of his Body Hannah the Mother of Samuel pray'd to God with tears for Issue And Elizabeth whose name your Majesty beareth Mother to John the Baptist was joyful when God had blessed her with Fruit accounting her self thereby to be delivered from reproach And as this is a blessing in private Houses so is it much
the Privy-Council being Members of this House and divers others to repair unto the Lords this Forenoon which they performed immediately But their names being very negligently omitted by Mr. Seymour at this time Clerk of the House of Commons in this Original Journal-Book of the said House are therefore supplied out of that of the Upper House being as followeth Sir Edward Rogers Knight Comptroller of her Highness Houshold Sir Francis Knolles her Highness Vice-Chamberlain Sir William Cecill her Majesties Chief Secretary Sir Ambrose Cave Knight Chancellor of her Highness Dutchy of Lancaster Sir William Peeter Sir Ralph Sadler Sir Walter Mildmay Knights all of her Highness Privy-Council Sir Thomas Wroth the Master of the Rolls Sir Nicholas Throckmorton Sir Morrice Berkely Sir Peter Carew Sir John Chichester Sir Thomas Gargrave Sir Henry Nevill Sir Nicholas Arnold Sir Henry Ashelie Sir John Pollard Sir John Perrott Sir Gabriel Carew Sir Thomas Gerrard Sir William Chester Sir John White Sir John Sellinger Sir John Constable Sir ..... Haistings Sir John Moor Sir John Southwrote Sir John Thinn Sir G. Turpin Sir Henry Gates Sir Robert Wingfeild Sir Henry Cheyney and Sir Arthur Champernown Knights Mr. Seckford Mr. Bell Mr. Mounson Mr. Dalton Mr. Colbie Mr. Kingsmill Mr. Mollineux Mr. Mersh Mr. Prat Mr. Norton Mr. Robert Newdigate Mr. Strickland Mr. Wray Mr. Sands Mr. Recorder Mr. William Fleetwood Mr. Mountgomery Mr. Thomas Fleetwood Mr. Heneage Mr. Bartue Mr. Alford Mr. Henry Knolles Sen. Mr. Hasset Mr. Hawtry Mr. John Haistings Mr. Ashbie of the Jewel-House Mr. Colly Mr. William Moor Mr. Hilliar Mr. Knight Marshall Mr. Robert Manners Mr. Barkham Mr. Francis Newdigate Mr. Warncomb Mr. Francis Brown Mr. Dunch Mr. Withers Mr. Robert Bowes Mr. Awberry Mr. Haddon Mr. Edward Leighton Mr. Young Mr. Charles Howard and Mr. Wilson Esquires The Names of these Committees being thus transcribed out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House now follows the Issue of their said meeting and Conference with the Lords out of the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons which was that after they had returned thanks unto their Lordships for their readiness to join with them in their Suit unto her Majesty touching those two great businesses of her Marriage and the Declaration of a Successor their said Lordships Answer was that on Saturday next in the Afternoon they would confer with them the said Committees of the House of Commons in the Utter or Outward Parliament Chamber The House Adjourned it self until Monday next ensuing being the 4 th day of November and the Committees before-named were appointed to meet in the mean time on Saturday Morning to agree upon such reasons as they might offer to the Lords in the Afternoon of that day to be presented unto her Majesty to perswade and induce her to Marriage or at least to the Declaration of a Successor But what the Issue of the Conference was between the Committees of the Lords and Commons doth no where appear in the Original Journal-Books of the Upper and Commons House but it may bevery probably conjectured that upon their meeting it was agreed that the Commons should not at all at this time prefer any Petition unto her Majesty touching the said great businesses because they had already perform'd it in the first Session of this Parliament in An. 5 Regin Eliz. on Thursday the 28 th day of January in anno praedicto and that thereupon now the Lords only should sue unto her Majesty in the foresaid great matters if the said Upper House should allow thereof Which resolution as it should seem was accordingly approved and put in Execution as is very probable upon Tuesday the 5 th day of November following Ut vide ibidem On Monday the 4 th day of November to which day the House of Commons had Adjourned it self on Thursday the 31 th day of October foregoing Three Bills had each of them one reading of which the first being the new Bill for the Alneagers Fees of Lancashire and for the length breadth and weight of Cottons Frizes and Rugs was read the first time On Tuesday the 5 th day of November Five Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for the having of one Sheriff of one County in divers Counties was read the second time and thereupon Ordered to be ingrossed The Lords sent down M r Serjeant Carus and M r Attorney to signisie unto the House that the Committees touching those two great matters of her Majesties Marriage and Declaration of a Successor whose names see on Thursday the 31 th day of October foregoing should come up unto their Lordships who immediately thereupon did so And shortly after returning from the Lords they made Declaration that their Lordships required that thirty of this House should be before the Queen in the Afternoon at the Palace with thirty of the Lords which were thereupon appointed and chosen accordingly by M r Speaker out of the foresaid Committees nominated on the 31 th day of October foregoing to attend her Majesty and to understand what her pleasure was Post Meridiem The Committees of the Lords and House of Commons attended her Majesty this Afternoon touching those two great businesses of her Marriage and Declaration of a Successor which I have supplied as a thing necessary for the understanding both of the former and future agitation of which see more largely on Monday the 25 th day of this instant November following and what her Majesties Answer was shall be needless to insert here in respect that it was openly published by M r Comptroller and M r Secretary Cecill on this ensuing Morning On Wednesday the 6 th day of November Two Bills had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for the Cloth-Workers of London to have search was read the second time and as it should seem committed to M r Chancellor and others The Bill touching Informers for better Execution of penal Laws was read the third time and passed upon the Question M r D r Vaughan and M r Yale brought from the Lords the Bill for Hexamshire and a Proviso in the Bill for Bishops Sir Edward Rogers Knight Comptroller of her Highness Houshold and Sir William Cecill Knight her Majesties Principal Secretary read in writing notes of the Queens Majesties saying before the Lords and Committees of this House tending that her Grace had signified to both Houses by words of a Prince that she by Gods Grace would Marry and would have it therefore believed and touching limitation for Succession the perils be so great to her Person and whereof she hath felt part in her Sisters time that time will not yet suffer to treat of it Whereupon all the House was silent Vide plus concerning this matter on Monday the 25 th day of this instant November following The Proviso added to the Bill for Archbishops and Bishops was read the first time On Thursday the 7 th
of Gods word established we therefore ought greatly to thank God and her For Authority or the Sword whereby the Common-Wealth is stayed three things he said are requisite Men Armour and Money For Men their good wills he said were most being of it self a strong Fortress For Armor the necessity he shewed in part and how requisite Treasure was he a little declared And concluded that all three must be conjoined Men Armour and Mony Lastly for Laws the third stay of the Common-Wealth he said there must be consideration in making them and care in Executing of them in making such as by the providing for one part of the Common-Wealth the rest should not be hindred which were indeed a matter most pernicious and this he vouched out of Plato de legibus For Execution he said that since the Law of it self is but Mute set in Paper not able to do ought the Magistrate except he will be also Mute must be the Doer and then is a good Law said to be well made when it is well Executed for anima legis est executio Hereupon he said something in commendation of her Majesty who had given free course to her Laws not sending or requiring the stay of Justice by her Letters or Privy-Seals as heretofore sometime hath been by her Progenitors used Neither hath she pardoned any without the advice of such before whom the Offendors have been Arraigned and the Cause heard His Oration being ended he then made four Petitions the first that the Persons Servants and Goods of all coming to that Assembly might be free from all Arrests Secondly That for Cause of Conference they might have access to her Majesty Thirdly If any sent should not truly report or in part mistake the meaning of the House that the same should be by her Highness favourably heard And lastly That in the House all men might have free Speech This Oration being ended by direction from her Majesty and instructions given what should be said The Lord Keeper Answered thus dividing his Speech into three parts the first where he had sometimes inserted commendations of her Majesty he said her Highness would not acknowledge so great perfections to be in her but said that they should be instructions for her better proceedings in time to come The second part of his Oration he said concerning the Rule for ordering of the Common-Wealth she well liked of and wished that as he had well conceived of it and well uttered the same so he and others would endeavour the Execution thereof For his Petitions he said her Majesties Pleasure was that the first should be granted with this caution that no man should under their shadows untruly protect any others For the second he said at time convenient her Pleasure was they should come freely Touching the third part he said she could not imagine that among so many wise men it could happen but if it should her Grace would be content to remit it The fourth was such that her Majesty having Experience of late of some disorder and certain Offences which though they were not punished yet were they Offences still and so must be accompted therefore said they should do well to meddle with no matters of State but such as should be propounded unto them and to occupy themselves in other matters concerning the Common-Wealth The Presentment and Allowance of the Speaker being thus transcribed out of that often before vouched Anonymous Journal of the House of Commons in this Parliament Now follow the residue of this days passages with those also of other days ensuing out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House Hodiè returnatum est breve c. by which the Bishop of Exeter was Summoned to this Parliament who was thereupon admitted to his accustomed place The like Writs were returned whereby the Lord Paget and the Lord De la Ware were Summoned to the said Parliament who were thereupon admitted There is no entrance of the Adjournment or continuance of this Parliament which happened doubtless through the great negligence of the Clerk of the Upper House although it is most casy to conjecture that the Lord Keeper did continue the same by her Majesties Commandment unto some hour of the Afternoon following being Thursday the 5 th day of this instant April This day finally but whether before or after the rising of the Lords of the Upper House doth not appear were divers Proxies returned and delivered in unto the Clerk of the said Upper House or to some other belonging unto him of which the unusual or extraordinary Proxies were only three and those also all from Spiritual Lords which are entred in the Original Journal-Book of the said Upper House in manner and form following 4 die April Introductae sunt Litterae Procuratoriae Hugonis Episcopi Landaven in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Nicolaum Wigorn. Richard Meneven Nicolaum Bangor Episcopos conjunctim divisim Eodem die Introductae sunt Litterae Procuratoriae Thom. Episcopi Coventr Litchf in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Nicol. Wigorn. Johannem Salisburien Richardum Meneven Episcopos conjunctim divisim Eodem die Introductae sunt Literae Procuratoriae Richardi Episcopi Gloucestr in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Nicol. Wigorn. Johan Norwicen Willielmum Exonien Episcopos Nota That I call an extraordinary Proxy when a Bishop Constitutes one Proctor or more than two and when a Temporal Lord Constitutes more than one for of ten Temporal Lords who sent Proxies this Parliament none appointed more than a single Proctor and of seven Spiritual Lords four Constituted but two Proctors apiece Note also That the Earl of Leicester had this Parliament seven Proxies sent unto him all Entred in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House to have been returned on the said 4 th day of April viz. from William Marquess of Winchester Edward Earl of Derby Henry Lord Berkely Henry Lord Scroope George Earl of Shrewsbury Edward Lord Dudley and Ambrose Earl of Warwick Vide a like President on Tuesday the 22 th day of October An. 8 Reg. Eliz. anteá On Thursday the 5 th day of April to which day the Parliament had been doubtless continued or Adjourned Yesterday although through the Clerks negligence it be not at all mentioned in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for the punishment of Collectors Receivers c. for their fraudulent and unjust deceiving of the Queens Majesty in their Offices was read primâ vice The Bill for the reviving and continuance of certain Statutes was read the first time and commissa Vice-Comiti Mountague Episcopo London Episcopo Hereford Episcopo Elien Episcopo Wigorn. Domino Wentworth Domino Shandois Domino S t John de Bletsoe Domino Primario Justiciario Banci Regis Justiciario Welch Justic Southcot Nota That here a Bill was committed upon the first reading of which
before it should be required which Speech was not liked of by the House Sir Francis Knolles made a long needless discourse concerning the Subsidy M r Bell said that a Subsidy was by every good Subject to be yielded unto but for that the People were galled by two means it would hardly be levied namely by Licences and the abuse of Promoters for which if remedy were provided then would the Subsidy be paid willingly which he proved for that by Licences a few only were enriched and the multitude impoverished and added that if a burden should be laid on the back of the Commons and no redress of the common evils then there might happily ensue that they would lay down the burden in the midst of the way and turn to the contrary of their Duty M r Popham affirmed M r Bells Speech and added to the former abuses that of the Treasurers of the Crown who having in their hands great Masses of Money with the which either they themselves or some Friends of theirs do purchase Lands to their own use and after become Bankrupts and so cause or practise an enstalment of their Debts as of late some one hath installed a Debt of thirty thousand pounds which occasioned the lack in the Princes Coffers M r Serjeant Lovelace argued that every Loyal Subject ought to yield to the relief of the Prince and that without any condition or limitation notwithstanding he did not dislike of the former motions and thought it very requisite that these evils might be provided for to the ends aforesaid unto the which he added three abuses more first the abuse of Purveyors wherein he had to desire the Council and the Masters of the Houshold to consider of it and to be willing to yield to Reformation and in his Opinion it should not be amiss to take away the Purveyors and to limit every Country to a proportionable rate so should her Majesty be better served and the Kingdom eased Secondly The Reformation of the Exchequer for the Charge which groweth by respite of Homage which he wished might be paid on some other sort in a sum certain Thirdly Another Reformation which is upon a great abuse in the Exchequer by sending out upon every Fine levied the Writ Quo titulo ingressus est M r Comptroller in few words said that he being one of the Masters of the Houshold would do his endeavour for Reformation of all things arising by the Purveyors M r Sampoole sometimes of Lincolns-Inn liked well of the Motion of the Subsidy and commended the Motions of the Gentlemen before affirming that they were very necessary to be thought of unto which he was to add one more viz. the abuse of Collectors He shewed that they do retain their Charge sometimes a Year sometimes more in their own hands And for that they are but mean men appointed to that Office they oft times convert it to their own uses and are perhaps never able to satisfie the same whereby the people are unwilling to pay for if they should understand her Majesty should have it presently they would more willingly pay it and therefore wished the better sort of every Country should be assigned to that charge M r Goodier said that every man ought to yield to the Subsidy and rather offer it than to stay till it should be demanded desiring that the Subsidy might presently and only go forward without the hearing of any more complaints for that they might be Infinite and already more were remembred than in one Parliament could be reformed Wherein he shewed a great desire he had to win favour In the conclusion of these aforesaid Speeches transcribed out of that often before-cited Anonymous Journal more particularly mentioned at the beginning of this present Journal it should seem that a Committee was appointed to consider of the proportion and time of yielding some relief unto her Majesty whose names being set down in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons are thence transcribed at large in manner and form following All the Privy-Council Members of this House the Master of the Rolls Sir John White Sir William Dormer Sir Christopher Heydon M r Heneage Sir Robert Lane Sir Henry Norrice Sir George Blunt Sir Henry Weston Sir George Bowes Sir William Pawlet M r Edgecomb M r Edward Stanhop M r John Mersh M r Robert Newdigate M r Serjeant Lovelace M r Saintpool M r Thomas Snagge M r Hall M r Hasset M r Grasior M r Sands M r Alford M r Basset M r Warncomb M r George Forrors M r Amise Pawlet M r Hatfield M r Greithfield M r Bounton M r Bellingham to meet in the Star-Chamber on Monday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon At the same time also another Committee was nominated to consider of those griefs and Petitions which had been touched and mentioned in the former dispute whose names being likewise found in the aforesaid Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons are thence transcribed in manner and form following For Motions of Griefs and Petitions were appointed Sir Owen Hopton Sir Thomas Scot Sir William Buts M r Manwood M r Bell M r Popham M r Fleetwood M r Mounson M r Mohun M r Grimston M r Mersh and M r Winchcomb to meet in the Temple Church on Monday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon Upon a Motion by the Committees for matters of Religion whose names see on Friday the 6 th day of this instant April foregoing It was Ordered that M r Grimston and M r Strickland should move the Lords of the Clergy to know their pleasure concerning the motions to be to them made to Morrow in the Afternoon in matters of Religion Vide Apr. 26. postea Maii 17. M r Mounson brought report that M r Attorney General prayed that meeting may be made to Morrow in the Afternoon at M r Treasures Chamber for Conference touching the validity of Burgesses April the 8 th Sunday On Monday the 9 th day of April report was made of the validity of Burgesses and Ordered by M r Attorneys Assent that the Burgesses shall remain according to the returns for that the validity of the Charters of their Towns is elsewhere to be Examined if cause be The Bill concerning coming to the Church and receiving of the Communion was brought in again by Sir Thomas Smith one of the said Committees The names of the Committees for the Subsidy and for Motions and Petitions which see on Saturday immediately foregoing were read again and they appointed to keep their former hour of meeting For that Sir Henry Perry Knight being returned Knight for the Shire of Cumberland and likewise of Northumberland hath chosen to appear for Northumberland it was Ordered that a new Writ shall go out to chuse another Knight for Cumberland The Bill touching certain Offences to be made Treasons was read the first time M r Norton Exhibited an Addition which was received by the House and after sundry Arguments
be ingrossed The Bill for the payment of Tithes was read the first time and rejected upon the Question May the 13 th Sunday On Monday the 14 th day of May the Bill for not returning in Juries persons of the Queens Majesties Houshold was read the second time and committed unto Mr. Treasurer Sir John Thinne Mr. Cofferer Mr. Brown Mr. More and Mr. Ferrers The Bill for Residence of Pastors being the third of those seven Bills preferred this Parliament touching the reformation of matters in Religion and therefore called in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons the Bill C was read the second time and Ordered to be ingrossed Touching which Bill and matters of Religion see a more full Animadversion or Declaration on Thursday the 17 th day of this instant May following The Bill against Vagabonds and the first Bill for preservation of Wood were Ordered to be ingrossed The Bill for Conveyances and Assurances of Lands to be made without Covin was read the second time and committed unto Mr. Recorder of London Mr. Marsh Mr. Stanhop Mr. Grice Mr. Sampoole Mr. Norton Mr. Alford and Mr. Dalton who were appointed to meet in the Temple Church at two of the Clock this Afternoon Mr. Sollicitor and Mr. Attorney brought from the Lords four Bills of which the two last were one for the Restitution in Blood of the Children of Sir Thomas Wyat and the other for the Assurance of the Jointure of the Lady Barkley Three Bills had each of them their third reading and passed upon the question of which the last was the Bill against the Exaction of Collectors of the Tenths of the Clergy The Bill lastly for severance of the Sheriffs in the Counties of Bedford and Buckingham were read the second time and thereupon Ordered to be ingrossed Post Meridiem Four Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill concerning Hospitals and the third for Planting of Hops were each of them read the first time and the second being the Bill against great Hosen was read the first time and committed unto Sir Christopher Heydon Sir William Buts Mr. Stokes Mr. Moore Mr. Warncomb Mr. St. John Mr. Gare Mr. Humberston Mr. Layton and Mr. Sackerston Which is the rather to be observed in respect that this Bill was committed upon the first reading which is not usual until the second of which there were three like Presidents viz. one on Thursday the 10 th day and two on Friday the 11 th day of this instant May foregoing The Bill for making of William Watson a free Denizen was twice read and the Bill lastly for Leverpool was read the first time On Tuesday the 15 th day of May the Bill against Wednesdays was read the first time The Bill touching the Commutation of Penance by the Ecclesiastical Judge being the last of those seven Bills preferred this Parliament touching the Reformation of matters of Religion and therefore called in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons the Bill G was read the second time and Ordered to be ingrossed Touching which Bill and matters of Religion see more at large on Thursday the 17 th day of this instant May following Three Bills also of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill for Confirmation of Attainders was read the third time and passed the House The Proviso for the Countess of Cumberland and others to the Bill for Confirmation of Attainders was thrice read And further Ordered by the House that the Saving for Sir Henry Peircy Knight shall be placed in the Book before the general saving without any alteration or change of any word or words at all The Bill for Confirmation of Attainders with the other last passed were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons by M r Treasurer and others The Bill for the Restitution in Blood of the Children of Sir Thomas Wyat Knight was read the third time The Bill lastly for the continuance of the severance of Sheriffs in sundry Shires was read the third time and passed upon the Question On Wednesday the 16 th day of May the Bill against Wednesdays was read the second time and Ordered to be ingrossed The new Bill against great Hosen and a new Bill of Jeofails were each of them read the first time M r Attorney General and M r Doctor Vaughan brought from the Lords the Bill for Confirmation of Attainders for mending of an Indorsement Three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the third being the Bill against Collusions and Delays in Vouchers was read the second time and Ordered to be ingrossed M r Attorney General and M r Doctor Huick did require from the Lords to have the Committees in the Bill for Treasons presently sent to them for Conference The Bill for Residence of Pastors being the third of those seven Bills preferred this Parliament touching matters of Religion and therefore called in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons the Bill C was read the third time and upon the Division of the House dashed M r Doctor Huick and Mr. Doctor Yale did bring from the Lords a Bill against Bankrupts with Commendations for the expediting thereof Post Meridiem In the Afternoon the Bill for search of Fairs of Maidston in Kent was read the first time Mr. Sollicitor and Mr. Doctor Huick brought from the Lords the Bill against Bulls c. and the Bill for Treasons both reformed as appeareth in several Papers annexed containing the places and words of Amendments Seven Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the fourth being a new Bill for the maintenance of the Havens of Plymouth and Dartmouth c. was read the second time On Thursday the 17 th day of May Two Bills of no great moment had each of them their second reading and Ordered to be ingrossed of which the second was the Bill against Clothworkers The Bill against Cloth-workers was read the second time and Ordered to be stayed Sir Walter Mildmay Sir Thomas Smith Mr. Serjeant Lovelace Mr. Bell Mr. Mounson Mr. Popham Mr. Sampool Mr. Sands and Mr. Yelverton were appointed to have Conference with the Lords touching the Bill for respite of Homage in the outer Chamber of the Upper House at two of the Clock this Afternoon The Bill for Sewers was read the first time The Bill against Bulls and the Bill for Treasons were upon the Question absolutely passed with all the Additions and Amendments The Bill also against Wednesdays and the Bill against Collusion and delays in Vouchers were each of them read the third time and passed the House The Bill touching the Commutation of Penance by the Ecclesiastical Judge being last of those seven Bills preferred this Parliament touching Reformation of matters of Religion and therefore called in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons the Bill G was read the
without a Head thus do therefore it resteth that you according to your antient Order of your selves chuse some wise and discreet man who after he hath been by you chosen and presented and that presentation by the Queens Majesty allowed shall then be your Speaker and Day is given c. This Speech being thus transcribed out of the Copy I had of it as is aforesaid now follow the names of the Receivors and Tryors of Petitions out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House which the Clerk of the same readeth in French as soon as the Lord Keepers Speech is ended and which were as followeth Receivors of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland Sir Robert Catlin Knight Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench Sir William Cordell Knight Master of the Rolls Sir John Widdon Knight one of the Justices of the ----- Sir Richard Read K t one of the Justices of the ----- and D r Huick and they that will deliver Petitions are to deliver the same within six dayes next ensuing Receivors of Petitions for Gascoigne and other Lands beyond the Seas and the Isles Sir James Dyer Knight Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Edward Sanders Knight Lord Chief Baron Richard Weston one of the Justices of the ----- John Southcott one of the Justices of the ----- Doctor Lewis Doctor Yale and Doctor Vaughan and they that will deliver Petitions are to deliver the same within six days next ensuing Triors of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland The Archbishop of Canterbury the Earl of Oxford the Earl of Sussex the Earl of Huntington the Earl of Bedford the Bishop of London the Bishop of Winchester the Bishop of Ely the Lord Howard of Effingham Lord Chamberlain of the Queens House the Lord Windsor and the Lord North. All these or four of them calling unto them the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and the Treasurer and the Queens Serjeants when need shall require shall hold their place in the Chamberlains Chamber Triors of Petitions for Gascoigne and other Islands beyond the Seas The Archbishop of York the Earl of Lincoln Lord Admiral of England the Earl of Leicester the Earl of Essex the Bishop of Worcester the Bishop of Lincoln the Bishop of Rochester the Lord Burleigh Principal Secretary the Lord Wentworth the Lord Buckhurst All they or four of them calling to them the Queens Serjeants Attorney and Sollicitor when need shall require shall hold their place in the Treasurer's Chamber Hodiè retornatum est breve Dom. Reginae quo Henricus Compton de Compton Chevalier praesenti Parliamento interesse summonitus est qui praesens admissus est ad suum praeheminentiae sedendi in Parliamento locum salvo cuique jure suo And two other Writs were returned in like manner by which Henry Cheyney of Toddington and Henry Lord Norris of Ricott were Summoned to be present this Parliament who were accordingly admitted to their due places saving to all others their right Nota That there is no entrance in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House of any Continuance or Adjournment of the Parliament by the Lord Keeper which doubtless happened through the great negligence of Anthony Mason Esq at this time Clerk of the said House There were also divers Proxies returned on this present Thursday being the 8 th day of May but whether before or after the Continuance of the Parliament appeareth not in which two Spiritual Lords Constituted each of them two Proctors apiece according to the usual and frequent manner and are therefore omitted but four other Bishops nominating either three Proctors apiece or but one which is somewhat extraordinary therefore they are here inserted Die 8 o Maij introductae sunt literae Procuratoriae Hugonis Episcopi Landaven in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Nicolaum Wigorn. Richardum Meneven Nicolaum Bangoren Episcopos Eodem die introductae sunt literae Procuratoriae Jacobi Dunelmensis Episcopi in quibus Procuratorem suum constituit Edmundum Archiepiscopum Ebor. Eodem die introductae sunt literae Procuratoriae Johannis Herefordensis Episcopi in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Matthaeum Cantuariensem Archiepiscopum Edwin London Nicolaum Wigorn. Episcopos Eodem die introductae sunt literae Procuratoriae Thomae Assavensis Episcopi in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Robertum Wintonien Nicolaum Wigorn. ac Nicolaum Bangoren Episcopos Now although it be most usual for the Spiritual Lords to name two Proctors yet here four of six varied from it three of them exceeding that number and the other nominating but one It is likewise as usual for the Temporal Lords to Constitute but one Proctor and it is an Action worthy observation where they nominate more for in this very Parliament of fifteen Temporal Lords that sent Proxies but one nominated two Proctors which see afterwards on Monday the 12 th day of this instant May following and all the rest Constituted but one Proctor apiece which being trivial and ordinary are omitted Nota Also that the Earl of Leicester had this Parliament eight Proxies sent unto him viz. from George Earl of Shrewsbury Edward Earl of Darby Henry Lord Scroop Edward Lord Dudley Anthony Viscount Mountacute Gregory Lord Dacres William Lord Sands and Edward Earl of Lincoln all which seem to have been returned on Monday the 12 th day of this instant May in such order as they are here set down Nota That the Lord Burleigh also Principal Secretary to her Majesty had six Proxies sent unto him this Parliament viz. from John Marquess of Winchester Henry Lord Hunsdon Thomas Lord Buckhurst John Lord Latimer Edward Earl of Lincoln who made also the Earl of Leicester his joint Proctor with him and Robert Lord Rich. These also are set down in the Journal-Book to have been returned the 12 th day of May in such order as they are here set down but now by a late Order made in the Upper House an 2 do Caroli Regis no Lord is capable of above two Proxies Nota That in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House it doth not appear at all whether her Majesty or any of the Lords were present on Saturday following being the tenth day of this instant May it appearing plainly that neither House sate on Friday the 9 th day of the same nor what was done thereon and therefore the Passages of the same are supplied out of the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons On Saturday the 10 th day of May in the Afternoon her Majesty being come to the Upper House with divers of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being there also set and the Knights Citizens Burgesses and Barons of the House of Commons having notice repaired thither with Robert Bell of the Middle-Temple London Esq their Speaker Elect who was led up unto the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the said Upper House by two of the most Eminent Personages of the Commons and presented to her Majesty whom she allowed and Confirmed
much to the setting forth of your benevolence The first who it is that granted the second the manner of granting the third what it was that is granted As to the first her Majesty cannot forget how this Grant proceeded from the earnest affections and hearty good wills of her loving and obedient Subjects Wherefore her Majesty maketh greater account thereof than Ten Subsidies and so she Commanded me to say unto you Again her Majesty remembreth very well that this Grant was made not by Subjects that never did the like before but by Subjects that have been and continued to be ready from time to time to contribute towards the necessary charges and defence of the Realm which doth greatly commend and set forth she saith this great benevolence of yours And as to the second which is the manner of granting her Highness noteth two things especially the one is universality of consent and can there be a more universal consent than when all agreeing and none denying as this was Nay her Highness knoweth that before her time these manner of Grants passed not but with a great perswasion and many difficulties whereas this was frankly offered without any perswasion or difficulty at all The other is the readiness of granting It is written of Benevolence Bis dat qui citò dat which her Majesty saith may be justly applied to these your Proceedings And to the third which is the thing granted she taketh it to be as liberal as any heretofore hath been granted and therefore hath Commanded me to yield unto you her most hearty condign thanks and withal to let you understand that her Majesty is as willing and desirous to give you this whole Subsidy again as you have been willing to grant it if the necessity of the Realm and your Surety would suffer it And thus much touching the granting of the Subsidy Now as to the due and true Execution of the same I am to exhort and also to admonish you and yet it may be probably said that Persons that have thus bountifully and readily made this Grant wherein and whereby the benevolent minds and hearty affections that have been so manifestly declared in granting that to these persons neither admonishments nor exhortations are due for the true executing of that Grant no more than a Spur is to a Horse that runneth as swiftly as he can Albeit this Argument in reason carrieth probability and likelyhood with it yet former experience hath taught that these Grants have not been so duly and truly executed as they have been benevolently granted After the Lord Keepers Speech was ended the Queens Majesty did doubtless give her Royal Assent to such Acts as passed at this Session but neither the foresaid Speech nor the passing of the said Acts is at all mentioned in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House Her Majesties Royal Assent being given to the said Bills Now follows the Adjournment of this present Session together with the several Prorogations thereupon out of the Original Journal Book of the same Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae Adjournavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem prox hora secunda post meridiem On Thursday the 15 th day of March in the Afternoon the Queens Majesty came her self into the Upper House where were also present the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal the Lord Burleigh Lord Treasurer and divers other Lords both Spiritual and Temporal but the only occasion of her Majesties coming seemeth to have been for the Prorogation of the Parliament which otherwise must have been done by vertue of her Majesties Commission or Letters Patents under the Great Seal And it is the more remarkable because I conceive it is the only President during all the said Queens Reign in which she came to the Upper House in Person to Prorogue a Session the Entrance whereof in the Original Journal-Book of the same House is as followeth Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae Prorogavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem quintum Novembris prox futurum After which followed divers other Prorogations until the Assembling of the last Session of this present Parliament in Anno 23 Reginae Eliz. All which are inserted in the Original Journal-Book it self de Anno 18 Reginae ejusdem in the end thereof THE JOURNAL OF THE House of COMMONS A Journal of the Passages of the House of Commons in the Session of Parliament holden at Westminster Anno 18 Reginae Eliz. A. D. 1575 which began there after divers Prorogations of the same on Wednesday the 8 th Day of February and then and there continued until the Prorogation thereof on Thursday the 15 th Day of March THIS present Journal of the House of Commons containeth in it not only many good Passages touching the ordinary usages and priviledges of the House but is plentifully stored also with divers extraordinary and rare Occurrences touching the maintenance of the Liberties of the House not only from the indignity of private Persons but also against the pressures of the Lords of the Upper House in which also there wanted not the zealous endeavour of the House for reformation of divers Ecclesiastical matters and the remarkable Imprisonment of a Member of the same by themselves in which I have supplied many Passages and Speeches which were wanting in the Original Journal-Book it self in the due places out of several Copies of them I had by me Yet to avoid confusion whatsoever is transcribed out of the said Copies is distinguished by some Annotation or Animadversion both before and after it And lastly it may here fitly be observed that this being but the second Session of the fourth Parliament of her Majesties Reign the House of Commons as did also the Lords of the Upper House sell to their ordinary business upon their first meeting in manner and form following viz. On Wednesday the 8 th day of February the Bill that upon Actions upon the Case brought for slanderous words or writings the Country may be traversed was read the first time Peter Wentworth Esquire one of the Burgesses for the Borough of Tregony in the County of Cornwall was for unreverent and undutiful words uttered by him in this House of our Soveraign Lady the Queens Majesty sequestred that the House might proceed to Conference and consideration of his said Speech Which Speech I have transcribed out of a Copy I had by me and added it to this Journal viz. M r Speaker I find written in a little Volume these words in effect Sweet is the name of Liberty but the thing it self a value beyond all inestimable Treasure So much the more it behoveth us to take care lest we contenting our selves with the sweetness of the name lose and forgo the thing being of the greatest value that can come unto this noble Realm The inestimable Treasure is the use of it in this House And therefore I do think it
