speech to both Houses did again put them in mind of their engaging his Father in that war for recovery of the Palatinate upon promise of their assistance in a Parliamentary-way and that they themselves then appointed a Council of war and Treasurers He also acquainted them with the expence of the three Subsidies and three Fifteens then given And further expressed that he had thus reassembled them upon the death of his royal Father to receive their farther advice and aid for proceeding in that wherein by their Councils his Father was engaged as also that they had granted unto him two Subsidies then ungathered which were far short of setting forth the Navy at that time preparing And the Lord Conway and Secretary Cook did then more particularly declare unto the House of Commons the state of Affairs as they at that time stood manifesting that much more then the two Subsidies already given though not paid had been disbursed Moreover that the Fleet was then at Sea hastening to their Rendezvouz the Army at Plymouth expecting their Commanders his Majesties Honour Religion and the Kingdoms safety engaged That the King had certain advice of his Enemies intentions to infest his dominions in Ireland and the English Coasts and of their increase of Shipping in all parts as also that the present charge of his Army and Navy did amount to above four hundred thousand Pounds The Lord Treasurer likewise representing to them the late Kings debts Viz. To the City of London 120000l besides Interest For Denmark and the Palatinate 150000l For his Wardrobe 40000 l. All which did then lye upon his Majesty And that his then Majesty was indebted to the City of London 20000l That he had laid out upon his Navy 20000 l. For Count Mansfeild 20000l For Mourning and his Father's Funeral Expences 42000 l. For Expences concerning the Queen 40000 l. And that the pay of the Navy during the time intended for that present Expedition with the setting forth thereof would amount to 300000 l. But the Commons instead of that calm and temperate Consideration of the present Exigencies which his Majesty expected fell into very high debates and alledg'd that the Treasure was misimploy'd that evil Councils guided the King's designs that his Necessities grew by improvidence that they had need to petition the King for a straight hand and better Council to manage his affairs and that though a former Parliament did engage the King in a war yet if things were managed by contrary designs and the Treasure misimploy'd that Parliament was not bound by another Parliament to be carried blindfold in designs not guided by second Councils Adding that it was not usual to grant Subsidies upon Subsidies in one Parliament and no grievance redressed Notwithstanding which objections it was earnestly pressed by some Members of the House that two Subsidies and two Fifteens might be given his Majesties Honour and the Necessity of Affairs requiring it as it then appeared out of Considerations which had been frequently represented But these motives little avail'd for instead of hearkening thereto the Commons then publish'd a plausible Declaration wherein they solemnly protested and vowed before God and the world with one Heart and Voice that they were all resolv'd and did thereby declare that they would ever continue most loyal and obedient Subjects to their most gracious Sovereign Lord King Charles and that they would be ready in convenient time and in a Parliamentary-way freely and dutifully to do their utmost endeavours to discover and reform the Abuses and Grievances of the Realm and State and in like sort to afford all necessary Supply to his most excellent Majesty upon his present and all other his just Occasions and Designs The King therefore plainly perceiving that the House did not incline to any Supply and that in their debates they reflected upon some great persons near unto him dissolved that Parliament upon the twelfth of August Which done he resolved that the Fleet should speedily put to Sea and entred forthwith into a League with the United Provinces against the Emperour and King of Spain for restoring of the Liberties of Germany But being in great and present Want of moneys he issued out Letters under his Privy-Seal for borrowing to supply those Necessities and summon'd another Parliament to meet upon the sixth of February ensuing which was four days after his solemn Coronation Soon after the sitting of which Parliament the Earl of Pembroke at a Conference of both Houses represented how the affairs of Christendome stood before the breach of the Treaties with Spain and how at that present as also the condition of the Palatinate and likewise the King of Denmark's engagement in the quarrel with the forwardness of the Swedes and contract with the Hollander and that the Fruits of all these would be lost unless a speedy Supply were resolved on But notwithstanding all this the Commons still delay'd the giving of any Supply which occasion'd the King by a Letter to the Speaker to press them again thereunto and to remind them of their promises withall assuring them that he would willingly apply fit and seasonable remedies to such just Grievances as they should present unto him in a dutiful and mannerly way without throwing an ill odour upon the present Government or upon the Government of his Father Unto which Letter they made a specious general answer intimateing that they really intended him Supply and accordingly voted three Subsidies and three Fifteens but gave them not Not long after this His Majesty by the mouth of the Lord Keeper took notice to the House of Commons of a seditious expression made by Mr. Clement Coke one of their members as also of Dr. Turner's unparliamentary carriage in reference to the Duke of Buckingham likewise of suffering his Council of State to be censured and traduced in their House by persons whose Years and Education could not judge of things that forreign business had been entertain'd in the House to the hindrance and disadvantage of his Majesties Negotiations yea that upon the first day of his Inauguration they suffered his Council Governours and Servants to be parallel'd with the times of most Exception that their Committees had also presumed to examine the Letters of his Secretaries of State nay his Majesties own Letters and sent a general Warrant to his Signet Office commanding his Officers there not only to produce and shew the Records but their Books and private Notes which they made for his Majesties service Next he told them that they had been made acquainted with the greatness of his Majesties affairs both at home and abroad with the strong preparations of the Enemy with the Importance of upholding his Allies strengthening and securing both England and Ireland besides the encountring and annoying the Enemy by a powerful Fleet at Sea and the charge of all And that this being calculated unto them they had professed unto his Majesty by the
mouth of their Speaker their carefulness to support the Cause wherein he and his Allies were justly engaged Then he reminded them of their unanimous consent and real intention formerly express'd to supply him in such a measure as should make him safe at home and fear'd abroad and that in the dispatch thereof they would use such diligence as his pressing and present Occasions did require And he observ'd that in two days only of twelve that business was thought of and not begun till by a Message his Majesty did put them in mind of it whilst their Inquisition against his direction proceeded day by day And for the Supply intended he told them the measure thereof was so little that instead of making him safe at home and feared abroad it would both expose him to danger and disesteem in regard that without better help his Allies must presently disband and leave him alone to bear the fury of a provoked and powerful enemy besides the manner of it which was dishonourable and full of distrust viz. that the Bill was not to come into the House till their Grievances were both preferr'd and answer'd And his Majesty himself then farther added he must put them in mind that in the time of his blessed Father they did by their Councel and Perswasion prevail both with his Father and himself to break off the Treaties before-mention'd and told them that now they had all things according to their wishes and that he was so far engaged they thought there was no retreat now they began to set the Dice on him saying moreover that it was not a Parliamentary-way nor a way to deal with their King And to this the Duke of Buckingham by his Majesties Command farther affirm'd that if his Majesty should accept of a less sum then would suffice it would deceive their Expectations disappoint his Allies and consume the Treasure of the Kingdom whereas if they would give largely now the business being at the Crisis it would come so seasonably as that it might give a turn to the affairs of Christendom wishing them therefore to enlarge it but left the augmentation to themselves And to the end the load might not lye on the poorest told them his Majesty did likewise wish that they who were the abettors and councellors of this war would take a greater part of the burthen to themselves Nevertheless all this moved them very little insomuch as the King by a Letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons dated upon the ninth of Iune following hoping to quicken them the better did put them in mind how often and earnestly he had press'd them for speeding that Aid which they intended for his great and weighty affairs telling them the time they themselves had prefix'd was so far spent viz. the last day of that month that unless it were presently concluded it would neither bring him money nor credit And that if it were farther deferr'd it would be of little use he being daily advertised from all parts of the great preparations by the Enemy really to assail him and moreover that he held it necessary by those his Letters to give them his last and final admonition as also to let them know that he should account all further Delays and Excuses to be express Denials and therefore did will and require them to bring in their Subsidy-Bill to be pass'd without delay or condition Adding that if by their denial or delay any thing of ill consequence should fall out either at home or abroad he should take God to witness that he had done his part to prevent it by calling his people together to advise with them and opening to them the weight of his occasions as also by requiring their timely help and assistance in those Actions wherein he stood engaged by their Councel But instead of any satisfactory return unto this his Royal Letter wherein he had earnestly prest unto them the speedy and necessary consideration of his present Exigencies they made what haste they could to perfect a Remonstrance against the Duke of Buckingham and concerning Tonnage and Poundage taken by the King since the death of his Father without consent of Parliament Which was no sooner finished but they had intimation that the King would dissolve the Parliament whereupon they forthwith order'd that every Member of their House should have a Copy of that Remonstrance The Parliament being therefore dissolv'd by Commission upon the fifteenth of Iune his Majesty did presently set forth a Declaration manifesting the reasons he had for dissolving thereof as also of the former Parliament whereby he did clearly publish to the world how he became engaged in a war with a potent Enemy upon his Father's death and that he was enforc'd thereto for the necessary defence of himself and his Dominions as also for the support of his Friends and Allies recovering the patrimony of his Sister and her Children and maintenance of the true Religion Moreover that he was invited thereto and encouraged therein by the advice of both Houses of Parliament and by their large Promises and Protestations to his Father to give him full and reall assistance in those Enterprizes which were of so great importance to this Realm and to the general peace and safety of all his Friends and Allies but that instead of making performance of those their undertakings he found them so slow and full of delays and diversions that no fruit came thereof And farther added that tho he had by his Letters bearing date the ninth of Iune press'd them earnestly therein with a clear and gracious manifest of his resolutions they never so much as admitted one Reading to the Bill of Subsidies but instead thereof prepared and voted a Remonstrance which they intended to prefer unto him containing tho palliated with glosing terms as well many dishonourable Aspersions upon himself and upon the memory of his deceased Father as dilatory Excuses for their not proceeding with the Subsidies Adding thereto also colour'd conditions crossing thereby his direction All which his Majesty plainly understanding and esteeming the same to be a denial of the promised Supply finding likewise withall that no admonition could move nor reasons or presumptions prevail the time being so far spent as that they had put an impossibility upon themselves to perform their Promises upon mature advice he dissolv'd the Parliament as hath been already observed Being therefore thus exposed to extreme Necessities he was constrain'd to require a Loan of money from the Nobility the City of London and others as also to lay a Charge upon the Ports and Maritime Towns for the furnishing certain numbers of Ships for the guarding of the Coasts against attempts from Spain or Flanders and likewise upon the Counties adjoining to contribute thereto After which he issued out Privy-Seals unto several persons for borrowing of money and to others proposed a Benevolence according to the proportion of four Subsidies
