Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	house_n	majesty_n	time_n	1,776	5	3.6807	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37777	The declaration or remonstrance of the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled with divers depositions and letters thereunto annexed.; Remonstrance of the state of the kingdome, agreed on by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, May 19, 1642	England and Wales. Parliament.; Astley, Jacob Astley, Baron, 1579-1652.; Ballard, Thomas, Lieutenant Colonel to the Lord Grandison.; Chudleigh, James, d. 1643.; Conyers, John, Sir.; Goring, George Goring, Baron, 1608-1657.; Hunks, Fulk, Sir.; Lanyon, John.; Legge,William, 1609?-1670.; O'Connolly, Owen.; Percy, Henry, Baron Percy of Alnwick, d. 1659.; Vavasour, William, Sir, d. 1659.	1642 (1642)	Wing E1517; ESTC R3809	41,214	58

THE DECLARATION OR REMONSTRANCE OF The Lords and Commons in PARLIAMENT assembled With divers depositions and Letters thereunto annexed Die Jovis 19. Maii. 1642. It is this day ordered by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled that this Declaration together with the Depositions shall be forthwith printed and published Jo Browne Cleric Parliamen LONDON Printed for Joseph Hunscott and John Wright 1642. A DECLARATION OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT THe infinite mercy and providence of the Almighty God hath been aboundantly manifested since the beginning of this Parliament in great variety of protections and blessings whereby hee hath not onely delivered us from many wicked Plots and designes which if they had taken effect would have brought ruine and destruction upon this Kingdome but out of those attempts hath produced divers evident and remarkable advantages to the furtherance of those services which we have beene desirous to performe to our Soveraigne Lord the King and to this Church and State in providing for the publique peace and prosperity of his Majesty and all his Realmes which in the presence of the same all-seeing deity we protest to have been and still to be the onely end of all our counsells and endeavours wherein we have resolved to continue freed and inlarged from all private aimes personall respects or passions whatsoever In which resolution we are something discouraged although the heads of the malignant party disappointed of that prey the Religion and liberty of this Kingdome which they were ready to seise upon and devour before the beginning of this Parliament have still persisted by new practises both of force and subtility to recover the same againe for which purpose they have made severall attempts for the bringing up of the Army they afterwards projected the false accusation of the Lord Kimbolton and the five members of the House of Commons which being in it selfe of an odious nature they yet so farre prevailed with his Majesty as to procure him to take it upon himselfe but when the unchangeable duty and faithfulnesse of the Parliament could not bee wrought upon by such a fact as that to withdraw any part of their reverence and obedience from his Majesty they have with much art and industry advised his Majestie to suffer divers unjust scandalls and imputations upon the Parliament to be published in his name whereby they might make it odious to the people and by their helpe to destroy that which hitherto hath been the onely meanes of their owne preservation For this purpose they have drawn his Majesty into the Northerne parts far from the Parliament that so false rumours might have time to get credit and the ●ust defences of the Parliament finde a more tedious difficult and disadvantagious accesse after those false imputations and slanders had been first rooted in the apprehension of his Majesty and his Subjects which the more speedily to effect they have caused a Presse to be transported to Yorke from whence severall papers and writings of that kinde are conveyed to all parts of the Kingdome without the authority of the great seale in an unusuall and illegall manner and without the advice of his Majesties Privy Counsell from the greater and better part whereof having withdrawne himselfe aswell as from his great Councell of parliament he is thereby exposed to the wicked and unfaithfull councells of such as have made the wisdome and justice of the Parliament dangerous to themselves and this danger they labour to prevent by hiding their owne guilt under the name and shadow of the King infusing into him their owne feares and asmuch as in them lies aspersing his royall person and honour with their owne infamy from both which it hath alwayes been as much the care as it is the duty of the Parliament to preserve his Majesty and to fix the guilt of all evill act●ons and counsells upon those who have been the authors of them Amongst divers writings of this kinde wee the Lords and Commons in Parliament have taken into our consideration two printed papers the first containing a declaration which they received from his Majestie in answer of that which was presented to his Majesty from both Houses of Parliament at Newmarket the ninth of March 1641. The other his Majesties answer to the petition of both Houses presented to his Majesty at Yorke the 26 of March 1642. Both which are filled with harsh censures and causelesse charges upon the Parliament concerning which we hold it necessary to give satisfaction to the Kingdome seeing we find it very difficult to satisfy his Majesty who to our great griefe we have found to be so ingaged to and possessed by those misapprehensions which evill counsellors have wrought in him that our most humble and faithfull Remonstrances have rather irritated and imbittered then any thing allayed or mitigated the sharpe expressions which his Majesty hath been pleased to make in answer unto them for the manifestation whereof and of our owne innocency wee desire that all his Majesties loving Subjects may take notice of these particulars We know no occasion given by us which might move his Majesty to tell us that in our declaration presented at Newmarket