thence she was conveyed to Cornwal to Pendennis Castle where she imbarqued and landed at Conquest in France in base Britain Iuly 15. Nobly received and with a Princely Train attending she was waited on to the Court at Paris where she remaines to this day Ambassadours were come and gon from France and the Netherland States to compose and mediate a Peace but to no purpose they returned Nay the King had ingeniously solicited his Parliament for a Peace but therein nothing prospered Whereupon we may see what was said from beyond the sea in answer to a Letter sent thither from a Member at Westminster for now having two Parliaments we must so distinguish them and thus it is Sir To answer you concerning his Majesties message of Peace and the refusal of it upon the grounds you mention give me leave to tell you in the way of friendship and confidence that whilest I reflect upon his Majesties pious Propositions and the aversness of the other party to imbrace the several overtures which he hath made by scandalizing his goodness in the eares of the people with interpretations of insincerity designs opposite to his professions me thinketh I see the true and the false mother disputing for the living child before Salomon and you know whose bowels yearned when it was to be divided with the sword I need not apply but you never yet read in any History that the true Patres Patriae refused to sacrifice their private animosity and interests to the tranquillity and happiness of their Country and it is an ill argument of their integrity who will be satisfied with nothing but its division and ruine If any man will have me believe that his Majesty doth not seriously labour to make up the breach he must first bespeak me to part with my understanding for I cannot but know that the common interest is only his and that he is impoverished in each Subjects losse and as for the substance of his Message which you say is absolutely destructive to your priviledges and which draweth into consequence a nullitie of your Parliament and a subversion of all your Acts I cannot gather any such thing out of it nor do I conceive it a disparagement to you that his Majesty should stile you fellow members which excludeth your conceit of two Parliaments Put the case there were no King at Oxford nor Lord nor Commoner only a Rebellious Army raised against King and State yet if it were so considerable as are his Majesties Forces I should esteem it a want of ordinary policy in you to refuse a Treaty with them and therefore I may not qualifie this rejection otherwise betwixt you and me then an act of the highest irreverence and disloyaltie that Subjects can commit against their Soveraign and a wilful betraying the trust reposed in them by the Kingdom for its security and doubtlesse they who acknowledg God to be a God of order can expect no blessing upon such an affected confusion It is no wonder all this while that the interpositions of the French and Holland Ambassadours prove ineffectual since his Majesties own messages which in civility ought first to proceed from you are thus vilified Had the Scots really taken New-Castle as you advertised me three weeks ago you might have had more plausible ground to staâ—d upon but since they are beaten from their Siege with such a considerable losse and his Majesty hath chosen such a time for his Propositions as will convince those of malice and falshood who seek to stain his good motions under the title of ill Councel it is most apparent that there are foul consciencies amongst the leaders who fear to come to peaceable trials and therefore they seek to drown the cry of their sins under the noice of the Drumme otherwise no wise man can expect that there shall ever be an accommodation unlesse both sides passe by more real inconveniencies then any you mention I direct not this discourse against your self for I gather out of your general wishes that you are a friend to peace But thus much by way of reply and so I rest Yours c. And so far the Parliament was from peace that they the twenty fourth of Iune voted twelve thousand Scots more should be brought into England the rather to spread abroad their power that if those in Yorkshire chance to miscarry they have a Magazine of more such for supportation of the Cause You have lately heard how earnest the King hath been with the Parliament for a Peace and from Evesham in Iuly he invited them there by Letters even then when he had an Army to command his desires And it was thus Charles R. We being sensible of the miseries and calamities of this our Kingdom and of the grievous sufferings of our poor Subjects do most earnestly desire that some expedient way may be found out which by the blessing of God may prevent the â—â—rther â—â—â—sion of â—â—ood and restore the Nation to Peace from the earnest and constant endeavouring of which as no discouragement given Us on the contrâ—â—y part shall make Us cease so no success on Ours shall ever divert Us for the effecting whereof We are most ready and willing to condescend to all that shall be for the good of Us and Our People whether by way of confirmation of what we have already granted or of such further concession as shall be requisite to the giving a full assurance of the performance of all Our most real professions concerning the maintenance of the true Reformed Protestant Religion established in this Kingdom with due regard to the ease of tender consciences the just priviledges of Parliament and the Libertie and Propertie of the Subject according to the Laws of the Land As also by granting a general Pardon without or with exceptions as shall be thought fit In order to which blessed Peace We do desire and propound to the Lords and â—ommons of Parliament assembled at Westminster That they appoint such and so many Persons as they shall think fit sufficiently Authorized by them to attend Us at Our Army upon safe conduct to come and return which we do hereby grant and conclude with us how the premises and all other things in question betwixt us and them may be fully setled whereby all unhappy mistakings betwixt us and our people being removed there may be a present Cessation of Arms and as soon as may be a total disbanding of all Armies the Subject have his due and we be restored to our Right Wherein if this our offer shall be accepted there shall be nothing wanting on our part which may make our people secure and happy They not hearkning to this His Majesty sent again from Tavestocke in Devonshire having sealed His Gracious Message with a most glorious Victory the week before but what answer it deserved let the Reader judg when he hath read this copy of the Message it self CHARLES R. It having pleased God in so eminent a
And the advantage that each party in Ireland had of the other was to burn kill and devastate the whole nation so that it appears a very deluge of destruction to the next years actions there One word more for the foreign affairs At Munster the Treaty concluded a peace between Spain and the united Provinces the 16. of February the circumstances thus Pignoranda and Le Bran Plenipotents of Spain there for the Arch-Bishop of Cambrey is dead came and visited the States Ambassadors in the after noon where after some conference and debate both parties signed in the name of their respective Masters viz. those two for Spain and seven for the six Provinces viz. two for Holland and one for each of the rest all but Nel-shurst for Utrecht who refused at which time came in a Letter signed by Longue Ville and Servient for the French to the State Ambassadours seeking to divert or retard their Pacification but in vain the Dutch Ambassadours declaring they had hitherto waited for the complyance of France and now at last had given them upon their desire fifteen daies respite which expired they have concluded yet giving them leave to come in within two moneths which is like to be the time of Ratification and Publication for the Papers must be sent into Spain for the Kings own consent Nel-shurst pretended he cannot in conscience sign because of the States confederacy with France without leave of the French Their Treaty bindes them in making peace to go paripassus This Act hath not so much pleased Spain as vexed France and many more The French Ambassadour La Tuillâ—ry endeavours to raise men in Holland to carry on the war next summer with Swede with the greater vigour and give out that they will call their Ambassadours from Munster and break up that meeting which now Spain will not fear The very day of concluding this Treaty there came in aâ— Rotterdam one Rololledo a Spanish Ambassadour coming as he saith from Denmark and sent hither for his pass much debate there was whether he should be prisoner for the Hostility lasts till the Publication but sith he came by England and by accident of cross winds and the peace so near it was waved and he had a pass And so we go on to the next year 1648. The King is laid aside the People Act for him And although the Parliaments Declaration against him may not indure any Answer from himself in his own defence yet sundry Pamphlets perignotos are scattered abroad endeavouring to clear him by many Apologies the Preachers coldly execute the publick commands yet some speeches by others appear gratulatory to the Parliament but the most of men universally murmur and Petition for setting on foot a Treaty with the King the Parliament in vain opposing multitudes of the Counties Petitions and other places who are ill intreated Part of the Parliaments Navy revolt the Scots invade England with bad success and accordingly the Princes Fleet make a kind of defection from him The Parliament consult of Peace Repeal their Votes of Non Addresse to the King and resolve to Treat with him by Commissioners with strict propositions and do yet the King grants many things giving hopes of a good agreement for the Grandees of the Army seem to carress peace whilst the Souldiers are dissenting and demand the King to Justice and to that end Rendevouz neer London and frame a Remonstrance against Peace in the name of the whole Army which is approved in a Council of War and exhibited to both the Houses the Commons seem to consider of the Kings concessions which the Army decline and seiz the King in the Isle of Wight and with him march to London and enquarter about the Parliament whilst the Members of the Commons debate the Kings concessions and Vote them a good foundation towards the setling of a peace to which the Lords assent The Grandees of the Army beleaguer the Houses and purge the Parliament and ill intreat the Members by imprisonment and order the rest to their intentions and determine of the chief affaires of the Kingdom of punishing the King and of modelling the foundation of Government And first confirm the Votes of No Address to the King and annull those for commencing a Treaty with him Promise Votes reflecting upon his life Erect a Tribunal constitute Judgement of all sorts of the Army and of the Members The Higher House neglected yet they reject the others Votes and therefore such of them are expunged out of the number of Judges against the King and all such others as are of their opinion The Presbyterian Ministery outed of all declaim against the proceedings the Scots also protest the States of Holland interpose the Lords doe their duty and the people grumble contrariwise others of the Pulpit pray them to proceed against the King the High Court of Justice is fitted the King Arraigned condemned and is beheaded We will enter this year with a notable Reformation The University of Oxford was supposed to be in disorder For upon the Ordinance of Parliament the last year for the Visitation and Reformation thereof they Ordained certain Gentlemen of several qualities or any five of them to be Visitors Amongst whom were Sir Nath. Brent Mr. William Prin of Lincolns Inn Mr. Reynolds Mr. Cheynel Mr. Wilkinson Mr. Harris Mr. Palmer c. to inquire hear and determine all Crimes Offences c. And accordingly they send their Summons And had Answer of the Delegates Wherein their Vice-Chancellor and Proctors being the Magistrates and publick Officers of this University have beâ—n required to appear they having imparted the same to us the Delegates of this University who doe humbly conceive we cannot acknowledge any Visitors but the King or his immediate Substitutes which we are bound to defend by Legal Obligation by our late Protestation as his Majesties undoubted Rights and also are obliged by divers Statutes and Oathes to maintain also and cannot submit otherwise without manifold multiplyed perjuries And this we hope to make more evident before our proper and competent Judges and to Answer whatsoever Crimes or misdemeanour shall be laid to our charge How violently and active the Resentments of liberty and freedom are in the mindes of men this late War hath given evidence wherein the most earthy souls with earnest zeal have sacrificed their blood unto the name and empty shadow of it and if the bare shape and apparition could actuate these Icie Spirits we may wonder to think that the more free and aëriall who endeavour to restore the soul to its native priviledge and Birth-right should be senceless of their just interest where Religion addes his Tittle unto Right and private Liberty built upon publick priviledge in its fall engages his foundation and renders the neglect of a single safety a desertion to the General and Treason to succession and therefore they refuse to submit to any Viâ—itors but to the King And which they make