the Parliament House crying No Bishops and calling them the limbs of Antichrist And on the same day to accompany so good a work they presented to the King by the hands of the Earl of Holland their grand Remonstrance of the Grievances of the Kingdom which had been ordered to be brought into the House the twelfth of August past thereby to blast all those gracious condescentions which they had obtained from him before Whereunto his Majesty soon after made a full and clear Answer and publish'd his Royal Declaration thereupon for the satisfaction of all his good Subjects to the end they might not be deluded by those undutiful false and scandalous aspersions cast upon his Government by that malicious Libel And soon after for the better prevention of any more such dangerous tumults and uproars at or near the Houses of Parliament he directed his special Writ according to the Statute unto the Sheriffs of London to place a Guard at Westminster But the House of Commons deeming this Guard thus legally placed by the King no way conducing to their Design presently voted it to be a breach of their priviledges and an offence of an high nature and thereupon not only order'd that the said Watch should be discharg'd but that the Justices of Middlesex for their obedience to his Majesties commands herein should be question'd whereupon Justice Long was committed to the Tower That there was a most factious party in the City of London which were great Instruments in raising the ensuing Rebellion is plain enough Nor is it less observable that they acted their parts therein by colour of Authority viz. by outing all the Common-Council which were men of worth and bringing men of desperate fortunes in their rooms Wherein they had such furtherance by the help of the multitude who aim'd at their own advantage by any change of Government that they then introduced Fowkes Ryley the Boddies-maker Perkins the Lord Say's Taylor Normington the Cutler Mills the Brick-layer and divers other such mean fellows instead of Mr. Drake Mr. Roger Clarke Sir George Bynion Mr. Roger Gardner and several other worthy Citizens whose loyalty they well knew could not be corrupted These being the principal agents in all the Tumults which stood them in much stead for accomplishing of their chiefest aims And therefore plain it was to be seen what design they had when they urged the passing of the Bill for not Adjourning or Dissolving of that Parliament without their own consents having such a party in the City to back them upon all occasions Having thus dissolv'd the Guard so appointed by his Majesty there came another Tumult of the Citizens to Westminster Whereupon some Members of the House of Commons making complaint of the danger whereunto they were subject by those riotous people and how that already they had been assaulted and evil intreated by them at the very door of the House desired that some course might be taken for restraining and punishing them for the same But instead thereof divers spoke in justification of them and commended their affections saying they must not discourage their friends this being a time to make use of them all And Mr. Pym added God forbid that the House of Commons should proceed in any sort to dishearten the people for obtaining their just desires in such a way And accordingly there was a paper delivered by some or other to the Minister that preach'd at Christ-Church the Sunday following desiring that Prayer might be made to God to assist the Apprentices with strength to root out Superstition and to extirpate the Innovations of the Bishops and Clergy After which matters were every day carried with a more high hand than before the Tumultuous people having as apparent countenance from the House as before they had private encouragement Insomuch as the Lord Mayor of London came to Whitehall and acquainted the King that he discerned if Sir Thomas Lunsford whom he had newly made Lieutenant of the Tower were not removed the Apprentices would rise and pull him out So that his Majesty to prevent such an insurrection took the Keys from Sir Thomas Lunsford and constituted Sir Thomas Byron in his room with whom the factious Spirits were as ill satisfied tho they knew not well what to object against him till at last Lieutenant Hooker the Aquavitae-man and Nicholson the Chandler complained in the Common-Council that since Sir Iohn Byron came to be Lieutenant of the Tower the Mint to the great prejudice and dishonour of the Kingdom stood still Yea so insolent were these tumultuous people grown that upon the Kings Proclamation grounded upon a Penal Law to dissipate them in contempt thereof they came early the next morning in greater numbers than ever divers of them being arm'd with Swords and Halberts and towards the evening assaulted the great Church at Westminster threatning to pull it down So that the Bishops thenceforth thought it not safe for themselves to come any more to the House The News whereof so pleased those unruly people that on the morrow they came again crying No Bishops notwithstanding another Proclamation issued out by the King to restrain them And in their return making a stand before Whitehall said that they would have no more Porter's Lodge there but would speak with the King when they pleased Which rebellious uproar caused his Majesty forthwith to place a Guard for his own safety at the Court-gates But the main cry of danger was by the House of Commons as if they themselves had been the only men in peril of their lives and therefore to make the greater shew of their own fears they order'd that Halberts should be brought into their House for defence of the Members and then they made a noise of new discoveries of farther dangerous conspiracies one by a Letter from France intimating great intelligence held betwixt England and Rome and no small likelihood of dreadful plots in agitation against this Kingdom Also of another Letter at the same time found in a Jesuit's Study of great troubles which should befall this Realm And the more to amuse the people they adjourn'd to sit in a Committee at Guild-Hall to draw up a Remonstrance of the many dangers this Kingdom had undergone within the space of three years Where being met another Letter pretended to be brought from Italy was read discovering divers Plots by the Papists here Whereupon they consider'd about drawing up of another Remonstrance laying open the peril of the Spanish Fleet the coming over of the Queen-Mother the Pope's Nuncio as also several other Plots in agitation by the Jesuits and a Romish-party Which subtil practices being set on foot by some particular persons of both Houses through whose influence chiefly others were guided caused his Majesty out of a desire to prevent the ensuing calamities which he clearly foresaw must by these means inevitably follow to demand the persons of the Lord
York as also by fourty three Dukes Marquesses Earls Vicounts and Barons of the House of Peers and cxviii members of the House of Commons there present many others by reason of distance of place sickness and imployments elsewhere in his Majesties service and for want of timely notice of that Proclamation of Summons not being then come thither But the effect which this their Letter produced was in the first place to be cryed throughout the Streets of London in scorn as the Petition of the Prince and Duke of York for peace and a meer frivolous answer or Paper in form of a Letter directed to the Earl of Forth then General of the King's forces wherein was inclosed a printed paper called a National Covenant of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and two other Papers the one called a Declaration of both the Kingdoms and the other a Declaration of the Kingdom of Scotland In that their General 's Letter it was pretended that because there was no address to the two Houses of Parliament nor acknowledgment of them it could not be communicated to them whereas it was notoriously known that he did so far impart it as that a Committee of theirs advised and fram'd the answer Besides it plainly appears by the penning thereof that they all concurr'd in the Resolution therein mention'd whereby 't is clear enough that this was but an excuse or shift to avoid any Treaty And what could that printed Covenant and two Declarations inclosed signifie but to shew that before they would admit of a Treaty all the Lords and Commons assembled at Oxford must join in that Covenant with them for the absolute extirpation of Church-government here without nay tho against the King's consent submit the Lives Liberties and Estates of themselves and all others who according to their allegiance had assisted his Majesty to the mercy of those members then sitting at Westminster as also to admit of and justifie that invasion of the Scots according to the plain sense of their Declaration But notwithstanding all this the Lords and Commons at Oxford continuing still sollicitous for an happy peace for avoiding delay or cavil about Names or Titles or descants upon words humbly besought his Majesty to send Messengers with Instructions to desire a Treaty for peace Whereunto he readily assenting two persons were by him nominated and a Letter written to the Earl of Essex for their safe conduct Which Letter had in substance this Answer viz. that if they would first agree that those Lords and Commons sitting a Westminster were the Parliament and the King 's only Council that those Gentlemen should have a safe conduct This being therefore taken into consideration it was thought fit to desire his Majesty to write his royal Letters to the Earl of Essex himself and therein to inclose a Letter superscribed To the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Westminster Which his Majesty accordingly did and thereby desired that a convenient number of fit persons might be appointed and authorized to meet with all convenient speed at such a place as they should nominate with an equal number of fit persons appointed and authorized by him to treat of the ways and means for setling the present distractions of the Kingdom and procuring a happy peace In answer whereunto they insisted that themselves thus sitting at Westminster were the Parliament convened according to the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom and that those loyal persons members of the Parliament who were come to his Majesty at Oxford according to his royal Proclamation had deserted their Trust and levyed war against the Parliament and in sum did intimate that what they should do herein must be with the concurrent advice of the Commissioners for the Kingdom of Scotland according to their late solemn League and Covenant calling his Majesties earnest endeavours for Peace but Professions and their own feigned pretences most real intentions letting fall by way of menace that his Majesty could not be the least and last sufferer Hitherto as a consequence of this second Invasion by the Scots I have given a brief touch of his Majesties farther incessant endeavours for obtaining a happy peace with these violent spirited men by an amicable Treaty Which taking no effect by reason they then saw such a likelihood through the aid and assistance of those their dear Brethren to carry all powerfully before them I shall look back a little and take notice not only how their heavy oppressions upon the people by many farther grievous Impositions were carried on but how they proceeded in their advancing the Scepter of Iesus Christ in this Realm for so they called their Presbyterian Discipline Wherein I observe that within six days next after this their Invasion the Members at Westminster passed an Ordinance for regulating the Vniversity of Cambridge by Edward Earl of Manchester then their Chancellour that is to say for turning out all loyal persons from their Headships and Fellowships in any of the Colleges there and for removing scandalous Ministers id est all orthodox men throughout the several associated Counties of Essex Norfolk Suffolk Hertford Cambridge Huntington and Lincoln That the Welch also might be the sooner brought under the yoke they soon after made another Ordinance whereby they impower'd Sir Thomas Middleton Knight to take Subscriptions for raising of Forces in the six Counties of North-wales and give the public faith for such moneys as should be raised to that purpose CHAP. XVIII HAving thus taken notice of the Transactions in their Parliament at Westminster I come now according to my designed method to the Militarie-business of this year 1643. In which I find that the King having gained ground in the North and West his farther success in sundry parts was not unsutable thereto for Sir Hugh Cholmley of Whitby in Yorkshire who at first had been a most confiding man thought it now time to declare for the King So likewise did Captain Brown-Bushell Governour of Scarborough Castle in that County who then delivered it up for his Majestie And within few days after their great Northern Champion Ferdinando Lord Fairfax was routed by the Earls of Newcastle and Cumberland at Bramham-moore in that County which great defeat so startled the Members at Westminster that they forthwith solicited the ayd of their Brethren the Scots In the neck of this also Prince Rupert upon a sharp encounter near Bermicham a seditious and populous Town in Warwick shire with a strong party of the Rebels commanded by Colonel Greaves worsted them with the loss of the Loyal William Earl of Denbigh who there received his deaths wound Soon after that also another party of them commanded by Iohn son and heir to the famous Sir Iohn Hotham their trusty Governour of Hull was routed near Ancaster in Lincolnshire And Litchfield close which they had got after the unsuccessfull attempt thereof by the Lord Brooke was without much adoe
