Between this disaffection and contempt in his People there was generated a general disposition to turbulent and boisterous darings and expostulations even against his darling Prerogative And though those dismal calamities which after befel his Son were ampliated doubtless by a superfetation of causes yet was their first and main existency derivative from those recited grounds Let Court-Pens extol the calmness of his Halcion Reign with all the artifice of Rhetorick Let them conclude the Parable and tell us God gave King James also as he did Solomon rest from all his enemies round about yet can they never truly deny but that admired severity had its set in a cloud and that he lest to his Successor a Crown of Thorns as being engaged to contend with two puissant Enemies First the mighty Monarch of the West the King of Spain Secondly the more invincible of the two an empty purse For that King who hath this Enemy to encounter shall never atchieve any thing of glorious production The death of this Famous Monarch caused no other interregnum than of joy his Son Charles being immediately by Sir Edward Zouch then Knight Marshal proclaimed at the Court-gate King of Great Britain France and Ireland His first Act of Regality was to dispatch Aviso's of his Fathers decease to Foreign Princes and States his Correspondents with whom he was in Amity Next he took into care the becoming Obsequies of the Royal Corps which removed from Theobalds to Denmark-house in London April the 23d was thence the 7th of May conveyed to Westminster and there inhum'd with the greatest Solemnities and most stately Ritualities could be devised Though grief had taken up the principal Lodgings of King Charles his heart yet did it not quite turn love out of doors but he had still an eye to France and held himself concern'd to let his Agents know he was mindful of the stock he had going there and to rear a firm assurance of his serious intentions He sent over Letters of Procuration for the Duke of Chevereux to espouse the Lady Henrietta Maria only he added this especial precaution That those Letters should not be resigned up until May the 8th when the Celebrities of his Fathers Funeral would be over for he would not that grief and joy things incompatible should justle But these instructions for what cause I know not were not in all points precisely observed for on May the 11th as others and the first as we compute six days before King James his Obsequies the Espousals were solemnized in the Church of Nostredame in Paris the Queen being given by her two Brothers the King and Monsieur the Nuptials past the Royal Bride prepared for England and to wait upon her with the greater splendor his Majesty dispatcheth over the Duke of Buckingham with the Earl of Montgomery and other Persons of Quality May the 24th they arrived at Paris and June the 2d the Queen after the iteration of most affectionate adieux reciprocated and interchanged between the King and her self set forward for Amiens where being attended with a most Princely retinue she was under the restraint of a Magnificent Entertainment till the 16 of that Month thence she dis-lodged for Bulloigne where she was to Embarque for England the Contagion then being much at Calais there she found ready to receive her 21 tall Ships sent from her dearest with a gallant Convoy of the Dutchess of Buckingham and other Ladies of Honour and Eminence to serve her June the 22d she set Sail for England and Landed safe at Dover after a turbulent and tempestuous passage His Majesty lay that night at Canterbury and next morning with joy incredible greeted his Royal Consort and conducted her to Canterbury where the Marriage was finally compleated the Duke of Chevereux his Majesties former Representative consigning up his precious charge to the King c. I have heard some who undertake to mate all events with their proper causes passionately ascribe Englands Calamities to those Internuptials and fetch that ireful stroke of Divine vengeance upon his late Majesty from his Marrying a Lady of mis-belief Grant I do that both England's and his Majesties Sufferings may in some sort be reductive to the casualty of that Match but that there was any intrinsick noxiousness in it either as French or Popish I am not yet convinced The same time while His Majesty was thus busied in his Amorous Negotiation abroad he plyed as well his Interest at home and while he Wooed his Royal Mistriss there he made Love to his People here by Summoning a Parliament that League being not more important to him as Man than this as King for as Man is without a female Consort so is a King without his Supreme Council an half-form'd steril thing the natural Extracts of the one procreated without a Wife are not more spurious than the Laws the politick Descendents of the other without the coition of a Representative The solemnity of this grand Match was commenced at VVestminster June the 18th At first interview it appeared under the scheme and fashion of a Money-Wedding and in truth the publick affairs did then implore no less Upon the opening the Parliament the King imparted his mind to the Lords and Commons to this effect My Lords and Centlemen YOV are not ignorant that at your earnest intreaty March 23. 1623 my Father of happy Memory first took up Arms for the recovery of the Palatinate for which purpose by your assistance he began to form a considerable Army and to prepare a goodly Armado and Navy-Royal But death intervening between him and the atchievement the War with the Crown is devolved upon me To the prosecution whereof as I am obliged both in Nature and Honour so I question not but the same necessity continuing you will cherish the action with the like affection and farther it with a ready contribution True it is you furnished my Father with affectionate supplies but they held no symmetry or proportion with the charge of so great an enterprize for those your Donatives are all disburs'd to a penny and I am enforced to summon you hither to tell you That neither can the Army advance nor the Fleet set forth without your aid Consider I pray you the Eyes of all Europe are defixt upon me to whom I shall appear ridiculous as though I were unable to out-go Muster and Ostentation if you now desert me it is my first attempt wherein if I sustain a foil it will blemish all my future Honour If mine cannot let your Reputations move deliver and expedite me fairly out of this War wherewith you have becumbred let it never be said whereininto you have betrayed me I desire therefore your speedy supply speedy I call it for else it will prove no supply The Sun you know is entring into his declining point so it will be soon too late to set forth when it will be rather not too soon to return Again I must mind you of the
