above all the Treasure in the World was a perfect Vnion at home as being that which onely could restore the Kingdom to that Strength and Vigour which it seem'd to have lost All Europe he told them had their Eyes upon that Assembly so that a Misunderstanding of each other would render the Friendship of England unsafe to trust to Lastly he exhorted them to take care not to gratifie the publick Enemy and discourage their Friends by unseasonable disputes which if they should happen the world would see it was no fault of his who had done what was possible for him to do to keep them in peace while he liv'd and to leave them so when he dy'd Concluding that from their prudence and good affections he could fear nothing of that kind but that he rely'd upon them that they would use their best endeavours to bring the Parliament to a happy conclusion Having so done he commanded the Commons to return to their House and make choice of their Speaker Fame Did the Lord Chancellor make no Speech at all Truth Not this time Fame Do ye know the Reason Truth Not I but onely by conjecture which has no place in this Rehearsal Fame Then Proceed Truth So soon as the Commons were returned to their House a Motion was made That William Williams Esq might be elected Speaker Which was presently resolv'd Nemine Contradicente Mr. Williams being thus chosen modestly at first excus'd himself telling the House That he needed not to reckon up his Infirmities which were better known to many of the Members than to himself That as they had experience of his unfitness for their Service so they had sufficient Demonstrations of the aptness of other Members then present That the Choice of a Speaker was the Effect of much time and consideration and that it would be no excuse for them to say They had not time for deliberation in so great a Matter and therefore since they had time a more deliberate Election would be expected from them That the security of the Protestant Religion the safety of the King and Kingdom and the preservation of the Justice of the Land were the Grand Affairs in prospect enough to prevail with them to depart from their first Intentions of the Honour propos'd to him that day Acknowledging himself to be sufficiently honour'd with the proposal alone For which reasons he desir'd them not onely for his own sake but for their Honour to proceed to the Election of another Person more proper for their Service and to leave him in that place where his Country had seated him But this excuse being rejected by the House he was by two of the Members conducted to the Chair where being seated he again spoke to this Effect That he trembled to reflect under what difficulties experienc'd learned and wise men had labour'd in that Chair Yet that he was not terrified with the Presidents of those who had impared their Estates and Healths therein nor of those who had lost their lives in the Service as being Sacrifices he owed his Country But when he consider'd that some Gentlemen had maim'd their Reputations in their Trusts those were the thoughts that wounded him most deeply and would yet strike deeper did not they that call'd him thither stand by him to support him in all the difficulties of the Place He farther acknowledg'd that he held the place by their courtesie and during their pleasure and that if he fell he fell into the hands of Gentlemen that made him what he was in their Service Concluding That he was theirs alone and their own intirely placed in their Service without seeking or recommendation and that he expected no Boon but by their Grace and Favour to depart as he came when they should please to command him The Ceremony of the Election being thus over the House was inform'd that his Majesty had appointed the next day at three a Clock for the Members to present their Speaker which made them adjourn till the next day in the Afternoon The day following being the twenty Second of October the House met again in the Afternoon at what time a Message was deliver'd them by the Usher of the Black Rod commanding them to attend his Majesty in the House of Peers Thereupon the House attended accordingly and humbly presented their Speaker to his Majesty who presently made claim according to Custom in the Name of the Commons of England in Parliament assembled of the ancient Rights of the Commons for them and their Servants in their Persons and Estates to be free from Arrests and other disturbances to have freedom and liberty of Speech in all their Debates and to have access to his Majesties Person as occasion should require All which was allowed by the King Being return'd to the House the Speaker took the Chair and having made report of what had been done the House adjourn'd till Monday following Fame Hitherto I hear of nothing of Business Truth No more then what I tell you for it was necessary that these matters of Form and Ceremony should be first dispatch'd Besides that by these Acts of Condescension in the one and Homage in the other the King asserted his Prerogative and the People by their Representatives acknowledg'd their Subjection Fame I am satisfi'd go on to the next Truth On Monday then being the twenty fifth of October both Houses being met again the first thing that found the Commons work was a Message from the Peers by the Lord C. J. Schroggs and the Lord C. J. North acquainting them that they had made an Address to his Majesty and had received his Majesties Answer thereunto which they thought fit to communicate The Address which was deliver'd to his Majesty by the Lords attending him with their White Staves was to this Effect That whereas there had been a discovery made of a horrid Conspiracy by the Papists against his Majesties Person and Government which still continued that his Majesty would be Graciously pleased to issue out his Royal Proclamation that all Persons who within two Months after the date of the same should come in and give Evidence of any Treason or Conspiracy against his Majesties Person and Government should have a full Pardon for all such Treasons Misprisions and all Offences of Concealment to the time limited by the said Proclamation To which his Majesties Answer was to this Effect That having consider'd of the said Address and being willing to encourage the discovery of any Treasons and Conspiracies as aforesaid he would issue forth his Proclamation accordingly and pardon all such Discoverers according to the desires of the Address Tuesday 26. of October the Commons fell upon the Regulation of Elections of Members to serve in Parliament and appointed a Committee to draw up a Bill or Bills as they should see cause for that purpose more especially to take care to insert a Clause that an Action of the Case might be brought and maintain'd for Damages sustain'd by undue Returns
I am come to visit you as you are a Minister of State and as I am sent as Embassador from the Prince of Portugal to the King of England and am likewise to thank you for the Justice you have done yesterday to Sir George Wakeman To which my Lord C. J. answered I am plac'd to do Justice and will not be curb'd by the Rabble Which Information amongst the rest was Printed as it was deliver'd more at large by order of the House The same day also the Commons made new Resolves Nemine Contradicente to proceed to the full Examination of the Popish Plot in order to the bringing of the Offenders to Justice To which purpose they appointed a Committee to inspect the Journalls of the two last Parliaments and make their Report and order'd an humble Address to be made to his Majesty that all the Letters Papers and Evidences which had been delivered to the Privy Council relating to the Popish Plot might be delivered in to the House And thus ended October Fame By the way what became of the Address for the preservation of his Majesties Person and Government Truth Thou shalt hear For though the Address were made upon the Saturday before according to his Majesties appointment yet the House had no accompt of it in a Parliamentary way till the Munday following which was the First of November But first Mr. Secretary Jenkins made his Report concerning the Address that had been orderd to be made for delivery to the House of all Papers Letters and Evidences concerning the Plot in the Custody of the Privy Council To which he gave an accompt in short That they were already delivered to the Committee of Lords appointed for the examination of the said Plot. Which being done Mr. Speaker acquainted the House with his Majesties Answer to their Address declaring their Resolutions to preserve and support his Person and Government c. which was to this effect That he thanked them heartily for their Zeal to the Protestant Religion and assur'd them that there should be nothing wanting both at home and abroad to preserve it Little was done the rest of this day nor much the beginning of the next which was Tuesday the Second of November till Mr. Treby having given a full Information to the House of all matters by him reported in the last Parliament relating to the Popish Plot the House came to three most Remarkable Resolves of which two were carryed with a Nemine Contradicente The first was That the D. of York's being a Papist and his hopes of coming to the Crown had given the greatest countenance to the present designs and Conspiracies against the King and the Protestant Religion Secondly That in defence of the Kings person and Government and of the Protestant Religion the House did declare That they would stand by his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes and that if his Majesty should come by any Violent death which God forbid they would revenge it to the utmost upon the Papists Thirdly That a Bill should be brought in to disenable the D. of York to inherit the Imperial Crown of England In order whereunto a Committee was appointed to sit and prepare a Bill Upon Wednesday the third of November little pass'd of remark only that the Lords by a Message desired their concurrence to an Act for the better Regulating of Peers in England and that in the House of Commons a Resolve was made Nemine Contradicente That a Bill should be brought in for the better Uniting his Majesties Protestant Subjects Thursday the Fourth of January was less remarkable for business then the day beforegoing unless I should trouble thee Fame to carry the relation of preparatory Votes or the Examinations of breaches of priviledges or contests about Elections which are nothing to the Generall Concernment Fame Thou art in the right they are not for my purpose and therefore thou dost well to leave it out Truth However I must not omit to tell thee that the Bill for disabling James Duke of York to inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging was this day read the first time The next day being the Fifth of November the Houses were both adjourned till Saturday the Sixth of November at what time the House taking into their Consideration the business of the dissenting Protestants came to a unanimous Resolve that it was The Opinion of the House that the Acts of Parliament made in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and King James ought not to be extended against Protestant Dissenters And thereupon they order'd a Bill to be brought in for repeal of all or any part of the Act of Parliament made in the Thirty fifth year of Queen Elizabeth Chapter the first printed in the Statute-book of Pulton This done Mr. Jenison being call'd in gave his Information at the Bar relating to the Popish Plot. At the conclusion of which he was orderd to put it in writing and present it to the House on the Munday following The Sum of the Information was this That about the beginning of the year 78. he had heard Mr. Ireland and Mr. Tho. Jenison both Jesuits discourse of a designe by the Roman Catholiks to obtain a Toleration for the open profession of their Religion in England which was to be done by collecting a good round Sum of Money among them and bribing the Parliament That they also discoursed of securing the Duke of Yorks succession by granting out Commissions to those of the Religion to rise upon the death of the King That he heard the said Ireland say at another time that there was only one in the way who hindred that Religion from flourishing in England and that it was an easie thing to poison the King by the means of Sir George Wakeman That in August of the same year coming from Windsor he went to Mr. Irelands Chamber where he found him pulling off his boots being as he said newly come Post from Wolverhampton That discoursing of the Kings pastimes at Windsor and particularly of his going a fishing with a small retinue of two or three the said Ireland made answer that then he might be easily taken off That the said Ireland offered him to quit him of a debt if he would be assisting to the taking off the King urging how meritorious it would be and how much to the glory of God That upon his refusall Mr. Ireland ask'd him if he knew any stout Irish Gentlemen upon which he nam'd Lavallin Karney and Brahal together with one Wilson an Englishman Of which Gentlemen the said Mr. Ireland did approve as fit for the design That at another time he heard Mr. Tho. Jenison say that if C. R. would not be R. C. he should not be long C. R. Adding that the King being excommunicate and depos'd he was no longer King Having heard this Information the Bill against the Dukes Inheritance was read a Second time and two Resolves made First That the Bill
Act for securing the Protestant Religion by disabling James D. of York to inherit the Imperiall Crowns of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging and the Lord Russel was order'd to carry it up to the Lords for their Concurrence Friday the Twelfth of November some time was spent in reading the Engrossed Bill sent up on the Wednesday before from the Lords for freeing the City and Court c. from Popish Inhabitants c. Of which and of others no farther proceeded in it is enough to speak of their transmitment from one House to another as being such as dy'd among the rest in the Birth After this and some Amendments made of the Returns for the Burrough of Haslemere in Surrey Mr. Bourk Mr. Macnamarr and Eustace Comine being severally called in gave their several Accompts of some proceedings relating to the Popish Plot in Ireland Of their Informations I shall briefly recite the Heads in their Order That of Mr. Bourk was briefly thus That being by the Kindness of one Major Butler admitted to the knowledg of the Earl of Tyrone and by that means frequently keeping his Lordship Company in his pastimes both at home and abroad he observ'd that the said Earl and the Major would be allway extrolling the French King and praying for his Prosperitie That he farther observed a Continual resort of Papists and Suspitious Persons to the said Earls House That being one Morning private with his Lordship his Lordship told him That he had intelligence out of France that the French were very Powerful and that Parlez Francois would be plentifully heard in Ireland ere long That in farther discourse his Lordship drew out of his Pocket a great Quantitie of Papers rol'd up and delivered him to subscribe his name in one of them and that upon a sudden Glance he could read the names of some that he knew to be persons ill affected to his Majesty and his Government That upon his refusal to Subscribe his Lordship calld him Cowar'd and drew his Sword half out of his Scabbard to have kill'd him but was prevented by the unexpected coming in of another Gentleman That from that time forward his Lordship us'd several means to Ruine him and threw him into Waterford Gaol From whence he wrote five Letters to the Lord Lieutenant of his hard Vsage and what he had to say as to the Conspiracy but could have no Answer That being got out of Waterford Gaol he gave in his Informations against the said Earl at Dublin where though his Lordship were bound over to answer the Informant at Waterford Assizes yet such was his power over the Judges and the Jury that he easily got himself acquitted So that finding Ireland then too hot for him the Informant was forc'd to retire into England to make his Appeale The heads of Macnamar's Information were these That one William Bradley Esq a Justice of the Peace in the County of waterford having first made him take an Oath of Secrecie gave him to understand that the Earle of Tyrone