there were some expressions different from the usuall language to Princes Neither did we tell his Maiesty either in words or in effect that if he did not joyne with us in an Act which his Maiesty conceived might prove prejudiciall and dangerous to himselfe and the whole kingdome we would make a Law without him and impose it upon the people That which we desired was that in regard of the imminent danger of the Kingdome the Militia for the security of his Majesty and his people might be put under the command of such noble and faithfull persons as they had all cause to confide in and such was the necessity of this preservation that we declared that if his Majesty should refuse to joyne with us therein the two Houses of Parliament being the supreame Court and highest councell of the Kingdome were enabled by their owne authority to provide for the repulsing of such imminent and evident danger not by any new Law of their owne making as hath been untruly suggested to his Majesty but by the most antient Law of this Kingdom even that which is fundamentall and essentiall to the constitution and subsistance of it Although we never desired to encourage his Majesty to such replies as might produce any contestation betwixt him and his Parliament of which wee ●ever found better effect then losse of time and hindrance of the publique affaires Yet We have beene farre from telling him of how little value his words would be with us much lesse when they are accompanied with actions of Love and Justice His Majesty hath more reason to finde fault with those wicked counsellours who have so often bereaved him of the honour and his people of the fruit of many gracious Speeches which hee made to them such as those in the end of the last parliament

nor doubt the Houses would have beene as forward to joyne in an order for the suppressi●g of such Tumults as they were not long before upon another occasion when they made an order to that purpose Whereas those Officers and Souldiers which committed that violence upon so many of the Citizens at Whitehall were cherisht and fostred in his Majesties House and when not long after the Common Councel of London presented a Petition to his Majesty for reparation of those injuries his Majesties Answer was without hearing the proofe of the complainants that if any Citizen were wounded or ill intreated his Majesty was confidently assured that it happened by their owne evill and corrupt demeanors We hope it cannot be thought contrary to the du●y and wisedome of a Parliament if many concurring and frequently reitterated and renewed advertizements from Rome Venice Paris and other parts if the solicitation of the Popes Nuntio and our owne discontented fugitives doe make us jealous and watchfull for the safety of the State And We have beene very carefull to make our expressions thereof so easie and so plaine to the capacity and understanding of the people that nothing might justly stick with them with reflection upon the Person of his Majesty Wherein We appeale to the judgement of any indifferent person who shall read and peruse our owne Words We must maintaine the ground of our feares to be of that moment that We cannot discharge the trust and duty which lyes upon us unlesse Wee doe apply our selves to the use of those meanes to which the Law hath enabled us in cases of this nature for the necessary defence of the Kingdom and as his Majesty doth graciously declare the Law shall be the Measure of his power so doe We most heartily professe that We shall alwayes make it the rule of our obedience Prudent omissions in the Answer The next poynt of our Declaration was with much caution artificially passed over by him who drew his Majesties Answer it being indeed the foundation of all our misery and his Majesties trouble that he is pleased to heare generall taxes upon his Parliament without any particular charge to which they may give satisfaction that he hath often conceived displeasure against particular persons upon misinformation although those informations have bin clearly proved to be false yet he would never bring the accusers to question which layeth an impossibility upon honest men of clearing themselves and gives incouragement unto false and unworthy persons to trouble him with untrue and groundlesse informations Three particulars we mentioned in our Declaration which the Penner of that Answer had good cause to omit the words supposed to be spoken at Kensington the pretended Articles against the Queen and the groundlesse accusation of the six Members of the Parliament there being nothing to be said in defence or deniall of any of them Concerning his M●●●sties desire to ioyne with his Parliament and with his faithfull Subiects in defence of Religion and publike good of the Kingdome we doubt not but he will doe it fully when evill Counsellors shall be removed from about him until that be as we shewed before of words so must we also say of Law●● that they cannot secure us witnesse the Petition of Right which was followed with such an inundation of illegall taxes that we had ●ust cause to thinke that the payment of eight hundred and twenty thousand pounds was an easie burthen to the Common-wealth in exchange of them and we cannot but iustly thinke that if there be a continuance of such ill Cou●sel●ors and favour to them they will by some wicked device or other make the Bill for the Trien 〈…〉 Parliament and those other excellent Lawes mentioned in his Maiesties Declaration of lesse value then words That excellent Bill for the continuance of this Parliament was so necessary that without it we could not have raised so great sums of mony for the 〈◊〉 of his Ma●esty the Common-wealth as we have don● and without which the ruine and destruction of the Kingdom must needs have followed And we are resolved the gracious favour of his Maiesty expressed in that Bill and the advantage and security which thereby we have from being dissolved shall not incourage us to doe any thing which otherwise had not beene fit to have beene done And we are ready to make it good before all the