Illustrious Protestant Prince James Duke of Monmouth Containing an Account of his Birth Education Places and Titles with his Great and Martial Achievements in Flanders and Scotland his Disgrace and Departure both from Court and Kingdom with the most material Circumstances that have occurred since his Return Psalmorum Davidis Paraphrasis Paetica Georgii Buchanani Scoti Argumentis ac Melodiis Explicata Atque Illustrata Catastrophe Mundi or Merlin Reviv'd in a Discourse of Prophesies and Predictions and their Remarkable Accomplishments With Mr. Lillies Hieroglyphicks exactly Cut and Notes and Observations thereon As also a Collection of all the antient reputed Prophesies that are Extant Touching the Grand Revolutions like to happen in these latter Ages Historical Memoirs of the Life and Death of that wise and valiant Prince Rupert Prince Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Cumberland c. Containing a brief but impartial Account of his Great and Martial Achievements during the time of the Civil Wars together with his several Engagements in the Wars between His Majesty and the States General of the United Provinces The Romish Mass Book faithfully Translated into English with Notes and Observations thereupon plainly demonstrating the Idolatry and Blasphemy thereof Containing 1. The Cautelae or Caveats of the Mass 2. The Canon of the Mass 3. The History of the Mass shewing when how and by whom it was patched together With a Curious Copper Cut prefixed representing the Priest a saying Mass With unanswerable Arguments proving it no Service of God Published at this juncture to prevent the Designs of those that are endeavouring to Introduce Popery amongst us Dedicated to the Right Reverend Father in God Henry Lord Bishop of London Price bound One Shilling Sold by Thomas Malthus at the Sun in the Poultrey The Famous Voyages of the ever Renowned and Valiant Sir Francis Drake into the West-Indies viz. His great Adventures for Gold and Silver and the gaining thereof with a particular Account of the Famous Battel of Nombre de Dios. A large Account of that Voyage wherein he encompassed the World His Voyage with Captain Knollis and others their taking the Towns of S. Jago Sancto Domingo Carthagena c. His last Voyage in which he Died being accompanied with several Valiant Commanders and the manner of his Burial To which is added An Account of his Vallorous Exploits in 1588. in the Spanish Invasion Printed for Thomas Malthus at the Sun in the Poultrey Price bound One Shilling By the Absense of the Author and the Over-sight of the Printer these faults have escaped the Press TItle 2d part read Raleigh Redivivus line 4. r. Popish p. 2. l. ult r. Glory of p. 3. l. 15. r. amazed p. 7. l. 2. r. Charter l. 10. r. baring p. 9. l. r. it by p. 19. l. 18. r. defence p. 11. l. 5. r. flesh'd p. 13. l. 12. r. Ear p. 18. l. 22. r. however p. 26. l. 27. delea to p. 29. l. 20. r. wretch p. 30. l. 8. r. Intomb'd l 16 r. Emploid p. 32. l. 13. r. Miscreants p. 33. l. 2. r. Impostor l. 23 r. principle l. 24. r. Loyalty to his Majesty Love to his Country c. p. 40. l. 11. r. they 47. l. 11. r. school'd p. 49. l. 19. r. facility p. 52. l. 19. r. from p. 54. l. 1. r. torment p. 65. l. 10. r. whereof p. 11. l. 25. r. often admitted r. to tell p. 72. l. 7. r. stretch p. 80. l. 9. r. innumerable l. 24. r. they p. 99. l. 22. r. message p. 10. l. 21. r. story p. 102. l. 26. r. were arrived at p. 103. l. 5. r. Lordship l. 17. r. piece p. 109. l. 11. r. espoused
by no other Rule or Law than his pleasure as if he were their Absolute Lord and had bought all the People of England for his Slaves Doubtless he would pretend only to have Conquered England at his own Expence and were there as much Truth as there is Falshood in that pretence yet he could not but know that the Right of the Peoples Deputies to their Antient Powers and Priviledges would remain good against him as against their publick capital Enemy Whom every man ought to destroy until by some agreement with the Body of the People in Parliament some sort of governing Power in him were submitted unto that hereby he might cease to be a publick Enemy and Destroyer and become a King or Governour according to the conditions accepted by the People and if he would so pretend he could not be so discharged from his publick Enmity by any Condition or Agreement made with a part of the Peoples chosen Deputies whilst he shut out the other part for no part of the Representatives Body are trusted to consent to any thing in the Nations behalf if the whole have not their free Liberty of Debating and Voting in the Matters propounded If he would pretend no higher than to be our Conquerour who for Peace and his own safeties sake was content to cease from being a publick Enemy and to be admitted a Governour he would not compass those ends by forcibly excluding as now he does whom he pleases of the Representative Body of People who were to submit to him on the Peoples behalf therefore he either takes upon him to be such a Conqueror as scorris the Peoples acceptance of him by their Representative as their Governour and fears not to remain a publick Enemy or else he takes himself to be such an unheard of Soveraign that against him the People have no claim of Property or Right in themselves or any thing else for he hath now declared that the Peoples choice cannot give any man a Right to sit in Parliament but the Right must be derived from his gracious Will and Pleasure with that of his Councellors and his Clerks Ticket only must be their evidence for it Thus hath he exalted himself to a Throne like unto God's as if he were of himself and his power from himself and we were all made for him to be commanded and disposed of by him to work for him and serve his Pleasure and Ambition A little after there is an Instance of Chief-Justice Tresilian who was executed at Tyburn in the time of Richard the Second for advising the King that he might at any time dissolve the Parliament and command the Members to depart under the penalty of Treason Divers other Protestations were contained in that Instrument against the Arbitrariness and Tyranny of that proceeding and in conclusion they declare they will pour out their complaints before the Lord against their powerful Oppressors hoping he will redeem his People out of the hands of wicked and deceitful Men. This Protestation was Signed by One hundred and seventeen persons whereof Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was chief and many others of great Loyalty and Integrity some whereof are since dead but many yet survive and as a reward of their Loyalty enjoy Places of Honour and Profit under his present Majesty By this we may easily discern the Opinion he had of the Illegal and Arbitrary proceedings of Cromwell and how much of the sufferings of the Loyal Party would have been prevented had that point of a free Parliament been then gained and consequently His Majesties Restauration must have happened sooner than it did This Remonstrance had not power enough however to work their present admission into the House so that that part of a Parliament which was suffered to sit did every thing to the desire of Cromwell answering both those ends for which they were Convened viz. the raising Money and confirming