had received a Commission from the French King to be a Colonel of Horse in the County of Waterford and that the said Bradley was to be his Lieutenant Col. and therefore desir'd him to provide himselfe of Horse and Arms and get as many as he could trust promising him a Captains Place That after Bradley had unfolded to him the aforesaid Treason he met with the E. of Tyrone who ask'd him privately whether Bradley had said any thing to him who answering he had the E. bid him be very private and then shewed him a List of several that were to be Superiour Officers in several Counties of Ireland which he took special notice of as knowing several of the Persons That the said E. at the same time told him that he had a Commission from the French King under his Hand and Seal to be a Col. of Horse in the County of Waterford and that there was hardly a County in Ireland where Persons were not appointed by the French King for the same purpose with other discourse of the same Nature The Substance of Eustace Comins Information was this That living with one Keadagh Magher his Relation in Karignisurie in the County of Tipperary Treasurer for the Confederates in Ireland he was privy to the Payment of several Considerable Sums to several Considerable Persons upon the accompt of the Plot by the directions of Plunket titular Primate of Ireland Bremand Titular Archbishop of Cashel and Powes Deane of Waterford who had the disposal of the said Money That there was a meeting of the Irish Clergy with the Titular Primate at John Walshe's House who was Lawyer for the D. of Ormond in the County of Tipperary where they agreed to give every Judge that would goe the Circuite and befriend them upon Occasion 200 l. a piece That the Sum of 200 l. was secur'd to Sir John Davis upon the same accompt he being then a Judge at Clonmel of which he was an Eye Witness Lastly after the recital of many other Circumstances of his being pursu'd and imprison'd by Sir John Davis and several other Justices of the Peace Contrary to their duty for his discovery he affirmed that the Papists had Barbarously Murther'd the said Keadagh Magher their Treasurer when they found that he detested their design and was turned Protestant The House having heard these Informations order'd that an Address should be made to his Majesty for their several Pardons and that his Majesty would be pleas'd to take them into his care and protection After this a Message was sent to the Lords to acquaint them with the Resolution of the House to proceed to the Tryal of the Lords in the Tower and that they intended to begin with William Viscount Stafford and therefore desired their Lordships to appoint a day as also that the Lords in the Tower might be confin'd and kept from a Correspondence one with another as Persons Impeached and Committed for high Treason ought to be To which the Lords return'd for answer That as to that part of the Message relating to Confinement and Correspondence they had already given Order therein as the House had desired and for the latter for appointing a day for the Tryal they did appoint Tuesday come fortnight Thereupon they order'd a farther Address to be made to his Majesty That all Papers Writings Examinations and Evidences relating to the Popish Plot which had been deliver'd to the Clerks of the Council or the Secretaries since the dissolution of the last Parliament should be transmitted to the House and order'd that Serjeant Maynard Mr. George Pelham and Mr. Paul Foly should be added to the Committee appointed to prepare Evidence against the Lords in the Tower They likewise order'd That another Address should be made to his Majesty That he would be pleased to give orders for Issuing out a Sum of Money to defray the Charges of Summoning the Witnesses and other Expences incident to the
and with the Lord Bellasis to give orders both as to the taking the Kings life away as also the D. of Monmouths for the Establishing the Romish Religion and Government in this Kingdom That rewards were agreed to be given to such as should deserve them and that the Informant was to have an Equal share with one Capt. Aderly Which rewards were to be distributed by the D. of York the Lord Belasis and some other Persons it being alledg'd by the Conspirators that there would be Lands enough of the Protestants to reward every one That he had intercepted several Letters from St. Omers and Paris to Mr. Ewers wherein mention was made of several Sums of Money laid out for Arms particularly two Sums of 500 l. and 700 l. upon the accompt of the Popish Plot in England That in September 1678. The Lord Stafford discoursing Mr. Ewers and the Informant in the great Parlour at Tixal told them that the reason of his dissatisfaction against the King was that he saw his favours rather dispos'd to Rebels and Traytors than to those that had serv'd him which was enough if there were not the Consideration of Religion which was above all others That at the General Meeting at Tixal in September aforesaid the Lord Stafford Lord Aston and others upon a full debate of all their preceding Transactions and Instructions for carrying on their design resolv'd to confirm the Oath 's which they had severally before taken which was to kill the King and Establish the Romish Religion in this Kingdom At what time the Lord Stafford engag'd to make good his promises to the Informant both of Money and other necessaries for his encouragement Thursday the Sixteenth of November nothing more was done but only that the Bayliff of Westminster amended one of the Returns for that place and put in Sir William Wallers name instead of Sir Francis Withens Which being done the House adjourn'd till the next day being Wednesday morning the Seventeenth of November At what time they took into Consideration on his Majesties Message relating to Tangier and appointed a Committee to draw up an Address to represent to his Majesty the dangerous Estate and Condition of the Kingdom in Answer to the said Message The same day also they order'd another Address to be made to his Majesty for the Removal of George Earl of Halifax from his presence and Councils for ever The Substance of the Address was as followes That being deeply sensible of the dangers and mischiefs occasion'd to the Kingdom by the dissolution of the last Parliament and the frequent Prorogations of the present and having just reason to believe that the said dissolution was promoted by the evil Counsel of the E. of Halifax They did therefore most humbly pray his Majesty for the taking away all occasions of mistrust betwen his Majesty and them and for their greater encouragement to perfect such matters as lay before them for the preservation of his Majesties Person and Government and the Protestant Religion that he would be gratiously pleas'd to remove the said Earl from his presence and Councils for ever To which his Majesty return'd for Answer That he did not find the Grounds in the Address to be sufficient for him to remove the said Earl But he assur'd them that whenever they should in a Due and Regular Course prove any Crime either against him or any other Person he would leave both him and them to their own Legal defence without interposing his mediation Thursday the Eighteenth of November Mr. Treby was sent to the Peers to desire their Lordships to communicate to the Commons such Writings and Evidences which they had receiv'd from the Clerks of the Council to which the Lords readily condescended according to their desire The next day being Friday the Nineteenth of the Month Benjamin Harris Bookseller then and still a Prisoner in the Kings Bench ad sectam Regis for a Fine of 500 l. for a Misdemeanour by him Committed having presented a Petition to the House the same was read and thereupon a Resolve made that Address should be presented to the King to desire him to Pardon the said Fine After which follow'd an Order that a Commitee should be appointed to draw up a Bill for the ascertaining of Fines upon misdemeanours The same day Serjeant Rigby reported from the Committee appointed to enquire after Obstructors of Petitioning that the Grand-Juries of Devon and Somerset were more especially found to be tardy and that Capt. William Castle being summon'd to attend the Committee had contemptuously neglected so to do Thereupon the House order'd that Sir Giles Phillips Mr. Wiliam Stawel Mr. Hutchinson and Mr. Walrond should be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant of Arms. The same day Mr. Zeal being call'd to the Bar of the House delivered his Information at the Bar The Effect whereof in short was this That being a Prisoner in the Marshalsea Mrs. Celier came several times to him and treated with him to be not only Instrumental himself but to procure others to joyn with him to fire the Kings Ships as they lay in harbour as also to swear against the Earl of Shaftesbury such Articles of High Treason as she should get ready prepar'd for him to that purpose His Information being heard the House order'd that Application should be made to his Majesty for his Pardon and some present Allowance Other Applications were also order'd to be made to his Majesty in the behalf of Mr. Hethrington and the Irish Evidence for their Expences and present Support as also in the behalf of Mr. Smith who had made a Considerable discovery of the Popish Plot for some Eclesiastical Preferment To which and some other Addresses formerly made his Majesty upon the meeting of the House the next day being Saturday the Twentieth of the Month by Mr. Secretary Jenkins return'd his distinct Answers That as to the Address in relation to Sir George Jefferies He would Consider of it That as for Lewis He would Pardon him all Offences but Perjury and that Consideration should be had of a reasonable Allowance for him That as for the Irish Evidence That in regard of their number and Circumstances of their Persons not yet well known he had referr'd it to the Lords Commissionours of the Treasury And that for Mr. Smith he would take him into Consideration But the House not satisfi'd with his Majesties Exception in the Pardon of Lewis resolv'd upon another Address That all Pardon 's granted to any of the Persons for whom Application had been made should extend to all Crimes and Misdeameanours whatsoever till the last of their respective discoveries After which Mr. Trenchard reported from the Committee for Enquiring after the Obstructors of Petitioning that Information had been given them that Examinations had been taken upon Oath by Five Justices of the Peace in Monmouthshire viz. John Herbert Henry Baker William Herbert William James and Robert Gunter Esquires against John Arnold Esq for promoting
whereas the Sum of Five hundred Eighty four thousand nine hundred seventy eight Pounds two shillings two pence was rais'd by Act of Parliament for the speedy building Thirty Ships of War and thereby appropriated to that use and whereas it was Provided by the said Act That the Treasurer of the Navy should keep the said Money apart and pay it forth to no other use or intent but only for the building and Rigging of the said Thirty Ships Yet that he contrary to the said Act and his duty did lend the sum of 90000 l. Parcel of the said Mony at Eight percent for the support and continuance of an Army that then ought to have been disbanded by Act of Parliament whereby two Acts were Eluded and the Army Continu'd to the great hazard and danger of the Peace and Safety of the Nation Secondly That whereas the Pole-mony was rais'd by Act of Parliament to enable his Majesty to enter into an Actual War against the French King and only for that use And whereas certain Eastland Merchants did undertake to furnish his Majesties Stores upon assurance of Forty thousand pounds parcel of the said Mony deposited in the hands of the said Mr. Seymour as was by him acknowledged yet that he the said Mr. Seymour pay'd away the said Forty thousand pounds to the Victuallers of the Navy by way of advance and for Provisions not brought in Whereas by the Provision of the Act the said Money should have been paid to the said East-land Merchants Thirdly That norwithstanding he had 3000 l. a year for attending the Office of Treasurer yet that out of the Money appointed for secret service he received 3000 l. a year more which was duly paid him as well during the Sessions as during the Intervals of Parliament and particularly during the Prorogation of Fifteen Months Fourthly That on or about the Eighteenth year of his Majesties Reign during the Dutch War the said Ed. Seymour being one of the Commissioners of Prize Goods did fraudulently and in deceit of his Maiesty unlade a certain prize Ship taken from the Dutch without any Authority for so doing and sell the Goods pretending them to be only Muscovado Sugars And accompted with his Majesty for such whereas in truth the Ship was laden with Cocheneel and Indico goods of great value Saturday the Twenty seventh of November nothing was done to the advantage of this Compendium only that whereas the Commons had sent a Message to the Peers to desire them to appoint a Committee to joyn with a Committee of theirs for adjusting the Methods and Circumstances relating to the Tryals of the Lords in the Tower the Lords return'd their Answer this day That they had appointed a Committee of their Members in Complyance with the Message of the Commons to which purpose they had appointed five Lords to meet in the afternoon in the Court of Wards Where upon the Commons elected ten of their Members to meet the said Lords according to the appointment Monday November 29. nothing was done remarkable to our purpose In the afternoon according to appointment the House attended his Majesty in the Banquetting House where they presented him with their Address in Answer to his Message relating to Tangier to this Effect That having taken into their serious consideration his Majesties late Message relating to Tangier could not but accompt the present Condition of it after so vast a Treasure expended to make it useful not only as one Infelicity more added to the afflicted State of the Nation but as the result of those Counsels which had brought his Majesties Person and Kingdoms into those imminent Dangers which at present surrounded them that they were the less surpriz'd to hear of the Exigence of Tangier remembring that since it became a part of the English Dominions it had been several times commanded by Popish Governours in particular a Lord impeached and in the Tower for the Popish Plot and that the supplies sent thither consisted most of Popish Officers and Soldiers And therefore as to his Majesties recommendation of it to their Care they did with all Humility and reverence Answer That though in due time they should omit nothing incumbent upon them for preservation of every part of his Majesties Dominions yet when such a storm of Ruin and Confusion threatn'd the Land to come to any resolutions in that matter before they were secured from the dangers arising from the Power of Popish Persons and Councils they did not conceive would consist either with their duty or their Trust Then they dilated upon the restless endeavours of the Popish Party the miraculous discovery of their designs and their Continu'd influence at Court and the Arbitrary proceedings of corrupted Justice in the intervals of Parliament all which they represented at large to his Majesty And therefore out of their Allegiance to his Majesty their Zeal to Religion their faithfulness to their Country they had upon mature deliberation propos'd one Remedy of those great Evils without which all others would prove vain and fruitless So that if after all the Private Suggestions of the accomplices of the Popish Party should yet prevail to obstruct their faithful Endeavours they should have this remaining Comfort to have freed themselves from the Guilt of that blood and desolation which is like to ensue But yet that their only hope next under God was in his Majesty that by his great wisdom and goodness they should be secur'd from Popery and all the Evils attending it and that none but Persons of known Fidelity to his Majesty and sincere affection to the Protestant Religion should be put into any employment Civil or Military that while they should give a Supply to Tangier they might be assur'd they did not augment the strength of the Popish adversary nor encrease the publick danger Which desires of theirs if his Majesty would vouchsafe to grant they would not only be ready to assist his Majesty in defence of Tangier but do whatsoever else should be in their power to enable his Majesty to protect the Protestant Religion both at home and abroad and to repel the attempts of his and the Kingdoms Enemies Fame What was the Answer which his Majesty was pleas'd to give to this Address Truth I find no mention of any in the accompt which the Commons gave of their own Transactions which makes me forbear to insert the Vulgar Reports And now between the next day which was the Thirtieth of November and the Eighth of December you must expect a vacancy of Parliamentary business both Houses being busied in the Tryal of the Lord Stafford from day to day till that time For though the House did sit in the Afternoons yet it was either to release Prisoners or hear Petitions which are things altogether out of our Diocess The Tryal began the Thirtieth of November 1680. and continu'd till the Seventeenth of December following The first day the Lord High Steward Heneage Lord Finch Lord High Chancelor of England