restrictions and bounded the writ at the first but to Maritime Counties as mostly receiving the present benefit of security from Pyrates but that not sufficient for the common necessity the wits became afterwards Generall to all Counties and so did the quarrel The whole amounting unto two hundred thirty six thousand pounds in lieu of all payments came but to twenty thousand pounds per mensem The Clergy never pleaded but indeed they muttered their case to be free from all secular and civil charges And to prevent the boldness of any pretence the Laws made disputes of the three fold necessity binding all Clergy and Laity viz. aid in war building of Bridges and raising of Forts Nor had they any Execution that which the Arch-bishop did for them was upon their just Complaint of their unequal Tax by their Neighbour therefore the Sheriffs were required not to tax the Clergy of Parsonages above a tenth part of their Land-rate of their several Parishes and no doubt we may easily believe the Inlanders might mutter as conceiving it strange to be concerned in the Sea But in truth the main Exception was to be taxed out of Parliament against the late Petition of Right and indured long debate in Courts of Iustice thereafter whilest the first Mover Noy the Attorney having set the Wheel a going took his last leave in August to rest for ever from the toil of an Attorney General And now was the great Design of the Swedes quarrel in Germany prosecuted and Ambassadours abroad to all the Neighbour Allies for assistance and Axel Oxenstiern the great Chancellour and Guider of those affairs of State sent hither his Son in Ambassy impowred with Credential Letters no doubt from his Sovereign Queen or from interest of the Chancellour of which our King could not pretend ignorance for in all outward reception he appeared so I was present in the Banquetting-house at White-hall when he had Audience of his tedious peremptory Oration But indeed whether because his Address had been before to the French King from whom he had large promises and a great Present or whether because our Reasons of State gave slender hopes to engage against the Emperour with whom we were in Treaty concerning the Palatinate he refused our Kings Present of equal value with that of France and returned not well pleased The state of Ireland in some disquiet dangerously now divident between Papist and Protestant the wise Lord Deputy Wentworth being necessitated to summon a Parliament for the supply of a fresh Contribution for the Army the former of twenty thousand pounds per annum determining the next year and provision must be assured before hand to discharge the Kings Debt of eighty thousand pounds besides It is most true that there was no ill Husbandry of former Governours that caused a contraction of this Debt but the wisdom of the Sovereign not to charge the Nation with Levies for they had granted but one Subsidy since primo Iacobi the Kingdom in good condition since the Wars and their Estates being by the King so lately setled they could do no less than raise their Purses with their plenty and give the King Subsidies which they did The Civil affairs well forwarded the care was to setle the Ecclesiastick by Assembly of a Synod The Design was not more politick as pious to repeal the Body of Articles formed Anno 1615. and to substitute those nine and thirty Articles of the Church of England in their room and the rather because the nine Articles of Lambeth were included with the Irish which in truth had been purposely inserted by King Iames to ballance against the Tenets of Arminians and were evermore started by the contrary Opinions where the Points of Predestination and the Lords Day Sabbath had found free acception to these indeed the Alteration seemed strange some referring it to power others to piety and reason also the reason might be in relation to the Papists who made a wonder that the Churches of three Kingdoms united being under one chief Head and Governour there should be three several and distinct Confessions of Faith and yet all pretending to one Religion and the conclusion and concession not huddled but canvased and with some advantage in Vote for the Church of England although as some say the Primate of Ireland interposed his Negative The Scots are busie fomenting sundry pretended Designs of State against their Liberties they became very bold endeavouring to blast the Kings Proceedings in their last Parliament as indirect charging him with corrupting and suborning the then Votes and evermore of some tendency in favour of Papists and to publish it in print they framed a Libel which passing through malignant hands and so vented but the Lords of the Council there searching narrowly for the Authour it fell upon one William Hagge and he escaping his Abetter was brought to the Board being the Lord Balmerino the Son of a Father of small Conscience and less Religion but Secretary he had been to King Iames who shuffled a Letter of his own contriving amongst others for the Kings signature too much complementing with the Pope Clement in favour of the Catholicks which Letter being so sent and some years after mentioned by Cardinal Bellarmine to the Kingâ—s prejudice and Balmerino questioned for it did ingeniously confess the same and after some outward sufferings had his pardon and preferment but time discovering the Policies of State another way it is now averred that the Letter was then devised by the Kings command in some reason to gain upon the Romish party in reference to his interest in England where the Papists were prevalent and more powerfull abroad but now this Lord the Son whether by nature perfidious or made so by Revenge elapsed into the like crime indeed and suffered the same Trial and Eviction and found the same mercy the Kings pardon and preferment for the present but fell more foul in offending some years after But the Kings Pardon to him gave great encouragement to the discontented Party in Scotland having now found by experience the Kings inclination either by fear or affection to be wrought upon if not mastered and having continual intelligence from his Majesties Bed-chamber the bane of the King by persons near about him Scots of all passages in England concerning the interruption of three Parliaments imprisoning the Members and other civil Distractions sufficient to discover a discontented condition in England also but it appears not who gave the first invitation for assistance to each other of a War Either party Scots and English so forward as that it seems they met joyn'd at last in an unnatural War with their dread Sovereign And yet untill 1637. that the Service-book was imposed on the Scots both parties lay dormant without any perfect correspondence that I can meet with till that time or a little after And then also Cardinal Richelieu sent over his Chaplain Chambers a Scotishman to stir up the
observe that your Majesty desires the engagement not only of the Parliament but of the Lord Mayor Aldermen Common Council and Militia of the City of London the Chief Commanders of Sir Fairfax's Army and those of the Scots Army which is against the Priviledges and honour of the Parliament those being joyned with them who are subject and subordinate to their Authority That which your Majesty against the freedom of the Parliaments enforces in both your Letters with many earnest expressions as if in no other way then that propounded by your Majesty the peace of the Kingdoms could be established Your Majesty may please to remember that in our last Letter we did declare that Propositions from both Kingdoms were speedily to be sent to your Majesty which we conceive to be the only way for the attaining a happy and well grounded peace and your Majesties Answer to those Propositions will be an effectual means in giving satisfaction and security to your Kingdoms will assure a firm Union between the two Kingdoms as much desired each for other as for themselves and setle Religion and secure the peace of the Kingdom of Scotland whereof neither is so much as mentioned in your Majesties Letter And in proceeding according to these just and necessary grounds for the putting an end to the bleeding Calamities of these Nations your Majesty may have the glory to be principal instument in so happy a work and we how ever mis-interpreted shall approve our selves to God and the VVorld to be real and sincere in seeking a safe and well grounded Peace January 14. But the King being earnest for their Answers sends another Messenger the 15. of Ianuary in pursuance of his former Messages of the 26. and 29. of December which met the Parliaments Trumpet with their Answer of the 13. Ianuary The Kings Message was thus Ian. 15. C. R. But that these are times wherein nothing is strange it were a thing much to be marvelled at what should cause this unparallel'd long detention of his Majesties Trumpet sent with his gracious Message of the twenty sixt of December last peace being the only subject of it and his Majesties personal Treaty the means proposed for it And it were almost as great a wonder that his Majesty should be so long from enquiring after it if the hourly expectation thereof had not in some measure satisfied his impatience But lest his Majesty by his long silence should condemn himself of carelesseness in that which so much concerns the good of all his people he thinks it high time to enquire after his said Trumpeter For since all men who pretend any goodness must desire peace and that all men know Treaties to be the best and most Christian way to procure it and there being as little question that his Majesties personal presence in it is the likelyest way to bring it to a happy issue he judges there must be some strange variety of accidents which causeth this most tedious delay wherefore his Majesty earnestly desires to have a speedy account of his former Message the Subject whereof is Peace and the means his personal presence at Westminster where the Government of the Church being setled as it was in the times of the happy and glorious Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James and full liberty for the ease of their Consciences who will not communicate in that service established by Law and likewise for the free and publick use of the Directory prescribed and by command of the two Houses of Parliament now practised in some parts of the City of London to such as shall desire to use the same and all forces being agreed to be disbanded his Majesty will then forthwith as he hath in his Message of the twenty ninth of December last already offered joyn with his two Houses of Parliament in setling some way for the payment of the Publick Debts to his Scots Subjects the City of London and others and his Majesty having proposed a fair way for the sâ—â—ling of the Militia which now by this long delay seems not to be thought sufficient security his Majesty to shew how really he will imploy himself at his coming to Westminster for making this a lasting peace and taking away all jealousies how groundless soever will endeavour upon debate with his two Houses so to dispose of it as likewise of the business of Ireland as may give to them and both Kingdoms just satisfaction not doubting also but to give good contentment to his two Houses of Parliament in the choise of the Lord Admiral the Officers of State and others if his two Houses by their ready inclinations to peace shall give him encouragements thereunto Thus his Majesty having taken occasion by his just impatience so to explain his intentions that no man can doubt of a happy issue to this succeding Treaty If now there shall be so much as a delay of the same he calls God and the World to witness who they are that not only hinder but reject this Kingdoms future happiness it being so much the stranger that his Majesties coming to Westminster which was the first and greatest pretence for taking up Arms should be so much as delayed much lesse not accepted or refused but his Majesty hopes that God will no longer suffer the malice of wicked men to hinder the peace of this too much afflicted Kingdom Given at the Court at Oxford the 15. of Ianuary 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers c. And now it begins to work in the hearts of the people muttering and murmurring the true state of these transactions and the Christian pious affection of the King to peace The Parliament therefore set all their Engines to satisfie the public And after the debate of the King 's last Letter they read Letters from their Commissioners in Ireland together with some other Letters and Papers taken in the Pockets of the Arch-bishop of Trane who was slain at the overthrow of the Rebells at Sligo in Ireland discovering all the transactions between the King and them with whom the Bishop was to Treat offering Toleration of Religion themselves to choose a Governour of their own and to be intrusted with several Castles and Forts for their Caution upon condition to send in to England ten thousand Irish to assist him against his Enemies And these Papers were forthwith printed and published together with those Letters taken in the Lord Digbie's Coach at Sherburn in Yorkshire and all to amuse the people for to satisfie them thereby they could not The King hears of this and digesting it as well as he could he Plies them again with a tarter Message dated 17. Ianuary thus C. R. His Majesty thinks not fit now to Answer those aspersions which are returned as arguments for his not admittance to Westminster for a personal Treaty because it would enforce a stile not suitable to his end it being the peace of those miserable Kingdoms yet thus much he cannot but say
speaking freely to me Next that such men of all professions whom I shall send for as of necessary use to me in this Treaty may be admitted to wait upon me In a word that I may be in the same state of freedom I was in when I was last at Hampton-Court And indeed less cannot in any reasonable measure make good those offers which you have made me by your Votâ—s for how can I treat with honour so long as people are terrified with Votes and Orders against coming to speak or write to me And am I honourably treated so long as there is none about me except a â—arber who came now with the Commissioners that ever I named to wait upon me or with freedom untill I may call such unto me of whose services I shall have use in so great and difficult a work And for safety I speak not of my person having no apprehension on that way how can I judge to make a safe and well-grounded peace untill I may know without disguise the true present state of all my Dominions and particularly of all those whose interests are necessarily concerned in the peace of these Kingdoms which leads me naturally to the last necessary demand I shall make for the bringing of this Treaty to a happy end which is That you alone or you and I joyntly doe invite the Scots to send some persons Authorized by them to treat upon such Propositions as they shall make for certainly the publick and necessary Interesse they have in this great settlement is so clearly plain to all the World that I believe no body will deny the necessity of their concurrence in this Treaty in order to a durable peace Wherefore I will only say that as I am King of both nations so I will yeeld to none in either Kingdom for being truly and zealously affected for the good and honour of both my resolution being never to be partial for either to the prejudice of the other Now as to the place because I conceive it to be rather a circumstantial than real part of this Treaty I shall not much insist upon it I name Newport in this Isle yet the fervent zeal I have that a speedy end be put to these unhappy distractions doth force me earnestly to desire you to consider what a great loss of time it will be to treat so far from the body of my two Houses when every small debate of which doubtless there will be many must be transmitted to Westminster before it be concluded And really I think though to some it may seem a Paradox that peoples mindes will be much more apt to settle seeing me treat in or near London then in this Isle because so long as I am here it will never be believed by many that I am really so free as before this Treaty begin I expect to be And so I leave and recommend this point to your serious consideration And thus I have not only fully accepted of the Treaty which you