to peruse in manner and form as followeth viz. A Wonder strange I will you tell From Heaven 't will be and not from Hill When as King CHARLES shall be content In Love to meet his Parliament And let them sit For to Redress All Grievances both more or less Which in our Church and State have been E'er since our Blessed Virgin Queen Vntil this day Which make us bleed And cry We want some nursing seed To Cool us in our Scarlet Feaver This is the time or else for ever Adieu to Peace War will begin In this our Land. The man of Sin Begins to Rant And to declare Against us all He will make War Who will not stoop unto his Power The Sword or Smithfield shall devoure Such Northern Bastards which have done Such Mischief to his Triple Crown But when our Prince King CHARLES the Great Shall Dissipate this Southern Heat And when our Trustees shall declare A War against Saint Peters Chair And him that doth Possess the same Whom Christ himself at last shall blame And so secure us from those Brats Which to the Church and State are Rats And still do Plot to keep us under And Gnaw our Church and State in sunder Oh! then Sweet Peace shall Enter in And after that the Man of Sin Shall soon be Routed out from hence By the Powerful Charms and Influence Of Prince and People Joyn'd in one Like to the Father and the Son Till then and not till then will here insue A Lasting Peace till then Reader Adieu And know till then that I am well content To suffer for an Honest Parliament So long as they shall prove so Loyal As we of late have had the Tryal Although miscalled all Bugbears By some proud Rascals whose soft Ears May yet in time perchance to feel The Dint of their Provoked Steel And make them stop their mouths for fear A Triple Tree should them besmear Who have so boldly here of late Belcht out against our Triple State Such Spite and Venome in one hour Enough say some for to devour Our Triple League within our Land Where CHARLES the Second doth Command By Laws Establisht with Consent Of three Estates in Parliament King Lords and Commons Oh this State Cannot be Crusht without a broken Pate Given to some who still do Lurke Within our Bowels who much like the Kirk In other Countries and would straightway bring All to their Bow and likewise every thing Which Thwarts their Humors And whose fair pretence Is still their Zeal unto Omnipotence Although in this Heaven knows they are all evil And Pope and they may shake hands with the As all infallible in their own proud sence God keep us from their power and Influence Within our Land and let all Christians say To this Amen And here wee 'l part the Fray Although continue Praying Till we see This Vnity made visible in Three And that you may see as unlikly a Wonder and Prediction may come to pass I will relate unto you who have not already seen or heard of it a strange and most wonderful Prediction the most part whereof is already come to pass and that within our Times and Remembrance the which said most wonderful Prediction is of many hundred years standing the which I did formerly take out of a Book the Title whereof is Britains Genius Printed here in London about 1646. or 1647. long before His Majesties most wonderful Restoration and some space of time before His late Majesties most inauspicious and most astonishing Decolation The contents of the said most wonderful and antient Prophecy out of the said Book you may please to peruse as followeth viz. WHen here a Scot shall think his Throne to set Above the Circle of a British King He shall a dateless Parliament beget From whence a furious Armed brood shall spring That Army shall beget a wild Confusion Confusion shall an Anarchy beget That Anarchy shall bring forth in Conclusion A Creature which you have no name for yet That Creature shall Conceive a Sickly State Which shall an Aristocracy produce The many-headed Beast not liking that To raise Democracy shall rather chuse And then Democracies Production shall A Moon Calfe be which some a Mole do call So acting for a while few men shall know Whether among them there be a Supream or no. Five of them shall subdue the other five And then those five shall by a doubtful strife Each others Death so happily Contrive That they shall Die to live a better life And out of their corruption rise there shall His Majesties Restauration plainly foretold A true Supream Acknowledged by all In which the power of all the Five shall be With Vnity made visible in Three King People Parliaments with Priests and Peers Shall be a while your Emulous Grandees Make a Confused Pentarchy some years And leave off their distinct Claims by degrees And then shall Righteousness ascend the Throne Then Love and Truth and Peace Re-enter shall Then Faith and Reason shall agree in One And all the Virtues to their Councel Call. Then timely after this there shall arise That Kingdom and That happy Government Which is the Scope of all those Prophecies That further Truths obscurely Represent But how this shall be done few men shall see For wrought in Clouds and Darkness it shall be