world that although his Maiesty hath passed man● Bills very advantagious for the Subject yet in none of them have we bereaved his Maiesty of any iust necessary or profitable Prerogative of the Crowne We so earnestly desire his Maiesties returne to London that upon it we conceive depends the very safety and being of both his Kingdomes And therefore we must protest that as for the time past neither the government of London nor any Lawes of the Land have lost their life and force for his security So for the future we shall be ready to doe or say anything that nay stand with the duty or honour of a Parliament which may raise a mutuall confidence betwixt his Maiesty and us as wee doe wish and as the affaires of the Kingdome doe require Thus far the Answer to that which is called his Maiesties Declaration hath led us now we come to that which is Intituled his Maiesties Answer to the Petition of both Houses presented to him at Yorke the 26 of March 1642. In the beginning whereof his Maiesty wisheth that 〈◊〉 Privileges on all parts wee so Stired that this way of correspondency might be preserved with that freedome which hath beene used of old we know nothing introduced by us that gives any impediment hereunto neither have we affirmed our Priviledges to be broken when his Maiesty denies us any thing or gives a reason why he cannot grant it or that those who advised such denyall were enemies to the peace of the Kingdome and favourers of the Irish Rebellion in which aspersion that is turned into a general asersion which in our Votes is applyed to a particular case wherefore we must maintaine our Votes that those who advised his Maiesty to contradict that which in both Houses in the Question concernig the Militia had declared to be Law and command it should not be obeyed is a high breach of priviledge and that those who advised his Maiesty to absent himselfe from his Parliament are enemies to the peace of the Kingdome and iustly to be suspected to be favourers of the Rebellion in Ireland the reasons of both are evident because in the first there is as great a derogation from the trust and authority of Parliament and in the second as much advantage to the proceedings and hopes of the Rebels as may be and we hold it a very causelesse imputation upon the Parliament that we have herein any way impeacht much lesse taken away the freedome of his Majesties Vote which doth not import a liberty for his Majesty to deny any thing how necessary soever for the

preservation of the Kingdome much lesse a Licence to evill Counsellors to advise any thing though never so destructive to his Majesty and his people By the Message of the twentieth of Ianuary his Majesty did propound to both Houses of Parliament that they would with all speed fall into a serious consideration of all those particulars which they thoght necessary as well for the upholding and maintaining his Majesties just and Regall authority and for the setling his Revenue as for the present and future establishing our Priviledges the free and quiet enjoying our estates the Liberties of our Persons the security of the true Religion professed in the Church of England and the setling of Ceremonies in such a manner as may take away all just offence and to dig●st it into one entire body To that point of upholding and maintaining his Royall authority We say nothing hath been done to the prejudice of it that should require any new provision To the other of setling the revenue the Parliament hath no way abridged or disordered his just revenue but it is true that much wast and confusion of his Majesties estate hath beene made by those evill and unfaithfull Ministers whom he hath imployed in the managing of it whereby his owne ordinary expences would have beene disappointed and the safety of the Kingdome more endangered if the Parliament had not in some measure provided for his Household and for some of the Forts more then they were bound to doe and they are still willing to settle such a revenue upon his Majestie as may make him live Royally plentifully and safely but they cannot in wisdome and fidelity to the Common-Wealth doe this till he shall chuse such Counsellours and Officers as may order and dispose it to the pablicke good and not apply it to the ruine and destruction of his people as heretofore it hath beene but this and the other matters concerning Our selves being workes of great importance and full of intricacie will require so long a time of deliberation that the Kingdome might be ruined before Wee should effect them wherefore We thought it necessary first to be suitors to his Majestie so to order the Militia that the Kingdome being secured Wee might with more case and safety apply our selves to debate of that Message wherein We have beene interrupted by his Majesties denyal of the Ordinance concerning the same because it would have beene in vaine for Us to labour in other things and in the meane time to leave our selves naked to the malice of so many enemies both at home and abroad yet We have not beene altogether negligent of those things which his Majestie is pleased to propound in that Message We have agreed upon a Booke of Rates in a larger Proportion then hath beene granted to any of his Majesties Predecessors which is a considerable support of his Majesties publicke charge and have likewise prepared divers Propositions and Bills for preservation of our Religion and liberties whi●h Wee intend shortly to present to his Majestie and to doe whatsoever is fit for Us to make up this unpleasant breach betwixt his Majestie and the Parliament Whereas divers exceptions are here taken concerning the Militia first that his Majestie never denyed the thing but accepted the persons except for Corporations onely that hee denyed the way to which We answer that that exception takes off London and all other great Townes and Cities which makes a great part of the Kingdome and for the way of Ordinance it is antient more speedy more easily alterable and in all these and other respects more proper and more applicable to the present occasion then