unsuitable returns might rather wonder at his Patience then that he grew weary of their Proceedings that it was his Interest and should be as much his Cause as theirs to preserve the Liberty of the Subject the Crown not being safe when that is in danger That by calling this Parliament so soon he let them see that no Irregularities of Parliament should make him out of Love with them by which means he gave them another Oppertunity to provide for the Publick security and had given one Evidence more that he had not neglected his part That he hoped the ill Success of former heats would dispose them to a better Temper That as for the further Prosecution of the Plot tryal of the Lords c. he omited to press them as being obvious to consideration and so necessary for the Publick safety But desired them not to lay so much weight upon any one Expedient against Popery as to determine that all other were ineffectual ' That what he had so often declared ' touching the Succession he should not recede from But that to remove all reasonable Fears that might arise from the Possibility of a Popish Successor if means could be found that in such a Case the Administration should remain in Protestant hands He should be ready to hearken to any such expedient by which Religion might be secur'd and Monarchy not destroyed Lastly He advised them to make the Known and Establish Laws of the Land the Rules and Measures of their Votes Which done he commanded the Commons to return to their House and make choice of their Speaker Thereupon Mr. Williams Speaker of the last Parliament being again made choice of and conducted to the Chair made a short Speech to the House upon his Acceptance That the Unamious choice of the House had lest him without excuse to disable himself for their Service it being to be suppos'd that who the Commons Elected was fit for the Trust That it did not become him to offer assurance of his Constancy Fidelity and Vigilancy the just Sence of the Honour conferred upon him being an Engagement for him to do and suffer whatever Flesh and Blood could do and suffer in their choice That it was a time not to speak much but act well and therefore desired that their Debates might be regular and orderly without reflection or passion and that his behaviour might have their kind and candid Construction Upon Tuesday the 22d of March the Commons attended his Majesty in the Lord's House at which time Mr. Speaker humbly represented in another Speech That the Commons in obedience to his Royal pleasure for the disposal of themselves in that great Assembly to serve him had with one voice elected him their Speaker as having had the Honour to serve his Majesty and the Commons in that Trust in the last Parliament Whereupon with all humility he did again by their Command to receive his pleasure with a Head and Heart full of Loyalty to his Sacred Person armed with a settled resolution never to depart from his Majesties ancient and well settled Government To which the Lord Chancellor in few words made Answer That his Majesty had well considered the Choice and did very well approve of the Election and allowed him for Speaker Then Mr. Speaker made another Address to his Majesty setting forth how much his Majesties Grace and favour in the last Parliament continu'd by the Honour he had in the next did encrease his Obligations to Loyalty That as he was set in a High Station so he would endeavour to manifest his uprightness in it believing that his Majesties service in that great Place was one and the same with that of his Commons no more to be divided then his Crown and Sceptor After which he made an humble claim in the Name of the Commons of England of all the Ancient Rights for them and their Servants freedom of Speech in their debates and liberty of access to his Person according to Custome Concluding by way of Petition to his Majesty that nothing by him said either through weakness or inadvertency should tend to the prejudice of the Commons and that his behaviour and proceedings might receive a favourable Interpretation from his Majesty To which the Lord Chancellor by his Majesties command reurned for Answer That their Petitions were fully and freely granted in as large and ample manner as ever any House enjoy'd them his Majesty being assur'd that the House would make as prudent a use of them as ever any of their Ancestors and that his own particuar Petition was grateful to the King too knowing that he would be as ready to avoid as the King to forgive mistakes The next day being the Twenty-third was spent in taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and subscribing the Declaration directed by the Act made in the Thirteenth year of the King Thursday the Twenty-Fourth produc'd little remarkable several Petitions about Elections were presented and an Order made for setting the next Saturday aside to consider of a means for securing the Protestant Religion and the safety of the Kings Person The Twenty-Fift of March being Friday the Lords sent down the Answer of Sir William Scrogs to the Articles of Impeachment exhibited against him by the former Parliament together with his Petition to the house of Peers But nothing was done in it for the House fell upon three affairs of Higher concernment The first was the consideration of the matter relating to a Bill which had passed both Houses in the last Parliament Entitl'd An Act for Repeal of a Statute made in the Thirty-Fift Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth but was not tendered to his Majesty for his Royal Assent Whereupon it was resolv'd that a Message should be sent to the Lords to desire a Conferencc as to matters relating to the Constitution of Parliaments in passing of Bills and Ordered a Committee to prepare what was fit to be offered at the said Conference Another Message was also Ordered to be sent to the Lords to put them in mind that the Commons had formerly by their Speaker demanded judgment of High Treason at their Barr against the Earl of Danby and therefore to desire their Lordships to appoint a day to give judgment against him the said Earl upon the said Impeachment The same day the Examination of Ed. Fits-Harris relating to the Popish Plot was read in the House Upon which the said Examination was Ordered to be Printed the said Fits-Harris to be impeached at the Lords Barr and a Committee appointed to draw up Articles against him The Sum of Fits-Harris's Examination was this That in the Year 1672. One Father-Gough an English Priest should tell him at Paris that within two Years after he should see the Catholick Religion established in England To which purpose if the King would not comply that Order was taken that he shoâ—ld be taken off and kill'd That the same Priest told him that the D. of T. was a Catholick
so made by his Mother in whose Reign there would be no difficulty of doing it And farther that the Declaration of Indulgence and the War against Holland were in Order to the introducing of the Catholick Religion into England And the same Author reported to him That Madam came over to Dover about the same design That he knew several Commanders in the Army mustered upon Black-Heath to be Roman-Catholick's and that it was the common Intelligence and Opinion among them that the said Army was rais'd to bring in the Romon-Catholick-Religion into England That in the Year 1679. Marquess Montecuculi the D. of Modena's Envoy told him if he would undertake to kill the King either in his own Person or by any other he should have Ten-Thousand pound That the same Marquess told him that upon killing the King the Army in Flanders and Parts adjoying to France was to come over to destroy the Protestant-Party after which there should be no more Parliaments in England and that the D. of Y. was privie to all these designs That in the Year 1680. He met Kelley the Priest at Calice who owned himself to be one of the Murtherers of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and that the same was done much as Prance had related it and That Monsieur De-Puy a Servant to the D. of Y. had told him soon after the said Murther was committed that the said Murther was consulted at Windsor and farther told him that there was a necessity of taking off the King and that it would soon be done with some other passages of less remark to the same purpose Upon this Information Mr. Secretary Jenkins was Ordered to go up and impeach the said Fits-Harris at the Barr of the Lords House In the mean time that is to say in the forenoon of the next day being Saturday the 26 of March other Examinations of Mr. John Serjeant and David Maurice relating to the Popish-Plot were Read and Ordered to be Printed That of Serjeant was short that a Gentlewoman an Acquaintance of his in Flanders one Mrs. Skipwith told him That Gawen one of the Five Jesuits which were Hang'd had maintain'd against a scruple of Conscience by her put that the Queen might not only lawfully kill the King for violating her Bed but was bound to do it and that if she did not she was guilty of his greater Damnation in letting him continue so long Maurice's Information was shorter That he heard the Gentlewoman confirm the Truth of Gawens words Presently after the House taking into debate the means for the security of the Protestant Religion and safety of his Majesties Person came to a Resolution that a Bill should be brought in for excluding James D. of York from Inheriting the Imperial Crowns of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging The same Day in the Afternoon the House being inform'd that the Lords had refus'd to proceed upon their Impeachment of Edward-Fits-Harris and had directed that he should be proceeded against at Common-Law They came to three Resolves That it was the undoubted Right of the Commons in Parliament assembl'd to impeach before the Lords in Parliament any Peer or Commoner for Treason or any other Crime or Misdemeanour and that the Refusal of the Lords to proceed in Parliament upon such an Impeachment was a denial of Justice and a violation of the Constitution of Parliaments Secondly That in the Case of Edward Fits-Harris who had been impeach'd by the Commons for High Treason before the Lords with a Declaration that in convenient time they would bring up Articles against him for the Lords to resolve That the said Fits-Harris should be proceeded against according to the Course of Common-Law and not by way of Impeachment in Parliament at that time was a violation of the Constitution of Parliaments and an Obstruction to the farther Discovery of the Popish-Plot and of great danger to his Majesties Person and the Protestant-Religion Thirdly for any Inferiour Court to proceed against Edward Fits-Harris or any other Person lying under an Impeachment in Parliament for the same Crime for which they stood impeached was a High breach of the Priviledge of Parliament After this they Ordered two Bills to be brought in The one for the better Uniting his Majesties Protestant-Subjects The other for banishing the most considerable Papists in England by their Names out of his Majesties Dominions Munday the Twenty-eighth Day of March and last of the Session little remarkable pass'd only the Bill of Exclusion was read a Second time But these and all other their debates that Morning put a suddain Conclusion for soon after being sent for by the King to the House of Lords his Majesty told them That their beginnings had been such that he could expect no good success of this Parliament and therefore thought fit to dissolve them and accordingly the Chancellor by the Kings command declared the Parliament dissolv'd After the Dessolution of the Parliament the King went back to Windsor the same Day and from thence after a stay of some few Hours returned to White-Hall Fame I will not ask Thee what were the Coffee-Houses Censures and Comments upon an Action of so much importance and so suddain as this Truth No for if Thou didst it would be to no purpose For Thou knowest I have little to do there but the first thing that I saw in Publick upon the Stalls was a Half-sheet of Paper entitled The Protestation of the Lords Upon rejecting the Impeachment of Mr. Fits-Harris giving for Reasons why it was the undoubted Right of the Commons so to do because great Offences that influence the Parliament were most effectually determined in Parliament nor could the complaint be determin'd any where else For that if the Party should be Indicted in the Kings Bench or any other Inferiour Court for the same Offence yet it were the same Suit an Impeachment being at the suite of the People but an Indictment at the suite of the King Besides that they conceived it to be a denial of Justice in regard the House of Peers as to Impeachments proceeding by Vertue of their Judicial not their Legislative Power could not deny any Suitors but more especially the Commons of England no more then the Courts of Westminster or any other Inferiour Courts could deny any Suite or Criminal Cause regularly Commenced before them Sign'd according to the Printed Copy Monmuoth Kent Huntington Bedford Salisbury Clare Stamford Sunderland Essex Shaftsbury Macclesfield Mordant Wharton Paget Grey of Wark Herbert of Cherbury Cornwallis Lovelace Crew Upon the Munday next after Easter-Week came forth His Majesties Declaration shewing the Causes and Reasons that mov'd him to dissolve the Two last Parliaments Wherein after he had set forth with how much reluctancy he did it and how absolute his Intentions were to have comply'd as far as would have consisted with the very being of the Government with any thing that could have been propos'd to him for preserving the Establish'd Religion
