Archbishop of Canterbury was most justly Beheaded The House of Commons having proof that he had a great Hand in all the Arbitrary Proceedings and Dealings with Rome December 18 th 1640. they Voted him to be a Traytor and Mr. Hollis was sent to the Lords to Accuse him of High-Treason which he did immediately assuring the Lords that in convenient time there should be a charge put in against him to make Good the Accusation desiring that he might be sequestred from the House and Committed which was forthwith done by the Lords The Articles wherewith he was charged consist of these Heads c. 1. For that he had Treacherously endeavoured to subvert the Fundamental Laws and Government of the Kingdom of England and instead thereof to Introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government against Law 2. That he had laboured to Overthrow the Authority of Parliaments and the Force of the Laws of the Kingdom of England 3. That he had laboured to corrupt and pervert the Ministers of Justice 4. That he himself had corruptly bought and sold Justice in his Seat 5. That he had put a New Book of Cannons in Execution against Law Vide 2 Vol. 2 d. Part of Rushworth's Hist Collect. Fol. 1365. sequent 6. That he had Traytorously assumed to himself a Papal and Tyrannical Power both in Ecclesiastical and Temporal Matters 7. That he had laboured to subvert the Protestant Religion and instead thereof to set up Popish Superstition and Idolatry 8. That he had prefer'd notorious Papist to Places of Dignity 9. That he had chosen to himself a Chaplain Popishly affected 10. That he had kept Confederacy and Intelligence with Popish Priests and Jesuits 11. That he had cruelly persecuted Godly Ministers 12. That he had laboured to make Divisions and Discord between us and other Churches 13. That he had stir'd up War and Enmity between his Majesties two Kingdoms of England and Scotland 14. That he had Slandered and Incensed His Majesty against Parliaments 15. That he had laboured to slander Parliaments with the Nick Name of Puritans and commended the Papists for harmless and peaceable Subjects 16. That he had Traytorously indeavoured to advance the Power of the Council Table the Cannons of the Church and the King's Prerogative above the Laws and Statutes of the Realm 17. That he had Wittingly and Willingly Harboured Countenanced and Relieved divers Popish Priests and Jesuits and particularly one call'd Santa Clara alias Damport a dangerous Person and Franciscan Fryar and did also provide Maintenance and Entertainment for one Monsieur St. Gyles a Popish Priest at Oxford knowing him to be a Popish Priest 18. That he had threatningly said there must be a Blow given to the Church such as had not been yet given before it could be brought to Conformity 19. That he punished divers Ministers in Prosecution of the last Cannons made by himself 20. That he had wickedly and malitiously Advised His Majesty to dissolve the last Parliament and presently after it was Dissolved told His Majesty That then he was absolved from all Rules of Government and left free to use all extraordinary Ways for his Supply These were the chief Heads of the Charge against that Proud Popish and Arbitrary Prelate for which he was sent Prisoner to the Tower After some close Inquiries and Examinations taken from the Informations of the late Lord Deputy of Ireland it was sufficiently known that the Archbishop was the Conduite Pipe through which the Popish Party made the pernicious Seed of Division run so smoothly that he was the Wicked Instrument they made use of to stir up the Division between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland and between the Protestants of the Church of England and the Presbyterians These heavy charges being made good against this Bishop and he most righteously executed for these his notorious Evil Actions Why are most of our Clergy and some of our Laity so wicked as to vindicate him and without the least Reason or shaddow of Truth cry him up for a Blessed Martyr that had violated all the Laws of the Land and was so great a Cause of most of the Miseries of England That to prevent the Peoples being too Religious advised and highly promoted the Declaration of Sports on the Lord's Day a time so odious in the sight of any thing of a Christian that it ought never to be forgotten 21. That after he had compleatly acted the part of a great Tyrant and thereby had justly lost the general Love Esteem and Affection of the best Protestants of the three Kingdoms He willingly consented that Bishop Gauden Bishop Duppa c. should compose a Book and call it His Portraiture or Picture and this Book the King was to own as his that it was composed by him when God knows he had neither so much Piety nor Capacity as that Work re-required though as a Noble Peer lately said Let that Book be Written by the King or by any body else there is little in it that deserves Esteem The design of this Book was three-fold the first was By the Lies thereby to justifie the King 's Arbitrary and Illegal Actions secondly Heavily to load the People of England with Rebellion c. for standing up for the legal Liberties and Properties belonging to them though absolutely forced thereunto to prevent the Inundation of Misery and Popish Slavery that the King and his wicked Court Favourites were then bringing on the three Kingdoms thirdly The cunning drift of the Factious and Defeated Party design'd to make the same Advantage of his Book as they did before of his Regal Name and Authority and intended it not only for a Defence of the King 's former Actions but also for promoting their own future Designs As for the Book who ever is the real Author has no occasion to value himself for that Work two things being with the greatest ease to be prov'd upon him First That he is a most Notorious Lyer both as to his Assertions of the King's Innocency of those sad matters justly laid to his Charge and also of his many unjust Accusations of the People of England and secondly That he was a Thief and had so much Piety as to have recourse to the famous Sir Philip Sydney's Arcadia a Romance in the time of his Troubles and from thence to steal the Prayer of Pamelia to an Heathen Diety being under Imprisonment not finding a suitable Form in the Liturgy Psalms of David or any other places of the sacred Scripture And that the Reader may be satisfied of the Truth of this Piece of Thievery I have thought fit to Print both Prayers in Collums one against the other That of Pamelias may be found in Pembrook's Arcadia p. 248. 13 Edit Printed 1674. That of King Charles I's is call'd a Prayer in time of Captivity Printed in a Great Folio call'd the Works of King Charles and also in his Eicon Basilike The King's Prayer O Powerful O Eternal God to whom nothing
Petition for Redress of their Grievances 3. In dissolving their Synod and Parliament Burning the Pacification made with them by the Hangman's hands and Imprisoning the Lord 's sent by them to Petitiom him to perform his Sollemn Promises and Redress their Grievances 4. In levying Doctrines against them and raising a Civil War to justify himself in the Violation of their Laws A Civil War it was said the Great Lord Digby seeing we are of the same Religion and under the same King And 5. In attempting to make use of the Love and Affection of the English to Enslave and Ruin the Scotish Nation It is not improper here to observe 1. That the Scotish Covenant was not a new Invention or Innovation but Established by the Law of Scotland and taken by King James the First seventy Years before King Charles the Second took it 2. That Bishops and Clergymen in Conjunction with Papists abetted and assisted this T in the violation of the Laws when the Bulk of the Nobility Gentry and People of England appeared undauntedly in Defence of the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom 3. That Popery hath greatly spred in Scotland ever since Laud's Superstition was introduced here the Number of Papists not exceeding 600. And therefore Presbetery being now restored by a Law it may be reasonably hoped that it will reduce many who have been deluded into that Idolatry 4. That Princes are not always to trust to the Insinuations and Suggestions of Scotish Bishops seeing that when they instigated King Charles I. to Dissolve the Synod and Parliament he was seduced by them into a belief That the Scotish Covenanteers were a contemptible Number and their Party in Scotland was sufficient to deal with them 5. That the Scots were not Rebells in taking Arms to Assert their Rights and Vindicate the Laws and Liberties of their Countrey That the horrid Imposition of Laud's Popish Liturgy did occasion the Troubles of Scotland is very manifest from Dr. Burnet's now Bishop of Salisbury his Memoirs of Duke Hamilton for he saith Page 30. The Liturgy had some Alterations from the English which made it more Invidious and less Satisfactory The Imposing it really varied from their former Practices and Constitutions Pag. 33. The Lords Petition'd complaining against the Liturgy and Book of Canons offering under the highest Penalties to prove they contain'd things both contrary to Religion and the Laws of the Land pag. 36. The Earls of Traquaire and Roxbourgh by Letter to the King advised him to secure the