a Bil which his Majestie cals the only good old way of imposing upon the subjects It should seeme that neither his Majesties Royall Predecessors nor our Ancestors have heretofore beene of that opinion 37 Ed. 3. Wee find this Record the Chauncelour made declaration of the Challenge of the Parliament the King desires to know the griefes of his Subjects and to redresse inormities The last day of the Parliament the King demanded of the whole Estates whether they would have such things as they agreed on by way of Ordinance or Statute who Answeared by way of Ordinance for that they might amend the same at their pleasures and so it was But his Majestie objects further that there is somewhat in the preface to which he could not consent with Justice to his honour and innocence and that thereby he is excluded from any power in the disposing of it these objections may seeme somewhat but indeed will appeare nothing when it shall be considered that nothing in the Preamble layes any charge upon his Majestie or in the body of the Ordinance that excludes his Royall Authority in the disposing or execution of it But onely it is provided that it should be signified by both Houses of Parliament as that channell through which it will be best derived and most certainely to those ends for which it is intended and let all the world judge whether Wee have not reason to insist upon it that the strength of the Kingdome should rather be ordered according to the direction or advice of the great Councell of the Land equally intrusted by the King and by the Kingdome then that the safety of the King Parliament and Kingdome should bee left at the devotion of a few unknowne Counsellours many of them not intrusted at all by the King in any publike way nor at all confided in by the Kingdome We wish the danger were not imminent or not still continuing but cannot conceive that the long time spent in this debate is evidence sufficient that there was no such necessity or danger but a Bill might easilie have bin prepared for when many causes doe concurre to the danger of a State the interruption of any one may hinder the execution of the rest and yet the designe be still kept on foot for better oportunities who knowes whether the ill successe of the Rebels in Ireland hath not hindred the insurrection of the Papists here whether the preservation of the six Members of the Parliament falsely accused hath not prevented that plot of the breaking the neck of the Parliament of which wee were informed from France not long before they were accused yet since his Maiesty hath bin pleased to expresse his pleasure rather for a Bill then an Ordinance and that he sent in one for that purpose wee readily entertained it and with some small and necessary alterations speedily passed the same But contrary to the custome of Parliament and our expectation grounded upon his Maiesties owne invitation of us to that way and the other reasons manifested in our Declaration concerning the Mili●ia of the fifth of May insteed of his Royall assent we met with an absolute refusall If the matter of these our Votes 15 and 16 of March be according to Law we hope his Maiestie will allow the Subiects to be bound by them because he hath said he

will make the Law the Rule of his Power and if the question be whether that bee Law which the Lords and Commons have once declared to be so who shall be the Iudge Not his Maiesty for the King iudgeth not of matters of Law but by his Courts and his Courts though sitting by his authority expect not his Assent in matters of Law not any other Courts for they cannot Iudge in that case because they are Inferiour no appeale lying to them from Parliament the Iudgement whereof is in the eye of the Law the Kings Iudgement in his highest Court though the King in his person be neither present nor assenting thereunto The Votes at which his Maiesty takes exceptions are these I. That the Kings absence so far remote from the Parliament is not onely an obstruction but may be a destruction to the Affairs of Ireland II. That when the Lords and Commons shall declare what the Law of the Land is to have this not onely questioned and controverted but contradicted and a command that it should not be obeyed is a high breach of the priviledge of Parliament III. That those persons that advised his Maiesty to absent himselfe from the Parliament are enemies to the Peace of the Kingdome and iustly may be suspected to be favourers of the Rebellion in Ireland That the Kingdome hath bin of late and still is in so eminent danger both from enemies abroad and a Popish and discontented partie at home that there is an urgent and inevitable necessity of putting his Maiesties subiects into a posture of defence for the safeguard both of his Maiesty and his people That the Lords and Commons fully apprehending this danger and being sensible of their owne duty to provide a sutable prevention have in severall Petitions addressed themselves to his Maiesty for the ordering and disposing the Mi●itia of the Kingdome in such a way as was agreed upon by the wisedome 〈…〉 House to be most effectuall and proper for the present exigents of the Kingdome yet could not obtaine it but his Maiestie did severall times refuse to give his Royall Assent thereunto That in this case of extreame danger and his Maiesties refusall the Ordinance of Parliament agreed upon by both Houses for the Militia doth obliege the people and ought to be obeyed ny the fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome By all which it doth appeare that there is no Colour of this Ta● that we goe about to introduce a new Law much lesse to exercise an arbitrary power but indeed to prevent it for this Law is as old as the Kingdome That the Kingdome must not be without a mean●s to preserve it selfe which that it may be done without confusion this Nation hath intrusted certaine hands with a Power to provide in an orderly and regular way for the good and safety of the whole which power by the Constitution of this Kingdome is in his Maiesty and in his Parliament together yet since the