And ere it comes to pass in Publick View Most of these following Signs shall first Ensue A King shall willingly himself Vnking And thereby grow far greater than before The Priests their Priesthood to Contempt shall bring And Piety shall thereby thrive the more A Parliament it self shall overthrow And thereby shall a better being gain The Peers by setting of themselves below A more Enobling Honour shall obtain The People for a while shall be Enslaved And that shall make them for the future free By Private Loss the Publick shall be saved An Army shall by yeilding Victor be Then shall God own his People and their Cause The Laws Corruption shall Reform ths Laws And Bullocks of the Largest Northern breed Shall fatted be where now scarce Sheep can feed And here although I cannot Divine neither dare I assume to my self so much boldness as to prescribe the way and means in order to the accomplishment of this most strange and wonderful Recited Prophecy yet I am apt to Conjecture and do perswade my self if ever it shall come to pass That it will be in a very Critical time of Common and Eminent Danger peradventurethe Dread of a Popish Successor and the Dismal Consequence thereof when some good Prince or other shall be so far graciously pleased to condescend to his grand Council as to make three Kingdoms by his Royal Fiat aut Le Roy Le Veult for the future Elective and so they may still introduce the Royal Blood and Legitimate Line ad Infinitum that are truly Protestants And now Courage most Noble Loyal and Curteous Readers what say you if his present Majesty of Great
at a better distance Such a prodigious Comet the Commons take this Duke of Buckingham to be And so the Commons do the Duke of York now cum multis aliis c. Anno Domini 1680 and 1681. and will doubtless several more when they shall meet 〈◊〉 to redress the present Grievances of the Nation against whom and his irregular ways there are by learned Gentlemen legal Articles of Charge to be delivered to your Lordships which I am generally first commanded to lay open First The Offices of this Kingdom that are the Eyes the Ears and the Hands of this Common-wealth these have been engrossed bought and sold and many of the greatest of them holden even in the Dukes own hands which severally and apart gave in former times and ages sufficient content to the greatest Favourites and were work enough for the wisest Councellors By means whereof what strange abuses what infinite neglects have followed The Seas have been unguarded Trade disturbed Merchants oppressed their Ships and even one of the Navy Royal by cunning practise delivered over into foreign hands and contrary to our good Kings intention employed to the prejudice I had almost said to the ruin of Friends of our own Religion Next Honours those most precious Jewels of the Crown a Treasure inestimable wherewith your Noble Ancestors my Lords were well rewarded for eminent and publick service in the Common-wealth at home for brave exploits abroad when covered all with dust and blood they sweat in service for the honour of this Crown What back-ways what by-ways have been by this Duke found out is too well known to your Lordships whereas it was anciently the honour of England as among the Romans the way to the Temple of Honour was through the Temple of Virtue But I am commanded to press this no further than to let your Lordships know one Instance may perhaps be given of some one Lord compelled to purchase Honour Thirdly As divers of the Dukes poor Kindred have been raised to great honours which have been and are likely to be more chargeable and burdensom to the Crown so the Lands and Revenues and Treasuries of his Majesty have been intercepted and exhausted by this Duke and his Friends and strangely misemployed with strange confusion of the Accompts and overthrow of the well-established ancient Orders of his Majesties Exchequer The last of the Charges which are prepared will be an injury offered to the Person of the late King of blessed memory who is with God of which as your Lordships may have heard heretofore you shall anon have farther information Now upon this occasion I am commanded by the Commons to take care of the honour of the King our Soveraign that lives long may he live to our comfort and the good of the Christian world and also of his blessed Father who is dead on whom to the grief of the Commons and their great distaste the Lord Duke did they conceive unworthily cast some ill ordure of his own foul ways Whereas Servants were anciently wont to bear as in truth they ought their Masters faults and not cast their own on them undeservedly It is well known the King who is with God had the same power and the same wisdom before he knew this Duke yea and the same affections too through which as a good and gracious Master he advanced and raised some Stars of your Lordships Firmament in whose hands this exorbitancy of Will this transcendency of Power such placing and misplacing of Officers such irregular running into all by courses of the Planets such sole and single managing of the great affairs of State was never heard of And therefore only to the Lord Duke and his own procurement by mis-informations these faults complained of by the Commons are to be imputed And whereas for our most gracious Soveraign that lives whose Name hath been used and may perhaps now be for the Dukes Justification The Commons know well that among his Majesties most Royal Virtues his Piety unto his Father hath made him a pious nourisher of his Affections ever to this Lord Duke on whom out of that consideration his Majesty hath wrought a kind of wonder making Favour hereditary But the abuse thereof must be the Lord Dukes own and if there have been any commands such as were or may pretend his misinformations have procured them whereas the Laws of England teach us that Kings cannot command ill or unawful things whenever they speak though