Then taking into consideration the Message which had been sent them the day before by the Lords They also in concurrence with the Peers voted an Address to be made to his Majesty on their part to request the same Pardons and Favour for limited Discoverers as the Lords had already done Which being done Mr. Dangerfield of whom I question not but that you have had a sufficient accompt already was called to the Barr there to deliver his knowledge concerning the Plot. Fame That will be very necessary for my Pacquet Truth It will so and therefore you shall have it as briefly as possibly I can sum it up He declared to the House That when Mrs. C. and He waited on the Lord Peterborough to be introduced to his R. H. his Lordship ask'd him whether the Lady Powis had given him any directions how to discourse the D. and desired to know what they were Whereupon he produced a little Book which contain'd a scheme of the pretended discovery he had made of the Presbyterian Plot. Wherein his Lordship finding some Omissions order'd him to Write from his own Mouth that the Presbyterians intended to rise in the North and joyn with the Scots which done his Lordship carry'd him with Mrs. C. into the Dukes Closet at White-Hall where he delivered the said Book to the Duke who not only thank'd him for it and his diligence in the Catholick Cause but wished him success in his Undertakings Adding withall of what mighty consequence the Presbyterian Plot was if well manag'd and that he questioned not but that the effects of it would answer expectation especially in the North where he was assur'd of the Major Part of the Gentry That after that his H. in the hearing of the Lord Peterborough order'd him and Mrs. C. to be careful what they communicated to such as were to be Witnesses in the Plot for fear they should be caught in the Subornation That the D. also informed them that in a Month or two Cmmissions would be ready as from the Presbyterians to which purpose he was order'd to find out trusty persons that would be ready to accept them which should be deliver'd them by a person that should be known by them to be no other then a Presbyterian that they might be the more fit to swear in the Plot. That the D. also for their Encouragement to proceed in that sham-Plott promis'd them that he would take care that Money should not be wanting and bid them discover the same to the King with all expedition they could That the D. made divers Vows and bitter Execrations to stand by them in the thing and engag'd on his Honour to be their Rewarder That being withdrawn from thence to the Lord Peterborough's Lodgings they continu'd there till his Lordship had introduc'd Sir Robert Peyton to the Duke That about four days after the said Earl took the said M. D. again to the D's Lodgings at White-Hall who then told him that he had gained by his diligence a good reputation among the Catholicks adding withall that he should in a short time see the Catholick Religion flourish in these Kingdoms and Heresie torn up by the Roots That the D. gave him twenty Guinies and said if he would be but vigorous in what he had undertaken already he would so order it that Mr. D's life should not be in the least danger with several other Circumstances relating to the said Plot too tedious to relate Fame 'T is well enough so long as here is the main and chief substance of the rest Truth There is so and we are not to make Enlargements where we intend Epitome's Mr. Dangerfeild having made an end of his Relation withdrew But the House taking a more particular notice that he had made mention of Sir Robert Peyton in his Information presently ordered a Committee to examine the matters touching Sir Robert Peyton and to report the same and came to a Resolution Nemine Contradicente to proceed effectually to suppress Popery and prevent a Popish Successor Upon the twenty seventh of October the Address of the Commons to his Majesty in concurrence with the Lords for a Proclamation to assure all such Persons their Pardons as should make their Discoveries within two Months after the date of the Proclamation being prepar'd and finish'd by the Commitee was read in the House upon the Report of Mr. Treby and ran much to this Effect We your Majesties most Loyal Subjects the Commons of England assembled being highly zealous for the preservation of the Protestant Religion your Majesties Sacred Person and Government and resolving to pursue with a strict and impartial enquiry the execrable Papist Plot which was detected in the two last Parliaments and has been supported and carried on by potent and restless Practises and Machinations especially during the late Recesses of Parliament whereby several Persons have been terrified and discourag'd from declaring their knowledge thereof most humbly beseech your Majesty that for the security of such Persons who shall be willing to give Evidence and make further satisfactory discovery concerning the same to this House your Majesty would be pleas'd to issue your Royal Proclamation assuring all the said persons of your Gracious Pardon if they shall give such Evidence or make such Discovery within two Months after the date of the Proclamation With this Address the Speaker attended by several Members of the House waited upon his Majesty the next day in the Afternoon To which his Majesty was pleas'd to return his Answer to this Effect That he did intend to direct such a Proclamation and was resolved not onely to prosecute the Plot but Popery also and to take care of the Protestant Religion establish'd by Law adding That if the House did but go on Calmly in their Debates without heat that he did not doubt but to beat down Popery and all that belong'd to it But to return where we left off so soon as the report of this Address had been made and that it had pass'd Approbation the House fell the same day upon the business of Petitions which they resented so high that they came to several Resolves First that it was the undoubted Right of the Subjects of England to Petition the King for the calling and sitting of Parliaments and Redressing of Grievances That to traduce such Petitioning as a violation of Duty and to represent it to his Majesty as Tumultuous and Seditious was to betray the Liberty of the Subject and contributed to the design of subverting the ancient Legal Constitutions of this Kingdom and introducing Arbitrary Power Which Resolves passing Nemine Contradicente they appointed a Committee to enquire of all such Persons as had offended against the Rights of the Subjects Thereupon the House being inform'd that Sir Francis Withens one of the Members had offended against the said Right of the Subject he was order'd to attend the next Morning After which they pass'd a Resolve to make an Address to his Majesty with
a declaration of their Resolution to preserve and support the Kings Person and Government and the Protesstant Religion both at home and abroad The next Morning Sir Francis Withens appearing in his Place according to the Order made the day before the Clark of the Peace for Westminster was order'd to attend the next Morning with the Roll of Orders for the last Easter Sessions for the City of Westminster Fame What could that signifie Truth Thou mayst be sure they knew what they did Fame I guess the business Truth Why then dost interrupt me with thy Impertinencies Fame Thou knowest I was always guilty of that fault and cannot help it but prithee now go on Truth Having thus done with Sir Francis for that time they took Sir Robert Yeoman's and Sir Robert Can a Member of the House to task for that they in October 1679 had publickly declared that there was no Plot but onely a Presbyterian Plot. The words were attested by Mr. Rowe the Sword-bearer of Bristol and Sir John Knight a Member of the House also To which Sir Robert Can being called upon by the House to make his defence said little for himself but onely flung several reflecting and reproachfull expressions upon Sir Robert Can. For which as for an offence against good Manners he was presently order'd to receive a Reprehension from the Speaker upon his knees Nor was this all for Sir Robert being now withdrawn the House proceeded to take the matters charg'd against him into farther Consideration and after some time of debate resolv'd that it did appear by the Evidence given to the House that Sir Robert Can was guilty of the words before mention'd and order'd him as a Member of the House to be expel'd the House and committed to the Tower Whereupon he was presently call'd to the Bar and received the Judgement of the House upon his knees from the Mouth of the Speaker As for Sir Robert Yeomans he not being in Town was order'd to be sent for in custody of the Serjeant attending the House The next day being the twenty ninth of October as they had been severe in punishing so they they began to think of rewarding and order'd that Dr. Tongue should be humbly recommended by the House to his Majesty for the first considerable Church-preferment that should become void in the Kingdom and that such of the Members as were of the Privy Council should represent the same to his Majesty The same day the Address for the preservation and support of his Majesties Person and Government being prepar'd and finish'd was read in the House to this Effect That they did with most thankful hearts acknowledge not only his Majesties many former Royal Declarations of his adherence to the Protestant Religion but his farther Manifestation of the same in his Gracious Speech to both Houses at the opening of the Parliament And therefore as the Eyes of all the Protestants abroad were upon them and that looking upon his Majesty as the Royal Head of so many Protestant Countries they could not but hope that his Majesty would be the greatest Protection to them from whom the Kingdom has Reason to expect a Mutual Assistance as being invovl'd in the same Danger They did humbly assure his Majesty that they would be always ready to preserve his Majesties Person and Government and to support the Protestant Religion both at home and abroad Beseeching his Majesty to esteem those that should otherwise represent them to his Majesty as such who design'd to divide between the King and his People and defeat the meeting of Parliaments that the Popish designs might succeed Which has been made Evident by the Contrivance of a wicked design to transfer the Guilt of their own Crimes upon his Majesties Loyal Protestant Nobility and Gentry This Address being read and consented to by the whole House they proceeded to the business of Sir Francis Withens and to that purpose examin'd several Witnesses at the Bar. At length it appearing not onely by the Evidence but by the Confession of Sir Francis hmself that he had presented an Address to his Majesty expressing an abhorrency to Petition for the calling and sitting of Parliaments it was Resolv'd That he had betray'd the undoubted Rights of the Subjects of England And Sir Francis was order'd to be expell'd the House and received his Sentence upon his knees accordingly Saturday the thirtieth of October concluded the Parliamentary Transactions of this Month and little occurr'd but that Mr. Secretary Jenkins acquainted the House that his Majesty being attended by such of the Members as were of the Privy Council with the Address relating to Dr. Tongue was pleas'd to answer That he had already taken care of him and would also take him into his farther Consideration Then it was also that the Votes of the House were first order'd to be Printed being first perus'd and sign'd by the Speaker who had likewise Power to Nominate and appoint the Persons that were to Print the same The same day also Francisco de Feria deliver'd his Evidence at the Bar of the House concerning the Plot the Effect whereof in short was That being preferr'd to be Interpreter and Secretary of Languages to the Lord Gaspar Abrew de Freitas Embassador in Ordinary for the Prince of Portugal to the King of England That being in great Favour with the said Embassador he the said Embassador did entrust him with several of his Secrets and that at the Tryal of the five Jesuites being then private with his Lord the Embassador expresed much sorrow for the Oppression of the Catholicks and wish'd that Oates and Bedlow were made away and then told him that he might doe the Catholick cause great Service and might make his own Fortune if he would joyn in destroying Oates and Bedlow That 50000 Reales d' Ocho should be given for that piece of Service and that two sufficient Persons should be joyn'd with him to kill the said Oates and Bedlow That afterwards understanding that Bedlow was not dead in Ireland as had been reported the said Embassador renew'd his Sollicitations to him to kill Oates and Bedlow promising to make good the said sum of Money to him to pay his Debts and carry him into Portugal That the said Embassador tempted him to kill the Earl of Shaftsbury by throwing a hand-Granado into his Coach as he was travelling upon the Road into the Country That after the acquittal of Sir George he was sent to the said Sir George to tell him from the Embassador That his Fortune and Estate were all at his Service and so was his Princes That the Catholicks were all bound to pray for Sir Philip Floyd for his Generosity To which Sir George reply'd That had it not been for him he had not been sav'd That after the Tryal was over the Embassador went to visit the Lord C. J. Schroggs in his Sedan with his Coach of State That the Complement was in Portugueze interpreted by himself to this Effect My Lord
should be committed to a Committee of the whole House Secondly which was done Nemine Contradicente That the exclusion in the said Bill should not extend any further then the Person of the Duke of York only After which the House adjourned till Munday the Eighth of November the most remarkable passages of which day were first a Conference with the Peers manag'd by the Lord Privy Seal at what time his Lordship did deliver to Mr. Hampden and the rest of the Members severall Examinations in writing relating to the Popish Plot acquainting them farther That all other Papers of the same Concern in the Custody of their Clerk should be delivered to the Clerk of the House of Commons upon his giving a Receipt for the same The Second was the Release of Sir Robert Can from his imprisonment upon his petition and acknowledgement of his offence And The third was the Resolving of the whole House into a Grand Committee to proceed in the Bill of Exclusion which was done so effectually that after severall Clauses added and Amendments made the Bill was orderd to be engross'd Fame Was that Bill never to be seen Truth Yes I have seen it my self in severall Coffee-Houses And therefore to save thy longing I will here briefly recite the Heads of it Fame That 's as much as I desire for the rest is but matter of Form Truth That whereas the D. of Y. was notoriously known to have been perverted from the Protestant to the Popish Religion whereby not only great encouragement has been given to the Popish party to carry on a devilish Conspiracy for the destruction of his Majesties Person and Government but that if the D. should succeed to the Imperial Crown of this Kingdom nothing would be more manifest than a total Change of Religion Be it therefore Enacted That the said I. D. of Y. be made for ever uncapable to Inherit the Imperial Crown of the Kingdoms of England and Ireland c. And that if the said D. of Y. shall at any time hereafter challenge or attempt to possess or enjoy or take upon him to exercise any Authority or Iurisdiction within the said Kingdoms c. That he shall be deem'd Guilty of High Treason and suffer accordingly And that all Persans that shall assist him in such Challenge or Attempt or shall themselves attempt or endeavour to put or bring him into the Possession of the Regal Power or by Preaching or Writing maintain that he hath any Right or Title to the same shall be deem'd Guilty of High Treason and suffer accordingly And that the said D. of York after the Fifth of November 1680 shall not return into any of the Kingdoms aforesaid or if he doe he shall be adjudg'd Guilty of High Treason That being so Guilty of the Treasons aforesaid neither the Duke or any other Person shall be capable of the benefit of any Pardon otherwise then by Act of Parliament wherein in they shall be particularly nam'd All Magistrates Officers and other Subjects are also empowered to apprehend the said D. or any other Persons offending in any of these Premises The Act to extend no farther than the Person of the D. Lastly The Act to be given in Charge at all Assizes and Sessions of the Peace and to be openly read in all Cathedrals and Parish Churches c. upon the Twenty-fifth of December and Easterday during the life of the Duke The next day being Tuesday the ninth of November the King sent a Message to the House in writing by Mr. Secretary Jenkins desiring the House as well for the Satisfaction of his People as of himself to expedite such Matters as were depending before them relating to Popery and the Plot and to rest assur'd that all Remedies they should tender to his Majesty conducing to those ends should be very acceptable to him Provided they were such as might consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its due and Legal Course of Descent Then Mr. Turberville being called in gave in his Information first by word of Mouth and when he had done delivered the same in writing The effect whereof in short was That he living in the Family of the E. of Powis grew very intimately acquainted with William Morgan Confessour to the said Earl and his Family being a Jesuite and Rector over all the Jesuits in those parts and that he had often heard the said Morgan tell the said Earl and his Lady that the Kingdom was in a high Fever and that nothing but bloodletting could restore it to health That Father Cudworth Guardian of the Fryers at Doway had told him that this King should not last long That in the year 1675 he was introduc'd into the acquaintance of the Lord Viscount Stafford at Paris to whom he had great freedom and liberty of access Who at length after many solemn promises of exacted secresie told him in direct Terms That he might make himself and the Nation happy by taking away the Life of the King who was a Heretick and a Rebel to God Lastly That he was present at Mass with the Lord Powis in Vere-Street where the E. of Castlemaine said Mass in his Priestly habit Wednesday the tenth of November little past of Consequence more then that the Peers sent down to the House of Commons for their Concurrence to an Act which they had pass'd for freeing the City of London and his Majesties Court and Parts adjacent from Popish Inhabitants and providing against other dangers which might arise from Papists Then taking into Consideration the short Message sent them the day before by his Majesty and delivered by Mr. Secretary Jenkins they made two Resolves That a Committee should be appoynted to draw up an Address to his Majesty in Answer to his speech And in the second place That they would proceed in the Prosecution of the Lords in the Tower and forthwith begin with the Lord Viscount Stafford Fame I have heard say that several Addresses were made to his Majesty for the Pardons and Maintenance of the several Witnesses that had given in their Informations Truth 'T is very certain and 't was no more than what you might have related almost upon supposition So that it will be enough to say for the effects shewed it to be real That all the humble Addresses in that nature were answered Besides that it is our business to pass over Things of lesser moment as lightly as we can And thus from the tenth we come to Thursday the Eleventh of November taken up for the most part with rectifying Elections till Sir William Jones reporting That the address in answere to his Majesties last Message was ready having read it in his place delivered it to the Clerks Table after which it was againe read by the whole House and agreed upon Which being done and the engross'd Bill of Exclusion this day read a third time the Resolution of the House was That the Bill should Pass and that the Title should be An
