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
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
A DEFENCE OF THE PARLIAMENT of 1640. And the PEOPLE of ENGLAND AGAINST King Charles I. And his ADHERENTS CONTAINING A short Account of some of the many Illegal Arbitrary Popish and Tyrannical Actions of King CHARLES I. unjustly called the Pious Martyr together with the following Tracts c. 1. The Pope's Letter to King Charles 2. K. Charles's Letter in Ans thereunto 3. The Articles of Marriage made in Favour of Papists with France 4. King Charles his Commission to the Irish Rebels And 5. Philem O Neal and Rorie Macquire's Declaration to the Irish thereupon 6. King Charles II's Letter to the Court of Claims of Ireland in behalf of that great Rebel the Marquess of Antrim to restore him to his Estate for that the said Marquess had made it appear That what he acted in that Rebellion was done by the Express Orders and Commands of Charles I. his Father 7. King Charles I's Warrant by Secretary Nicholas to the King's Printer Commanding him to Print no more than 40 of those Proclamations that Proclaim'd the Irish Rebels 8. An Abstract of those strange Articles of Peace King Charles I. made with the Irish Rebels 9. King Charles his two Letters to the Protestants of Rochel wherein he assured them of Relief against the French K. 10 The Miserable and Deplorable Remonstrance those poor Protestants made to him upon his Sacrificing them to the Mercy of the French King 11. The Earl of Anglâ—sey's Memorandum Dr. Anthony Walker and Mrs. Gauden's Proofs That Eicon Basilice was not Writ by King Charles but by Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter 12. A Copy of the Kings and Pamelia's Prayers taken out of Eicon Basilice and Sir Phillip Sydny's Arcadia which agree almost in every Word 13. Twenty Articles against that wicked Prelate Laud. 14. To give a clear Demonstration of this holy Martyr's Religion and Piety see his Declaration for the Lawfulness of Sports and Pastimes on the Lord's Day Printed at large in this Book LONDON Printed 1698. TO THE READER IT is not the least of Man's Unhappiness that he is the greatest Enemy of his own Interest having Opportunities for his own Advantage he lets them slip and by Brutish Incogitancy rather than Natural Impotency as our Parents at first he is soon cheated into his own Misery his present Contentment is his chiefest Atchievement and he will have his Will tho' it be his Woe He is apt to kill his Friends as the Jews did Christ for their Endeavours to Save him and to Court his Enemy as Eglon did Ehud whose Design was to Slay him The great Controversy between the Advocates for King Charles the First and his wicked Favourites and the Friends of the Parliament and People that were necessitated to Resist him could never have been spun out into above 40 Years length had the dim Eyes of dull People been clear'd up to a true discerning of their Friends from their Oppressive Foes How apt have the Idolizers of King Charles the First been with the Army of the Assyrians to travel to Samaria instead of Dothan and with the Jews to gratify Caesar in Crucifying their Saviour Whereas heretofore they generally reputed for Saints those faithful and couragious Barons who lost their Lives in the Field making a glorious War against Tyrants for the Common Liberty Such as Symon de Mamfort Earl of Leicester against Henry the Third Thomas Platagenet Earl of Lancaster against Edward the Second c. I cannot willingly ascribe the Love of Tyranny and Oppression to the Natural Disposition of an English Man but rather to two other Causes the first is the Clergy of all Ranks whose Pulpit Stuff from before 1640 till now hath generally been the Doctrine and perpetual Infusion of Servility and Wretchedness to their Hearers and their Lives most commonly the Types of Worldliness with a slender Pattern of Vertue Righteousness and Self-Denial in their whole Practice The Second is I attribute it to the factious Inclination of most Mendivided from the Publick Interest of their Country by several Selfish Ends and Humours of their Own who may truly be call'd Sacrificers of the Common Welfare of Mankind to their own private Advantage that they might thereby attain to their Ambitious Purposes Dryden as I am inform'd gives this true Character of these Sort of Men viz. Mark those which Dote on Arbitrary Power and you 'l find them either Hotbrain'd-Fools or Needy Bankrupts 'T is a wonderful and amazing thing to find so great a part of Mankind fondly and foolishly Doting nay which is more Unchristian with a sort of Idolatry Idolizing this Prince when they are not capable of giving to the World a clear Demonstration of one good Act he did designedly for the Benefit of his People Certainly if his Virtue and Piety towards God and his Country had been in the least conspicuous his mighty Adorers have been defective in their Panegerical Encomiums of him for I must with the greatest Assurance declare that neither by reading the Defences of him or Conversation with the greatest of his Advocates could I find the least Cause to Esteem him a Saint or to clear him from the Tyrannical Oppression nay from the Blood and Misery of England so justly laid to his Charge by the Parliament of 1640 and those worthy Patriots that join'd with them Let the Advocates for Tyranny and Arbitrary Power say what they will to the contrary I am confident the People of England have a great Esteem and Value for a King that