Prince being but one person is more subiect to a●cidents of nature and chance whereby the Common-Wealth may b●e deprived of the fruit of that trust which was in part reposed in him in cases of such necessity that the Kingdome may not bee inforced presently to returne to its first principle and every man left to do what i● aright in his own eye without either guide or rule The Wis●dome of this State hath intrusted the Houses of Parliament with a power to supply what shall be wanting on the part of the Prince as is evident by the constant custome and practice thereof in cases of nonage naturall disability and captivity and the like reason doth and must hold for the exercise of the same power in such cases where the Royall trust cannot be or is not discharged and that the Kingdome runs an evident and imminent danger therby which danger having beene declared by the Lords and Commons in Parliament there needs not the authority of any person or Court to affirme nor is it in the power of any person or Court to revoke that judgement We know the King hath wayes enough in his ordinary Courts of justice to punish such seditious Pamphlets and Sermons as are any way prejudiciall to his Rights Honour authority and if any of them have beene so insolently violated and vilified his Majesties owne Councell and Officers have been too blame and not the Parliament we never did restraine any proceedings of that kind in other Courts nor refuse any fit complaint to us The Protestation Protested was referred by the Commons House to a Committee and the Author being not produced the Printer committed to prison and the Booke voted by that Committee to be burnt but Sir Edward Dcering who was to make that report of the Votes of that Committee neglected to make it The Apprentizes Protestation was never complained of but the other seditious Pamphlet To your Tents oh Israel was once questioned and the full prosecution of it was not interrupted by any fault of either House whose forwardnesse to doe his Majesty all right therein may plainely appeare in that a Committee of Lords and Commons was purposely appoynted to take such informations as the Kings Councell should present concerning seditious words practises or tumults Pamphelets or Sermons tending to the derogation of his Majesties Rights or Prerogative and his Councell were enjoyned by that Committee to enquire and present them who severall times met thereupon and received this Answer and Declaration from the Kings Councell that they knew of no such thing as yet If his Majesty had used the service of such a one in penning this Answer who understood the Lawes and government of this Kingdome hee would not have thought it legally in his power to deny his Parliament a guard when they stood in need of it since everie ordinary Court hath it neither would his Majestie if he had beene well informed of the Lawes have refused a guard as they desired it being in the power of inferior Courts to command their owne guard neither would he have imposed upon them such a guard under a Commander which they could not confide in which is clearely against the Priviledges of Parliament and of which they found very dangerous effects and therefore desired to have it discharged But such a guard and so commanded as the Houses of Parliament desired they could never obtain of his Majestie and the placing of a guard about them contrary to their desire was not to grant a guard to them but in effect to set one upon them All which considered we beleeve in the judgements of any indifferent persons it will not be thought strange if there were a more then ordinarie resort of people at Westminster of such as came willingly of their own accord to be witnesses and helpers of the safetie of them whom all his Majesties good subjects are bound to defend from violence and danger or that such a concourse as this they carrying themselves quietly and peaceably as they did

That in the word of a King and as he was a Gentleman he would redresse the grievances of his People aswell out of Parliament as in it were the searching the Studies and Chambers yea the Pockets of some both of the Nobility and Commons the very next day The Commitment of Master Bellasis Sir John Hotham and Master Crew the continued oppressions by Ship money Coat and Conduct money with the manifold imprisonments and other vexations thereupon and other ensuing violations of the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome all which were the effects of evill counsell and aboundantly declared in our generall Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome actions of love and Justice suitable to such words as those As gracious was his Majesties Speech in the beginning of this Parliament That he was resolved to put himselfe freely and cleerly upon the Love and affection of his English Subjects whether his causelesse complaints and Jealousie the unjust imputations so often cast upon his Parliament his deniall of their necessary defence by the Ordinance of the Militia his dangerous absenting himselfe from his great councell like to produce such a mischievous division in the Kingdome have not beene more sutable to other mens evill counsells then to his owne words will easily appeare to any indifferent Judgement Neither have his latter speeches beene better used and preserved by these evill and wicked counsellors could any words be fuller of Love and Justice then those in his answer to the Message sent to the House of Commons the 31th of December 1641. We doe engage unto you solemnly the word of a King that the security of all and every one of you from violence is and ever shall be as much our care as the preservation of Us and our children and could any actions be fuller of injustice and violence then that of the Attorney generall in falsely accusing the six Members of Parliament and the other proceedings thereupon within three or fower dayes after that Message for the full view whereof let the declaration made of those proceedings be perused and by those instances we could ad many more Let the world Judge who deserves