House of Commons Whereupon the Speaker moved the said House to appoint some to amend those things which the Lords had yielded to have reformed that so the Bill might pass but the whole House a very few excepted said they would hear no more of it and so it stayed without any further proceeding because it appeared the House of Commons did not think their Objections sufficiently answered by the Lords This foregoing proceeding of the two Houses in the above-mentioned Bill touching Authority to be given to the Justices of her Majesties Forests c. being transcribed out of the Copy thereof I had by me now follows the next days Passages out of the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons On Friday the 9 th day of March the Bill for restitution in Blood of the Lord Norris was twice read The Bill for re-edifying of the Town of Cringleford near unto the City of Norwich was read the third time and passed the House and was sent up to the Lords with the Bill for the Hospital in the Town of Leicester by M r Treasurer and others The Bill touching Suffolk Cloths and Essex Cloths was read the first time and committed unto M r Secretary Smith M r Lieutenant of the Tower Sir Nicholas Arnold and others to have Conference touching the double searching of Cloths generally now presently in the Committee-Chamber The Bill for Confirmation of the Subsidy of the Clergy was read the second time but no mention is made that it was either Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to Committees because it had been formerly sent from the Lords M r Chancellor of the Exchequer touching the Petition for reformation of Discipline in the Church did bring word from the Lords that their Lordships having moved the Queens Majesty touching the said Petition her Highness answered their Lordships that her Majesty before the Parliament had a care to provide in that case of her own disposition and at the beginning of this Session her Highness had Conference therein with some of the Bishops and gave them in Charge to see due reformation thereof wherein as her Majesty thinketh they will have good consideration according unto her pleasure and express Commandment in that behalf So did her Highness most graciously and honourably declare further that if the said Bishops should neglect or omit their Duties therein then her Majesty by her Supream Power and Authority over the Church of England would speedily see such good redress therein as might satisfie the expectation of her loving Subjects to their good contentation which Message and Report was most thankfully and joyfully received by the whole House with one accord And immediately thereupon John Crook Esquire one of the Knights for the County of Buckingham took occasion in most humble and dutiful wise to make a Motion unto the House for another Petition to be moved to the Lords for perswading of her Majesty for Marriage Vide concerning Church-Discipline on Wednesday the 29 th day of February preceeding and on Friday the second day of this instant March foregoing and touching the Queens Marriage on Monday the 12 th day of the same Month of March ensuing The new Bill also for the Lady Wainman was read the first time Post Meridiem In the Afternoon the Bill for the Lord Viscount Howard of Bindon was twice read Six other Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which one being the Bill for restitution in Blood of Henry Lord Norris another for Confirmation of the Subsidy granted by the Clergy and a third for Preservation of Pheasants and Partridges were each of them read the third time and passed the House On Saturday the 10 th day of March Two Bills had each of them their third reading and passed the House of which the first was for repressing of Murders and Felonies in the Counties of Northumberland and Cumberland Five Bills were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons of which one was the Bill for setting the Poor on work and for avoiding of Idleness and another for preservation of Pheasants and Partridges The Bill against excess in Apparel was read the second time and committed unto all the Privy-Council being of this House M r Captain of the Guard M r Treasurer of the Chamber the Masters of Requests and others who were appointed to meet at the Exchequer-Chamber at two of the Clock in the Afternoon M r Doctor Barkley and M r Powle did bring from the Lords a Bill for the Hospital of S t Cross with special commendation for expediting thereof and Declaration of the assent of the Parties given in that behalf before their Lordships Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for the Lady Wainman was read the third time and passed the House M r Serjeant Barham and M r Doctor Vaughan brought from the Lords two Bills with Amendments and Provisoes which before passed the House viz. the Bill for repairing and amending of the Bridges and High-ways near Oxford and the Bill for maintenance of Colledges in the Universities and of Eaton and Winchester The Bill against Arthur Hall Esquire Edward Smalley and Matthew Kirtleton his Servant was read the first time Edward Smalley Servant unto Arthur Hall Esq appearing in this House this day at the Bar it was pronounced unto him by M r Speaker in the name and by the appointment and order of this House for Execution of the former Judgment of this House awarded against him That he the said Edward Smalley shall be forthwith committed Prisoner from this House to the Tower of London and there remain for one whole Month next ensuing from this present day and further after the same Month expired until such time as good and sufficient assurance shall be had and made for payment of 100 l of good and lawful money of England to be paid unto William Hewet Administrator of the goods Chattels and Debts of Melchisedech Malory Gent. deceased upon the first day of the next Term according to the former Order in that behalf by this House made and set down and also forty Shillings for the Serjeants Fees the notice of which assurance for the true payment of the said hundred pounds in form aforesaid to be certified unto M r Lieutenant of the Tower by M r Recorder of London before any delivery or setting at liberty of the said Edward Smalley to be in any wise had or made at any time after the Expiration of the said Month as is aforesaid and that he shall not be delivered out of Prison before such notice certified whether the same be before the said first day of the next Term or after Vide concerning this matter on Thursday the 16 th day Monday the 20 th day Wednesday the 22 th day Monday the 27 th day and on Tuesday the 28 th day of February preceeding as also on Wednesday the 7 th day of this instant March foregoing
Committees were sent presently and the Bill of restitution in Blood of Anthony Mayney Esquire was sent up to the Lords by Mr. Treasurer and the said others The Bill against the abuses of Goldsmiths was read the second time but no mention is made that it was either Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to Committees because it had been formerly sent from the Lords on the day immediately foregoing Mr. Doctor Barkley and Mr. Powle did bring from the Lords the Bill touching the Confirmation of an Arbitrement to be made between Richard Hudleston Esquire and Dame Isabell Wainman on the one part and Francis Wainman Gentleman on the other part Mr. Treasurer Mr. Secretary Smith Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr. Treasurer of the Chamber the Master of the Jewel-House Sir Rowland Hayward and others were appointed to meet this Afternoon at three of the Clock and to hear the Learned Councel of the Goldsmiths Mr. Doctor Vaughan and Mr. Doctor Yale did bring from the Lords the Bill of Jeofails with some Amendments The Bill for restitution in Blood of the Lord Stourton was read the third time and two Provisoes twice read and passed the House Vide concerning this business of the Lord Stourton in fine diei sequentis The Bill also against excess in Apparel was read the third time and passed the House Post Meridiem In the Afternoon the Bill for the Lord Stourton and the Bill against excess in Apparel were sent up to the Lords by Mr. Comptroller and others Vide concerning the business of the Lord Stourton on Wednesday the 14 th day of this instant March ensuing Four Bills also of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill for relief of Vicars and Curates was read the second time and committed unto Mr. Sampoole Mr. Cromwell Mr. Savile Mr. Boyer Mr. S t John Mr. Broughton and others who were appointed to meet at this House to Morrow in the Morning at six of the Clock The Bill touching unjust and slanderous Suits was read the second time but no mention is made that it was either Ordered to be ingrossed or referred to Committees because it had been sent from the Lords on Monday the 12 th day of this instant March foregoing The Bill touching unjust and slanderous Suits and the Bill for the annexing of the Town of Gateside to New-Castle were read the first time M r Justice Mounson and Mr. Serjeant Barham did bring word from the Lords that whereas their Lordships have made divers requests for Conference with some of this House touching the Bill for the Lord Stourton and the Bill for Mr. Mayney their restitutions in Blood and as yet have received no Answer thereof of this House at all Their further desire now is that a further Committee be appointed for this House to meet with their Lordships in the Parliament Chamber to Morrow next before eight of the Clock for that purpose whereupon were chosen after sundry Motions and Speeches All the Privy-Council being of this House Mr. Captain of the Guard and the former Committees whose names see on Monday the 12 th day of this instant March foregoing and Mr. Diggs whereunto were added also Mr. Treasurer of the Chamber Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower Sir Henry Gate Sir Henry Ratcliffe Sir James Harrington Sir Edward Bainton Mr. Atkins Mr. Birkenhed Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Alford Vide concerning this business on Wednesday the 14 th day of this instant March ensuing On Wednesday the 14 th day of March the Queens Majesties general and free Pardon was once read Sir John Thynne Sir Henry Knivett and Mr. Topelysse were added to the Bills yesterday last appointed Which said former Committees with these now newly added were doubtless appointed to have Conference with a Committee of the Lords this Morning touching their Proviso added unto the Bill for the restitution in Blood of the Heirs of the Lord Stourton which had been sent down to the House of Commons from the Lords on Wednesday the 7 th day of this instant March foregoing but the Issue of this Conference through the great negligence of Fulk Onslow Esquire at this time Clerk of the House of Commons is wholly omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the same House and therefore in respect it is of very good use and moment for the Declaration and Justification of the Liberties of the said House I have caused it to be inserted at large out of that often before-mentioned written Memorial or Discourse I had by me of the whole proceedings of this business in manner and form following The before-mentioned Committees or the greater part of them between eight and nine of the Clock this Morning as is very probable repaired unto the Parliament Chamber or Upper House Door and there gave attendance sending in word by the Usher of that House of their being there The Lords after a great pause came forth at last into the outward Chamber the number of them were many and the persons of the principal Noblemen of that House after they had taken their places at a long Table and used some Conference amongst themselves they called for those of the House of Commons to whom the Lord Treasurer in the name of all the rest present and absent said in effect as followeth THat the Lords of the Upper House could not but greatly mislike the dealing of the House of Commons in the Lord Stourton's Bill especially for that they had passed the Bill with a Proviso annexed notwithstanding their sundry Messages sent unto them in his favour And lastly one Message to have Conference with them for resolution of such doubts as were moved wherein they took themselves greatly touched in honor and thought that the House of Commons did not use that reverence towards them which they ought to do the cause he said besides was such as they saw no reason why the House of Commons should proceed in that Order for the Bill being signed by her Majesty he said none might presume to alter or add any thing to it without the assent of her Majesty which they for their parts durst not do and for proof hereof he shewed the Committees sundry Provisoes in King Henry the Eighths time annexed to the like Bills signed by the King inferring thereby that none might pass otherwise Moreover he said that by the opinion of the Judges which were in the Upper House the saving already in the Bill was so sufficient that there needed not any addition of such Proviso as the House of Commons had annexed and therefore required to know what reasons did lead them to proceed in this Order This and some large Speeches being uttered to this end the Committees answered that their Commission was only to hear what their Lordships would say they would return and make report to the House and so attend again upon them with Answer When this was reported to the House of Commons it moved them all greatly and gave them occasion
the House of Commons to resort unto their accustomed place and there to elect and chuse amongst themselves one able and sufficient person to be their Speaker for the rest of this present Parliament yet to come and after they should have made their Election that then three or four of them for and in all their names should signifie the same unto her Majesty and thereupon her Highness would further signifie her pleasure unto them what day and time they should present him so Elected before her as it had been formerly in like Cases accustomed to be done Nota That this Commission is set down at large in the Journal of the House of Commons de isto Anno 23 Reginae Eliz. to which it more properly belongeth This day lastly was returned one unusual Proxy from John Bishop of Exeter which is thus Entred in the Original Journal-Book the words only a little misplaced 18 die Januarii Johannis permissione divina Episcopi Exoniensis introductae sunt literae Procuratoriae in quibus Procuratorem suum constituit reverendum in Christo Patrem Johannem Episcopum Wigorniensem Nota That though there were no names of Triors or Receivors of Petitions read at this time because it was but the latter Session of a former Parliament and those said Receivors and Triors are never assigned but at the beginning of a new one yet it is very usual for the Lords of the Upper House to send their Proxies after a Prorogation as well as at the beginning of a new Parliament and especially if there be any long space or distance between the Sessions as was likewise used in the former Parliaments viz. in that second Session of Parliament held in Anno 8 Reginae Eliz. and the foregoing Session of Parliament held in Anno 18 Reginae ejusdem The Proxy before set down I therefore call an unusual because a spiritual Lord Constituted but one Proctor whereas for the most part they seldom or never nominate fewer than two and the Temporal Lords as seldom more than one and therefore those ordinary Proxies are for the most part wholly omitted and the extraordinary only transcribed out of the Journal-Book and at this Session of three Earls and ten Barons who sent their Proxies only one viz. Henry Earl of Huntington Constituted two Proctors which Proxies with some other unusual ones are set down the 23 th day of this instant January following on which said day being Monday they are all set down in the Original Journal-Book to have been introducted The Earl of Leicester had this Parliamentary Session six several Proxies sent unto him set down in the Original Journal-Book in the same Order they here follow viz. from Henry Earl of Darby Henry Lord Scroope Thomas Lord Buckhurst George Earl of Shrewsbury John Lord Darcy of Aston and from Henry Earl of Huntington who Constituted him the said Earl of Leicester his Proctor severally and jointly with Francis Earl of Bedford all which said Proxies or Letters Procuratory are Entred in the Original Journal-Book to have been returned or introducted on Wednesday the 25 th day of this instant January On Thursday the 19 th day of January Billa for avoiding of slanderous Libelling prima vice lecta and two other Bills of no great moment were each of them read secunda vice after which the continuance of the Parliament is thus Entred in the Original Journal-Book Dominus Cancellarius continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem prox hora secunda post meridiem On Friday the 20 th day of January the House met not till about two of the Clock in the Afternoon when her Majesty was her Self present with Sir Thomas Bromley Lord Chancellor and divers of the Lords both Spiritual and Temporal who being all set the Knights Citizens and Burgesses had notice given them thereof and thereupon repaired unto the Upper House with John Popham Esquire the Queens Sollicitor whom they had Elected and Chosen their Speaker on Wednesday the 18 th day of this instant January last past The said Speaker or Prolocutor with as many of the House of Commons as conveniently could being let in was led up between two of the most eminent Personages of the said House of Commons unto the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the Upper House and being there placed after three Reverences made spake to the effect following That whereas at the humble Suit of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament now Assembled it had been signified from her Majesty by the Mouth of the Lord Chancellor and by force of her Highness Commission under the Great Seal of England that it was her Pleasure and Command that the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses should chuse a Learned man for their Speaker instead of Sir Robert Bell late Lord Chief Baron and their Speaker whom it had pleased God to take out of this World that thereupon they had Chosen and compelled himself to take upon him that weighty Charge for which finding himself altogether unable and further at large pressing his own disability he lastly desired that her Majesty out of her gracious favour would be pleased to free him from that great imployment and that the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses might have Authority to Elect and Chuse some other more able and sufficient Member amongst them to undertake and perform the same Then the Queen called the Lord Chancellor unto her declaring her Opinion in that which he should Answer to the said Speaker or Prolocutor who thereupon returning to his place Answered the said Speaker that her Majesty had fully heard and did well allow of his modest and humble disabling of himself but yet being also acquainted with his faithfulness care and many abilities her Majesty was resolved he should undertake this Charge and therefore did both allow and approve of the said Election of the House of Commons Whereupon the said Speaker rendring his most humble thanks to her Majesty and acknowledging her gracious favour towards him promised his most faithful and careful endeavour for the discharge of the said place after which he proceeded to Petition her Majesty in the name of the House of Commons according to the usual course for freedom of Speech freedom of Access to her Majesty and freedom from Arrests and Suits for themselves and their necessary Attendants And lastly that if in any thing he should unwittingly mistake the blame might not lie upon the House but upon himself and that her Majesty would be pleased graciously to Pardon him To which the Lord Chancellor by Command from her Majesty Answered that she did well accept of his humble thankfulness and the promise of his best endeavour and diligence and that for all his Petitions her Majesty was well pleased that himself and the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons should have and enjoy all such freedoms and priviledges as had been formerly in like Case enjoyed and used in the times of her Majesties most
tertia vice and so concluded but the rest had each of them but one reading and no more On Tuesday the 14 th day of March Four Bills had each of them one reading of which the last being a Bill for the fortifying of the Borders towards Scotland was read secundâ vice On Wednesday the 15 th day of March Three Bills had each of them one reading apiece of which the last being the Bill for the fortifying of the Borders towards Scotland was read tertiâ vice and so concluded Six Bills also were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons of which the last being a Bill touching Iron-Mills near unto the City of London on the River of Thames was read primâ vice On Thursday the 16 th day of March Two Bills had each of them one reading whereof the last being a Bill touching deceit in dying of Cloths was read tertia vice and then sent down to the House of Commons On Friday the 17 th day of March Two Bills were brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons whereof the first was for the fortifying of the Borders towards Scotland with request that certain words might be left out for that they were superfluous It seemeth the Commons having formerly given the Lords distast about this Bill as may appear on Wednesday the 8 th day of March last past did now send unto them about some amendments which their Lordships had added to the said Bill which before they would alter or once read for the Bill it self had already passed both Houses they gave them notice thereof on this instant Friday the 17 th day of this instant March desiring as may easily be collected that some supefluous words might be put out of the said amendments whereupon it seemeth the Upper House did yield to this respectful and seasonable request of the Commons although it be not mentioned in the Original Journal-Book for the Bill being altered according to their desires and sent down again to them this Forenoon they there presently passed the said amendments and returned the Bill concluded Two other Bills were also sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons of which the first being a Bill for the repressing of seditious practices against the Queens Majesty was read primâ secundâ vice On Saturday the 18 th day of March the Bill for the increase of Mariners and maintenance of the Navigation returned from the House of Commons conclusa with certain amendments and a Proviso added by them which was read primâ secundâ tertiâ vice communi omnium procerum assensu conclusa est Two other Bills also of no great moment whereof the last touching Iron-Mills about the City of London c. was read tertiâ vice communi omnium procerum assensu conclusa with certain amendments and two Provisoes to be taken out were sent down to the House of Commons Then was Entred the continuance of the Parliament in these words viz. Dominus Cancellarius continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in horam secundam post meridiem At which hour the Lords meeting the two former Bills last above-mentioned which had been sent down to the House of Commons were returned from them up to the Lords again concluded Not long after the Lords were set her Majesty came to the Upper House and the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons having notice of her Majesty being there with John Popham their Speaker repaired unto the said House and as many as could conveniently being let in the said Speaker standing at the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the Upper House after his humble reverence made and some expressions of his zealous affection towards her Majesty and humble acknowledgment of her many gracious favours towards him he then proceeded according to the usual course to desire her Majesties Assent to such wholsome Laws as in this Session of Parliament had passed either House and withal did in the name of the House of Commons humbly offer unto her Majesty the Bill of one Subsidy and two Fifteens and Tenths as a small testimonial of their unfeigned Lovalty and thankful acknowledgment of the great happiness they enjoyed under her Majesties most gracious Government To which Speech the Lord Chancellor having received instructions from her Majesty Answered that she did graciously accept the said Speakers many dutiful expressions and did well allow of those wholsome Laws they had made hoping that all such whose places it might concern would be careful to put them in Execution And lastly concluded with her Majesties thankful acceptance of the aforesaid Subsidy Fifteenths and Tenths granted unto her by the House of Commons Then were the Titles of all the publick and private Acts read in their due Order and her Majesties Assent thereunto and then the Bill of Subsidies to which the Clerk of the Parliament standing up did read the Queens Answer in manner and form following La Roigne remercie ses loiaulx subjects accept leur henevolence ainsi le veult The Clerk of the Parliament having read the Queens acceptance and thanks for the Subsidy given as aforesaid did then upon the reading of the Pardon pronounce in these French words following the thanks of the Lords and Commons for the same Les Prelats Seigneurs Communes en se present Parlement assembles an nom de touts vous autres Subjects remercient tres humblement vostre Majestie prient a dieu que ils vous donne sante bonne vie longue Nota That here to the Subsidy Bill because it is the meer gift of the Subject the Queens Consent is not required for the passing of it but as it is joined with her thankful acceptance nor to the Bill of Pardon because it is Originally her free gift is other circumstance required than that the thankful acceptance thereof by the Lords and Commons be likewise expressed it being but once read in either House before it come thus at last to be expedited Then followed the Prorogation of the Parliament which is Entred in the Original Journal-Book in manner and form following Dominus Cancellarius ex mandato Dominae Reginae tune praesentis Prorogavit praesens Parliamentum usque in vicesimum quartum diem Aprilis proximum futurum At which day this said Parliament was again Prorogued and so was still continued by sixteen other Prorogations each after other till it was at last Dissolved upon the 19 th day of April in the twenty fifth year of her Majesties Reign the substance of all which Prorogations with the manner of the Dissolution doth next follow Nota The word or term Adjourned is used for Prorogued throughout Vicesimo quarto die Aprilis in quem diem Prorogatum fuerat hoc praesens Parliamentum Sir Thomas Bromley Knight Lord Chancellor the Bishop of London and the Lord Cromwell Commissioners c. did Adjourn the Parliament ad in 29 diem Maii. Vicesimo nono die Maii in
Dominus Darcie Dominus Mounteagle Dominus Windsor Dominus Wentworth Dominus Borough Dominus Cromwell Dominus Evers Dominus Wharton Dominus Rich. Dominus Willoughby de Parham Dominus Darcy de Chiche Dominus North. Dominus Shandois Dominus S t John de Bletsoe Dominus Buckhurst Dominus de la Ware Dominus Cheyne Dominus Norris Her Majesty with the Lords being set the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons repaired to the Upper House with John Puckering Serjeant at Law their Speaker and being as many as could conveniently let in the said Speaker was led up between two of the most eminent Personages of the House of Commons to the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the Upper House and being there placed after humble reverence made he declared that the said House of Commons amongst many other more able Members of the said House had Elected and Chosen him for their Speaker and that knowing his manifold weaknesses and inability to undergo so great a Charge he did there implore her Gracious Majesty to free him from the same and to Command them to Elect and chuse amongst themselves some other more Experienced and better fitted for that imployment To which the Lord Chancellor having received Instructions from her Majesty Answered that the said Speaker had shewed a great deal of humility and modesty in disabling himself but that her Highness well knowing his great sufficiency did very well allow and approve of the choice which the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the said House of Commons had made of him to be their Speaker Whereupon the said Speaker after humble reverence made and many expressions of his great thankfulness to her Majesty for her gracious Approbation of him made certain Petitions of Course in the name of the House of Commons viz. for freedom of speech and freedom of access to her Majesty and that themselves and their necessary attendants might be exempted from Suits and Arrests in such manner and form as hath been accustomed and lastly that if himself should in any thing mistake or misreport the sayings or doings of the said House it might be imputed unto himself and that her Majesty would be graciously pleased to pardon it To which Speech the Lord Chancellor having further instructions from her Majesty replied that all such liberties and immunities as had been formerly enjoyed in the like case in the times of any of her Majesties most Royal Progenitors should still be continued unto them The Writ was returned this day whereby Henry Lord Wentworth was Summoned to the Parliament who thereupon admissus fuit ad sunm praeheminentiae in Parliamento sedendi locum salvo cuiquam jure suo Then followed the continuance of the Parliament which is Entred in the Original Journal-Book de Anno isto 27 Reginae Eliz. in these words following Dominus Cancellarius continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Sabbati prox horâ consuetâ On Friday the 27 th day of November although the Upper House sate not because the Parliament had been continued yesterday unto Saturday Morning at nine of the Clock yet were divers Proxies returned or introducted whereof the only unusual or extraordinary one was this ensuing viz. 27 die Novembris introductae sunt literae Procuratoriae Henrici Comitis Huntingtoniae in quibus Procuratores suos constituit Franciscum Comitem Bedford Robertum Comitem Leicester Nota That whereas the Temporal Lords do very seldom constitute more than one Proctor the Earl of Huntington here nominateth two which appeared also by the other Proxies returned this Parliament for of three other Earls and eleven Barons who were absent this Parliament by her Majesties Licence not any of them constituted more than one Proctor apiece whereas on the other side the spiritual Lords do for the most part nominate two Proctors at the least for of nine Bishops who were likewise absent during this Parliament two of them only nominated each his Proctor Ut vide on Sunday the 22 th day of this instant November foregoing and the other seven made every of them two Proctors Nota also that Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester had this Parliament ten several Proxies sent unto him all Entred in the beginning of the Original Journal-Book in such order as they now follow viz. from Edward Lord Dudley Henry Lord Scroop Lodowick Lord Mordant Edward Lord Stafford Henry Lord of Abergavenny Edward Earl of Lincoln Ambrose Earl of Warwick Henry Earl of Huntington who constituted Francis Earl of Bedford joint Proctor with him Lord Audeley and John Lord Lumley By which and many other Precedents in all other Parliaments it plainly appeareth that any Lord of the Upper House was capable of as many Proxies as should be sent unto him until in Anno 2 do Caroli Regis Anno Domini 1626. It was Ordered by the Lords then sitting in Parliament that no Member of the said House should be capable of above two Proxies at the most On Saturday the 28 th day of November to which day the Parliament had been last continued three Bills had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill to provide remedy against fraudulent Conveyances was read the first time Hodie returnatum est breve quo Henricus Comes Suffex praesenti huic Parliamento interesse summonebatur qui ad suum praeheminentiae in Parliamento sedendi locum admissus fuit salvo jure alieno Nota That the daily continuing of the Parliament in those words Dominus Cancellarius continuavit praesens Parliamentum c. is hereafter omitted as matter of course unless where somewhat in it doth happen extraordinary or unusual in respect of the time place or manner On Monday the 30 th day of November to which day the Parliament had been last continued three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first was the Bill for appointing fit and convenient places for Landing and Shipping of Merchandize On Tuesday the first day of December whereas James Diggs one of the ordinary Gentlemen of my Lord's Grace of Canterbury was committed to the Fleet upon a Reddit se in the Exchequer since the beginning of this present Parliament the Lords at the Motion of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury claiming the ancient priviledge of this High Court gave Commandment to the Gentleman Usher that the said James should be brought before them And this day the said Lords having openly heard both Sir Roger Manwood then Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and the same James Diggs They Ordered that the said Diggs by vertue of the priviledge of this Court should be enlarged and set at liberty And it was further Ordered that the Warden of the Fleet should be discharged of the Prisoner and of the Action that might be brought against him the said Warden of the same Lastly Touching the Lord Chief Baron the said Lords have resolved for such causes and reasons as they have heard that the said Lord