have proposed to me by your Votes of the third of this moneth but also given it all the furtherance that lies in me by demanding the necessary means for the effectual performance thereof All which are so necessary implyed by though not particularly mentioned in your Votes as I can no wayes doubt of your readie compliance with me herein I have now no more to say but to conjure you by all that is dear to Christians honest men or good Patriots that ye will make all the expedition possible to begin this happie work by hasting down your Commissioners fullie Authorized and well instructed and by enabling me as I have shewed you to treat praying the God of peace so to bless our endeavours that all my Dominions may speedily enjoy a safe and well-grounded peace Caresbrook Castle 16. Aug. 1648. Charles R. For the Speaker of the Lords House pro tempore to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England at Westminster Here we see the Commissioners of Scotland are not to be communicated for they dissent And the King desired two of his Chaplains might be allowed to attend him which were appointed viz. Doctor Sheldon and Doctor Hamond Upon Debate of the Kings Answer the Lords Vote That the Votes of non addresse to the King be recalled That such persons as he shall send for as necessary to him in the Treaty be admitted And that he be in the state of freedom as at Hampton-Court with such servants as he desires That the Treaty be at Newport That the Scots be invited to treat with his Majesty upon the Propositions of both Kingdoms delivered to him at Hampton-Court That his Majesty be admitted to invite the Scots thereto That the Instructions of Parliament to Colonel Hamond be recalled That five Lords and ten Commons be chosen Commissioners to treat with the King That it be referred to a Committee of Lords and Commons for peace to prepare all things in readiness hereto To all those the Commons agree with this Proviso That the King invite the Scots to treat only concerning that Kingdom And these Votes were sent to the King who returns Answer My Lord and Mr. Speaker I have received your Letter of the 25. present and Votes which though not so full as I could wish for the perfecting of a Treaty yet because I perceive by what you have done that I am in some measure fit to begin one Such is my incessant and earnest desire to give a peace to these my now distracted Dominions as I accept the Treaty and therefore desire that such five Lords and ten Commons as my two Houses shall appoint be speedily sent fully Authorized and instructed to treat with me not doubting but what is now wanting will at our meeting upon debate be fully supplyed not only to the furtherance of this Treaty but also to the consummating of a safe and well-grounded Peace So I rest your friend Charles Rex I have sent you inclosed the List you desired and wish that according to one of your Votes you would send me a Pass for Parsons a Messenger of my Presence Chamber to go to Scotland and to receive his dispatch from me Carisbrook 28. August The List inclosed names these which I mention for the honour they had in their Masters esteem Gentlemen of my Bed-chamber Duke of Richmond Marquess Hartford the Earls of Lindsey and Southampton Grooms of my Bed-chamber George Kirke Iames Leviston Wil. Murrey Iohn Ashburnham Wil. Legg Barber Tho. Davis Pages of my back staris Hugh Hern Humphery Rogers Wil. Levit. Yeomen of my Robes Revet Queries with four or six Footmen as they shall finde fittest to wait Mr. Ro. Ternhit Mr. Io. Hensden Mrs Laundreâ—s with her Maid-servants A Groom of my Presence Parsons to wait as they did or as I shall appoint them these Sir Foâ—lk Greenvil Captain Tytus Captain Burroughs Mr. Cresset Mr. Hansted Firebrace Chaplains the Bishop of London Bishop of Salisbury Doctors
vote a war Oâ—hers dissent The State of the Scots Army come to Carlisle Summons Lambert by Letter Lamberts Answer Scots come to Penreath and engage Tinmouth Castle revolts and is retaken Lord General Cromwel comâ— against the Scots Scots Army defeated and how Capiâ—â—lâ—te and yield upon Articles Cromwel improves his success Hamilton taken and others Several Armies in Scotland Lieu. General Cromwel's Declaration in Scotland Scots Nobility contract with Cromwel And conclude in amity upon conditions Scots Armies disbanded Cromwel is caressed in Scotland The Prince of Wales his flight The States of Scotland invite the Prince thither Parliaments Vice-Admiral Batten goes to the Prince Colchester siege resolutely defended They capitulate by Letters Answer Lucas and Lisle shot to death The list of their prisoners Distempers in the Kingdom Petitions from all parts for a Treaty of Peace Voted to send to the King for a Treaty The Princes Letter to the Lords The Kings Message in Answer to the Votes and a Treaty Other Votes of the Parliament sent to the King His answer Commissioners to treat for the Parliament The King and his fast and pray Four Bills or demands Parliaments Propositions The Commissioners tyed up to conditions The Kings concâ—ssions in most things Propositions answered Concerning Ormond Earl of Norwich and Lord Capel impeâ—â—â—ed Arrears of the Army demanded Parliament Voâ—e payment New Judges and Serjeants at Law Petitions against the King and Treaty A large Remonstrance of the Army Hamond delivers the King to Col. Ewers Armies Declaration They come to White-hall Four Queries of the King concerning his Tryal The Kings Declaration concerning the Treaty The King is seized by the Army Divers Members seizâ—d by the Souldiers Agreement of the people Exceptions Vote against Vote Eikon Bas. cap. 28. The King brought to Windsor The Charge against the King The Queen writes to the King and General Votes of the Commons The Lords dissent Votes of the power of the Commmons house Proclamtaion for any to accuse the King New great Seal The Scots dissent The King brought to St. Iames's Form of the High Court of Justice The Lords and others against the Vote for Tryal The Scotish Declaration against the Kings Tryal Scots private instructions concerning the King The Actors proceeding The place of the Court of High Justice The Kings first Tryal The King accused Demurs to Authority of the Court and proves his Title successive not Elective Second Tâ—yal A Pre-Order in case the King will not answer The King interrogates their power and offers his reasons in writing The President prevent him with insolent rebukes Third dayes Tryal Saturday Tryal and Sentence The King râ—fuseth to Answer but before the two Houses of Parliament Presidents Speech The King not suffered to reply His Sentence Which the Tryers approvâ— The Kings Reasons against the jurisdiction of the Court a Hereabout I was stopt not suffered to speak any more concerning reasonâ— The King is abused by the Souldiery Hindered in his devorion and prayers The Committee order his Execution Ambassadors sue in the Kings behalf He is conveyed from St. Iames's to the Scaffold Passes to the Scaffold The King upon the Scaffold defends his innocency Howbeit he acknowledgeth Gods justice Pardons his enemies Takes pitty on the Kingdom Errours of the Faction How they may return to peace He praies Professes to dye a Christian according to the reformation of England He prepares to his death He is killed Reliques of the Kings death His body imbowelled His admired Book and Papers His Character only to be glanced at The Kings children The Kings Letter to the Prince of Wales
of his own with pretence of greater advantage and alwaies of less expence then any other Undertakers And to mate it the more the Lord Chichester an Irish Commander approved thereof to the Council of War But it was soon replyed by the Solicitor General that the Duke Lord Admiral had been consulted who though of abilities to judge yet his Modesty and Wisdom had communicated Mansels Project to the Council who utterly disliked thereof and had approved of the Design in hand Being convinced in this yet the vote of the House was not to Supply but rather to Remonstrate their Reasons wherein they ranted so high and desperate upon the Duke that it was apparent they meant to divest him of his Offices Admiralty and all Nay they left not there but were canvasing his Comings in his great Revenues of Crown-demeans which they would revoke and resume back to the Kings wants And in fine to bring him an Accomptant for his Receipts and Expences of publique Revenue intrusted unto him for the State It is handsomely observed the Commons Inconstancie herein Breves Amores Populi who but lately the very last Parliament cired up the Duke for the ornament and honour of the whole Nation that it was then almost put to the question What shall be done to Him whom the Houses will honour Now to be popular hatred Their design was saies he to take the Great Seal from the Bishop of Lincoln who cunningly to divert the Judgement proposed Buckingham as the properer person to furnish them with matter as the fitter game of which the Duke had inckling which lost the other the favour for ever And yet in Ianuary next we find the Bishop his Letter to the Duke boldly and if not with impudence so soon to caress him for a Courtesie To Crown the King for thus he writes Being come hither in the duty of my place to do my best Service for the preparation to the Coronation and to wait upon his Majesty for his Royal pleasure and direction herein I do most humbly beseech your grace c. 7. Ianuary 1625. Which the Duke denied for another did it But this was too high for the Duke to hold out The Remonstrance penned so bitter with aspersions on the Kings Judgement in his choice and to grace him more then all others as that to prevent the Dukes ruine and not to retard the publique affairs of his Naval Design the King in much regret resolved to give end to their Sitting And of this Arrand comes the Usher of the Black Rod from the Upper house who finds the Commoâ—s resolved into a Grand Committee and the Solicitor in the Chair whom they forced there until a Protestation was framed which Mr. Glanvile declared viz. First To give his Majesty thanks for his Gracious Answer to their Petition for Religion For his care of their healths in giving them leave to depart this dangerous sickness With a dutiful Declaration of their affection and loyalty and their purpose to supply his Majesty in a Parliamentary way in fitting and convenient time After this the Speaker re-assumes the Chair and admits the Usher and his Message for Dissolution of the Parliament And now the King must do his work himselâ— and minding that he first dismist the train and burthen of the French Madams and other that waited on the Queen hither These were shipped away from Dover who carried the tidings of the Kings evil success with his Parliament and subjects to his great regret and grief And therefore we may spare him from the censure of an otium for summer pastime for he was very sad But the danger of infection spread to Oxford forced his Progress and this speedy resolution of his affairs For the Fleet to put to Sea and to conserve strickt Amity with our Neighbours France Denmark and the United Provinces The last having been here by their Ambassadours in September To supplicate a League offensive and defensive against the Common Enemy the House of Austria and to pray his Majesties assistance in soliciting other States in this general Confederation of equal expence to all and for the present the States should bear a fourth part of the Fleets charge To see these performed and to put it to present issue with the best grace and honour to so high a Design Ambassadours were resolved upon to confirm the Association beyond Seas and presently the Fleet went forth The Duke and the Earl of Holland in Commission for the Embassie lay a long time at Harwich for a Wind to waft them over in two Men of War which met with ill weather upon the very Coast of Holland a furious storm off from Sea forced them upon the Shore â—t a foot sounding to sinck all when no other hope was left to help but splicing two main long Cables at a Ketch Anchor and so Veer out the storm which had the Anchor not held but come home They had all been lost but landed safe at Brill and so to the Hague where Ambassadours of other Princes were to meet impowred for so great a Compliance as the necessities of the Design required But there they found them all to flag The Dane not able the French not willing stopt the Carreer of a further Journey into France where preparations were gone before to entertain our Ambassadours there But the French were cunning not to engage expences with the English Fleet which was now at sea upon the Design for Cadiz and all that was done by this meeting they concluded in a League For restoring the Liberties of Germany wherein was included the particular reflection the Cause of the Palatinate and restitution of the Kings Sister the Queen of Bohemia and no sooner were they returned home but were received with unwelcome report of the Fleets Miscarriage under their General Edward Cecil Viscount Wimbleton This Gentleman was second Son to Thomas Cecil Earl of Exeter of a comely person and long experienced in Martial affairs in the School of the United Provinces where he waited long for little preferment alwaies kept under by the Eminencie and merit of the family and Honour of Veres untill King Iames gave him his great rise from a Colonel to be General of the English in the Mis-effects of the Palatinate war wherein he was suspected by that ill successe his own complaint He suffered disgrace by his Enemies about the imployment of the Palatinate from which time twenty seven years since he was importunate to be called home for imployment here His indulgent caressing the Duke with letters from the Low-Countreys who truly before wisht him not much kindnesse yet in the end gave him warning to this Expedition and Commission to waft hither such Officers and Souldiers English as he should elect out of Companies ten Captains and thirty officers but he got none at all for he was much offended that Sr. Horace Vere was made a Baron before him and then to please him he got Precedency with a Vice-Count