to be taxed with disvalewing his Majesties Words they who have as much as in them lies staynd and sullied them with such fowle counsells or the Parliament who have ever manifested with joy and delight their humble thankfulnesse for those gracious words and actions of love and Justice which have been conformable thereunto The King is pleased to disavow the having any such evill Counsell or Counsellors as are mentioned in our Declaration to his knowledge and we hold it our duty humbly to avow there are such or else we must say that all the ill things done of late in his Majesties name have beene done by himselfe wherein we should neither follow the direction of the Law nor the affection of our owne hearts which is as much as may be to cleere his Majestie from all imputation of misgovernment and to lay the fault upon his Ministers the false accusing of six members of Parliament the Justifying Mr. Atturney in that false accusation the violent comming to the house of Commons the deniall of the Militia the sharpe Messages to both houses contrary to the Customes of former Kings the long and remote absence of his Majestie from Parliament the heavy and wrongfull taxes upon both houses the Cherishing and countenancing a discontented party in the Kingdome against them these certainly are the fruits of very ill Counsell apt to put the kingdome into a Combustion to hinder the supplies of Ireland and to countenance the proceedings and pretententions of the Rebells there and the Authors of these evill Counsells we conceive must needs be knowne to his Majesty and we hope our labouring with his Majesty to have these discovered and brought to a just censure will not so much wound his honour in the opinion of his good Subjects as his labouring to preserve and conceale them And whereas his Majestie saith he could wish that his owne immediate Actions which he avowes on his owne honour might not bee so roughly censured under that Common style of evill Counsellors Wee could also heartily wish that we had not cause to make that stile so Common but how often and undutifully soever these wicked Counsellors fix their dishonour upon the King by making his Majesty the Authour of those evill actions which are the effects of their owne evill Counsells We his Majesties Loyall and dutifull subjects can use no other stile according to that Maxime in the Law the King can doe no wrong but if any ill be committed in matter of state the Councell if in matters of Iustice the Judges must answer for it We lay no charge upon his Majestie which should put him upon that apologie concerning his faithfull and zealous affection of the protestant profession Neither doth his Majestie endeavour to cleere those in greatest authority about him by whom wee say that designe hath been potently carried on for divers yeares and we rather wish that the mercies of heaven then the Judgements may be manifested upon them but that there have beene such there are so plentifull and frequent evidences that we beleeve there is none either protestant or Papist who hath had any reasonable view of the passages of latter times but either in feare or hope did expect a suddaine issue of this designe We have no way transgressed against the Act of Oblivion by Remembring the intended warre against Scotland as a Branch of that designe to alter religion by those wicked Councells from which God did then deliver us which we ought never to forget That the Rebellion in Ireland was framed and cherisht by the Popish and Malignant party in England is not only affirmed by the Rebells but may be cleered by many other proofes The same Rebellious principles of pretended Religion the same politique ends are apparant in both and their malitious designes and practices are maskt and disguised with the same false colour of their earnest zeale to vindicate his Majesties prerogative from the supposed oppression of the Parliament how much these treacherous pretences have beene countenanced by some evill Counsell about his Majestie may appeare in this that the Proclamation whereby they were declared traytors was so long withheld as to the second of Ianuary though the Rebellion broake forth in October before and then no more but forty Coppies appointed to be printed with a speciall command from his Majestie not to exceed that number and that none of them should be published till his Majesties pleasure were further signified as by the warrant appeares a true Coppie whereof is hereunto added So that a few only could take notice of it which was made more observeable by the late contrary proceedings against the Scots who were in a very quick and sharpe manner proclaimed and those proclamations forthwith dispersed with as much diligence as might bee thorow all the Kingdome and ordered to bee read

jealousies And we gave a reason for it that those fears did not arise out of any guilt of our own Actions but out of the evill designes and attempts of others and we leave it to the world to judge whether we herein have deserved so heavie a Tax and exclamation that it was a strange world when Princes proffered favours are counted reproaches such are the words of His Majesties Answer who do esteeme that offer as an Act of Princely grace and bountie which since this Parliament began we have humbly desired we might obtain and do still hold it very necessarie and advantagious for the generalitie of the Subject upon whom these Taxes and Subsidies lie heaviest but we see upon every occasion how unhappie we are in His Majesties misapprehensions of our words and actions We are fully of the Kings mind as it is here declared that he may rest so secure of the affections of His Subjects that he should not stand in need of forraigne force to preserve him from oppression and are confident that he shall never want an abundant evidence of the good wishes and assistance of His whole Kingdom especially if he shall be pleased to hold to that gracious resolution of building upon that sure foundation the Law of the Land but why His Majestie should take it ill that we having received informations