incorporation of Christs Hospital was read tertia vice communi omnium procerum assensu conclusa data Doctori Barkeley Servienti Rodes in Domum Communem deferend And the second being the Bill to give her Majesty Authority to alter and new make a Kalendar according to the Kalendar now used in other Countries was read prima vice Four Bills also of no great moment were brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons of which the first was the Bill whereby Marriage was declared lawful at all times of the Year Two other Bills were lastly read each of them secunda vice of which the last being the Bill for the grant of one entire Subsidy and two Fifteenths granted by the Temporalty was read secunda vice About two of the Clock in the Afternoon to which hour the Lord Chancellor had in the Forenoon continued the Parliament the Lords Spiritual and Temporal meeting nine Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for the Haven of Plymouth was read secunda vice The Amendments lastly in the Bill concerning the Hospital of East-Bridge were read prima secunda tertia vice conclusae dissentientibus Vicecomite Mountague Comite Hertford On Wednesday the 17 th day of March Four Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill of one entire Subsidy and two Fifteenths granted by the Temporalty was read tertia vice communi omnium Procerum assensu conclusa The fourth also being an Act for the assurance of certain Lands unto the Lord Hunsdon was read secunda vice commissa ad ingrossandum After which Robert Elrington and Alice his Wife mentioned in the said Bill touching the Lord Hunsdons assurance came into the House and gave their consent to the passing of the said Bill The Bill against the making of Starch was brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons and had its first reading After which lastly three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for bringing in of Staple Fish and Herrings into the Realm was read secunda vice On Thursday the 18 th day of March six Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for the assurance of certain Lands to the Lord Hunsdon and the second being the Bill touching the breadth of white Woollen Clothes made within the Counties of Wilts Glocester and Oxon ' with the amendments were each of them read tertia vice conclusae datae servienti Rodes It should seem that these Bills were delivered to him to carry down to the House of Commons although so much be not expressed There were also brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons four Bills of no great moment of which the first being the Bill that Parsonages impropriate may be disposed to godly and charitable uses and the third for the better and more reverent observing of the Sabbath day were each of them read the first time Vide concerning this Bill of the Sabbath on Saturday the 6 th day of this instant March foregoing But what the intent or scope of this Bill was her Majesty refusing to pass it upon the last day of this Parliament cannot be certainly set down it being not now remaining in the bundle of the Acts de Anno isto 27 Reginae Eliz. in the Clerk of the Upper House his Office in which said bundle I searched for it on Thursday the 8 th day of October in the year 1629. About two of the Clock in the Afternoon to which hour the Lord Chancellor had in the Forenoon continued the Parliament Proceres tam Spirituales quà m Temporales quorum nomina subscribuntur praesentes fuerunt and so is the entrance of every sitting in the Afternoon upon such continuance ut supra viz. the same form which is used in entring the sitting of the House in the Forenoon which for brevity is in this Collection elsewhere omitted Two Bills had this Afternoon each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill against covenous and sraudulent Conveyances with certain amendments was read tertia vice On Friday the 29 th day of March five Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill against covenous and fraudulent Conveyances with the amendments was read tertia vice communi omnium Procerum assensu conclusa data servienti Rodes Doctori Barkeley in domum communem deferend Nota That this Bill is said to have been read tertia vice in the Afternoon of the day past which was Thursday and therefore it could not be now read again but to reconcile this difference it should seem the Bill it self had then its third reading and the amendments but the second and this day the said amendments passed upon the third reading but the Bill it self which had passed yesterday was no more read which by the negligence of Mr. Mason at this time Clerk of the Parliament was suffered to be set down thus confusedly in the Original Journal-Book and so to stand On Saturday the 20 th day of March the Bill for the explanation of the Statute made Anno 13 of the Queens Majesty entituled An Act to make the Lauds Tenements Goods and Chattels of Receivors c. liable to pay their debts was read prima secunda tertia vice communi omnium Procerum assensu conclusa Three other Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading There were also brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons nine Bills of which the first was an Act for the good Government of the City and Borough of Westminster and the second being for the Subsidy of the Clergy was returned and expedited The Lord Bishop of Exeter shewed unto the Lord Chancellor Sir Francis Walsingham's Letter dated at the Court this 14 th day of March 1584. importing her Majesties licence for the said Bishop to depart home to his charge Nota That it appeareth not by the Original Journal-Book whether the Bishop of Exeter aforesaid absenting himself for this time from the Parliament by her Majesties licence did constitute any Proctor or no and it should seem that he did not because his departure from it was but for some few weeks during the last sitting thereof and that also in open Parliament and as it were with the allowance also of the rest of the Lords On Monday the 22 th day of March to which day the Parliament had been on Saturday last continued six Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for reformation of Errors in Fines and Recoveries in the twelve Shires of Wales with a Proviso added by the Lords from the Earl of Kent was read tertia vice communi omnium Procerum assensu conclusa
to allow the Clerk of the Parliament reads in French these words following La Royne s'advisera Nota That all the Acts which passed this Parliament were in number forty nine whereof thirty were publick and nineteen private ut vide in the Statute-Book at large printed Anno Domini 1585. Nota also That the express and direct manner of her Majesties giving her Royal assent to such Acts as passed at this Parliament as is before set down is not so entred in the Original Journal-Book of the same but is supplied out of that de Anno 39 Reginae Eliz. where it is at large inserted according to which Precedent the form being always the same the rest of the Journals of her Majesties Regin as well as this present Journal are enlarged and perfected To the further amplifying of which also here doth now in the next place ensue a most pious and gracious Speech of her Majesty's uttered by her upon the conclusion of this Parliament which being not found in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House is therefore supplied out of a Copy thereof I had by me written by John Stow the Chronicler with his own hand being verbatim as followeth MY Lords and ye of the Lower House my silence must not injure the Owner so much as to suppose a Substitute sufficient to render you the thanks that my heart yieldeth you not so much for the safe keeping of my life for which your care appears so manifest as for the neglecting your private future peril not regarding other way than my present State No Prince herein I confess can be surer tied or faster bound than I am with the link of your good will and can for that but yield a heart and a head to seek for ever all your best yet one matter toucheth me so near as I may not overskip Religion the ground on which all other matters ought to take root and being corrupted may marr all the tree And that there be some fault-finders with the Order of the Clergy which so may make a slander to my self and the Church whose over-Ruler God hath made me whose negligence cannot be excused if any Schisms or Errours heretical were suffered Thus much I must say that some faults and negligences may grow and be as in all other great Charges it happeneth and what vocation without All which if you my Lords of the Clergy do not amend I mean to depose you Look ye therefore well to your Charges This may be amended without heedless or open exclamations I am supposed to have many studies but most Philosophical I must yield this to be true that I suppose few that be no Professors have read more And I need not tell you that I am so simple that I understand not nor so forgetful that I remember not and yet amidst my many Volumes I hope Gods Book hath not been my seldomest Lectures in which we find that which by reason for my part we ought to believe that seeing so great wickedness and greeves in the World in which we live but as way-faring Pilgrims we must suppose that God would never have made us but for a better place and of more comfort than we find here I know no Creature that breatheth whose life standeth hourly in more peril for it than mine own who entred not into my state without sight of manifold dangers of life and Crown as one that had the mightiest and greatest to wrestle with Then it followeth that I regarded it so much as I left my life behind my care and so you see that you wrong me too much if any such there be as doubt my coldness in that behalf for if I were not perswaded that mine were the true way of Gods will God forbid that I should live to prescribe it to you Take you heed lest Ecclesiastes say not too true They that fear the hoary frost the snow shall fall upon them I see many over-bold with God Almighty making too many subtle scannings of his blessed will as Lawyers do with humane Testaments The presumption is so great as I may not suffer it yet mind I not hereby to animate Romanists which what Adversaries they be to mine Estate is sufficiently known nor tolerate new-fangleness I mean to guide them both by Gods holy true Rule In both parts be perils and of the latter I must pronounce them dangerous to a Kingly Rule to have every man according to his own censure to make a doom of the validity and privity of his Princes Government with a common veil and cover of Gods Word whose followers must not be judged but by private mens exposition God defend you from such a Ruler that so evil will guide you Now I conclude that your love and care neither is nor shall be bestowed upon a careless Prince but such as but for your good will passeth as little for this World as who careth least with thanks for your free Subsidy a manifest shew of the abundance of your good wills the which I assure you but to be imployed to your weal I could be better pleased to return than receive This Speech of her Majesty being thus transcribed out of the foresaid Copy written by John Stow the Chronicler as is already mentioned now followeth the Prorogation of the Parliament which is entred in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House in manner and form following Domina ipsa Regina prorogavit praesens Parliamentum usque in vicesimum diem Maii proximum Upon which said 20 th day of May the Parliament was again prorogued and so continued by five other several Prorogations unto Wednesday the 14 th day of September in Anno 28 Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1586. upon which said 14 th day of September it was at last dissolved The manner of which Dissolution and the substance of all the foresaid Prorogations do next ensue Memorandum quòd vicesimo die Maii Anno Regni Reginae Eliz. 27 o convenêre Proceres tam Spirituales quà m Temporales quorum nomina subscribuntur Johannes Archiepisiopus Cantuar. Thomas Bromley Miles Dominus Cancellarius Angliae Henricus Comes Darby Johannes Episiopus London Edwardus Dominus Zouch Qui cùm convenissent Dominus Cancellarius Literas Regias commissarias Anthonio Mason Clerico Parliamenti publicè legendas in manus tradidit The tenor whereof was a Commission unto the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellor the Archbishop of York the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Oxford Lord great Chamberlain of England George Earl of Shrewsbury Earl Marshal of England and six other Earls also to the Earl of Warwick Master of the Ordnance four other Earls Charissimóque Consanguineo suo Anthonio Vicecomiti Mountague John Bishop of London John Bishop of Sarum John Bishop of Rechester Charles Lord Howard Lord Chamberlain of her Majesties House and eight other Barons giving to them or any three or more of them 〈◊〉 potestatem facultatem authoritatem hoc instante die Jovis ad praesens Parliamentum
Oration unto the whole Assembly did in the end declare unto the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the said House of Commons that it was her Majesties will and pleasure that they should go together unto their own House and there amongst themselves should chuse a Speaker and of the day of his Presentation her Majesty would hereafter give them further Order Whereupon they departed thence and came into their own House where being set and the number appearing upon the view not to be much less than the whole Sir Francis Knowles Knight Treasurer of her Highness's Houshold stood up and put them in mind how lately the Lord Chancellor had signisied unto them her Majesties pleasure for the choice of a Speaker And further added that for his part he did very well allow of M r Serjeant Puckering as of a very able Member of the said House to be chosen into the said place and to undergo it yet nevertheless did leave every man to his own free opinion to nominate any other of whom they might think better After whose Speech many of the said House named also M r Serjeant Puckering and none was heard to disallow or speak against the said choice whereupon M r Treasurer standing up again did then and there put it to the question asking them whom they would be pleased to allow of for their Speaker and to name him To which the greater part of the House making Answer again that they did allow of and chuse the said M r Serjeant Puckering for their Speaker as before he stood up and in a modest and humble Speech disabled himself yet withal acknowledging the great favour of the House unto him in that they had been pleased to nominate and chuse him unto a place of so great charge and weight Which excuse of his being not allowed he was led up between two of the most eminent Personages of the said House unto the Chair and placed in it On Tuesday the 24 th day of November it seemeth the House met not because the Speaker was not yet presented neither is there any mention of the said day in the Original Journal Book of the House of Commons de Anno isto 27 o Reginae Eliz. On Wednesday the 25 th day of November M r Treasurer signified unto the House that her Majesties pleasure was that the Speaker be presented unto her Highness in the Upper House to morrow next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon and therefore willed every one of this House to take notice thereof to the end they may then and there wait upon her Majesty accordingly On Thursday the 26 th day of November the Queens Majesty and divers of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being set in the Upper House the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons had notice thereof about two of the Clock in the Afternoon and thereupon with John Puckering Serjeant at Law their Speaker Elect they repaired thither the said Prolocutor or Speaker being led up by two of the most honourable Personages of the said House and there having made his excuse according to the usual sorm at the Bar or Rail at the lower end of the Upper House it was not allowed by her Majesty whereupon the said Speaker having with all humble acknowledgement of her Majesties favour submitted himself according to the usual course to the undergoing of the said Prolocutorship made certain Petitions in the name of the House of Commons for freedom of speech of access to her Majesty and immunity from Arrests and Saits for themselves and their necessity Attendants And lastly petitioned for himself that if in any thing he should erre or mistake unwillingly her Majesty would be pleased to pardon it To which Speech the Lord Chancellor delivered her Majesties Answer by her commandment that she was graciously pleased to allow of his said Petitions and therefore wished them to use their said Liberties and Priviledges with moderation and reverence Then the Knights Citizens and Burgesses departing with their Speaker to their own House there was read one Bill only the first time being for the better and more reverent observing or the Sabbath day after the reading whereof the House rose On Friday the 27 th day of November two 〈◊〉 had each of them one reading of which the second being the bill for the better and more reverent observing of the Sabbath day was read the second time and committed unto Sir Walter Mildmay Sir John Higham Sir Francis Drake Mr. Recorder of London Mr. James Dalton Mr. George Moore Mr. Brooke Mr. Doctor Turner Mr. Francis Hastings Mr. Fox Mr. Andersan Sir Richard Greenfield Mr. William Mohun Sir Drew Drury Sir Henry Nevill Sir William Moore Sir Nicholas Woodroose Sir William Herbert Mr. Robert Beale Mr. Edward Popham Mr. 〈◊〉 Mr. Edward Lewkenor Sir Robert Germin Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower Mr. George Carie Sir Thomas Manners Mr. Daniel Mr. John 〈◊〉 Mr. Grice Mr. Richard Prowze Mr. Thomas Brercton Sir Richard Knightly and Sir William Mallory who were appointed to meet this Afternoon at two of the Clock in the Exchequer-Chamber and the Bill was delivered to Sir William Mallory one of the said Committees Nota That this Bill of the Sabbath did not pass the two Houses but another and that also not without great difficulty and long debatement being committed and amendments upon amendments added unto it ut vide on Wednesday the 17 th day of March following On Saturday the 28 th day of November three Bills of no great moment had each of them their first reading of which the first was concerning the better pursuit of Hue and Cry Sir Walter Mildmay Chancellor of the Exchequer taking occasion to speak of the sudden calling of this Parliament at so unseasonable a time of the year and of the likelihood of the short continuance thereof did thereupon declare the same to be called for very urgent and necessary causes Sir Christopher Hatton Vice-Chamberlain of her Majesties Houshold spake next and it seemeth much to the same effect with Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer but what the very words were or the substance of them is wholly omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons although these two Speeches did last about two hours as is afterwards shewed At the end whereof it seemeth further that a Committee was appointed to consider of a Bill to be drawn concerning the matter of Subsidy One being no Member of this House being found to have sit here this present day by the space of two hours during the whole time of the Speeches delivered by M r Chancellor and M r Vicechamberlain as aforesaid did upon Examination confess his name to be Richard Robinson and that he was by occupation a Skinner and dwelt at the Harts Horns in Gracious street London the house of one Mark Fryer a Skinner also his Father-in-law Whereupon himself having been stripped to his shirt and his pockets all searched the Custody and further Examination of
perfected in some places in matter of form and yet the Titles of the aforesaid three daies are set down in three blank Pages On Monday the 31 th day of October her Majesties Person was again represented by those aforesaid three Lords Commissioners constituted by her Majesties Letters Patents on Saturday the 29 th day of this instant October foregoing These being set in the Upper House with divers other Lords in their Parliamentary Robes the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons had notice thereof and repaired thither with John Puckering Serjeant at Law their Speaker who was according to the usual course presented unto the said Lords Commissioners and by them admitted who answered to these his three Petitions of course made in the name of the House of Commons for liberty of Access for freedom of Speech and freedom from Arrests and Suits and lastly for Pardon for himself that the said House of Commons and himself should enjoy and use all such priviledges and freedoms as had in the like case been enjoyed by any others in the times of her Majesties most noble Progenitors Whereupon the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses with their Speaker departed to their own House Nota That there is not any word of all this presentment of the Speaker in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons but only the very Title of the day is thus set down in a blank Page thereof Lunae xxxj Octobris 1586. and the whole matter ensuing by the great negligence of M r Fulk Onslow at this time Clerk of the House of Commons is wholly omitted which also happened in the setting down of the three foregoing days of this Journal upon the two first of which the Parliament had been further Prorogued and upon the third received its beginning in all which the Titles only of the days are set down in the upper part of three several blank Pages as is beforesaid with intention doutless at first to have inserted the passages of each day and therefore it is the more strange that it was never perfected and argueth the greater neglect because the said M r Onslow did live many years in the place of Clerk of the House of Commons after the Dissolution of this Parliament by which means if these foregoing day had not been supplied out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House this other Journal of the House of Commons had remained very imperfect and unuseful And yet at the end of the aforesaid blank Page or bottom thereof in which the Title of this present Monday the 31 th day of October is inserted there followeth the reading of one Bill which is usually done after the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons do return from the Upper House with their Speaker newly admitted upon their presentment of him which said Bill read at this time upon their return is entred in manner and form following viz. The Bill touching Inrollments the first reading After the reading of this Bill the House did without all question Adjourn it self unto Thursday the third day of November ensuing although there be no mention thereof in this said Journal-Book of the House of Commons which must as all other defects be imputed to the former neglect And yet this Adjournment may be collected not only by a like Adjournment of the Lords unto Friday the 4 th day of November aforesaid and by other Adjournments very frequent in the House of Commons during this first meeting of the present Parliament but also out of the very Entrance of the said Thursday following which is on the very next Page after the Entrance of the before mentioned Bill which is never used to be done if any other days passages should have intervened between And therefore it would not be amiss now once for all to observe the cause and ground why the House of Commons did so often at this first meeting of this Parliament Adjourn it self contrary to the usual practice both of former and latter times which was no other than the handling of that great and unusual business touching the Scotish Queen and leaving or forbearing to treat of other ordinary matters usual in the House For by this means it happened that the Original Letters and other proofs produced against the said Scotish Queen for the discovery of her being guilty of the Teason plotted by Ballard Babington and others being all first laid open and urged before the Lords in the Upper House and not at large discussed in the House of Commons till they had been derived unto them from the said Upper House by several Committees It was the only means and cause that the said House of Commons did for want of matter and imployment so often Adjourn it self Whereas usually at other times the passing of Bills with the matter of Subsidy and publick grievances being first debated in the said House and from them derived to the Lords their Lordships are often necessitated in the beginning of each Parliament for want of like imployment to Adjourn themselves On Thursday the third day of November to which day the Parliament had been on Monday the 31 th day of October foregoing last adjourned M r Speaker shewed unto the House that he received Commandment from my Lord Chancellor from her Majesty to signifie unto them that her Highness was sorry this House was troubled the last sitting thereof with the matter touching the chusing and returning of the Knights for the County of Norfolk a thing in truth impertinent for this House to deal withal and only belonging to the Charge and Office of the Lord Chancellor from whence the Writs for the same Elections issued out and are thither returnable again And also that her Majesty had appointed the said Lord Chancellor to confer therein with the Judges And so thereupon examining the said Returns and the Sheriff touching the matter and circumstances of his proceedings in the said Elections to set down such course for making the true Return as to Justice and Right shall therein appertain Two Bills had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for Orford-Haven had its first reading and the second being the Bill touching Inrollments had its second reading One of the House offering to speak to this Bill M r Vice-Chamberlain stood up and shewed unto this House that having matter of most great importance to deliver unto this House from her Majesty he was so bold with their good favours for this time to interrupt the Speech intended to the said Bill by the Gentleman that offered to speak to the said Bill and so then shewed that her Majesty thinking that all those of this House which were lately in the higher House when the Lord Chancellor declared the cause of her Highnesses summoning of this Parliament could not hear the same and also that many of the Members of this House now here present were not then come up or returned commanded him to deliver unto
Mr. Recorder of London making a large and plentiful discourse of the ancient priviledges and liberties of this House furnished with recital of sundry Precedents and examples and lastly coming down to the matter in hand sheweth that Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Lord Chief Justice of the Commons Pleas told him this morning that the said Lord Chancellor and the Judges had resolved that the said first Writ ought to be returned and had so given order to the Sheriff and Clerk of the Crown And that he thereupon answered the said Sir Edmund Anderson again that the censure thereof belonged unto this House and not unto them and that he for his part would take no notice thereof at their hands of their so doing but only by way of instructions and not otherwise And so concluded with the allowance of the good course and order of this House in setting down and entring the said Judgement accordingly as before Mr. Vice-Chamberlain shewed unto the House that according to their appointment he hath been an humble suitor unto her Majesty on the behalf of this House for access there to be had unto her Highness to exhibit their Petition unto her Majesty And that her Majesty thereupon hath very Graciously granted to hear them at the Court upon to morrow next between one and two of the Clock in the Afternoon signifying also unto them further that her Majesty having heard that the Lords do appoint them twenty of themselves of the Higher House to attend her Majesty also for the same purpose so her Highness thinketh meet that forty of this House were likewise appointed for this House which She thinketh to be a sufficient number but is nevertheless well pleased if the House shall think good to send a more or greater Number at their discretions but leaveth the same to their own considerations Which her Majesties most Gracious Favour as the whole House did take it in most joyful and dutiful part So did they then desire the said Mr. Vice-Chamberlain that he would in the name of this whole House present unto her Majesty their most humble and dutiful thanks for the same her Highnesses most gracious clemency and great loving kindness towards them Which so to do the said Mr. Vice-Chamberlain told them he purposed God willing in the Afternoon of this present day And these were appointed by this House to attend upon her Majesty to morrow at the Court as many of the former Committees as would whose names see at large on Friday the 4 th day of this instant November foregoing and also Sir Henry Barkeley Sir William Mohun Sir Edward Dymocke Sir Thomas Jones Sir Henry Bagnell Sir Andrew Nevill Sir Henry Knyvet Mr. Farmer Sir Edward Osborne Mr. Henry Bromley Mr. Ralph Horsey Mr. James Croft and Mr. Tasborough then added unto them which done upon a Motion that for as much as the Knights for the County of Norsolk and the Burgesses for all the Boroughs within the same County saving only the Citizens for the City of Norwich were returned and certified into this House this present day and not before the Petition might therefore be read again in this House in the presence of the same Knights and Burgesses to the intent that they being made privy thereof might also yield their Assents to the same Petition whereby the rather the same being for a matter of so great moment might in very deed be the Action of the whole House then being possessed and consisting of all the Members thereof the same Petition was read by the Clerk and well liked of agreed unto and allowed by the voices of the said Knights and Burgesses upon the question thereof unto them made in that behalf by Mr. Speaker And afterwards Mr. Vice-Chamberlain made a motion that Mr. Speaker be put in remembrance by this House besides the residue of his reasons to be shewed to her Majesty for maintenance of the parts of the said Petition to urge if need be to her Majesty the matter and necessity of the late Instruments of Association respecting especially the Consciences of a great number of her Highnesses good and Loyal subjects which cannot be dispensed with by Laws whereupon request was so made by the House to Mr. Speaker accordingly Mr. Treasurer shewed that yesterday he and others of the Committees in the great Cause presented unto the Lords in the Upper House the Request of this House unto their Lordships to have the said Petition entred and recorded in the Upper House there to remain as an Act. Whereunto their Lordships assented and willed that the same might first be ingrossed in Parchment and so delivered to their Lordships this present Forenoon shewing further That the Clerk of this House then had the same already ingrossed and exact accordingly but that the same could not that day be sent to their Lordships for that their Lordships did not sit this Forenoon and therefore he said it must be delivered at some other time And so then the House did rise and this Court was adjourned till Monday next following Memorandum That in the Afternoon of this present day the said Petition ingrossed was delivered into the hands of the Lord Chancellor by the Appointment of Mr. Speaker and so lest with his Lordship On Saturday the 12 th day of November although the House of Commons sate not any part of the day in their proper place yet in the Afternoon according to her Majesties direction sent unto the House yesterday by Sir Christopher Hatton her Vice-Chamberlain John Puckering Serjeant at Law their Speaker with all the Privy Council and divers other Members of the said House whose Names see before on Friday the 4 th day and on Friday the 11 th day of this instant November last past repaired to her Majesty unto the Court there to joyn with Sir Thomas Bromiey Lord Chancellor and twenty Temporal Lords of the Upper House in presenting a certain Petition which had been agreed upon by both Houses unto her Highness for the speedy Execution of Mary late Queen of Scots according to that just Sentence which had been pronounced against her And to move her Majesty thereunto the said Speaker of the House of Commons did use many excellent and solid reasons which were all found in a certain Memorial written with his own hand being as followeth Unless Execution of this just Sentence be done 1. Your Majesties Person cannot any while be safe 2. The Religion cannot long continue amongst us 3. The most flourishing present State of this Realm must shortly receive a woful Fall 4. And consequently in sparing her your Majesty shall not only give courage and hardiness to the Enemies of God of your Majesties self and of your Kingdom but shall discomfort and daunt with despair the hearts of your loving People and so deservedly provoke the heavy hand and wrath of God And that summarily for the reasons ensuing First forasmuch as concerns the danger of your Majesty Both she and her Favourers think
faithful and loving Subjects an inestimable blessing of God unto her Majesty than in their riches abilities and forces rehearsing this Sentence fide quà m ferro tutiùs regnant Reges He also said that for matter of other affair not of this House he had cause even now very lately to be with the Lords and perceived by some of them that the Lord Chancellor also to Morrow did repair to the Court with twenty others of the Lords at the least And therefore it were very necessary also that M r Speaker also did in like sort go with these of this House And further moved that M r Speaker might be furnished with sufficient reasons to be by himself propounded unto her Majesty in the name of this House for her satisfaction in Answer to the said Message and so not to expect reasons to be objected unto him by her Highness for that he said he knew very well her Majesty looked for these reasons of satisfaction at their hands by way of propounding and not only by way of Answering Whereupon the House did then rise and this Court was Adjourned till Friday next in the Forenoon On Friday the 25 th day of November M r Grice hearing it reported as he shewed that the French Embassadour lately arrived is appointed to have access unto her Majesty to Morrow at the Court and fully perswading himself for his part that the said Embassadour cometh not for any good either to her Majesty or to the Realm and knowing that their manner is in such Cases to be attended for the most part with a Company of Rascals and basest sort of People of their Nation and all the rabble of them accustomed to thrust into the presence of the Prince with their Master moved That for the better safety of her Majesties most Royal Person from peril of any desperate attempt of any of the said French it would please those of this House of her Highness Privy Council to procure that the said Embassador might both be heard and also receive his answer at the hands of her Majesties Council and in no wise to have access unto her Highnesses Person M r Vice-Chamberlain shewed that at the last conference of the Committees of this House with the Lords this matter was remembred and considered of amongst them And that the Lord Chamberlain and others at the Court about her Majesty were already appointed to take order for it accordingly M r Serjeant Gawdie and M r Attorney General do bring word from the Lords That where their Lordships according to some former direction had purposed presently to have sent for this House to have attended their Lordships for Prorogation of this present Parliament their Lordships being set had sithence received Letters of her Majesty by which her Highness signified her pleasure to have the same Parliament yet continued two or three days longer for certain weighty considerations moving her Majesty thereunto whereof their Lordships commanded them to advertise this House and further to signifie unto this House that their Lordships had thereupon Adjourned the said Parliament in their House until Friday next and so then the said M r Serjeant Gawdie and M r Attorney departed Which Message being afterwards declared unto this House by M r Speaker this Court was also adjourned until Friday next in like manner On Friday the 2 d day of December upon a motion this day renewed on the behalf of the Inhabitants of the Borough of Grantham in the County of Lincolne touching a Writ brought against them by Arthur Hall Esquire whereby he demandeth wages of the said Inhabitants for his service done for them in attendance at sundry Parliaments being Elected and returned one of the Burgesses of the said Borough in the same Parliaments for as much as it is alledged that the said Arthur Hall hath been heretofore disabled by this House to be at any time afterwards a Member of this House and also that in some Sessions of the same Parliaments he hath neither been free of the Corporation of the said Borough and in some other also hath not given any attendance in Parliament at all It is ordered that the examination of the state of the Cause be committed to the Right Honourable Sir Walter Mildmay Knight one of her Majesties most Honourable Privy Council Chancellor of her Highnesses Court of Exchequer Sir Ralph Sadler Knight one other of her Majesties most Honourable Privy Council and Chancellor of her Highnesses Dutchy of Lancaster Thomas Cromwell Robart Markham and Robert Wroth Esquires to the end that after due examination thereof by them had if it shall so seem good to them they do thereupon move the Lord Chancellor on the behalf of this House to stay the granting out of any attachment or other Process against the said Inhabitants for the said Wages at the suit of the said Arthur Hall And the said Committees also to signify their proceedings therein to this House at the next sitting thereof accordingly Vide November 21. antea Mar. 22. postea M r Serjeant Gawdie and M r Attorney General do bring word from the Lords that their Lordships do desire that M r Speaker and this whole House do presently repair unto their Lordships into the Higher House Which being then signified unto the House by M r Speaker all the House thereupon repaired thither presently accordingly Prorogued to the 15 th day of February But this Parliament was not at this time Prorogued but only adjourned by the Lords Commissioners appointed upon Saturday the 29 th day of October foregoing and therefore M r Fulk Onslow at this time Clerk of the House of Commons is exceedingly mistaken in this place and M r William Onslow his Kinsman who supplied his place in the next meeting of this Parliament doth likewise erre in setting down the beginning or commencement of the said new meeting upon the foresaid 15 th day of February being Wednesday where he stileth it a Session of Parliament holden by Prorogation whereas it was neither new Parliament nor new Session but a meer new meeting of one and the same Parliament And that these were two new meetings and not two Sessions it is most plain by the very words touching the Adjournment thereof entred in the original Journal-Book of the Upper House in manner and form following viz. On Friday the second of December Commissionarii Reginae adjournaverunt praesens Parliamentum usque in decimum quintum diem Februarii prox Secondly There was not any one Act that did pass at the end of this first meeting which I conceive is an inseparable accident unto every Session of Parliament Thirdly and lastly It is very plain that this Adjournment was of the like nature and upon the like occasion with that in the last Parliament in Anno 27. Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1584. viz. because Christmass drawing near the Members of either House might have liberty to recede into their several Countries for the better relief of the Poor and maintenance of