his Title which was no sooner done but he Prorogued them until he had occasion to Fleece them again which interval was laid hold on by this true English Gentleman as a fit opportunity to engage them when they met again to do themselves and the Nation Justice by admitting him and the rest of the Members that were kept out by the Protector to take their place in Parliament and so managed some of the Members who were moderate men that they resolved not to be so basely trampled on by the Tyrant any longer The Prorogation being expired the Parliament make their appearance at Westminster where the Protector makes a fair Speech to them promising them strange things if they would go on and prosecute his Designs But notwithstanding this Speech the Commons were no sooner retired to their House than Cromwell discovered to his no small perplexity that the Face of his beloved Parliament from whose tractableness and compliance he had promised himself the greatest happiness imaginable was strangely altered For they presently fell to Voting That no Member legally Chosen and Returned could be excluded from performing their Duty but by consent of Parliament and thereupon immediately proceeded to the calling over their House and admitted Sir Anthony and the rest who had subscribed the Remonstrance to the no good liking of the Protector who were no sooner in and the House full but they so influenced the rest that they soon became the majority and began to undo what the others had done in their absence and presumed so far as to question the Tyrants Power Wherefore finding them so bold he concluded it would not be convenient to let a business of so high a nature run too far lest it should if neglected put a period to all his ambitious Designs Wherefore going to his Pageant House of Lords he sent for them and after having made a large Speech to them in the conclusion told them That it did concern his Interest as well as the publick Peace and Tranquility of the Nation to terminate that Parliament and therefore he did then dissolve them and put an end to their Sitting The constant correspondence he alwaies maintained with the Royal Party and that almost to the hazard of his Life and Family are sufficient Testimonies of his sincerity to his Masters Interest and Service his House was a Sanctuary for distressed Royalists and his correspondence with the Kings Friends though closely managed as the necessities of those times required are not unknown to those that were the principal managers of his Majesties Affairs at that time This made Cromwell so apprehensive of this great Assertor of his Countries Rights and Opposer of Arbitrary Government and Enthusiasm that though his vast Abilities were known at least to equal the ablest Pilot of the State which was the only motive that induced the Usurper in the infancy of his Usurpation to nominate him for one of his Council in hope thereby to allure him to his Interest and wheadle and Wire-draw him into a compliance with his ambitious and mischievous designs yet we cannot
find him amongst the Creatures of his Cabinet Council nor amongst the Eleven Major Generals to whom the Care of the Nation was committed No their Principles their Aims and Designs were incompatible one was for Subverting the other for Maintaining the Antient standing Fundamentals of the Nation which once dissolved it was impossible but an Universal Deluge of Confusion Blood and Rapine must ensue This made our brave Patriot with divers of the Heroick English Race to the utmost oppose the growth of a Protectorian Tyranny And when the Rump had again usurped the Power into their hands they endeavoured to oblige him by nominating him to be one of their Council of State and one of the Commissioners for the managing their Army Notwithstanding which he continued his Intelligence with and Endeavours for the Restoration of his Soveraign So that we find him accused before them for keeping Intelligence with the King and for having raised Men to joyn with Sir George Booth in attempting to restore and bring His Majesty that now is to his Rightful Throne Many persons of great note were imprisoned on the account of this Plot and amongst the rest Sir Anthony Ashly Cooper who was really guilty if there could be any Guilt in Loyalty and an honest endeavour to free his Country from those deplorable miseries under which it then groaned for indeed he was a principal contriver of the Business being one of the secret Cabal and had always kept Intelligence with Sir George and had raised a party in Dorset-shire to joyn with him which upon the miscarrying of the Design timely dispersed themselves And although no man knew better then he how to obviate the Reasons of the House and plead his own Cause yet he was not without great difficulty cleared and discharged of that Imputation by the Rump who shortly after intrusted him with the Custody of the Tower of London the Command of a Regiment of Horse and gave him with six others to assist him the Government and Command of their Army So that now he began to advance the great work of Restoring his Majesty with more success and speed than before To which end he and Eight more who had been of the Old Council of State sent a Letter to General Monke to proceed in his generous Undertakings for the advantage and settlement of the three Nations and perswaded him to come to London in order to the better prosecuting what he had so well begun Whereupon the General having disposed and ordered all things according to his desire advanced towards England accompanied with several English Gentlemen who held correspondence with him and being acquainted with the Generals Designs went thither on purpose to accompany him hither where he was no sooner arrived but he was highly Honoured and Complemented by the Rump and made one of the Council who was to order and dispose of publick Affairs but to qualifie them for this Trust they were to have an Oath imposed upon them wherein they were to abjure the Royal Family But that being directly contrary to the generous Designs of those two Noble Patriots of the Royal Cause and bold Adventurers for the Interest of their injured Soveraign the one by his Head to contrive and the other by his Arms to execute what was contrived as well as assist in Counselling and Advising They opposed it as unreasonable and a Snare to their Consciences and by their influence upon Colonel Morly procured it to be so warmly opposed that both Oath and Council fell and came to nothing Doctor Clarges having happily discovered that Lambert and others were making parties and drawing Forces together to oppose their Loyal Designs repaired immediately to Sir Anthony accounting him the fittest person to be acquainted with a business of that nature being not only firm to the Kings Interest but by his Wisdom and Policy knew how to undermine those who were averse to it wherefore having related the particulars to him desiring him to communicate it to the Council and prevail with them to take speedy care about it lest if neglected it should prove of dangerous consequence Which he did accordingly and so managed the Council that timely care was taken in it and even that attempt of Lamberts which in it self threatened the contrary was by his Skill dexterously managed