Government CHAP. XXXVI ALL things being accordingly ready in order thereto upon the Sixteenth of December and about One of the Clock that day Five Regiments of Foot and Three of Horse were drawn out as a Guard from White-Hall to Westminster-Hall whereof one viz. Colonel Goffs was placed within the Precincts of the Hall This being done Cromwel with the Captain of his Guard and some few others passed through these Bands of Souldiers to the Door of Westminster-Hall Where alighting from his Coach there proceeded First the City Marshals Then the Aldermen of London in Scarlet After them the Judges all except their Chief-Justice Rolls Next the Two Keepers of their Great Seal Keble and L'isle Then Four Serjeants at Armes with Maces viz. the Parliament Mace the City Mace the Council of State 's Mace and the Lord Keeper's Mace After thses the Lord Mayor's Sword-bearer with the Cap of Maintenance and Sword but the Sword not Erected Then the Lord Mayor And next to him Cromwel himself in a Black Sute and Cloak Lined with Velvet Boots and a Gold Hatband all bare headed And after him the Principal Officers of the Army and Council of State In which manner they proceeded to the Chancery-Court where a Rich Chair of State was set with a large Cusheon and Carpets on the Floor Being ascended into the court Cromwel standing before the Chair with the Two Keepers and Judges on each hand of him Major General Lambert declaring to him the Dissolution of the Parliament and exigency of the times did in the name of the Army and of the Three Nations desire him to accept of the Protectorship of them Whereunto he assenting a large Instrument extending to a whole skin of Velome was read to him which contained the form of his Government and somewhat called an Oath at which he lifted up his Right Hand and Eyes and assented thereto Then did the Lord Mayor present the Sword to him and the Keepers the Seal Both which he delivered back to them respectively This being done a Common Souldier Seconded with about Twenty more cryed aloud God Bless the Lord Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland After which there was a General shout made by the Souldiers throughout the Hall and after a little pause the like twice more Then he went back to White-Hall the Lord Mayor carrying the Sword upright before him the Protector having his Hat on After which in the Evening were several Vollies of small shot and some great with Ringing of Bells The Tenor of which Instrument was as followeth viz. That the Supream Legislative Authority should be in a Single Person and the People in Parliament but the Administration thereof to be left to the Lord Protector and to his Council whereof the number was not to be above Twenty and One. That all Charters Patents Writs and Commissions should be passed by the Protector All Power of Magistracy Honours and Titles to be derived from him Likewise the Pardon of all Offences excepting Treason and Murther He also to have the Administration of all things with the Advice of his Council and according to the Tenor of this Instrument That the Militia Sitting the Parliament should be in the disposal of the Protector and the Parliament but in the Intervals in the Protector and his Council The Power also of making Peace and War with Forreign Princes to be in the Protector and his Council but he to have no Authority of Repealing or making any Laws without the consent of Parliament That the Parliament should be called before the end of Six Months then next ensuing and afterwards once in Three Years or oftner if need require and that it should not be in the Protector 's Power to Dissolve the same for the First Five Months without the consent of the House That the Number of Members for England should consist of full Four hundred Elected according to an equal distribution For Scotland Thirty and for Ireland the like Number the number for each County and City to be also assgned That the Calling of such Parliament should be under the Seal of the Common-wealth by Writs to the Sheriff in the Protector 's Name But if the Protector should not call the same within the times limited the Chancellor then to do it under the Penalty of High Treason and if he should fail therein then that the Sheriffs should perform it And after such Election should be made to be transmitted by the Chief Magistrate by Indenture to the Chancellor Signel with his Hand Twenty days before the Sitting of the same Parliament Also if the Sheriff or Mayor should make a false Return that he be Fined in Two thousand Marks That none should be capable to Elect who had ever born Armes against the Parliament or been Actors in the Irish Rebellion Nor that any Papist should ever be capable to give his Voice And that all Elections against these Rules should be void and the transgressors Fined at Two Years value of their Revenues and third part of their Goods That no Person under the Age of One and twenty years should be capable of being Elected nor any other than of known credit fearing God and of good behaviour No man likewise to have power of Electing whose Estate should not be worth Twenty Pound per annum Sterling That the Return of the Persons Elected should be transmitted by the Prothonotary in Chancery unto the Council of State within two days after they should come to his hands to the end that judgment might be made of the Persons if any question should arise touching the lawfulness of the choice That Sixty Members should be accounted a Parliament in case the rest be absent Nevertheless that it should be lawful to the Protector to call a Parliament when he should see cause That the Bills agreed on in Parliament should be presented to the Protector for his assent thereto and if he should not give his assent to them within twenty days that then they should have the force of Laws without it That if any Councellor of State should dye or be outed of his place for corruption in the Intervals of Parliament the Protector with the rest of the Councel to substitute another in his stead That a certain annual Tax shouldbe made throughout the There Common-wealths for the maintenance of Ten thousand Horse and Fifteen thousand Foot which Tax should also supply the charge of the Navy and that this rate should not be lessened or altered by the Parliament without the consent of the Protector and his Council But if it should not be thought necessary hereafter that any Army should be maintained then whatsoever surplusage of this Tax should be to be kept in the Treasury for sudden Emergencies That if there might happen to be occasion of making extraordinary choices and to Raise new Forces it should not be done without consent of Parliament but that in the Intervals of Parliament it should be lawful for the
Protector and his said Council both to make new Laws and raise Moneys for the present Exigencies That all the Lands Forrests and Iurisdictions not then sold by the Parliament whether they had belong'd to the King Queen Prince Bishops or any Delinquent whatsoever should thenceforth remain to the Protector That the Office of Protector should thenceforth be Elective but that none of the King's Line should be ever capable thereof and that the Election should belong to the Council That for the present Oliver Cromwel should be Protector That the great Office of the Common-wealth viz. Chancellor Keeper of the Seal Governour of Ireland Admiral Treasurer in case they should become void in Parliament time to be filled up by the approbation of Parliament and in the Intervals by the like approbation of the Council That the Chrisian Religion as it is contained by Holy Scripture should be the Publick Profession of the Nation and that those who were to have the care thereof should have their support from the Publick so that it be with some other more convenient maintenance and less subject ot envy than by Tithes That no man should be by any Fine or Penalty what soever forced to comply with the said publick Profession otherwise than by perswasions and Arguments That no man professing Faith in Christ should be prohibited the Exercise of his own Religion so that he disturb not any other but that neither Popery or Prelacy should be permitted the least favour or License and that all Laws to the contrary should be void That all Agreements made by Parliament should be firm and stable All Articles of Peace made with Domestick Enemies made good That all Protectors in their Order should be obliged by Oath at their first taking upon them the Government by all means to procure the Peace Welfare and quiet of the Common-wealth by no means to violate the present Agreements and lastly to his power to Administer all things according to the Laws Statutes and Customs of England After which solemn Inauguration he was publickly proclaimed Protector First in London and then throughout all the three Kingdoms And now that by this transeendent subtilâ—y this egregious Imposter had cherisht so many Sects of desperate Schismaticks in the Army and elsewhere by whose help he first pull'd down the Presbyterian and then Murthered the King it was not his least skill so to manage these unruly Spirits that none of them by clashing with each other might endanger the publick nor that any of them upon occasion should be unserviceable to his designs To which end as well to ballance them equally as to rule them how he listed he made choice of the most active and leading Men into his Council by whose Influence he had the guiding of all the rest of each Faction The like course he took for the chief Officers of his Army And being thus setled in this his new Dominion he set forth an Ordinance declaring what Offences should be adjudged Treason And likewise another for repealing those Acts and Resolves of Parliament which had formerly been made for Subscribing the Engagement the preamble whereof I have thought fit here to Insert Whereas many general and promissory Oaths and Engagements in former times Imposed upon the People of this Nation have proved Burthens and Snares to tender Consciences and yet have been exacted under several Penalties Forfeitures and Losses In consideration whereof and out of a tenderneâ—â— of requiring such obligations be it ordained by his Highness the Lord Protector by and with the consent of the Council that one Act of Parliament published in Print 2 Jan. an 1649. Intituled an Act for subscribing the Engagement and certain Orders intituled Resolves touching the subscribing an Engagement c. And all and every Clause Branch Article and Sentence in them c. be absolutely Repealed c. And being Invited by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London to dine at Grocers-Hall upon Ashwednesday to the end he might have the greater Veneration from the People it was contriv'd that he should Ride through the city in State to that Feast which was accordingly perform'd as followeth First the several Companies of London having order to meet at Guild-Hall in their Liveries went thence and placed themselves according to their Superiority in the Streets from the lower end of Cheapside to Temple-Bar within Rayles hung with blew Cloath the City Banner and Streamers belonging to the respective Companies being set before them Then the Lord Mayor with his Mace Sword and Cap of Maintenance attended by the Aldermen in Scarlet and their GoldChaynes Rode to Temple-Bar Where meeting the Protector with his Military Train he delivered up the Sword to him making a short congratulatory Speech to his Highness Which being ended they proceeded towards Grocers-Hall thus First the City-Marshal and some other Officers Then six Trumpets After them his Highness Life-guard Then eight Trumpets more Next the City Streamers Red and White Then the Aldermen After them the two Shireeves Next his Highness Heraulds with rich Coats adorn'd with the Common-wealths Arms viz. the Cross and Harp Then the Mace and Cap of Maintenance Next the Lord Mayor bare-headed carrying the Sword After him two Gentlemen Ushers Then his Highness the Protector with twelve Footmen in Gray Jackets laced with silver and black-silk Lace After him Rode Major General Skyppon and the rest of the Council Then the Officers of the Army And lastly divers other on Horseback and in Coaches Being thus come to Grocers-Hall the Recorder made a Speech to him letting him understand how happy that City did account themselves under his Government and likewise in the enjoyment of his presence there with them that day Which done he Knighted the Lord Mayor and then dined at the midst of a long Table in the great Hall the Lord Mayor sitting at some distance on his Right hand and his Son Henry on his left and on each side of them his Council of State But notwithstanding this great Entertainment well knowing that all the Bloodshed and confusion which had formerly been as 't was chiefly accomplisht by the Pulpits so by the like means his new establisht Rule might easily be shak't he fram'd another Ordinance whereby certain Commissioners were appointed for approbation of publick Preachers the preamble whereof with the Names of the reverend Tryers I have also added Whereas for some times past hitherto there hath not been any certain course Established for the supplying vacant places with able and fit persons to Preach the Gospel by reason whereof not only the Rights and Titles of Patrons are prejudiced but many weak scandalous Popish and ill affected persons have intruded themselves or been brought in to the great grief and trouble of the good people of this Nation For remedy and prevention whereof be it Ordained by his Highness the Lord Protector by and with the consent of his Council that every Person who shall from and after the 25th