so deeply concerning the safetie of the Kingdom and should think them fit to be considered of we cannot conceive for although the name of the person was unknown yet that which was more substantiall to the probabilitie of the Report was known that is That he was servant to the Lord Digby who in his presumptuous Letter to the Queenes Majesty and other Letters to Sir Lewis Dives had intimated some wicked Proposition sutable to that Information but that this should require reparation wee hold it as farre from Justice as it is from truth that wee have mixt any malice with these rumours thereby to feed the feares and jealousies of the People It is affirmed his Majestie is driven but not by us yet from us perchance hereafter if there be opportunity of gaining more credit there will not be wanting who will suggest unto his Majestie that it is done by us And if his Majestie were driven from us wee hope it was not by his owne feares but by the feares of the Lord Digbie and his retinue of Cavaliers and that no feares of any Tumultuary violence but of their just punishment for their manifold insolence and intended violence against the Parliament And this is expressed by the Lord Digby himselfe when he told those Cavaliers that the principall cause of his Majesties going out of Towne was to save them from being trampled in the durt but of his Majesties person there was no cause of feare in the greatest heate of the peoples indignation after the accusation and his Majesties violent comming to the House there was no shew of any evill intention against his Regall Person of which there can be no better evidence then this that he came the next day without a Guard into the Citie where he heard nothing but Prayers and Petitions no threatnings or irreverent speeches that might give him any just occasion of feare that wee have heard of or that his Majestie exprest for he stayed neere a weeke after at White Hall in a secure and peaceable condition whereby wee are induced to beleeve that there is no difficultie nor doubt at all but his Majesties residence neere London may be as safe as in any part of the Kingdome We are most assured of the faithfulnesse of the Citie and Suburbes And for our selves wee shall quicken the vigour of the Lawes the industry of the Magistrate the authoritie of Parliament for the suppressing of all tumultuary insolencies whatsoever and for the vindicating of his Honour from all insupportable and insolent scandalls if any such shall be found to be raysed upon him as are mentioned in this Answer and therefore wee thinke it altogether unnecessary and exceeding inconvenient to adjourne the Parliament to any other place Where the desire of a good understanding betwixt the King and the Parliament is on both parts so earnest as is here profest of his Majestie to be in him and wee have sufficiently testified to be in our selves it seemes strange wee should be so long asunder it can be nothing else but evill and malicious Councell misrepresenting our carriage to him and in disposing his favour to us and as it shall be farre from us to take any advantage of his Majesties supposed straits as to desire much lesse to compell him to that which his Honour or interest may render unpleasant and grievous to him so wee hope that his Majestie will not make his owne understanding or reason the rule of his Government but will suffer himselfe to be assisted with a wise and prudent Councell that may deale faithfully betwixt him and his people And that he will remember that his resolutions doe concerne Kingdomes and therefore ought not to be moulded by his owne much lesse by any other private person which is not alike proportionable to so great a trust and therefore we still desire and hope that his Majesty will not be guided by his owne understanding or to thinke those Courses straights and necessities to which he shall be advised by the Wisdome of both Houses of Parliament which are the Eyes in this Politique Body whereby his Majestie is by the Constitution of this Kingdome to discerne the differences of those things which concerne the publike peace and safetie thereof Wee have given his Majestie no cause to say that wee doe meanly value the discharge of His publique dutie whatsoever Acts of Grace or Justice have been done they proceeded from his Majestie by the advice and Councell of his Parliament yet wee have and shall alwayes answer them with constant gratitude obedience and affection and although many things have been done since this Parliament of another nature yet wee shall not cease to desire the continued protection of Allmightie God upon His Majestie And most humbly Petition him to cast from him all those evill and contrary Councells which have in many particulars formerly mentioned much detracted from the Honour of his Government the happinesse of his owne Estate and prosperitie of his people And having past so many dangers from abroad so many Conspiracies at home and brought on the publique worke so farre through the greatest difficulties that ever stood in opposition to a Parliament to such a degree of successe that nothing seemes to be left in our way able to hinder the full accomplishment of our desires and endeavours for the publique good unlesse God in his justice doe send such a grievous Curse upon us as to turne the strength of the Kingdom against it selfe and to effect that by their owne folly and credulitie which the Power and Subtiltie of their and our enemies could not attaine That is to divide the people