for the advantage of his Majesties Interest and the hastening his happy Restoration General Monke having forced the Parliament to admit the secluded Members they were no sooner seated in the House but they fell to such kind of work as plainly discovered to all intelligent Men what would be the Issue of those things which were then transacted for they ordered the Release of all those who were Imprisoned for Petitioning for a Free Parliament together with the Members of the Common-Council of London They inlarged the Generals Commission constituting him one of the Generals at Sea Discharged Sir George Booth and others committed upon the account of his Rising and ordered the Examination of him and his Lady to be taken off the File and given to them Then having appointed a free Parliament to meet in the April following they Dissolved themselves appointing a Council of State to govern in the mean while consisting for the most part of Loyal Gentlemen whose Names were as follows Arthur Ansley Lord President William Pierpoynt John Crew Richard Knightly Colonel Popham Colonel Morley Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper Sir Gilbert Gerard Lord St. John Sir Thomas Widdrington Sir John Evelin Sir William Waller Sir Richard Onslow Serjeant Maynard Sir William Lewis Colonel Montague Colonel Hanly Colonel Norton Denzill Hollis Sir John Temple Colonel Tompson Sir John Trever Sir John Holland Sir John Poltis Colonel Birch Sir Harbottle Grimston John Swinton John Weaver Colonel Rossiter Lord Fairfax Lord General Monke This Council was so influenc'd by the two great Contrivers and Managers of the happy change that everything done by them tended to the furthering thereof And April 25. 1660. the new Parliament met in both Houses which was the most considerable step they had yet made towards the accomplishing their great End and gave an entrance to and made way for the perfecting the whole Contrivance For His Majesty immediately hereupon dispatcht away Sir John Greenvil who was afterwards created Earl of Bath with Letters to both Houses of Parliament and General Monke which were delivered to them upon the first day of May being but the seventh day after the opening of the Parliament together with his Majesties gracious Declaration to all his Loving Subjects Wherein he expresses abundance of compassion and tenderness to the Nation which had been so long harrass'd by an unnatural War These Letters and the Declaration were received by the Parliament with a Joy and Veneration so extraordinary that I find my self at a loss for words wherewith to express it And their pleasure and satisfaction was such that in an extasie of Joy they suddenly drew the Curtain and exposed the Beautiful and Glorious Scene to the
That he whose Counsels had been so successful in contriving His Restoration might be highly necessary and very much conduce to the Establishment of Him in His Kingdom and to shew the extraordinary Esteem he had for his Parts and Abilities he advanced him to be one of the first Rank in the Council placing him above his Royal Brother the Duke of Gloncester and even General Monke himself whom his Majesty use to 〈◊〉 Political Father And having in sundry respects saith Sir William Dugdale in his History of the Baronage of England whom we cannot suspect of Partiality manifested his Loyalty to Charles the First and his great Affection to his Country in the late perilous and difficult Times and likewise to our present Soveraign by his prudent and seasonable Advice and Consultation with General Monke in order to His Majesties Restoration in consideration of these his acceptable Services he was by Letters Patents bearing date at Westminster upon the 20th day of April in the Thirteenth Year of His Majesties Raign advanced to the Degree and Dignity of a Baron of this Realm by the Title of Lord Ashly of Wimbourne St. Giles and to the Heirs Males of his Body This Honour was conferred upon him in the Banqueting-House at White-hall three days before His Majesties Coronation in order to his assisting in the performance of that splendid Ceremony And when his Majesty was pleased to issue out the Grand Commission of Oyer and Terminer for the Trial of the Regicides directed to several Noble Persons choice was made of this Honourable Lord to be of the number of that Court his Majesty deeming him to be a Person whose Prudence and Loyalty render'd him as deserving of the Honour to which his Majesty therein preferred him as any other contained in that Commission And as if his Majesty had so high a Valuation for his Lordship that he thought his profound Parts and exemplary Loyalty merited a perpetual confluence of Royal Favours he raised him at several times to higher degrees of Honour making him Chancellor of his Exchequer Under-Treasurer of the Exchequer Lord Lieutenant of the County of Dorset and one of the Lord Commissioners of the Treasury But all these being too small to compensate his Merits and demonstrate the Royal Bounty and Princely Gratitude of his Soveraign whose Generous Nature inclines him to delight in nothing more then to reward like a King He was advanced to the Title and Dignity of an Earl being in the year 1672. created Earl of Shaftesbury and Lord Cooper of Paulet to him and the Heirs Males of his Body by Letters Patents bearing date at Westminster upon the 23 d. day of April in the Twenty Fourth Year of his Majesties Raign And in November following upon the Resignation of Sir Orlando Bridgeman his Majesty to gratifie the uninterrupted good Services of the Earl of Shaftesbury Chancellor of his Exchequer and one of the Lord Commissioners of the Treasury was pleased to give unto him the Keeping of the said Great Seal with the Title of Lord High Chancellor of England these are the words of the Gazette being the second Person that had enjoyed that Title since his Majesties Raign Whereby he was placed by his Great Master in the highest Orb that any Subject could possibly move in The Kings Conscience being as it were committed to his Care and Management And with what Prudence and Candour Honour and Integrity he acquitted himself in that great and weighty Imployment the Transactions of the Court of Chancery during the time of his Chancellorship will best testisie Justice then run in an equal Channel so that the Cause of the Rich was not suffer'd to swallow up the Rights of the Poor nor was the strong or cunning Oppressor permitted to devour the weak or unskilful Opposer but the abused found Relief suitable to their Distress and those by whom they were abused a severe Reprehension answerable to their Crimes The mischievous Consequences which commonly arise from the delays and other practices of that Court were by his ingenious and judicious Management very much abated and every thing weighed and determined with such an exact Judgment and Equity that it almost exceeds all possibility of belief And because the Traducers of this Lords Loyalty not only reproach him with the Tap which was an unquestionable Mark of Loyalty and Honour it being got in conducting his Majesty to his Crown and Kingdom but have likewise quarrel'd at his constant Faithfulness to the Royal Interest and endeavour'd to abuse every thing he did for his Majesties Service as they have done the