Governs according to Law and in all his Actions aims at his People's Good equal with his own and if at any time they betake themselves to Arms against their Prince 't is his and not their Fault Neither is it rational to believe that the Generality of the Nobility Gentry and Commonality of England would without an apparent Cause and Necessity engage in a Bloody Civil War and thereby run the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes And he that shall consider impartially in a Civil or Religious Sense the Quality of those that espoused that King against their Native Country will find the Parliament and those that joined with them did infinitely exceed in all respects the Party that assisted that King For it is notoriously known that the Popish and Superstitious People throughout the Kingdom were united as one Man for the King against the Parliament and if we consider them in a Civil respect were not all the Pattentees Monopolizers Cruel Usurping Oppressors but Lords Knights and Gentlemen the Pillars of the Star-Chamber Councel-Table High Commission Court c. were not these the great Abettors and Supporters of that Bloody War against the Parliament and People of England Were not his Clergy for the generality of them a wretched Parcel of Court Sycophants that gave vent to those Plaguy-Doctrines of Non-Resistance Absolute and Arbitrary Government after the Mode of France in Loans Free-Quarter Ship-money Monopolies c. during the Oppressive Ministery of Buckingham Stafford and Laud
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
abroad to prosecute his Petition in that Parliament he could neither Go See nor Hear This Dismal Story will be an Eternal Blot not only on Laud who was the chief Instrument in that sad Oppression but also upon the pretended Martyr King Charles for permitting such Barbarous and inhumane Cruelties to be exercised on his Subjects I shall shew you something moâ—e of this Bloody Villains Barbarity viz. That upon the first of February 1632. Laud procured Mr. Prin to be sent close Prisoner to the Tower there he lay till the 21 st of June 1633. when an Information without mentioning any particular Passages in his Book was exhibited against him in the Star Chamber Court for Publishing a Book concerning Interludes intitled Histriomastix which was Licensed by a Chaplain of Dr. Abbatts Archbishop of Canterbury Upon the 17 th of February 1633. notwithstanding his Book was Licensed yet he had this heavy Sentence passed upon him viz. To be Imprisoned for Life pay Five Thousand Pounds Fine be Expelled Lincolns-Inn Disabled to Exercise the Prosession of a Barrister Degraded by the University of Oxford of his Degrees there taken and that done to be set in the Pillory at Westminster and have one of his Ears there cut off and at another time to be set in the Pillory in Cheap-side and there to have his other Ear cut off Though many of the Lords never dreamt of the Execution of this Horrid Judgment nay though Queen Henrietta Maria which deserves an Honourable Mention and she shall have it for She was the present King 's Royal Grandmother earnestly interceded with the Biggotted Cruel and Merciless King who was an abominable T to remit its Execution yet on the 7th and 10 th of May it was fully Executed with great Rigour and Mr. Prin remain'd Sundry Tears in the Tower upon this censure Mr. Burton and Dr. Bastwrick were also without the least just cause violently prosecuted after the same manner it will be too tedious to relate theirs and others unchristian uses when Tyranny and Arbitrary Power were Rampant 23. That against the Law of Nature against the Rules of Justice falsely charged those Innocent Men the Noble Lord Mandeville Mr. Hollis Mr. Strode and others with Treason for which in the Face of the Highest Judicature in the Kingdom they were most unjustly Imprisoned the King denying them the Names of their Accusers and which was an Act of Tyranny beyond Parrallel He accused them and yet would produce no Witness he confessed them clear in his own Judgment yet they must not profess their own Innocency for fear of wounding his Honour 24. That was not satisfied with Imprisoning and Oppressing some of the Parliament Men but tempted and incouraged his English Army with no less than the Spoil of the City of London to come up and destroy the Parliament He in an Hostile and inexcusable manner made a most high Invasion upon the Priviledges of both Houses Hereupon many Citizens unarm'd resorted to Westminster to present their Petitions and express their stedfastness to the Parliament whose Lives and Safety by more than slight Rumours they doubted to be in Danger the King having fortified White-Hall and entertained Armed Men not a few planted them at the Gate of his Palace 'T is remarkable the first Blood that was drawn in this Cause was in that very place where the King 's own Blood was afterwards shed 1 K. 21. 