by their Letters Patents or their Seals If the thing be evil these Letters Patents are void and whatsoever ill event succeeds the Executioners of such Commands must ever answer for them Thus my Lords in performance of my duty my weakness hath been troublesome unto your Lordships It is now high time humbly to intreat your pardon and to give way to a Learned Gentleman to begin against him a more particular Charge Sir Dudley Diggs his Prologue being ended the Impeachment of the Commons it self was next read the which if you please you may peruse Page 40. in the said Narrative before mentioned with the Dukes Answer Defence and Reply to every particular Article thereof The Answer of the Duke to his Impâ—achment was a kind of a new Grievance to his Adversaries for it being 〈◊〉 and so inlaid with modesty and humility it was like to have a 〈…〉 influence towards the conversion of many who expected a 〈◊〉 of another and more disdainful spirit Again it seemed to 〈…〉 and the Commons having charged him as they thought through and through loth they were to fall short of Victory And now having pursued him with such vehemency thought themselves 〈◊〉 should he now at the last make a saving game of it wherefore resolved they were to ply him with a speedy Reply But while they were hammering of it the King sent them a Letter demanding without farther delay their speedy producing their Bill of Subsidy to be passed to which to prevent their Dissolution they immediately conformed But first they had drawn up a Declaration of the same make and mind with their former Impeachment of the miserable estate of this Kingdom and not without some high Contest it was allowed by the House before the Bill of Subsidy Whereupon his Majesty was so exceedingly incensed King Charles his Second Parliament Dissolved as on the very next day June the 5th he Dissolved the Assembly though the Lords sent four of their House unto him beseeching him most earnestly that he would permit them to sit but two days longer but he answered Not a Minute The same afternoon the Earl of Bristol Arundel and Bristol confined the Dukes grand Prosecutor was committed to the Tower and the Earl of Arundel confined to his own house There came also forth from his Majesty a Proclamation for Burning all the Copies of the Commons Declaration made before the Parliaments Dissolution This Rupture of the Parliament The King charged with Imprudence being supposed to issue
from the Kings great affection to the Duke I find him charged with deep imprudence and high oversight to hazard the Love of Millions for him only On Monday before this doleful disaster there happened a terrible and prodigious spectacle upon the Thames The Water near Lambeth-Marsh began about Three of the Clock in the afternoon to be very turbulent and after a while arising like a Mist it appeared in a Circular form about Ten yards Diameter and about Ten foot elevated from the River This Cataract or Spout of Waters was carried impetuously cross the River and made a very furious Assault upon the Garden-Walls of Tâ—â—â— house where the Duke was then building his new Water-Stain at length after a fierce attempt it brake asunder sending up a 〈◊〉 and dusky smoak like that issuing out of a Brewers Chimney which ascended as high as was well discernable and so vanisht and at the very same instant there was in the City of London so dreadful a storm of Rain and Hail with Thunder and Lightning as a great part of the Church-Yard Wall of St. Andrews Church in Holbourn fell down and divers Craves being thereby discovered many Coffins tumbled into the middle of the Channel Not long after this there fell out a difference between England and France and his Majesty in process of time being on every side on the â—â—â—ing hand he was much distressed in mind what course to take to discharge himself of those impendent Calamities should he call a Parliament the time whose every moment was precious unto him would not permit to stay for their Convention and when met The King in great want should they prove as it was odds they would as Dilatory and disgustful as the former he were in a worse condition than before In this perplexed difficulty at 〈◊〉 his Council agreed to set that great Engine his Prerogative at work Many projects were hammered on that forge but they came all to small effect First they moved for a Contribution by way of Benevolence but this was soon dasht Then a resolution was taken to advance the value of Coyn Two shillings in the pound but this also was soon argued down by Sir Robert Cotton But that which the Council stuck closest to was the issuing of a Commission dated October the 13th Raiseth money by Loan for raising almost Two hundred thousand younds by way of Loan and the more to expedite and facilitate this Levy the Commissioners were instructed to represent to the Subject the deplorable estate of Rochel then closely beleaguer'd by the Duke of Guise and if not speedily relieved would fall irrecoverably into the hands of the Enemies of the Protestant Religion These were plausible insinuations For Rochel though scituated in another Countrey yet was looked upon as in the same parallel Belief with us And what will nor men suffer for others of the same perswasion especially when Fame reports them sufferers because of the same perswasion But all would not smooth the asperity of this most Illegal Tax Rochel and all other Foreign Considerations must stand by and aloof off when homebred Liberty is disputed so thought the almost Majority of the Kingdom who opposed it to Durance Upon this account of refusal Many refuse Prisoners some of the Nobility and most of the prime Gentry were daily brought in by scores I might almost say by Counties so that the Council Table had almost as much work to provide Prisons as to supply the Kings necessities This year Learning lost two Luminaries of the greatest Magnitude that ever this Nation enjoyed viz. Dr. Andrews Bishop of VVinchester and Sir Francis Bacon Vicount St. Albans Lord High Chancellor of England The Commission of Loan not answering in its product his Majesties expectation the Papists began now to plot their own advantage from the Kings wants and under pretence of Loyalty they of Ireland propounded to him That upon consideration of a Toleration of their Religion they would at their own charge furnish him with a constant Army of five thousand Foot and five hundred Horse But this project to their great regret proved Dow-baked the Protestants countermining them For in the next Spring Doctor Downham Bishop of London-Derry Preaching before the Lord Deputy and the whole State April 22. 