speech he made to the Parliament upon the account of the Dutch War And that the World may see the temper of the Men and upon what ground it is they were his Enemies I have set down the Speech verbatim as follows My Lords and you the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commous THe King hath spoken so fully so excellently well and so like Himself that you are not to expect much from me There is not a word in His Speech that hath not its full weight And I dare with assurance say will have its effect with you His Majesty had called you sooner and His Affairs required it but that He was resolved to give you all the ease and vacancy to your own private Concerns and the People as much respit from Payments and Taxes as the necessity of His Business or their Preservation would permit And yet which I cannot but here mention to you by the Crafty insinuations of some ill affected persons there have been spread strange and desperate Rumours which your Meeting together this day hath sufficiently proved both malicious and false His Majesty hath told you that He is now engaged in an important very expensive and indeed a War absolutely necessary and unavoidable He hath referred you to His Declaration where you will find the Personal indignities by Pictures and Medals and other publique affronts His Majesty hath received from the States their Breach of Treaties both in the Surinam and East-India business and at last they came to that heighth of Insolence as to deny the honour and right of the Flag though an undoubted Jewel of this Crown never to be parted with and by them particularly owned in the late Treaty of Breda and never contested in any Age. And whilest the King first long expected and then solemnly demanded Satisfaction they disputed His Title to it in all the Courts of Christendom and made great Offers to the French King if he would stand by them against us But the most Christian King too well remembred what they did at Munster contrary to so many Treaties and solemn Ingagements and how dangerous a Neighbour they were to all Crowned heads The King and His Ministers had here a hard time and lay every day under new Obloquies Sometimes they were represented as selling all to France to make this War Portsmouth Plymouth and Hull were to be given into the
French hands for Caution The next day news came that France and Holland were agreed Then the obloquy was turned from treachery to folly The Ministers were now Fools that some days before were Villains And indeed the Coffee-houses were not to be blamed for their last apprehensions since if that Conjunction had taken effect then England had been in a far worse case then now it is and the War had been turned upon us But both Kings knowing their Interests resolved to Joyn against them who were the Common Enemies to all Monarchies and I may say especially to ours their only Competitor for Trade and Power at Sea and who only stand in their way to an universal Empire as great as Rome This the States understood so well and had swallowed so deep that under all their present distress and danger they are so intoxicated with that vast ambition that they slight a Treaty and refuse a Cessation All this you and the whole Nation saw before the last War but it could not then be so well timed or our Alliances so well made But you judged aright that at any rate Delenda est Carthago That Government was to be brought down And therefore the King may well say to you 'T is your War He took his measures from you and they were just and right ones and He expects a suitable assistance to so necessary and expensive an Action which He has hitherto maintained at His own charge and was unwilling either to trouble you or burden the Country until it came to an inevitable necessity And His Majesty commands me to tell you that unless it be a certain Sum and speedily raised it can never answer the Occasion My Lords and Gentlemen Reputation is the great support of War or Peace This War had never begun nor had the States ever slighted the King or ever refused Him Satisfaction neither had this War continued to this day or subsisted now but that the States were deceived in their measures and apprehended His Majesty in that great want of money that He must sit down under any Affronts and was not able to begin or carry on a War Nay at this day the States support themselves amongst their People by this only falshood that they are assured of the temper of England and of the parliament and that you will not supply the King in this War And that if they can hold out till your meeting they will have new life and may take new measures There are lately taken two of their principal Agents with their Credentials and Instructions to this purpose who are now in the Tower and shall be proceeded against according to the Law of Nations But the King is sufficiently assured of His people Knows you better and can never doubt His Parliament This had not been mentioned but to shew you of what importance the frankness and seasonableness of this Supply is as well as the fulness of it Let me say the King has brought the States to that condition that your hearty conjunction at this time in supplying His Majesty will make them never more formidable to Kings or dangerous to England And if after this you suffer them to get up let this be remembred The States of Holland are Englands eternal Enemy both by Interest and Inclination In the next place to the supply for the carrying on of the War His Majesty recommends to you the taking care of His Debts What you gave the last Session did not near answer your own expectation Besides another confiderable Aid you designed His Majesty was unfortunately lost in the birth so that the King was forced for the carrying on of His affairs much against His will to put a stop to the payments out of the Exchequer He saw the pressures upon himself and growing inconveniencies to His People by great Interest and the difference through all His Business between Ready money and Orders This gave the King the necessity of that proceeding to make use of His own Revenue which hath been of so great effect in this War But though he hath put a stop to the trade and gain of the Bankers yet he would be unwilling to ruine them and oppress so many Families as are concerned in those Debts Besides it were too disprortionable a burden upon many of His good Subjects But neither the Bankers nor they have reason to complain if you now take them into your care and they have paid them what was due to them when the Stop was made with Six per Cent. Interest from that time The King is very much concern'd both in Honour and Interest to see this done And yet he desires you not to mis-time it but that it may have only the second place and that you will first settle what you intend about the Supply His Majesty has so fully vindicated His Declaration from that Calumny concerning the Papists that no reasonable scruple can be made by any good man He has sufficiently justified it by the time it was published in and the effects He hath had from it and might have done it more from the agreeableness of it to His own natural disposition which no good English man can wish other then it is He loves not bloud or rigorous severities but where mild or gentle ways may be