made by M r Speaker to the House for giving leave to M r Dillington a Member of this House to depart into his Country for his service there which was then granted The Bill for Regrators of Barley had its second reading and a Proviso to the same Bill presently after that was twice read and the Bill was committed unto Sir Henry Cock M r Salkington M r Alford M r Aldersey and others and the Bill and Proviso was delivered to the said Henry Cock who with the rest was appointed to meet upon Monday next in the Afternoon in the Guild Hall On Munday the 6 th day of March the Bill for continuance of Statutes with the Proviso was read the second time and committed unto all the Privy Council of this House M r Sollicitor Sir William Moore Sir Thomas Browne and others who were appointed to meet to morrow in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The Bill for Orford-Haven was upon the second reading committed unto Sir Robert Jermin and others to meet to Morrow at the Guild Hall The Bill for bringing in of Fish into this Realm was upon the second reading committed unto M r Recorder M r Sandes M r Grice M r Dalton the Burgesses of the Cinque-Ports and others who were appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon at the Guild Hall and the Committees also for the Bill of Ingrossers to meet at the same time and place Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer moved that the Bill for the Purveyors should be further considered by the Committees this Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber and further he moved that the Committees would at the same time and place meet for the further consideration of the benevolence that was offered to her Majesty in respect of the great charges her Majesty is to sustain in the Low Countries Mr. Gresham hath Licence to depart into his Country This day William White was brought into the House to answer his contempt for arresting of Mr. Martin a Member of this House who answered that he caused him to be arrested the 22 d day of January which was above fourteen days before the beginning of the Parliament The House ordered that the Precedents should be sought and thereupon proceeding should be had according to the direction of the House and referred to the report of Mr. Morrice Mr. Recorder Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Alford On Tuesday the 7 th day of March the Bill for the Subsidy was read the third time and before the rising of the House this morning was sent up to the Lords by Mr. Treasurer and others The Bill for the Attainders was brought in again by the Committees with a Proviso for M r Inglefeild Item another Proviso for the Lord Lumley The Bill was brought in again by the Commit tees for Purveyors with Amendments which Bill with the Amendments was upon the second reading committed to be ingrossed The Bill for restraint of Horse-Stealing and other Beasts sent from the Lords by M r Serjeant Gawdie and Mr. Attorney had its first reading and was delivered to Mr. Morrice It is Ordered That Edward Fisher now remaining Prisoner in the Fleet shall be brought to this House to Morrow to Answer such things as shall be objected against him Vide on Thursday the 9th of March following Mr. Stoverd Burgess for Woodstock hath leave to depart about his necessary business Sir Thomas Scott and his Son have leave to depart On Wednesday the 8 th day of March Mr. Stoughton and Mr. Wallop had Licence from the House to depart Three Bills of no great moment had each of them their first reading of which the first was a Bill for the true performance of the last Will of Sir James Harvey The Bill for Confirmation of Attainders brought in again by the Committees and now again upon divers reasons upon the reservations committed to the former Committees and all that will may come to the Committees Vide the said Committees on Saturday the 25 th day of February foregoing The said Committees to meet this Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber This day the Bill for Orford-Haven was brought in again by the Committees Nota There was a former Bill for Orford-Haven in the County of Suffolk read in the first meeting of this Parliament and committed on Monday the 7th day of November last past which it seemeth being disliked by the said Committees was rejected and a new Bill brought in again this second meeting of the same upon Friday the 24th day of February foregoing and lastly committed again after the second reading upon Monday the 6th day of this instant March last past Upon a Motion made by Sir John Higham that it were convenient to have the Amendment of some things whereunto Ministers are required to be sworn and that some good course might be taken to have a learned Ministry it was thought sit that some convenient number of this House might be appointed to confer upon some reasonable Motion to be made unto her Majesty for redress in these things Whereupon these persons ensuing were appointed viz. All the Privy Council of the House Sir John Higham Mr. Sollicitor Mr. Recorder Mr. Dr. Lluen Sir Henry Cock Sir Robert Jermin Mr. Doctor Cosins Sir Thomas Browne Mr. Brograve Mr. Beale Mr. Fortescue Mr. Richard Browne Sir William Moore the Master of the Requests Mr. Wroth Mr. Morrice Mr. Conisby Mr. Tasborough Mr. Fanshaw Mr. Hastings Sir Richard Knightley Mr. Bronker Mr. Amersham Mr. Hearly Mr. Francis Baker Mr. Stanhop Sir Walter Rawleigh Mr. Saunders Mr. Thomas Farmer and Mr. William Fleetwood Thomas Stampe Esquire one of the Burgesses for Wallingford in the County of Berks is licensed by Mr. Speaker to be absent for his necessary affairs On Thursday the 9th day of March Thomas Hudson Esquire Burgess for the Town of Barnstable in the County of Devon ' is for his necessary affairs licensed to depart also for the Service of her Majesty to be imployed in causes of Musters with the Earl of Bath her Majesties Lieutenant of the said County The Bill for Orford-Haven with the Amendments brought in by the Committees was by the House Ordered to be ingrossed Two Bills also had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill for Fines was read the second time and committed with the Bill for Errors in Fines unto Mr. Serjeant Snagg M r Sollicitor Mr. Lewkenor and others to meet this Afternoon at two of the Clock at Serjeants-Inn Hall in Chancery-lane The Bill for Confirmation of Attainders was brought in again by the Committees with the Addition which being twice read was Ordered by the House to be ingrossed Vide the said Committees on Saturday the 25th day of February foregoing This day Edward Fisher by vertue of her Majesties Writ was brought into the House to Answer divers his misdemeanors as well for indirectly taking away as imbezelling certain Evidences remaining in a Cubbard which was locked and sealed up by Mr. Recorder and others Vide on Tuesday
of this House Sir Robert Jermin Sir John Higham Sir Thomas Brown Sir William Moore Mr. Francis Hastings Mr. Cromwell Sir John Harrington Mr. Recorder Mr. Beal These Members of the House touching whose Commitment Mr. Cromwell moveth were sent unto the Tower on Thursday the 2 d day of this instant March foregoing for whose liberty Sir John Higham had also moved before on Saturday the 4 th day of the same Month last past The Bill for errors in Records of Attainders was read the second time with the amendments and upon the motion was ordered to be ingrossed On Tuesday the 14 th day of March the Bill for confirmation of the Subsidy granted by the Clergy was thrice read and passed upon the question The Bill against buying of Wares by strangers was upon the second reading committed unto Mr Aldersey M r Saunders M r Harris and others who were appointed to meet upon Tuesday next in Serjeants-Inn Hall in Chancery Lane The Bill for Curriers was read the second time and committed to the Committees aforesaid and to Mr. Recorder Mr. Beale Mr. Salkingston and others and the Bill was delivered to Mr. Salkingston The Bill for fraudulent Conveyances by Traytors was upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Sollicitor Mr. Harris Mr. Wroth Mr. Conisbie and others and the Bill was delivered to Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer one of the said Committees who with the rest was appointed to meet in the Exchequer Chamber this Afternoon The Bill for payment of Sir Gerrard Croker his debts was brought in again by the Committees being amended after the same was ingrossed and passed upon the Question The Bill for Horse-stealing was read the third time with the amendments and additions and dashed upon the question Mr. Attorney and Mr. Doctor Carew do bring from the Lords two Bills of which the first was for the Sale of Thomas Hanfords lands Three Bill of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being an Act for the more speedy and due execution of certain Branches of the Statute of 23. of her Majesty to keep her Majesties Subjects in due obedience was read the first time Two Bills were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons whereof the first was the Bill for the Subsidy of the Clergy Nota That there is no mention made of the sending up of these two Bills in the Journal-Book of the House of Commons which happened through the negligence of M r William Onslow at this time supplying the place of the Clerk of that House and therefore it is supplyed out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House On Wednesday the 15 th day of March two Bills of no great moment had each of them their first reading whereof the first was the Bill of Fines for abridging Proclamations The Bill for payment of Hanfords debts was twice read and committed unto Mr. Morrice Mr. Cromwell Mr. Sollicitor Mr. Comptroller and others and the Bill was delivered to Mr. Comptroller The Bill for delay of Execution in Writs of Errors was thrice read and upon some arguments upon the Bill again committed unto Mr. Vice-Chamberlain Mr. Chancellor Mr. Wolley Mr. Cromwell and others who were appointed to meet this Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber Nota. That this Bill was committed after the second reading upon Monday the 27 th day of February foregoing and now again as it seemeth upon the third reading which is not usual by reason of some dispute that rose about it Two Bills were sent up to the Lords this day of which the first was touching errors in records of Attainders of High Treason and the second for repealing of a Statute touching Fish made in Anno 13 Reginae Eliz. The sending up of these two Bills is not at all mentioned in the Journal-Book of the House of Commons which happened in this place as in divers others of this second meeting of this present Parliament through the inexperience and negligence of Mr. William Onslow who supplied the place of Mr. Fulk Onslow Clerk of the said House being detained from thence by sickness and therefore it is supplyed out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House On Thursday the 16 th day of March the Bill for Recusants was upon the second reading committed unto all the Privy Council of this House Sir Robert Jermin Sir John Higham Sir William Moore and others who were appointed to meet this Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The Bill against delay of Execution by Writs of Error being put to the question upon the third reading by the division of the House the same was dashed The Bill for to take away one Proviso made 13 o of the Queen for Deeds Grants c. was dashed upon the question but after what reading it was dashed it doth not appear yet it is probable it was upon the second reading it having been read the first time upon the Wednesday immediately foregoing The Bill for confirmation of Leters Patents from her Majesty under the great Seal of England c. was twice read and committed to be ingrossed The Bill for making of Cloths in Suffolk was upon the second reading committed unto Sir Robert Jermin Sir John Higham Sir William Moore Mr. Cromwell and others and the Bill was delivered to Sir Robert Jermin who with the rest was appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon in the Guildhall M r Edward Penruddock M r Sprynt M r Richard Lewkenor and M r Gyles Estcourt have leave to depart but upon what reasons or grounds the House gave them leave is very negligently omitted On Friday the 17 th day of March the Bill for Fines with Proclamation was upon the second reading committed to be ingrossed The Bill for Avenon was upon the second reading committed to M r Vice-Chamberlain M r Chancellor M r Woolley Sir Robert Jermin and others who were appointed to meet to morrow in the Afternoon in the Exchequer-Chamber A Proviso added to the Bill of Fines was twice read and ordered to be ingrossed The Bill for Errors in Fines brought in by the Committees with the Amendments was twice read and committed to be ingrossed A Saving to Hanford's Bill was twice read and committed to the former Committees The Bill brought in again by the Committees against Recusants with a Proviso and Amendments also twice read The Bill for continuance of Statutes was read the third time and passed not upon the Question A Proviso also added to the same Bill that no person shall put in Sureties upon any Information was twice read and committed unto Mr. Recorder Mr. Glanvile Mr. Harris Mr. Wroth Mr. Philipps Mr. Morley Mr. Fansham Mr. Hare and Mr. Jones who were appointed to meet at the Middle Temple Hall this Afternoon at four of the Clock Nota That it is not expressed in the Original Journal-Book whether this Bill passed upon the third reading or not but it is most probable that the House did defer to give their assent unto
it until the foresaid Proviso should likewise have its third reading and that which further confirms the not passing of it at this time is because upon Monday the 20 th day of this instant March following divers Committees were appointed to go up unto the Lords and to confer with them about this said Bill Sir George Hastings hath pardon of his absence this Parliament Two Bills had each of them one reading of which the last being a Bill against Extortion of Sheriffs was twice read and committed unto M r Philips Mr. Harris Mr. Wroth Mr. Cromwell and others who were appointed to meet in the Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall On Saturday the 18 th day of March Four Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill for Recusants with the Proviso was read the third time and passed upon the Question Mr. Speaker declared to the House from her Majesty That she thanked God understanding of their great love unto her in regard of her charges sustained in the Low-Countries and that her Majesty was contented this Afternoon that some convenient number of them should have Audience before her Majesty Whereupon these persons were appointed by the House all the Privy-Council of this House Sir Robert Jermin Sir John Higham Sir Henry Cock Sir Thomas Browne Mr. Fortefoue Master of the Requests Sir John Peter Sir William Moore Mr. Wroth Mr. Tasborough Mr. Markham Mr. Revel and Mr. George Moore Vide concerning this business on Saturday the 11 th day of this instant March foregoing The Proviso that persons Arrested by Informers may appear by Attornies was read the third time and passed upon the question Mr. Wingfield was brought into this House to Answer his misdemeanor against Mr. Walton a Member of this House for that as Walton informed Mr. Wingfield did offer to draw his Weapon upon him and gave evil Language which Mr. Wingfield denied and said for that his Brother ..... was slain by ..... of Walton and Walton being an Accessary to that Murther he said he could not well take it and knew not what might happen Whereupon Mr. Speaker exhorted him to remit all that was past seeing that he had taken the course of Law for his Brothers Death unto which Exhortation Mr. Wingfield yielded and so was discharged The Bill for payment of Fishers Debts was sent from the Lords with a Proviso and Amendments which were thrice read and assented unto by the House upon the Question Two Bills were brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons the first touching Exemplifications and Constats of Original Conveyances made to the Queens Majesty and the second for limitation of time touching Writs of Error upon Fines and Recoveries The sending up of these two Bills is not at all mentioned in the Journal-Book of the House of Commons which happened in this place as in divers others of this second meeting of this present Parliament through the inexperience and negligence of Mr. William Onslow who supplied the place of Mr. Fulk Onslow Clerk of the said House being detained from thence by sickness and therefore it is supplied out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House On Monday the 20 th day of March Three Bills of no great moment did each of them pass upon the Question after the third reading of which the first was the Bill to prevent Extortion in Sheriffs and Under-Sheriffs c. for Executions The House appointed divers to go up to the Lords to confer with them about the Bill for continuance of Statutes who were as followeth Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr. Attorney of the Wards Mr. Morrice Mr. Saunders Sir William Moore Mr. Cromwell Mr. Hare and Mr. Francis Bacon Vide concerning this Bill on Friday the 17 th day of this instant March foregoing The old Committees appointed on Wednesday the 15 th day of this instant March foregoing in the Bill for the payment of Hanfords Debts were to meet this Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall and the Bill which came from the Lords and the new Bill drawn by the said Hanford which was once read were both delivered to M r Comptroller being one of the said former Committees Six Bills were sent up to the Lords the first touching the Sale of Edward Fishers Lands the second for the more speedy and due Execution of certain Branches of the Statute made in the twenty third year of the Queens Majesties Reign Intituled an Act to retain the Queens Majesties Subjects in their due obedience the third for continuance of Statutes the fourth to prevent Extortion in Sheriffs Under-Sheriffs c. the fifth for abridging of Proclamations to be made upon Fines levied in the Court of Common Pleas and the sixth to avoid fraudulent Assurances made in certain Cases with a Proviso annexed and Amendments Nota That the sending up of these six Bills is not at all mentioned in the Journal-Book of the House of Commons and therefore it is supplied out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House On Tuesday the 21 th day of March the Bill for exemplifying Letters Patents was read the third time and passed upon the question The Bill new brought in for the payment of Hanfords Debts he himself being present assented to it and did subscribe every leaf with his own hand whereupon the Bill was read twice and Ordered to be ingrossed The Bill to avoid fraudulent Conveyances made in certain Cases by Traytors was sent down from the Lords to the House of Commons Two Bills also of no great moment were sent up from the said House to the Lords The sending up of these two Bills to the Lords or the sending down the first Bill to the Commons is very negligently omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons and are therefore inserted as the like was done Yesterday and upon divers other dayes out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House The Bill for payment of Hanfords Debts was read the third time and passed upon the question The Bill for breeding of Horses in the wast grounds of Devon and Cornwall was read the second time A Proviso offered by Mr. Conisbie to be inserted into the same Bill which being read the Bill and the Proviso were dashed upon the Question whether they should be ingrossed or no. The Bill for the continuance and perfecting of divers Statutes was sent from the Lords to the House of Commons by Serjeant Gawdie and Doctor Carew A new Bill also for the sale of Thomas Hanfords Lands was sent up to the Lords as it should seem by Mr. Treasurer and others The mutual sending of these two Bills from either House to other is very negligently omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons and is therefore inserted out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House An Order delivered by M r Cromwell Entred by consent of the House WHereas upon complaint made to this House upon Monday the 21 th
day of November in the first meeting of this present Parliament on the behalf of the Borough of Grantham in the Country of Lincoln against Arthur Hall Gentleman that the said Arthur Hall had Commenced Suits against them for Wages by him demanded of the said Borough as one of the Burgesses of the Parliament in the Sessions of Parliament holden the thirteenth fourteenth eighteenth and twenty third years of the Reign of our Soveraign Lady the Queens Majesty wherein it was alledged that the said Borough ought not to be charged as well in respect of the negligent attendance of the said Mr. Hall at the said Sessions of Parliament and some other offences by him committed at some of the said Sessions as also in respect that he had made promise not to require any such Wages the Examination of the said cause on the second day of December in the last Session mistaken for Meeting of this Parliament by Order of this House was committed unto Sir Ralph Sadler Knight Chancellor of the Dutchy Sir Walter Mildmay Knight Chancellor of the Exchequer Thomas Cromwell Robert Markham and Robert Wroth Esquires This day report was made by the said Committees that not having time during the last Session of Parliament mistaken for Meeting to examine the circumstances of the cause they had in the mean Season by their Letters advertised my Lord Chancellor that the said cause was committed unto them and humbly requested his Lordship to stay the issuing forth of any further Process against the said Borough until this Session of Parliament mistaken for Meeting which accordingly his Lordship had very honourably performed And the said Committees did further declare that having during this Session of Parliament mistaken for Meeting sent for Mr. Hall declared unto him the effect of the complaint against him they had desired him to remit the said wages which he had demanded of the said Borough whom they found very conformable to condescend to such their request and that the said Mr. Hall then affirmed unto them that if the said Citizens of the said Borough would have made suit unto him he would upon such their own Suit then remitted the same so was he very willing to do any thing which might be grateful to this House and did freely and frankly remit the same which being well liked of by this House it was by them this day Ordered that the same should be entred accordingly On Thursday the 23 th day of March the Bill for the Queens Majesties most gracious general and free Pardon was sent down from the Lords by Serjeant Gawdie and Doctor Carew which having passed the House was sent back again this Morning unto their Lordships with another Bill which was for the continuance and perfecting of divers Statutes This day finally the Speaker with the rest of the House of Commons being sent for into the Upper House and thereupon repairing thither two Commissions under the Great Seal were read by the first of which her Majesty being absent gave her Royal Assent to ten several Acts or Statutes which passed at this time and by the other this Parliament was dissolved Nota That all this days Passages are supplied out of the Upper House Journal THE JOURNAL OF THE House of LORDS An Exact and perfect Journal of the Passages of the House of Lords in the Parliament holden at Westminster Anno 31 Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1588. which began there after one Prorogation of the same on Tuesday the 4 th Day of February and then and there continued until the Dissolution thereof on Saturday the 29 th Day of March Anno Domini 1589. THE Queens Majesty soon after that her wonderful and glorious Victory which God Almighty had given her Navy over that vainly stiled Invincible Armado sent against her Realm of England by the Spanish King summoned this her High Court of Parliament to begin on Tuesday the 12 th day of November that present year 1588. and the 30 th year of her Reign that so by common Advice and Counsel she might prepare and provide against the inbred malice of that Prince and Nation Sir Christopher Hatton Knight her Majesties late Vice-Chamberlain being made Lord Chancellor in the room and stead of Sir Thomas Bromley Knight who having been sick a great part of the last Parliament dyed in April following Anno 29 Regin Eliz. Anno Domini 1587. But other occasions of some importance requiring the deferring of the said Assembly her Majesty Prorogued the same in manner and form following Memorandum That whereas the Queens Majesty by her Writ summoned her Parliament to begin and to be holden at Westminster this present Tuesday being the 12 th day of November her Highness for certain great and weighty Causes and Considerations her Majesty specially moving by the advice of her Privy Council and of her Justices of both her Benches and other of her Council learned did Prorogue and adjourn the said Parliament until the 4 th day of February next by virtue of her Writ Patent sealed with the Great Seal and bearing date the 15 th day of October last past Whereupon at this said 12 th day of November the Archbishop of Canterbury Sir Christopher Hatton Lord Chancellor William Lord Burleigh Lord Treasurer the Earl of Huntingdon the Bishop of London and three other Barons repaired to the Parliament-Chamber commonly called the Upper House and there in the presence of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses summoned to the said Parliament declared That her Highness for divers good causes and considerations her specially moving by her Highnesses said Writ had Prorogued the said Parliament from this said first summoned day until the 4 th day of February next Whereupon the Writ for the said Prorogation in the presence of all that Assembly was openly read by the Clerk of the Upper House in haec verba ELizabetha Dei gratiâ Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Regina fidei Defensor c. Praedilectis fidelibus nostris Praelatis Magnatibus Proceribus Regni nostri Angliae ac dilectis fidelibus nostris Militibus Civibus Burgensibus dicti Regni nostri ad praesens Parliamentum nostrum apud Civitatem nostram Westmonasterii 12 die Novembris proximè futuro inchoand ' tenend ' convocatis electis vestrum cuilibet Salutem Cùm nos pro quibusdam ardnis urgentibus negotiis nos statum defensionem dicti Regni nostri Angliae Ecclesiae Anglicanae concernentibus dictum Parliamentum nostrum ad diem locum praedictos teneri ordinaverimus ac vobis per separalia Brevia nostra apud Civitatem diem praedictum interesse mandaverimus ad tractand consentiend concludend ' super hiis quae in dicto Parliamento nostro tunc ibidem proponerentur tractarentur Quibusdam tamen certis de causis considerationibus nos ad hoc specialiter moventibus dictum Parliamentum nostrum nsque ad in quartum diem Februarii prox ' futurum duximus
th day of March Three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill touching Cordwayners and the third concerning Curriors were both of them upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Alford Sir William Moor Mr. Grafton Mr. Thomas Knyvet and others who were appointed to meet upon Saturday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Guildhall M r Treasurer one of the Committees in the Bill touching Mortmain bringeth in the Bill with Amendments and in the name of himself and the residue of the Committees prayeth the present two readings of the same Amendments and thereupon the same Amendments were twice read accordingly M r Doctor Awberry and M r Doctor Cary do bring word from the Lords that their Lordships desire that the Committee of this House which was with their Lordships the last day might now be sent to their Lordships for that now their Lordships have charge from her Majesty to make them Answer And thereupon the names of the Committees being read they were then presently sent to the Lords and the Bill for maintenance of the Haven of Orford was then also sent up to their Lordships by M r Vice-Chamberlain and the residue of the said Committees Whereupon M r Treasurer one of the Committees in the Bill touching the gaging of Casks c. having shewed their meeting about the same yesterday and moved for another time of Conference about the same and that being appointed upon Saturday next being the 8 th day of this present March in the Guildhall at two of the Clock in the Afternoon It was Ordered that the Brewers and such others as shall think good may then and there be heard before the said Committees what they can say After which M r Vice-Chamberlain with the residue of the Committees being returned from the Lords do shew that her Majesties gracious pleasure is that this House according to their Suits and Petitions have access to her Majesty at the Court between two and three of the Clock in the Afternoon of this present day by their Speaker accompanied only with ten more of this House besides himself and two of the same ten to be of her Majesties Privy Council being Members of the same House And thereupon were appointed for that purpose M r Vice-Chamberlain Sir John Parrot Sir William Moor Sir George Cary Sir Henry Cobham Mr. Morrice Mr. Cook Mr. Francis Hastings Sir Richard Knightley Sir Henry Grey with further Order of this House that Mr. Speaker do in his Speech to her Majesty make most humble Petition and Suit to her Highness in the name of the whole House that her Majesty would vouchsafe her most gracious favour to the allowanee of the said Bills touching the abuses of Purveyors and the Process and long Pleading in the Exchequer lately passed this House and sent up to the Lords and that this House would willingly and most gladly have taken in the passing of the same Bills any such other course whatsoever as they might have any way known to have stood with her Highness good liking and pleasure Vide concerning these matters on Saturday the 15 th day on Monday the 17 th day and on Thursday the 27 th day of February foregoing as also on Tuesday the 4 th day of this instant March last past and on Saturday the 8 th day and on Monday the 17 th day Tuesday the 18 th day Thursday the 20 th day On Friday the 7 th day of March Four Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the third being the Bill for relief of Thomas Haselrigg Esquire was read the first time And thereupon it was Ordered upon a Motion that Mr. Thomas Drury Gentleman should come into this House and be heard Who thereupon was brought in and heard accordingly Vide concerning this matter on Friday the 21 th day of February foregoing and on Tuesday the 18 th day and on Wednesday the 19 th day of this instant March ensuing as also on Friday the 21 th of the same Month. The Amendments in the Bill touching the Free Grammar School of Tunbridge in the County of Kent were twice read And Andrew Fisher Gentleman after the reading of the said Amendments being brought into the House did presently give his assent unto the said Bill And then the Bill upon the Question was Ordered to be ingrossed M r Vice-Chamberlain after many and long Arguments made to the said Bill both with and also against the same not only wisheth a deferring of further Argument therein at large until to Morrow but also sheweth that Mr. Speaker and those others that were appointed by this House to have access unto her Majesty yesterday in the Afternoon are to attend and wait upon her Highness this present day in the Afternoon at the Court after the Sermon for that her Majesty having been abroad yesterday in the Air had taken a little cold and therefore could not yesterday give them audience Which done M r Morrice offering to speak to the said Bill is referred therein till to Morrow The Bill against Forestalling Regrating and Ingrossing committed on Wednesday the 5 th day of this instant March foregoing is this day delivered unto Sir George Barne one of the Committees in the said Bill On Saturday the 8 th day of March Mr. Speaker shewed unto this House that he and those others of this House who were appointed to attend upon her Majesty had access unto her Highness yesterday in the Afternoon And that they received from her Majesty most comfortable and gracious Speeches in far better sort and measure than he was any way able to repeat or open unto them of her Highness great and inestimable loving care towards her loving Subjects yea more than of her own self or than any of them have of themselves And as to the parts of the present humble Petition of this House unto her Highness in the grievances by the Purveyers and in the Court of Exchequer It pleased her Majesty to tell them that for the one to wit the abuses of Purveyers her Highness of her own Princely care towards her Subjects had given order unto the late Lord Steward to address his Letters unto all the Shires of this Realm for the due inquiry and Certificate of the misdemeanors of Purveyors in all places for some courses thereupon to be had for convenient redress in the same And that before any Order could well be taken for accomplishing that good intended effect the Spaniards upon a suddain attempted the invasion of this Realm by reason whereof her Majesty said the said purpose was not performed And so shewing further that her Majesty having as much skill will and power to rule and govern her own Household as any Subject howsoever to rule and govern them without the help or aid of their Neighbours so her Majesty minding very carefully of her own more great love and affection towards her dutiful and loving
Subjects whose most faithful and approved good love and fidelity towards her she more esteemeth than all the Treasures of the world besides very shortly to cause a Collection to be made of all the Laws already in force touching Purveyors and also all the constitutions of her Highnesses Household in that case and thereupon by the advice of her Judges and her Learned Council to set down such a Form and Plot for the said Redresses yea and that before the end of this present Session as shall be as good and better for the ease of the Subjects than that which this House had attempted without her Privity and in which they would have bereaved her Majesty the Honour Glory and Commendation of the same And touching the Exchequer she said it was her Chamber and so more near unto her than the Household And that in the tenth year of her Raign her Majesty had caused certain Orders and Constitutions to be set down for the due and fit course of such things in the said Court as her Subjects seem to be grieved for Vide concerning this matter on Saturday the 15 th day on Monday the 17 th day and on Tuesday the 27 th day of February foregoing as also on Tuesday the 4 th day and on Thursday the 6 th day of this present March The Committees in the Bill for the Pier of Dover and Hartilpool appointed to meet this day on Friday the 28 th day of February foregoing are defered till Monday next in the Afternoon at two of the Clock in the former place M r Serjeant Shuttleworth and M r Doctor Awberry do bring from the Lords two Bills of which the first was an Act for the maintenance of Houses of Husbandry and Tillage with commendation of the same Bills to the good consideration of this House to be dealt in by the House with all convenient speed that may be M r Morrice and divers other Members of this House arguing to the Bill last read yesterday it afterwards in the end passed upon the question M r Edward Cook Esquire one of the Burgesses returned into this House for the Borough of Alborow in the County of Suffolk is for his necessary affairs licensed to depart On Monday the 10 th day of March Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill touching Writs of Covenant c. was read the third time and a Proviso for the Lord Powes and Sir Edward Herbert and their Heirs was thrice read and after many Speeches both with the Bill and against the Bill the said Bill was dashed upon the question The Bill against Pluralities and Non-Residents lately passed this House was sent up to the Lords by M r Treasurer and others who returning again from thence with the said Bill shewed that their Lordships would be ready for them half an hour hence and willed them then to come again Upon which report it was thought good to attend their said Lordships leisure therein half an hour hence accordingly And afterwards the said Bill was sent up by the said M r Treasurer and others The Bill for the maintenance of the Pier of Dover with a Note of the Committees names are delivered to M r Wroth one of the Committees in the same who were appointed on Friday the 28 th day of February foregoing The Bill for granting of four Fifteenths and Tenths and two entire Subsidies to her Majesty being ordered upon the question to be read was then read for the third reading and passed upon the question accordingly On Tuesday the 11 th day of March the Bill for relief of the City of Lincoln was upon the second reading committed unto M r John Stubbs the Burgesses of Norwich the Burgesses of York and others who were appointed to meet to Morrow at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber M r Treasurer one of the Committees in the Bill for repairing of Dover-Haven appointed on Friday the 28 th day of February foregoing shewed that the said Committees have met and travailed in the said Bill and do think good that concerning some things in the same there be a Conference prayed with the Lords and thereupon it was assented that the Bills last passed in this House should presently be sent up and withal to make that request also unto their Lordships accordingly After which the Bill touching Pleadings in Actions of Trespass under the value of forty shillings having had its last reading this Morning and passed the House was with the Subsidy Bill sent up to the Lords by M r Treasurer and others with Commission to pray Conference with the Lords touching the Amendments desired by this House to be made in the said Bill for Dover-Haven Three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill concerning the bringing in of salted Fish and salted Herrings was upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Treasurer Mr. Comptroller Sir John Parrot Mr. Vice-Chamberlain the Burgesses of Orford Alborow York Norwich Lincoln Lin and Barwick and others who were appointed to meet to Morrow at two of the Clock in the Exchequer Chamber M r Doctor Awberry and M r Doctor Cary do bring from the Lords the Bill lately passed this House for assurance to be made of the Jointure of Anne the Wife of Henry Nevill Esquire with some Amendments which their Lordships pray to be considered of by this House M r Treasurer and the residue returning from the Lords he shewed that they have had Conference with the Lords touching some parts of the said Bill for Dover-Haven and reciting some particularities of the same shewed that the Lords can like of such course of Amendment as by the said Committees of this House was moved unto them if the House shall think good to set down and require those Amendments And thereupon this form of amendment was assented unto by this House viz. linea 18. after the word And put out all that followeth unto these words be it in the 20 th line put out all from the end of the 20 th line unto this word that in the 30 th line Sir Edward Hobby M r Markham M r Buckley and Mr. Peter Evers were added to the Committees in the Bill for the City of Lincoln and the Bill with the names was delivered to Sir Edward Dymock one of the Committees On Wednesday the 12 th day of March Five Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill against Aliens and Strangers retailing of Foreign Wares was upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Vice-Chamberlain Mr. Comptroller Sir Robert Jermin Sir William Moor and others who were appointed to meet upon Friday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber Sir John Parrot one of the Committees for the Pier of Hartilpool brought in the Bill in the name of himself and the residue of the said
upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Vice-Chamberlain Sir Henry Knyvet Mr. Wroth and others and the Bill was delivered to Mr. Vice-Chamberlain who with the rest was appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon at two of the Clock in the Exchequer Chamber The Bill for relief of the City of Lincoln was brought in by Mr. Vice-Chamberlain one of the Committees in the same who shewed that they have met and conferred upon the same Bill and have amended it in four parts thereof and sheweth wherein leaving the same to the further proceeding of this House in the expediting thereof Mr. Vice-Chamberlain shewed that he and divers others of the Committees of this House met yesterday in Conference about the matter touching abuses of Purveyors and received all such Informations as were then delivered unto them which he said were very many and foul and some of them offered to be proved true in such sort as the same had been reported unto them and so moving this House to make choice of four of the Members of the same to be specially selected to attend upon the Lords in the said matter according to her Majesties said pleasure formerly signified unto them by Mr. Speaker Sir Henry Kuyvet Mr. Thomas Cromwell Mr. John Hare and Mr. Robert Wroth were thereupon nominated for that purpose and Ordered and assented that all the Members of this House might at their pleasure in the mean time of the said Conference so to be had with the Lords repair unto the said Sir Henry Knyvet Mr. Thomas Cromwell Mr. John Hare and Mr. Robert Wroth and to every or any one of them with such instructions either in writing or by information otherwise as they shall think fit for the better furnishing of the same Sir Henry Knyvet Mr. Cromwell Mr. Hare and Mr. Wroth with matter against the time of the said conference to be had with the Lords Nota That this House having formerly dealt in this matter and in reforming some exactions of the Exchequer had been forbidden by her Majesty to deal any further therein and yet afterwards upon some new considerations had leave for their further proceeding in the said matter as see before on Saturday the 15 th day and on Thursday the 17 th day and on Monday the 27 th day of February foregoing and on Tuesday the 4 th day Thursday the 6 th day Saturday the 8 th day and on Monday the 17 th day of this instant March last past Mr. Vice-Chamberlain one of the Committees in the Bill of Hue and Cry appointed on Saturday the 15 th day of this instant March foregoing shewed that in respect of other particular attendance committed unto him in her Majesties service elsewhere he could not be at the said Commitment this Afternoon and therefore prayed he may be excused and some other appointed in his stead Whereupon presently Sir John Parrot and the Master of the Wardrobe were added to the former Committees and the said Mr. Vice-Camberlain withdrawn And the Bill together with the names of the Committees was then delivered to the said Sir John Parrot On Wednesday the 19 th day of March the Bill concerning Glass-houses and Glass-Furnaces was upon the second reading committed unto Sir William Moore Mr. George Moore Mr. Markham and others and the Bill was delivered to Sir William Moore who with the rest was appointed to meet in the Exchequer Chamber at two of the Clock this Afternoon The Bill for the Lady Gressam was upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Cromwell Mr. Grafton Mr. Grimston Mr. Recorder of London and others who were appointed to meet in the Exchequer Chamber to Morrow in the Afternoon at two of the Clock The Bill against discontinuances in Writs of Error in the Courts of Exchequer and the Kings Bench was read the second time and upon further Motion was read again for the third reading thereof and so passed upon the question The Master of the Wardrobe one of the Committees in the Bill touching Leases of the Lands Parcel of the Possession of the Bishoprick of Oxford brought in the same Bill with report that the said Committees do think the same Bill not meet to be further dealt in by this House The Bill concerning Captains and Souldiers was read the second time and after the doubtfulness of the voices upon two several questions for the commitment thereof was upon the division of the House by the difference of thirty five Persons Ordered to be committed viz. with the Yea one hundred thirty one and with the No ninety six unto all the Privy Council being of this House Sir Henry Knyvet M r Wroth M r Lieutenant of the Tower M r North and others who were appointed to meet upon Friday next in the Exchequer Chamber at two of the Clock in the Afternoon Sir John Parrot one of the Committees in the Bill touching Hue and Cry brought in the Bill again with report that the Committees have met and conferred upon the same Bill and finding good Laws in force already touching that matter are of opinion that in respect also partly of the shortness of this Parliament likely to ensue the said Bill may be reserved to be further considered of in another Session Thomas Drurie Gent. being brought to the Bar was charged by M r Speaker in the name of this whole House with great and deep offences committed by him against the whole State of this House in general in having untruly reported and given out both to some of the Lords in the Upper House and also to divers others Persons elsewhere that he could have no justice in this House nor could himself be heard nor have his Witnesses in his Cause heard neither in the House nor before the Committees and also against divers Members of this House in particular in offering unto some of them great threats and to some others of them great sums of Money to speak in this House for him and not against him and likewise in using of hard Speeches both to some of them and of some of them to the great discredit wrong and prejudice both of the whole State of this said House in general and also of divers Members of the same in particular for that in very deed he had been heard at large both in this House and also before the Committees and for that likewise sundry of his misbehaviours towards divers Members of this House were directly proved in this House against him to the full satisfaction of this House in the same And so was required by M r Speaker to answer therein for himself Whereupon the said Thomas Drurie in very humble sort and good terms sought to excuse himself not directly acknowledging any the said offences but humbly craving pardon of this House if he had committed any such And then being sequestred the House till his said pretended Speeches of excuse and conditional form of craving pardon were considered of it was by divers of the Members of this House grieved
ingrossing thereof and so the Bill upon the question and division of the House was passed by the yielding of the negative Voices without going through with telling of the whole numbers on both sides and was sent presently up to the Lords by Sir John Parrot and a little after two other Bills the one to avoid Horse-stealing and the other touching forcible Entries were likewise sent up to the Lords by Mr. Treasurer and others The Bill against such as steal and imbezel the Goods Chattels or Treasure of her Majesty being put in trust with the same was read the first time The Bill that Aliens Children shall pay Strangers Customs was read the third time and a Proviso added unto it thrice read the Bill and Proviso upon the question and division of the House dashed with the Yea sixty four and with the No seventy four Mr. Doctor Cary and Mr. Powle do bring from the Lords the Bill for relief of the City of Lincoln with an Addition of this word yearly added to their former Amendments for the explaining of the same Amendments All which Amendments being thrice read were upon the question assented unto by this House Nota That this Bill was brought down from the Lords to the House yesterday and therefore it should seem upon some doubts the House made touching their Lordships Amendments it was carried back again and those Amendments explained by the word above-mentioned and so being brought down again this day the said Amendments were thrice read and passed the House On Saturday the 29 th day of March Mr. Doctor Stanhop and Mr. Powle do bring from the Lords the Bill lately passed this House for continuation and perfecting of certain Statutes with a Schedule unto the same added and annexed by their Lordships and the same Schedule being thrice read passed upon the Question The Bill for the relief of the City of Lincoln being perfected according to the Amendments of the Lords and the Bill also for continuance of Statutes with the Schedule to the same were sent up to the Lords by the Master of the Wardrobe and others The Amendments of the Committees of this House to the Bill against excess of Apparel was denied upon the Question to be opened unto the House The Bill against such as steal or imbezel the Goods Chattels or Treasure of her Majesty was brought in again by Mr. Harris one of the Committees in the same as not to be sufficiently considered of for lack of time the same Bill consisting of many parts Mr. Serjeant Puckering and Mr. Serjeant Shuttleworth did bring word from the Lords that their Lordships do pray present Conference with some twenty or more of this House to meet with their Lordships in the nether room of the Upper House and the rest not to depart until the return of the same Committees Whereupon were appointed for that purpose all the Privy Council of this House Sir William Hatton Mr. Wroth Mr. North Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower Mr. Wade Mr. Mills Mr. Juers Mr. Henry Grey Sir Edward Dymock Mr. Robert Bowes Mr. Harris Mr. Heydon Mr. Francis Moore Sir George Barne Mr. Robert Cecill Mr. Shirley Mr. Dyer Mr. Hare Mr. Ralph Bowes Sir Francis Hinde Mr. Preston Mr. White Mr. Hill Mr. Henry Brooke and the Master of the Jewel-House Mr. Treasurer in the name of the rest of the Committees did bring word from the Lords that their Lordships have had Conference amongst themselves of the great practices and Treasons heretofore intended against her Majesties Person State and Kingdom And therefore ..... What should here follow is wholly omitted by the great negligence of Mr. Fulk Onslow at this time Clerk of the House of Commons as also the Speeches of Mr. Vice-Chamberlain of Mr. Secretary Wolley of Sir John Parrot Mr. Comptroller and of Mr. Fortescue for the inserting of which said Speeches there is left a blank of near upon two whole Pages and yet it may be probably gathered what the scope and end of all the said several and respective Speeches were out of a question following which Mr. Speaker propounded at the end of them viz. That seeing most of all those Treasons which had been practised against her Majesty had been either Plotted in Spain or procured by Spain and all the Rebellions during her Highness Reign raised either in England or Ireland had been countenanced from thence to which as the upshot of all that his late intended ambitious and blood-thirsty Conquest yet fresh in memory may be added That therefore her Majesty would be pleased to denounce open War against him the said King of Spain as against a most dangerous Enemy of her Majesty and her Realms Upon the said Speeches Mr. Speaker maketh the question and thereupon it was resolved by the whole House for joining with their Lordships in request to her Majesty to be delivered by the Mouth of Mr. Speaker for concurring with their Lordships for denouncing of War against the King of Spain at the time of his going up with the Subsidy and after the offer and delivery of the same Subsidy Mr. Doctor Cary and Mr. Doctor Stanhop did bring from the Lords two Bills viz. The Act of the Queens Majesties most gracious and free Pardon and also the Act of four Fifteenths and Tenths and two Subsidies which had before passed this House The Bill of the Queens Majesties most general and free Pardon being once read passed thereupon Which said Bill so passed was presently sent up to the Lords by M r Fortescue and others Nota That this is all which is found in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons and therefore the Conclusion and Dissolution of this Parliament next ensuing are supplied out of that of the Upper House Her Majesty being as it should seem this very Forenoon come unto the Upper House and there set the House of Commons having notice thereof with Serjeant Snagg their Speaker repaired thither who after his delivery of the Bill of Subsidy did move her Majesty as may be very probably conjectured according to the former resolution had this day in the said House as aforesaid that her Majesty would be pleased to denounce open War against the Spanish King who had so lately threatned destruction to her Majesty and her Realms by that his not long since open and Hostile Invasion After which her Majesty having given her Royal Assent unto the passing of sixteen publick Acts and eight private Acts being all the Statutes that passed this Parliament Sir Christopher Hatton Knight Lord Chancellor by her Majesties Commandment Dissolved the same THE JOURNAL OF THE House of LORDS An Exact and perfect Journal of the Passages of the House of Lords in the Parliament holden at Westminster Anno 35 Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1592. which began there on Monday the 19 th Day of February and then and there continued until the Dissolution thereof on Tuesday the 10 th Day of April Anno Domini 1593. THERE is little extraordinary in
this Journal of the Upper House save only the return of divers unusual Proxies and a Speech used by her Majesty her self at the conclusion of the Parliament which also is supplied out of a certain Journal of the House of Commons very claborately taken by an Anonymus And Sir Christopher Haton the late Lord Chancellor being dead since the last Parliament whose death was occasioned from the grief he conceived at some harsh Speeches of her Majesty used unto him touching divers great sums due unto her from him Sir John Puckering her Highness Serjeant who had been twice before Speaker or Prolocutor of the House of Commons succeeded him in the full power and priviledges of his place though not in his title he having only the Stile of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England The Summons for this Parliament being Returnable upon this Monday the 19 th day of February it held accordingly the Queen coming privately by water accompanied with Sir John Puckering Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and many of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal There being present this day these Peers and others ensuing Archiepiscopus Cantuarien Johannes Puckering Miles Dominus Custos magni Sigilli Dominus Burleigh Dominus Thesaurarius Angliae Marchio Wintoniae Comites Comes Oxon. Magnus Camerarius Angliae Comes Darby Magnus Seneschallus Comes Northumbriae Comes Salopiae Comes Cantiae Comes Wigorn. Comes Cumberland Comes Sussex Comes Huntingdon Comes Bathon Comes Pembroke Comes Hartford Comes Essex Comes Lincoln Vice-Comes Bindon Episcopi Episcopus London Episcopus Dunelmen Episcopus Assaphen Episcopus Cestren Episcopus Covent ' Lich. Episcopus Lincoln Episcopus Petriburgen Episcopus Hertf. Episcopus Cicestren Episcopus Bangor Episcopus Wigorn. Episcopus Landaven Episcopus Salopiae Episcopus Bathon Wellen. Barones Dominus Howard mag Maresc ' Adm. Angliae Dominus Hunsdon Camerarius Reginae Dominus Strange Dominus Morley Dominus Stafford Dominus Grey Dominus Scroope Dominus Montjoy Dominus Sandes Dominus Windsor Dominus Cromwell Dominus Wharton Dominus Rich. Dominus Willoughby Dominus Sheffield Dominus North. Dominus Shandois Dominus St. John Dominus Buckhurst Dominus De la Ware Dominus Crompton Dominus Norris And the Queen and the Lords Spiritual and Temporal having on their Parliamentary Robes and having seated themselves in their several places The Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons had notice thereof and repaired to the Upper House Where contrary to the Ancient use and Custome they found the door shut upon them which happened by reason that divers of the House and others having gotten in privately before and filled up the place at the Bar or Rayl at the lower end of the said House Sir John Puckering Lord Keeper of the Great Seal by Commandment from her Majesty had already made some enterance into his Speech before the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses had any Notice of it who sate in their own House expecting to be called up to the said Upper House upon her Majesties coming But the door at length being opened by her Majesties Commandment about two of the Clock in the Afternoon as many as conveniently could were let in Where the Lord Keepers Speech was directly in these words following or not much differing from them He shewed in the first place as matter of Preface and Ornament not much material somewhat touching the Antiquity Nature and use of Parliaments Then he came to set forth as the principal matter which her Majesty did desire to have made known and manifest to all her loving Subjects the great Malice of the King of Spain which he had towards this Realm And that he shewed by sundry instances as his last Invasion intended his Forces then addressed out of the Low Countries for that purpose to have been conducted by the Duke of Parma And then he proceeded in the rest of his Oration verbatim or much to the intent and purpose sollowing The high and mighty Ships that then he prepared and sent for that purpose because he found them not fit for our Seas and such a purpose he is building of Ships of a less Bulk after another Fashion some like French Ships some like the Shipping of England and many hath he gotten out of the Low Countries He is now for the better invading of England planting him in Britanie a Country of more facility to offend us than the Low Countries there he hath fortified himself in the most strong Holds of that Country In Scotland he hath of late wrought most of the Nobility to conspire against their King to give Landing to his Forces there and to assist him in his Invasion thither A greater part of the Nobility in Scotland be combined in this Conspiracy and they have received great Sums of Money for their service therein And to assure the King of Spain of their assistance they have Signed and sent their promises sealed to the King This Conspiracy the King of Scots was hardly brought to believe but that her Majesty advertised him thereof having entertained Intelligence thereof as she hath of all things done and intended in those parts And that the King might better advise thereupon her Majesty hath sent one of her Noblemen now into Scotland and the King hath assured her Majesty with all his Ability and endeavour to prevent the Spaniard whose purpose is on the North parts to assault us by Land and on the South side to invade us by Sea which is the most dangerous practice that could be devised against us And now the rage of this Enemy being such his Forces joyned with other Princes his Adherents greater the charge of her Majesty for defence of her Realm both with Forces by Sea and Armies by Land hath been such as hath both spent the Contribution of her Subjects by Subsidies and what otherwise they have offered her and also consumed her Treasure yea caused her to sell part of her Highness's Crown And it is not to be marvelled how all this is consumed but rather to be thought how her Majesty could be able to maintain and defend this her Realm against so many Realms conspired against us Wherefore we her Majesties Subjects must with all dutiful consideration think what is fit for us to do and with all willingness yield part of our own for the defence of others and assistance of her Majesty in such an insupportable Charge Were the cause between Friend and Friend how much would we do for the relief one of another But the Cause is now between our Soveraign and our selves seeing there is so much difference in the Parties how much more forward ought we to be The Aid that formerly hath been granted unto her Majesty in these like Cases is with such slackness performed as that the third of that which hath been granted cometh not to her Majesty A great shew a rich grant and a long summ seemeth to be made but it is hard to be gotten and the summ not great which is paid
Her Majesty thinketh this to be for that the wealthier sort of men turn this charge upon the weaker and upon those of worst ability for that one dischargeth himself and the other is not able to satisfie what he is charged withal These things would be reformed by such as are Commissioners in this present service Her Majesty further hath willed me to signify unto you that the calling of this Parliament now is not for the making of any more new Laws and Statutes for there are already a sufficient number both of Ecclesiastical and Temporal and so many there be that rather than to burthen the Subject with more to their grievance it were fitting an Abridgment were made of those there are already Wherefore it is her Majesties Pleasure that the time be not spent therein But the principal Cause of this Parliament is that her Majesty might consult with her Subjects for the better withstanding of those intended Invasions which are now greater than were ever heretofore heard of And whereas heretofore it hath been used that many have delighted themselves in long Orations full of verbosity and of vain ostentations more than in speaking things of substance The time that is precious would not be thus spent The Sessions cannot be long by reason the Spring time 't is fit that Gentlemen should repair to their Countries the Justices of Assize also to go their Circuits So the good hours should not be lost in idle Speeches but the little time we have should be bestowed wholly on such businesses as are needful to be considered of And so willed them to Elect a Speaker As soon as the Lord Keepers Speech was ended the Clerk of the Parliament read the names of the Receivors and Triors of Petitions in French according to the ancient use and form which were as followeth viz. Receivors of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland Sir John Popham Lord Chief Justice of the Kings-Bench John Clynch one of the Justices of the Kings-Bench Francis Gawdy another of the Justices of the said Bench Doctor Awberry and Doctor Ford. They which will deliver Petitions are to deliver the same within six days next ensuing Receivors of Petitions for Gascoign and other parts beyond the Seas and the Isles Sir Edmond Anderson Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir William Perrian Lord Chief Baron and Thomas Walmsley one of the Justices of the Common-Pleas Doctor Cary and Doctor Stanhop And they which will deliver Petitions are to deliver the same within six days next ensuing Tryors of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland the Archbishop of Canterbury the Marquess of Winchester the Earl of Darby Lord Steward of the Queens Houshold the Earl of Sussex the Earl of Pembroke the Earl of Essex the Bishop of London the Bishop of Durham the Lord Howard of Effingham Earl Marshal and Lord Admiral of England the Lord Cobham the Lord Grey of Wilton All these or any four of them calling to them the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and the Treasurer and the Queens Serjeants when need shall require shall hold their places in the Chamberlains Chamber Tryors of Petitions for Gascoign and other parts beyond the Seas and the Isles the Earl of Oxford Great Chamberlain of England the Earl of Shrewsbury the Earl of Huntington the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Lincoln the Lord Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain to the Queen the Lord Lumley and the Lord Buckhurst These or any four of them calling unto them the Queens Serjeants when need shall require shall hold their places in the Treasurers Chamber Nota That all that which is set down touching the coming up of those of the House of Commons into the Higher House and the Lord Keepers Speech being before placed after the names of such Lords Spiritual and Temporal as were this day present is not found in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House but is here inserted partly out of the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons and partly out of another very exact Journal of that House which was in my Custody being very diligently observed and set down by some Anonymus who was a Member of the said House during this Parliament And I have always thought it most fitting in all these several Journals ever to refer the aforesaid Speeches the Presentments of the Speakers and such other Passages as are wholly handled and agitated in the Upper House to be set down as largely as by any good Authority they may in the Journal of the same to which they do most truly and properly belong and only for Orders sake to give a short touch or remembrance of them in the Journal of the House of Commons Finally at the Conclusion of this days business the Continuance of the Parliament is Entred in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House in manner and form following viz. Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex Mandato Dominae Reginae continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Jovis prox ' futurum On Thursday the 22 th day of February to which day the Parliament had been last continued the Queens Majesty her self came about three of the Clock in the Afternoon accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury Sir John Puckering Knight Lord Keeper of the Great Seal William Lord Burleigh Lord Treasurer of England the Marquess of Winchester and divers others of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being for the most part the very same that are by name set down to have been present on Monday foregoing the first day of this Parliament The Queen and the Lords being thus set the House of Commons had notice thereof who immediately thereupon came up with Edward Cooke Esquire the Queens Sollicitor into the Upper House whom they had Chosen for their Speaker or Prolocutor Which said Speaker being led up to the Bar at the nether end of the said House between two of the most Eminent Personages of the House of Commons who as soon as silence was made and the rest of the said House as many as could conveniently get in had placed themselves in the space below the said Bar spake as followeth YOur Majesties most loving Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons have nominated me your Graces poor Servant and Subject to be their Speaker This their nomination hath hitherto proceeded that they present me to speak before your Majesty Yet this their nomination is only as yet a Nomination and no Election until your Majesty giveth Allowance and Approbation For as in the Heavens a Star is but opacum Corpus until it have received light from the Sun so stand I Corpus opacum a Mute Body until your Highness bright shining Wisdom hath looked upon me and allowed me How great a Charge this is to be the Mouth of such a Body as your whole Commons represent to utter what is spoken Grandia Regni My small Experience being a poor Professor of the Law can tell But how unable I
we were so secure and never thought that the King of Spain would have set up his Rest for England Then sent he his Navy termed Invincible and was almost upon the Banks of us before we were aware Yea we were so slack in provision that it was too late to make resistance had not God preserved us His attempt against us by seeking to win the Low-Countries and to obtain Ireland being but trifles and partly devices which I mean not to trouble you with he hath now of late gone about to win France wherein he hath greatly prevailed as in Lorrain and in other parts as you have heard but specially in Britany having most part of the Port Towns in his Possession whither he still sendeth supply daily and reinforces them every four or five Months which part is always open and his men and forces never wanting This Province he especially desireth for it lyeth most fitly to annoy us whither he may send forces continually and there have his Navy in a readiness the which he could not so easily unless he had the wind in a bag Besides having this Province he might keep us from Traffick to Rochell and Burdeaux as he doth in the Straights from Tripoly and S t Jean de Lucc And so hinder us from carrying forth and bringing into this Land any Commodities from those parts whereby the Realm might be inriched and her Majesties Impost ever eased being one of the greatest Revenues of her Crown He hath also gone about with them of Stade and the King of Poland one of his own Faction and who by reason he cannot do in that Kingdom what he listeth he may not so easily command him to impeach or hinder our Traffick in those Eastern parts which if he could bring to pass you see how hurtful it would be to this Land But to descend yet lower into these latter Actions He hath seen it is but a folly to make Woodden Bridges to pass into Ireland therefore he hath found out a safer way and stronger passage into it by Land and that by Scotland which though it be not talked of on the Exchange nor Preached at Paul's Cross yet it is most true and in Scotland as common as the high-way That he hath procured unto him many of the Nobility It may be he hath sent thither no great Navy and that her Majesty would not suffer him to do yet do what she can some one Paltry Fly-Boat may escape her Majesties Ships and carry gold enough in her to make them Traytors and stir them to Sedition These things her Majesty understood before and Advertized the King thereof which the effect hath proved to be true For unless I be deceived the last Letter that came from thence might shew that the King is gone to make a Rode into the North and to bring back the Lord Bothwell and the Lord Huntley The King of Spain's malice thus daily increaseth against us and seeketh also to stir up Sedition amongst us by his Instruments The number also of Papists daily increaseth or at least wise becomes more manifest My advice is that you would consult how to withstand such imminent dangers which the greater they be the sooner they would be looked into and remembred Wherefore I would desire M r Speaker that he would appoint some Committees of the sufficientest and wisest men in the House to consider thereon Sir John Wolley spake to the like Effect saying that upon the Cause of the danger the Realm was now in and of the remedy his Speech should consist which he likened to a natural Body in which the more danger the principal Member was in the greater means there should be used for the preservation thereof Roan being made now Admiral of France by the League should say that he was a poor Admiral now but yet he doubted not ' but that shortly he should be able to bring such a Navy as should terrify the Queen of England Also he shewed how the Princes of the Holy League had conspired the overthrow of the Realm the extirpation of Religion and the confusion of her Majesty and her Loyal Subjects And exhorted the House now because the season of the year groweth on which calleth many of the Knights and Burgesses to be in their Countries besides the Sickness being in the Town so that many of that House he thought knew not whether they lodged in Houses infected or not that they would seek to dispatch and end the Parliament so soon as might be He also shewed how the Dunkirkers trouled our Fishermen in small Barks upon the Sea-coasts And so that this matter might be Committed to some of the sufficientest in the House He also exhorted the House to a speedy agreeing of a Subsidy which considering the dangers we were in and that it was for our own good as also for her Majesty's he hoped that no good Subject but would willingly agree to it Also he shewed that the Wars with the King of Spain had cost her Majesty a Million of Money but this he avouched that where it cost her Majesty one it cost the King of Spain three Then Sir John Fortescue spake and said They that spake before me spake sufficiently of the Authors of our trouble of the great danger which is now imminent insomuch that as it is come to that point now Non utrùm imperare sed utrùm vivere I will speak of nothing but that which concerns my Calling Her Majesty not being only careful for the preservation of Her own Realm but of her Neighbours also she hath not only defended her own Subjects from being invaded but also hath aided Strangers which wanted Money with whom otherwise it would have gone ill by this time both with them and ourselves Insomuch that the burthen of four Kingdoms hath rested upon her Majesty which she hath maintained with her Purse England France Ireland and Scotland For how could the French King at his first coming to the Crown have held out against those Leaguers had not her Majesty assisted him with her Men and Money which hath cost her Majesty about a hundred thonsand pound For 't is well known that the French King had not been able to withstand the Duke of Parma's coming into France had it not been for our Englishmen and Money As for the Low Countries they have stood her Majesty in yearly since she undertook the defence of them one hundred and fifty thousand pound All which her Majesty bestowed for the good of the Realm to free us from War at home Besides when her Majesty came to the Crown she found it four Millions indebted her Navy when she came to view it she found greatly decayed Yet all this hath discharged and thanks be to God is nothing indebted and now she is able to match any Prince in Europe which the Spaniards found when they came to invade as Yea she hath with her Ships compassed the whole world whereby this Land is made famous throughout all places
other to be offered to this House at some other more convenient time Nota That there is no other Speech touching this business particularly and fully set down in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons and therefore those Speeches which follow are supplied out of that Anonymous Journal of the same House of which there is more particular mention made in the very beginning of this present Journal M r Dalton stood up and spake with much earnestness against it saying It is hard upon a sudden for me to Answer a long premeditated Speech but as I am able I will say and shew what I think of the Bill Exhibited It pretends great things in shew tending to the hindrance of Gods service and the derogation of her Majesties Prerogative to the overthrow of our Laws and violating of our Liberties Things I say great in shew but no such things to be found in the matter spoke against It is easy to make of a Mole-Hill a Mountain in words so by a well compiled Speech to make a great and dangerous thing of nothing nay a thing indeed needless for that the State hath hitherto always stood upon this Government And so shewed how Ecclesiastical Government was distinct from the Temporal The Reasons he gave were few or none only his great dislike was that having received strait Commandment from her Majesty not to meddle with things concerning the Reformation of the Church and State of this Realm therefore in his opinion the Bill ought to be suppressed Sir John Woolley spake also against the Bill disallowing the matters in it And taking it as too busy a medling in such a thing so forbidden by her Majesty so he thought it not fit that it should be read Then spake Sir Francis Knowles allowing the Bill and Answered That whereas it was condemned as seeking the overthrow of a Member of the State and so against the Law it tended in his opinion but to the reforming of abuses and restraining of the Prelates That if they meddle against the Laws they shall incur a praemunire So that he thought the Bill to be good and fit to be read Then spake Doctor Lewen driving his Speech to a full Answer of M r Morris his Speech And first he shewed that as the natural Body was delighted in Change so was it also in the politick Body greedy of alteration That this Eversion of Bishops had long been sought for and in shooting at their Jurisdiction their aim was at their places as being no more able to stand the one without the other than a House without a Foundation Then he entred into a Discourse of Government as Monarchies Aristocracies and Democracies He allowed the Monarchies and in the most famous Monarchies in the World shewed this Government now exercised by the Bishops to have been used He endeavoured to prove the Bishops to be such a part of the Body politick as without them it could be no Body And in comparing it with the state of the Natural Body he termed the Prince and the Counsellors of State to be as the Senses and as the Head The Bishops and Ministers as the Shoulders and Arms the common people the Legs Now to take away the Shoulders from the Body were as great a blemish and prejudice as to have the Fingers tied unto the Shoulders Then came he to three parts of M r Morris his Speech Inquisition Subscription and binding absolution Inquisition he proved lawful First because it had been so long used and in the greatest Monarchies allowed For before Inquisition came in the manner of Tryal was by Accusation and then the party accusing was to suffer the penalty that the Law inflicted upon the party accused if he failed in his accusation Then it might be that the party accused if the Accuser failed in his accusation might sollicite two Witnesses to Answer for him which was sufficient to acquit him So the guilty escaped and the guiltless accuser was punished This seeming grievous they changed their Tryals into Inquisitions And whosoever reads Demosthenes and Tully shall see how unwillingly they were hired to accuse And if we look into the Laws of this Realm it is altogether by Inquisitions in Courts Baron Leets and in the Kings Courts and in the Star-Chamber So that this course is as lawful in the Ecclesiastical as in the Temporal Law Subscription was a thing we were bound unto by Statute The like was used in our Churches as at Geneva so as allowable here Absolution termed binding is no other than in the Common Law for in the Writ de Excommunicato capiendo the party absolved is to be sworn ad servandum jus and his Oath to perform the Law in this absolution is not grievous Whereas otherwise the party accused was to find pledges for the same Nay it is a liberty to him when upon his Oath he may be freed And so as to the Bill he thought it fittest that it should be first considered of by the Bishops and Judges of the Realm before it were read After this Mr. Henry Finch as may be conjectured out of the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons where though his Speech be omitted yet he is set down and nominated to have spoken next after Doctor Lewen spake also against the Bill much to that effect which the said Doctor Lewen had spoken But neither was his name expressed in the aforesaid Anonymous Journal out of which these several Speeches are transcribed nor yet any more particulars of that which he spake Then stood up Mr. Oliver S t John as may be collected out of the aforesaid Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons where he is said to have spoken next after Mr. Henry Finch although his Speech be wholly omitted as is his name in the said Anonymous Journal out of which the said Speech and the rest are inserted and speaking for the Bill said it is and hath been the manner of this House to allow a mixture in speaking and after the Grave Honourable and Wisest then to hear the meanest also For my self I am but young yet will I shew unto you matter which is old In Answer to them that spake last the Ancient Charter of this Realm says Nullus liber homo c. which is flatly violated by Bishops Jurisdiction You know what things Thomas Becket stood upon against the King which things are now also crept in And for more full Answer of one that spake before his Antiquity and prescription cannot be allowed in this Government for any reason for so were the Official prestitute to take and exact Fees because time out of mind they had done so And set it down that it was Answered in the Parliament House That Thieves may prescribe to take Purses on Shooters-Hill because time out of mind they had done so For that of Inquisition it seems to him specially that spake last to be allowed before that tryal by accusation First by reason of the Antiquity of the