People of that which they so much apprehended the fear of Innovation of Religion saying that they found few or none well satisfied pag. 33. The Earl of Traquaire went to Court and gave Account that all the Troubles were occasioned by introducing the Liturgy with which scarce a Member of Council except Bishops was well satisfied Neither were all these Cardinals for it for the Archbishop of St. Andrews from the beginning had withstood these Designs and the Archbishop of Glascoe was worse pleased Their Commissioners in their Charge against Laud exhibited to the Parliament of England 1641. say pag. 11. c. This Book inverteth the Order of the Communion in the Book of England of the divers secret Reasons of this Change we mention one only In joyning the Spiritual Praise and Thanksgiving which is in the Book of England pertinently after the Communion with the Prayer of Consecration before the Communion and that under the Name of Memorial or Oblation for no other ends but that the Memorial and Sacrifice of Praise mention'd in it may be understood according to the Popish meaning Bellarmin de Missa Lib. 2. Chap. 21. not of the Spiritual Sacrifice but of the Oblation of the Body of the Lord. The Corporal Presence of Christ's Body is also to be found here for the Words of the Mass-Book serving to this purpose which are not to be found in the Book of England are taken in here Almighty God is incaâ—…'d That of his Almighty Goodness he may vouchsafe so to Bless and sanctifie with his Word and Spirit these Gifts of Bread and Wine that they be unto us the Body and Blood of Christ On the one part the Expressions of the Book of England at the delivery of the Elements Of feeding on Christ by Faith and of Eating and Drinking in Remembrance that Christ died for thee are utterly Deleted To prove that Laud did send this Liturgy to Rome to be approved of Read a Book of Good Credit Entitled New Survey of the West Indies Wrote by a Reverend Divine of the Church of England Mr. Thomas Gage Minister of Deal in Kent 't is in pag. 280. in the Folio Edition He there tells you That being a Fryar he went to Rome with Letters of Recommendation to Cardinal Barbarini the Pope's Nephew Entituled The Protector of England That coming acquainted with Father Fitzherbert of the English Colledge of Jesuits he highly praised Archbishop Laud and said That he not long since sent a Common Prayer Book which he had composed for the Church of Scotland to be first viewed and approved by the Pope and Cardinals and That they liked it very well for Protestants to be Trained up in a Form of Prayer and Service yet the Cardinals first giving him thanks for his Respect sent him word that they thought it was not fitting for Scotland that Father Fitzherbert told him he was Witness of all this being sent for by the Cardinal to give him his Opinion about it and of the Temper of the Scots And that Laud hearing the Censure of the Cardinals concerning his Intention and Form of Prayer to ingratiate himself the more in their Favour Corrected some things in it and made it more harsh and unreasonable for that Nation This Good Man Mr. Gage after he had here related the matter as above expresses himself thus This most True Relation of Archbishop Laud I have oft spoke of in private Discourse and publickly in Preaching and I could not in Conscience omit it here both to vindicate the just Censure of Death whiâ—h the Parliament gave against him and to reprove the ungrounded Opinion and Error of some Ignorant Spirits who have since his Death highly exalted and cryed him up as a Martyr 'T is worthy of Notice that these Passages making Laud to appear a great Villain were by the means of Priest Craft left out of the Impression in Octavo Something like this of Mr. Gage may be found in Bishop Burnet's Memoirs of Duke Hamilton fol. 83. he relates That in the Year 1638. one Abernethy who from a Jesuit turned a zealous Presbyterian spread a story in Scotland which took wonderfully of the Liturgy of that Kingdom being sent to Rome to some Cardinals to be Revised by them and that Seignior Con the Popes Nuncio to the Court of England had shewed it to Abernethy at Rome and though Con denied it afterwards as is pretended yet it doth not follow that what Abernethy asserts was false for
Church for the decoring of it according to their old Custom But withal We do here account still as prohibited all unlawful Games to he used upon Sundays only as Bear and Bull-baitings Interludes and at all times in the meaner sort of People by Law prohibited Bowling And likewise We bar from this Benefit and Liberty all such known Recusants either Men or Women as will abstain from coming to Church or Divine Service being therefore unworthy of any Lawful Recreation after the said Service that will not first come to the Church and serve God Prohibiting in like sort the said Recreations to any that though conform in Religion are not present in the Church at the Ser-Service of God before their going to the said Recreations Our Pleasure likewise is That they to whom it belongeth in Office shall present and sharply punish all such as in Abuse of this Our Liberty will use these Exercises before the ends of all Divine Services for that Day And We likewise straightly Command that every Person shall resort to his own Parish Church to hear Divine Sirvice and each Parish by it self to use the sâ—id Recreation after Divine Service Prohibiting likewise any Offensive Weapons to be carried or used in the said times of Recreations And our Pleasure is That this Our Declaration shall be Published by Order from the Bishop of the Diocess through all the Parish Churches and that both Our Judges of Our Circuit and Our Justices of Our Peace be informed thereof Given at Our Mannor of Greenwich the Four and Twentieth Day of May in the Sixteenth Year of Our Reign of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the One and Fiftieth Here follows King Charles II. Corroborating Declaration to have the Recreations and Sports to be used on the Lord's Day NOW out of a like Pious Care for the Service of God and for suppressing of any Humors that oppose Truth and for the Ease Comfort and Recreation of Our well deserving People Wo do ratifie and publish this our Blessed Father's Declaration The rather because of late in some Counties of Kingdom We find that under pretence of taking away Abuses there hath been a general Forbidding not only of ordinary Meetings but of the Feasts of the Dedication of the Churches commonly called Wakes Now Our express Will and Pleasure is that these Feasts with others shall be observed and that Our Justices of the Peace in their several Divisions shall look to it both that all Disorders there may be prevented or punished and that all Neighbourhood and Freedom with Manlike and Lawful Exercises be used And We farther command Our Justices of Assize in their several Circuits to see that no Man do Trouble or Molest any of Our Loyal and Dutiful People in or for their lawful Recreations having first done their Duty to God and continuing in Obedience to Us and Our Laws And of this We command all Our Judges Justices of the Peace as well within Liberties as without Mayors Bayliffs Constables and other Officers to take notice of and to see observed as they tender Our Displeasure And We farther Will that Publication of this Our Command be made by Order from the Bishops through all the Parish Churches of their several Diocesses respectively Given at Our Palace of Westminster the 18th of October in the Ninth of Our Reign God save the King A true Copy of the Commission said to be given by the King to his Catholick Subjects of Ireland with the Warrant and Deposition annexed From our Camp at Newrie this Fourth of Nov. 1641. Philem. O. Neale Rorie Macguire To all Catholicks of the Romish Party both English and Irish within the Kingdom of Ireland we wish all Happiness Freedom of Conscience and Victory over the English Hereticks who have for a long time Tyrannized over our Bodies and usurped by Extortion our Estates BE it hereby made known unto you all our Friends and Country-men That the King 's most Excellent Majesty for many great and urgent Causes him thereunto moving reposing Trust and Confidence in our Fidelities hath signified unto us by his Commission under the great Seal of Scotland bearing date at Edinburgh the first Day of this Instant October 1641. and also by Letters under his Sign Manuel bearing date with the said Commission of divers great and heinous Affronts that the English Protestants especially the Parliament there have published against his Royal Prerogative and also against our Catholick Friends within the Kingdom of England The Copy of which Commission we have here sent unto you to be published with all Speed in all parts of this Kingdom that you may be assured of our sufficient Warrant and Authority herein The Commission CHARLES by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all Our Catholick Subjects within Our Kingdom of Ireland Greeting Know ye That We for the Safeguard and Preservation of Our Person have been enforced to make Our Abode and Residence in Our Kingdom of Scotland for a long Season occasioned by reason of the Obstinate and Disobedient Carriage of Our Parliament in England against Us who have not