used by a wise Prince He is certain to choose them The Church of England and all good Protestants have reason to rejoyce in such a Head and such a Defender His Majesty doth declare His care and Concerns for the Church and will maintain them in all their Rights and Priviledges equal if not beyond any of His Predecessors He was born and bred up in it It was that his Father died for We all know how great temptations and offers He resisted abroad when He was in His lowest condition And He thinks it the Honour of His Reign that He hath been the Restorer of the Church 'T is that He will ever maintain and hopes to leave to posterity in greater lustre and upon surer grounds then our Ancestors ever saw it But His Majesty is not convinc'd that violent ways are the Interest of Religion or the Church There is one thing more which I am commanded to speak to you of Which is the jealousie that hath been foolishly spread abroad of the Forces the King hath raised in this War Wherein the King hath opened himself freely to you and confessed the fault on the other hand For if this last Summer had not proved a miracle of Storms and Tempests such as secured their East-India Fleet and protected their Sea-coast from a discent nothing but the true reason want of Money could have justified the defect in the number of our Forces 'T is that His Majesty is providing for against the next Spring having given out Orders for the raising of seven or eight Regiments more of Foot under the Command of Persons of the greatest Fortunes and Quality And I am earnestly to recommend to you that in your Supplies
you will take into your consideration this necessary addition of charge And after His Majesties conclusion of His Speech let me conclude nay let us all conclude with blessing God and the King Let us bless God that he hath given us such a King to be the Repairer of our Breaches both in Church and State and the restorer of our paths to dwell in That in the midst of War and Misery which rages in our Neighbour Countries our Garners are full and there is no complaining in our Streets And a Man can hardly know that there is a War Let us bless God that hath given this King signally the hearts of His People and most particularly of this Parliament who in their Affection and Loyalty to their Prince have exceeded all their Predecessors A Parliament with whom the King hath many years lived with all the Caresses of a happy Marriage Has the King had a concern You have wedded it Has His Majesty wanted Supplies You have readily chearfully and fully provided for them You have relied upon the Wisdom and Conduct of His Majesty in all His affairs so that you have never attempted to exceed your bounds or to impose upon Him whilest the King on the other hand hath made your Counsels the foundations of all His proceedings and hath been so tender of you that he hath upon His own Revenue and Credit endeavoured to support even Foreign Wars that he might be least uneasie to you or burdensom to His People And let me say that tho' this Marriage be according to Moses's Law where the Husband can give a Bill of Divorce put her away and take another Yet I can assure you it is as impossible for the King to part with this Parliament as it is for you to depart from that Loyalty Affection and Dutiful Beha viour you have hitherto shewed towards Him Let us bless the King for taking away all our Fears and leaving no room for Jealousies For those Assurances and Promises He hath made us Let us bless God and the King that our Religion is safe That the Church of England is the care of our Prince That Parliaments are safe That our Properties and Liberties are safe What more hath a good English man to ask but that this King may long Reign and that this Triple-Alliance of King Parliament and People may never be dissolved The King having about that time made Si Edward Turner Speaker of the House of Commons Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer the Lord Chancellor acquainted them therewith and recommended to them His Majesties Pleasure for their Electing a new Speaker in the following Speech My Lords and you the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons HIs Majesty hath commanded me to tell you That he hath many things to say to you but he thinks not this a proper time but will defer it till the House of Commons be compleated with a new Speaker For His Majesty hath since the last Session as a mark of His Favour to His House of Commons and that he might reward so good a Servant taken their late Speaker Sir Edward Turner to be Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and called him by Writ to be an Assistant to this House I am therefore commanded to acquaint you Gentlemen of the House of Commons That it is the Kings Pleasure you repair to your House and Elect a Discreet Wise and Learned man who after he hath been by you Presented and that Presentation by His Majesty admitted shall then possess the Office of your common Mouth and Speaker And the King is pleased to be here to Morrow in the Afternoon to receive the Presentment of him accordingly The Commons having Elected Sir Job Charlton to be their Speaker who being by them Presented to the King Addressed himself to His Majesty in the following words Most Gracious Sovereign THe Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons in Obedience to your Royal Command have proceeded to the Choice of a Speaker They have among them many worthy Persons eminently qualified for so great a Trust yet with too favourable an Eye have cast it upon me who am really conscious to my self of so many infirmities rendring me much unsit for so great an Imployment And although my endeavours of excusing my self before them have not been successful yet they have been so Indulgent as to permit me to continue my endeavours therein before Your Majesties most piercing and discerning Judgment The Veneration due to Majesty which lodgeth in every Loyal Breast makes it not an easie matter to speak before Your Majesty at any time or in any capacity But to speak before Your Majesty in Your Exaltation thus gloriously supported and attended and that as Speaker of Your House of Commons requires greater Abilities then I can pretend to own I am not also without fear That the Publick Affairs wherein Your Majesty and Your Kingdom in this Juncture of time are so highly concern'd may receive detriment through my weakness I therefore with a plain humble heart prostrate at Your Royal feet beseech That You will Command them to review what they have done and to proceed to another Election To which the Lord Chancellour made the following Answer Mr. Serjeant Charlton THe King hath very attentively heard your discreet and handsome Discourse whereby you endeavour to excuse and disable your self for the place of Speaker In answer whereof His Majesty hath commanded me to say to you That he doth in no sort admit of the same For his Majesty hath had long experience of your Abilities good Affection Integrity and Resolution in several employments of great Trust and Weight He knows you have been long a Parliament-man and therefore every way fitted and qualified for the Employment Besides he cannot disapprove the Election of this House of Commons especially where they have expressed so much Duty in choosing one Worthy and Acceptable to him And therefore the King doth allow of the Election and admits you for Speaker Sir Job Charlton seeing his excuse could not be admitted but that notwithstanding his Majesty had confirmed the Commons Choice by his Royal Approbation spake as follows Great SIR SInce it is Your Gracious Pleasure not to accept of my humble Excuse but by Your Royal Approbation to six me under this Great though Honourable Weight and to think me sit to be invested with a Trust of so high a nature as this is I take it in the first place to be incumbent upon me that I render Your Majesty all possible thanks which I now humbly do with a heart full of all Duty and affected with a deeper sense of Gratitude then I can find words to express Next from Your Royal Determination in this Affair whereby you have imprinted a new Character upon me I take courage against my own diffidence and chearfully bend my self with such strength and abilities as God shall give to the Service so graciously designed me no way doubting that Your Majesty