that Nicholas had order for Pennington to relinquish his Command and Ships absolute to the French which verbal Warrant not being sufficient for a discreet Captain to obey he acquainted the Duke by a speedy Shallop and had second order not to depart with this charge Upon this and the threats of the French the Mariners in a conjured Mutiny weyed Anchor hoised sail and came safe to the Downs 27. Iuly 1625. where he had positive order to consigne up his own and the six Merchants ships to the service of his brother the French King which was obeyed These Ships and twenty more of the Dutch whose Commander was Halstein with the French Navy was conducted by Momerancie faced Subize from his fastnesse repriseth many of the Lewis ships which he had seized and chaseth him to the Isle Oleron upon the French Coast. King Charles had some reason to resent this missimploying of his Ships to other use then against Spain being presumed by the humble complaint and pressure of those Commissioners residing here for aid to the Hugonotes in general and now enforced this particular of Rochellers And Lewis returned this Answer That he had no Enemies then but the Spainard and his intent no other witness the like contract with the Dutch Ships but his rebellious subjects the Rochellers starting this necessity upon him he was enforced to suppresse the dangerous consequence with the advantage of those ships against Rebellion which he conceives and he hopeth all Christian Princes conclude such subjects the greatest Enemies to all Soveraignty And indeed until some time of treaty had returned this Answer the English had seized a rich Ship of New-haven three hundred thousand pounds which concluded a finall end of this difference with the reinlarging to the French those ships and goods and the return of the English seven ships with reall satisfaction for their hire in May 1626. and this is the true story of that difference which needs no State-syllogism to unravel nor so much dilation as an Author consumes time and arguments to discusse About two moneths after King Charles wisely considering thesâ— prime overtures of discontent likely enough to occasion future differences from the insolencies frequent here with the French tumultuary at Court the remain of the Queries train and others also flocking hither dependants upon welcom guests He resolved upon this prudentiall Maxim in due time to rid the Court from the danger of those Malignants which usually infect all Courts suddenly after affinities of Mariage And truly it branched into sundry particulars long before the King was willing to apply any corrosive to the Recovery For first the Queens Priests and other Papists domesticques being articled upon Mariage which be competent in Numbers and conditions for her Princely convenience stood highly charged for imposing upon her Person publique and superstitious Novice duties of Obedience to their piaculary Injunctions and not to insist upon such as were accustomary in private obedience but it was enforst publiquely to trace on foot from Somerset-house to St. Jameses not unordinary amongst the Devotresses of Rome beyond the Seas But more She must progresse her Ambulations so far as Tyburn Gallows to offer up her prayers for the souls of Iesuit Martyrs formerly trussed up there for Treason Another occasion of distemper proceeded from the Queens Bishop of Mende whom she had named one of her Trustees in the place of Steward for those Lands intended to be setled for her Dower and Mounsier de Fiat Chamberlain of her Houshold to be her Treasurer Of these and others the like she was convinced That for her good it was more expedient to intrust English Protestants for being to be confirmed by Parliament it could not settle on strangers especially Papists without her eminent prejudice And indeed some of her French women in confidence of over much familiaritie and boldnesse insinuated by their neernesse and trust about her Person had confirmed a disorderly impudency to perk up in place before the English Ladies of eminent ranke who in grace and honour to her Majesty gave her the more to increase repute and value to themselves in a distant degree of Observance This the French liked not and therefore endeavoured a neerer parity and thereby justled into the Coach with both their Majesties And this in truth was Madam Saint-George and though of ordinary Extraction in France yet for that Impudency being but put by she plotted malitious revenge pondering all possible means from thence to raise suspition in the young Queen of the the Kings disaffection to her and over much favour to the English Ladies For these and other Politique reasons Sr. Dudly Carlton was sent Ambassadour to the French King to redresse some dregs of former differences of State And withall to complain of those distempers in Court dangerously introducing a rupture between his Majesty and his great affection to his beloved Consort the Queen whose tender yeers might too hastily relish such strong temptations And therefore desired his Brotherly power and authority with his Sister by Message or Letters to interpose his directions to Her and his Command to the others to mend their evil manners or to return home Carlton gone upon this errand and missing the French King at Paris progressed a tedious Journey after that Court to Nantes in Bohemia and the necessity of these daily encounters at home necessarily not admitting long delay The Queens Chamberlain Monsier Tylliers suspecting some harsh event of this Embassie without leave of any steals after Carlton to make him in his Remonstrance And at the heels of him King Charles speeds an Emissary to avoyd them both and to post before them to the French King with fresh complaints of the former and latter Crimes with the Insolencie of Tylliers now in office and duty subservient to their Majesties here and yet to depart with warrant And which inforced the King in prudence to resolve with all speed to acquit himself of the burthen of the rest of the French and to send them all within two dayes after And to act this the King comes to Somerset-House where the French were Ordered to repair To whom He sayes Gentlemen and Ladies I am driven to that necessity as that I am personally come to acquaint you that I very earnestly desire your return into France True it is the deportment of some amongst you hath been very inoffensive to me but others again have so dallied with my patience and so highly affâ—onted me as I cannot I will not longer indure it And when some most guilty offered their defence if meant of them to give answer but the King replyed I name none and so parted and they commanded speedily to return to France But the Kings Messenger gets thither and no sooner delivers his letters to the King but was opposed by others from Tylliers who was lodged by the way in a desperate Feavour His complaints bold and high as his disease with the speedy posting news of
affections of the four Inns of Court presenting the King and Queen with a most glorious and gallant Masque Heretofore they usually divided themselves in assistance Lincolns Inn with the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple with Greys Inn but now they unite all in some regret against Master William Prynn an Utter Barrister of Lincolns Inn for his late Book Histrio Mastix invective against Stage-plays the solemn Musick used in the Cathedrals and the Royal Chappels against Masques and Dancings at Court the Hospitality of the Gentry at Christmass not without scandal to the King and Queen and some Passages very dangerous to their Persons for which an Information was preferred against him by Noy the Attorney General and the Cause near Sentence the Inns of Court ashamed of such a Member amongst them discovered to their Majesties their disdain of his Doctrines and so in this gallant way of expressing their duties they would out-do any that had been before accompanied also after the Masques with a Train of Christian Captives many years enslaved in Chains under the Emperour of Morocco and now sent by him a Present to the King for his assistance in taking of Sally and destroying those Pyrates to the future security of all Traders in the Mediterranean Sea And the City willing to do something answerable feasted their Majesties a Fortnight after at the Lord Maiors house Alderman Freeman so magnificent that to please these People the Inns of Court Revellers adorned the Kings Feast at Merchant-Tailors Hall where that Masque was again shewed to the City The first Act of open Popularity to them enough to beget hearty affection to him which they seemed to fain but with false hearts ever after And those two places of Feasting are mistaken not being at Guild-Hall Whilest the Deputies of the obedient Provinces Flanders c. were â—usie in seeking for an end of their Evils in some happy Overtures of Peace the Infanta Clara Eugenia their Governess dies whom the Cardinal Infanto succeeds A Lady she was of excellent fame for her milde and gentle Government over them foreseeing that those Treaties then on foot would produce little effect although the other Provinces disobedient Netherlands were offered conditions advantageous enough The States stood fast upon Impossibilities and the other could not exclude their Master And indeed the Prince of Orange his Dispatch of taking Rhinburgh in three Weeks made the Treaty more insolent on his part being hindred by the French Minister that eloquent and able Charnasse who by his diligent pursuits broke off the Treaty and brought the States back again to take up Arms with his Master the French King and so follows on with the Confederacy of the Swedes against the Marques of Aitona for the Spaniard amongst them all in this Militia were such insolencies committed as almost dissolved and spoiled the Hollands Discipline But Aitona marches towards the Maze where he seizes some Prisoners Complotters with Count Henry of Bergues the Prince of Espinoy already fled into France and the Duke of Arscot gone into Spain and the Cause examined dissipated and tried Then he sends the Marques de Ledio who took the strong House of Argentean and retook the Dutchy of Limbergh making a shew of besieging Mastrick thereby to have the passage open into Germany But the Prince of Orange to divert him from this Design plants himself before Breda but not willing to meddle with the Spanish Army now marching towards him to dislodg him from thence he retired five days after And thus ended this years fighting in the Low-countreys The English Coasts were much infested by the Pirates of all our neighbour Nations nay from out the Mediterranean Turks Algiers And as they were generall afflictions to all honest men that came in their way so the great Traders Merchants suffered much and the English because of their generall commerce the most of all and the State being busied in that honourable design of suppressing them our neighbour Dutchmen minded the more their gain and were almost Masters at sea in the Northern fishing which because so farr and so small return they went away with the whole benefit But then for they to settle upon the Hering Busses and the general fishing of the very British seas and our own Coasts after much muttering of our fish-mangers and the complaint upon their Markets the State were rowzed up by several overtures and Projects concerning Bussos for our own Coast and prevention of strangers as an Inlawd over all the Narrow-Seas some petty quarrels there about happened between us and the Hollander and then began the dispute which that able Scholar Grotius intended to conclude by his Tract of Mare Liberum and although the English right was not now to be questioned by a new challenge of the General interest and so to make the case common to all and that by the Pen. Yet to answer him therein also he was incountred by as learned a Piece intituled Mare Clausum the Author Mr. Selden able enough to make it good and did so far as he intended towards them proving the Soveraignty of those Seas under the dominion of this Crown of England and by continual practise of our former Kings levying monies of the Subject meerly for that purpose to maintain that Right But when the King found that it was now in controversie and must be kept by force which his Coffers fayled to perform Herein he considers the way and means to require supply of his Subjects by duty which hitherto had been refused of Curtesie or by Privy-Seals or by Loans which are miscalled disgustfull Impositions illegal they were not so they had been lawfully demanded and no Impositions but seemly and necessarily used by all former Soveraigns Disgustful indeed they might be so are all demands of mony from hard-hearted Subjects and being restrained by his own consent to the late Petition of Right he would depend upon his own the revenue by his right of Prerogative And having Precedents of former Soveraigns he sets on foot that payment of Ship-mony as a duty for indeed Mr. Selden comes short of home in his proofs bringing his Levies of Naval-aid but to the time of Henry the second and might no doubt by his reading have reached home without helpe even of a Parliament But the course went on by the orderly legal proceeding of Writ in effect an ancient President of raising a Tax upon the Nation for seting forth a Navy in case of danger And being managed by that excellent Artizar of Law the Atturney Noy whose Readings and search had no doubt hapened upon Records for Levying a Naval-aid by sole authority of the King for safety of the Kingdome as also in time of those Parliaments when free subsidies and this enforced command of aid came together the one by their love to support what might refer to himself this other by authority when it concerned the publique But the wisdome of State made