only presumed to take upon them the Government and Disposing of those Princely Rights and Prerogatives that have justly descended upon Us from Our Predecessors both Kings and Queens of the said Kingdom for many hundred Years last past but also have possessed themselves of the whole Strength of the said Kingdom in appointing Governours Commanders and Officers in all parts and places therein at their own Wills and Pleasure without Our Consent whereby We are deprived of Our Sovereignty and left naked without Defence And forasmuch as We are in Our self very sensible That those Storms blow aloft and are very likely to be carried by the Vehemency of the Puritan in another Copy Protestant Party into Our Kingdom of Ireland and endanger Our Regal and Authority there also Know ye therefore That We reposing much Care and Trust in your Duties and Obedience which We have for many Years past sound do hereby give unto you full Power and Authority to Assemble and meet together with all the Speed and Diligence that a Business of so great a Consequence doth require and to Advise and Consult together by sufficient and discreet Numbers at all Times Days and Places which you shall in your Judgments hold most Convenient and Material for the Ordering Settleling and Effecting of this Great Work mentioned and directed unto you in Our Letters and to use all politick Ways and Means possible to possess your selves for Our Use and Safety of all the Forts Castles and Places of Strength and Defence within the said Kingdom except the places Persons and Estates of our Loyal and Loving Subjects the Scots and also to Arrest and Seize the Goods Estates and Persons of all the English Protestants within the said Kingdom to Our use and in your care and speedy performance of this Our Will and Pleasure we
of Kings are and who causes the People of the Earth to receive Relief and which we shall always be ready to Favour and Encourage to the utmost of our Power In the mean time be pleas'd to understand by the Contents of this Letter that for Our parts We will omit nothing that may anywise tend to procure your Happiness and that We shall never repent of having writ it if it may be but so efficacious as to raise the least Spark of the Catholick Faith in your Breast whose Benefit we so much desire and to whom We wish long Life and an endless Encrease of all Christian Virtues Given at Rome in the Palace of St. Peter the 20th Day of April 1623 and in the Third Year of Our Pontificat This Letter was deliver'd to the said Prince by the Pope's Nuncio accompany'd by all the Italian Lords who were then at the Court of Spain King CHARLES I's ANSWER Being then PRINCE of WALES TO THE POPE'S LETTER Most Holy Father I Have received Your Holinesse's Letter with infinite satisfaction paying all imaginable respect to the Piety and Good Will with which your Holiness writ it But what has occasion'd me inexpressible Pleasure was to read of the generous exploits of the King 's my Predecessors in whose deserv'd Commendations Posterity hitherto has not been a little Niggardly I am willing to believe Your Holiness set their Example before my Eyes that I might endeavour to imitate them in all my Actions for in truth they have often exposed both themselves and their Dominions for the Exaltation of the Holy See insomuch that their Courage with which they attack'd the Enemies of the Holy Cross has ever approved it self as vigorous as my endeavours shall always be to introduce Peace good Intelligence which have hitherto been so much wanting into Christendom for as the common Enemy of Peace labors incessantly to insult Hatred and Dissention into the hearts of Christian Princes so I am of Opinion that the Glory of God requires indispensably that they should be united and I do not value my self in being descended from so many great Princes on any account so much as in my Unfeigned and true Zeal to pursue the footsteps of their Piety To support me in which design it is no small advantage to me to be back'd by the Will and Pleasure of my most Honour'd Lord and Father and the pious Intention of his Most Catholick Majesty both who are more than ordinarily concern'd to think of the great Calamities that must necessarily proceed from a Disunion among Christian Princes This the unexampled Prudence of Your Holiness has foreseen while you deem'd the Marriage between me and the Infanta of Spain to be so absolutely necessary for the Publick Good and nothing is more certain than that I shall be always most passionately desirous of an Alliance with a Prince who has the same Sentiments of the true Religion with my self wherefore I earnestly beg Your Holiness to believe that I have always been very far from encouraging any Novalties in Religion or from favouring any Faction opposite to the Interest of the Apostolick See but on the contrary have sought after all occasions to take away any suspitions or jealousies I might lie under being resolved to employ the remainder of my Days in the practise of one Religion and one Faith since we ought all to follow alike in Jesus Christ in pursuance whereof I shall for the future avoid no hazards and cheerfully undergo all manner of Inconveniencies even to the Exposing of my Life and Fortune upon an occasion that will undoubtedly be so acceptable and well-pleasing to God Nothing more remains but that I humbly thank Your Holiness for admitting me to this unworthy Address and I also earnestly beseech Almighty God to grant Your Holiness Health in this World and Eternal Happiness in that to come after so many Labours and Fatigues which your Holiness has undergone for the Propagation and Preservation of the Holy True Church Signed CHARLES R. The substance of the Articles of Peace made and concluded with the Irish Papists and Rebels by James Lord Marquess of Ormond for and on the behalf of His Majesty King Charles I. THE Substance of the Proclamation is That whereas the Lord Marquess of Ormond Lord Lieutenant of Ireland by virtue of an Authority given him by King Charles I. had agreed to a Peace on his said Majesties account with the General Assembly of Roman Catholicks of that Kingdom all the Inhabitants are obliged to take Notice thereof and to be Obedient to the same at their Peril Also that the Motives which induced that King to such a Peace were the Benefit and Traffick of his Subjects and to put a stop to the Miseries which they had so long undergone Sign'd Ormond and Dated from the Castle of Kilkenny the 17 th June 1648. The Substance of the Articles are That in consideration of his said Majesties having been acknowledg'd Rightful and Lawful Sovereign by his Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Roman Catholicks of Ireland and for their hearty Proffers of doing him all imaginable service that King was pleas'd to Grant 1. That that they shall have the free Exercise of their Religion without being subject to any Penalties for the same That they shall not be forc'd to receive any other than what is Agreeable to their Conscience That they shall not be oblig'd to take the Oath of Supremacy but only bind themselves to be True and Faithful to the King as their Temporal Lord. Nevertheless the Lord Lieutenant does not pretend to alter the Established State of Spiritualities having no Authority for that purpose but however promises that the said Roman Catholicks shall not be interrupted in any of their Possessions and Jurisdictions till His Majesty upon a full consideration of their desires shall declare his further Pleasure in the next Free Parliament wherein also these gracious Confessions are to be Enacted as Laws 2. That a Free Parliament shall be call'd in Ireland within 6 Months or as soon after as 12 Persons nam'd in this Article or the major part of them shall desire and that in the mean time these Articles shall be inviolably observed as Laws Yet in case a Parliament be not held within 2 Years after the Date hereof then is the Lord Leiutenant at the Request of the said Twelve to Convene the General States for the better settling of Affairs in that Kingdom and that the Contents of these Articles are to be transmitted into England according to the usual Form to be passed in Parliament there and that no Alterations to the prejudice of the King 's Catholicks or Protestant Subjects shall be made either here or there other than what His Majesty shall declare his Pleasure in for the satisfaction of his Subjects or than such Matters as the then Lord Leiutenant shall propose to both or either Houses for the Advancement of His Majesties Service and the Peace of the Kingdom but which must