nothing but inconstancy never proved more false to any then she did to him And his unshaken faithfulness to His Majesty from whose Interest no Temptation could ever allure him together with the Figure he made and the High Station wherein he deservedly stood was so far from defending him against that it subjected him to the Euvy and exposed him to the spleenful hate and insatiable Revenge of those who became his inveterate and implacable Enemies for no other reason then his extraordinary Zeal to have His Majesty safe in his Person by being Great in the Hearts of his Subjects and Raign without a Competitor and thereby become Formidable to his Enemies and be able like his Predecessors to give Laws to the Neighbouring Princes The only way to promote the publick Good maintain the Security of Religion the Safety of the Government and advance the Honour of the English Nation Wherefore they having resolved upon his ruine and knowing that the higher he mounted the more likely he would be to fall and if he did fall it would be with the greater precipitancy and danger They rack'd all their Inventions and improved all their Interest at Court to have him advanc'd to higher Honour although he was already exalted even above his own Ambition and thereby involved into so much danger that he was forced every Night to keep a constant Guard about his House thereby to secure his Person from the bloody Attempts of Popish Raviliacks or Roman Godfredizers So that this hopeful project not succeeding according to expectation may he rend by the future Ages in the British Chronicles to his immortal Glory and the shame and infamy of his Enemies But although they were not able with all their combinated strengths to trample him into an Ignominious Grave yet they quickly after found an occasion of Triumph upon the taking from him his Honourable Employment to which he ascended upon abundance of Merit used with abundance of Impartiality and resigned with as much Innocency and Honour in the following manner About November 1673. The King was pleased to send for his Lordship to Whitehall where upon His Majesties Command he resigned the Great Seal of England to be disposed of as His Majesty should think fit And thus this mighty Minister of State who had to the satisfaction and admiration of all good Men and to the hurt and prejudice and therefore to the hate and envy of none but the Papists improved that Power whereunto the Grace and Favour of his Soveraign had raised him did without any kind of murmuring or repining lay it down again at the Feet of him from whom he at first derived it Never abating of his usual Briskness nor altering the natural chearfulness of his Temper upon the loss of his Honorary Places but on the contrary when he had delivered the Seal he put on his Sword accounting it as much Honour and Happiness to walk with that by his side unenvied as to have the Mace and Purse carried before him with abundance of Emulation and Grudge besides danger In the Afternoon he was visited at his Mansion-house by his Highness Prince Rupert and divers other Peers and Gentlemen of Quality who gratefully acknowledged themselves to be extreamly oblig'd by his just and honest discharge of that Trust which had been reposed in him for which they returned him thanks And many whose tedious or difficult Suits were discharged by his dexterity and wisdom will ever remember him with Honour and Veneration For by his admirable Prudence deep Judgment and quick Apprehension he used presently and that with abundance of Facility and Ease to penetrate into the most intricate and difficult Causes and disperse those Cloudy Mists wherewith the subtile Lawyer had darkened and perplexed the Just and Honest Title as the Author of the Character of a Loyal States-man ingeniously expresses it His choice sagacity Strait salv'd the knot that subtle Lawyers ty'd And through all Foggs discern'd the oppressed side Banish'd delays and so this Noble Peer Became a Star of Honour in our Sphere A needful Atlas of our State c. And indeed he manag'd the Court of Chancery with such an unbyass'd Judgment and Uprightness that forced even those who lost the Cause to admire his sagacity and confess the equality of his Justice THE SECOND PART OF RALEGH Redevivus THE discarding the great SHAFTSBVRY was some abatement to the excessive sorrow of his Papist Enemies and proved a seasonable allay to that tormenting Grief which peradventure might otherwise Vulter-like have prey'd upon and fretted and consumed their Vitals and thereby have saved the World from that trouble it hath already felt and may expect from them But not containing themselves with his being discarded resolved still to prosecute his ruin and thereby render their revenge the more full and compleat And in order thereunto they first vainly attempted to Murder his unblemished Reputation and bring his Loyalty into Suspicion and then with an insernal Impudence accused him of High-Treason the same Project whereby they have since so often unsuccessfully attempted his ruin obligeing Collonel to pursue and prosecute the Accuation and to make him the more capable of performing it they did with all the Art and Industry wherewith Hell and Rome could furnish them make a narrow search and exact scrutiny into the several Offices he had passed through hoping there to find some casual accident or other which might by their Hellish Pollicy have been improved to High-Treason well knowing that suddain surprize the want of a true information or the falling short of a full and clear underderstanding of some material Circumstances might expose the most profound and exactest Judge in the World to a mistake in Judgment Yet to their amazement and anguish and the glory and of that Divine Providence whereby the Almighty who fore-sees the issue and events of all sublunary Actions wisely orders and disposes all things to the advantage of the favourites of Heaven they found no such casual flips or oversights in his management that could any way answer the pains they had taken in searching the Records of his Actions or favour the Designs they were carrying on against him For having with a complicated malice and impatiency of destroying him who of all others stood most in the way of their other Designs amaz'd together and mustered up all the worst things which those Infallible Vipers by the force of their Roman Venom were able to draw and attract out of the Court Rolls so disgested and phrased as might best serve the purpose to which they were designed and presented them to the King 's Learned Council in the Law for their judgment whether there were any thing contained therein upon which they might find matter whereon to ground an accusation of Treason They did after a serious perusal of the several particulars and pretended Crimes affirm to their everlasting Honour that there was nothing which amounted to Treason contained therein So that all their pains and