1627. taking for his Text Luke 1. 74. That we being delivered from the hands of our Enemies might serve him without fear In the midst of his Sermon he openly read this Protestation subscribed by the Archbishops and all the Bishops of that Kingdom 1. That the Religion of the Papists is Superstitious and Idolatrous 2. Their Faith and Doctrine Erroneous and Heretical 3. Their Church in respect of both Apostatical To give them therefore a Toleration is to make our selves accessary to their abominations and to the perdition of their Souls But to sell them a Toleration is to set Religion to sale and with that their Souls which Christ hath redeemed with his most precious blood The Bishop having ended this Protestation added And let all the People say Amen which they did so as the Church almost shook with the noise The Deputy required of the Bishop a Copy of both his Sermon and Protestation who answered he would most willingly justifie it before his Majesty and feared not to read it And now although moneys came in but slowly yet was the Naval Force completed for expedition about Midsummer whereof the Duke appeared Admiral as ambitious of some meritorious service to earn a better gust or to correct the universal odium against him June the 27th he set Sail from Pertsmouth with about six thousand Horse and Foot and July the eleventh he published a Manifesto declaring the impulsive causes of his Majesties present Arming But the Duke had very ill success in this expedition for the English were routed at the Isle of Rhe The English routed at the Isle of Rhe. the sum of their loss were about fifty Officers but the greatest loss was that gallant man Sir John Burroughs who was slain by a Musquet Bullet from the Citadel while he was viewing the English works of Common Soldiers few less than two thousand Prisoners of Note thirty five Colours taken forty four hung up as Anthems at Paris in the Church of Nostredame our Honour lost The Prisoners Lewis graciously dismist home as an affectionate offertory to his Sister the Queen of England which made up another Victory superadded to the former and a conquest over us as well in the exercise of civilities as in feat of Arms only the Lord Montjoy was ransomed for the which he offering to the French King a round sum No my Lord. it is said the King replied your Redemption shall be only two couple of Hounds from England Some interpreted this a slender value of that Lord to be exchanged for a couple of Dogs but it was only in the King a modest estimate of his courtesie The Rechellers being besieged by the French King The Rochelers
Parliament dissolved May the fifth 1640. having sate about 3 weeks to such animosity as the King advising with his Juncto their complyance was represented to him so desperate as that May the fifth he ordered the Dissolution of the Parliament Thus expired this short-liv'd or rather thus ended this still-born Parliament although we have had a much shorter Anno Domini 1680. A Parliament I know not whether more unfortunate in beginning so late or ending so soon A Parliament which had Power and probably Will enough to impede the torrent of the late Civil War for the breaches between the King and People were grown so high as one might already discern all the lineaments of an Insurrection in Embrio but by my Authors good leave the wisest head could not foresee contingent actions for who could foretel but that his late Majesty might have been advised by his Grand Council and not by his Court Favourites whose abortion nothing could cause but a happy union in Parliament a thing not very difficult much less impossible at that time had the King yielded to a detrenching some luxuriances of his Prerogative to the reducing Episcopacy to its primitive institution that is to the frame by Divine Right a Root which had not sap enough to maintain so spreading and flourishing a Top as was contended for to a more frequent and sociable communication with the grand Representative In short so much fluent and spontaneous concessions as being resolved upon too late were in reference to his personal security lost and thrown away in the ensuing Parliament of the which we shall now very suddenly come to give a very succinct account as to their particular proceedings and transactions and compare both these Parliaments together with those that have been assembled of late Anno Domini 1680. and 1681. And after that shall draw towards a conclusion as I presume it will be high time lest my Multum in Parvo Vox Veritatis should prove at the long run Vox Contractitionis But this only by the way And moreover the dissolution of this Parliament was ascribed tho' perhaps wrongfully to the advice of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Archbishop Laud beset by the Rabble in his House at Lambeth so that on the ninth of May a Paper was posted upon the Old Exchange by one John Lilburn exciting the Apprentices to rise and rifle his House at Lambeth on Monday following of which he having notice made provision against them for his own defence and many of them upon enquiry having been actors therein were apprehended and imprison'd in the White Lyon in Southwark but within three days