19. where they Reviled Menaced and with drawn Swords actually Wounded many of the Citizens as they passed by in a peaceable manner whereof some dyed Nay they went farther and were come to that height of Boldness as to give out Insolent and Menacing Speeches against the Parliament it self and to imbrue their hands in the Blood of the King's Subjects in Westminster-Hall and at the Doors of the Parliament as well as at his own Gate And when the Parliament and People complain'd and demanded Justice for those Assaults the King justified and abetted his own Crew in what they did Nor can the passing by of a multitude of the King's Subjects armed with no other Weapons then Petitions be justly call'd Tumults neither could the Parliament have forbid them without the Breach of the Peoples Freedom Unarmed Petitioners surely could not be formidable to any and it must not be forgotten that a very short time before His Majesty pretended to dread these Tumultuary Citizens the City Entertained Feasted and Conducted him to White-Hall with as pompous Sollemnity and costly Expressions of Love and Duty as ever had been known Nay after he had highly exasperated the People by his Irruption with the House of Commons he went in his Coach unguarded into the City He received not the lest Affront much less Violence in any of the Streets but rather humble Demeanours and Supplications He knew the People so full of Awe and Reverence to his Person as to commit himself single amongst the thickest of them at a time when had most provoked them This shews beyond doubt That all his fear of Tumults was but a meer pretence and occasions taken for his resolved Absence from the Parliament that he might turn his slashing at the Court Gate to slaughtering in the Field In order thereunto the King retires first to Hampton Court commanding his Servants who were then Members of Parliament to leave their service there and to give their Attendance upon his Person Soon after his Popish Queen passes into Holland carrying with her all or the the greatest part of the Crown Jewels which she immediately Pawn'd and with the Money bought Arms and Ammunition for the War which was not yet begun Upon the 1 st of March 1641. Both Houses called upon His Majesty by their Petition presented at Theobalds That for the Dispatch of the great Affairs of the Kingdom the safety of his Person the Protection and Comfort of his Subjects he would be pleased to continue his abode near the Parliament and not to with-draw himself to any of the remoter Parts which if he should do must needs be a cause of great danger and distraction and they pray'd him to accept this humble Counsel as the Effect of that Duty and Allegiance which they ow'd unto him and which would not suffer them to admit of any thoughts intentions or endeavours but such as were necessary and advantagious for His Majesties Greatness and Honour and the Safety and Prosperity of the Kingdom These are Expressions surely that did not in the least savour of that Sedition and Rebellion with which our wicked Clergymen charge the Memory of this Great and Noble Parliament The King willingly giving himself up to the Conduct of Evil Counsellors was deaf to the importunate supplication of the Lords and Commons for his Return they therefore called again upon him more earnestly and sent after him a Declaration to New-Market by the Earls of Pembrook and Holland and a Committee of the Commons wherein they laid before him the Causes of their own Fears and Jealousies
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
is so Great that it may resist or so Small that it is contemn'd look upon my Misery with thine Eye of Mercy and let thine Infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proportion of Deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most Convenient Let not Injury O Lord Triumph over me and let my Faults by thy Hand be Corrected and make not my unjust Enemies the Ministers of thy Justice But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest Chastisment for my unexcusable Transgression if this ungrateful Bondage be fittest for my over high Desires if the Pride of my not enough humble heart be thus to be broken O Lord I yield unto thy Will and chearfully embrace what sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of since it even proceeds from thee that by thy goodness which is thy self thou wilt suffer some Beam of thy Majesty so to shine in my mind that I who in my greatest Affliction acknowledge it my Noblest Title to be thy Creature may still depend confidently on thee let Calamity be the Exercise but not the overthrow of my Vertue O let not their prevailing Power be to my Destruction and if it be thy Will that they more and more vex me with Punishment yet O Lord never let their wickedness have such a hand but that I may still carry a pure mind and stedfast Resolution ever to serve thee without fear or Presumption yet with that humble confidence which may best please thee so that at last I may come to thy Eternal Kingdom through the Merits of thy Son our alone Saviour Jesus Christ Amen Pamelia's Prayer to the Heathen Deity O All seeing Light and Eternal Life of all things to whom nothing is either so Great that it may resist or so Small that it is contemn'd look upon my Misery with thine Eye of Mercy and let thine Infinite Power vouchsafe to limit out some proporrion of Deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most Convenient Let not Injury O Lord Triumph over me and let my Faults by thy hand be Corrected and make not mine unjust Enemies the Minister of thy Justice But yet my God if in thy Wisdom this be the aptest Chastisment for my unexcusable Folly if this low Bondage be fittest for my over high Desire if the Pride of my not enough humble heart be thus to be broken O Lord I yield unto thy Will and joyfully embrace what sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee let my craving O Lord be accepted of thee since even that proceeds from thee let me crave even by the Noblest Title which in my greatest