acquainted the Conspirators with what he had done who ordered him to go again to the King and desire a Warrant to search Accordingly he went to Mr. Cheffinch and was by him brought to His Majesty whom he earnestly sollicited for a Warrant but His Majesty according to His accustomed wisdom sent him again to Secretary Coventry who being no less suspicious of him now than he was before no Warrant was to be obtained from him wherefore the Conspirators being informed they resolved That having proceeded so far they would not be baffled by one difficulty wherefore they commanded him to repair to some of the Custom-House Officers and pretending to inform them where a considerable quantity of prohibited goods that had been Imported were concealed to procure a Warrant to search which was easily granted and two Officers sent to search the House he first carryed them to his own Room for the better colouring the business and having searched there and found nothing he conducted them into the Colonel's Chamber who was at that time abroad where they did upon his assurance that the goods were in that Room make a thorough search breaking open his Trunks and Boxes and with the exactest scrutiny imaginable examined the very Bed-Clothes but no prohibited goods being to be found they were about to depart when Dangerfield intimating that probably they might be hid behind the Bed they presently removed it about three foot from the Wall but could find nothing whereupon Dangerfield stepping forward looked in and seeing the bundle of Papers lying where he had placed them presently cryed What 's that lies there whereupon one of the Officers taking it down and opening it he presently snatched one of the Papers which was the List of Names some Written at length and others only the two first Letters and cryed Here 's Treason The Searcher opening another and beginning to read therein Dangerfield cryed out again There 's Treason likewise in that Paper against His Majesty wherefore the Papers ought to be all seized and the person who owns them if he were present to be secured perswading them to carry the Papers to some Secretary of State However they knowing better what belonged to their own Office than that of a Justice of the Peace refused so to do but carryed them to their own Masters at the Custom-House whereof he informed the Conspirators who fearing least by that means their Design might be spoiled and their hopes frustrated ordered him to go forthwith and tell the King the manner how he had caused the Papers to be seized which he did and His Majesty sent him to call Mr. Secretary Coventry to give some order about it which done he returned and acquainted Mrs. Cellier and the Countess what he had done and that he had the Honour to be in a Room alone with His Majesty Oh! what an opportunity have you lost saies one and how bravely might he have killed the King saies the other if he had been provided And yet these vile Miscreants who could lament Dangerfields not perpetrating so horrid a Crime have the impudence to call themselves Loyalists and are notwithstanding their disloyal Principles and Practices believed to be so by some persons in the World whose pretences to Loyalty and the Protestant Religion made people except other things from them Mrs. Harris being surprised at the finding Treasonable Papers in her House presently went in search of the Colonel and having found him acquainted him with what had happened perswading him to take Lodgings in the City and promised to send his things to him if he would do so but he rejected her advice as pernicious and proceeding only from a Feminine simplicity and timerousness since his so doing would have been censured as a slight and that would have argued Guilt and his personal Guilt would have involved hundreds of other innocent persons in the same Condemnation Wherefore being assured of his own Loyalty and Innocence he went to the Custom-House to know by what Authority his Box was seized and what was become of those Papers which were pertended to be found in his Chamber and was answered That they were all returned to his Lodging again whereupon getting together the Officers of the Custom-House the Master and Mistriss of the House and what other persons were present at the seizure Justice Warcup took their Depositions and found upon the whole matter that it was a malicious Design to involve a great number of Innocent persons in the Guilt of Treason and Rebellion against His Majesty whereupon he made out a Warrant for apprehending him which being delivered to a Constable they went along with him to Mrs. Celliers where he then and the St. Omers Novices formerly had Lodged there the Constable and Warrant found him When he understood their business he exclaimed against Mansel crying out It was his doing thinking thereby to shuffle off his own Guilt but it should not do for he had been that day with the King himself and with Mr. Secretary Coventry and had acquainted them with the business And before he gets home saies he there will be inquiry made for him at his Lodging Well saies the Justice your Hectoring will not serve your turn if you will give security to appear at the Council-Board by Nine of the Clock to Morrow Morning we will give you no more trouble at this time but if not you must go to Prison Whereupon Cellier and her Son-in-Law entered into Recognizance for his appearance at the Council the next day which he did accordingly but as ill luck would have it he unfortunately met with a most unhappy and mischevious accident for as he was going down the Council Stairs he met with Mr. Do'iley an Officer belonging to the Mint who knew him and had formerly prosecuted him for uttering false Guinneys whereupon being conscious of his Guilt and fearing that the Gentleman would undoubtedly have discovered it to the King and Council and thereby have ruined his Credit and spoil the hopeful Design he was carrying on He began without any kind of provocation to Curse and Damn him demanding what he had to say to him and swearing That if he had him out of the Court he would cut his Crown and threatned that when he met him in a convenient place he would revenge the injury Whereat Do'iley being very much surprized and seeing Sir Francis North Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas just going to the Council he being one of the Members thereof and as providence ordered came so opportunely as to hear the words that passed between them he steps to him and acquaints him with Dangerfield's Character and complained of the abuse he had then received from him as soon as his Lordship came into the Council Chamber he acquainted His Majesty and the Council therewith who thereupon sent Justice Walcup and ordered him to take Do'ley's depositions concerning Dangerfield ordering moreover a Messenger to take him into Custody which was presently done and he was carryed