not in the least intrench on these present Articles Moreover this Parliament may either Repeal or Suspend Poyning's Law which imports that no Parliament shall be held in Ireland till the Acts are first Certify'd into England 3. That all Acts made to the prejudice of the Irish Roman Catholicks since the 7th of August 1641. shall be null and void and that they be vacated accordingly in the next Parliament and in the mean time they have no Force 4. That all Processes in prejudice of the said Roman Catholicks made since the said 7th of August 1641. shall be made void in such manner as no Memory shall remain thereof and this when ever the said Twelve or the major part of them shall desire the same and in the interim they are to be of no Force and what has already been done upon their Account is to be restor'd or made good 5. The Roman Catholicks shall be deem'd qualified to Set in the succeeding Parliaments 6. All Debts are to remain as they were on the 23 d. of October 1641. notwithstanding any Alliance made on account of these Processes and this to be Enacted by the next Parliament 7. That the Estates and reputed Estates of all the Inhabitants of the Counties of Cannought Clare Thomond Limerick and Tipperary be secured to them according to the 25 th Article of the Grant in the 4 th Year of his Majesties Reign to be held by the same Rents and Tenures as they were in the said 4 th Year And as for the Laws in the Counties of Kilkenny and Wickloe to which His Majesty was Entitled by Offices found for him during the Earl of Stafford's Government the State of them is to be considered the next intended Parliament when his Majesty will Assent to what is Just and Honourable and that the Act for limitation of His Majesties Titles for the security of his Subject's Estates in this Kingdom be pass'd in the said Parliament pursuant to what was Enacted in the 21 st Year of James I. in England 8. All Incapacities impos'd on the Irish Catholicks to be taken away in the succeeding Parliament and they enabled to Erect Inns of Court or Free Schools where the Lord Lieutenant in conjuction with the Twelve or the major number of them shall think fit and the Students and Scholars are to take only an Oath of Allegiance this likewise is to be Enacted by the next Parliament 9. Roman Catholicks are to be deem'd qualifi'd for any Trust in the Army and to be prefer'd according to their respective Merits As likewise to be receiv'd into the Civil Government with the like Priviledges also they are to be entrusted with any Garisons in the same manner And that till full settlement in Parliament 15000 Foot and 2500 Horse of the Irish Roman Catholicks shall be of the standing Army which number may be either Augmented or diminish'd by the power of the Lord Lieutenant and the aforesaid Twelve or their Majority as often as they shall see convenient 10. The King is to receive 12000 Pound annually in lieu of whatever profits may accrue to him within the Jurisdiction of the Court of Wards 11. No Noble Man for the future is to be allowed to make above 2 Proxies in Parliament and all Blank Proxies to be totally disallowed Also where a Baron has not 200 Pound per Ann. a Viscount 400 an Earl 600 a Marquiss 800 and a Duke 1000 they shall be disabled to sit in Parliament and the Commons also are to be stated and resident within the Kingdom 12. As for the Parliament of Ireland depending on that of England they are left to make such Declaration therein as shall be agreeable to their Laws of their Kingdom 13. That for the future the Council Table is to be confin'd within its own Bounds and to meddle only with matters of State and Weight other Business between Party and Party is to be left to the Ordinary course of Law 14. Several Acts shall be Repeal'd relating to Wool Flocks Tallow c. and divers Officers appointed by the Lord Lieutenant and the aforesaid Twelve or the majority of them to ascertain the Rates of all Merchandize either to be Exported or Imported 15. All Persons wrong'd by Offices found in the first of King James I. or since in the Province of Ulster and other Provinces of this Kingdom may Petition His Majesty and be Redrest upon Examination 16. That as to the particular cases of 16 Persons nam'd they may Petition in the next Parliament and shall be relieved accordingly 17. The former Inhabitants of Cork Youghall and Downegarven shall be restored to their respective Estates where their Number does not endanger the Garrifons and shall chuse and return Burgesses as formerly 18. An Act of Indemnity to pass in the next Parliament to extend to all His Majesties Loving Subjects of this Kingdom and Pyrates on the Sea except such as have been Convicted or Attainted on Record before the 23 of October 1641. it shall not extend to remit any of the King's Debts or Subsidies due before the said time provided that such Barbarous Crimes as shall be agreed upon by the Lord Lieutenant and the Twelve or the Majority of them be left to be adjudg'd by such Commissioners as the said Lord Lieutenant and the Twelve shall Assign and that the power of such Commissioners be limitted to two Years The other Provisoes are omitted for Brevities sake 19. The great Officers of the Kingdom are excluded from being Farmers of the Customs 20. An Act of Parliament to pass against Monopolies pursuant to that Enacted in England in the 21 st of James I. with a clause to Repeal all Grants of Monopolies Likewise Commissioners to be appointed by the Lord Lieutenant and the Twelve or the majority of them to rate the Customs and Impositions on Aquivita Tobacco c. 21. Commissioners agreed upon by the Lord Lieutenant and the Twelve or their Majority were to regulate the Court of Castle Chamber 22. The two Acts prohibiting the Plowing with Horses by the Tail and the Burning of Oats in the Straw to be Repealâ—d 23. That the Grievances Petition'd for by both Houses of Parliament and by Agents sent for that purpose in the 4 th Year of His Majesties Reign shall be Redressed 24. All Sea Affairs to be determin'd in this Kingdom and in case of Appeal it may be only to the Chancery of Ireland or to the Parliament of this Kingdom and until such a Parliament is the Admiralty and all Maritine Causes are to be ordered and settled by the Lord Lieutenant together with the Advice and Consent of the Twelve or their majority 25. That His Majesties Subjects be eased of all Rents and Encrease of Rents raised by the Commission for defective Titles in the Lord of Stafford's Government This to be by Act of Parliament 26. That by Act to be pass'd in the next Parliament all Interest Money not satisfied since the 23 d. of October 1641. until the
Duximus We resolve to betake our selves to new Counsels The very Words he used to that Parliament in the Year 1628. Further upon the discovery of his Plot to bring up the English Army against the Parliament he turn'd to the Scottish Army then at New Castle and baited his Temptation with a rich Reward not only to have 300000 l. in hand and the spoil of London but four Northern Counties to be made Scotists Moreover to encourage them to joyn with him he Declared to them That he was to have Money and Horse from Denmark and that he would make York the place of his Residence for the better accommodation of both Nations or fuller Revenge upon London He also gathered Men in London under pretence of raising Forces for Portugal who were to possess themselves of the Tower The Queen in Holland was buying Arms and His Majesty had actually raised Forces in divers Counties The Parliament was all this time Petitioning in Peace and for the Reasons now assigned amongst many others They humbly besought him that he would be pleased to put the Tower of London and the Militia into the Hands of such Persons as should be recommended unto him by both Houses of Parliament The King seemed to comply herein and by his Answer promised them That the Militia should be put into such Hands as they should approve of or recommend to him hereupon both Houses nominated Persons of the greatest Honour as fit for that Trust I shall give you the Names of some of them The Earls of Holland Rutland Bedford Bullingbrook Salisbury Warwick Pembrook Leicester Stamford Essex Clare Northumberland Lincoln Suffolk c. Lords Paget North Strange Roberts Grey of Werk Chandois Dacres Mandeville Wharton Spencer Brook Herbert Fielding Littleton Lord Keeper c. Men Eminent in all Qualifications of Honour and Sufficiency were recommended for several Counties and the King was desired to agree thereunto as he had promised upon his delaying to give a satisfactory Answer they again Petition setting forth That nothing could enable them to suppress the Rebellion in Ireland and secure England but the granting of their Humble Petition which they find so absolutely necessary for the preservation of the King and Common-wealth that the Laws of God and Man injoin them to see it put in Execution They followed him to Theobalds and his several removes to York but he having Abdicated the Parliament and being deaf to all their Importunities they declared That there had been of late a most desperate Design upon the House of Commons which they had just cause to believe was an effect of the Bloody Councels of Papists and other evil affected Persons who had already raised a Rebellion in Ireland and by reason of many Discoveries They could not but fear they would proceed not only to stir up the like Rebellion and Insurrection in this Kingdom but also to back them with Forces from Abroad and thereupon both Houses made an Ordinance for the ordering of the Militia of England and Wales there appearing an urgent and inevitable necessity for putting His Majesties Subjects in a posture of Defence for the Safeguard of both His Majesty and his People and they resolved That in this Case of extream danger and of His Majesties Refusal the Ordinance agreed to by both Houses for the Militia doth oblige the People and ought to be obeyed