and they have just cause to believe it to be true Fifthly the Papists as publickly and with 〈…〉 importunity resort to Mass at Denmark house Saint James's aâ—d the Ambassadours Chappel as others do to their Parochial Churches Sixthly there is found already so bad consequence of this Priest John Goodman his 〈◊〉 that the City of London being solicited by the Parliament for their assistance in the advancement of Money for the supply of his Majesties Army have absolutely denied the same for that very reason which may become an ill 〈…〉 To which the King makes answer That it was against his minde that Popery or Superstition should any way increase within this Kingdom that he will restrain the same by causing the Laws to be put in execution That he is resolved to provide against Iesuits and Papists by setting forth a Proclamation speedily commanding them to depart the Kingdom within one Moneth of which â—f they fail or shall return then they shall be Proceeded against according to Law Concerning the Popes Nuncio Rosetti he hath no Commission 〈◊〉 onely to retain correspondency between the Queen and the Pope in things requisite for the exercise of her Religion which is warranted to her by the Articles of Marriage which gave her a full liberty of conscience yet 〈◊〉 he hath perswaded her that since the mis-understanding of that persons condition gives offence she will within a time convenient remove him Moreover he will take special care to restrain his Subjects 〈◊〉 resorting to Mass at Denmark house Saint James's and the Chappels of Ambassadours Lastly concerning Goodman because he will avoid the inconvenience of giving so great discontent to his People as his Mercy may produce therefore he doth remit his particular case to both Houses But he desired them to take into their considerations the Inconveniences that may upon this Occasion fall upon his Subjects and other Protestants abroad especially since it may seem to other States to be a Severity But this while though of consequence to the main Affairs we have been enforced to leave the Scots in their five Moneths warm Quarters in this Kingdom The Treaty at Rippon produced a Câ—ssation of Hostility referring further to a Treaty at London which was impowred by Commission the three and twentieth of November to the former Lords the Earls of Bedford Hartford Essex Salisbury 〈◊〉 Bristow Holland and Berkshire the Lords Wharton Paget 〈◊〉 Brook Paulet Howard of Estrick Savile and Dunsmore 〈◊〉 to any ten or more of them to treat with the Scotish Commissioners or any seven of them being the Earls of Rothes and Dumferling the Lord Loudon Sir Patrick Hâ—pburn Sir William Douglas William Drummond Iohn Smith Bailiff of Edinburg Alexander Wedderburn Hugh Kennedy Alexander Henderson and Archibald Iohnson to take into consideration their Demands and to compose all Differences thereupon in pursuance of which Commission these Demands were assented unto The Scotish Comissioners demanded First that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to command that the Acts of the late Parliament may be published in His Higness Name as our Sovereign Lord with the consent of the Estates of Parliament conveâ—eal by his Majesties Authority To this it is answered and agreed 30 Decembris 1640. That forasmuch as the Kings Majesty at the humble desire of his Subjects did call and convene a Parliament to be holden at Edinburgh the 2. of Iune 1640. wherein certain Acts were made and agreed upon which Acts his Majesty is pleased to publish in his own Name with the consent of the Estates and therefore commands that the said Acts bearing date the 2. day of Iune 1640. be published with the Acts to be made in the next Session of the same Parliament and that all the said Acts as well of the precedent as of the next Session to be holden have in all time coming the strength of Laws and to be obeyed by all the Subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland Secondly that the Castle of Edinburgh and other Strengths of the â—ingdom should with the advice of the Estates of Parliament according to their first foundation be furnished and used for defence and security of the Kingdom It is agreed unto Thirdly that Scotish men within his Majesties Dominions of England and Ireland may be freed from censure for subscribing the Covenant and be no more pressed with Oaths and Subscriptions unwarranted by their Laws and contrary to their National Oath and covenant approved by his Majesty It is agreed Decemb. 8. 1640. that all those who in his Majesties Dominions of England and Ireland have been imprisoned or censured any way for subscribing of the Covenant on for refusing to take any other Oath 〈◊〉 to the same shall be freed of these Censures and shall be fully restored to their Liberties Estates and Possession and for time coming that the Subjects of Scotland as Subjects of Scotland shall not be constrained to any Oath contrary to the Laws of that Kingdom and the Religion there established but such of the Kingdom of Scotland as shall transport themselves into the Kingdom of England or Ireland and there be settled Inhabitants either by way of having Inheritance or Freehold or by way of settled Trades shall be subject to the Laws of England or Ireland and to the Oaths established by the Laws and Acts of Parliament in the said Kingdoms respectively wherein they live And the English and Irish shall have the like privilege in Scotland Fourthly that his Majesty would be pleased to declare that whosoever shall be found upon Trial and Examination by the Estates of either of the two Parliaments they judging against the persons subject to their own Authority to have been the Authours and Causers of the late and present Troubles and Combustions whether by labouring to make and foment Division betwixt the King and his People or betwixt the two Nations or any other way shall be liable to censure of the said Parliaments respectively It is answered December 11. 1640. That his Majesty believeth he hath none such about him therefore concerning that point he can make no other Declaration than that he is just and that all his Courts of Justice are to be free and open to all men Our Parliament in this Kingdom is now sitting and the current Parliament of Scotland near approaching the time of their meeting In either of which respective he doth not prohibit the Estates to proceed in trying and judging of whatsoever his Subjects And whereas it was further demanded that none after the Sentence of the Parliament should have access to his Majesty or be maintained or enjoy Places or Offices and have credit or authority to inform or advise his Majesty It is declared in his Majesties Name Decemb. 30. 1640. That he will not imploy any person or persons in Office or Place that shall be judged incapable by Sentence of Parliament nor will he make use of their service without the consent of
pleased to assent to their Acts of Parliament including the Articles of their Assembly their Religion Laws and Liberties ratified their grievances relieved for which we use to give the King Money The Scots Remonstrance professing that they would take nothing of the English but for Money or Security But we have defrayed them hitherto and are still provided to do longer That heretofore we established their Reformation and bore our own Charges and concerning mutual restitution of Ships and Goods which now our Commissioners have fairly accommodated already As for inferential and consequential Dammages such a Representment would not administer unacceptable matter of contestation We could truly allege that Northumberland New-castle and the Bishoprick will not recover their former Estate these twenty years that the Coal-mines of New-castle will not be set right for an hundred thousand pounds besides the price of Coals doth cost this City and other parts of this Kingdom above that value in loss And much more of this nature and dammage might be justly urged They say they do not make any former Demands but yet they make their Sum appear above four hundred and fourteen thousand pounds more than ever we gave the King A portentous apparition which shews it self in a very dry time the Kings Revenue totally exhausted the Kingdom generally impoverished and yet all this supply is to be drawn out of us onely without the least help from any his Majesties other Dominions an utter draining of this Nation unless England be Puteus inexhaustus yet I shall afford what is reasonable and honourable to a convenient considerable Sum of Money that they may go off with a handsome friendly Loss if they shall reject it we shall improve our Cause It was never thought any great wisdom overmuch to trust to a succesfull Sword A man that walks upon rising ground the further he goes the more spacious his prospect success enlarges mens desires extends their ambition breeds thoughts never dreamt on before But the Scots being truly touched with Religion according to their professions that onely is able to keep their words for Religion is stronger and wiser than Reason it self But we hope of a good conclusion of the effects of all these hitherto Inconveniences to the advance of Religion King and Kingdoms But for the present to satisfie the clamour of the Scots Master Speaker was ordered to write to the City of London to advance sixty thousand pounds upon security and Assignment out of the next Subsidies to be levied and to pay in the Money to the Chamber of London which was so humbly obeyed This being but one Loan for I finde several Acquittances for the like Sum of sixty thousand pounds mentioning therein For Supply of the Kings Army and providing for the Northern Counties And so belike were issued for Supply of both Armies The Dutch Ambassadour Lieger having made Overtures of a Marriage between William young Prince of Orange and the Kings eldest Daughter the Princess Mary which he very willingly inclined to accept yet though fit as his condition stood with the Parliament to acquaint them therewith And tells the House of Lords My Lords That freedom and confidence which I expressed at the beginning of this Parliament to have of your love and fidelity towards my Person and Estate hath made me at this time come hither to acquaint you with that Alliance and Confederacy which I intend to make with the Prince of Orange and the States which before this time I did not think expedient to do because that part which I do desire your advice and assistance upon was not ready to be treated on I will not trouble you with a long digression by shewing the steps of this Treaty but leave you to be satisfied in that by those who under me do manage that Affair Onely I shall shew you the Reasons which have induced me to it and in which I expect your assistance and counsel The Considerations that have induced me to it are these First the matter of Religion here needs no Dispensation no fear that my Daughters conscience may be any way perverted Secondly I do esteem that a strict Alliance and Confederacy with the States will be as usefull to this Kingdom as that with any of my Neighbours especially considering their Affinity Neighbourhood and way of their strength And lastly which I must never forget in these occasions the use I may make of this Alliance towards the establishing of my Sister and Nephews Now to shew you in what I desire your assistance you must know that the Articles of Marriage are in a manner concluded but not to be totally ratified untill that of Alliance be ended and agreed which before I demanded your assistance I did not think fit to enter upon And that I may not leave you too much at large how to begin that Council I present you here the Propositions which are offered by me to the States Ambassadours for that intent And so my Lords I shall onely desire you to make as much expedition in your Councils as so great a Business shall require and shall leave your Lordships to your own free debate This Proposition of Alliance both with the Prince and with the United Provinces was extremely and unanimously affected by all the People and was universally embraced without Fears or Jealousies upon our Liberties or Religion and soon concluded but what resulted think you from another party Papists Plots perpetually allarming for The very next Day four Members of the Commons House bore up the Message to the Lords of a monstrous Design of the Papists an Army of fifteen thousand in Lancashire and eight thousand in Ireland and I know not how many thousands in many places well armed and in pay raised by the Earl of Strafford the Earl of Worcester and others After-ages will think these Hyperboles for though there was no such Armies possibly by them nor no such Fears by others yet this Message was sent and carried from the Lower to the Higher House and gave the occasion to the multitude of People to frame Petitions sutable to Plots and Fears and Jealousies for the Parliaments purpose The thirteenth of February one of the Ship-money Judges so nick-named Sir Robert Berkley was by a motion of the Commons accused of High-treason and by Maxwell the Black Rod taken the next day from his Seat in the Kings Bench and kept Prisoner The Bill for the Triennial Parliament having passed both Houses was confirmed with the Kings royal assent February 16. and to let them see how sensible himself was of this his great grace he thought fit to put them in minde of their gratitude of fear of their failing My Lords And you the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons you may remember when both Houses were with me at the Banquetting-house at White-hall I did declare unto you two Rocks I wished you to shun this is one of them and of that consequence that
sufficiently thinned and over-awed To which Partialitie while in all Reason Iustice and Religion my conscience forbids me by consenting to make up their Votes to Acts of Parliament I must now be urged with an Armie and constrained either to hazzard mine own and my Kingdoms ruine by my Defence or prostrate my conscience to the blinde obedience of those men whose zealous superstition thinks or pretends they cannot do God and the Church greater service than utterly to destroy that Primitive Apostolical and anciently universal Government of the Church by Bishops Which if other mens judgments binde them to maintain or forbid them to consent to the abolishing of mine much more who besides the grounds I have in my judgment have also a most strict and indispensible Oath upon my Conscience to preserve that Order and the Rights of the Church to which most sacrilegious and abhorred Perjurie most unbeseeming a Christian King should I ever by giving my consent be betraied I should account it infinitely greater miserie than any hath or can befall me in as much as the least sin hath more evil in it than the greatest affliction Had I gratified their Anti-Episcopal Faction at first in this point with my consent and sacrificed the Ecclesiastical Government and Revenues to the furie of their Covetousness Ambition and Revenge I believe they would then have found no colourable necessitie of raising an Armie to fetch in and punish Delinquents That I consented to the Bill of putting the Bishops out of the House of Peers was done with a firm perswasion of their contentedness to suffer a present diminution in their Rights and Honour for my sake and the Common-wealths which I was conâ—ident they would readily yield unto â—ather than occasion by the least obstruction on their part any Dangers to me or to my Kingdom That I cannot add my consent to the total Exâ—irpation of that Government which I have often offered to all fit Regulations hath so much further tie upon my conscience as what I think Religious and Apostolical and so very Sacred and Divine as not to be dispensed with or destroyed when what is onely of civil favour and privilege of Honour granted to men of that Order may with their consent who are concerned in it be annulled This is the true state of those obstructions pretended to be in point of Iustice and Authoritie of Parliament when I call God to witness I knew none of such consequence as was worth speaking of to make a War being onely such as Iustice Reason and Religion had made in mine own and other mens consciences Afterwards indeed a great shew of Delinquents was made which were but consequences necessarily following upon mine or others withdrawiâ—g from or defence against violence but those could not be the first occasion of raising an Armie against me Wherein I was so far from preventing them as they have declared often that they might seem to have the advantage and justice of the defensive part and load me with all the envie and injuries of first assaulting them when as God knows I had not so much as any hopes of an Armie in my thoughts Had the Tumults been honourably and effectually repressed by exemplarie justice and the libertie of the Houses so vindicated that all Members of either House â—ight with honour and freedom becoming such