after some of their Complices got together and came to the Prison and brake it open and set them free yet nevertheless one of the chief Ringleaders was Taken Arraigned Condemned and Drawn Hanged and Quartered on the 21 of May. This Convention was not more unhappily dissolved The Convocation fitteth than another was continued that is as a witty Gentleman said well A new Synod made of an old Convocation which by new Commissions from the King were impowered to sit still the Impulsives to it are very easily collected from what resulted from it as you read more at large in the aforesaid Author Pape 189. The Parliament being blown away without affording any thing in nature of a supply to the Kings wants All the wheels of the Prerogative are put into motion to carry on the War against Scotland First the City of London were invited to a Loan then all Knights and Gentlemen who held Lands in Capite of the King were summoned to send Men Horses and Arms agreeable to their abilities In September the Lords Mandevil and Edward Howard delivered to the King at York this Petition To the King 's Most Excellent Majesty The humble Petition of Your Majesties most Loyal and most Obedient Subjects whose names are underwritten in behalf of themselves and divers others Most Gracious Soveraign THe Zeal of that Duty and Service which we owe to your Sacred Majesty and our earnest affections to the good and welfare of this your Realm of England have moved us in all humility to beseech your Royal Majesty to give us leave to offer to your Princely wisdom the apprehension which we and others your faithful Subjects have conceived of the great distempers and dangers now threatning the Church and State and your Royal Person and of the fittest means by which they may be removed and prevented The evils and dangers which your Majesty may be pleased to take notice of are these viz. I. That your Majesties Sacred Person is exposed to hazard and danger in the present Expedition against the Scotish Army and by occasion of this War Your Majesties Revenue is much wasted your Subjects with Coat and conduct Money Billetting of Souldiers and other Military Charges and divers Rapines and Disorders committed in several parts of this your Realm by the Souldiers raised for that Service and your whole Kingdom become full of fears and discontents II. The sundry Innovations in matter of Religion the Oath and Canons lately imposed upon the Clergy and other your Majesties Subjects III. The great increase of Popery and the Employing of Popish Recusants and others ill affected to the Religion by Laws Established in places of Power and Trust especially in commanding of Men and Arms both in the Field and sundry Counties of this your Realm whereas by Law they are not permitted to have any Arms in their own Houses IV. The great mischiefs which may fall upon this Kingdom if the intententions which have been credibly reported of bringing in Irish and Foreign Forces should take effect V. The urging of Ship-money and prosecution of some Sheriffs in the Star-Chamber for not levying of it VI. The heavy charge upon Merchandize to the discouragement of Trade the multitude of Monopolies and other Patents whereby the Commodities and Manufactures of the Kingdom are much burthened to the great and universal grievance of your People VII The great grief of your People and Subjects by long intermission of Parliaments and the late and former Dissolving of such as have been called without the happy effects which otherwise they might have produced For remedy whereof and prevention of the Dangers that may arise to your Royal Person and to the whole State they do in all humility and faithfulness beseech your Most Excellent Majesty that you would be pleased to Summon a Parliament within some convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great Grievances which your People lie under may be taken away and the Authors and Counsellors of them may be brought to such legal and condign punishment as the nature of their several offences shall require And that the present War may be composed by your Majesty's wisdom without Blood in such manner as may conduce to the Honour and Safety of your Majesties Person the the comfort of your People and the uniting of both your Realms against the Common
And Forger of all Mischiefs both in Church and State But will at length get such a Broken Pate As will confound him and his Holy Church When as Old Nick shall leave him in the Lurch To him I 'll leave him and his Tory Crew And now proceed to what doth here ensue Tuesday Novemb. 3. being the day prefixt and the Parliament assembled His Majesty bespake them in these words My Lords THE knowledge that I have of the Scotish Subjects was the cause of my calling of the last Assembly of Parliament wherein if I had been believed I do most sincerely think that things had not fallen as We now see but it is no wonder that men are so slow to believe that so great a Sedition should be raised upon so little ground But now My Lords and Gentlemen the Honor and Safety of this Kingdom lying so heavily at stake And had His Majesty kept close to this resolution some think things had ne'er come to that extremity that afterwards they did I am resolved to put My Self freely upon the Love and Affections of my English Subjects as those of my Lords that waited upon me at York very well remember I there declared Therefore My Lords I shall not mention Mine own Interest or that Support I might justly expect from you till the Common Safety be secured though I must tell you I am not ashamed to say those Charges I have been at have been meerly for the securing the good of this Kingdom though the Success hath not been answerable to My desires Therefore I shall only desire you to consider the best way for the Security of this Kingdom wherein there are two things chiefly considerable 1. The chasing out the Rebells 2. That other