Affliction I may give my self that I am thy Creature and by thy goodness which is thy self that thou wilt suffer some Beam of thy Majesty to shine into my mind that it may still depend confidently on thee let Calamity be the Exercise but not the overthrow of my vertue let their Power prevail but prevail not to Destruction let my Greatness be their Prey let my pain be the sweetness of their Revenge let them if so it seem good unto thee vex me with more and more Punishment but O Lord let never their Wickedness have such a hand but that I may carry a pure mind in a pure Body and pausing a while O most gracious Lord said she whatever becomes of me preserve the vertuous Musidorus Having now given an Account of the design of Publishing this special Book and also what it is composed of I shall now produce divers Reasons enough I think to convince any rational Man that will not be willfully blind And first I shall give you the Noble Earl of Anglesey's Memorandum perfixt before the Book reputed to be King Charles I's called Icon Basilice and found by Edward Millington who sold the said Earl's Library all Written with the Earl's own Hand in these Words King Charles the Second and Duke of York did both in the last Session of Parliament 1675. when I shew'd Them in the Lord's House the Written Copy of this Book wherein are some Corrections and Alterations written with the late King Charles I's own Hand Assure me That this was none of the said King 's Compiling but made by Dr. Gauden Bishop of Exeter which I here incert for the undeceiving others in this Point by attesting so much under my Hand ANGLESEY This Noble Earl's Advertisement or Memorandum must have the greater Weight for that he concealed it for ought I can hear from the Publick which doubtless he would not have done if he had had any design to carry it on by making it Publick This Memorandum being true the World has the Words of two Kings that Bishop Gauden and not King Charles Composed this lying Book For further proof that Dr. Gauden writ this Book take a Summary Account of some Papers relating Eicon Basilice now or lately in the Hands of Mr. North Merchant living on Tower Hill London whereby it appears that Dr. Gauden late Bishop of Exeter and afterwards of Worcester was the Author of that Book and not King Charles I. as the World hath for above Forty Years been imposed upon to believe Mr. North is a worthy Person and a Member of the Church of England he and Mr. Charles Gauden the Bishop's Son married two Sisters and Mr. Gauden dying about Ten Years since all his Papers were left with his Widow and Mr. North having occasion to look them over for some relating to his sister-in-Sister-in-laws affairs found these relating to the Eicon Basilice carefully tied up together Mr. North by reason of his Marriage had many years acquaintance with Bishop Gauden's Family and knows that the Bishop's Widow at first gave them to her Darling Son Iohn Gauden and upon his Death they came to Mr. Charles Gauden And further that in his many years knowledge of that Family it hath constantly and without any manner of doubt been declared that the Bishop was the Author of the Book There are several Letters and Papers I shall briefly give the Contents of them for the truth of which I shall refer to the Original Papers and to those many reverend and worthy Persons who have Read or been at the Reading of them Bishop Gauden at the time of King Charles the Second's Restauration was incumbent of Bocking in Essex and from that fat Parsonage was promoted to the Lean Bishoprick of Exeter which he complain'd was not sufficient to keep up the Port of a Bishop and thought that by his Merits he might lay claim to a better and the Death of Dr. Duppa Bishop of Winchester being daily expected he apply'd himself to the King with great Importunity to be translated thither pleading his Desert which as is evident from the Papers I mention could be no other than that of having written a Book which did such great Service to the Royal Family that King Charles the 2d thought
in these particulars 1. That the design of altering Religion had been potently carried on by those in greatest Authority about him the Queen's Agent at Rome the Pope's Nuncio here are not only Evidences of this Design but have been great Actors in it 2. That the War with Scotland was procured to make way for this Intent and chiefly fomented by the Papists and others Popishly affected whereof we have many Evidences 3. That the Rebellion in Ireland was framed and contrived here in England and that the English Papists should have risen about the same time We have several Testimonies c. The Irish Rebels affirm That they do nothing but by Authority from the King they call themselves the Queen's Army the Booty which they take from the English they mark with the Queen's mark and it is proved that their purpose was to come to England after they had done in Ireland 4. The labouring to infuse into Your Majesties Subjects an evil Opinion of the Parliament and other Symptons of a disposition of raising Arms and dividing your People by a Civil War in which Combustion Ireland must needs be lost and this Kingdom miserably wasted and consumed if not wholly ruined and destroyed 5. That Your Majesty sent away the Lord Digby by your own Warrant beyond Sea after a Vote had passed in the House of Commons Declaring That he had appear'd in a Warlike manner at Kingston upon Thames to the terror of your Majesties good Subjects that he