a Senate have come in and discharged their consciences I had obtained all that I designed by my with-drawing and had much more willingly and speedily returned than I retired this being my necessitie driving the other my choice desiring But some men knew I was like to bring the same judgment and constancie which I carried with me which would never fit their Designs and so while they invited me to come and grievously complained of my absence yet they could not but be pleased with it especially when they had found out that plausible and popular pretext of raising an Armie to fetch in Delinquents when all that while they never punished the greatest and most intolerable Delinquencie of the Tumults and their Exciters which drave my self and so many of both Houses from their places by most barbarous Indignities which yet in all Reason and Honour they were as loth to have deserted as those othâ—rs were willing they should thaâ— so they might have occasion to persecute them with the injuries of an Armie for not suffering more tamely the injuries of the Tumults That this is the true state and first drift and design in raising an Armie against me is by the â—â—quel so evident that all other pretences vanish For when they declared by Propositions or Treaties what they would have to appease them there was nothing of consequence offered to me or demanded of me as any original difference in any point of Law or order of justice But among other lesser Innovations this chiefly was urgâ—d The Abolition of Episcopal and the Establishment of Presbyterian Government All other things at any time propounded were either impertinent as to any ground of a War or easily granted by me and onely to make up a number or else they were meerly consequential and accessarie after the War was by them unjustly begun I cannot hinder other mens thoughts whom the noise and shew of pietie and heat for Reformation and Religion might easily so fill with prejudice that all equalitie and clearness of judgment might be obstructed But this was and is as to my best observation the true state of affairs between us when they first raised an Armie with this Design either to stop my mouth or to force my consent and in this truth as to my conscience who was God knows as far from meditating a War as I was in the eye of the world from having any preparations for one I finde that comfort that in the midst of all the unfortunate successes of this War on my side I do not think mine innocencie any whit prejudiced or darkened nor am I without that integritie and peace before God as with humble confidence to address my prayer to him And by Proclamation the King requires the aid and assistance of all his Subjects on the North side of Trent and within twenty miles Southward thereof for the suppressing of the Rebells now marching against him whose hearts God Almighty will 〈◊〉 up with a true sense and apprehension of his sufferings that according to their allegeance and as they tender the safety of his person the properties of their Estates and just liberties to attend his person upon the two and twentieth of this instant August at Nottingham where and when he intends to erect his Standard in his just defence c. and that with Arms and Furniture c. and who shall supply him with Money or Plate which he as God shall enable will repay and reward according to the measure of their love and affection to him and their Countrey York August 12. But to undeceive the people or to satisfie the more curious he
publishes a very ample Declaration concerning the whole proceedings of this present Parliament in effect thus It being more than time now after so many indignities to his person affronts to his Kingly Office and traiterous Pamphlets against his Government to vindicate himself from those damnable Combinations and Conspiracies contrived against him That he resolved to summon this Parliament before his great Council met at York and uncompelled by any violence but of his love to peace That at the beginning thereof he quickly discerned they meant not to confine within the path of their Predecessours but by the combination of several persons for alteration of Government in the Church and State also To that end they expelled a very great number of Members in Parliament duly elected upon pretence that they had some hand in Monopolies without any crime objected or other proceedings and yet continued Sir Henry Mildmay though a notorious promotor of the Monopoly of Gold and Silver Thread as also Mr. Lawrence Whitaker and others Commissioners in matters of the like nature or worse which he mentions to them their partiality of that Faction The remedy which they proposed was a Bill for a Triennial Parliament against which though he had many Reasons to except yet he passed it which seemed so to work upon their sense as never to be forgot in the return of their duty and affections yet all he could do did not satisfie the factious contrivement and disguise of subverting the Government And because most of the Grievances seemed to proceed from the great liberty of his Council Board he admitted seven or eight of those Lords eminently in esteem with the people and passionately dis-â—nclined both the civil affairs and Government of the Church and so hoping by a free communication they might be excellent Instruments of a blessed Reformation in Church and State Thus for the Court Then he applied visible Remedies proportionable to the desires of both Houses and pressed not the Reformation of the Arbitrary power of the Star-chamber but utterly abolished it He pressed not the Review of that Statute by which the High Commission Court was erected but in compliance to the pretended sufferings of the people thereby he consented to repeal the Branch of that Statute The Writs for Ship-money whereby several sums of money had been received from his Subjects and judged legal he was contented should be void and disannulled and the Judgment vacated The bounds and limits of executing the Forest Laws and keeping the Iustices and Eires seat he passed an Act for the Subjects ease as was desired As also an Act against Incroachments and Oppressions in the Stannery Courts and regulated the Clerk of the Market And parted from his right and duty in the business of Knighthood But also which is the highest trust that ever King gave his Subjects he passed the Act for continuance of this Parliament untill the peace of England and Scotland and all their desires in reference thereto were provided for All the time in which those Acts of grace were passed he lay under the burthen of extreme want without any fruit of relief and they the mean while contrived advantages of Offices and places of profit and power to themselves changing Religion and Fundamental Laws raising Aspersions upon his very Acts of Grace and Favours upon them that no security could be of the effects of all he could or should do without a through-alteration of Church and State Hereupon they oppose the disbanding of the Armies delay the Scots Treaty although the Scots Commissioners hastened it and in plain English the Parliament declared That they could not yet spare them for that the sons of Zerviah were too strong for them ingaging this Kingdom in so vast a Debt that there might be no way of paying it but by the Lands of the Church disguising that Design pretending onely to remove the Bishops from their Votes in the Upper House though upon three Debates absolutely rejected by the Lords by which they took advantage and produced a Bill in the House of Commons for abolition of Bishops Root and Branch out of the Church as Mr. Pym said to a Member It was not enough to be against the persons of Bishops if he were not against the Function And for extirpation of Deans and Chapters and reducing that admirable Frame of Government into a Chaos of confusion that out of it they might mould an Utopia which no six of them had or yet hath agreed upon whereby they have raised Estates to repair their own broken Fortunes And two Armies must be kept to eat out the heart of this Kingdom at the charge of fourscore thousand pounds a Moneth Then they devised false Reports created spread and countenanced by themselves of Designs dangerous plots against them hereupon a Protestation is so framed and devised to oblige them to any unlawfull action and taken by all the Members of the Commons but the Lords refusing it it is recommended to the City of London and to all the Kingdom by Order of the Lower House onely a strange and unheard of usurpation a Declaration followed as peremptory and like a Law without the King Then came out a new Fright of a Design in the English Army to face the Parliament and of the Kings consenting to it of which he calls God to witness to be ignorant And that the Affairs in Scotland necessarily requiring the Kings Journey thither for a small time he returned and found things far more out of order with their Orders against the Book of Common Prayer and Divine Service contrary to the Lords Ordinance and therefore the Commons Declaration of the ninth of September was such a notorious violation of the privilege of the House of Peers as was never heard of before and an apparent evidence of their intended legislative power by the House of Commons without King or Lords and such as did not submit thereto were imprisoned and fined Then they erect Lecturers men of no learning or conscience but furious promotors of the most dangerous Innovations that ever were induced into any State men of no Orders onely such as boldly and seditiously would preach or prate against the Liturgy royal power and authority and persons of learning and eminency in preaching and of good conversation were put out That all licence had been given to any lewd persons to publish seditious Pamphlets against Church and State or scorns upon the Kings person or Office filling the peoples eaâ—s with lies and monstrous discourses and those to be dedicated to the Parliament and whatever the rancour or venome of any infamous person could digest were published without controul And thus prepared and the King absent in Scotland they frame a Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdom and present it to him at his return to Hampton Court December 15. 1641. laying before him all the mishaps and misfortunes that have been since his Reign to that hour reproaching him with actions beyond his
both Armies and with his Rhetoriâ—k stops the onset and so both Hosts retired and Torstenton takes leave and returns to his party in Germany Gallasso lets him passe but follows him to the like intention as when he let the other goe oftentimes able to attach the other and to worst him just like that of the Danish Admiral and as deserving to forfeit his head as corrupted by the Swede Truly Galasso was a gallant man and better judgements may excuse him not to advance unlesse the Leaguer men first concluded upon Terms as between the French and Swedes which the Dane as was conceived could not refuse in regard the Emperour came in to extinguish the fire amongst them but left it flaming at home and being Leaguer'd together things might become as in the former condition before the War since the interest of Denmark seemed to require it and all to abase and weaken the Swede The good King was thus deceived upon respective interests of each Party and so the overtures of the Dunkerk failing the Emperâ—alists returned home leaving the Dane to himself in distresse for the losse of six stately Ships four taken and two fired the King not Master of himself having to do with his own States of different sense with his and the successe of affairs thereafter The Swedes almost Conquerours but the Kings virtue over-mastering such misfortunes gathers his Fleet at Copen-haven to preserve Zeland when the Hollander religious in nothing more then their Interest of gain both to see the Swedes to swell too big and to get the Sound arrived with a Fleet at Copen-haven land an Ambassadour who resumed the heat which Tuillery had left so hot and never left powring on the water of good counsel until he had cooled the Swede with threats also that made the Swede agree to a peace with much advantage to the Dane and gave the good King Christian quiet to end his daies in peace after that he had reigned above fifty years lodging all his malice into a Record until time come to be quit with the Swede for those encounters And thus we take leave of the year 1644. The great Ordinance for calling the Members of both Houses from Military and Civil affairs and places was with exception of such and such persons and places mentioned therein And a particular Commission was ordered by Parliament for the General Fairfax to execute all Martial jurisdiction and fight with and slay such as shall oppose him and to suppress all such Forces as are not raised by authority of Parliament And because sundry ill-affected persons had fomented discontents between the two Houses in relation to this new model of the Army and so report that the Commons went to undermine their Lordships priviledges which intention they do disclaim and abhor and do acknowledge the many Noble and Renowned Actions performed by their Lordships Ancestors in defence of the liberty of the Commons This Speech was made to the Lords by Sir Iohn Evelin from the Commons and concluded to assure them that the House of Commons consisted of no other persons but such as were Gentlemen c. And a Declaration was left by him unto the Lords from the Commons to publish to the world what he hath spoken on their behalfs The Kingdome of Sweden now under the Regency of the young Queen onely Daughter and Heir to Gustavus took this time and opportunity of the jealousie of the Parliament against the Crown of Denmark for assisting the King of Englands party to send Ambassadours to the Parliament for a Treaty of League and Amity with them which was heartily accepted and fixed into Articles so that by this we are accounted both as one And now comes Colonel Mitton into the House of Commons to receive Publick thanks for his fidelity to the State especially for that gallant Service in surprizing Shrewsbury In had been the Kings chief Garison and faithfull to his Interest and of long time had endured the vexation of a powerfull Enemy which they quitted by often sallies and plundering their Adversaries thereabout but was lately Feb. 22 last surprized by the Committees of Wem and Oswestrie being assisted with four Companies and four hundred Horse from the Neighbour associations and three hundred Staffordshire Foot and one Company under command of Colonel Bowes and all these under the general command of Mitton about fifteen hundred men But without all this adoe in numbring up their Forces it was in a word betrayed to the Parliament with many persons of quality the manner I could never well understand nor would they print the shame of treachery The Prisoners were eight Knights and Bâ—ronets fourty Colonels Majors Captaines and others of quality two hundred common men one Captain and five Souldiers slain They took fifteen pieces of Ordnance many hundreds of Arms divers Barrels of Powder Prince Maurice his Magazin the Town the Castle and all the works and without the loss of three men For they say there were but two killed by chance So that a day of thanksgiving was set apart for the Parliaments successes in taking Scarborough Plymouth Weymouth and Shrewsbury within a moneth The old General Essex lately laid aside took his retirement out of Town from the noise and clamour of his Officers now discarded And although their merits were much to the service of the Parliament yet divers of them also upon what account we may imagine were questioned and committed without their Arrears And others of them the wiser way gave up their Commissions to save the labour and dishonour of being taken per force Prudently considering that a new Model of manners in the main of the Militia must necessarily require a mutation and change of men to manage that service answerable to the mindes of such as command in chief For indeed Essex was not at all Presbyterian nor could he preach And therefore it was resolved by himself and his Counsellours for him to surrender his Commission together with the Earl of Manchester's and the Earl of Denbigh's two General Commanders before they should be thereto required They did it on a day together in the Lords House And Essex therewith delivers a Paper which spoke his sence April 2. Having received this great Charge in obedience to the commands of both Houses and taken their Sword into my hand I can with confidence say that I have for this now almost three years faithfully served you and I hope without loss of Honour to my self or prejudice to the Publick supported therein by the goodness of God and the fidelity and courage of a great many gallant men both Officers and Souldiers But I will neither trouble you nor my self by repeating either the difficulties or danger we have overcomed or the service that I have done you I see by the now coming up of these Ordinances that it is the desire of the House of Commons that my Commission may be vacated and it hath been no particular