themselves to join in Conference with the Committee of this House and have appointed the place to be in the Chamber next to the Upper House of Parliament and the time to be to Morrow at two of the Clock in the Afternoon And thereupon the Committee of this House appointed to have conferred amongst themselves for the matter of the Subsidy this present Afternoon in this House are appointed to defer their further consultation therein until the said other Committees of this House appointed for the said general Conference with the Lords shall have further acquainted this House of their travail and treaty to be first had with the said Committees of the Lords And also the meeting of the Committees in the Bill for reducing of disloyal Subjects to their due obedience is now signified to the same Committees to be held in the Afternoon of this present day in this place On Tuesday the 6 th day of March Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for Confirmation of Letters Patents granted to the Mayor Sheriffs Citizens and Commonalty of the City of Lincoln was read the second time Sir Edward Hobby one of the Committees for Returns and Priviledges shewed that for the Borough of Camelford in the County of Cornwall one Richard Leech was returned to the Sheriff for a Burgess by a false Return And that afterwards Sir George Carew Knight was returned Burgess by the true Return And alledging that the said Richard Leech offered to yield the place to Sir George Carew moved the Order of this House therein And thereupon M r Speaker was appointed to move the Lord Keeper in the said Case for this Order either in the allowance of the said Sir George Carew in the place of the said Richard Leech or else in awarding a new Writ for the chusing another at his Lordships pleasure And so for his Lordships Order in the Case of the Burgess returned for the Borough of Southwark in the allowance of Richard Hutton already returned or else in awarding of a new Writ for chusing of another at his Lordships pleasure And so also for his Lordships Order in altering the name of John Dudley to the name of Thomas Dudley in the Return of one of the Burgesses of Newtown in the County of Southampton or else to award a new Writ at his Lordships pleasure The Bill against Aliens born to sell by way of retail Foreign Wares brought into this Realm was upon the second reading committed unto Sir John Wolley Sir Edward Stafford Sir Robert Sidney M r Recorder of London and others who were appointed to meet upon Thursday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The Bill touching M r Read Stafford c. was upon the second reading committed unto M r Heyle Sir Edward Stafford Sir Henry Umpton Sir Thomas West and others who were appointed to meet upon Monday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Star Chamber M r Vice-Chamberlain putting the House in remembrance of their resolution yesterday for praying Conference with their Lordships touching the great dangers and necessary remedies to be considered of and which was then so signified unto their Lordships by the House which return from their Lordships of the time and place appointed by them for that Conference being at two of the Clock in the Afternoon this present day in the Chamber next to the Upper House of Parliament moved that it may be presently resolved in this House wherein and how far the said Committees of this House shall have Warrant to treat with the Committees of the Lords It was after many Speeches of sundry Members of this House very well delivered to divers effects and purposes resolved and agreed by the whole House upon the Question that the said Committees of the House should have Authority to confer with the said Committees of the Lords generally concerning the said dangers and remedies as occasion should serve But not in any manner of wise to conclude or resolve of any thing in the said Conference particularly without the further privity or assent of this whole House to be had in that behalf upon the report of the said Committees to be first made unto this House of their Proceedings in the said Conference to be had this present day as aforesaid Nota That there is no more found of this days Passages in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons although there be almost two pages left blank by M r Fulk Onslow at this time Clerk of the said House with intention doubtless at the first to have inserted them and therefore they are very largely and fully supplied out of the aforesaid Anonymous Journal very elaborately taken by some Member of the same House during this Parliament where it appeareth that after the aforesaid Speech of Sir Thomas Heneage her Majesties Vice-Chamberlain M r Oliver S t John spake next in the manner and form following M r Oliver S t John said he thought that M r Vice-Chamberlain did mistake the thing we agreed upon that we went not to confer with their Lordships in any thing that we had to deliver but to understand of things from them the Conference being offered from them and not from us Sir Walter Raleigh Answered M r S t John that he mistook M r Vice-Chamberlain and the thing agreed by the House for we agreed all to a general Conference but not in particular for the Subsidy for this we refused If we confer generally it must be of our dangers and of the remedies which must be by means if of means it must be of Money and Aid So our Conference must needs be of Subsidy or rather Aid but to agree upon this with any resolution either in the matter or substance it is not our meaning Sir Robert Cecill answered M r S t John that he mistaking M r Vice-Chamberlain did wrong him in saying he delivered the Message insufficiently or untruly and so would have the priviledge of the House and that it should be delivered by the Committees whether M r Vice-Chamberlain did report truly and if truly then M r S t John to answer it and so said Sir John Woolley The House having cleared Sir Thomas Heneage Vice-Chamberlain he said he would have no other satisfaction than to be cleared by the House And protested he thought no ill of the Gentleman but allowed him for speaking as he thought Sir Henry Umpton agreed to the Conference and was glad the last days No and this were so well concluded and moved that we might not be deprived of thanks to agree unto a treble Subsidy before we went to confer M r Frowick Grevill said There are two scruples in the House which I would gladly satisfy the one the priviledge of the House the other the poverty of the people For Precedents they are but Examples of things past Now every Example ought to be stronger than
certain places of aboad with the Amendments were first twice read and the Bill and Proviso upon the third reading passed upon the Question Sir Walter Raleigh one of the Committees in the Bill against Aliens retailing of Foreign Wares shewed the travels of the Committees and offereth unto the House the Bill with a Proviso And the Proviso being twice read the Bill and Proviso upon the Question were Committed again to the former Comittees and the Bill was delivered to M r Dalton one of the said Committees who were appointed to meet at two of the Clock in the Afternoon of this present day in the Exchequer Chamber On Monday the 26 th day of March Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last concerning Spinners and Weavers was upon the second reading committed unto M r Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir William Knowles Sir Moyle Finch Sir Francis Hastings and others and the Bill was delivered to Sir William Knowles who with the rest was appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon in the Exchequer M r Speaker shewed that he had received a Bill Signed by her Majesty for the Restitution in Blood of Sir Thomas Parrot Knight Son and Heir of Sir John Parrot Knight deceased lately attainted of High Treason Whereupon The Bill for Restitution in Blood of Sir Thomas Parrot Son and Heir of Sir John Parrot Knight deceased Attainted of High Treason was twice read M r Vice-Chamberlain one of the Committees in the Bill concerning Lands late Sir Francis Englefields Knight attainted of High Treason who had been appointed on Thursday the 22 th day of this instant March foregoing shewed that he and the residue of the Committees in the same Bill have met together and for certain things considered therein by them touching some Misprisions and imperfections both in sence and in writing have thought good that the said Committees of this House might upon a Motion to be made unto the Lords for Conference touching the said Misprisions and Imperfections have Conference with their Lordships therein for that the same Bill came from their Lordships Which upon that motion was assented unto by the whole House accordingly And immediately after the Bill for restraining Popish Recusants to some certain places of aboad lately passed with some amendments in this House which before came from the Lords and the Bill also for Confirmation of the Joynture of the Lady Margaret Countess of cumberland which likewise lately passed in this House and did also before come from the Lords were sent up to the Lords by M r Vice-Chamberlain and others with Order furthermore of this House to move their Lordships for the said Conference touching the said Misprisions and Imperfections in the Bill touching the said Lands lately the said Sir Francis Englefields The Bill for the bringing of fresh water to the Town of Stonehouse was upon the second reading committed unto Sir Francis Drake M r Edgecombe Sir Thomas Conisby M r Dalton and others who were appointed to meet to Morrow at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The Bill for the Haven of Plymouth and the Bill for the Inning of Plimpton Marsh were each of them read the second time and committed to the former Committees in the Bill for the Town of Stonehouse to meet at the same time and place and the Bills were both of them delivered to Sir Francis Drake one of the said Committees The Bill concerning the Lands of Henry late Lord Burgavenny had its third reading and the amendments were also read the third time and the Bill with the Amendments passed upon the Question The Bill touching the Assize of Fuel was upon the second reading committed unto M r Humphrey Conisbie M r Fanshaw M r Wroth and others and the Bill was delivered to M r Fanshaw who with the rest was appointed to meet this present day at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber M r Serjeant Owen and M r Doctor Ford do bring word from the Lords that their Lordships according to the request of this House have assented unto the Conference demanded touching the said Bill concerning the Lands late Sir Francis Englefields lately Attainted of High Treason and that their Lordships have appointed the time to be to Morrow Morning at eight of the Clock at the accustomed place The Bill to give liberty to the Lord Harowden to sell certain Lands for the payment of his debts had its first reading M r Serjeant Owen and M r Doctor Ford do bring word from the Lords that touching the amendments of this House in the Bill which first passed in the Upper House and was afterwards sent down unto this House for restraining of Popish Recusants to some certain places of aboad and then passed in the House with some Amendments and sent unto their Lordships this present day their Lordships do desire that these Committees of this House which are appointed to have Conference with their Lordships to Morrow touching the said Bill concerning the Lands late Sir Francis Englefields may also have Authority from this House at the same time and place to have Conference likewise with their Lordships touching the said Amendments of this House in the said Bill for restraining Popish Recusants to some certain places of aboad Which afterwards upon the Return of that Message made unto that House by M r Speaker was assented unto by the whole House accordingly and so signified also unto the said Mr. Serjeant Owen and Mr. Doctor Ford. On Tuesday the 27 th day of March Mr. Fuller one of the Committees in the Bill for repealing of a branch of a Statute made in quarto quinto Phil. Mar. intituled An Act touching the making of Woollen Cloath shewed the Travel of the Committees in the same Whereupon after some other speeches then moving the House the said Bill was recommitted to the former Committees who had been appointed on Wednesday the 14 th day of this Instant March foregoing to meet again this Afternoon The Bill touching the true and lawful Assizing of Bread was read the second time and upon the doubtfulness of the Voices whether it should be Ingrossed or no was upon the Question by the division of the House rejected with the difference of twenty seven Voices viz. with the Yea sixty five and with the No ninety two The Bill to make void the Spiritual Living of those that have forsaken the Realm and do cleave unto the Pope and his Religion was twice read and Ordered to be ingrossed The Bill against Strangers retailing of Foreign Wares was read the third time and after many long Speeches both with the Bill and against the Bill passed upon the Question by the division of the House with the difference of fourscore Voices viz. with the Yea a hundred sixty two and with the No eighty two Vide concerning this business on Tuesday the 6 th day on Tuesday the 20 th day Wednesday the
to the said Bill and sent it down to this House this House would thereupon then further do as shall appertain Mr. Robert Penruddock one of the Burgesses returned for the Borough of Milton for her Majesties Affairs and also for his own business is licensed by Mr. Speaker to depart home Three Bills lastly had each of them one reading of which the last concerning the over-length of broad-Cloth was read the third time and passed upon the Question On Monday the second day of April the Bill concerning Woollen-Cloths called Devonshire Kersies or Dozens was upon the second reading committed unto the Knights and Burgesses of Devon Mr. Serjeant Harris Mr. George Moore and others and the Bill was delivered unto Sir Thomas Dennis one of the same Committees who with the rest were appointed to meet at two of the Clock this Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber Six Bills were sent up to the Lords by Mr. Treasurer and others of which the first was the Act for Confirmation of the Subsidies granted by the Clergy and another touching the Lands of Sir Francis Englefield Knight Attainted of High Treason the residue being of no great moment Sir William Brunker one of the Committees in the Bill concerning Spinnersand Weavers who had been appointed on Monday the 26 th day of March last past shewed that the Committees had met and upon Conference amongst them thought good to make a new Bill And so bringing in both the old Bill and the new prayed the reading of the said new Bill The Bill for Explanation of a branch of a Statute made in the twenty third year of the Queens Majesties Reign Intituled An Act to retain the Queens Majesties Subjects in their due obedience with some Amendments to the same had its first reading Three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill against counterfeiting of Counsellors hands c. was read the third time and dashed upon the Question The Bill for relief of maimed Souldiers and Mariners was twice read and committed unto all the Privy-Council the Knights and Burgesses of London the Burgesses of York and others who were appointed to meet this Afternoon at two of the Clock in this House Nota That certain Members of the House were appointed to draw a Bill for the relief of maimed Souldiers and Mariners on Monday the 12 th day of March foregoing which Bill being so drawn was upon Saturday the 24 th day of the said March upon the second reading referred to certain Committees and was lately upon Wednesday the 28 th day of the same Month upon the Motion of Sir Robert Cecil one of the said Committees withdrawn out of the House and no further proceeded in and thereupon the aforesaid new Bill preferred this day and twice read M r Serjeant Owen and Mr. Doctor Carey do bring from the Lords the Bill for restraining of Popish Recusants to some certain places of a boad lately passed this House with some Amendments shewing that the Lords liking very well of the said Amendments have inserted those Amendments into the said Bill accordingly And that their Lorships have further thought good to add unto the said Bill a Proviso for Explanation of the Branch of the said Bill which concerneth the matter only of abjuration have passed the said Proviso and affiled the same to the said Bill and sent it down to this House to be also passed here if this House shall so think meet On Tuesday the third day of April the Bill concerning Spinners and Weavers was twice read and committed to the former Committees who had been appointed on Monday the 26 th day of March foregoing and Mr. Wroth and the Burgesses of York and Norwich were added unto them Sir Thomas Denis one of the Committees in the Bill concerning Devonshire Kerseys and Dozens appointed yesterday shewed the meeting of the Committees and that they have in some few things amended the Bill praying the reading of the said Amendments which being thereupon twice read the Bill upon the question was ordered to be ingrossed The Bill concerning Brewers was upon the second reading committed unto Sir Edward Dymock M r Stevenson the Knights and Burgesses for London M r Wroth M r Peak and the Burgesses for Oxon Cambridge Sandwich and Newcastle Under-line who were appointed to meet at two of the Clock this Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The Return of the Habeas Corpus cum Causa made by the Sheriff of the County of Darby for M r Thomas Fitzherbert Which short remembrance of this excellent Precedent how far on Outlawed man may be a Burgess of the Parliament is all that is found in the Original Journal-Book it self of the House of Commons And therefore because there was much debate concerning it this day as had been on divers other days foregoing viz. on Thursday the first day Friday the 2 d day Saturday the 17 th day and on Friday the 30 th day of March last past have caused it to be transcribed at large out of the often before-recited Anonymous Journal in manner and form following The House was informed that the Lord Keeper had sent the Record of Fitzherbert's Execution hither to the House The Chancery men who brought it were called into the House to the Bar and were appointed to read it ut Clerici And the House appointed the Writ sent out of Chancery to be annexed unto the Record The words of the Writ were Tibi praecipimus quòd capias corpus Tho. Fitzherbert quocunque c. Dat. apud Westm. 7 o die Martii 35 Eliz. The Sheriffs Return Deliberatum fuit hoc Breve 15. die Martii super c. sed ante adventum istius Brevis scilicet 3 o Februarii 35 Eliz. captus fuit Thomas Fitzherbert c. M r Dalton said The Return of the Writ being made unto another Court and the Record it self being in another Court we cannot be Judges of the matter nor enlarge the party And as for the Return methinks it therefore insufficient because it was not returned into this Court And I see not how we can be Judges of the Return For the number of voices in this Cause is not to be judged for Law whether it be a good Return or not for that which is Law will notwithstanding rest for Law for all our Voices Therefore I think that priviledge quae est privatio Legis in this Case could not be granted M r Brograve said As to the matter of priviledge the Cause to me is very doubtful because priviledges in these Causes are very rare and so the matter resteth in doubt This Court for its Dignity and highness hath priviledge as all other Courts have And as it is above all other Courts so it hath priviledge above all other Courts and as it hath priviledge and Jurisdiction too so hath it also Coercion and Compulsion otherwise the Jurisdiction is nothing in a Court if it hath no Coercion Therefore it seemeth unto me
it is in defence of the Religion of God of our most gracious Soveraign and of our natural Country of our Wives our Children our Liberties Lands Lives and whatsoever we have Wherefore not mistrusting your forwardness that I may not offend in too much enlarging of this point as a poor remembrance of her Majesty I shortly say to your Lordships quod justum est necessarium est nothing can be more just than this War nothing ought to seem more necessary than carefully to provide due maintenance for the same And to you of the House of Commons to the end you may orderly proceed and wisely consult of these weighty Causes delivered unto you her Majesties pleasure is you should according to your accustomed manner go down to the Lower House and there make choice of some grave wise and Learned man among you to be your Speaker who shall be for an understanding sufficient and for discretion fit as your Mouth to signify your minds and to make your Petitions known to her Highness and him on Thursday next to present in this place Nota that this foregoing Speech of the Lord Keeper is not found in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House but is supplied by me out of a Copy thereof lying by me which I conceive to have been very truely transcribed out of the Original and I have always conceived it most proper to refer this and such like other Speeches if warranted by any good authority to the Journal of the said Upper House because they are delivered in it and only for Order sake to have some short Memorial thereof in the Journal of the House of Commons As soon as the Lord Keeper had ended his Speech and the Knights Citizens and Burgesses were departed down to their own House the Clerk of the Upper House read the Names of the Receivers and Triers of Petitions in French which were as followeth viz. Receivers of Petitions for England Ireland France and Scotland Sir John Popham Lord Chief Justice John Clinch one of the Justices of the Kings Bench Francis Gaudy one of the Justices of the said Bench Dr. Carew and Dr. Stanhop Receivers of Petitions for Gascoigne and other Lands and Countries beyond the Seas and the Isles Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Willam Perriam Knight Lord Chief Baron Thomas Walmesley one of the Justices of the said Common Pleas Dr. Lewen and Dr. Cousins and they who will deliver Petitions to deliver them within six days Tryers of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Marquess of Winchester the Earl of Sussex great Marshal the Earl of Nottingham Lord Steward of the Queens Household and Lord Admiral of England the Bishop of London the Bishop of Winchester the Lord Cobham and the Lord North. All these Lords and Prelats or any four of them calling unto them the Keeper of the Great Seal and the Lord Treasurer and also the Queens Serjeants shall hold their place when their leisure serveth in the Chamberlains Chamber Tryers of Petitions for Gascoigne and other Lands and Countries beyond the Seas and the Isles The Earl of Oxford Great Chamberlain of England the Earl of Shrewsbury the Earl of Huntington the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Worcester the Lord Hunsdon Lord Chamberlain to the Queen the Lord Lumley and the Lord Buckhurst All these Lords and Prelats or any four of them calling unto them the Queens Serjeants and also the Queens Attorney and Sollicitor when their leisure serveth shall hold their place in the Treasurers Chamber The Lord Burgh absent being at this time Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord De la Ware absent because he made question of his place intending to make Suit to the Parliament concerning the same Dicto 24 o die Octobris viz. Primo die hujus Parliamenti Introductum est breve quo Archiepiscopus Eboracen ' praesenti Parliamento interesse summonebatur admissas est ad suum praeheminentiae sedendi in Parliamento locum salvo jure alieno 〈◊〉 brevia introduct sunt 4. Comitibus 10. Episcopis 5. Baronibus Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Jovis proximum futurum viz. 27 diem Octobris On Thursday the 27 th day of October the Queens Majesty repaired in the-Afternoon to the Upper House of Parliament accompanied with divers Lords Spiritual and Temporal who attended her Majesty this said day in the House being for the most part the same that are mentioned to have been present there on Monday the 24 th day of this instant October foregoing Of which the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons having notice M r Serjeant Yelverton being chosen Prolocutor or Speaker of the said House was by them brought into the Upper House and by the hands of Sir William Knolles Controller of her Majesties Houshold and Sir John Fortescue Chancellor of the Exchequer presented Who by a Speech full of Gravity and Modesty signifying the accomplishment of the Duty of the House of Commons in making an Election but excusing himself by pretence of many disabilities and imperfections and wishing earnestly he were of sufficiency to perform the Duty of that place made humble Suit to her Majesty that he might be discharged and that the said House of Commons might proceed to a new Election Which excuse was not allowed by her Majesty as the Lord Keeper delivered by Answer but the choice of the said M r Yelverton was by her Majesty very well approved and his sufficiency much commended He then proceeded in another Speech according to the manner to undertake that charge and to present to her Majesty in the behalf of the said House of Commons certain humble Petitions for access unto her Majesty in the behalf of the said House upon needful occasions and for the using and enjoying such Liberties and Priviledges as in former times had been granted and allowed by her Majesties Progenitors and her self Whereunto her Majesty making Answer by the Mouth of the Lord Keeper did yield her Gracious Assent with admonition that the said Liberties and Priviledges should be discreetly and wisely used as was meet Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem quintum Mensis Octobris On Saturday the 5 th day of November the Bill for the speedy satisfaction of her Majesty against Accomptants was read primâ vice Introductum est breve Thomae Domini Gray de Wilton quo praesenti Parliamento interesse summonebatur admissus est ad suum praeheminentiae sedendi in Parliamento locum salvo jure alieno The Earl of Lincoln's excuse by reason of sickness presented by the Lord Treasurer Thomas Lord de la Ware having petitioned the Queens Majesty for his Ancient and right Place of Precedence in and amongst the Peers in Parliament and her Majesty well allowing his said
named for that purpose M r Comptroller Sir George Carey Sir George Gifford Sir Thomas Conisby Sir Thomas Cecill Sir Henry Bromley Sir Francis Hastings Sir Edward Hastings M r Thomas Knivet M r George Moore Sir Edward Hobby Sir William Brereton Mr. Leonard Sir John Stacy Sir Henry Norris Mr. Francis Bacon Sir Edmund Carey Sir William Moore Mr. Recorder Mr. Francis Moore Mr. Edmond Boyer Sir Richard Knightley Sir Gervase Clifton the Knights for all Shires Sir Anthony Cope all Deputy Lieutenants of Shires being Members of this House Sir Henry Bamfield Mr. Oglethorp Mr. Miles Sandes Mr. Warwick Heyle Sir Henry Nevill Mr. Francis Foscue Sir William Woolgrave Sir William Aire Sir Henry Gawdie Sir Robert Southwell Mr. Lieutenant of the Tower Mr. Henry Finch Mr. Bourchier Mr. Boyes Mr. Attorney of the Dutchy Mr. Attorney of the Wards Mr. John Boyer Mr. Edward Lewkenor Mr. Robert Sackvile Mr. Tasbrough Mr. Francis Goodwyn Mr. Angier Mr. Emersam Mr. John Lees and Mr. Adrian Gilbert and appointed to meet in this House upon Saturday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon and the Committees names were delivered to Mr. Comptroller Two Bills had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for the due performance of the last Will and Testament of George Durant was upon the second reading committed unto Sir Edward Hobbie Mr. Francis Bacon Mr. Francis Moore Mr. Wimarke Sir Robert Wingfeild Mr. John Wingfeild Mr. Oglethorpe Sir Thomas Cecill and Mr. James Harrington who were appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Court at two of the Clock and the Bill was delivered to Sir Thomas Cecill one of the said Committees Sir Francis Hastings moved for the abridging and reforming the excessive number of superfluous and burthensom penal Laws Which Motion being seconded by Mr. Francis Bacon and others the consideration of the managing thereof was committed unto all the Privy-Council being Members of this House all the Serjeants at Law being likewise Members of this House all the Lawyers of this House Mr. Miles Sandes Mr. Tasbrough Mr. George Moore Mr. Lewkenor Mr. Nathaniel Bacon Mr. George Rotheram Mr. Stephenson Mr. Conisbie Mr. Dykes Mr. Crompton and others and all the Knights for the Counties and for the City of London returned into this House Sir William Moore Sir Edward Hobbie Mr. Heyle Sir Thomas Hobbie and Mr. Hubbard who were appointed to meet in this House upon Thursday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon Mr. Brograve Attorney of the Dutchy one of the Committees for the Examination of matters of priviledge and of Returns whose names see on Saturday the 5 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed that he and sundry others of the Committees had met together about those businesses according to the charge of this House in that behalf imposed upon them and that the other Committees did appoint him to make report unto this House of their travels in this said business And shewed that as concerning the Liberties and Priviledges of the Members of this House they are of opinion that the serving of the Subpoena upon Mr. Thomas Knivet one of the Members of this House signified by himself unto this House on Saturday immediately foregoing is a manifest contempt committed against this whole House to the apparent prejudice of the Liberties and Priviledges of this House as by some Precedents under the Clerk of this House his hand in like former Cases accustomed and shewed further unto the said Committees it did appear in that by reason of such Process served upon any Member of this House the same Member so served with such Process must needs of force be withdrawn from his Service in this House both in his mind and in his person by the meer necessity of following his own private business occasioned by the said Process so served upon him And therefore do resolve that the said Mr. Thomas Knivet ought to be freed from the serving of the said Subpoena And because the said Mr. Knivet affirmed unto the said Committees that the Parties that served the said Subpoena upon him did execute the same in very dutiful and lowly manner and that also the said party being examined by the said Committees did affirm and protest unto them that he did not know the said Mr. Knivet to be a Member of this House when he served him with the said Subpoena the Committees were of Opinion to have the said party remitted without any further punishment to be inflicted upon him for the same if this House should so think good and else not And where one Precedent in Quinto of Queen Mary was shewed unto the said Committees whereby it appeared that a Member of this place at that time being served with a Subpoena out of the Chancery in Parliament time was upon Declaration thereof made unto this House allowed to have the benefit and priviledge of this House and for the due accomplishment thereof this House did then send two Members of the same to the then Lord Chancellor of England requiring his Lordship in the name of this whole House to revoke the said Subpoena as by the same Precedent may appear he shewed that the resolution of the said Committees in this Case for the said Mr. Knivet is that in like manner two of the Members of this House may be sent by the Order of this House in the name of the whole House to the now Lord Keeper to require his Lordship to revoke the said Subpoena served upon thesai d Mr. Knivet if this House shall so think good And further as concerning Returns that he and the residue of the Committees had seen the Return of the Sheriff of the County of Dorset for the electing into this Parliament the Burgesses of the Borough of Weymouth and Melcomb Regis heretofore two distinct Boroughs but of late years united and incorporated into one by her Majesties Letters Patents with ability and priviledge nevertheless to elect four Burgesses into the Parliament as in former times they had used to do when they were distinct Boroughs And that the Mayor Bayliffs Commonalty and Burgesses of Weymouth and Melcomb Regis had upon the Sheriffs Precept directed unto them elected four Burgesses and returned them under the Seal of their Corporation and that the Bayliffs have elected two others besides which four Burgesses are certified into this House from the Clerk of the Crown and are sworn into the same House accordingly but the said other two Burgesses are neither certified nor sworn into this House neither elected by Precept from the said Sheriffs for any thing the said Committees could perceive And that therefore their Opinion was that the said four Burgesses so as aforesaid duly and orderly elected and returned should still continue Members of this House and not the other two so indirectly returned if it shall be so thought good unto this House for that the said two Burgesses if they find themselves aggrieved or injured in the