prosecution of the said Lords And farther that Such Money as his Majesty should be pleas'd to direct to be set out for the use aforesaid should be deposited in the hands of Mr. Charles Clare Fame All this while you do not 〈◊〉 me how the Lords receiv'd the Bill of Exclusion Truth All in good Time For it was impossible for me to interrupt the Series of the foregoing Orders that depended one upon another You must know then in short that this Bill as it was of great weight so it occasioned a long debate in the House But at length when it came to the Vote it was utterly rejected by the Number of Voices there being no less then Sixty three against the passing of it and but Thirty one for it Saturday the Eleventh of November Mr. Secretary Jenkins acquainted the House with his Majesties Answere to several of their Late Addresses That as to the issuing out of Money for the Expences of the Tryals he had directed a hundred pound to be paid to the Person that should be appointed by the House to receive it That as for the delivery of the Papers writings and Evidences concerning the Plot upon the Sitting of the Committee of the Lords he had directed them to be transmitted thither where they remain'd And that as for the pardons for the Irish Evidence he would grant them all Pardons for all Treasons Misprisions of Treasons Felonies and outlaries for Felonies Fame All this while I heare nothing of the Address which was order'd to be made in answer to his Majesties Message of the Ninth of this Month. Truth All that I can say is that his Majesty appointed the House to meet him this very day at three of the Clock in the Banqueting House in order to that Address But because I find no farther mention made of it in the Votes of the House I made no farther Inquirie after it Fame Since then you have proposed so good a Rule to your self observe it Truth 'T is what I am bound to do if I intend to be what I profess my self To goe on then the next remarkable Passage of this day was the forgiving Sir Robert Yeomans who being called to the Bar acknowledg'd the Offence he had committed For which submission and his begging pardon he was only put to receive the rebuke of the House upon his knees and so discharg'd Mr. Norris was then call'd in who gave an Information in writing relating to the Popish Plot which occasion'd an Order for appointing a Committee to receive Informations concerning the Popish Plot to which Committee it wa◠also at the same time refer'd to examin◠the matter of Mr. Norris's Information and to report the same of which more hereafter Mr. Trenchard then reported from the Committee to which the Petition o◠divers Citizens of London against Sir George Jefferies was referred That the Committee had heard the Evidence on both sides and that it was the Opinion of the Committee upon the Evidence given them that the said Sir George Jefferies by traducing and Obstructing Petitioning for the sitting of the Parliament had betrayed the Rights of the Subjects Upon which it was resolv'd that the House did agree with the Committee and order'd an Address to be presented to his Majesty for removing Sir George Jefferies out of all publick Offices and that the Members serving for the City should Communicate the Vote and Resolution of the House relating to Sir George Jefferies to the Court of Aldermen The Address was to this effect That haveing receiv'd a Complaint against Sir George Jefferies and having heard the Evidence against him and his defence and being satisfi'd that the said Sir George to serve his own ends to create a misunderstanding between his Majesty and his People did declare the Petitioning of the Citizens of London for the Sitting of the Parliament to be Tumultuous Seditious and Illegal and threaten that if they did so Petition there should be no meeting nor sitting of the Parliament thereby traducing his Majesty as if he meant not to pursue his gracious intentions they did therefore most humbly beseech his Majesty to remove the said Sir George from the Chief Justiceship of Chester and from all other his publick Offices and Employments They likewise appointed a Committee to enquire into all such Persons as had been advising or promoting the Proclamation Entituled a Proclamation against Tumultuary Petitioning empowering them to that purpose to send for Persons Papers and Records Monday the Fifteenth of November Mr. Secretary Jenkins deliver'd a short Message in writing from his Majesty Intimating That his Majesty had at the opening of the Sessions in his speech desired the advice and Assistance of his Parliament in Relation to Tangeir The Condition and importance of which place oblidg'd him to put them againe in mind that he rely'd upon them for the support of it Without which it could not be much longer preserved And therefore earnestly recommended Tangeir to the due and speedy care and consideration of the House This Message being read and some other debates being over Mr. Dugdale was call'd in and gave his farther Information relating to the Popish Plot in writing The most considerable heads whereof were these That about the Twenty first of September 1678. He being in Company with Mr. Ewers and one Hosbon amongst other discourse they both declar'd That their design in carrying on the Plot was to kill the D. of Monmouth as well as the King which horrid Acts the Lord Stafford at the same time propos'd for him to do That in a Letter directed to Mr. Ewers which he brake open and found to be the Lord Staffords hand he read the following words That things went well beyond the Seas for Carrying on the Plot and hop'd it did so here in England And that for the pardoning of those that were concern'd therein Mr. Ewers told him that there were several Indulgences which he believed came from Ireland to whom they were transmitted from Rome That he very well remember'd that there was a meeting of the Jesuites in April 1678. for that Mr. Ewers and other Jesuits went out of Staffordshire up to London to be there at it That several Sums of Money were collected from several Gentlemen in the Countrey to carry on the design and that he himself received 500 l. of Mr. Vavasour and Mr. Gawen at Wolverhampton which he return'd up to Mr. Harcourt That at another time Mr. Ireland told him that when he came to London he would give him Instructions how to proceed in his business for that he could not well tell how the business went till he had spoken with the Lords Bellasis and Arundel af Warder who would prove the Loyallest persons for Trust and Counsel in the world That at another time questioning Mr. Ewers what Persons of Quality did countenance the design He made answer Several in several Places and that the Lord Arundel of Warder was to undertake the most part of the design
the Nobility and the Commons of England having taken their several and distinct places in Court And the Prisoner being brought to the Bar the Lord High Steward spake to him to this Effect That the Commons of England had impeached him of High Treason for which he was then to he Try'd that he was not try'd upon the Indictment found by the Grand-Jury but prosecuted by the Loud complaints of the Commons and to be try'd upon the presentment of the Grand Inquest of the whole Nation That he was to be therefore Judg'd by the whole Body of the House of Peers where the ballance would be exactly kept And that therefore if his zeal had engag'd him in such deep and black designes as he was charg'd with he must expect to reap what he had sown Admonishing him lastly to hear with patience what should be said against him The Charge being then read the substance of the Impeachment was I. That there had been a Traiterous Plot and Conspiracy both in England and other Places to alter and subvert the Ancient Government and true Religion established in the Land which Plot was carried and contrived by Persons of several Qualities and Degrees II. That for the accomplishing of the said wicked and traiterous design he had agreed and conspir'd with others to imprison depose and murther the King and to Subject the Kingdom to the Pope and his Government To restore the Abbys Monasteries c. so long agoe Suppressed for their Idolatry and Superstition And by that means to destroy his Majesty Extirpate the Protestant Religion and overthrow the Rights and Properties of his Majesties Subjects III. That he with the rest of the Traytors had held several Meetings and Consultations where it was contriv'd and design'd by what means and what Instruments should be us'd to murther his Majesty That it was there resolv'd to Effect the same by Poisoning Shooting Stabbing and that at the same places rewards were offered to several Persons to execute the same IV. That he with the rest had Consulted to raise Men Money Armes and Ammunition and had Corresponded with the Pope his Cardinals and Nuntio 's and with other Forein Ministers for the raising and obtaining of Men Money c. for the raising of War within the Kingdom and invading the same with Forein Forces V. That he with the rest had procured and delivered out several Instruments and Commissions made and granted by the Pope and other unlawful Authortities for the raising and disposing Men Money c. and particularly for him the said Lord Viscount Stafford to be paymaster of the Army VI. That to hinder the discovery af the said Plot and to secure themselves from Justice He with the rest had caused Oathes of Secresie to be administred to the Confederates and the Priests to give them absolutions for their encouragement aforesaid to conceal the Conspiracy VII That he with the rest had contriv'd to lay the Imputation of their crimes upon the Protestants aforesaid To this his Lordships Plea was That he was not Guilty and for his Tryal put himself upon his Peers In the opening of this Impeachment Mr Serjeant Maynard beginning told the Lords that the Charge was General and Particular General the Subversion of the Nation Murther of the King and suppression of the Protestant Religion which General was charg'd in Particular upon the Prisoner in regard that in a general design as this was wherein so many were concern'd the Act of One is the Act of All and the Act of All is the Act of every One But his part being only to open the General Conspiracy he made out the Universal Hatred of the Papists against the Protestants by their continual Practcies of Murthers Massacrees and Treasons in Spain France England and other parts of Europe and their Doctrine of the Legality of deposing and Killing Heretick Kings Then bringing his Arguments home he called to mind the Murther of Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey The Tampering with Bedlow to corrupt and lessen his Testimony and Their Charging Oates with Infamous Crimes by falshood and Subornation to invalidate his Testimony The particular Evidence was open'd by Sir Francis Winington Shewing first The extraordinary advantages the Papists had to enter upon the Conspiracy The creeping of Papists at the bottom and others that drove on their Interest into his Majesties Councils The easiness of some Men to favour the Papists new projects set on foot for a Reconciliation between the two Religions by distingushing the Church from the Court of Rome Papists of Loyal and disloyal Principles Which gave them great Encouragement to see how freely the Pen was drawn in their favour The Kings Commands of putting the Laws in Execution frustrated by the Publick Ministers of their faction and the severity of those Laws turned upon the Protestant dissenters Lastly their great hopes of a Popish Successor As for the proof of the Plot in general he Cited the Attainders of Coleman and Langhorn and several Priests and Jesuites The Attainders of Sir Edmund-Bury Godfrey's Murther and the Conviction of the Assassinator of Mr. Arnold And in short the Convictions not only of Treasons and Murthers but of almost all other Villianies whatsoever To this he added that proof would be made of the discourses of the Preists and Jesuits abroad of the great alteration that would be in England e're long And that the King was a Heretick and might be destroyed which Doctrine was dispersed by the industry of several in England As to particulars against the Prisoner he urg'd that proof would be made of his being at a Consult at the Lord Aston's House at Tyxal for the Killing the King That he offered 500 l. out of his own purse for carrying on the Plot and particularly that part of Killing the King That the Prisoner himself had tempted one of the Witnesses to Kill the King with several other Circumstances tending to that and the General design Then Mr. Treby proceeded to call the witnesses to shew the Universal Conspiracy The first was Mr. Smith whose Education had given him great Opportunities of knowing the inside of the Papists Affairs He testified That upon his first arrival in France he came acquainted with Abbot-Montague Gascoyn and several other Priests and Jesuites who promis'd him preferment both among them and in England if he would turn Catholick for that they did not doubt but that the Popish Religion would come into England very soon as not questioning a Toleration first by which they should bring it in without Noise And Secondly because their party was very Strong in England and in a few years would be able to bring it in right or wrong That Cardinal Grimaldi whom he met by Accident in Provence told him he had great Assurances the Popish Religion would prevail in England and that there was but one that obstructed it who though a good natur'd Person yet they could not so far prevaile upon him but that they must be forc'd to take him out