the King but Cromwel pursues them thither and by Treaty had the House and Garison rendered up to him upon Articles with all the Powder Amunition and Armes and seventy two Horse 24. April and this the first successe of the new Model This so sudden surrender startled those at Oxford and the Colonel was call'd to a Council of war condemned to be shot to death which he took with patience and courage clearly excusing himself not to be able to hold out against so great a Power and being besides over-swayed by the pewling tears of some Ladies got thither in a visit of his fair Bedfellow-Bride However his hopeful years so soon blossomed was presently resented by the King who graciously provided for his Widow and blamed Prince Ruperts malicious instigating with devised reasons to hasten the execution thus presently repented The Town of Taunton closely besieged by Greenvile Goring and Hopton for the King and lately have taken Colonel Pophams House and Garison at Willington by Storm fifty slain with a hundred and fifty Prisoners and much Amunition and Plunder The Scots not as yet marching Southwards and the General Fairfax not yet forwarded fit for the Field Indeed Cromwel was now returned from the West and lay surrounding Oxford and thereabouts with a Party of Horse fell upon Sir Henry Vavisor quartered neer Bampton Bush and surprized him and his whole Party one Colonel two Lieutenant Colonels a Major five Captains eight Lieutenants eight Ensignes Doctor Dunch a Divine twenty Serjeants two hundred and thirty Prisoners two hundred Arms and much Amunition Prince Rupert marching all night came now before Ludbury 22. April who intercepting some Scouts came upon Massie with an Alarm charging him into the very Town with whom were Major Farlow Baylie and Bacchus Kerle Gifford and More with their Forces and two hundred Musquetiers of the County 't is true they were suddenly put to it drew up at sight of Rupert came close and fought till Massies Foot might Retreat toward Glocester and the rest did little lesse then march off with hot charges wherein the Lord Hastings was slain But the Cavaliers followed the Retreat of the other whose Horse left the Foot to mercy and many cut off two hundred Prisoner with Major Bacchus almost dead and Harlow hurt Rupert had a mind to Massie and shot his Horse dead he hardly escaping with this Victory He returns towards Ludlow and so for Shrewsburie with reasonable Force neer six thousand Horse and Foot But hearing that Fairfax and Skippon with nine thousand men were marching together and onwards on their way from Windsor and Andover toward the relief of Taunton in the West Rupert Wheels off with Goring and comes to Burford twelve miles from Oxford purposely to clear the passage for the King and his Artillery to march out thence to draw towards Bristol and break into that Association and therefore Fairfax was ordered from Westminster to intrust Colonel Graves with a party of three thousand Foot and a thousand five hundred Horse sufficient to relieve Taunton and himself and Skippon to return and joyn with Cromwel and Brown to keep the King in or if abroad to attend his motion But the King with gallant Forces marched from Oxford attended on by Prince Rupert and Maurice towards Cambden and intending towards the relief of Chester his Infantry advancing after and commanded by Goring with thirty Field Pieces and other Carriages towards Worcester and pursued by Cromwel But how comes that to passe he being liable to the great Ordinance as a Member of the Commons but Cromwel was dispenced with by Order not to attend the House and to continue his Command for fourty daies longer which signified for ever The like Order for Brereton and Middleton in Chester Association and so had some others both of the Sword and the Gown the Commissioners of the great Seal and the Master of the Roles also for fourty dayes upon receipt of the Parliaments Order Fairfax returns but sends Colonel Graves with Forces to relieve Taunton and on Sunday 11. of May came before the Town with so great power that the Besiegers quitted their Trenches and marched away leaving a poor starved Town few left alive the Countrey haressed by Cavaliers and depopulated And for this and other good services of Colonel Blake the besieged Governour of Taunton he had thanks and from henceforth came into esteem both by Land and Sea but the Town was soon besieged again by the Cavaliers Fairfax is returned to Newburie and there rested his wearied Souldiers and then sits down about Oxford contracting his Forces into a narrow compasse Cromwell and Brown come to him to compleat the design being now at Maston a mile of Oxford The Garison therein fire the Suburbs drown the Medows slight the Out-garisons of Walverton and others such At his first coming and walking on the Bowling-green and viewing the Works an eight pound bullet whisked by his head and moved his Hat brims And now the States Ambassadours Borrel of Amsterdam and Reinsworth of Utrecht both made Knights and Barons by the King being sorry that the differences of these civil wars are beyond their endeavours of Reconciliation they take their leave And this Declaration sent after them from the Parliament To the High and Mighty Lords the States c. Most High and Mighty c. We the Lords and Commons of England in Parliament Assembled doe with all thankfulnesse acknowledge your Christian and Neighbourlie zeale to the Peace of this Nation by your Ambassadours for inviting our King to return to his dutie and for restoring us to a better confidence of his future carriage notwithstanding their fair intentions which perhaps being well managed might have produced better effects we may not conceale from you your Ministers grosse abusing their trust to our prejudice themselves rather interessed parties then publick Agents You have been thereby deceived and we despised and affronted by them We think fit to present these inclosed to your consideration wherein they were not satisfied to approach us to our faces and to take upon them to judge the quarrel against us except they glorie in it to make their boldness publique and increasing by the Addition of their own Authoriâ—ie other Particulars concerning these persons we have here authorized these bearers unto whom we desire credence to relate unto you and to demand justice upon them on our behalf upon the whole matter we do not doubt but you who verie well know how much more ill there is in War then in oppression will either afford your best assistance in suppressing tyrannie and preserving our Religion or at least be indifferent spectators of our labours to deliver our selves And God be blessed for it our condition is not yet so low but that we can resent if not return both courtesies and injuries which we therefore adde because we know it will be comfortable to our friends to hear and because we desire to give a
by broaching Heresies or by Schisme to the disturbance of the Church or State They that joyn Issue with the Iesuites that the King is not Head of the Church that stab him with their Pens and wound him with their Tongues and degrade him from that Authority over the Church and tread upon his his head must needs press his Shoulders the Peers and be grievous to the inferiour Subjects and enemies to Peace and Liberties for which so much Innocent Blood hath been spilt to the ruine of Ancient Families These are as those pretended Zelots cruel and bloody acting under colour of piety and now in this age are discovered for Nemo potest diu ferre personam fictam c. saies Sir Walter Raleigh The Assembly of Divines at Westminster were the most of such as had their wills working to this frame of Presbytery according to their Scotish Discipline for wheresoever they are they differ in Government by our connivance with the Scots we swear to their Covenant and called them in to defend the Parliament in this civil War against the King which thus far we have brought forth in blood Now we expect the issue and effects of the Synod of Westminster Assembly thus many years forming and framing for a Church Government and now ready we expect for a Directory of Discipline to us all And because we finde the King so infinite averse to this Presbyterial Government even to the hazard and ruine of himself Posterity and his Kingdoms of which he had forewarning in the same words by the Scots Estates and Nation Let us a little examine the constitution the exercise and practise thereof if such a pestilent nature remain therein as some doe suspect This Presbyterial Government hath four Jurisdictions Parochial Session Presbytery Provincial Synod and General Assembly Parochial Session is constituted of the Minister and a competent number of Lay Elders Presbyterie non docentes and Deacons and this is the Spiritual-Parochial-Sanhedrim the Minister is constant Moderator He hath no Negative voice the Jurisdiction Spiritual is radically in the Lay-Elders Their four Sacred Orders they hold to be Iure Divino Preaching Elders Doctors Lay-Elders who have vocem deliberativam decisivam in rebus fidei cultus Policiae and in foro exteriori Ecclesiae in censuris Ecclesiasticis are Authorized as Preaching Elders fourthly Deacons trusted with the Treasury and moneys The Lay Eldersand Deacons are yealry elected this year sacred the next propahne Hodie Clericus cras Laicus The competent cases of this Session are to enjoyn civil punishment and fines censuring of losses scandals for the capital scandals are reserved for the Presbytery Presbyterie is a Jurisdiction of Parish Churches more or fewer twenty twelve or less all persons within this Presbyterie whether King or his Family are under this grand Consistory The Members constituents hereof are all the Parochial Ministers within this Precinct and a Lay Elder of each Parish who is equal to the Preaching Elders and are pari consortio honoris potestatis praediti a Plough-man as good in power as the Preacher a parity in all nay to be Moderator also even in their Idolized General Assembly so were Robert Yoel George Buchanan and Andrew Melvil neither Priest Deacon nor Church-men The cases proper to this Judicatory are all crimes of highest strain punishable by death Excommunication Appeals from Sessions or Parochial Conclave the censure of all that is amiss in each Parish They meet once a week or fortnight and there all the Ministers in their turns exercise or expound There be Lay-Preachers or Ingredients young Students or Countrey School-masters and are called Expectants and once admitted in his turn of exercising may preach was ever such a prophanation a Lay-man without Orders to intrude upon this Sacred Function Within a County they may be more or fewer Presbyteries Independent one from another only Edenburgh Presbytery superintends over all and some others that Pope it over the rest like Patriarchs and the Responsa prudentum from hence are received like Oracles or Answers by Urim and Thummim All persons whosoever that live within the Verge of a Presbytery are answerable to this Classis the King or his Family must submit he must submit his earthly Scepter to this of Christ. See the Kings conference at Hampton Court q. 79. A Scotish Presbyterie and Monarchy saies King Iames agree as God and the Devil keeping state with King Iames as if two free Kings were in Treaty All Cases and Crimes committed or suspected though inconsonant to the Apostolical Canon de occultis non judicat Ecclesia are here questioned To cure these secret â—ins smelleth of the Auricular confession sigillum confessionis See Conference at Hampton Court pa 93. And if any two persons be suspected and are known to meet it shall be holden pro confesso and to be cleared only by their own oath This Judicatory of Presbytery is of so vast a latitude that as the Pope bringeth in all civil causes to himself sub formalitate peccati so doth this papal Conclave sub formalitate scandali any thing purely civil Nay to Transport Wax to Spain was to be accessary to Idolatry as supposing the wax might be imployed in making Tapers to the Virgin Mary and other Saints and so inconsistent with the authority of Civil Judicatories It hath power likewise to repeal Royal Grants by Law confirmed as to discharge a Munday Market because it occasioned the travelling on Sunday before It hath intermedled with Civil Actions interposing Suits between the Landlord and his Tenants in re civili but modus considerandi as they took notice of it it was Spiritual because it did draw people from their lawful Vocations and hindered the progress of the Gospel It hath power to transplant a lawful Minister because under pretence the Congregation is supposed not to be edified by him there needs no other reason but that this Presbyterie directed by Infallibility doe finde it é re Ecclesiae that is for Gods glory Which pretence increased neighbourly fewds to the effusion of much blood Provincial Synods are a Jurisdiction of greater extent then Presbyterie yet in its Essential power is the very same It is the apish Imitation of a Provincial Councel consisting of a Metropolitan and the suffragan Bishops of his Province with them it is an associate body of the Commissioners chosen out of all the individual Presbyteries within the Precinct of the Province and Scotland is divided into so many Provinces as is fit for the Government of the Church This Synod meets twice a year pro re nata The Cases which fall within their Jurisdiction are first all matters appertaining to the whole Province 2. All Referrees from Presbyterie within its Verge 3. All difficult cases of every several Presbyterie 4. And censure of them 5. And lieth all within the particular Presbytery and Parishes Lay or Clergy to obedience The same course holden here as in the Provincial Sanhedrim Only the policy