with some forces into the City to awe them but with little effect the Souldiers in all places being scorn'd and affornted Whereat Hewson became so much enraged that he murdered some of the Citizens in the streets But that which toucht them in point of danger more nearly was the revolt of Portsmouth whereof Sir Arthur Haselrigg Colonel Walton and Herbert Morley with the consent of Whetham the Governour had then possest themselves The news whereof coming to the Ears of the Committee of Safety they speedily sent both Horse and Foot to reduce it But the people in general being impatient till a readmission of the Rump or to have somthing else bearing the name of a Parliament necessitated the Committee of Safety to declare that a Parliament should be called and appointed to sit down beforeâ— February next ensuing and that the Parliament so to be called should be according to such qualifications as then were or should be agreed upon and might best secure the just Rights Liberties and Priviledges of the people Taking care that when met there should be no alteration of these Fundamentals viz. 1. That no Kingship should be excercised in these Nations 2. That no single person should exercise the Office of chief Magistrate therein 3. That an Army should be continued and maintained and so conducted that it might secure the Peace of these Nations and not be disbanded nor the Conduct thereof altered but by consent of the Conservators appointed 4. That no imposition might be upon the Consciences of them that feared God 5. That there should be no House of Peers 6. That the Legislative and Executive power should be distinct and not in the same hands 7. That the Assemblies of Parliament should be Elected by the people of the Common-Wealth duly qualified But to nip these in the bud came a Declaration from Vice-Admiral Lawson and his fellows in the Navy giving several Reasons of a necessity for the Old Long Parliament to sit again And to second this came News that those Forces which they had sent to reduce Portsmouth had forsaken their Commanders and were gone in to the Revolters Nor were the generality of the people about that time less active every where some labouring earnestly that the Rump might sit again others for joyning all the Secluded Members to them But the greatest part and specially the most sober men were in their desires wholly for a Full and Free Parliament yet could not be heard for the Rump through the power of the Souldiery was readmitted and solemnly owned by them as the Supream Authority both here and in Ireland Whereupon beginning to sit they disposed of the Tower of London to the custody of Sir Anthony-Ashley Couper Mr. Weever and Mr. Berners and recalled Lambert from his Expedition against General Monke most of whose men were by that time gone in to Monke or for want of pay very much dispersed And well considering the tumultuousness of the people in many parts and insolency of the Souldiers wheresoever they came they hastned up General Monke as their chief shelter Who having so prudently secured Scotland and dealt privately with Sir Charles Coot to take the like care of Ireland advanced forwards as fast as he could But no sooner were the Rumpers thus got into the House than that some old Secluded Members required also admittance Which put them upon this following Vote That upon the fifth of January ensuing the House would take into consideration the case of all absent Members as also how to supply the vacant places in order to the filling it up And that in the mean time it should be referred to a Committee to consider of all proceedings and all Orders and Cases touching absent Members and make their Report thereof at the same time Which Vote did not prove so satisfactory as they expected for the City being discontented made preparations for a Posture of Defence and in the Country the Cashiered-Officers and the depressed Nobility and Gentry courted General Monke all along as he marcht incessantly crying out for a Full and Free Parliament Whose answer in substance was no more than this viz. that he would use his best endeavours to persuade unto Reason and Iustice wishing all persons to acquiesce in what should be the issue Most certain it is that though the Rump had fair hopes of Monk's firmness unto them yet were they not without their jealâ—â—sies of him and therefore under colour of Congratâ—â—â—ing his coming into England they sent Thomas Scot and Luke Robinson to sound him more nearly But he deported himself with so much reservedness and gravity that they little discerned the real purposes of his Heart And when the City of London sent their Sword-bearer to Court him he only said that he was for the Parliament yet assured them that when he came thither he would satisfie their desires and the hopes they had of him Promising nothing else that that he would first see all force removed from the Parliament Secondly That the House should be filled and lastly That there should be good provision for future Parliaments So keeping on a soft pace he came at length to St. Albans Whatever apprehensions and fancies others then had of his purpose it is not to be doubted but that the Rumpers made all Cocksure for themselves not only in the Legislative but Executive power and for disposing all places of Benefit and Trust so that their sitting without limit might be perpetuated in order thereto passing this Vote viz. Resolved touching absent Members that the Parliament doth adjudg and declare that the Members who stand discharged from Voting or Sitting in year 1648. and 1649. do stand duly discharged by judgment of Parliament from sitting as Members of this Parliament during this Parliament and that Writs do issue forth for electing of new Members in their places Appointing that the Oath for abjuring the King and the whole Line of King Iames should be taken by every Member thenceforth sitting in Parliament and thereupon grew so insolent that they imprisoned divers persons for Petitioning to have a Free Parliament Which occasioned General Monke to come the sooner to London and to take up his Lodging at White-Hall Where having rested about two or three days he attended the House according to Order and modestly giving them an account of his whole undertakings added That he deserved not the Thanks which the House had then given him having done no more than his duty therein but wisht them rather to praise God for his mercy desiring them to satisfie the expectations of the people in the Establishment of their Laws Liberties and Properties God having restored them not so much as that they should seek their own as the Publick Good Desiring them in particular to take away the jealousies men had of their perpetuity by putting a period to that their own Session and providing orderly for future Parliaments Wishing them to use
as when the truth which is but one shall appear to the simple Multitude no less variable than contrary to it self the Faith of Men will soon after dye away by degrees and all Religion be held in Scorn and Contempt CHAP. XLIV FOR the Laws of the Land with the Liberty and Property of the Subject because the first ought to be a Defence to the latter let us see what these great pretended Champions for both did for their Preservation Or rather how manifestly they violated them all by their unjust Practises Was it not for Execution of his Majesties Legal Writ grounded upon the Statute for Suppressing of Tumults that Justice Long was Committed to the Tower And were not Commands laid upon the Judges of the King's Bench that they should not grant any Habeas Corpus the Antient Remedy for the Peoples Security for such as the Members had Committed to Prison by their own Authority And did not Mr. Rigby a beloved Member move twice that those Lords and Gentlemen which were Prisoners for no cause but being Malignants as they term'd them should be sold as Slaves to Argiere or sent to the new Plantations in the West-Indies because he had Contracted with two Merchants for that purpose Though Mr. Pym himself had in a Speech in that Parliament acknowledged it against the Rules of Iustice that any Man should be Imprison'd upon a General Charge when no Particulars were proved against him As these things were most evident so was their Order against Publishing the King's Proclamation contrary to Acts of Parliament then in Force Likewise their Barbarous murther of his Majesties Messenger for bringing a Legal Writ to the Sheriffs of London to that purpose As also Collonel Nathaniel Fienes his causing the King's Proclamation concerning Marriners to be burnt in the open Market-place at Bristol by the Common Hangman he being then Governour there and Imprisoning the Earl of Bristol and Justice Malet for having an hand in the Kentish-Petition And notwithstanding the Statute in force against Loanes and Benevolences grounded upon the Petition of Right and that on Magna Charta which the Lord Say Mr. Pym and Mr. Hampden once held so Sacred that being asked upon occasion in King Iames his time why they would not then Contribute to the King's Necessities by way of Loan They Answered that they could be content to lend as well as others but that they feared to draw upon themselves that Curse in Magna-Charta which should be read twice every Year against the Infringers thereof Nevertheless did not these men Commit Mr. Fountain the Lawyer and divers others which refused to lend Money for advancement of their Rebellion And by a special Order sent those Loyal Citizens Sir George Whitmore Alderman Gurney Mr. Gardner and others to several Remote Prisons viz. Yarmouth Colchester Norwich c. for not submitting to their Lawless and Rigorous Tax of the twentieth part for the support of their Rebellious Forces And give power to their Officers to break open Trunks to search for Money and Plate and to seize the same for that purpose Mr. Strode one of the five Members in Justification of these heavy Oppressions saying that it was no more than they had right to do And that every Man in England had trusted his whole Estate to be disposed of as the Members of both Houses should think convenient For if the Members of both Houses quoth he think fitting to seize the Estate of every Man in England all the whole Kingdom is bound to submit to them And was not their Licentious Boldness such that Mr. Pym a single Member during a recess of both Houses by an Order under his own hand did dispence with the Act of Parliament 1. Eliz. for Uniformity of Common-Prayer And when upon a motion of the House that certain Gaolers should be tryed by Marshal Law by reason of some Prisoners escape and that it was opposed by divers Lawyers as an illegal course the Gaolers being answerable by the Law for the same was it not Replyed that they were not to be tyed to any Forms of Law those being to be laid by at such times as this when Necessity is the Rule by which they must guide their Actions What Misery have many Reverend and Orthodox Divines and others suffered by long Imprisonment some sent on Ship-board and kept under the Deck lying many days upon the hard Boards for no other Offence than their firm Loyalty to the King and Constancy in the true Protestant Religion Establish't by Law His Majesties Servant coming only to them on a Message for Peace being likewise so long Imprisoned that he dyed therein with hard Usage How partially Indulgent have they been to those of their own Rebellious Tribe is evident from sundry Instances as that of Mr. Gryffith one of their Members who was made a Captain of Horse with Silver Trumpets and extraordinary Bravery though he had Ravish't the Lady Sidley and was by her Accused for so doing Mr. Lenthall their Speaker having also six Thousand Pounds given him of that Money which had been raised by Act of Parliament for publick Service Having therefore thus trampled down the Laws and made seizure of the Kings Forts Towns Navy and Magazine whereby he was devested of all Power to protect his good Subjects no marvel that they deprived him of all other Authority declaring his nomination of Sheriffs Illegal and authorizing his Deputy Lieutenants and Trained-Bands to Suppress and Apprehend such Sheriffs Levying Money for Horse and Plate as also the twentieth part and a vast Weekly Tax by Distresses and Imprisonment to say nothing of Sequestrations and Plunders Add hereunto the Hanging of those Loyal Persons Mr. Yeomans and Mr. Bourchier at Bustol Likewise Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Chaloner at London And that the Oppressed People might take no benefit of the Law an Order and Declaration was set forth by Authority of both Houses that the Judges of Assize should forbear to go their Circuits as they would answer their Contempt to the Parliament Moreover to let the Reins of all Government loose they discharged all Apprentices from their Masters Service as would serve in their Rebellious Armies Compelling divers against their Parents good will Nor is it less observable that though by their own Fundamentals they had declared that the Subject was not to be forced unto the Wars against his will except it were by the consent of the King and the Estates in Parliament there being an Act in that Parliament passed also to that purpose Nevertheless they frequently pressed great numbers of Men to serve them in their Rebellious Armies And by a special Ordinance gave Power to any three of the Militia of London to raise and send out Men as also to Fine Imprison and Execute Martial-Law By the like Authority it was that they raised vast Sums upon Merchandize under the name of Tunnage