was an easy thing to poyson the King That at another time his Brother Jennison told him that there was a design in England so laid that it could not be easily discover'd and that the greatest Papists and the greatest Catholicks in England were in the design That there was an Army to be rais'd to bring in the Catholick Religion And that at another time one Mr. Cuffil a Jesuite declared that he thought Mr. Coleman infatuated to give notice to Harcourt Ireland and Fenwick to burn their Papers upon the discovery of the Plot and not to burn his own Then the Clerk of the Lords Comittee delivered in the several Attainders and Judgments enter'd upon Records upon the Conviction of Coleman Langhorn and the rest And upon the motion of Mr. Treby the Attainder of Mr. Coleman was openly read in Court in regard there was more of special matter in that than in any of the rest more especially among many other things mentioning his proceeding in Relation to the carrying on of the Plot viz. his trayterous Correspondence with La Chese the King of France's Confessor and with Monsieur Rovigni the French King's Envoy in England for the bringing in of a Forrein Force to carry on the design After which the Court adjourned The next day being Wednesday the first of Decemb. The Court being sat the Witnesses were called to give in their particular Evidence against the Prisoner of whom the first was Mr. Dugdale who being sworn declared That at a meeting at Tixall either at the latter end of August or beginning of September in the Year 1678 where several were present the business of that meeting was to debate and determin upon their former Resolutions both beyond Sea and at London before both to take away the Life of the King and Introduce the Popish Religion wherein they came at that time to a full Conclusion and that the Prisoner was there present and did with the rest consent to it That at another time coming from Stafford to Tixal to Mass he made his Complaint to the Evidence that it was a sad thing the Papists could not say their Prayers but in a hidden manner but that ere long if things took Effect the Romish Religion would be Established That at another time the Prisoner sending for him to his Chamber commended his fidelity and for his taking away the life of the King offered him 500 l. for his Charges and Encouragement and that he should go to London with him and be under his care That the Prisoner giving the reasons at another time of his being such an Enemy to the King was because he had been a great sufferer for the King but not taken notice of but that rather Traytors and Rebels were rewarded Which was enough were not Religion in the case which was of a higher Nature That the Prisoner had told him that in case he did kill the King he should have a free pardon for it the King being an Excomunicated Traytor and an Enemy to Jesus Christ That he saw a Letter under the Prisoners hand to this Effect That all things went well for carrying on the design and so he hoped they did here Dr. Oates being sworn declared That while he was in Spain he met with several Letters signed Stafford wherein he assured the Jesuites that were of the Irish Nation how Zealous he would be in promoting the Catholick design In other Letters the Prisoner blamed Colemans openness and for Communicating great Secrets to Men of whose fidelity his Lordship was not secure That in the Month of June 1678. The Prisoner came to Mr. Fenwick's Chamber and there received a Commission from him to pay an Army or as near as the Dr. could remember to be paymaster General of the Army assuring Fenwick that he was going into Staffordshire and did not question but to give a good accompt how affairs stood not doubting but at his return Grove should do the business Mr. Turbervile upon his oath declared That being Cast off by his Relations for refusing to enter into Popish Orders he was put to shift for himself to which purpose he went beyond Sea to seek for imployment That having spent some time at Paris without success and being upon his Return into England he was recommended to the Prisoner then at Paris who beeng informed of his Condition after he had been with his Lordship some time told him there was a way whereby he might not only retrieve his Reputation with his Relations but make himself a happy Man and at length after many Obligations to secrecy told him the King was a Heretick and a Rebel against God Almighty and that it was to take away his life To this the Prisoner made first a general reply That he looked upon the House of Commons as the great Representative Body of the Commons of England and to be accused by them was such a load which so afflicted him that he was scarce able to bear up under it Which with other things had so disorder'd his sence and reason that he scarce knew how to chear himself to their Lordships as he ought to do and therefore with all Humility begged their Lordships pardon if he said that which might give offence or urged any thing that might not be to the purpose That he looked upon Treason to be the Greatest sin in the world That as to the Doctrine of King-killing and absolving persons from their Allegiance he could not say the Church of Rome did hold it he never heard so it may be it did it may be not But that there was an English College of Priests at Rhemes that in their Annotations upon the Fourteenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans declared their dislike and detestation of this Opinion and that the Doctors of the College at Sorbonne owned it to be a damnable Principle And that for his own part he did in the presence of Almighty God solemnly declare that he detested any such Opinion as he did Damnation to himself That the Mannagers began their Charge with telling their Lordships that there was a horrid design to Murder the King c. wherein the Roman Catholicks and all the Church of Rome were concerned but how did that concern him for that they had not offered one Proof that he was of that Religion That he was accused of having endeavour'd to kill the King But that all accusations of Treason ought to be accompanied with circumstances Antecedent Concomitant and Subsequent And the whole Compass of his life had been otherwise That in the beginning his late Majesty had made him a Peer That in the beginning of the war he retired into Flanders whence afterwards he came into England ond served his Majesty Loyally and faithfully and that he waited upon the present King in his Exile That after he heard of the discovery of the Plot had he known himself Guilty he had a fair opertunity to have run away That he was offered the Kings Pardon if he
adtunc ibidem recipiatis ipsum sic in custodia vestra existentem statim usque usualem Locum super le Tower-hill ductatis Ac Caput ipsius Willi. Vicecomitis Stafford adtunc ibidem amputari ac à Corpore suo omnino separari faciatis aliquo Judicio Lege Ordinatione seu Mandato preantea habit ’ fact ’ ordinat ’ seu dat ’ in contrarium non obstante Et hoc sub periculo incumbente nullatenus omittatis Teste meipso apud Westm decimo octavo die Decembris Anno Regni nostri tricesimo secundo BARKER Englished thus CHARLES the Second by the Grace of God of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith c. To the Sheriffs of London and Sheriffs of Middlesex Greeting Whereas William Viscount Stafford has been Impeached by the Commons of our Kingdom of England in Parliament Assembled of High Treason and other Crimes and Offences by him perpetrated and committed And thereupon by the Lords Temporal in our present Parliament conven'd was try'd convicted and in due Form of Law attainted and is adjudg'd to die of which Judgment Execution yet remains to be done We charge and by these Presents firmly conjoyning command you That in and upon the 29 th Day of this Instant December between the hours of Nine and Eleven before Noon of the same Day that the said Viscount Stafford without the Gate of our Tower of London then and there to be to you deliver'd as by another Writ to the Lieutenant of our Tower of London directed we have given Command you then and there receive into your Custody and him so being in your Custody that you presently conduct to the usual place upon Tower-hill and cause the Head of him William Viscount Stafford then and there to be chop'd off and altogether separated from his Body any Judgment Law Ordinance or Command before had made ordain'd or given to the contrary notwithstanding And of this upon penalty thereof to ensue you are not to fail Witness our selves at Westminster the 18 th day of December in the 32 d. year of our Reign Upon Wednesday the 29 th of December about Ten of the Clock in the Morning the Sheriffs received the Prisoner from the Lieutenant of the Tower and conducted him to the Scaffold Upon which the Prisoner being come after a short pause produc'd a Paper out of his Pocket which contain'd the following Speech which he read with his Hat off and gave several Copies thereof Signed with his own Hand to Sheriff Cornish and other Gentlemen about him THE SPEECH OF WILLIAM HOWARD Late Lord Viscount Stafford Vpon the Scaffold on Tower-Hill immediately before his Execution Wednesday Decemb. 29. 1680. BY the permission of Almighty God I am this day brought hither to suffer Death as if I were guilty of High Treason I do most truly in the presence of the Eternal Omnipotent and All-knowing GOD protest upon my Salvation That I am as Innocent as it is possible for any man to be so much as in a Thought of the Crimes laid to my Charge I acknowledge it to be a particular Grace and Favour of the Holy Trinity to have given me this long Time to prepare my self for Eternity I have not made so good use of that Grace as I ought to have done partly by my not having recollected my self as I might have done and partly because not only my Friends but my Wife and Children have for several dayes been forbid to see me but in the presence of one of my Warders This hath been a great Trouble and Distraction unto me but I hope God of his Infinite Mercy will pardon my Defects and accept of my good Intentions Since my long Imprisonment I have considered often what could be the Original Cause of my being thus accused since I knew my self not culpable so much as in a Thought and I cannot believe it to be upon any other Account than my being of the Church of Rome I have no reason to be ashamed of my Religion for it teacheth nothing but the Right Worship of God Obedience to the King and due Subordination to the Temporal Laws of the Kingdom And I do submit to the Articles of Faith believed and taught in the Catholick Church believing them to be most consonant to the Word of God And whereas it hath so much and often been objected that the Church holds That Sovereign Princes Excommunicated by the Pope may by heir Subjects be Deposed and Murdered as to the Murder of Princes I have been taught as a matter of Faith in the Catholick Faith that such Doctrine is diabolical horrid and detestable and contrary to the Law of God Nature and Nations and as such from my Heart I renounce and abominate it As for the Doctrine of deposing Princes I know some Divines of the Catholick Church hold it but as Able and Learned as they have writ against it But it was not pretended to be the Doctrine of the Church that is any point of Catholick Faith Wherefore I do here in my Conscience declare That 't is my true and real Judgment That the same Doctrine of deposing Kings is contrary to the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom injurious to Sovereign Power and consequently would be in me or any other of his Majesties Subjects impious and damnable I believe and profess that there is one God one Saviour one Holy Catholick Church of which through the Mercy Grace and Goodness of God I die a Member To my great and unspeakable Grief I have offended God in many things by many great Offences but I give him most humble thanks not in any of those Crimes of which I was accused All the Members of either House having liberty to propose in the House what they think fit for the Good of the Kingdom accordingly I proposed what I thought fit the House is judge of the fitness or unfitness of it and I think I never said any thing that was unfitting there or contrary to the Law and use of Parliaments for certainly if I had the Lords would as they might have some way punished me So t am not culpable before God or Man It is much reported of Indulgences Dispensations Pardons to Murder Rebell Lye Forswear and commit such other Crimes held and given in the Church I do here profess in the Presence of God I never learned believed or practised any such things but the contrary and I speak this without any Equivocation or Reservation whatsoever And certainly were I guilty either my self or knew of any one that were guilty whosoever that were so of any of those Crimes of which I am accused I were not only the greatest Fool imaginable but a perfect Mad-man and as wicked as any of those that so falsly have accused me if I should not discover any ill Design I knew in any kind and so upon discovery save my Life I having so often had so fair occasions proposed unto me and so am guilty
Speaker they resolv'd into a Committee of the whole House After which the Speaker resuming the Chair they came to several Resolves Nemine contradicente 1. That one way for the suppressing of Popery was to banish all the Considerable Papists out of England That as long as the Papists had any hopes of the D. of York's Succession both the Protestant Religion and the Lives Liberties and Properties of the King's Protestant Subjects were in Danger to be destroy'd 3. That there should be a Bill brought in for the Association of his Majesties Protestant Subjects for the Safety of King Religion and People against all Invasions or Oppositions whatsoever and to prevent the Succession of the D. of Y. or any other Papist Thursday the 16 th was spent for the most part in reading of Bills The next day being Friday the 17 th of December upon a Report by Sir William Poultney from the Committee appointed to draw up the Impeachment against Mr. Seymour the Articles of Impeachment were order'd to be Ingross'd and Mr. Seymour to be taken into Custody by the Serjant at Arms who was impowered to take Security for his forth-coming Saturday being the 18 th they took into serious Consideration his Majesties Last Speech and after some debate resolv'd that an Address should be prepar'd in answer to it Monday the 20 th produc'd nothing at that time remarkable but only the Address which was then read and agreed to and presented the next day Tuesday the 21 th of December not much more was done than upon the day before only that an Information was given into the House that one Henry Carew a Fryar of Saint Maloes in France had for several Years last past executed the Office of Surveyor of the Customes in the Port of Bristol and thereupon it was referr'd to the Committee appointed to receive Informations concerning the Plot to examine the Business and make their Report In the Afternoon they presented their Addresses to his Majesty in the Banquetting-House in Answer to his Last Speech of which the Chief Heads were these That they did gratefully acknowledge his Majesties Goodness in renewing his Assurances of his Readiness to concurr with them for the Security of the Protestant Religion but that they observ'd there was a Reservation annex'd which if insisted on would render all his other Inclinations of no Advantage to them That as to the preservation of the Succession in its Legal Course they had not endeavour'd any Interruption except only of the Descent upon the Person of the D. of York whom the Instruments of the Church of Rome had perverted to their Religion For which Reason they did represent it as the Issue of their most deliberate Thoughts That for the Papists to have their Hopes continued in the Expectation of a Popish Prince was utterly inconsistent with the Safety of his person the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and the Welfare of his people They farther represented to him the Danger of his Person from the principles of the Papists which allow the Excommunication and Deposition of Princes That the Expectation of a Popish Successor had not only encreas'd the Number of Papists in the Kingdom but also prevail'd with others to desert Protestantism that they might be prepar'd for the Favor of the Popish Prince That it had hardened the Papists of this Kingdom to make a Common purse provide Arms and sollicite the Aid of Foreign Princes to impose Popery upon the Nation That it was his Majesties Glory and true Interest to be the Protector of all Protestants both at Home and Abroad But if such Hopes should remain what Alliances could be made for his Majesties Allies and the Protestants abroad to trust to Then they laid before his Majesty the Evils that would befal from a Popish Succession The Protestant Religion would be totally overthrown The Pope