by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom They further about that time Resolved That the King's Absence so far remote from his Parliament was not only an Obstruction but might be a Destruction to the Affairs of Ireland These and many other Reasons that may with the greatest ease be given 't is notoriously manifest That King Charles began and carryed on that Bloody Civil War against his poor Subjects without the least Colour of Reason and Justice for which wicked Acts God justly suffered him to be brought to that shameful and untimely End This King studdying and endeavouring by all ways imaginable as he lived without the Love so he died without the Lamentation of most People but those Villains that had been large instruments in bringing him and his People into that miserable War and Division 25. That after he had taken God to Witness of his readiness to Treat at Uxbridge with the Parliament for avoiding of Blood-shed as pretended he took the advantage of a Mist the fittest Weather for Deceit and Treachery and followed at the Heels those Messengers of Peace with a Train of Covert War and with a Bloody surprise falls on the Parliaments secure Forces which lay Quartering at Brentford in the thoughts and expectation of a Treaty He gives his Reason why he seemed for Peace in a Letter to his Queen which was That She must know as a certain Truth That all even his Party are strongly impatient for a Peace which oblidged him so much the more to shew on all occasions his Intentions to Peace but tells her no danger of Death shall make him do any thing unworthy of her Love An excellent Resolution no doubt for the preserving the Protestant Religion made to his Popish Queen At the very instant of this Treaty which was in 1644. the King used all imaginable meams to bring not only Foreign Forces but the Irish Cut Throats against the Parliament To clear up this point and also to shew how insincere he was in his pretended Intentions of Peace I will briefly present his Underhand Transactions as well with Foreign Princes as those Rebels and in the first place I shall take notice of some passages between Him and the Queen in relation to this and other Treaties In a Letter to Her of January 9 th 1644. he Writes thus The Scots Commissioners have sent to me to send a Commission to their General Assembly Which I am resolved not to do but to the end of making some use of this occasion by sending an honest Man to London and that I may have the more time for a handsome Negative I have demanded a Pasport for Phil. Warwick by whom to return my Answer At another time the same Month He tells Her That as for my calling those a * He had agree to Treat with them as a Parliament the Queen upbraided him for so doing and he thus vindicates himself Parliament if there had been but Two of my Opinion I had not done it the calling did no ways acknowledge them to be a Parliament upon which condition and construction I did it and accordingly it is registred in the Council Books Nothing is more evident than that the King was steered by the Queen's Council in the management of this Uxbridge Treaty and that which is call'd the Church of England The Bishops was greatly her care By Letter in January 1644. before the beginning of that Treaty She instructs him not to abandon those who have served him lest they forsake him in his need that She hopes he will have a care of her and her Religion that in Her Majesties Opinion
Religion should be the last thing upon which he should Treat for if he do agree upon strickness against the Catholicks it would discourage them to serve him and if afterwards there should be no Peace he could never expect succours from Ireland or any other Catholick Prince In another of her Letters we find her writing thus January 17. 1644. It comforts me much to see the Treaty shall be at Uxbridge I received Yesterday Letters from the Duke of Lorrain who sends me word if his service be agreeable to you he will bring 10000 Men. Above all have a care not to abandon those who have served you as well the Bishops as the poor Catholicks By the King's Letters to the Queen in February when the Treaty at Uxbridge was depending He Stiles the Parliament Unreasonable Stubborn Perfidious Rebels presses her to hasten all possible Assistance to him particularly that of the Duke of Lorrain He tells her That the limitted days for treating are now almost expired without the least Agreement upon any one Article wherefore I fend for enlargement of days That the whole Treaty may be laid open to the whole World and I assure thee thou needst not doubt the Issue of this Treaty for my Commissioners are so well chosen though I say it that they will neither be Threatned nor Disputed from the Grounds I have given them which upon my Word Is according to the little Note thou so well remembers Be confident that in making Peace I shall ever shew my Constancy in adhereing to Bishops and all our Friends which could be meant of no other than the Catholicks for the Queen in her Letter before mentioned had given him Charge of both together and not forget to put a short Period to this perpetual Parliament We find in another Letter Dated the 5 th of March expressing himself in these Words I have thought of one means more to furnish Thee with my assistance than hitherto thou hast had it is That I give Thee power to promise in my Name that I will * If this were so good a King Why so much clamour against King James the II. for designing the same thing take away all the Penal Laws against the Roman Catholicks in England as soon as God shall enable me to do it In relation to Ireland he wrote to the Marquess of Ormond to this Effect Jan. 7. The Rebells here have agreed to Treat and most assuredly one of the first and chiefest Articles they will insist on will be To continue the Irish War which is a Point not popular for me to break on of which you are to make a double use First To hasten with all possible diligence the Peace there the timely conclusion of which will take off that Inconvenience which otherwise I may be subject to by the Refufal of that Article upon any other Reason Secondly By dexterous conveying to the Irish the danger there may be of their Total Exclusion from those Favours I intend them in case the Rebells here clap up a Peace Not doubting of a Peace I must again remember you to press the Irish for their speedy Assistance to Me here and their Friends in Scotland I desire that the Irish would send as great a Body as they can to Land about Cumberland which will put those Northern Counties in a brave Condition Upon the 14 th January he Writes thus to the Queen As for the Peace of Ireland to shew Thee the Care I have had of it and Fruits I hope to receive from it I have sent Thee the last Dispatches I have sent concerning it For God's sake let none know the particulars of my Dispatches Some secret piece of Villany against his Protestant Subjects no Doubt that he was so affraid of having it Discovered Another Letter to Her of the 20 th of March hath this Expression I find that thou much mistakes me concerning Ireland I desire nothing more than a Peace there and ever forbid thy Commerce there By another Lettter he commanded Ormond to Dispatch the Irish Peace out of hand and thereby promises that the Penal Laws against the Roman Catholicks Shall not be put in Execution The Peace being made and that when the Irish give him that Assistance which they have promised for the suppression of this Rebellion then he would consent to the Repeal of them by a Law and Concludes Recommending to him again the speedy dispatch of the Peace of Ireland Another Letter to Ormond upon the 27 th of February 1644. was That he thought himself bound in Conscience not to lose that assistance which he might hope from his Irish Subjects for such scruples as in a less pressing condition might reasonably be struck at by him and therefore Commanded him to conclude a Peace with the Irish whatever it cost so that his Protestant Subjects there might be secured and his Regal Authority preserved If the present taking away the Penal Laws against Papists will do it said he I shall not think it a hard Bargin so that freely and vigourously they engage themselves in my Assistance against my Rebells of England and Scotland for which no Conditions can be too hard not being against Conscience or Honour By another Letter to the Marquess of Ormond in the same Month he Writes thus Now again I cannot but mention the necessity of hastning the Irish Peace for which I hope you are already furnished by Me with Materials sufficient But in case against all Expectation and Reason Peace cannot be had upon those Terms you must not by any means fall to a New Rupture with them but continue the Cessation ⸫ There was at this time high Division in London between the Presbyterians and Independants therefore to ruin both by fomenting misunderstandings between them the Independants are to be Cajoled a thing worthy remembrance in all times He wrote to the Duke of Richmond one of his Commissioners for the Uxbridge Treaty To remember to Cajole well the Independants and the Scots nay he instructed Secretary Nicholas to bribe the Commissioners for the Parliament with the promise of Security Rewards and Places Now upon the whole matter let any impartial and unbyassed Person tell me whether he doth not in his Conscience believe that the Parliament were far more sincere in making an Honourable Peace for poor England than this apparently False Popish and tricking King whom the wicked part of Mankind so madly cry up for a Martyr 26. That for many Reasons it was concluded That King Charles had no small share in the abominable Act of Poysoning his own Father King James I. and that Good Man Prince Henry his Son It being very plain divers Parliaments were but short lived if they did but mutter that an Enquiry should be made of their untimely Ends and that the Duke of Buckingham was protected for that and other Villanies And that I may Demonstrate to the World more fully than I have already done in the 6 th Articles That King