the King or the Government With which bait some Wise Men were allured into the snare among whom Villeroy the chief Secretary of State was one and Brissonius Primier President of the Parliament of Paris another the former entring himself one of the League out of a private grudge to the Duke D'Espernon desired the Duke of Guise's Faction might prevail that Espernons might be abated never imagining nor could be ever believe that the League would ever attempt any thing against the King's Person but only had an aim to cashiere his Minions and endeavour to extirpate the Huguenots The later though he had been at first a principal Instrument for the League fell off when he perceived that the ends of the Ring-leaders were not so sincere for the publick good as he at first had fancied And divers other there were as there will be in all Factions where great Men are engaged who adhered to that Party not out of any ends or Inclinations of their own but by reason of their Alliance with or dependence on the House of Lorrein and other chief Men of the League Having thus laid the grounds of their League upon these fair Pretences to gull the People their means of advancing it were such as our Men have transcribed from their Copy Not any thing of moment having been used here which was wanting there to increase their own and undermine the King's Power and Authority They had their Feares and Iealousies of dangerous Plots against their Persons at home of Designs to seize upon the City of Paris to overawe them by armed force and put an hundred of the chief to Death of Practises with Forrein Princes against them and their Religion and of suddain Invasion intended from abroad They had Reports broacht upon on grounds and Tumults raised in the City upon no other occasion than those Reports They had their Preachers h to amaze and fright the People out of their Witts by Strange and Miraculous Stories and out of their Allegiance by traducing and inveighing against the present Government They had their Scandalous Libels and Pictures first Published in the City and thence dispersed abroad to Poison the Countrey They neglected no means of courting and winning the Common-People by rubbing up their sores of new Taxes and Impositions and promising relief unto them by crying up the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the Subject by rendring the King's Person contemptible and his Actions Odious in the Eyes of his People setting forth Declarations and Remonstrances of the State of the Kingdom of such a tenor as it will be no new thing to Translate what they at Westminster have in a manner already done to my hand They wounded the King's Honour through the sides of his Councellers they stained the sincerity of his Professions and Protestations in point of Religion they went about to supplant his just Power and Authority by their new and insolent demands such as those of ours in the Nineteen Propositions Whil'st they seem'd to maintain his Authority they rob'd him of it transferring it wholly to the head of their League And though their Parliament in that point more moderate than ours waived that antient Question and would not contend about it viz. Whether the King or the Estates concerned in Parliament be Superior a point determinable by the very form of holding Parliaments and ever carried by the King in all former times yet they thought fit to Petition the King that for the more expedition and general satisfaction of all differences he would please to make choice of a certain number of Judges such in whom the States might confide who together with XII of their Members might hear and receive the several motions from the several Estates And whatsoever those Judges and XII Commissioners should jointly agree upon to have the force and strength of a Law without any Power in the King to alter or repeal it When this would not be granted by the King upon grave reasons of State which we need not here set down the Heads of the Faction and their Adherents took a new course to restrain the King's Power by proposing that the number of the Kings Council should be limitted to XXIV the very next number which our Lords and Commons in the second of their Nineteen Propositions would limit his privy-Privy-Council to viz. not to exceed XXV and they to be chosen not by the King at pleasure but by every County of the Kingdon They required that all Moneys to be raised upon the Subject by way of Subsidy or Impost should be imployed for the defence of the Kingdom and that by all means at free-Free-Parliament should be called every three years at the least with full Power to any Man to present his Grievances to the States so Assembled They charged upon the King his Oath taken at his Coronation not only to be obliged to preserve the Antient Laws and Liberties of the Subject but such better Laws and more Commodious as should be presented unto him Their first grand Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom was cast in the same Mould with that of ours Which though it were the Contrivance but of a few chief Men of the League yet was it published in the name of all the Lords and Commons of France only signed by the Cardinal of Bourbon whom they made a Stale to their Ambition By this they declared that France had been miserably tormented by a Pestiferous Sedition raised for the Subversion of the antient Religion of their Fore-Fathers That no Remedies had been applyed but such as were more proper for nourishing than curing the Disease That the Catholick Religion being in great danger it was most necessary to take some speedy prudent course for prevention of the imminent ruine thereof That Agents were sent to practise with the Protestant Princes of Germany for Suppressing the Persons of Honest Men and pulling down the Catholick-Religion and an endeavour to destroy the great Men who had the principal places of Honour That the King's Favours whose Majesty was and ever should be Sacred to them and Government of the State were engrossed by such who had drained his Coffers and placed Officers in the Exchequer for their own private advantage That though some Rays of hopes appeared by that Assembly of the States-General at Bloys the antient Remedy for all Domestick-Wounds yet after their great Labours and Expences in that meeting no Fruits were Reaped by reason of the evil-Council of those Men so dissaffected to God and the good of the Common-Weal So that the abuses which by little and little at first stole upon them did then burst in like an Impetuous Torrent ready to overwhelm the Kingdom the Church of God being prophaned the Nobility scorn'd and vilified and every day opprest with Innumerable Grievances and Illegal Exactions And that upon these just Causes and Considerations they declared
the People there 46. his Declaration 284. is beheaded 388. Haselring Sir Arthur his Motion in Parliament 465. Hampden Collonel slain 186. Hewson kills some of the Londoners 482. Conference at Hampton-Court 14. Hewit Dr. John beheaded 456. Mr. Hookers Books corrupted by the Presbyterians 38. Hotham Sir John denies the King entrance into Hull 91. He and his Son beheaded 99. Hypocrisie its Fruits 1. I. JAmes King enters into a War for the recovery of the Palatinate 20. his Death 24. Jesuites Tenets 16. Independency its Original 227. Their Tenets 281. 409. Instrument of Government read to Cromwel at his inauguration 414. K. KIneton Battel 108 109. Kentish Men petition the Parliament in behalf of the King 282. L. LAmbert routed at Daventry 487. Lambeth-house beset 62. Laud Arch-bishop beheaded 194. Holy League and Covenant 119. 121. Solemn League and covenant 128. Schismatical Lecturers planted in London and Corporate Towns 36. Buying in Impropriate Tyths for their support ibid. The absurdity and ill effects of their Doctrine 38. 95. 392. 469. 565. Leicester's Earl may to get the Bishops Lands 14. made Deputy of Ireland 71. Representation of the Ministers of Leicester-shire 471. A Loan required by King Charles I. 31. Londoners their forwardness to promote the Rebellion 99. 119. 123. 234. 286. 584. are dejected upon the approach of Fairfax 's Army 252. Iustice Long committed to the Tower 79. Certain seditious Expressions in Mr. Love 's Sermon at Uxbridge 576. M. BAttel at Marston-Moor 189. Five Members of Parliament demanded by the King 81. General Monk advances towards England 481. his Speech to the Rump Parliament 485. voted Lord General 487. his Descent and variable Fortune 488 Secluded Members re-admitted 487. N. NAmes of the secluded Members 363. of those that subscribed a Protestation against a Treaty with the King at the Isle of Wight 365. of the Persons present at the Treaty 289. of the High Court of Iustice for Trial of the King 367. of the Members who assented not to the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford 583. of Cromwels Council of State 406. of his House of Lords 455. of the Rumpers 467. of the secluded Members ibid. of the Rumper's Council of State 468. of the Committee of Safety 477. Navesby Fight 200. Newbery first Battle 187. second Battle 197. O. OAth for adjuring the King 471. taken by Members of Parliament 485. Order for raising an Army by the Parliament 98. Ordinance for the Militia 89. Ordinance for calling an Assembly of Divines 121. The Self-denying Ordinance 193. 197. Ordinance for Sale of Bishops Lands 225. Ordinance for Trial of the King 366. P. FIrst Parliament of King Charles I. 2◠dissolved 27. Second Parliament called ibid. dissolved 31. Third Parliament called 34. dissolved 35. The short Parliament called and dissolved 61. Long Parliament began 66. dissolved 487. Bill for perpetuating the Parliament 70. Their Declaration concerning the Five Members 83. Their insolent Propositions to the King after their Victory at Marston-Moore 191. Invite the Scots to their assistance 112. Their Oppressions of the People 112. 114. 124. 127. 129. 130. 131. 391. 474. House of Peers abolished 385. 389. Peters Hugh his Revelation 365. Petition of the County of Norfolk 386. of Grievances 66. for putting the Kingdom into a posture of Defence 85. for putting the Militia into the Hands of the Parliament 86. of the poor Tradesmen in London 87. Petitions for a free Parliament suppressed 482. Popish Priest slain on the Parliament side at Edge-hill Fight 564. Presbyterian Tenets 17. 400. Arts and Devices to raise Rebellion 19. Their actings against the Protestant Religion 554. against the Laws of the Land and Liberty of the Subject 577. Their Doctrine and Practise 565. Their violating the Priviledges of Parliament 582. Their averseness to Peace 588. Their practise for reducing the King to necessities 20. 238. Their Protestations and Declarations 206. Presbytery triumphant 193. 203. Plots and Conspiracies pretended by them 69. 76. 81. 90. 121. 129. Whether the Presbyterian or Independant were the chief Actors in the Murder of the King 375. Proposals of the Parliament for bringing in Money and Plate 95 96. Propositions sent to the King at New-Castle 217. Prides Purge 363. Privy Seals 27. 