would be acknowledg'd a Supreme and all things be brought under his Jurisdiction The Lives Liberties and Estates of all Protestants that value their Souls will be adjudged forfeited in regard that the Extirpation of Hereticks was used as an Argument to invite Foreign Princes to assist the Duke Farther they desir'd him to consider whether in Case the D. should attempt to Succeed whether the Opposition probable to be made against him might not endanger the Descent of the Royal Line but even Monarchy it self For which Reasons they besought his Majesty that when a Bill should be tender'd him in a Parliamentary way he would give his Royal Assent thereto and as necessary to fortifie the same that he would also assent to another Bill to enable his Protestant Subjects to associate for the Defence of his Person the Protestant Religion and the Security of the Kingdom And that as a farther Means for the Preservation of the same the Judges might be Persons of Integrity and true Zeal to the Protestant Religion and might hold their Employments only quamdiu se bene gesserint and that the Lord Lieutenants Deputie-Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace might be persons of the same Principles and all others displac'd and so likewise for the Military Officers and Commanders in the Fleet. Which Requests of theirs being granted they would be ready to assist his Majesty for the preservation of Tangier and to put the Fleet into a Condition both to preserve the Sovereignty of the Seas and defend the Nation Fa. What Answer was given to this Address Tr. You shall hear more of that in due time The two next days being the 23 d. and 24 th of December produc'd little for our purpose Only that upon the last of the two upon a Report from the Committee appointed to examine the Complaint against Mr. Thompson a Minister it was unanimously resolved by the House That the said Thompson had publickly defam'd his Majesty preach'd Sedition villify'd the Reformation and promoted Popery by asserting Popish Principles denying the Plot and turning the same upon the Protestants and that he had endeavored to subvert the Liberty and Property of the Subject and the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament and that he was a Scandal and Reproach to the Function and thereupon order'd a Committee to prepare an Impeachment against him After which the Holydays approaching the House adjourn'd till the 30 th of the same Month. Fa. Can you tell me what Mr. Thompson had done to deserve so severe a Sentence Tru. Yes Fa. Pray do then as short as you can Tru. The First Witness upon Examination at the Committee said That in a Sermon preach'd by the said Mr. Thompson upon the 30 th of Jan. 79. He publickly declar'd That the Presbyterians were persons which the Devil blush'd at and that they were worse than either Priests or Jesuits and that the Villain Hampden grudg'd more to give the King Twenty Shillings which was his due by Law for Ship-money and Loan than to raise a Rebellion against him The Second Witness said the same and added that Thompson should say He hoped the Presbyterians
Advice or the History of Popery Thirdly That there had been a very great Latitude taken by the Judges in imposing Fines upon persons found guilty before them Particularly that John Brown of London Gentleman for publishing a Printed Book call'd The Long Parliament dissolv'd was fin'd a Thousand Marks bound to his good Behaviour for seven years and his Name struck out of the Roll of Attorneys without any Offence alleadg'd in his Practice For which fine not being able to pay it he lay in Prison three Years and tho' his Majesty was graciously pleas'd to pardon him and recommended him by his Warrant to be restor'd again to his place of Attorney yet he could not obtain his said Restauration from the Court of Kings Bench. Fa. Pray what was the great Crime which gave so great a Provocation Tr. A certain passage which seem'd to be a kind of Exhortation or rather a Memorandum as it were to the Parliament not to betray their Trusts to this Effect That no man ought to think it strange that it should be thought Treason for a Parliament to sit and act contrary to the Laws of the Land For that if in the first Parliament of R. 2. Grimes and Weston only for lack of Courage were adjudg'd guilty of High Treason for surrend'ring the Places committed to their Trust How much more the Parliament should they turn Renegadoes to the People that intrusted them surrender all the Legal Defence of the People of England their Lives Liberties and Properties at once c. 2. That John Harrington of London Gent. for speaking these words in Latin Quod nostra Gubernatio consistebat de tribus Statibus et si Rebellio eveniret in Regno et nec accideret contra omnes tres Status non est Rebellio was Fin'd 1000 l. bound to his good Behavior for 7 Years and to recant the words in open Court That Ben. Harris of London Stationer for Printing a Book call'd An Appeal from the Country to the City was Fin'd 500 l. to stand in the Pillory an Hour and to give Security for his good Behavior for 3 Years that the Lord C. J. Scroggs prest the Court that he might be publickly whipt but Judge Pemberton holding up his Hands in admiration of such a Severity Judge Jones pronounced the Sentence as before Fa. What was the Crime laid to the Charge of that Book Tr. This particular Passage We in the Country have done our parts in chusing for the generality good Members but if they must be dissolv'd or prorogu'd when ever they come to redress the Grievances of the Subject we may be pitied not blamed if the Plot take effect That notwithstanding the Severity of the Court in these Cases their Mercy and Compassion was extraordinary in others Particularly That Tho. Knox Principal in an Indictment of Subornation and Conspiracy against the Testimony of Dr. Oates for Sodomy and the Testimony of William Bedloe was only Fin'd 200 Mark a Year Imprisonment and security for the good Behavior for 3 years that Lane for the same Offence was only Fin'd 100 Marks Pillory'd for an hour and Imprison'd for one year That John Tasborough on an Indictment for Subornation of Stephen Dugdale tending to the Overthrow of the whole Plot though affirm'd to be a person of Quality was only Fin'd 100 l. Ann Price for the same Offence 100 l. Nathaniel Thompson and Will. Badcock for exhibiting a weekly Libel call'd The True Domestick Intelligence and known to be Popishly affected Fin'd only each of them 3 s. 6 d. Matthew Turner for vending and publishing a Book call'd The Compendium wherein the Justice of the Nation in the Tryals of the Conspirators even by some of those Judges themseves is highly arraign'd and the King's Evidence horribly aspers'd though known to be the Common notorious Bookseller about the Town Fin'd only a 100 Marks One Loveland upon an Indictment for a notorious Conspiracy and Subornation against the Life and Honour of the D. of Buckingham for Sodomy Fin'd only 5 l. and Pillory'd for an Hour Richard Christian Esq for the same Offence Fin'd 100 Marks and pillory'd for an Hour Arth. Obrian for the same offence fin'd only 20 Marks and pillory'd for an hour Whereupon it was the unanimous Opinion of the Committee that the Court of Kings Bench had acted arbitrarily illegally and partially in favoring Papists and Persons Popishly affected and oppressing his Majesties Protestant Subjects Proceeding farther they found that several of his Majesties Subjects had been Committed for Crimes Bailable by Law and that their Sureties though sufficient were refus'd Among the rest that Henry Care had been so refus'd the common Right of a Subject 2. That George Brown a Constable in London having Committed some of the L. C. Justice's Servants for great Disorders was seiz'd by a Tip-staff by the L. C. Justice's Warrant and committed to the Kings Bench tho' he tender'd two able Citizens and Common-Council-Men of London for his Bail 3. That Francis Smith Bookseller for Printing certain Observations upon Sir George Wakeman's Tryal was by the C. J. committed to the Kings Bench tho' he tender'd three sufficient Citizens for his Security That the said C. J. committed Jane Curtis a Feme Covert for publishing a Book call'd A Satyr against Injustice and tho' her Friends tender'd sufficient Bail he swore by the Name of God she should go to Prison and that he would shew her no more Mercy than they could expect from a Wolf that came to devour them That about the same time Edward Berry a Stationer in Greys Inn being accus'd for selling the Observations upon Sir George Wakeman's Tryal was committed by the said C. J. who said he should go to Prison tho' he tender a 1000 l. Security and that after he had got his Habeas Corpus he was forc'd to attend five Terms before he could be discharg'd Upon which it was the Result of the Committee that the refusing Bail where persons were Bailable by Law was illegal and a high Breach of the Liberty of the Subject After that the said Committee taking into Consideration an Information against Baron Weston they found by the Testimonies of John Colt Richard Mayo and John Peiron Gentlemen that the said Baron had us'd these following Expressions in his Charge at Kingston Assizes That Zuinglius set up his Fanaticism and that Calvin built upon that blessed Foundation And said he all his Disciples are season'd with such a sharpness of Spirit that it much concerns Magistrates to keep a strict hand over them And now they are restless amusing us with Fears and nothing will serve them but a Parliament c. Upon which the Opinion of the Committee was that the Expressions in the Charge given by Baron Weston were a Scandal to the Reformation in derogation of the Rights and Priviledges of Parliaments and tending to raise Discord between his Majesty and his People The Committee then falling again upon the Business of the L. C. J. Scroggs they
found by the Examination of Sir Robert Atkins that at Dinner at the Old Baily Sir Robert Clayton being Mayor he had openly condemn'd petitioning for Parliaments as Factious and tending to Rebellion which the Lord Mayor justifying as the Right of the Subject put the C. J. into a very great Passion That at the Summer Assizes at Monmouth Mr. Arnold Mr. Price and Mr. Bedloe being in Company he fell very severely in publick upon Mr. Bedloe to to the disparagement of his Evidence and upon Sir Robert's defending Mr. Bedloe he fell into a passion and said he believ'd Mr. Langhorn died innocently These things being reported to the House the House confirm'd the Resolutions of the House in each particular and order'd an Impeachment against Baron Weston and Judge Jones for his illegal proceedings against Mr. Dare at Somerset Assizes Fa. Well but those were things only order'd Come now to the Articles against my L. C. J. which you say were perfected and drawn into Form Tr. The Articles against Sir W. Scroggs were eight in all 1. That being Chief Justice of the King's Bench he had endeavor'd to subvert the Fundamental Laws and the Establish'd Religion and Government of the Kingdom and to introduce Popery and Arbitrary Government 2. That contrary to his Oath taken duly to administer Justice he had discharg'd the Grand Jury for the Hunder'd of Ossulston before they had made their Presentments or found the Bills of Indictment that were before them contrary to the known course of the said Court by which illegal Discharge the Presentments of many Papists and other Offenders were obstructed and a Bill against the D. of Y. for not coming to Church was prevented from being proceeded against 3. That he had caus'd an illegal and arbitrary Rule to be enter'd into the Kings Bench against the Printing of the Weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome or the History of Popery wherin the Cheats and Superstitions of the Church of Rome were from time to time expos'd to the manifest countenancing of Popery and Discouragement of Protestants 4. That he had most notoriously departed from all Rules of Justice and Equality in the imposition of Fines upon persons convicted of Misdemeanors 5. That he had frequently refus'd to accept of Bail though sufficient and legally tender'd him by several persons accus'd before him for Crimes which were Bailable by Law several of the said persons being only accus'd of Offences against himself declaring at the same time that he refus'd Bail and commited them only to put them to Charges 6. That he had granted divers General Warrrants for attacquing the persons and seizing the Goods of his Majesties Subjects not nam'd or particularly describ'd in the said Warrants by means wherof their Houses have been enter'd their persons opprest contrary to Law 7. That tho' he had Try'd and Condemn'd several of the Offenders in the late horid Horid Popish Plot for murdering the King c. Yet he had at divers times and places openly defam'd and scandaliz'd several of the Witnesses who had prov'd the Treasons of the Conspirators by which means he did as much as in him lay endeavor to suppress and stifle the Discovery of the said Plot. 8. That his frequent and notorious Excesses and Debaucheries and his prophane and Atheistical Discourses were a daily affront to God a dishonor to his Majesty and gave Countenance to all manner of Vice and Wickedness Thereupon it was pray'd that the said Sir William Scroggs might be put to answer the Premisses and be in the mean time committed to safe Custody But the Crimes objected against him not being look'd upon as Capital he was Bail'd by the Earl of Dorset and Middlesex and the Lord Hatton who became Security for his Forth-coming during which time his Lordship ceas'd to act in his Place or to appear in Westminster Hall as Chief Justice Tuesday the 4 th of January Sir William Temple delivered a Message from his Majesty to the House in answer to their last Address to this Effect That he had received their Address with all the disposition they could wish to comply with their reasonable Desires but that he was sorry to see their Thoughts so wholly fix'd upon the Bill of Exclusion as to determine all other Remedies for the suppressing of Popery ineffectual but that he was confirm'd in his Opinion against it by the Judgment of the Lords who had rejected it and that therefore there remain'd nothing more for him to answer but to recommend to them all other means for the preservation of the Protestant Religion in which they could have no reason to doubt of his Concurrences when they shall be presented him in a Parliamentary way As also to consider the present State of the Kingdom as well as the condition of Christendom so as to enable him to secure Tangier and secure his Alliances abroad The same morning a Message was sent from the Lords to acquaint the House with a Vote which they had pass'd declaring that they were fully satisfied that there was and for divers years had been a horrid and Treasonable Plot and Conspiracy carried on by the Popish Party in Ireland for Massacring the English and Subverting the Protestant Religion and the Establish'd Government of that Kingdom Wednesday the 5 th of Jan. pass'd without any thing remarkable to our purpose The next day being Thursday the 6 th of Jan. the E. of Tyrone being order'd to be impeach'd of High Treason the Lord Dursley was order'd to go up to the Bar of the House and perform the Commands of the House and to pray that he might be committed to safe Custody Friday the Articles of Impeachment against Sir William Scroggs were carried up to the Lords by the Lord Cavendish The same Morning the House taking into consideration his Majesties last Message made several Resolves 1. That there was no Security for the Protestant Religion the King's Life or the Establish'd Government of the Kingdom without passing a Bill for disabling the D. of Y. to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland c. And that to rely upon any other means or Remedies was not only insufficient but dangerous 2. That unless a Bill were pass'd for Excluding the D. of Y. the House could not give any Supply to his Majesty without danger to his Majesties Person the hazard of the Protestant Religion and Breach of Trust in them to the People 3. That they who had advis'd the King to insist upon an Opinion against the Bill had given him pernicious Counsel and were promoters of Popery and Enemies â—o the King and Kingdom 4. That it was the Opinion of the House that the E. of Hallifax the Marguess of Worcester and the E. of Clarendon were the persons that gave the King that pernicious Advice And that therefore an Address should be made for their Removal from the King's Person and Presence and from their Offices and Employments The Earl of Feversham was also voted a promoter