finding him there left word that he must needs come to the Covent Garden to Sir Iohn Sucklings lodging which accordingly he did but not finding him there the same day he was with Captain Billingsley at the Dog Tavern in Westminster at which time he did farther appoint this Examinant upon Wednesday to promise Sir John Suckling a meeting at the Dolphin in Grayes Inne lane about nine of the clock in the forenoon where the same day came some thirty more which were appointed by Sir John Suckling and Captaine Billingsley but neither Sir Iohn Suckling or Billingsley came only there came one and gave them money and so dismist them for the present This Examinant further saith that Captaine Billingsley having notice that he had some store of Armes of his owne told him Sir Iohn Suckling would buy them all if he pleased to fell them Captaine Billingsley likewise told this Examinant that Sir Iohn Suckling had furnished himselfe for money and all the company Iohn Lanyon Quarto die Maii 1641. ELizabeth Nutt wife of William Nutt of Tower-street London Merchant and Anne Bardsey of Tower-street aforesaid widow say that they being desirous to see the Earle of Strafford came to Anne Vyner wife of Thomas Vyner Clerk to the Lievtenant of the Tower whose lodging being neare to the Kings Gallery where the said Earl useth to walk carried them to a back doore of the said Gallery the said Earl with one other being then walking And they three being then there and peeping through the key hole and other places of the doore to see the said Earle did heare him and the said other party conferring about an escape as they conceived saying that it must be done when all was still and asked the said party where his brothers ship was who said she was gone below in the River and heard him say that they three might be there in twelve houres and doubted not to escape if some thing which was said concerning the Lievtenant of the Tower were done but what that was as also where they might be in twelve houres they could not heare by reason that when they walked further off they could not perfectly heare And the said Ms Nutt and Ms Bardsey say that they heard the said Earl then say that if this Fort could be safely guarded or secured for three or foure months there would come aid enough and divers other words tending to the purposes aforesaid which they cannot now remember And further all of them say that they heard the said Earle three times mention an escape saying that if any thing had been done his Majesty might safely have sent for him but now there was nothing to be thought on but an escape And heard the said other partie telling his Lordship that the outward gates were now as surely guarded as those within To whom the said Earle said the easier our escape that way pointing to the East if the said party and some others should obey the directions of the said Earle But what those were they know not but heard the said party answer they would doe any thing his Lordship should command Anne Vyner Anne Bardsey Signum Eliza. E. N. Nut The Superscription of the Letter For my worthy Friend Sir Lewes Dyves Knight at the Earle of Bristolls house in Queen-street London Deare Brother I Hope you will have received the Letter which I wrote unto you from aboard Sir John Pennington wherein I gave you account of the accident of O-Neals man and why I thought fitting to continue my journey into Holland going still upon this ground that if things goe on by way of accommodation by my absence the King will be advantaged If the King declare himself and retire to a safe place I shall be able to wait upon him from hence as well as out of any part of England over and above the service which I may doe him here in the mean time Besides that I found all the Ports so strict that if I had not taken this opportunity of Sir John Peningtons forwardnesse in the Kings service it would have been impossible for me to have gotten away at any other time I am now here at Middle borough at the Golden Fleece upon the Market at one George Petersons house where I will remaine till I receive from you advertisement of the state of things and likewise instructions from their Majesties which I desire you to hasten unto me by some safe hand and withall to send unto me a cypher whereby we may write unto one another freely If you knew how easie a passage it were you would offer the King to come over for some few dayes your selfe God knowes I have not a thought towards my Countrey to make me blush much lesse criminall but where Traytors have so great a sway the honestest thoughts may prove most treasonable Let Dick Sherley be dispatcht hither speedily with such black cloaths and linnen as I have and let your letters be directed to the Baron of Sherborn for by that name I live unknowne Let care be taken for Bills of Exchange Yours Middleborough Jan. 20. 1641. The Examination of Owen Connelly Gent. taken before us whose names ensue the 22. of October 1641. WHo being duly sworne and examined saith That he being at Mommore in the County of London-Derry on Tuesday last he received a Letter from Colonell Hugh Ogemacmahon desiring him to come to Connagh in the County of Monayhan and to be with him on Wednesday or Thursday last whereupon he this Examinant came to Connagh on Wednesday night last and finding the said Hugh come to Dublin followed him hither He came hither about six of the clock this Evening and forthwith went to the lodging of the said Hugh to the house neer the Boot in Oxmantowne and there he found the said Hugh and came with the said Hugh into the towne neere the Pillory to the lodging of the Lord Mac-quire where they found not the Lord within and there they dranke a cup of Beere and then went back again to the said Hugh his lodging He saith that at the Lord Mac-quire his lodging the said Hugh told him that there were and would be this night great numbers of Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Irish Papists from all the parts of the Kingdome in this Towne who with himselfe had determined to take the Castle of Dublin and possesse themselves of all his Majesties Ammunition there and to morrow morning being Saturday and that they intended first to batter the Chimneyes of the said Towne and if the City would not yeeld then to batter down the houses and so to cut off all the Protestants that would not joyne with them He saith further That the said Hugh then told him that the Irish had prepared men in all parts of the Kingdom to destroy all the English inhabiting there to morrow morning by ten of the clock and that in all the Sea-ports and other Townes in the Kingdome all the Protestants should be