after twenty were past there were added fourteen more to them And after that we found divers other neglectful Disappointments that have now taken up two Months compleat Good God Sir How long has that time seemed to those miserable Wretches that have not Bread We know very well the good Inclinations Your Majesty hath for our Weal as also we have had most certain Proofs of the Duke of Buckingham your high Admiral his passionate applying himself for us as also the same of the Lords of your Council but shall we not be excusable if seeing the Effects thereof crossed by all these Delays We entertain Jealousies that Your Majesty is not well served and that there is some secret Hand which clandestingly obstructs that which the Zeal of others endeavours to advance It is ordinary for Men in misery to be suspicious and possibly here we are not injuriously so indeed we do not know any Person on whom to determine our Diffidence nor have we any intention to call to mind any thing that is past may that Sir remain buried in Eternal Oblivion and for the future at least let those to whom Your Majesty shall give your Commands answer so well your kindness to us with their Affection and Diligence that without any farther delay your Fleet may put to Sea and deliver us yet out of the Cruel Arms 〈◊〉 Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Sir upon this occasion you will please to Discern those who serve you Faithfully from other Men if there be any such let Your Majesty be pleased to hold it indubitable that all those who under any pretext whatsoever shall Counsel the least Delayings do it from an ill Intention there being none can pretend ignorance of the dreadful Necessities to which our City is reduced and that one single days delay more may be the cause of its ruine Have therefore some consideration of it we beseech You by the Tears and pitiful Cries of more than Twelve Thousand poor languishing Souls whom Hunger devours and who are all ready to Perish by the Interest of above a Million of others who without doubt will see themselves Buried under our Ruins and who will find the Knife at their Throats the very next day after we are lost By the Glory of your Scepter under the Sanctuary of which we are come to put our selves and which it hath pleased you to tender us for our Security by the Magnificent Title of Defender of the Faith which obligeth Your Majesty to relieve those that are Oppressed for that very Reason in short by the Faith and Word of a King which it hath pleased You of your Grace to Engage us permit not Sir our Innocent Blood to reflect upon your Crown to stain it to Ages that shall succeed us and at present to cry against Your Majesty before God and Man This is that Sir which our Consciences and the Duty we owe to our Afflicted Fellow Citizens oblige us to come and represent a new to Your Majesty in whose Charity Magnanimity Piety and inviolable Fidelity we hawe such Confidence That we assure our selves God will take this in good part and in convenient Consideration And since that all our Supplications tend to make You be pleased to cause your Fleet to set Sail with all possible Diligence and to afford your Presence at Portsmouth where it is so absolutely necessary that without it we can scarce hope for any success We therefore do in all Humility supplicate Your Majesty immediately to put in Execution the Resolution you have taken of going thither and here Sir we fall upon our Knees before Your Majesty with most Ardent Prayer to God that it will please him to make us find more and more Favour in your Sight that even we who now Supplicate You may come again to render to You our most humble and grateful Acknowledgments as to our Great Deliverer from whom next to God we shall hold our Estates Honours and Lives and the memory of so signal a Deliverance we may leave to our Children to the end that they may Celebrate it after us Yet all these Sufferings and the lamentable Estate of the Rochellers nor the sad and pressing Remonstrance of their Deputies enough to melt the Heart of any One but a Cruel faithless Tyrant were Efficatious enough to oblige that Wicked Court to let this third Fleet set sail before September following under the Command of the Earl of Lindsey who arrived before Rochell towards the latter end of the said Month but instead of succouring the City breaking the Digue and opening the Passage to get in Provisions which the King had made them to expect and which they had already almost swallowed in their hopes That Commander had set on Shore the Lord Mountague unknown to the Deputies that were on Board and to the Duke of Soubize who went straight to the French King's Camp where after some Conferences with the Cardinal with whom as was then reported he had concerted the Delivery of the City to the King which was very far from giving it any Succour He went Post for England to give an Account of it to his Master After the English Fleet had been a Month in the Road without doing any thing and without sending the Besieged Army any manner of Victuals which were on Board Then the poor Rochellers who were not able to hold out no longer saw plainly how they were Abused and Betrayed so hereupon they resolved no more to expect the Illusory Succours of the English and the vain Hopes of assistance from them to deliver up the City and whilst the Lord Montague was going for England and to return to the French King with the Effects of his Negotiation they resolve to throw themselves into the Arms of the King their Sovereign in hopes after all by their Repentance for their so long Obstinancy to obtain his Grace and Favour And about the end of October their Agreement was made among themselves and Signed And the first of November the King made Entrance into Rochell where he found the Inhabitants more like Skeletons than Men and Women And this King had more compassion than the hard-hearted Oppressor of England for he was so sensibly touched with that sad Sight that he could not refrain letting fall some Tears On the 5th of November the English Fleet after having been a Month and six days in the Road and seen from thence the Reductien of Rochell to the Obedience of the King set sail carrying a long with them a great party of French as well as Victuals they had brought from England 27. That was an Exorbitant and Outragious T upon the People of Scotland as appears in many particulars to recount some of them Briefly 1. In overturning their Church Government Established by many Acts of Parliament and obtruding upon them Laud's Liturgy and Popish Ceremonies after that wicked Bishop had sent his Liturgy to Rome to be approved there 2. In denying them the undoubted Right of all Subjects to
it is well known that Con being a Jesuit might Lye for the Holy Church If I had time and that this Book would not be too large I could produce very many more instances of King Charles his Tyrannical Oppressing his Subjects of England Scotland and Ireland I shall end this Melancholly Story with the Heads of the many Articles of Mis-government of that Prince viz. His taking Buckingham Laud and many more Evil Counsellors into the highest Favour and being Govern'd by them His Popish Match and Private Articles in favour of Popery His receiving a Letter from the Pope and sending him an Answer calling him most Holy Father c. His Pardoning 20 Popish Priests c. pursuant to the Private Articles of Marriage His most unchristian like Betraying the Isle of Rhee and Rochell a sad Story His plucking up the Root of all Property by taking the Peoples Goods against their Wills and their Liberties against Law His giving Commissions to Try and Execute his Subject by Martial Law His Raising Money by Loans against Law His requiring London and other places to set out Ships for him at their own Charge His Billotting Soldiers many of which were Papists on his poor Subjects His giving Commissions to several Lords to raise Money by way of Excise His ordering his Treasurer to pay 30000 l. to buy a large number of German Horse with Arms both for Horse and Foot to be brought to England against the Parliament His causing Mr. Chambars a Merchant to be fin'd 2000 l. for complaining of the hard Usage the Merchants of England had His oppressing and Imprisoning all Ranks and Orders of Men Unjustly His threatning the House of Commons if they would not give Money His shameful betraying the Palatinate and keeping the Charity of England from them His having without doubt a great Hand in the wicked Irish Rebellion His large Demonstration of his Piety by ordering a Declaration of Sports on the Lord's Day His giving Wicked Arbitrary and Tyrannical Orders Instructions and Commissions to the Earl of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and endeavoured to save him from the Parliaments Just and necessary Prosecution His suffering the Bishops Gauden and Duppa to compose a lying Book call'd Eicon Basilice and to put it out in his Name the better to justify his evil Actions against his People His causing the Star-Chamber and High Commission Courts to be made use of to the great Grievance of the People of England His falsely charging with Treason and unjustly imprisoning the Lord Mandevil Mr. Hollis Mr. Strode and many others and would produce no Witness against them His Tempting and Incouraging his English and Irish Armies to come and Destroy the Parliament His dealing most Basely and Treacherously with the Parliament whilst Treating at Uxbridge His having a hand in the untimely Deaths of King James the First and Prince Henry His being an Exorbitant and Outragious Tyrant upon the People of England Murder will Out OR THE KING'S LETTER JUSTIFYING THE MARQUESS of ANTRIM And declaring That what he did in the Irish Rebellion was by Direction from his Royal Father and Mother and for the Service of the Crown Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord Jer. 2. 