Lordships cannot be ignorant And further give me leave to adde if so unworthy a servant as I am and that which concerns my honour were at all worthy your consideration whether it would not much reflect on me in case these Gentlemen should be removed from hence The King and they have freely thrown themselves upon me for safety upon confidence as they please to say of my honour and honesty and the satisfaction they expect it would have given the Parliament the King being necessitated to remove c. Yet whatever is commanded by Authority of Parliament though never so contrary to my sense or honour shall never be disobeyed by my Lord Carisbroke Caste 19. Nov. 1647. Your Lordships servant Ro. Hamond The King was now at leisure to bethink himself what advantage a personal Treaty would be to him and being mindful of what he had lately writ to the Parliament concerning the same in his last Message to them from Carisbroke Castle He writes to them again 6. December for an Answer CHARLES REX Had his Majesty thought it possible that his two Houses could be imployed in things of greater concernment then the peace of this miserable distracted Kingdom He would have expected with more patience their leisure in acknowledging the receipt of his Message of the 16. of November last But since there is not in nature any consideration preceding to that of Peace his Majesties constant tenderness of the welfare of his Subjects hath such a prevalence with him that he cannot forbear the vehement prosecution of a personal Treaty which is only so much the more desired by his Majesty as it is superiour to all other means of Peace And truly when his Majesty considers the several complaints he daily hears from all parts of this Kingdom that Trade is so decayed all Commodities so dear and Taxes so unsupportable that even natural subsistence will instantly fail His Majestie to perform the trust reposed in him must use his utmost endeavours for Peace though he were to have no share in the benefit of it And hath not his Majesty done his part for it by divesting himself of so much Power and Authority as by his last Message he hath promised to doe upon the concluding of the whole Peace And hath he met with that acknowledgment from his two Houses which this great grace and favour justly deserves Surely the blame of this great retarding of Peace must fall somewhere else than on his Majesty To conclude if ye will but consider in how little time this necessary good work will be done if you the two Houses will wait on his Majesty with the same resolutions for Peace as he will meet you he no way doubts but that ye will willingly agree to this his Majesties earnest desire of a personal Treaty and speedily desire his presence amongst you where all things agreed on being digested into Acts till when it is most unreasonable for his Majesty or his two Houses to desire each of other the least concession this Kingdom may at last enjoy the blessing of a long wisht for peace Carisbook Castle Decemb. 6. 1647. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated c. And accordingly the monstrous distractions of the State and Army wrought upon both to satisfie the King and peoples desires and therefore to oppose his demands they prepare four Bils as a pledge of trust to which if he assent it would draw on a Treaty touching the rest which they intended by Propositions to be compleated with speed The four Bills were these 1. That it be lawful for the future to order the Militia of the Kingdom without the Kings consent to raise what Armies they please All others under pain of Treason are prohibited to assemble to the number of thirty persons without the Authority of Parliament 2. That it be lawful for the Houses to sit to adjourn their sitting to what place they please to assemble at what time soever and at their own discretion 3. That all the Oaths Interdictions and Declarations sent forth in publick against either Houses be accounted and declared void 4. Whomsoever of the Nobility the King had dignified with Titles from the time himself departed and carried away the great Seal of the Kingdom the same be degraded of their Honours And these to be passed into Acts. The Bills and the Propositions in effect as before with some alterations were thought fitting to be sent together which were brought to the King by Commissioners but the Scotish Commissioners followed at their heeles and presented the day before the Scots came 29. of Decem. at Carisbrook Castle to which he said though they were long yet he would shortly give Answer The next day the Scots came and present a Paper of their dissent in these words That the new Propositions and the Bills therewith presented to your Majesty are so prejudicial to Religion the Crown and the Union and Interest of the Kingdoms and so far different from the former proceedings and engagements betwixt the Kingdoms as we cannot concur therein Therefore we do in the Name of the Kingdom of Scotland dissent from these Propositions and Bills now tendered to your Majesty Louderdale Erskin Kenners Barkey And Publish their Reasons in a Declaration First in the matters of Religion Next concerning the interest and power of the Crown which they are bound by Covenant Allegeance and Duty not to diminish which power principally consists in making and Enacting Laws and in protecting and defending his Subjects and the exercise of that power are the parts and duties of that function That the Scepter and Sword are the Badges of that power And concerning the Militia they conceive that in his Majesties Message from Carisbroke Castle he hath offered that which is very satisfactory but that the King his posterity and Crown should be thereof divested for ever how can he or his posterity protect either without that power Touching confirming of Titles of honour the King ought not to be deprived of that which hath been held and is a Flower of his Crown See the Kings own Arguments in his Declarations May 1642. and concerning Hull That they had desired a personal Treaty with the King in London November 5. and afterwards November 17. to all which they never received Answer and that some things were to be distinguished but the expresse conditions of their League and Covenant the duty of their Allegeance and the treaties between the Kingdoms are such strong obligations as all that Honour or Conscience must acknowledg to be inviolably observed That the sending of Propositions without a Treaty hath been essayed without successe That the new Propositions are lesse to the advantage to the Crown then the former therefore unlike to have better successe than formerly That the Parliament have ever acknowledged the removal of the Kings person from his Parliament to be the chief cause of all the War and that then his presence
Scotland iâ—â—â—terposeth The Kings Letter to the Council of Scotland The Scots answer Scots Council declare Parliament of England's Protestation Earl of Bristol's Speech for Accommodation Parliament Declaration observed 19. Propositions to the King Eik Bas. c. 11. upon the 19. Propositions sent to the King The Answer to the 19. Propositions The King caresses the County of York Preparations for War The King Provides Arms. The Kings Letters with his Commission of Array Parliaments Votes thereupon The Kings Protestation And the Lords The Kings General Declaration Proclamation against Levies as by the statutes in force Parliaments answers The faction distinguiâ—hed by Cavalâ—ers and Round-heads The Authorâ— advice Introduction to this Civil War The King caresses his people in the County of Nottingham Proclamation Earl of Essex made General of the Foot and the Earl of Bedford of the Horse Parâ—â—aments Petition Earl of Stamford Proclaimed Traytor Parliaments Declaration of defence Earl of Essex General Eaâ—l of Essex proclamed Traitour and all other his complices Eikon Basil. upon the listing and raising Arms against the King Proclamation for aid of his Subjects The Kings gâ—and Declaration Scots Army kept up Bishops voted down Parliament give advises to their Deputy Lieutenants in the Northern Counties The King proposeth the 〈◊〉 Treaty for Peace and is reâ—used Sir Iohn Lucas Proclaimmed Traytor by the Parliament and committed Scots Declaration in answer to the Parliament of England The Parliament joyn with the Scots Kirk to reform all Christendom Parliament assure payment on Publick Faith out of Delinquents Estates Lord Strange impeached of high Treason Mich. Term adjourned The Articles of Nâ—utralâ—â—y for Yorkshire inâ—ringed Mr. Fountain committed Essex his Ensigns Colours Persons excepted out of pardon by the Parliament The Netherland States are caressed on both sides Eikon Basil. c. 10. Military effects Sir Iohn Hotham begins the quarrel in the North. Portsmouth beset Parliaments directions to their General Essex Sir Iohn Byron for the King Marches to Oxford Marquess Herford seizeth Sherborn Earl of Essex sets out oâ— London The Kings Speâ—ch to his Army Parliament petition the King by their General Essex The Kings Speech to the Gentry of Denbigh and Flintshire 〈◊〉 of the Kings Army to come to London A pitifull Plot by a poor Scot. Worcester Fight Sept. 23. Col. Th. Essex garisoneth Bristol L Col. Massey Governour of Glocester Edg-hill Battel The victory disputed Exchange of prisoners The King Marches to Aino Takes Banbury and Broughton House The King Marches to Brainford The Kings Declaration after his victory at Edgehill October 25. The King Charged with favouring Papists upon their Petition Address to the King voted Parliaments Declaration to the Scots The Kings Message to the Lords of his Privy Council in Scotland Parliaments commendance of their General Effects of the address to the King Lord Brook's Speech at Guild-hall His second Speech there Petition of the Parliament The Kings Answer Brainford Fight Nov. 15 The Kings Message to the Parliament Parliaments Answer The King replies Parliament petition the King A Letter from the Hague intercepted The military affairs in the North. City of London petition the King The Kings Answer Parliaments desires presented to the King at Oxford by the Earls of Northumberland Pembroke Salisbury and Holland with eight of the Commons Answered The actions of the North. The Lord Fairfax and others proclamed Traitors A Treaty proposed by the King The Treaty ends The Queen returns from Holland The state of the County of Glocâ—ster Cirencester taken by storm of Prince Rupert Synod began to sit Affairs of Germany In Catalonia Cardinal Riâ—â—â—lieu dies His Character Lewis the just and the 13. dies His Character Anno 1643. Sir Rudyerd's Speech Treaty at Oxford L. Brook killed at Lichâ—ield Close Lichfield Close besieged by the Kings party Lichfield won by P. Rupert Reading besieged by the Parliament Cheapside Cross pulled down Hotham to betray Hull and Lincoln The Queenâ— Army The King and Queen meet at Edghill Ambassadour from France Solemn League and Coâ—enant with the Scots Eikon Bas. c. 14. Yeomans and Bourchier hanged at Bristol and why Tomkins and Chaloner hanged at London and why A new Seal voted and framed Mr. H. Martin seizeth the Regalia at Westminister P. Rupert's â—ight near Tame Mr. Io. Hâ—mbden slain His Character The Hothams of Hull seized Prisoners to the Parliament Lands-down fight against Sir W. Waller by the Cornish Iuly 5. Gen. Essex advises of peace Fight at Round-wayâ—down The Queen entereth Oxford E. of Lindsey returns from his Imprisonment by the Parliament The Earls of Bedford and Holland revolt to the King and back again to the Parliament Prisoners animated to treachery Ministers make Propositions The City must set out Sir W. Waller again General Essex musters at Hounslo-heath Exeter delivered up to P. Maurice The King caresses the County of Cornwall by Declaration Judg Berkley fined Siege of Glocester by the King A general Storm A Mine wrought Two spies return unto the Town Essex's Army in distress The Leaguer take leave to depart the fifth of September Sir Nicholas Crisp kils Sir Iames Enyon Solemn League and Covenant Dr. Featly imprisoned and why Proclamation against the Solemn League and Covenant Minister of the Savoy his Blasphemy Sir G. Chidleigh leaves the Cause The Earl of Holland returns to the Parliament Irish Forces come over to the King in England Cessation of Arms in Ireland for a year Vide the Kings Narrative of Uxbridg Treaty Eikon Bas. c. 12. Articles for the Brittish Army in Irâ—land Cirencester surprized Newbery first fight Noble men slain aâ—d hurt Several successes on either side Sir William Vavisor for the Kings retire Sir Iohn Winter for the King More Irish Forces for the King The Kings Garisons Parliaments Garisons Cavaliers seek â—or Forage with success Captain Backhouse was to betray Glocester Backhouse his Letter of design Lord Digby's Answer Glocestershire Actions Waller retreats to Monmouth Prince Maurice enters Teuxbury Teuxbury surprized P. Maurice defeats Waller Parliament Forces defeated Sir Winter's house in Dean Forrest Sir W. Waller defeated at the Devices Bristol surrendered to Prince Rupert Eccleshal Castle and Town taken Stafford taken by treachery Ordinance to seize upon the Kings Revenues Virginia not assâ—ssed with Excise Sir William Wallers Commission Parliaments Manifesto concerning Professours Organs in Paul's Church pull'd down Treason to assist the King French Ambassadour affronted The Kings Successes Arundel Castle surrendred to Waller Protestation and Oath of the Associates of Devon and Cornwall for the King University of Cambridg ordâ—red Parliament assembled at Oxford The Parliament at Oxford write to General Essex for a Peace Scots Army enters England Their Declaration Eikon Bas. p. 100. c. 13. Montrose his undertaking for the King Sir Thomas Glenham's answer to Argiles Letters Newark siege raised by Prince Rupert Military affairs under conduct of the Marquesse of Montrose Battel of Rocroy for the French Battel of Burling for the Emperour Duke of Lorain