Town of Northampton Mr. Edward Mountague Sir Edward Hobbie and others And the Bill was delivered to Sir Thomas Cecill All which were appointed to meet at two of the Clock in the Afternoon of this day at Sir Thomas Cecill's House Sir Edward Hobby one of the Committees for the Information of Grants lately moved in this House in Ecclesiastical Causes moved for a new day of meeting Whereupon Monday next in the Afternoon was appointed for the same and to be in this House Nota That although her Majesty had formerly been exceeding unwilling and opposite to all manner of Innovations in Ecclesiastical Government yet understanding at this Parliament of divers gross and great abuses therein she had on Monday the 14 th day of this instant November foregoing not only given leave and liberty to the House of Commons to treat thereof but also had encouraged them to proceed in the reformation thereof by a Message brought unto the said House by Sir John Fortescue Chancellor of the Exchequer Whereupon the aforesaid Committee here mentioned by Sir Edward Hobby was appointed Touching whose further proceedings in the said matter see on Monday the 21 th and on Tuesday the 22 th day of this instant November ensuing The Bill for keeping of Horses from stealing was upon the second reading committed unto M r Hubberd Sir Robert Wroth M r Maynard M r Portington Sir William Brereton M r Henry Nevill M r Pennington and others And the Bill and Committees names were delivered to M r Hubberd who with the rest was appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall The Amendments in the Bill against Forestallers Regrators and Ingrossers were twice read and the Bill was committed to the former Committees who were appointed to meet on Monday the 7 th day of this instant November foregoing And there were added unto them M r Hext Sir Robert Wroth M r Francis Moore M r Litton M r Henry Maynard Sir George Carew M r Henry Hubberd all Barons of Ports and Sir Nicholas Parker who were appointed to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall And the Bill was delivered to M r Francis Moore and M r Lawrence Hide The Proviso which came from the Lords in the Bill from taking Clergy from certain Offendors and lately passed in this House and sent up unto their Lordships was three times read and passed upon the question M r Hext one of the Committees in the Bill for the Town of Langford Estover who were appointed on Thursday the 10 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed the meeting of the Committees and many Causes wherefore he thinketh the Bill very unmeet to have any passing in this House Whereupon none offering to speak for the said Bill the same was rejected upon the question for ingrossing The Bill for repeal of a Statute of the twenty third of the Queens Majesty Intituled An Act for encrease of Mariners and maintenance of Navigation had its first reading And after some Speeches both with the Bill and against it it was in the end passed upon the question Sir John Fortescue Chancellor of the Exchequer shewed unto the House that this Afternoon being appointed for two Commitments the one touching Monopolies and Patents of Priviledge and the other for the true Answering of the Tenths and Subsidies from the Clergy to her Majesty in both which himself is a Committee amongst others and that himself and M r Secretary Cecill are specially commanded to wait upon her Highness this Afternoon and therefore cannot attend the said Commitments and so moving for a new day of meeting wished the same to be upon Saturday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon Which albeit it was well liked of and yielded unto by some yet was it over-ruled by number of Voices That as concerning the said Monopolies and Patents of Priviledge the said Commitments should be continued to be held in the Afternoon of this present day in this House Vide plus touching this business on Tuesday the 8 th day of this instant November foregoing On Thursday the 17 th day of November Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last concerning the Lands and Debts of Sir Henry Unton Knight deceased had its first reading M r Thomas Jewks is added to the former Committees for Examination of Priviledges and Returns who were appointed on Saturday the 5 th day of this instant November foregoing and are to meet this Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall The Bill also for erecting of Houses of Correction and the punishment of Rogues and Sturdy Beggars was read the first time On Friday the 18 th day of November Twelve Bills had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill for erecting of Hospitals or abiding or Working-Houses for the Poor was upon the second reading committed unto Sir John Hart M r Recorder of London M r Tasbrough all the Readers of the Middle-Temple M r Boyce M r Henry Bellasis and others And the Bill was delivered with the Committees names to the said M r Boyce who with the rest was appointed to meet this Afternoon at two of the Clock in the Middle-Temple Hall M r Francis Moore one of the Committees in the Bill against Forestallers Regrators and Ingrossers who were appointed on Monday the 17 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed that the Committees have withdrawn out of the said Bill those points that concerned Corn Grain and other Victuals and have framed a new Bill for that purpose Intituled An Act to make void Contracts upon Ingrossing of Corn Grain or Victual which had its first reading And the old Bill for as much thereof as was not withdrawn was upon the question Ordered to be ingrossed Sir Francis Hastings M r Francis Bacon and M r Secretary moved touching the further preparing of the Bills for the re-edifying of Houses and encrease of Tillage Whereupon after some other Speeches it was resolved that the Committees therein should meet again for the same this Afternoon in this House The Bill against dying of Cloths with black Wood alias Logwood was upon the second reading committed unto the Citizens for London York Coventry Canterbury Bristol the Burgesses of Hull and Redding M r Finch and others And the Bill was delivered to Sir John Hart who with the rest was appointed to meet in the Guild Hall upon Tuesday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon M r Sherley one of the Committees for continuance of Statutes who were appointed on Friday the 11 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed that the greater number of the residue of the Committees being Yesterday imployed in sundry other Committees could not be present at the same Committee and so prayed another day of meeting Whereupon Monday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon was appointed at the former place viz. the Inner-Temple Hall The Bill to restrain the carrying of Worsted-Yarn
said Committees were appointed to meet in the former place at two of the Clock in the Afternoon of this day and the Bill with a note of the Committees names was then delivered to Mr. Comptroller And thereupon the meeting for the matter of Tillage was deferr'd from this Afternoon till to Morrow in the Afternoon Three Bills were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons by Mr. Comptroller Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer and others of which the two last were one for the establishing of the Town-Lands of Wanting in the County of Berks to the relief of the Poor c. And the last was the Bill for repeal of the Statute of the twenty third year of her Majesty Intituled An Act for encrease of Mariners and maintenance of Navigation The Bill concerning certain Lands of Sir John Spencer Knight Mary his Wife and Robert his Son was read the first time M r Winch one of the Committees in the Bill for keeping of Horses from stealing who were appointed on Wednesday the 16 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed the meetings of the Committees and sundry particulars of their Travels therein And that resting partly upon the Fairs in sundry Countreys to be certainly set down by those that best know the same Countreys the Bill was recommitted to the same Committees to meet at the former place upon Saturday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon Three Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for Arthur Hatch was upon the second reading committed unto Mr. Sandes Mr. Philips Mr. Crew Mr. Finch Mr. Francis Popham Sir Robert Wroth and others who were appointed to meet upon Thursday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall Mr. Finch one of the Committees for drawing of a Bill for the reformation of the abuses by Licences for Marriages without Banes shewed that some of the Committees have met at sundry times for the drawing of a Bill for that purpose and that himself hath by their appointment drawn such a Bill and shewed the same to such of the Committees as were assembled at their last meeting being but very few of them at that time and so leaveth it to the Choice of the House either to appoint another day for the meeting of another greater number of the said Committees that they may be acquainted with the substance of the same Bill or else to receive the same Bill into this House presently at their own good pleasure And thereupon he was required by this House to deliver in the said Bill which he then so did accordingly and delivered the same to Mr. Speaker On Wednesday the 23 th day of November Four Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill concerning Leases made by Archbishops and Bishops was upon the second reading rejected upon the question for commitment and so likewise upon the question for ingrossing The Bill for repealing part of the Charter granted to the Town of Yarmouth was upon the second reading committed unto Sir Robert Wroth M r Fulk Grevill all the Burgesles of the Port Towns and Knights for Norfolk and Suffolk Mr. Nathaniel Bacon and others who were appointed to meet on Friday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber M r Walgrave moved touching the Transporting of a great number of Herrings to Leghorn which occasioneth both a very great scarcity of Herrings within the Realm and is he saith a great means of spending much Butter and Cheese to the great inhancing of the prices thereof by reason of the said scarcity of Herrings And having drawn a Bill for redress thereof offered the said Bill to the House and delivered the same to M r Speaker accordingly Seven Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill for the speedy punishment of certain Felonies hereafter to be committed was upon the second reading committed to the former Committees for relief of Poor and punishment of Rogues c. whose names see before on Tuesday the 22 th day of this instant November foregoing and M r Wiseman M r Littell and M r Lea were added unto them And the Bill was delivered to Sir Robert Wroth who with the rest was appointed to meet this Afternoon in the Middle-Temple Hall M r Francis Moore one of the Committees in the Bill concerning the Lands and Debts of Sir Henry Vnton deceased who were appointed on Monday the 21 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed the meeting of the Committees and opening divers parts of the said Bill at large shewed further the adding of a Proviso which Proviso being twice read the Bill and Proviso were upon the question Ordered to be ingrossed Sir Thomas Cecill one of the Committees in the Bill for the Town of Northampton who were appointed on Wednesday the 16 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed the meeting of the Committees and some part of their travel and so delivered in the Bill referring the same to the further pleasure of this House And so the Bill upon the question was Ordered to be ingrossed M r Snagg one of the Committees in the Bill to restrain the Carriage of Worsted Yarn out of the City of Norwich and County of Norfolk unwrought who were appointed on Friday the 18 th day of this instant November foregoing shewed the meeting and travel of the Committees without concluding upon any thing And thereupon further day was given to the former Committees to meet again about the same upon Saturday next at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber and the Bill was delivered to the said M r Snagg Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Doctor Stanhop do bring from the Lords An Act passed with their Lordships concerning the confirmation and establishment of the deprivation of divers Bishops in the Beginning of her Majesties Raign with recommendation thereof from their Lordships unto this House Which being after their departure back again signified unto the House by Mr. Speaker it was shortly after found by Sir Edward Hobby that the said Act was not rightly and duely endorsed by their Lordships the same Indorsement being made above the Contents of the said Act which ought to have been made under it Whereupon the House being made privy thereof by Mr. Speaker Mr. Comptroller being accompanied with divers Members of this House was sent to the Lords with the said Act to signify the error and pray the Amendment Vide plus concerning this matter in fine hujus diei The Bill concerning Coopers was read the second time and upon the question Ordered to be ingrossed M r Comptroller and the residue returning from the Lords shewed unto this House that they have delivered the said Act together with the said Message of this House unto their Lordships according to the said charge given them by
brought him even made him one of the greatest Princes in Europe when her Majesties Forces there left him how again he was fain to Ransom a servile Peace at our enemies the Spaniards hands with dishonourable and servile Conditions For the Low-Countries how by her aid from a confused Government and State she brought them to an Unity in Counsel and defended them with such success in her Attempts against the greatest power of the Spaniards Tyrannical designs which have so much gauled him that how many desperate practices have been both devised consented to and set on foot by commandment of the late King his Father I need not shew you neither trouble you with Arguments for proof thereof being confessed by them that should have been Authors themselves But de mortuis nil nisi bonum I would be loth to speak of the dead much more to slander the dead I have seen her Majesty wear at her Girdle the price of her blood I mean Jewels which have been given to her Physicians to have done that unto her which I hope God will ever keep from her but she hath rather worn them in Triumph than for the price which hath not been greatly valuable Then he fell to perswade us because new occasions were offered of consultations to be provident in provision of means for our own defence and safety seeing the King of Spain means to make England miserable by beginning with Ireland neither doth he begin with the Rebels but even with the Territory of the Queen her self He shewed that Treasure must be our means for Treasure is the sinews of War Nota That the substance of this Speech is only here inserted as it was afterwards repeated in the said House upon Tuesday the third day of November which next ensued by Sir Robert Cecill her Majesties principal Secretary who had done it to satisfy divers Members of the same who could not get into the Upper House to hear it this first day of the Parliament as is aforesaid Now follow the Names of the Receivors and Tryors of Petitions out of the Original Journal-Book of the said House As soon as the Lord Keeper had ended his Speech and that such of her Majesties Privy-Council and others of the House of Commons as had privately got in and heard it were departed down to their own House Thomas Smith Esq Clerk of the Upper House read the Names of the Receivors and Triors of Petitions in French which were as followeth Receivors of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland Sir John Popham Knight Lord Chief Justice Francis Gawdy one of the Justices of the Kings Bench George Kingsmell one of the Justices of the Common Pleas D r Carew and D r Stanhop Receivors of Petitions for Gascoign and other Lands and Countries beyond the Seas and of the Isles Sir Edmund Anderson Knight Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir William Perriam Knight Lord Chief Baron Thomas Walmesley one of the Justices of the Common Pleas D r Swale and D r Howard They who will deliver Petitions to deliver them within six dayes Triors of Petitions for England Ireland Wales and Scotland The Archbishop of Canterbury the Marquess of Winchester the Earl of Sussex Lord Marshal of England the Earl of Nottingham Lord High Admiral of England and Steward of the Queens House the Earl of Hartford the Bishop of London the Bishop of Durham the Bishop of Winchester the Lord Zouch and the Lord Cobham All these or any four of them calling unto them the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and the Lord Treasurer and also the Queens Serjeants at their leisure to meet and hold their place at the Chamberlains Chamber Triors of Petitions for Gascoign and other Lands and Countries beyond the Seas and of the Isles The Earl of Oxford High Chamberlain of England the Earl of Northumberland the Earl of Shrewsbury the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Huntington the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Lincoln the Lord Hunsdon Chamberlain to the Queen the Lord Le Ware the Lord Lumley and the Lord Burleigh All these or four of them calling unto them the Queens Serjeants and the Queens Attorney and Sollicitor when their leisure did serve them to meet and hold their place in the Treasurers Chamber Then the Lord Keeper continued the Parliament which is set down in the Original Journal-Book in manner and form following Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Veneris proximè futurum viz. 30 m diem Octobris Nota That although there be some short mention made of the Presentment of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House yet because it is very imperfectly and briefly Entred there I have therefore supplied it somewhat largely out of a private Journal of the House of Commons On Friday the 30 th day of October about one of the Clock in the Afternoon her Majesty came by Water to the Parliament Chamber commonly called the Upper House and being Apparelled in her Royal Robes and placed in her Chair of State divers also of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being present the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons who had attended at the Door of the said House with John Crooke Esq Recorder of London their Speaker Elect the full space of half an hour were at last as many as conveniently could let in and the said Speaker was led up to the Bar or Rayl at the lower end of the same House by the hands of Sir William Knolles Knight Comptroller of her Majesties Houshold and Sir John Fortescue Chancellor of the Exchequer and presented to her Majesty to whom after he had made three low Reverences he spake in effect as followeth MOST Sacred and Mighty Sovereign Upon your Majesties Commandment your most dutiful and loving Commons the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Lower House have chosen me your Majesties most humble Servant being a Member of the same House to be their Speaker but finding the weakness of my self and my ability too weak to undergo so great a burthen I do most humbly beseech your Sacred Majesty to continue your most gracious favour towards me and not to lay this charge so unsupportable upon my unworthy and unable Self And that it would please you to Command your Commons to make a new Election of another more able and more sufficient to discharge the great service to be appointed by your Majesty and your Subjects And I beseech your most excellent Majesty not to interpret my denial herein to proceed from any unwillingness to perform all devoted dutiful service but rather out of your Majesties Clemency and Goodness to interpret the same to proceed from that inward fear and trembling which hath ever possessed me when heretofore with most gracious Audience it hath pleased your Majesty to Licence me to speak before you For I know and must acknowledge that
only for Order to leave some short Memorial of them in the Journals of the House of Commons Now follows the continuance of the Parliament out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House where it is Entred in these words viz. Dominus Custos magni Sigilli ex mandato Dominae Reginae continuavit praesens Parliamentum usque in diem Jovis quintum Mensis Novembris After which as is set down in the foresaid private Journal room being made the Queen came through the Commons to go to the great Chamber who graciously offering her hand to the Speaker he kist it but not one word she spake unto him and as she went through the Commons very few said God save your Majesty as they were wont in all great Assemblies and so she returned back again to Whitehal by Water Now follow the next days Passages out of the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House On Thursday the 5 th day of November to which day the Parliament had been last continued on Friday the 30 th day of October foregoing were two Bills read of which the first being for Assurance of Lands and the second for the restraint of the excessive and superfluous use of Coaches within the Realm of England were each of them read primâ vice On Saturday the 7 th day of November the Bill for Assurance of Lands was read secunda vice and committed unto the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Nottingham the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Cumberland the Earl of Lincoln the Lord Bishop of London the Lord Bishop of Durham the Lord Bishop of Winchester the Lord Zouch the Lord Cobham the Lord Grey the Lord Rich the Lord Howard of Walden and the Lord Chief Justice of her Majesties Bench the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas the Lord Chief Baron and M r Attorney General were appointed to attend their Lordships The Bill to restrain the excessive use of Coaches within this Realm of England was read secundâ vice and rejected Hereupon Motion was made by the Lord Keeper that forasmuch as the said Bill did in some sort concern the maintenance of Horses within this Realm consideration might be had of the Statutes heretofore made and Ordained touching the breed and maintenance of Horses And that M r Attorney General should peruse and consider of the said Statutes and of some fit Bill to be drawn and prefer'd to the House touching the same and concerning the use of Coaches And that he should acquaint therewith the Committees appointed for the Bill before-mentioned for Assurance of Lands Which Motion was approved by the House The Bill for the preservation of Pheasants and Partridges was read primâ vice On Tuesday the 10 th day of November Two Bills had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for preservation of Pheasants and Partridges was read secundâ vice and committed unto the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Nottingham the Earl of Northumberland the Earl of Derby the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Cumberland the Earl of Pembrook and divers others to attend the Lords Vide concerning this attendance of the Judges upon the Lords Committees on Thursday the 3 d day of this instant November foregoing who were appointed to meet at the Little Chamber near the Parliament presence and the Bill was delivered to the Archbishop of Canterbury On Thursday the 12 th day of November to which day the Parliament had been last continued on Tuesday foregoing The Bill concerning Musters Souldiers and other things appertaining thereunto was read secundâ vice and committed unto the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Treasurer and divers other Lords both Spiritual and Temporal And the Lord Chief Justice of England the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas M r Justice Walmesley M r Justice Warberton M r Serjeant Yelverton and M r Attorney General were appointed to attend the Lords Two Bills were brought up to the Lords from the House of Commons by Sir William Knolles and M r Secretary Herbert of which the first being the Bill against fraudulent Administration of Intestates goods was read primâ vice The Bill for Assurance of Lands was this day returned to the House with certain Amendments by the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury the first of the Committees which Amendments were presently twice read and thereupon the Bill was appointed to be ingrossed Memorandum That upon the reading of the said Amendments the Lord Bishop of London one of the Committees did offer to speak unto the Bill or unto the said Amendments Whereupon a doubt was moved by the Earl of Nottingham Lord Steward whether it were agreeable to the good Order and Antient Custom of the House that the said Lord Bishop being one of the Committees and dissenting from the rest in some matter either of the Bill or of the Amendments might speak thereunto upon the bringing in and presenting of the Amendments or no. Which doubt being upon this occasion propounded in generality to the House by the Lord Keeper and put to the question It was adjudged and resolved by the major part That any Committee might speak in like case either to the body of the Bill or to the Amendments upon the bringing in of the same before it be ingrossed Upon which resolution Order was given to the Clerk of the Parliament that a remembrance or observation thereof should be Entred in the Journal-Book for the resolving and clearing of the like doubt if it should happen hereafter And thereupon after the reading of the Amendments the said Lord Bishop of London proceeded to his Speech and the Bill was appointed to be ingrossed as aforesaid Vide in the Parliament de an 39 Regin Eliz. on Tuesday the 24 th day of January Memorandum Report was made unto the House by the Lord Zouch of one William Hogan an Ordinary Servant of the Queens Majesty Arrested and Imprisoned upon an Execution by one John Tolkerne since the beginning of the Parliament And a Motion was likewise made by his Lordship to know the Judgment and resolution of the House in this point whether any Ordinary Servant of her Majesty though he be none of the Parliament be not priviledged and protected from Arrest during the time of the Parliament by vertue of his said Service to her Majesty in like sort as the Servants of the Lords of the Parliament attending the said Lords their Masters are priviledged and freed for that time from any Arrests of their Persons And withal being Arrested upon Execution whether in this Case he may by good Order of this House be discharged Which Motion and doubt the Lord Zouch professed that he did the rather propound because though there were divers Examples of former times touching the Servants of the Lords of the Parliament the like to this concerning one of the Queens Servants had not been so far as was remembred brought in question heretofore And therefore it pleased the Lords to take
knowledge of this Motion and to give Order that Tolkerne should be sent for at whose Suit the Arrest was made And withal that such Precedents as the Clerk of the Parliament could shew should be looked out and made known to the House Vide plus concerning this matter on Monday the 23 th day of this instant November following On Saturday the 14 th day of November to which day the Parliament had been last continued on Thursday foregoing by occasion of sending for the aforesaid Tolkerne request was made by M r Conisbie Gentleman Usher to the House and signified by the Mouth of the Earl of Nottingham Lord Steward That for as much as the bringing of any person before the Lords upon breach of the Priviledge of the House did appertain as the said M r Conisbie supposed and alledged to his place though in the last Parliament by some mistaking as he thought the Serjeant at Arms was imployed therein That therefore their Lordships would be pleased to confirm and settle such Order as he might at this time and from henceforth have the Right of his place in that behalf Whose request being considered of by the Lords it was thought meet that the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Nottingham the Earl of Worcester the Lord Bishop of Winchester the Lord Zouch and the Lord Cobham should at their next meeting upon any other occasion take notice of such Precedents as could be produced therein either for the Gentleman-Usher or for the Serjeant at Arms and thereof to make Report to the House whereupon their Lordships would proceed to the deciding of the question between them Vide concerning this business on Tuesday the first day of December next following The meeting of the Committees about the Bill concerning Musters Souldiers c. who were nominated on Thursday the 12 th day of this instant November foregoing and appointed to meet this Afternoon was upon Motion to the House by some of the Committees deserr'd until Monday next being the 16 th day of this instant November by eight of the Clock in the Morning A Motion was made by the Lord Keeper that the Gentleman-Usher might be sent to such Lords as are absent from the Parliament and have not sent their Proxies to admonish them thereof Five Bills had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for suppressing the multitude of Ale-Houses and Tippling-Houses was read secundâ vice and committed to the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Hartford the Earl of Lincoln the Bishop of Winchester the Bishop of Lincoln the Bishop of Bath and Wells the Bishop of Chester the Bishop of Exeter the Bishop of Ely the Lord Zouch the Lord Cobham the Lord Rich the Lord Sheffield the Lord Chandois the Lord S t John of Bletsoe and the Lord Compton and the Lord Chief Justice of England M r Justice Gawdy M r Baron Savile and M r Serjeant Yelverton were appointed to attend their Lordships The third Bill also being for the avoiding of unnecessary delayes of Executions upon Judgment in Debt was read secundâ vice and committed unto the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Worcester the Earl of Pembrook the Bishop of Rochester the Bishop of Worcester the Bishop of S t Asaph the Lord Cobham the Lord Chandois the Lord S t John of Bletsoe and M r Justice Gawdy M r Baron Savile and M r Serjeant Yelverton were appointed to attend their Lordships The Lord Zouch renewed his former motion concerning the Arrest of William Hogan her Majesties Ordinary servant at the suit of John Tolkerne Whereupon the Clerk of the Parliament was required to shew forth all such Precedents as he had found touching the Arrests of any Persons priviledged by Parliament having received directions from the Lords for that purpose as is before Recorded of which sort out of the Journal-Book remaining in his custody there were to be found only these four hereunder mentioned and no more 1. Anno 27. Reginae Fliz. die Martis primo die Decembris of James Diggs servant to my Lords Grace of Canterbury 2. Anno 27. Reginae Eliz. die Lunae 7. Die Decembris of Robert Finneis servant to the Lord Viscount Binden 3. Item in the last Parliament of 39 Eliz. 26. die Novembris of Edward Barston servant to the Lord Chandois and 8. die Decembris of John York the Lord Arch-Bishops servant 4. Item Anno 14. Reginae die ultimo Junii It appeareth that the Lord Cromwel made complaint unto the Parliament of an Attachment served upon his Person and that his Lordship was by Order of the Parliament discharged of the Attachment but whether this Attachment was served in the time of the Parliament it doth not certainly appear Which said Precedents being accordingly presented to the Lord Keeper the same were presently read together with certain Observations out of a Book written by Richard Crompton Esquire Intituled the Authority and Jurisdiction of the Queens Courts concerning the proceedings of the House in the like case of George Ferrers Gent. an ordinary servant to King Henry 8. about the thirty fourth year of his Reign This being done albeit sundry Motions were thereupon made by divers of the Lords for a present proceeding in this matter nevertheless because the said Tolkerne having been formerly sent for could not yet be found and also in respect there was less appearance of the Lords this day than at other times and this matter concerning the priviledge of the House was of great importance and therefore required a more full Assembly Stay was made of any further proceeding until Thursday next being the 19 th day of this instant November And in the mean time it was Ordered that Tolkerne should again be sent for to appear before the Lords in the House that day by nine of the Clock in the Morning Vide concerning this matter on Monday the 23 th day of this Instant November following On Monday the 16 th day of November to which day the Parliament had been last continued on Saturday foregoing the Bill for reuniting Eye and Dunsden to the Mannor of Sunning was read secundâ vice Motion was made by the Lord Sheffield upon reading of this Bill that Thomas Crompton Son of Thomas Crompton Esquire deceased with Henry Best Francis Jackson and others whom it may concern should be heard in the House whether they or any of them could pretend any right or Interest in these Lands in respect of a Grant heretofore made thereof by her Majesty to the said Thomas Crompton Which Motion was well approved by the House and Ordered that the Gentleman Usher should move the said parties to appear before their Lordships in the House for that purpose upon Saturday next the 21. day of this Instant November by eight of the Clock in the Morning and to bring them such persons as are interested in the Conveyance of those Lands Vide December 7 th Monday postea Memorandum That the
his eldest Son Edward Craysord should enter into sufficient Bond unto the said William Vaughan without hazard of the Bond for themselves and their Heirs that they and every of them shall stand to the Award and Arbitrement of the Earl of Worcester the Lord Bishop of London and the Lord Cobham or any two of them And that also the said William Vaughan shall enter into like Bond with a sufficient surety for himself and his Heirs to stand to the said Award of the Lords before-mentioned or any two of them so as such Award be made before the Feast of Easter next following And moreover it is Ordered by the Court that if they or either of them shall refuse to enter into Bond according to the said Order That the Lord Keeper notwithstanding the ending of the Parliament and thought it be after the time shall commit them or either of them to close Prison so refusing there to remain until the party refusing be conformable to the said Order Vide concerning this matter on Tuesday the first day Wednesday the second day Thursday the third day Friday the fourth day Monday the fourteenth day Tuesday the fifteenth day and on Friday the eighteenth day of this instant December foregoing Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli continnavit praesens Parliamentum usque ad horam secundum post meridiem hujus instantis diei About which hour in the Afternoon the Queens Majesty was personally present being accompanied with the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Sir Thomas Egerton Knight Lord Keeper of the Great Seal the Lord Buckhurst Lord Treasurer of England and with divers other Lords Spiritual and Temporal but what was there done is not mentioned in the Original Journal of the Upper House and is therefore supplied out of a very elaborate private Journal of the House of Commons Her Majesty with divers Lords Spiritual and Temporal being set in the Upper House in their Parliament Robes between two and three of the Clock in the Afternoon the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons had notice thereof and thereupon repaired thither with John Crooke Esquire Recorder of London their Speaker who being placed at the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the said Upper House after he had made three Reverences to her Majesty fitting under a rich Cloth of State spake to this effect following That Laws were not at first made with humane Pen but by Divine Ordinance That politick Laws were made according to the evil conditions of Men and that all Laws serve not for all times no more than one Medicine for all Diseases If he were asked what were the first and chiefest thing to be considered he would say Religion So Religion is all in all for Religion breeds Devotion Devotion breeds Zeal and Piety to God which breedeth Obedience and Duty to the Prince and obedience of the Laws which breedeth Faithfulness and Honesty and Love Three necessary and only things to be wished and observed in a well Governed Common-Wealth And that her Majesty by planting true Religion had laid such a Foundation upon which all those Virtues were so planted and builded that they could not easily be rooted up and extirpated And therefore he did acknowledge that we ought and do acknowledge that we will praise God and her Majesty for it And then he descended to speak of Governments and Laws of Nations among and above all which he principally preferr'd the Laws of this Land which he said were so many and so wise that there was almost no offence but was met with in a Law Notwithstanding her Majesty being desirous for the good of her Land to call a Parliament for redress of some old Laws and making some new her dutiful and loving Subjects having considered of them have made some new and amended some old which they humbly desire may be made Laws by her most Royal Assent which giveth life unto them And so after thanks given for the Pardon by which we dread your Justice and admire your mercy and a prayer unto her Majesty that she would accept as the Testimonies of our Love and duty offered unto her with a free Heart and willing Spirit Four entire Subsidies and Eight Fifteenths and Tenths to be collected of our Lands and Livelihoods In speaking whereof he mistook and said Four entire Fifteenths and Eight Subsidies but he was remembred by some of the Councel that stood near about him and so spake right as aforesaid and having craved pardon for his offence if either he had forgotten himself in Word or Action he ended The which the Lord Keeper Answered thus in effect First as touching her Majesties proceedings in the Laws for her Royal Assent that should be as God should direct her Sacred Spirit Secondly For your presentation of Four Subsidies and Eight Fifteenths and Tenths Thirdly your humble thankfulness for the Pardon for them and yourself I will deliver her Majesties Commandment with what brevity I may that I be not tedious to my most gracious Sovereign First she saith touching your proceeding in the matter of her Prerogative that she is perswaded Subjects did never more dutifully And that she understood you did but obiter touch her Prerogative and no otherwise but by humble Petition And therefore that thanks that a Prince may give to her Subjects she willingly yieldeth But she now well perceiveth that private respects are privately masqued under publick presence Secondly touching the presentation of your Subsidy she specially regardeth two things both the persons and the manner For the first he fell into Commendations of the Commonalty for the second the manner which was speedy not by perswasion or perswasive inducements but freely out of duty with great contentment In the thing which ye have granted her Majesty greatly commendeth your confidence and Judgment And though it be not proportionable to her occasions yet she most thankfully receiveth the same as a loving and thankful Prince And that no Prince was ever more unwilling to exact or receive any thing from the Subject than she our most gracious Sovereign For we all know she never was a greedy Grasper nor strait-handed Keeper And therefore she commanded me to say that you have done and so she taketh it dutifully plentifully and thankfully For your self M r Speaker her Majesty commanded me to say that you have proceeded with such Wisdom and Discretion that it is much to your Commendations and that none before you hath deserved more And so he ended after an Admonition given to the Justices of the Peace that they would not deserve the Epithetes of prolling Justices Justices of Quarrels who counted Champetrie good Chevesance Sinning Justices who do suck and consume the wealth and good of the Common-Wealth and also against those who lie if not all the Year yet at least three quarters of the year in this City of London After the before-recited Speeches were ended as abovesaid then were the titles of all the Acts read in their due