and Affection Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty's Person and Government humbly requesting that the Parliament summoned to meet at Oxford might be Graciously permitted to meet and sit at Westminster It was presented to His Majesty by the Earl of Essex who acquainted the King with the design and intent of their Petition in the following words May it please Your Majesty THe Lords here present together with divers other Peers of the Realm taking notice that by your late Proclamation Your Majesty hath Declared an Intention of calling a Parliament at Oxford and observing from Histories and Records how unfortunate many such Assemblies have been when called at a place remote from the Capital City as particularly the Congress in Henry the Seconds time at Clarendon Three several Parliaments at Oxford in Henry the Thirds time and at Coventry in Henry the Sixths time with divers others which have proved very fatal to those Kings and have been followed with great mischief to the whole Kingdom And considering the present posture of Affairs the many Jealousies and Discontents which are among the People we have great cause to apprehend that the Consequences of the sitting of a Parliament now at Oxford may be as fatal to Your Majesty and the Nation as those others mentioned have been to the then Reigning Kings and therefore we do conceive that we cannot answer it to God to Your Majesty or to the People if we being Peers of the Realm should not on so important an occasion humbly offer our Advise to Your Majesty that if possible Your Majesty may be prevailed with to alter this as we apprehend unseasonable Resolution The Grounds and Reasons of our Opinion are contained in this our Petition which we humbly present to Your Majesty To the Kings most excellent Majesty The humble Petition and Advice of the Lords undernamed Peers of the Realm Humbly sheweth THat whereas Your Majesty hath been pleased by divers Spechees and Messages to Your Houses of Parliament rightly to present to them the dangers that threaten Your Majesties Person and the whole Kingdom from the mischievous and wicked Plots of the Papists and the suddain growth of a forreign Power unto which no stop or remedy could be provided unless it were by Parliament and an Vnion of Your Majesties Protestant Subjects in one Mind and one Interest And the Lord Chancellor in pursuance of Your Majesties Commands having more at large demonstrated the said dangers to be as great as we in the midst of our fears could imagine them and so pressing that our Liberties Religion Lives and the whole Kingdom would certainly be lost if a speedy provision was not made against them And Your Majesty on the 21st of April 1679. having called unto Your Council many Honourable and Worthy Persons and Declared to them and to the whole Kingdom That being sensible of the Evil Effects of a single Ministry or private Advice or forreign Committee for the general Direction of Your Affairs Your Majesty would for the future refer all things unto that Council and by the constant Advice of them together with the frequent use of Your great Council the Parliament Your Majesty was hereafter resolved to govern the Kingdom We began to hope we should see an end of our Miseries But to our unspeakable grief and sorrow we soon found our expectations frustrated the Parliament then subsisting was Prorogued and Dissolved before it could perfect what was intended for our relief and security And tho' another was thereupon called yet by many Prorogations it was put off till the 21st of October past and notwithstanding Your Majesty was then again pleased to acknowledge that neither your Person nor your Kingdom could be safe till the Matter of the Plot was gone through It was unexpectedly Prorogued on the 10th of this Month before any sufficient Order could be taken therein All their just and pious endeavours to save the Nation were overthrown the good Bills they had been industriously preparing to Vnite Your Majesties Protestant Subjects brought to nought The discovery of the Irish Plots stifled The Witnesses that came in frequently more fully to Declare that both of England and Ireland discouraged Those forreign Kingdoms and States who by a happy Conjunction with us might give a check to the French Powers disheartned even to such a despair of their own security against the growing greatness of that Monarch as we fear may enduce them to take New Resolutions and perhaps such as may be fatal to Vs the Strength and Courage of our Enemies both at home and abroad encreased and our selves left in the utmost danger of seeing our Country brought into utter desolation In these extremities we had nothing under God to comfort us but the hopes that Your Majesty being touched with the groans of your perishing People would have suffered Your Parliament to meet at the day unto which it was Prorogued and that no further interruption should have been given to their proceedings in order to their saving of the Nation But that failed us too so then we heard that Your Majesty had been prevailed with to Dissolve it and to call another to meet at Oxford where neither Lords nor Commons can be in safety but will be dayly exposed to the Swords of the Papists and their Adherents of whom too many are crept into Your Majesties Guards The Liberty of speaking according to their Consciences will be thereby destroyed and the validity of all their Acts and Proceedings consisting in it left disputable The straitness of the place no way admits of such a concourse of persons as now follows every Parliament The Witnesses which are necessary to give Evidence against the Popish Lords such Judges or others whom the Commons have impeached or had resolved to impeach can neither bear the charge of going thither nor trust themselves under the Protection of a Parliament that is it self evidently under the power of Guards and Souldiers The Premises considered We Your Majesties Petitioners out of a just abhorrence of such a dangerous and pernicious Council which the Authors have not dared to avow and the direful apprehensions of the calamities and miseries that may ensue thereupon do make it our most humble Prayer and Advice that the Parliament may not sit at a place where it will not be able to Act with that freedom which is necessary and especially to give unto their Acts and Proceedings that Authority which they ought to have amongst the people and have ever had unless impaired by some Awe upon them of which there wants not presidents and that Your Majesty would be Graciously pleased to order it to sit at Westminster it being the usual place and where they may consult with Safety and Freedom And Your Petitioners c. Monmouth Kent Huntingdon Bedford Salisbury Clare Stamford Essex Shaftsbury Mordent Ewers Paget Grey Herbert Howard Delamer BUt His Majesty resolving not to alter His Resolution for the Parliaments setting at Oxford and the time of their metting