12. For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor any thing hid which shall not be known or come abroad Mat. 10. 26. London Printed 1698. IRELAND Aug. 22 d. 1663. Ever Honoured Sir LAST Thursday we came to Tryal with my Lord Marquess of Antrim but according to my Fears which you always surmised to be in vain he was by the King 's Extraordinary and Peremptory LETTER of Favour restored to his Estate as an Innocent Papist We proved Eight Qualifications in the Act of Settlement against him the least of which made him uncapable of being restored as Innocent We proved 1. That he was to have a hand in surprizing the Castle of Dublin in the Year 1641. 2. That he was of the Rebels party before the 15th of September 1643. which we made appear by his hourly and frequent intercourse with Renny O Moore and many others being himself the most notorious of the said Rebels 3. That he entred into the Roman Catholick Confederacy before the Peace in 1643. 4. That he constantly adheard to the Nunctio's Party in opposition to His Majesty's Authority 5. That he sat from time to time in the Supream Council of Kilkenny 6. That he signed that execrable Oath of Association 7. That he was Commissionated and acted as Lieutenant General from the said Assembly at Kilkenny 8. That he declared by several Letters of his own Penning himself in Conjunction with Owen Ro Oneale and a constant Opposer to the several Peaces made by the Lord Leiutenant with the Irish We were seven Hours by the Clock in proving our Evidence against him but at last the King's Letter being opened and read in Court Rainsford one of the Commissioners to us That the King's Letter on his behalf was Evidence without Exception and thereupon declared him to be an Innocent Papist This Cause Sir hath though many Reflections have passed upon the Commissioners before more startled the judgments of all Men than all the Tryals since the beginning of their sitting and it is very strange and wonderful to all of the Long Robe that the King should give such a Letter having divested himself of that Authority and reposed the Trust in the Commissioners for that Purpose And likewise it is admired that the Commissioners having taken solmn Oaths To execute nothing but according to and in pursuance of the Act of Settlement should barely upon His Majesty's Letter declare the Marquess Innocent To be short there never was so great a Rebel that had so much favour from so good a King And it is very evident to me though young and scarce yet brought upon the Stage that the consequence of these things will be very bad and if God of his extraordinary Mercy do not prevent it War and if possible greater Judgments cannot be far from us where Vice is Patroniz'd and Antrim a Rebel upon Record and so lately and clearly proved one should have no other colour for his Actions but the King 's own Letter which takes all Imputations from Antrim and lays them totally upon his own Father Sir I shall by the next if possible send you over one of our Briefs against my Lord by some Friend It 's too large for a Pacquet it being no less in bulk than a Book of Martyrs I have no more at present but refer you to the King's Letter hereto annexed CHARLES R. RIght Trusty and well-beloved Cousins and Counsellors c. We greet you well How far We have been from interposing on the behalf of any of Our Irish Subjects who by their miscarriages in the late Rebellion in that Kingdom of Ireland had made themselves unworthy of Our Grace and Protection is notorious to all Men and
strict Inquisition into his Actions declare unto you That We do find him Innocent from any Malice or Rebellious Purpose against the Crown and that what he did by way of Correspondence or Compliance with the Irish Rebels was in order to the Service of Our Royal Father and warranted by his Instructions and the Trust reposed in him and that the benefit thereof accrued to the Service of the Crown and not to the particular advantage and benefit of the Marquess And as We cannot in justice deny him this Testimony so We require You to transmit Our Letter to Our Commissioners that they may know Our Judgments in this Case of the Lord of Antrims and proceed accordingly And so We bid you heartily farewel Given at Our Court at White-Hall July 10. in the 15 th Year of our Reign 1663. By His Majesty's Command HENRY BENNET Entred at the Signet-Office July 13. 1663. To Our Right Trusty and Right entirely Well-beloved Cousin and Counsellor James Duke of Ormond Our Lieutenant General and General Governour of Our Kingdom of Ireland and to the Lords of Our Council of that Our Kingdom King Charles I. his Order to the Archbishop of Canterbury for Printing his Declaration concerning Sports on Sundays CHARLES R. Canterbury See that Our Declaration concerning Recreations on the Lord's Day after Evening Prayer be Printed The KING'S Majesties Declaration to His Subjects concerning Lawful SPORTS to be Used By the KING OUR Dear Father of Blessed Memory in his return from Scotland coming through Lancashire found that his Subjects were debarred from Lawful Recreations upon Sundays after Evening Prayers ended and upon Holy Days And He prudently considered that if these times were taken from them the meaner sort who labour hard all the Week should have no Recreations at all to refresh their Spirits And after his return he farther saw that his Loyal Subjects in all other parts of his Kingdom did suffer in the same kind though perhaps not in the same Degree And did therefore in his Princely Wisdom Publish a Declaration to all his loving Subjects concerning Lawful Sports to be used at such times which was Printed and Published by his Royal Commandment in the Year 1618. in the Tenor which hereafter Followeth By the KING WHereas upon Our return the last Year out of Scotland We did publish Our Pleasure touching the Recreations of Our People in those parts under Our Hand for some Causes Us thereunto moving We have thought good to Command these Our Directions then given in Lancashire with a few Words thereunto added and most appliable to these parts of Our Realms to be Published to all Our Subjects Whereas We did justly in Our Progress through Lancashire Rebuke some Puritanes and precise People and took order that the like unlawful Carriage should not be used by any of them hereafter in the prohibiting and unlawful Punishing of Our Good People for using their Lawful Recreations and Honest Exercises upon Sundays and other Holy-days after the Afternoon Sermon or Service We now find that two sorts of People wherewith that Country is much infected We mean Papists and Puritans have Maliciously traduced and calumniated those Our just and Honourable Proceedings And therefore lest Our Reputation might upon the one side though innocently have some Aspersion laid upon it and that upon the other part Our Good People in that Country be misled by the mistaking and misinterpretation of Our meaning We have therefore thought good hereby to clear and make Our Pleasure to be manifested to all Our Good People in those parts It is true that at Our first entry to this Crown and Kingdom We were informed and that too truly that Our County of Lancashire abounded more in Popish Recusants than any County of England and thus hath still continued since to Our great Regret with little amendment save that now of late in Our last riding through Our said County We find both by the Report of the Judges and of the Bishop of that Diocses that there is some Amendment now daily beginning which is no â—…all Contentment to Us. The report of this growing Amendment amongst them made Us the more sorry when with Our own Ears We heard the general Complaint of Our People that they were barred from all Lawful Recreation and Exercise upon the Sundays Afternoon after the ending of all Divine Service which cannot but produce two Evils The one the hindering of the Conversion of many whom their