32. Puckering Speaker of the Commons his Speech against the Puritans 13. Puritans their Principles 10. and Discipline 11. petition King James against the Liturgy of the Church of England 14. R. THe Recognition subscribed 429. The Grand Remonstrance 71. presented to the King 78. Captain Rolfe employed by the Parliament to poison the King 285. Rumper's Declaration 466. are excluded by Lambert 477. are re-admitted 483. S. SAlmatius his Opinion touching the Murder of King Charles 377. Scots put themselves in Arms. 54. raise more Forces 58. Their first Invasion 62. Their second Invasion 189. 132. Their third Invasion 380. Their Letter to the Major c. of the City of London 214. Their Answer to the English Commissioners about delivering up the King 230. Their Letter and Declaration to the two Houses of Parliament 258. 271. Great Seal of England altered 370. Service Book sent into Scotland 42. 58. Sheriffs of London refuse to publish His Majesties Proclamation 72. Ship-money required 32. Inland Parts charged therewith 42. Sir Henry Slingsby beheaded 456. Spencer Earl of Northampton slain 118. Earl of Strafford impeached of Treason 67. his Trial and Death 68. Star-Chamber Court suppressed 70. Earl of Sunderland slain 187. T. TReaty in the Isle of Wight 689. Treaty at Rippon 65. removed to Westminster 66. Tumults at Edenburgh by reason of the Service-Book 44. in St. Pauls Cathedral 65. at Westminster 78 79 82. justified by the Parliament 90. V. VAne Sir Henry being sent into Scotland incites them to Rebellion 60. his sinister dealing with the King 61. Virgin of Hereford-shire her Revelation 367. Uxbridge Treaty 194. 291. 737. Votes of no more Addresses to the King 275. W. WAlsingham a favourer of the Sectaries 9. Walton upon Thames the Sermon of a Soldier there 390. Weever an Independent his Motion in the House of Commons 283. Winchester Cathedral defaced Worchester Cathedral defaced 558. Y. YOrk Grand Council of the Peers there 64 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS Printed at the Theater in Oxford With several others And sold in London by Moses Pitt at the Angel against the Great North-door of St. Pauls-Church 1681. IN FOLIO BIble for Churches with Chronology and an Index The English Atlas Vol 1st containing the description of the North Pole as also Muscovy Poland Sweden and Denmark The second Vol. of the Atlas containing Germany The third Vol. containing the 17 Provinces both in the Press 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five Pandectae Canonum S. S. Apostolorum Conciliorum ab Ecclesiâ Graecâ receptorum nec non canonicarum S. S. Patrum Epistolarum una cum Scholiis antiquorum singulis annexis Scriptis aliis huc spectantibus quorum plurima è Bibliothecae Bodleianae aliarumque MSS. codicibus nunc primum edita
nineteenth of December giving a Commission for their Adjournment till the eighth of February following the house of Commons made a Protestation wherein they declared for sundry Priviledges of which his Majesty in a Speech at the Council-Table upon the thirtieth of that month took notice that it was unduly gained late at night when not a third part of the House was present and penned in such ambiguous and general words as might serve for future times to invade most of the Rights and Prerogatives annexed to the Imperial Crown And discerning that some Parliament men who had a great influence upon the House rather hinder'd that good progress which he expected they would have made towards the recovery of the Palatinate then further'd the giving of money in order thereto did by unanimous consent of his whole Council dissolve that Parliament by Proclamation upon the sixth of Ianuary following And seeing his hopes of raising moneys by Parliament to be thus frustrate they first endeavoured the restitution of the Palatinate by all good means of Treaty both with the Emperour and King of Spain Which not succeeding he caused Letters to be written by the Lords of the Council to the Justices of the Courts at Westminster and likewise to the Sheriffs of the several Counties and Justices of Peace throughout England as also to the Mayors and Bayliffs of Towns-Corporate to raise moneys by a Benevolent contribution for recovery thereof by force yet still pursued the Spanish match in hope to gain it thereby But after many subtile delays made by the Spaniard that match being not like to take effect His Majesty sent the Lord Kensington into France to try whether a match might there speed which was well accepted Whereupon the King call'd another Parliament which began 19 Febr. 1623. At which time he acquainted them with the ill success of that dilatory Treaty in order to the match with Spain and desired their advice on the behalf of his Son the Count-Palatine and his Children In answer to which they signified that the said Treaty both for the Marriage and the Palatinate could not longer be continued with the honour of his Majesty the safety of his People welfare of his Children and Posterity and assurance of his antient Allies and Confederates Whereunto the King replyed that he should be loath without necessity to imbroil himself in war And manifesting to them his wants for the support of a war desired their advice offering that in case he took a resolution by such their advice to enter into a war they themselves by their own Deputies should have the disposal of the moneys Hereupon the Parliament tendred three Subsidies and three Fifteens to break off both the Treaties viz. that of the match with Spain and that concerning the Palatinate desiring his Majesty that he would be confidently assured they would never fail in a Parliamentary-way to assist him in so royal a design But the King esteeming that too little demanded five Subsidies and two Fifteeens for every Subsidy towards the support of that war and one Subsidy and two Fifteens yearly till his debts were pay'd Nevertheless told them that he would be content to quit that demand for his own debts in case they gave six Subsidies and twelve Fifteens for the war declaring his resolution to dissolve the Treaties whereupon Bonefires were made in London and the Bells rang for joy And farther told them that he did assure himself they would make good what they had said and that what they had advised him unto they would assist him in with their Wisdom and Council as also with Forces if need required Shortly after which Count Mansfeild arriving in England twelve thousand Foot with two hundred Horse were raised to go under his Command for recovery of the Palatinate and in August following the match with France was concluded But this hopeful Army under Count Mansfeild consisting of twelve Regiments was by tedious stay on Ship-board so infected with the Pestilence that scarce a third part thereof came safe to Land a third part likewise mouldring away so that the design came to nothing And upon the seven and twentieth of March following King Iames departed this life Unto whom King Charles the first succeeded who resolving to pursue the recovery of the Palatinate upon the grounds of those great promises so made by the Parliament to his Father did in the beginning of May next ensuing issue out Warrants for the levying of Souldiers to be imploy'd in that Expedition whereof eight thousand to rendezvouz at Plymouth one thousand at Hull to be transported into the Netherlands for the service of the United Provinces and two thousand returned thence for his Majesties present service And having marryed a Daughter of France who arrived at London upon the sixteenth of Iune he began his Parliament at Westminster within two days following Where in his Speech to both Houses he put them in mind how they had engaged his Father in the war for the Palatinate earnestly pressing their speedy assistance And the Lord Keeper added that the principal cause of calling that Parliament besides the beholding his Subjects faces was to mind them of the great Engagement for the recovery of the Palatinate imposed on his Majesty by the King his Father and by themselves who thereupon brake off the two Treaties with Spain as also to let them understand that the Subsidies granted by the preceding Parliament with much more of the King 's own Revenue were already spent in the following Treaties and Alliances upon the Armies sent into the Low-Countries and in repairing of the Forts with the Fortifying of Ireland all which did meet in one center the Palatinate whereof the Account was ready Hereupon the Houses presenting the King with two Subsidies the Lord Conway then one of the Secretaries of State signified his Majesties gracious acceptance thereof yet told them that the necessity of the present affairs were not therein satisfied and therefore required their farther Councils Reminding them that the late King was provoked beyond his nature to undertake a war for recovery of his Childrens antient Patrimony the charges whereof did appear by computation to amount unto seven hundred thousand Pounds a year viz. in supporting the Netherlands in preventing the Emperour's design of concluding with the Princes of Germany for utter excluding the Palsgrave and levying an Army under Count Mansfeild Farther representing to them that the Kings of Denmark and Sweden and Princes of Germany had levyed another That France Savoy and Venice joyn'd together for a war of diversion and that to uphold the Netherlands the charges of Mansfeild's and Denmark's Army must yet continue But the Plague increasing sore in London occasion'd some delay in their Proceedings by an Adjournment to Oxford at which place they met the first of August following Where on the fourth of that month his Majesty in a
to all Kings from their Subjects and from them to their dread Soveraign after a more special manner but meerly to preserve their Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom and that whatsoever course they should take it should be no imputation to them being constrain'd thereto for best securing that Kirk and Kingdom from the Extremity of confusion and misery taking God and man to witness that they would be free of all outrages and Insolencies that should be committed in the mean time And then they began again to levy and raise Forces in several parts of the Realm in great numbers excercised train'd and assign'd them a Rendezvouz as also a day to be in readiness to march making Provisions of Artillery Amunition and Armes in great quantities from forreign parts laying Taxes and Impositions of ten marks in every hundred upon all the Subjects of that Kingdom according to their several Revenues for support of their Rebellion exacting the same with the greatest rigour that could be imagined spreading sundry Papers and Pamphlets scandalous to the King's proceedings block'd up the Castle of Edenborough and fortified divers places imprisoned the Earl of Southeske one of his Majesties Privy-Council there and sundry others of quality for not adhering to them in their Rebellious courses endeavouring to settle Intelligencers in parts beyond-Sea and practising to let in forreign power inclining rather to prostitute themselves to a forreign Government and different in Religion than yield obedience and conformity to his Majesty their natural Soveraign as appears by their Addresses and Letter to the French King By what hath been said it appearing that the first glimpse of this grand and destructive Rebellion shew'd it self at Edenborough upon the three and twentieth of Iuly an 1637 the scum of the people then taking fire at thâ— reading of that Service-book which was sent over by his late Majesty of blessed memory as a proper Liturgy for the Church of Scotland and most nearly suting with this of England Forasmuch therefore as from those Sparks the ensuing flames arose which from and after that time continued burning for the space of many years until they had overspread and much wasted the cheif parts of this great Isle to make the Bishops of both Kingdoms odious there are not a few who either out of malice to their sacred function or ignorance as to matter of fact have imputed the original of all this mischeif unto them as the first Authors or procurers of that Book which they would have believed to be the first rise thereof To the end therefore that those reverend persons soon after ruin'd and since dead may be fully vindicated from being primarily instrumental therein though had they so been no person of upright judgment could justly have blamed them from endeavouring an uniformity in the service of God in both Kingdoms I shall desire my Reader to cast his eye upon that faithful Narrative written by the command of our late Soveraign King Charles the first and corrected throughout with his own hand as many yet living can testify whereby he will clearly discern that the then Lords of the Privy-Council of Scotland were the men who advised the King to commend a Service-Book to be received and used in all the Churches of that Realm of which there was no little want every man being left to his own giddy fancy Now whether this advice of those Lords was not with purpose to trepan his Majesty to do that which as they resolv'd to order the business should occasion a tumultuous Insurrection by the rabble whence their grand Design of raising a general flame of war might ensue let the Reader judge when he looks back upon their discontents upon his Majesties Revocation of such things as had been passed away in prejudice of that Crown especially by some of his