of Popery and the French Interest and a dangerous Enemy to the King and Kingdom The same day also they made two other Resolves That whosoever should lend or cause to be lent any Mony upon the Branches of the King's Revenue arising by Customs Excise or Hearth-mony should be adjudg'd Obstructors of the Sitting of Parliaments and be responsable in Parliament 2. That whosoever should accept or buy any Tally of Anticipation upon any part of the King's Revenue or whoever should pay such Tally should be deem'd guilty of of the same Offence and be liable to be question'd in Parliament Saturday the 8 th of Jan. the Lords gave notice to the House that they had appointed the Saturday following to hear Mr. Seymor's Cause upon his Impeachment and that the House might reply if they thought fit Monday the 10 th of Jan. being the last day of their Session several Resolves were made 1. That whoever advis'd his Majesty to prorogue the Parliament to any other purpose than in order to the passing the Bill of Exclusion was a Betrayer of the King the Kingdom and the Protestant Religion and a Pensioner to France 2. That the Members for the City of London should return the Thanks of the House to the City for their manifest Loyalty to the King their Charge and Vigilancy for the preservation of his Majesty and the Protestant Religion 3. That it was their Opinion that the City was burnt by the Papists designing to introduce Popery and Arbitrary Power in the Nation 4. That the Commissioners of the Customs had willfully broken the Law for prohibiting the Importation of French Wines and other Commodities which if they should continue they should be question'd in Parliament 5. That it was their Opinion that the D. of Monmouth had been remov'd from his Offices and Commands by the Influence of the D. of York and therefore order'd that Application should be made to his Majesty to restore him to all his said Commands and Employments 6. That it was their Opinion that the prosecuting of Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal Laws was a grievance to the Subject and an Encouragement to Popery a weakening of the Protestant Interest and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom These Resolutions were no sooner past but they were summon'd by the Usher of the Black Rod to attend his Majesty in the House of Peers at what time his Majesty was pleas'd to signifie his pleasure for a Prorogation till the 20 th of the Month. Before the Prorogation was pronounc'd by the Lord Chancellor his Majesty was pleas'd to sign three Bills two publick and one private The two publick Acts were an additional Act for Burying in Wollen and an Act for prohibiting the Importation of Cattel from Ireland Fa. Seing then there were no more Bills sign'd there is no question to be made but that there were the more depending and if I do not mistake you promis'd to give me a Catalogue of all those that were under Consideration Tr. I did so and to shew you I did not intend to deceive your Expectation I have here collected them together as they came in their Order to be debated the Bill of Exclusion excepted of which you have already had the Heads Bills depending in the last Parliament 1. A Bill for the Encouragment of Wollen Manufacture 2. A Bill for Exportation of Leather 3. An Act for the better regulating the Tryals of Peers in England 4. Two Bills for the regulating Elections of Members in the Commons House of Parliament 5. A Bill for the continuance of two Acts An Act for preventing Planting Tobacco in England and a Bill for Exporting Beer Ale and Mum. 6. A Bill for Repeal of an Act made the 35 th of Q. Elizabeth 7. A Bill for taking away the Court holden before the President and Council in the Marches of Wales 8. A Bill for ascertaining Fines upon Convictions of Misdemeanors 9. A Bill for supplying the Laws against Bankrupts 10. A Bill for Exportation of Cloth and other wollen Manufactures 11. A Bill to restrain Papists from coming or residing within the Cities of London and Westminster or within 20 miles of the same and from wearing any Arms. 12. A Bill that the Judges should hold their Places and Salaries only quamdiu se bene gesserint 13. A Bill prohibiting Importation of Cattel from Scotland 14. Two Bills for the ease of Protestant Dissenters 15. A Bill for Banishing all the most considerable Papists in England out of his Majesties Dominions 16. A Bill for uniting all his Majesty's Protestant Subjects to the Church of England 17. A Bill for repealing the Act for the well Governing of Corporations 18. A Bill to prevent Simony 19. A Bill to prevent Vexatious Actions 20. A Bill to prevent Brewers from being Justices of the Peace in the place where they exercise that Trade 21. A Bill for the better Discovery of Settlements of Estates for superstitious uses 22. A Bill for the more easie collecting the Duty of Hearth-Mony Several other Bills were order'd to be brought in which never came to be debated As A Bill for regulating and preventing the increase of the Poor A Bill for the regulating Hackney Coaches repairing paving and cleansing the Streets and op'ning of passages in and about the City A Bill for repair of the High ways A Bill to punish Atheism Swearing and Debauchery A Bill for regulating abuses in making of Casks Barrels c. A Bill for Naturalization of Foreign Protestants And The Bill of Association The Bill of Ease to all Protestant Dissenters being perfected by the House of Commons tho' not assented to by the Peers was afterwards Printed at large of which these are the Chief Heads 1. That all persons convicted or prosecuted by vertue of an Act made in the 35. year of Q. Eliz. and another Act made in the 3. of K. James for Recusancy that shall take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and make and sue for such Declaration to be made in the Court of Exchequer Assizes or Quarter Sessions shall be discharg'd of all penalties forfeitures and seizures by force of the said Statutes without Composition or Fee 2. That no Persons taking the Oaths aforesaid and subscribing the Declaration foresaid shall be prosecuted upon the said Acts in any Ecclesiastical Court by reason of their Non-conforming to the Church of England Provided that no persons dissenting from the Church of England and meeting in any place for Religious Worship with the Doors lock'd and bar'd during their so meeting together shall receive any Benefit from this Law Neither shall any of the persons aforesaid be exempted from paying Tithes or other Parochial duties 3. That if any person dissenting from the Church of England shall be chosen into any Parish-Office it shall be lawful for him to execute the same by a sufficient Deputy Provided the said Deputy be allow'd by two or more of the Justices of the Peace 4. That no Dissenter in Holy Orders
Knight Peter Rich Esq Borough of Bletchingly * Sir William Gulston Kt. George Evelyn of Nutfield Esq Borough of Ryegate * Ralph Freeman Esq Dean Goodwin Esq Borough of Guilford Richard Onslow Esq Morgan Randyl Esq Borough of Gatton Sir Nicholas Carew Kt. Thonas Turgis Esq Borough of Haslemeere * Sir William More Bar. George Woodroffe Esq SUSSEX 20. Sir William Thomas Bar. Sir John Fagg Bar. City of Chichester John Braman Esq Richard Farrington Esq Burough of Horseham * John Machell Esq John Michell Esq Burough of Midhurst * William Montague Esq * John Cook Esq Burough of Lewis Thomas Pelham Esq Richard Bridger Esq Burough of New Shoreham * Robert Fagg Esq John Hales Esq Burough of Bramber * Peirey Goring Esq Henry Goring Esq Burough of Steyning Sir John Fagg Bar. * Sir James Morton Knight Burough of East-Grinstead * Sir Cyril Wych Kt. Henry Powel Esq Burough of Arundel William Garway Esq James Butler Esq WARWICKSHIRE 6. * Sir Richard Newdigate Bar. * Thomas Mariot Esq City of Coventry Richard Hopkins Esq John Stratford Esq Burough of Warwick Thomas Lucy Esq * Thomas Coventry Esq WESTMORELAND 4. * Sir John Lowther of Lowther Bar. Allan Bellingham Esq Burough of Apulby * Sacvil Tufton Esq * Sir John Bland Bar. WILTSHIRE 24. Sir Walter St. John Bar. Thomas Thyne Esq City of New Sarum * John Windham Esq Alexander Thistlewait Esq Burough of Wilton Thomas Herbert Esq Sir John Nicolas Kt. of the Bath Burough of Downton Sir Joseph Ash Bar. Maurice Bockland Esq Burough of Hindon Sir Richard Grobham How Kt. and Bar. * John Thynne Esq Burough of Westbury William Trenchard Esq * John Ash Esq Burough of Hetsbury William Ash Esq Edward Ash Esq Burough of Calne Sir George Hungerford Knight * Walter Norbon Esq Borough of Devizes * Sir Walter Earneley Bar. * George Johnson Esq Borough of Chipengham Sir Edward Hungerford Kt. of the Bath Sir George Speke Bar. Borough of Malmesbury Sir William Escourt Bar. Sir James Long Bar. Borough of Cricklade William Lenthal Esq Edmund Webb Esq Borough of Great Bedwyn * Sir John Earnly Kt. * John Wildman Esq Borough of Ludgersale Thomas Neal Esq by one Indenture John Garrard Esq by one Indenture * Sir John Talbot K. by another Indenture * John Smith Esq by another Indenture Borough of Old Sarum Sir Eliab Harvey Kt. Sir Thomas Mompesson Kt. Borough of Wotton Basset Henry St. John Esq * John Pleydal Esq Borough of Marleborough Thomas Lord Bruce Thomas Bennet Esq WORCESTERSHIRE 9. Thomas Foley Esq * Bridges Nanfan Esq City of Worcester Sir Frances Winington Kt. * Henry Herbert Esq Borough of Droitwich Henry Coventry Esq Samuel Sandys senior Esq Borough of Evesham Sir James Rushout Bar. * Edward Rudge Esq Borough of Bewdly Philip Foley Esq YORK 30. Charles Lord Clifford Henry Lord Fairfax City of York Sir Henry Thompson Kt. Sir John Hewly Kt. Town of Kingston upon Hull Sir Michael Warton Kt. William Gee Esq Borough of Knaesborough Sir Thomas Slingsby Bar. William Stockdale Esq Borough of Scarborough William Thompson Esq Francis Thompson Esq Borough of Rippon Richard Stern Esq Christopher Wandesford Esq Borough of Richmond * John Darcy Esq Humphrey Wharton Esq Borough of Heydon Henry Guy Esq William Boynton Esq Borough of Boroughbrigg Sir Thoms Mauliverer Bar. Sir John Brook Bar. Borough of Malton William Palmes Esq Sir Watkinson Payler Bar. Borough of Thirske Sir William Franckland Kt. * Sir William Ascough Kt. Borough of Aldborough Sir Godfrey Copley Bar. * Sir John Reresby Bar. Borough of Beverly Sir John Hotham Bar. Michael Wharton Esq Borough of Northallerton Sir Gilbert Gerrard Bar. Sir Henry Calverly Kt. Borough of Pontefract Sir John Dawny Viscount Down Sir Patience Ward Kt. BARONS Of the CINQUE-PORTS 16. Port of Hastings Sir Robert Barker Bar. * Thomas Mun Esq Town of Winchelsea * Sir Stephen Leonard Kt. Cresheld Draper Esq Town of Rye Sir John Dorrel Kt. Thomas Frewen Esq Port of New Rumney Sir Charles Sedley Bar. Paul Barret Esq Port of Hythe Sir Edward Deering Bar. Edward Hales Esq Port of Dover William Stokes Esq Thomas Papillon Esq Port of Sandwich Sir James Oxinden Kt and Bar. John Thurhane Esq Port of Seaford * Edward Montague Esq * Edward Selwyn Esq WALES 24. Â ANGLESEY 2. Richard Bulkeley Esq Town of Bewmorris Henry Bulkeley Esq BRECON 2. Richard Williams Esq Town of Brecon John Jefferies Esq CARDIGAN 2. Edward Vaughan Esq Town of Cardigan Hector Philips Esq CARMARTHEN 2. John Lord Vaughan Kt. of the Bath Town of Carmarthen Altham Vaughan Esq CARNARVAN 2. Sir Thomas Bulkly Knight and Baronet Town of Carnarvan Thomas Mostyn Esq DENBIGH 2. Sir John Trevor Knight Town of Denbigh Sir John Salisbury Baronet FLINT 2. * Sir John Hanmer Knight Bar. Town of Flint * Thomas Whitley Esq GLAMORGAN 2. * Sir Edward Mansel Bar. Town of Cardiffe Bussy Mansel Esq MERIONITH 1. * Sir Robert Owen Knight PEMBROOK 3. * William Wogan Esq Town of Haverford-West * Thomas Howard Esq Town of Pembrook Arthur Owen Esq MONTGOMERY 2 Edward Vaughan Esq Town of Montgomery Matthew Price Esq RADNOR 2. Sir Rowland Gwynne Knight Town of Radnor * Sir John Morgan Baronet The COMMONS in all 513. New Members Returned 110. THE CONTENTS A. ADdress of the Lords Pag. 11. Address of the Commons Pag. 16.155 For preservation of his Majesties Person and Government Pag. 23. Concerning Sir Gorge Jeffereys Pag. 47. Address in Answer to the Message about Tangier Pag. 66. Address of the Commons for Dissenters Ansel a Witness Arnold John Esq a Witness Pag. 107. Atturney General Examined Pag. 61. B. Beckley Earle a Witness Pag. 104. Bill of Association Pag. 154. Bill of Exclusion at London 32. at Oxford 244. Rejected Pag. 447. Bill for repeal of the 35 of Eliz. not tendred and questioned Pag. 238. Mr. Bourk's Information Pag. 38. Lord Brook a Witness Pag. 110. C. Sir Robert Can questioned Pag. 19. Is released Pag. 32. Carew Henry a Fryer Pag. 155. Mr. Comin's Information Pag. 41. Commons demand judgment against L. Staf. Pag. 121. D. Date a Witness Pag. 111. Dangerfield His Narrative ibid. Pag. 12. Kings Declaration Pag. 246. Dissenters Pag. 61 6â— Mr. Dugdal his Narrative Pag. 48. E. Elections considered Pag. 11. F. Fast Pag. 62. Feria his Narrative Pag. 23. Lord Ferrers a Witness Pag. 110. Fitzharris Examination read Pag. 239. Ordered to be impeached ibid. Floyd Sir Philip a Witness Pag. 104. Furnis a Witness Pag. 99.106 G. Leveston Gowre a Witness Pag. 111. Grand Juryes Examined Pag. 61. Their discharging Voted illegal H. The Earl of Hallifax his removal desired Pag. 52. Hausel a Witness Pag. 100. Ben. Harris Petitions the House Pag. 54. Mr. Herbert sent for Pag. 57. Hobby Mr. a Witness Pag. 108. Holt a Witness Pag. 103. Sir Tho. Holt an Obstructer of Petitioning Pag. 57. Mrs. Howard Pag. 98. I. Mr. Jennison his Information Pag. 30. Irish Evidence Pag. 55. Grand Jury call'd into the House Pag. 61. K. Kings Message concerning Tangier Pag. 48. King goes to Oxford Pag. 231. Received by the Major and Bishop Pag. 232. His Speech to the Parliament at Oxford Pag. 233. L. Leigh a Witness Pag. 99.106 Lists of Papists names order'd to be returned throughout England Pag. 151. Lo. debate what judgement to give upon Lo. St. Pag. 121. Lydcot a Witness Pag. 107. M. Macnamars Information Pag. 40. Marchioness of Winchester Pag. 98. Mr. Mathews a Witness Pag. 108. Maurice's Examination Pag. 241. Morrel a Witness Pag. 103. N. Norris complaint reported p. 147. His Imprisonment judged illegal Pag. 151. Lo. C. J. North. order'd to be impeached Pag. 62. O. Obstructers of Petitioning sent for Pag. 54.57 P. Papers Printed by Mr. Treby Pag. 58. Parliament met 3. at Oxford Pag. 232. Peyton Sir Robert Pag. 15.151 Plessington Lord Bellasis Steward Pag. 104. Polteney Sir William a Witness Pag. 106. Preparatians for Stafford's Tryal Pag. 42. Proclamation for Discoverers against Petitio Pag. 16. Considered Pag. 48. Protestation of the Lords Pag. 245. R. Resolves of the House concerning Petitioning Pag. 17. Concerning the Plot. Pag. 25.27 Concerning the Duke of York Pag. 27.28.31 Resolves touching Popery Pag. 153. Robinson a Witness Pag. 103. S. Sawyers a Witness Pag. 100. Lord C. J. Scrogs 165.174 His Answer P. 238. Mr. Scudamore a Witness Pag. 108. Mr. Seymor impeached Pag. 59.63.154 Mr. Seys a Witness Pag. 108. Serjeant's Examination Pag. 241. Speaker chosen Pag. 6. Speech Kings Pag. 4.152 Speech Speakâ—rs 6.8 at Oxford Pag. 235 236. Staf. Tryal begun 70. His Plea upon the Statu 93. His Exceptions astainst the Witn. 93. c. He desires to call more Witn. 110. he insists upon points of Law 111. His objections answered 114. He Petitions 115. found Guilty 117. what he said after for himself 121. Senten'd 124. brought to the Scaffold 131. His Speech 132. c. Executed Pag. 146. Lord High Stewards Speech Pag. 123. Mr. Staples an obstructer Pag. 57. T. Mr. Thompson a Minister Pag. 158. c. Dr. Tongue recommended to his Majesty Pag. 20. Mr. Treby's Letters commanded to be Printed Pag. 58. V. Votes ordered to be Printed Pag. 23. Votes concerning Fitzharris Pag. 243. W. Sir William Waller a Parliament-man for Westminster Pag. 52. Baron Weston accus'd Pag. 173. Sir Fra. Withens ordered to attend the House Pag. 19. Expelled the House Pag. 52. Writs for Executing Lord Stafford Pag. 125. c. Y. Sir Rob. Yeomans questioned 19. discharged Pag. 46. Z. Zeal's Information 55. Pardon'd Pag. 59. FINIS