being so got beyond Sea he vented his traiterous Conceptions that Your Majesty should declare your Self and retire to a place of Strength and intimated some service which he might do in those parts whereby in probability he intended the procuring of some Foreign Force to strengthen Your Majesty in that Condition into which he would have brought you which malicious Counsel we have great cause to doubt made too deep an Impression in Your Majesty considering the course you are pleased to take of absenting your Self from that Parliament and carrying the Prince with you which seems to express a purpose in Your Majesty to keep your Self in a readiness for the Acting of it 6. The manifold Advertisements which we have had from Rome Venice Paris and other parts That they still expect that Your Majesty has some great design in hand for the altering of Religion the breaking the Neck of your Parliament and that you will yet find means to compass that design that the Pope's Nuncio hath sollicited the Kings of France and Spain to lend Your Majesty 4000 Men a piece to help to maintain your Royalty against the Parliament These are some of the grounds of our Fears and Jealousies which made us so earnestly to implore your Royal Authority and Protection for our Defence and security in all the ways of Humility and Submission which being denyed by Your Majesty We do with sorrow apply our selves to the use of that Power viz. the Militia which by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom resides in us yet still resolving to keep our selves within the Bounds of Faithfullness and Allegiance to your Sacred Person and your Crown And as to the Fears and Jealousies which His Majesty seem'd to have Entertained of them The Lords and Commons thus Answered We have according to Your Majesties desires laid our hands upon our Hearts we have asked our selves in the strictest Examination of our Consciences we have searched our Affections our Thoughts considered our Actions and can find none that can give Your Majesty any just Occasion to absent your self from White-Hall and the Parliament but that you may with more Honour and Safety continue there than in any other place Your Majesty lays a great Charge upon Us if you will graciously be pleased to let us know the Particulars we shall give a clear and satisfactory Answer But what hope can we have of ever giving Your Majesty satisfaction when those particulars which you have been made believe were true yet being produced and made known to us appeared to be false and Your Majesty notwithstanding will neither Punish nor Produce the Authors But go on to contract new Jealousies and Fears upon general and uncertain Grounds affording Us no means or possibility of particular Answer to the clearing of our selves We beseech Your Majesty to consider in what state you are how easie and fair a way You have to Happiness Honour and Greatness Plenty and Security if you will joyn with the Parliament in the Defence of the Religion and publick good of the Kingdom this is all we expect from you And for this we return to you our Lives Fortunes and utmost Endeavours to support Your Majesty Your just Power and Soveraignty over us but it is not Words that can secure us in these our humble Desires We cannot but too well and sorrowfully remember what Gracious Messages we had from You this Summer when with your Privity the bringing up the Army was in Agitation We cannot but with the like Affections recall to our Minds how not two days before your own coming to the Commons House You sent a Gracious Message that You would always have a care of their Priviledges as of your own Prerogative of the safety of their Persons as of your own Children That which we expect which will give us Assurance that you have no thought but of Peace and Justice to your People must be some real effect of your Goodness to them in granting those things which your present necessity of the Kingdom do inforce us to desire and that you will be Graciously pleased to put from you those Mischievous Counsellors which have caused all these Dangers and Distractions and to continue your own Residence and the Princes near London and the Parliament which we hope will be an happy beginning of Contentment and Confidence betwixt Your Majesty and People and be followed with many succeeding Blessings of Honour and Greatness to Your Majesty and of Security and Prosperity to them These are brief Heads of the Declaration to which the King Answered Have I violated your Laws To which both Houses made this pertinent Reply We are heartily sorry We have such plentiful Matter of an Answer to that Question Have I violated your Laws I must also take Notice that in the beginning of the Year 1642. a time when the King was in appearance transacting matters amicably with the two Houses and we seemed to be in a deep Peace a time when he Declared That he had received no other Carriage from his Parliament than what he professed himself satisfied with and that if the Bills he had past were again to be offered he should cheerfully and readily Assent unto them Even then he dispatch'd away Letters and an Agent to the King of Denmark complaing of the Parliament and asking Supplies from thence AD PROPUL SANDOS HOSTES you know the English of that is to Subdue his Enemies and declared himself in these Words Ad allia Consilia Animum Convertendum
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
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