Progenitors in their minorities though not without advice of those who were then his Privy-Councellors in that Realm as hath been already observed And withall consider what combinations were driven on divers years before betwixt the most considerable persons of the Puritan-party in England and the Grand-Contrivers there Mr. Knightley's house in Northampton-shire being the chief place where that restless faction had their frequent meetings whence a Gentleman of quality was sent into Scotland afterwards a great Parliament-man here who residing there for some time before the troubles broke out represented to those which had the chief Interest there that the business of the Ship-money and Habeas Corpus with divers other things whereof there was much noise made afterwards had so irritated the greatest part of the English Nation that if they made sure work at home they needed not to fear any thing from England Moreover how earnestly and eagerly after that Tumult at Edenborough was so raised all sorts of people took advantage thereof the Kirkmen laying about them in their Pulpits so that the Citizens Gentry and Nobles speedily put themselves in Armes entring into a rebellious Confederacy called the Covenant And lastly that when his Majesty most gratiously offered to recall the Service-Book which was the great business at which they seem'd to take offence they were no whit lenified It will be visible enough to any person of judgment who doth not wilfully shut his Eyes that the hatching of this Rebellion was of a much elder date than that Service-Book But I now return to England CHAP. VI. HIs Majesty thus seeing his danger from Scotland and hoping of help from his English Subjects resolv'd of calling a Parliament here But no sooner were Writs out for that purpose than that the Schismatical Party used all possible endeavour to strengthen their side by choosing of their own faction for Knights and Burgesses And to accomplish the same spared for no pains in packing of Voices and making parties wherein their Seditious Pulpit-men bestir'd themselves to purpose such being then their fury that those meetings for Elections appeared more like riotous tumults than orderly conventions nevertheless the Nation was not then so generally tainted but that many good men were chosen Which Parliament began at Westminster upon the thirteenth day of April wherein his Majesty declared to both Houses the indignities receiv'd from his Scotish Subjects and to suppress their Rebellion proposed a Supply of twelve Subsidies in lieu whereof he was content to forbear Ship-money than which nothing seem'd so grievous Had not that Parliament been broke by the subtile artifices of the Grand-Contrivers in the immediate Rebellion no doubt but all those miseries which were thereby soon after brought upon this Realm might have been easily prevented and that the breach thereof was wrought by them is plain enough For Sir Henry Vane Senior a member of the House of Commons at that time and one of his Majesties principal Secretaries of State having by the King's appointment moved for a Supply of twelve Subsidies yet with power to stoop to eight when he saw an inclination
in the House tending thereto first by a Proposal of four then five nay six were mention'd and the motion not dislik'd told them peremptorily that it was in vain for them to think of less than twelve in regard he knew under that number would not be accepted And having by that sinister dealing kept such distance betwixt his Majesty and his good Subjects was by some other of the faction so seconded with a hideous representation of their Grievances together with dangerous Innovations in Religion and fears of introducing Superstition besides certain motions as did not without cause put strange apprehensions in the Queen of peril to her person or at least some others very near unto her that his Majesty was constrain'd to dissolve that Parliament And taking consideration of the Scots rebellious Insolencies which every day increased proposed the business of money to his privy-Privy-Council who contributed a considerable sum to his aid his domestic-Servants and Officers making good addition thereto The Earl of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland speedily hasting into that Kingdom where he call'd a Parliament raised an Army of eight thousand men with money to maintain them and within the space of six weeks return'd into England That the meeting of these Members of Parliament from all parts of the Realm being many of them men of turbulent Spirits and principles totally Antimonarchical gave opportunity for those contrivances which afterwards were put in Action there is nothing more sure For in the first place they took care to infuse Fears and Iealousies into the people every where that the Government was then design'd to be Arbitrary and Popery like to be introduced to promote which Scandals many seditious Preachers took no small pains in their Pulpits especially in and about London Whereupon several tumultuous meetings were made in divers parts of the Suburbs and a Paper set up in the night at the old Exchange animating the Apprentices to sack Lambeth House Which took such effect that two nights following it was beset with above five hundred of the rascal multitude and an attemt made thereon though without success some of them being taken and imprisoned in Southwark But here they rested not for within a few nights after they broke open the White-Lion and King's-bench Prisons and let out their fellows The Scots also having made such preparations for a second Rebellion continued likewise their Parliament according to the Fundamental Laws as their phrase was having enacted a Band to be subscribed by all men before the first of September to maintain it to be a free and lawful Parliament whereupon they form'd another Army and knowing certainly what store of well-wishers they had in this Kingdom as also how easy the work was like to be made through the subtile contrivances of the factious party here from whom they were sufficiently instructed and animated by private Invitations and large promises invaded this Realm passing the Twede at Barwick But the King being slow to believe what they designed was not so forward as to encounter them upon the Borders his Army which he rais'd that Summer lying at that time about New-Castle of which the Earl of Northumberland was made General who alledging himself to be then ill in health staid in London His Majesty therefore having certain advertisement that the Scots were ready to enter Northumberland intended to have made the Earl of Strafford General who declin'd it out of an honoured respect to the Earl of Northumberland but being much pressed in regard of this present occasion desired to serve as Lieutenant general under him and had his Commission accordingly On Thursday the twentieth of Aug. the King set forwards from London towards the North and on Munday following the Earl of Strafford having in that short time fitted himself for his journey posted from London by Coaches and arriving at York the Wednesday after though then much troubled with the Stone rode to Topcliffe on Fryday At that time the Lord Conway was General of the Horse and at Newcastle with the Army Where by reason of the General 's and Lieutenant-General's absence he had the cheif command thereof but made such slender resistance that the Scots forc'd their passage over the River of Tine at Newburne that very Friday and entred Newcastle without opposition himself then retreating with the Army towards York and in some confusion And now that the Scots had thus possess'd themselves of Newcastle they began to strengthen that place and bring all those Northern-parts under contribution Which strange passages made most men amazed scarce any man knowing whom to trust or speak freely to Much labour indeed there was to make the people believe that all this did work for their good and that the Scots were their surest friends this being the certain way to have a Parliament and that the undoubted cure of all things amiss both in Church and State And truly such a burthen was Ship-money then esteem'd to be and some few other extraordinary Impositions so wanton were many grown being surfeited with that plenty which long peace had produc'd that the Scots then had not a few well-wishers in all parts of this Realm their piety and goodness being so cried up by the whole Puritan-party His Majesty therefore in this difficult Labyrinth took resolution to summon a meeting of the Peers at York a course which had anciently been used especially when exigencies were so great that the Convention of a Parliament could not be staid for and at the meeting of this grand Council represented to them the present danger of this Invasion with desire of their advice touching the maintenance of his Army as not safe to be disbanded whilst the Scotish-Forces were on foot as also what course was fittest to be taken to get them out Whereupon without long deliberating a Treaty was determin'd on and for that end sixteen of the Lords then present were assign'd on the King's part to meet with Eleven of the Scots with power to compose and conclude all differences Whereunto the Scots assented upon condition that the King should first revoke his Proclamation whereby he had declared them Traitors COMMISSIONERS Of the English these Francis Earl of Bedford William Earl of Hertford Robert Earl of Essex William Earl of Salisbury Robert Earl of Warwick Iohn Earl of Bristol Henry Earl of Holland Thomas Earl of Berkshire Philip Lord Wharton William Lord Paget Edward Lord Kymbolton Robert Lord Brook Iohn Lord Paulet Edw. L. Howard of Escrick Thomas Lord Savile Francis Lord Dunsmore Of the Scots these Iohn Earl of Rothess Ch. Earl of Dumfermeling Iohn Lord Lowdon Sir Patrick Hepburne of Waughtone Sir Will. Douglas of Cavers William Drummond of Riccarton Iohn Smith Bailiff of Edenborough Alexand Wedderburn Clerk of Dundee Hugh Kennedy Burgess of Aire Alexander Henderson Archibald Iohnstone Which Treaty began at Rippon upon the ninth of October but what good effect it was like to produce we
Army and all being done to give them for the pains hazzard and charges which the said Army should undergo a due recompence by way of Brotherly Assistance Towards the performance of which agreement though these Grandees did manifest that besides much free Quarter the Scots-Army had monthly received nineteen thousand and seven hundred pounds and for the last year ending ultimo Octobris seventy two thousand nine hundred seventy two pounds two shillings and eleven pence for the Customes and other Impositions upon coals onely the Brethren nevertheless having then the better end of the staff in their hands as being possess'd of the King delivered in unto them an account of Arrears besides losses of no less than a Million of money their free Quarter reckoned but with a kind intimationâ— that they would accept of a less sum in gross for a full discharge of all Whereupon a Committee being appointed to treat with them thereon and times of payment they then stoop'd to the one half viz. five hundred thousand pounds whereof two hundred thousand pounds to be paid upon the departure of their Army and the rest within twelve months Much dispute indeed they had about this business yea some high words but at length four hundred thousand pounds was the sum agree'd on the one half in hand upon delivery up of the King Which sum without more ado stop'd the mouths of those Vultures and put a period to all this hot contest All their Oaths and Obligation whereon they had so much insisted meerly to heighten the price of their Sovereign being then set aside as 't is notoriously known Being therefore thus sold and delivered to the Earls of Pembroke Denbigh and Lord Mountagu of Boughton Sir Iames Harington Sir Iohn Holand Sir Walter Earl Sir Iohn Cook Iohn Crew Esq and Major General Brown Commissioners from the Members at Westminster to be carried to Holdenby-House in Northamptonshire his Majestie hoped that he might have two of his own Chaplains admitted to attend him in this sad and disconsolate condition having not one servant of his own about him but that request would not be granted though again seconded ¶ Thus did the bonny Scots part with their native King leaving those Northern countries miserably beggar'd by many grievous Taxes imposed on them by their Army and most lamentable oppressions by Free-Quarter Which burthens were so heavy that the Inhabitants of Cleveland by their petition to the Members at Westminster and Letter therewith sent complained that their oppressions were greater than those who suffered by the Turks both their persons and Estates those under the Turk being quit for a fifth part whereas they in one year did pay their whole Revenues seven times over We are say they in their Letters the absolutest slaves that ever was read of for they assess us at their pleasures leavy as they please If they bid us go and ride none dare refuse The Kill us in hot bloud beat us in cold c. In a word our stock is already wasted our little corn we had ill gotten in by reason of the great moisture we are now thrashing it for the Scots We are eating our last