in satisfying your just Grievances wherein I shall promote you to concur so heartily and clearly with you that all the World may see my intentions have ever been and shall be to make this a glorious and flourishing Kingdom There are onely two things more that I shall mention to you the one is to tell you That the Loan of Money which I lately had from the City of London wherein the Lords that waited on me at York assisted me will only maintain my Army for two months from the beginning of that time it was granted Now my Lords and Gentlemen I leave it to your Consideration what Dishonour and Mischief it might be in case for want of Money my Army be Disbanded before the Rebels be put out of this Kingdom Secondly The securing the Calamities the Northern People endure at this time and so long as the Treaty is on foot And in this I may say Not only they but all this Kingdom will suffer the harm therefore I leave this also to your Consideration for the ordering of the Great Affairs whereof you are to Treat at this time I am so confident of your Love to me and that your Care is such for the Honour and Safety of the Kingdom that I should freely leave to you where to begin Only this that you may know the better the State of all Affairs I have commanded my Lord Keeper to give you a short and free Account of those things that have happeued in this Interim with this Protestation That if his Account be not Satisfactory as it ought to be I shall whensoever you desire it give your Full and Perfect Account of every Particular One thing more I desire of you as one of the greatest means to make this an Happy Parliament That you on your part as I on mine lay aside Suspition one of another as I promised my Lords at York It shall not be my Fault if this be not a Happy and Good Parliament The King having ended the Lord Keeper in pursuance of His Majesty's Commands gave them a Summary Account and Relation of all Things relating to the Scottish Invasion I dare not say Rebellion for that the King represented them under that Disgustful Character was very ill resented by some considerable Peers whereof His Majesty having notice told the Parliament two days after He must needs call them Rebels so long as they have an Army that does invade England The remainder of this Week was spent partly in settling Committees for General Grievances and partly in set Speeches Rhetorically declaiming against and dissecting them The remainder of the particular Transactions of this year of the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament and of the year succeeding 1641. I shall not here relate at large but refer you to the Annals of King Charles the First written by this ingenious Author from whom I have borrowed and transcribed the major part of my precedent Relations who ends at the Death of the Earl of Strafford which was May the 12th 1641. And after that I must refer you for the remainder of that year unto Sir Richard Baker's Chronicle of the Kings of England c. But the particular heads of those Transactions as to matter of fact I shall be willing here to recite for your Courteous Readers present satisfaction in manner and form as followeth viz. 1. Several Petitions against Grievances 2. Priviledges of the Lords House Vindicated 3. The Lieutenant of Ireland Impeached of high Treason 4. The Northern Armies in want 5. Bishop of Lincoln Enlarged 6. Justice Howard assaulted by a Papist 7. Prinn and Bastwick enter London in Triumph 8. Secretary Windebanck flieth 9. Votes against Ship-money 10. The London Petition against Bishops 11. The late Canons damn'd 12. The Lord-Keeper Finch defends his Innocency 13. He is Voted Traitor upon four Considerations and thereupon he flyeth beyond Sea. 14. The Kings Speech for Bishops 15. One Goodman a Priest reprieved 16. A Remonstrance against Goodman the Priest 17. The Kings Answer to that Remonstrance 18. The Scottish Commissioners Demands and the Answer thereunto 19. A Match propounded between the Lady Mary and the Prince of Orange 20. The Kings Speech to the Lords concerning that Match 21. Some Plots of the Papists 22. The Earl Berkly Impeacht of High-Treason 23. The King passeth a Bill for Trienial Parliaments and his Speech concerning it 24. The Bill of Subsidies passeth at the same time and Bonefires and other tokens of joy were made that night in the City of London by Order of Parliament 25. William Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterbury accused of high Treason in fourteen Articles 26. The Lord Digbyes Speech for Episcopacy 27. The Charge against the Earl of Strafford is given and his Answers thereunto and Westminster-Hall is appointed for his Trial. 28. The Commons justifie their Charge by Law. 29. The Earl answereth by Councel 30. The Commons Vote him guilty of High-treason 31. The Commons Petition the King against Papists and the King's Answer 32. The Kings Speech to the Parliament in defence of the E. of Strafford 33. The Prince of Orange Marryeth the Lady Mary 34. A Tumult in Westminster crying for Justice against the Earl. 35. A Protestation framed by the Commons 36. A