yet returned by the Clerk of the Crown into this House hath been Arrested in London during this Session in an Action of Debt at the Suit and procurement of one ..... Muscle the same Muscle knowing the said Roger Buston to belong to the said Baron of Walton which said Muscle was by Order of this House sent for by the Serjeant of this House together with the Officer who made the Arrest to Answer unto this House for their said Contempts And being brought to the Bar and Charged by Mr. Speaker with their said offence in the name of this whole House were heard what they could say for their defence And after sundry questions Ordered that the said Roger Buston should have the Priviledge of this House and be discharged of his said Arrest and Imprisonment And likewise Ordered that the said Muscle the Procurer and the Officer that made the said Arrest should be both committed Prisoners to the Serjeants Custody for three dayes and pay such charges as shall be Assessed by M r Speaker unto the said Buston besides the Fees of the Serjeant and Clerk The Bill for Confirmation of Grants made to her Majesty and of Letters Patents made by her Majesty to others was read the third time and passed upon the question Now follow some Passages of this day out of the said private Journal Secretary Herbert said According to your Commandment Sir Edward Stafford and my self went to the Lord Keeper and delivered unto him that notwithstanding some Allegations which were alledged on the behalf of his Lordship our Resolutions touching the Warrants upon mature deliberation and upon search of Precedents were that they ought to go and be directed to the Clerk of the Crown from the Speaker His Lordship after a small pause Answered That he now considered the weightiness of divers businesses which were in hand the Consultation which we were likely to have presently touching the Bill of Subsidy that the Enemy the Spaniard was landed in Ireland and the business of those affairs of great import as also his own business in the Upper House and the short end which was likely to be of this Parliament And therefore he would not now stand to make contention or shew his further reasons but prayed to certifie you all that he would be most ready and most willing to perform the desire of this House The Bill of Petite Thefts and Larcenies and the Bill for Confirmation of Grants made to her Majesty and of Letters Patents made from her Majesty to others were sent up to the Lords by Sir John Fortescue Mr. Secretary Herbert and others The Bill to restrain transporation of money out of the Realm of England and to reform certain abuses in Exchanges was read the second time M r Fettiplace a Burgess for London spake to this Bill and said it is to be thought that the Netherlands having so much use for money is the Exporter thereof out of this Realm The French King made it a Law that no man upon pain of Death should export money thence Germany holdeth the Standard so doth France so do we but the Netherlander only doth not and he only gaineth of all three There be good Statutes already made to this purpose both in the time of King Rich. II. Hen. III. Hen. IV. Hen. V. and Hen. VI. that no Strangers should bring Commodities into this Land but he should bring so much money He made a very long Speech touching the manner of Trade by Exchange in Merchants Language c. and concluded with desire of Commitment and that the Merchants might be called And thereupon it was committed to divers of the Committees who were appointed to meet this day Seven-night at two of the Clock in the Afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The Bill or Petition of Theophilus Adams was read the first time On Friday the 20 th day of November Seven Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill touching the Lordship of Landostowre aliàs Landovorowre and the last being the Bill prohibiting Fairs and Markets had each of them their first reading Sir Francis Darcy maketh Report of the meeting and travel of the Committees in the Bill touching the coming to Church and brought in the Bill with two Provisoes and some Amendments The same Amendments being twice read the Bill upon the question and division of the House was dashed viz. with the Yea a hundred thirty seven and with the No a hundred and forty One M r William Morrice Burgess for Beumaries informed the House that as he was coming up to London on his way his Man was Arrested at Shrewsbury whereupon he told the Serjeant that he was of the Parliament-House and therefore wished him to discharge his Servant The Serjeant Answered that he could not discharge him but said that he would go to the Bayliff with him to whom when he came he likewise declared that he was of the Parliament House and therefore required his Servant To whom the Bayliff Answered that he could not discharge him without the consent of the Party that procured the Arrest To whom he also went and he Answered the Serjeant and him saying Keep him fast I will not release him till I be satisfied Then he told the Creditor that he was of the Parliament-House and therefore his Servant was Priviledged Whereunto the Creditor made this Answer I care not for that keep him fast I will be your Warrant I thought good to move the House herein referring it to your considerations And because I am willing that the Priviledges of this House may be known as well far off as here at hand I thought good to move the same M r Francis Moore said M r Speaker Methinks this Action is very scandalous to this whole House And because it is a Case both extraordinary and contemptible in my opinion it deserveth a most severe and exemplary punishment Whereupon all the House cryed To the Tower to the Tower with them send for them send for them M r Speaker said It is your Pleasure the Bayliffs and he that procured the Arrest and the Serjeant shall be sent for All cryed Yea. Then the Speaker said The Serjeant must go down to Shrewsbury all cryed Yea. The Speaker gave the Clerk a Bill to read and the House called for the Exchequer Bill some said Yea some said No and a great Noise there was At last M r Lawrence Hide said M r Speaker to end this Controversie because the time is very short I would move the House to have a very short Bill read Intituled An Act for the Explanation of the Common Law in certain Cases of Letters Patents All the House cried I I I. So after it was read the question was to be propounded for the committing of it and some cryed commit it some ingross it at length M r Spicer Burgess of Warwick stood up and said M r Speaker This Assembly may be said to be libera mens
Raleigh blusht Dice Starch and the like they are because Monopolies I must confess very burtful though not all alike hurtful I know there is a great difference in them And I think if the abuses in this Monopoly of Salt were particularized this would walk in the fore rank Now seeing we are come to the means of redress let us see that it be so mannerly and handsomely handled that after a Commitment it may have good passage M r Lawrence Hide I confess M r Speaker that I owe duty to God and Loyalty to my Prince And for the Bill it self I made it and I think I understand it And far be it from this heart of mine to think this tongue to speak or this hand to write any thing either in prejudice or derogation of her Majesties Prerogative Royal and the State But because you shall know that this course is no new Invention but long since digested in the Age of our Fore-fathers above three hundred Years ago I will offer to your considerations one Precedent 10 Ed. 3. At what time one John Peach was Arraigned at this Bar in Parliament for that he had obtained of the King a Monopoly for Sweet Wines The Patent after great advice and dispute adjudged void and before his face in open Parliament Cancelled because he had exacted three shillings and four pence for every Tun of Wine himself adjudged to Prison until he had made restitution of all that ever he had recovered and not to be delivered till after a Fine of five hundred pounds paid to the King This is a Precedent worthy of observation but I dare not presume to say worthy the following And M r Speaker as I think it is no derogation to the Omnipotence of God to say he can do all but evil So I think it is no derogation to the Majesty or Person of the Queen to say the like in some proportion Yet M r Speaker because two Eyes may see more than one I humbly pray that there might be a Commitment had of this Bill lest something may be therein which may prove the bane and overthrow thereof at the time of the passing M r Speaker quoth Serjeant Harris for ought I see the House moveth to have this Bill in the nature of a Petition It must then begin with more humiliation And truly Sir the Bill is good of it self but the penning of it is somewhat out of course M r Mountague said The matter is good and honest and I like this manner of proceeding by Bill well enough in this matter The grievances are great and I would note only unto you thus much that the last Parliament we proceeded by way of Petition which had no successful effect M r Francis Moore said M r Speaker I know the Queens Prerogative is a thing curious to be dealt withal yet all grievances are not comparable I cannot utter with my tongue or conceive with my heart the great grievances that the Town and Country for which I serve suffereth by some of these Monopolies It bringeth the general profit into a private hand and the end of all is Beggery and Bondage to the Subjects We have a Law for the true and faithful currying of Leather There is a Patent sets all at liberty notwithstanding that Statute And to what purpose is it to do any thing by Act of Parliament when the Queen will undo the same by her Prerogative Out of the spirit of humiliation M r Speaker I do speak it there is no Act of hers that hath been or is more derogatory to her own Majesty more odious to the Subject more dangerous to the Common-Wealth than the granting of these Monopolies M r Martin said I do Speak for a Town that grieves and pines for a Countrey that groaneth and languisheth under the burthen of monstrous and unconscionable Substitutes to the Monopolitans of Starch Tinn Fish Cloth Oyl Vinegar Salt and I know not what nay what not The principallest commodities both of my Town and Country are ingrossed into the hand of those blood-suckers of the Common-Wealth If a body M r Speaker being let blood be left still languishing without any remedy how can the good estate of that body long remain Such is the State of my Town and Country the Traffick is taken away the inward and private Commodities are taken away and dare not be used without the Licence of these Monopolitans If these blood-suckers be still let alone to suck up the best and principallest commodities which the earth there hath given us what shall become of us from whom the fruits of our own Soil and the commodities of our own labour which with the sweat of our brows even up to the knees in Mire and Dirt we have laboured for shall be taken by Warrant of Supream Authority which the poor Subjects dare not gainsay M r George Moore said I make no question but that this bill offereth good matter And I do wish that the matter may in some sort be prosecuted and the Bill rejected Many grievances have been laid open touching the Monopolics of Salt but if we add thereunto peter then we had hit the grief aright with which my Country is perplexed There be three persons her Majesty the Patentee and the Subject her Majesty the head the Patentee the hand and the Subject the soot Now here 's our Case the head gives power to the hands the hand oppresseth the foot the foot riseth against the head We know the power of her Majesty cannot be restrained by any Act why therefore should we thus talk Admit we should make this Statute with a Non objtante yet the Queen may grant a Patent with a Non objtante to cross this Non obstante I think therfore it agreeth more with the gravity and wisdom of this House to proceed with all humbleness by Petition than Bill M r Wingfield said I would but put the House in mind of the proceeding we had in this matter the last Parliament in the end whereof our Speaker moved her Majesty by way of Petition that the griefs touching these Monopolies might be respected and the grievances coming of them might be redressed Her Majesty answered by the Lord Keeper that she would take care of these Monopolies and our griefs should be redressed if not she would give us free liberty to proceed in making a Law the next Parliament The grief M r Speaker is still bleeding and we green under the sore and are still without remedy It was my hap the last Parliament to encounter with the word Prerogative but as then so now I do it with all humility and wish all happiness both unto it and to her Majesty I am indifferent touching our proceeding either by Bill or Petition so that therein our grievances may follow whereby her Majesty may specially understand them Sir Walter Raleigh said I am urged to speak in two respects the one because I find my self touched in particular the other in that I take
matters of Merchandize or Shipping The business which had been disputed of in the House on Thursday foregoing was this day again debated and as it should seem some moved to know whether the Antient Knights and Burgesses still remaining since the last Session in Anno 5 Regin Eliz. ought not to take again the Oath of Supremacy as well as those that were newly Elected and returned Although it were the general Opinion and Vote of the House as may be gathered that the new Knights and Burgesses only should be sworn yet it was committed to M r Secretary Cecill M r Vice-Chamberlain M r Kingsmill and others not named to consider thereof and to certify the House which they did accordingly on the Morrow following On Tuesday the 8 th day of October the Bill touching the ingrossing of Tallow and Kitchin-stuff was read the first time M r Kingsmill one of the Committee appointed yesterday to consider whether the Antient Members of the House which had taken the Oath the last Session in An. 5 Regin Eliz. should now have it administred unto them again or whether those only who were newly Elected and returned at the beginning of this present Session and to certifie thereof accordingly made Declaration this Forenoon by the Assent of the said Committee that the former Knights and Burgesses should not be sworn but those only who were newly returned A Motion was made that ..... Gardiner one of the Burgesses of the House remained now Prisoner in the Flect and desired to be restored to the said House whereupon the Master of the Rolls and the Master of the Requests were appointed by the House to repair unto the Lord Keeper in the name of the same House to know the cause of his said Imprisonment and to demand his Restitution To which Question and Request the said Lord Keeper did send his Answer by them on the Morrow following On Wednesday the 9 th day of October Two Bills had each of them their first reading of which the second was the Bill for buying of course Woolls in the North parts The Master of the Rolls who had been sent yesterday with the Master of Requests unto the Lord Keeper touching ..... Gardiner a Member of this House declared from his Lordship that he might be restored to this House again with condition that upon Prorogation or Dissolution of this present session of Parliament he might be Prisoner again Two Bills had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill touching ingrossing of Tallow and Kitchin stuff was upon the second reading rejected On Thursday the 10 th day of October Two Bills had each of them their first reading of which the second being the Bill for continuance of divers Acts of Parliament to the end of the next Parliament was read the first time The new Bill also touching Apparel of the Laity and Clergy was this day brought into the House but whether it was read or no cannot certainly be set down The Dean of Westminster who had been appointed on Monday the 7 th day of this instant October foregoing to shew the Priviledges of the Sanctuary of the said Church had further day given him this instant Thursday upon the Motion of M r Speaker until Wednesday next being the 16 th day of this instant October following On Friday the 11 th day of October the Bill that Sussex and Surrey and other Counties never having but one Sheriff may have several Sheriffs was read the first time and under the Title of the said Bill at the bottom of it is written M r Vice-Chamberlain which is all that is usually done also under the Title of any Bill which is committed upon the second reading whether M r Vice-Chamberlain or any other be one of the Committees named such is the imperfect setting down of things in these former times and therefore to what end M r Vice-Chamberlains name should be added in this place I cannot guess unless this Bill were committed upon the first reading as many others have been or else that he brought in the Bill and commended it to the House The new Bill against Informers upon penal Statutes was this day brought into the House and read the first time On Saturday the 12 th day of October the Bill touching prices of Barrells by Coopers as in the Statute Anno 24 Hen. 8. was read the first time Two Bills lastly against Informers upon penal Statutes were each of them read the second time and as it should seem were thereupon committed to M r Vice-Chamberlain and others On Monday the 14 th day of October Three Bills had each of them one reading of which the third being the Bill touching prices of Barrels and Kilderkins sold by Coopers was upon the second reading Ordered to be ingrossed Upon Complaint made by M r Graston against one Philpot a Pursuivant in the Court of Wards touching two Promoters for Extortion the said Pursuivant was sent for On Tuesday the 15 th day of October the new Bill touching Apparel to be worn by the Laity and Clergy was read the second time and as it should seem was thereupon committed to M r Vice-Chamberlain and others Two Bills were brought from the Lords to the House of Commons by M r Serjeant Carus and M r Attorney of which the first was the Bill touching Fines and Recoveries and the second was the Bill to take away Clergy from Offenders in certain Cases On Wednesday the 16 th day of October Two Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading of which the second being the Bill for Assurance of Fines and Recoveries to be good from the beginning of the Reign of Queen Eliz. although the Original be imbezelled was read the first time This Morning finally the Dean of Westminster according to the appointment of the House on Thursday last the 10 th day of this instant October foregoing was present at the Bar with his Councel viz. Mr. Edmond Plowden of the Middle-Temple and Mr. Ford a Civilian The Dean himself made an Oration in defence of the Sanctuary and alledged divers Grants by King Lucius and other Christian Kings and Mr. Plowden alledged the Grant for Sanctuary there by King Edward five hundred years ago viz. Dat. in An. 1066. with great reasons in Law and Chronicle and Mr. Ford alledged divers Stories and Laws for the same and thereupon the Bill was committed to the Master of the Rolls and others not named to peruse the Grants and to certifie the force of the Law now for Sanctuaries On Thursday the 17 th day of October the Bill affirming the Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops within this Realm was read the second time and Ordered to be ingrossed Sir Edward Rogers Knight Comptroller of her Majesties Houshold moved the House to have consideration of the Queens Majesties late great and extraordinary expences to proportion out some supply accordingly And thereupon Sir William Cecil Knight her Highness Principal Secretary made an Excellent
Declaration of the Queens great Charges in defending New-Haven in France in repairing and increasing the Navy and Munition her Charges also against John Oneyle in Ireland and immediately thereupon all the Privy-Council being Members of this House the Master of the Rolls and forty others of the House whose names are omitted through the negligence of the Clerk were nominated and appointed to consider of the rate and payment of some supply and aid to be given to her Majesty and Ordered to meet to Morrow in the Afternoon in the Star-Chamber On Friday the 18 th day of October Four Bills had each of them one reading of which the last being the Bill touching prices of Barrels and Kilderkins was read the third time A Motion was made by Mr. Molineux for the reviving of the Suit touching the Declaration of a Successor in case her Majesty should die without Issue of her own Body which Suit had been first moved by the House and their Petition preferred therein in the first Session of this Parliament in Anno 5 Regin Eliz. and that the said business touching the Declaration of a Successor and the Subsidy Bill might proceed together which Motion was very well approved by the greater part of the said House And thereupon divers Propositions and Reasonings ensued this great business being once moved although it should seem in the conclusion thereof that the greater part of the House were resolved to recontinue the said Suit and to know her Highness Answer Although Sir Ralph Sadler Knight Banneret one of her Privy-Council had declared and affirmed unto the House that he had heard the Queen say in the presence of divers of the Nobility that for the Wealth of the Realm her Highness was minded to Marry Vide plus concerning this matter on Monday the 25 th day of November following whither all the days are referred on which this business was agitated On Saturday the 19 th day of October the Bill touching Fines and Recoveries to be good from the beginning of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth although the Originals be lost was read the second time and as it should seem was committed to M r Seckford and others Three Bills finally were brought down to the House from the Lords of which one was the Bill for the Indenization of John Stafford born beyond the Seas and another for prevention of fraudulent gifts in Bankrupts Mr. Secretary Cecill and Sir Francis Knolles her Majesties Vice-Chamberlain declared unto the House that the Queens Majesty was by Gods special Providence moved to Marriage and that she mindeth for the Wealth of her Commons to prosecute the same Sir Ambrose Cave Chancellor of the Dutchy and Sir Edward Rogers Comptroller of her Majesties Houshold affirmed the same and thereupon perswaded and advised the House to see the sequel of that before they made further Suit touching the Declaration of a Successor But against this Opinion divers Lawyers of the House although their names are negligently omitted the chief of them being Mounson Bell and Kingsmill did argue very boldly and judiciously And so prevailed with the greatest part of the House as that it was resolved contrary to the foregoing Motion of those of her Majesties Privy-Council to recontinue their Suit touching the Declaration of a Successor and to get the Queens Answer And to that end it was Ordered that all the Privy-Council being Members of this House with forty four others whose names are omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the said House should meet to Morrow to consult and advise in what manner they might move the Lords of the Upper-House to join with them in this matter This is the second day in which this great business was agitated in the House of Commons upon which doubtless those four Privy-Councellors who first moved to have a stop made of it did it not without her Majesties special Direction who as it is very probable foresaw even then the great inconveniencies which the further prosecution thereof would produce as see more at large that it did indeed so fall out upon Monday the 25 th day of November ensuing M r Secretary Cecill seeing his former Motion could not prevail to stop the foregoing resolution of the House partly as may be conjectured to divert it and partly that the matter of supply might preceed it made a Declaration of the Rates of one Subsidy and one fifteenth and tenth according to the proportion of that Subsidy which had been given in the first Session of this Parliament in an 5 Regin Eliz. but withal proposed further days of payment October the 20 th Sunday On Monday the 21 th day of October some Addition which had been annex'd to the Bill touching Coopers as it should seem after the third reading thereof which was on Friday the 18. day of this instant October foregoing was read the first second and third time and so passed with the Bill Three other Bills had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill to take Clergy from Cut-Purses and Pick-Purses was read the third time and passed upon the Question These two foregoing Bills which passed this House this Morning were sent up to the Lords by Mr. Comptroller with all the Committees who were appointed on Saturday the 19. day of this instant October foregoing in the great business touching her Majesties Declaration of a Successor with Order also from the House to move the Lords to join with this House in the said Suit to her Majesty Vide plus concerning this business on Monday the 25. day of November ensuing Three Bills had each of them one reading of which the first being the Bill for Sealing of Cloaths by the Alneager of Lancaster was read the second time and as it should seem committed to Mr. Southerly and others The Committees brought word from the Lords upon their request that they coming again to the Lords on the Morrow following should have Answer On Tuesday the 22. day of October the Bill Confirming the Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops within this Realm was read the third time and passed upon the Question Doctor Vaughan and Mr. Martin brought word from the Lords that their Lordships desired the Committees of this House to defer their coming unto them until to Morrow But about what business the said meeting should then be is through the great negligence of Mr. Seymour at this time Clerk of the House of Commons wholly omitted although it were doubtless touching those two great businesses of her Majesties Marriage and the Declaration of her next Successor For the consideration of which the House had appointed a select Committee being the same here mentioned on Saturday the 19. day of this instant October foregoing and had yesterday sent them up to the Lords to 〈◊〉 their Lordships to join with them in Petitioning her Majesty touching the same And it should seem the reason why their Lordships deferr'd their Answer this day contrary to their appointment yesterday was because the
also that he thought their Lordships could likewise help the same again with some Amendment to the Amendments of this House in the same Bill to be sent down hither and assented unto by this House On Thursday the 25 th day of March Thomas Patrick being brought to the Bar for serving a Subpoena upon M r Cook a Member of this House during the time of this present Session of Parliament in the behalf and at the Suit of Margery Dike was ordered upon his Submission to deliver a Copy of the Bill to M r Cook gratis to give him Twenty Shillings for the Charge of his answer and to pay the Serjeants Fees Roger Vanconge a Dutchman and Merchant Stanger being this day brought by the Serjeant to the Bar for Arresting of John Werrall Servant unto Thomas Powell Esq a Member of this House for Debt and carrying him into the Counter of Woodstreet in London And the said John Werrall being also brought to this House it was after several Examinations had by this House as well of the said Roger Vanconge as of the said John Werrall at last after many long Motions and Arguments upon the circumstances falling out in the said Examinations resolved after the doubtfulness of the greater Number of Voices upon the Question by the Division of the House That the said John Werrall should not have priviledge of this House but should first openly in the House take Oath against the Supremacy of the Bishop of Rome and then be remanded to the said Prison of the Counter again in state as he was before which was so done accordingly for that it did manifestly appear unto this House as well by the Confession of the same Werrall as also by the confession and by a Letter of his own subscribed with his own hand and so confessed by himself directed to one Dakings that fraudulently and Covenously he procured himself to be received into the Service of the said M r Powell this Parliament time to escape from Arrests to the delaying and defeating of his Creditors upon which dividing of the House there were with the Yea or I eighty five Voices and with the No but sixty nine M r Vice-Chamberlain one of the Committees in the Bill touching Wards and Liveries brought in the Bill again with some Amendments and referred the same Amendments to the further reading of the Bill which Bill was then read accordingly and the Amendments twice read and the Bill was Ordered to be Ingrossed M r Chancellor of the Exchequer one of the Committees in the Bill touching draining of Fenns brought in the Bill again as a Bill thought good by the same Committees to be reserved till the next Parliament and to be left in the House for that purpose On Friday the 26 th day of March the Amendments and Additions in the Bill for preservation of Woods near unto the Town of Crambrook in the County of Kent was upon the second reading Ordered to be committed again to the former Committees The Bill for naturalizing of certain English mens Children born beyond the Seas was upon the third reading passed M r Wroth one of the Committees in the Bill for the increase of Pheasants and Partridges brought in the Bill again with some Amendments and the same Amendments being twice read the Bill was again after sundry speeches and Arguments committed to the former Committeees M r Serjeant Rodes and M r Powle did bring from the Lords two Bills of which one was the Bill for the good Government of the City of Westminster M r Chancellor of the Exchequer one of the Committees in the Bill for the true payment of the Debts of Philip Bassett Esquire brought in the Bill again as a Bill agreed by them to be reserved until the next Parliament Six Bills of no great moment had each of them one reading and were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons of which one was the Bill with the Amendments for the keeping of the County Court at Morpeth and the Town of Alnwick in the County of Northumberland and another Bill being for the safe keeping of obstinate Recusants Armour was sent back again unto the said House from their Lordships who gave it presently three readings by Serjeant Rodes and M r Powle The Bill touching Wardships and Liveries was read the third time and dashed upon the question there being but seventy five Voices for it and ninety five against it The Bill for the good Government of the City of Westminster with the Amendments according to the last Additions was sent up to the Lords by M r Treasurer and others M r William Stoughton one of the Committees in the Bill against Excessive Fees and taxations in the Eclesiastical Courts brought in the Bill again On Saturday the 27 th day of March after the Letany was read and the prayers ended Mr. Speaker signified unto the House that her Majesties Commandment was that this House do not sit this present day but do assemble here again on Monday next in the Forenoon at which time they shall then know her Majesties further pleasure On Monday the 29 th day of March M r Serjeant Rodes and Mr. Doctor Barkeley did bring from the Lords the Bill for the maintenance of the Pier and Cobb of Lime Regis in the County of Dorset with some Amendments The Bill for increase of Pheasants and Partridges was twice read and the Amendments thereof thrice and then it was put to the Question whether or no the said Bill with the Amendments should pass And it was found that there were one hundred and thirteen Voices for the passing of the Bill and but seventy five against it The Amendments and Schedule in the Bill for the maintenance of the Pier and Cobb of Lime Regis were thrice read and so passed accordingly upon the Question The Amendments also in the Bill for the safe keeping of the Armour of obstinate Recusants were thrice read and passed upon the Question Post Meridiem Three Bills of no great moment were sent up to the Lords from the House of Commons by Mr. Treasurer and others of which the first was the Bill touching the Armour of obstinate Recusants and is omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House but the other two touching Pheasants and Partridges with their Amendments and touching the Pier and Cobb of Lime Regis are there set down to have been sent up as aforesaid M r Serjeant Gawdy and M r Serjeant Rodes did bring down from the Lords to the House of Commons the Bill of Subsidy which is omitted in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House and the Bill for her Majesties Gracious general and free Pardon which being once read passed upon the Question accordingly Her Majesty with divers of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal being set in the Upper House about ..... of the Clock this Afternoon the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons had notice thereof and thereupon repaired thither with
John Puckering Serjeant at Law their Speaker who being placed at the Rail or Bar at the lower end of the said Upper House did according to the usual form humbly crave her Majesties most Royal Assent to such good Laws as had passed the two Houses Whereupon her Majesty having by her Assent given Life to thirty publick Acts and nineteen private the Parliament was Prorogued unto the 20 th day of May next ensuing and at last after five other Prorogations it was Dissolved upon Wednesday the 15 th day of September Anno 28 Regin Eliz. Anno Domini 1586. THE JOURNAL OF THE House of LORDS An Exact and perfect Journal of the Passages of the Upper House in the Parliament holden at Westminster Anno 28 Reginae Eliz. Anno Domini 1586. which began there on Saturday the 29 th Day of October after two Several Prorogations thereof and then and there continued until it was at length Dissolved on Thursday the 23 th Day of March Anno 29 Reginae ejusdem THE Journal of this Parliament both in respect of the greatness of the matter handled in it being the business of Mary Queen of Scots as also of the many rare Precedents which happened in the Carriage of it the Queens Person being represented and the Lord Chancellors place supplied by others with the Adjournment and re-assembling again of the same somewhat extraordinary is and ought to be esteemed most worthy of observation And it is most plain that this Parliament was at the first beyond the Queens own expectation summoned and afterwards Assembled upon no other cause or ground than the timely and strange discovery of that bloody and merciless Treason Plotted by Babington and others for the violent cutting off her Majesties life of which Mary Queen of Scots had been first by a most Just and Honourable Tryal fully Convicted and afterwards Judicially pronounced to have been in a high nature guilty But yet her Majesty not satisfied with her so just a Tryal and Attainder assembled the Parliament on purpose that so all those former proceedings how just so ever might be further Committed and referred to the impartial examination and final Judgment of the whole Realm And that this great Council of the Kingdom was merely called together at this time about this business is most plain because the last Prorogation of ths former Parliament holden in Anno 27 Regin Eliz. Anno Dom. 1584. was from the 26 th day of April Anno 28 Regin Eliz. Anno Dom. 1586. unto the 14 th day of November then next ensuing But long before the said day the former Conspiracy being discovered about the latter end of July in Anno eodem the former Parliament was dissolved on Wednesday the fourteenth day of September following in the 28 th year of her Majesty And this new one Assembled on Saturday the 29 th day of October immediately after ensuing At which time the Queen came not to the Upper House in Person but was represented by three Commissioners not as her Majesty afterward professed because she feared the Violence of any Assassinte but because she abhorred to be an hearer of so foul and unnatural a conspiracy plotted against her by the Scottish Queen a Kinswoman so near to her Highness Yet by this means her absence doubtless drew on the greater safety and her Loving and Loyal Subjects did the more clearly perceive in how great and unavoidable danger she stood as long as that Queen lived and were therefore doubtless stirred up to consult in this so important a Cause with the greater Zeal and earnestness for the preservation of Religion the Security of her Majesties Life and the safety of these Realms Which matters the Lords of the Upper House did so seriously intend as that in this first meeting in this present Parliament which lasted from the foresaid 29 th day of October being Saturday unto the second day of December next following being Friday it appeareth not in the Original Journal-Book of the Upper House that any one Bill publick or private was read or so much as once treated of This Parliament was summoned to have begun on Saturday the 15 th day of October Anno 28 Regin Eliz. at which said day her Highness for great and weighty causes and Considerations her thereunto especially moving did prolong and adjourn the said Parliament unto Thursday being the 27 th day of the said Month of October by vertue of a Writ under the Great Seal dated the eighth day of this present October whereupon on the said 15 th day of October the Archbishop of Canterbury with divers other Lords and Councellors repaired to the Parliament Chamber commonly called the Upper House and there in presence of divers Lords Spiritual and Temporal the Knights Citizens and Burgesses summoned to the same Parliament did declare her Highnesses pleasure to Prorogue the same Parliament from this first summoned day until the 27 th of the said Month and thereupon the Writ for the said Prorogation was publickly read by the Clerk of the Upper House Upon the said 27 th day of October Sir Thomas Bromley Knight Lord Chancellor of England and divers Lords with a good number of the House of Commons met again in the Parliament Chamber and did again Prorogue this present Parliament after the usual and accustomed form unto the Saturday next following being the 29 th day of this present October On which said 29 th day of October the Parliament held accordingly and the Lords in the Afternoon repaired to the Upper House and there placed themselves according to their several Degrees Upon which the Knights Citizens and Burgesses having notice that the Lords expected their presence repaired to the said House and being let in as many as could conveniently Sir Thomas Bromley the Lord Chancellor declared unto the whole Assembly that her Majesty was so hindred by great and urgent occasions as she could not be present yet had notwithstanding given full Authority to Three Members of the Upper House in her Majesties name and stead to begin the said Parliament Whose names are entred in the Original Journal-Book of this Parliament in manner and form following Regina representata per Commissionarios viz. Archiepiscopum Cantuariensem Dominum Burleigh Thesaurarium Comitem Darbiae Magnum Seneschallum All the Lords then present were these following Archiepiscopus Cantuarien Thomas Bromley Miles Dominus Cancellarius Archiepiscopus Eboracen Dominus Burleigh Dominus Thesaurarius Angliae Comites Comes Oxon Magnus Camerarius Comes Kantiae Comes Darbiae Magnus Seneschallus Comes Wigorn. Comes Rutland Comes Cumberland Comes Sussex Comes Pembrook Comes Hartford Comes Lincoln Vicecomes Mountague Episcopi Episcopus London Episcopus Dunelmen Episcopus Winton Episcopus Bathon Wellen. Episcopus Sarisburien Episcopus Roffen Episcopus Exon. Episcopus Cestren Barones Dominus Howard Admirallus Dominus Aburgavenny Dominus Zouch Dominus Barkley Dominus Morley Dominus Dacres Dominus Cobham Dominus Stafford Dominus Grey de Wilton Dominus Lumley Dominus