Priests will take occasion hereby to vex perswading them that no honest Mirth or Recreation is Lawful or Tolerable in Our Religion which cannot but breed a great Discontentment in Our Peoples Hearts especially of such as are peradventure upon the point of Turning The other Inconvenience is that this Prohibition barreth the common and meaner sort of People from using such Exercise as may make their Bodies more able for War when We or Our Successors shall have occasion to use them And in place thereof sets up filthy Tiplings and Drunkenness and breeds a number of idle and discontented Speeches in their Ale-houses For when shall the Common People have leave to Exercise if not upon the Sundays and Holidays seeing they must apply their Labour and win their Living in all Working Days Our express Pleasure therefore is that the Laws of Our Kingdom and Cannons of Our Church be as well observed in that County as in all other Places of this Our Kingdom And on the other part that no Lawful Recreation shall be barred to Our Good People which shall not tend to the breach of Our aforesaid Laws and Cannons of Our Church Which to express more particularly Our Pleasure is That the Bishop and all other Inferiour Church-men and Church-wardens shall for their parts be careful and diligent both to instruct the Ignorant and Convince and Reform them that are misled in Religion presenting them that will not Conform themselves but obstinately stand out to Our Judges and Justices Whom We likewise Command to put the Law in due Execution against them Our Pleasure likewise is That the Bishop of that Diocess take the like straight Order with all the Puritanes and Precisians within the same either constraining them to Conform themselves or to leave the County according to the Laws of Our Kingdom and Cannons of Our Church and so to strike equally on both Hands against the Contemners of Our Authority and Adversaries of Our Church And as for Our Good Peoples Lawful Recreation our Pleasure likewise is That after the end of Divine Service Our Good People be not disturbed letted or discouraged from any Lawful Recreation such as Dancing either Men or Women Archery for Men Leaping Vaulting or any other such harmless Recreation nor from having of May-Games Whitson-Ales and Morris-Dances and the setting up of May-Poles and other Sports therewith used so as the same be had in due and convenient time without impediment or neglect of Divine Service And that Women shall have leave to carry Rushes to the
shall perceive your wonted Duty and Allegiance unto Us which We shall accept and reward in due time Witness Our self at Edinburgh the first day of October in the Seventeenth Year of Our Reign More of these secret Intreagues of King Charles the First and Second you will find in a Book Entituled Great Britain's Miseries in a short History of the manifold Difficulties this Kingdom has laboured under these 40 Years last past A LETTER From Pope Gregory XVth to Charles Steward Prince of Wales and since King of England during the time of his being in Spain As likewise the said Prince's Answer Both taken out of the History of England at the Pages 1162 1163 1164. Written by the Sieur Andrew du Chesne being the Third Edition printed at Paris in the Year 1641 by William Loyson at the Pallace in the Middle of the Prisoners Gallery and which are also to be met with in the French Mercury of the Year 1623 when these Letters were Written both which the said King never Disown'd Most Noble Prince AFter wishing you all immaginable Health and the Illumination of Gods Divine Grace We give you to Understand That whereas Great Britain has always abounded in Virtues and in Persons of singular Merit and Esteem and consequently fill'd both Worlds with the Glory of its Renown so she has also very frequently exacted the Consideration and Commendation of the Apostolick See And indeed the Holy Church was but yet in its Infancy when the King of Kings pitch'd upon it for the Portion of his Inheritance and which he did with so great Zeal and Affection that scarce the Roman Eagles got possession of it before the Cross And we may withal Observe that many of its Kings likewise being instructed in the surest means of their Salvation have all along prefer'd the Holy Cross to the Regal Scepter and the Doctrine of Religion either to Ambition or Covetousness transmitting thereby Examples of Piety both to foreign Nations and Posterity So that having sufficiently merited in Heaven the Privileges and Preeminences of Beatitude they have also Obtain'd on Earth the Triumphal Ornaments of never-dying Sanctity And now altho' the Church of England has for some time been born and seperated from the true Catholick Faith yet at the same time we perceive the Court of Great Britain adorn'd and embellish'd with so many Moral Virtues that we cannot but be encourag'd in our Love towards her and should Acknowledge her as one of the chiefest Ornaments of the Christian Name provided she were but Qualify'd and Influenc'd with the Orthodox and Universal Truth For which reason and so much the rather as we have the deepest Sence of and the sincerest Respect for the Glory of your most Serene Father and your own great Natural Abilities so we heartily and passionately desire that the Gates of Heaven may be set open to you and the Tenets of the True Church be receiv'd by you Moreover whereas Gregory the Great Our Glorious Predecessor of most pious Memory first taught the People of your Nation to obey the Law of the Gospel and to submit to the Apostolic Authority so we tho' Inferiour to him both in Piety and Virtue yet of the same Name and Dignity with him do think it but reasonable that we follow his holy Steps and endeavour to procure the Salvation of your Country especially at thsi Juncture when your happy Intentions Most Noble Prince have rais'd in us hopes of a successful Event Therefore as you are at present at the Court of the most Catholick King with Inclinations to make an Alliance with the House of Austria we cannot but extreamly commend Your Design and the rather by reason that we are satisfy'd that your principal end in it is the promoting the Advantage of our Supream Prelacy and Dignity For since you seem so earnestly to desire the Infanta of Spain in Marriage we may easily infer that in all probabily the ancient seeds of Christian Piety which have formerly flourish'd so prosperously in the Hearts of the Kings of Great Britain may revive and recover their pristine Glory in you and we cannot think that he who professes so sincere an esteem for such an Alliance should be an Enemy to the Catholick Religion or be ever enclin'd to molest the Holy See In pursuance whereof we have commanded continual and most humble Orations to be put up to the Father of Mercies that it would please his Divine Goodness to establish you as the blooming Flower of Christendom and the Sole Hopes of Great Britain in the Throne of your Noble Ancestors who for the most part have all made it their chiefest Business to Assert the Authority of the Soveraign Pontificat and to combat the Monsters of Heresy Propose to Yourself the Modells of former Ages inspect the Behaviour of your Fore-fathers and they will shew you what Method you are to take to get the Throne of Bliss and what Policy Temporal Princes have always made use of to inherit an Eternal Kingdom Behold your gloriours Predecessors Enthron'd above Who formerly waited on by Angels went to Rome to Honour and do Homage to the Lord of Lords and to the Successors of his Holy Apostle St. Peter Their Works and Examples are of so many Voices whereby God Exhorts you to imitate their Lives to whose Empire you shall one day arrive Is it possible that you can suffer the Hereticks to Profane and Condemn those Holy Men whom the Faith of the Church enjoyns us to believe to Reign above the Clouds with Jesus Christ and to have command and Authority over all the Principalities and Potentates of the Earth See these blessed Saints stretch out their Arms to Conduct you safe to the Court of this most Catholick King and behold with what Ardour they desire to lead you to the Bosom of the Mother-Church That Church which is often suppliant with inexpressible Agonies before the Throne of Almighty Wisdom for your Reformation and Safety and which even now tenders its Apostolick Charity with all imaginable Christian Affection to receive you to her self You that are her Darling Son You that are her most desir'd tho' hitherto her too misguided Off-spring Certainly you can never be more Obliging to the Christian State than to put the Prince of Apostles into the possession of your most noble Island which has almost all along hitherto approv'd its self the most potent Arbiter both of Church and State The most glorious Work will the easier be Effected if you first shew an Example by Opening to God that knocks at the Door of your Heart and wherein consist the Absolute Happiness and Salvation of this Kingdom This is so great Charity occasions us to desire that You and your most Serene Father should be qualify'd with the glorious Titles of Deliverers and Restorers of the Ancient and Paternal Religion of Great Britain which we hope may be speedily Effected by means of the great Power and Goodness of God in whose Hands the Hearts