Enemy of the Reformed Religion And your Majesty's Petitioners shall ever pray c. Concluded the 28th of August 1640. Francis Bedford Robert Essex Mulgrave Say and Seal Edward Howard William Hartford Warwick Bullingbrooke Mandevil Brook Paget The King's Answer BEfore the receipt of your Petition His Majesty well foresaw the danger that threatens himself and Crown and therefore resolved the 24th of this Instant to Summon all the Peers and with them to Consult what in this Case is fittest to be done for his own honour and safety of the Kingdom where they with the rest may offer any thing that may conduce to those ends According to this Resolution the Lord-Keeper had Directions from the King to issue out Writs of Summons for their appearing at York on the day prefixt which he punctually pursued Soon after the presenting of this Petition from the Lords came another from the Scots the substance whereof was a Desire That His Majesty would call a Parliament for setling a firm peace between the two Nations To this Petition the King replyed with signification of what he had ordered before in reference to himself and to the welfare of both Kingdoms And the Truth of it is it was high time for an Accommodation to be effected for Lesley now began to rant it in New-Castle and the parts adjacent as Brennus did at Rome with a Vae Victis He imposed a Tax of 350 pounds per diem upon the Bishoprick of Durham and 300 pounds upon Northumberland upon pain of Plundering and yet permitted Souldiers to rifle Houses break open Shops and act what insolencies they pleased seized upon four great English Ships laden with Corn as lawful prize they not knowing in whose possession the Town was till they enter'd the Haven The first day of the Lords Assembling at York it was resolved that a Parliament should be Summoned to convene at Westminster November the Third Then a Message was sent to the Scots desiring a speedy Treaty at York The Scots replied They held that no place of security for their Commissioners considering that the Lieutenant of Ireland who commanded His Majesties Army was one who had proclaimed them Traytors in Ireland before the King had done the same in England and who had threatned to destroy their Nation both Root and Branch and against whom as a chief Incendiary of the late Troubles they intended to complain whereupon it was concluded that the Treaty should be held at Rippon which accordingly took place The Parliament now approaching whose Convening was attended by this Kingdom with so much longing such impatience of desires as every moment which retarded it was interpreted as a kind of Grievance to the Subject for we began now to think that nothing could make us a happy People but a Parliament and that no Parliament could make us miserable This was the Sence of the greater part of this Nation and if this Parliament succeeded not adequate to some Mens Vote perhaps the miscarriage of their hopes may be somewhat imputed to this Sence Over-ruling Providence delights oft to order the Operations of free and natural Agents counter to Mans Expectations to teach us the vanity of that Faith which is founded upon Causes subaltern And oh that I could here but express to the life the high Expectations of the People from this Parliament which came with such a terrible swing after so long an Interval and so many Dissolutions that put the whole Nation into such a Consternation as I presume the like President cannot be produced out of the Records of Antiquity since William the Conqueror did first invade our English Territories But however Courteous Readers for your present Divertisement I will here make a small Attempt to express the present Thoughts and Expectations of that Parliament which in process of time brake forth into a Civil War and I pray God I may never live to see the like again the which I shall represent under the Emblem of a new â—â—ght and well-built Ship which upon the Launching was named The Bon Resolution although some would have it called The House of Commons others The Three Estates and others The Swiftsure and was immediately employ'd in His Majesties Service but being for some time wind-bound within the Harbor viz. about 12 days the Captain of the said Ship coming early out of his Cabin one morning and finding the Wind tackt about and blowing fair for his intended Voyage being upon the Quarter-Deck he knocks up his Seamen and salutes them after this manner viz. ARise you Mortals from your Dens of Sleep Neptune now calls to launch into the Deep The Wind blows fair it 's lately turn'd South-west And we must Sail directly to the East For Pearls and Diamonds Jewels of great Rate Which in the Acquest sometimes a broken Pate Hath been our Lot yet still we venture must You know our Shipwrights wherein so great a Trust Is now repos'd in us comes from Whitehall Our late Commission whence we may learn All Which way to steer our course and will direct Whom we must crush and whom we must protect In this our Voyage 'T is the Common-weal Of these Three Kingdoms That a Roaring Peal Of Small and Great Shot now aloud must Ring From this our Vessel To preserve the King In all His Legal Rights But to advance Against all those who have lead up a Dance As will in time if Heavens do not prevent Destroy both King and all the Parliament and in their stead set up a Scarlet Whore Of whose sweet Nature we have long before Known by Experience and now for to be cheated By their Sham-Plots again and to be defeated Huzza Brave Lads This thing shall never be We 'll rather chuse upon a Triple Tree To take our chance and now Heavens crown the Event And bless our Vessel and our good Intent Heavens bless us from the Sally Men of War Heavens bless us likewise that we do not jar Among our selves If such a thing should be And that our Seamen now should disagree And fight for Thimbles Bodkins and Gu-gaws Instead of fighting for the Good Old Cause Of Liberty and Property Oh! this Evil Would make us Zealots for the Pope and Devil More than for Christs true Church which now doth stand In danger much if these should have Command Within our British Isle which to prevent God bless our King and His next Parliament Which now approacheth whom we must defend And so our Ship the Lord Almighty send Into safe Harbor when that we shall bring Peace to the Church and Honor to the King And when our Pearls and Diamonds shall arrive We 'll fix them fast upon King CHARLES his Hive His Crown shall glister like the Rising Sun. Courage Brave Boys Our Wars shall then be done When we shall see those Fellows sent from hence With all their Tories to that place from whence They first did rise which was from that Grand Syre Who claims the Patent to be the great Lyar