bread Who have been able to get away are gone c. The perfect Diurnal further adds The Country puts up many complaints Bedall a little Town in Yorkshire of 57 li. old Rent and Ayscough a lesser Village of 42 li. have put up their several complaints that they have in less than five months last past paid to the Scots Army quartering upon them almost two thousand pounds besides former Billettings and Taxes by which sad sufferings some have left their Houses others at the point of leaving theirs also Lâ—tters from Richmundshire did likewise intimate that two Constableries of that County the Rent whereof amounted to no more than ninety nine pounds per annum were assessed by the Scottish Army and paid in Free Quarter no less than nineteen hundred pounds in four months But having made such a fair Market of the King leaving those Countries thus harrassed they march'd back over Tweed upon the eleventh of February ¶ Hereupon the Grandees at Westminster having to the view of the World finish'd their great work by getting the person of the king into their power they imployed Phillip Earl of Pembroke Basill Earl of Denbigh Edward Lord Mountagu of Boughton Sir Iames Harington Sir Iohn Holand and Sir Iohn Cook Baronets Sir Walter Earl Knight Iohn Crew Esq and Major General Brown as already hath been observed to bring his Majestie from Newcastle to Holdenby in Northampton shire Who coming to Newcastle upon the 22. of Ianuary after their stay there till the last day of that month they set forwards on the Journey and on the sixteenth of February got to holdenby where they kept him under a strict restraint Colonel Richard Greaves a most confiding Presbyterean having the chief command of his Guards not suffring any of his own servants to come near him no not so much as one Chaplain for performance of such divine offices as common charity could not have denyed to the greatest criminal though often and earnestly moved by his Majestie thereto Which being done they thought of nothing more than singing a Requiem to their Souls In order whereunto in the first place they concluded on the new modelling of their Army lest the tender Independent who grew up apace might otherwise overtop his Presbyterean-parent and therefore resolv'd to cull out those who were not Covenant-proof and send them for Ireland there to encounter as well with hunger and cold as other miseries and hardships of war Then to disband others and make a new establishment consisting of such onely as were pure Covenanters and firm to the good old Cause And next to the end that with more plausibility to the people and security to themselves they might have the full sway of all their drift was to extoâ— the King's consent he being then their prisoner 〈◊〉 this their new designed Dominion For the accomplishment whereof according to their wonted praâ—â—â—ses they caused a petition to be exhibited to the two Houses at Westminster by the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common Council of London Wherein was contained a subtil insinuation of their desires that God would bring his Majestie 's Heart nearer to his chief and greatest Council the Parliament and that he would be perswaded to joyn with them in the National League and Covenant and give satisfaction in the Propositions which the Parliaments of both Nations should make unto him for the full assurance of his People for the future and firm establishment of the Peace and Vnion of the Kingdomes in Church and Commonwealth In which Petition it was also desired that for security to the Parliament and City such as had been in opposition to the Parliament id est loyal to the King might be removed out of the City and kept at a
make him increase his plagues upon us and to punish us seven times more because we continue to walk contrary unto him 2. That the Lord's hand is still stretched out against us in the Iudgment of the Pestilence which spreads not onely in several parts of the Country but continueth and increaseth in many of the most eminent Cities of the Kingdome 3. The great danger that threatens Religion and the work of Reformation in these Kingdomes for the number power and policy of the Secretaries in England which are like not onely to interupt the progress of uniformity and the establishment of the Ordinances of God in their beauty and perfection but to overturn the foundation already laid and all that hath been built thereupon with the expence of so much bloud and pains And therefore we are earnestly to pray to the Lord that the solemn League and Covenant may be kept fast and inviolable notwithstanding all the purposes and endeavours of open Enemies and secret underminigs to the contrary We are to intreat the Lord on the behalf of the King's Majesty that he may be reconcil'd to God and that he may be now furnished with wisdome and councill from above that he be not involved in new snares to the endangering of himself and these Kingdomes but that his Heart may incline to such resolutions as will contribute for setling of Religion and Righteousness We are also to intreat the Lord on the behalf of the Parliament of England of the Synod of Divines and of all such in that Land as do unfeignedly mind the work of God that they may not be discouraged nor swerve in the day of temptation but that every of them in their Stations and according to their places and callings may be furnished with Light and Strength from Heaven for doing of their duty with faithfulness and zeal We are to supplicate for direction to our Committee of Estates that they may discern the times and know what is fitting to be done for securing our selves and encouraging our Brethren We are to pray for a Spirit of Light of Love unto our Assembly that they may be instrumental in preserving Truth and advancing Holiness amongst our selves and for carrying on the work of God amongst our Neighbours That the Lord would pour out upon all sorts of persons in these Kingdomes a Spirit of Grace and Supplication that it may repent us of all our Iniquities and that we may be reconcil'd unto the Lord that so all tokens of his wrath may be removed from amongst us and he may bless us with the sweet fruits of Truth and Peace It cannot easily be thought but that the Scots did somewhat more than fast and pray considering the desperate condition wherein their Covenanting-Brethren especially at Westminster and in London then stood and that the great work of Reformation as they call'd it lay in such hazard But at such a distance what more could soon be expected than that they should by the help of the zealous Preachers earnestly incite the Covenanters in London to bestir themselves and put more courage into those drooping Members who after the late purge were then left in the House which for certain they under-hand in some sort did and were like enough above board to have done much more considering that by an Ordinance of May the 4th then past the Militia of that great City was established in the hands of such persons as were nominated by the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council there To secure themselves therefore against this iminent danger the Army were necessitated by picking a quarrel with the City to wrest the Militia out of their hands and then totally to cleanse the House at Westminster of the remaining Presbyterean-humour by a stronger purge then it formerly had In order whereunto there was a Letter forthwith sent from General Fairfax and the Army together with a Remonstrance to the Houses at Westminster demanding the Militia of the City to be put into their Hands Whereupon the House of Commons tamely and readily voted the repealing of that Ordinance of May the 4th and presently passed a new Ordinance for reviving the old Militia and transmitted it to the Lords Which unexpected change caused the City to meet in common-Common-Council and to resolve of Petitioning the Parliament again therein within two days following And so they did by their Sheriffs and some of the common-Common-Council But to second this Petition there followed them within three hours some thousands of Apprentices and other stout fellows with another Petition whereby they claim'd the Militia as the Citie 's Birthright by sundry Charters confirm'd in former Parliaments for defence whereof they alledg'd that they had adventured their Lives as far as the Army and thereupon desired that the Militia might be put again into the same Hands in which it was put with the Parliament and Citie 's consent upon the 4th of May. And this they did in so tumultuous a fashion that the Lords who were then but seven in number presently granted it And having so done and sent it to the Commons slipping out by a postern went themselves away by water But the Commons having no mind to displease the Army refus'd to do the like and angrily bad the Apprentices to be gone intending to rise and adjourn themselves Which purpose of theirs being discern'd by those youngsters was by them soon prevented by shutting up their doors and peremptorily requiring their complyance with the Lords The Commons therefore seeing themselves in this streight did at length with much unwillingness yeild to the importunity of these their bold Suitors and not onely so but were by them forc't to pass a farther vote which was that the King should be admitted to come to London to treat But this uproar being made known to the Grandees of the Army the greatest advantage imaginable was made thereof For the confiding Members being thereupon sent for to the Army fled to the Head-Quarters at Windsore within three days after the Speaker also bearing them Company who having cousened the State of vast sums of Money was threatned with an Impeachment if he did not come with them Of the House of Commons that so fled to the Army the number was said to be above fourty and of the Lords which came after the names were these viz. the Earls of Northumberland Warwick Manchester Salisbury Kent Moulgrave the Viscount Say and Sele the Lords Grey of Warke Wharton and Howard of Escrick Of the House of Lords that stay'd the Lord Willoughby of Parham was made Speaker But of the Commons there was about one hundred and fourty who coming to the House and missing their old Speaker and the Serjeant at Mace which usually attended chose Mr. Henry Pelham to be their new Speaker and another Serjeant to attend him Which number being all of the old Covenanting flock and yet not further illuminated proceeded to doe and act as a Parliament first
was it will not be amiss to consider that Letter written by the Commissioners of Scotland unto the two Houses at Westminster dated the sixth of November then past in reference to the King together with that Answer of the Commissioners of the general Assembly of the Kirk unto certain Proposals made to them anno 1646. touching the King's coming into that Realm upon his exclusion from the Government in England in case of his leaving them without taking the Covenant he being then at Newcastle in custody of the dear Brethren of that Realm Being thus got away from Hampton Court he arrived in the Isle of Wiht upon the thirteenth of November whence incessantly desiring a safe and well-grounded Peace to these Kingdoms he soon sent another Message to the Members at Westminster wherein to shorten that Work he expressed his mind to this effect viz. That conceiving himself to be at much more freedom and security than formerly he thought it necessary to offer such Grounds to the two Houses for that purpose which upon due examination of all Interests might best conduce thereto And therefore as to the abolishing of Arch-Bishops Bishops c. he could not consent to it as he was a Christian and a King first being satisfied in his Iudgment that this Order was placed in the Church by the Apostles themselves and that ever since that time it had continued in all Christian Churches throughout the World till this last Century of years And in this Church in all times of Change and Reformation it had been upheld by the wisedom of his Ancestors as the great Preserver of Doctrine Discipline and Order in the Service of God Next as a King at his Coronation that he had not onely taken a solemn Oath but that himself and his predecessors in their confirmation of the great Charter had inseperably woven the Right of the Church into the Liberties of the rest of the Subjects Nevertheless was willing that it should be provided that the particular Bishops might perform the several Duties of their Callings both by their personal Residence and frequent Preaching in their Diocese as also that they should exercise no Act of Iurisdiction or Ordination without the consent of the Presbyters and to limit their powers that they might not be grievous to tender Consciences Moreover that he could not consent to the Alienation of the Church-lands it being a Sin of the highest Sacrilege conceiving it also to be a prejudice to the publick good many of his Subjects having the benefit of renewing Leases at much easier rates than if those Possessions were in the hands of private men besides the discouragement that it would be to all Learning and Industry when such eminent Rewards shall be taken away yet considering the great distemper concerning Church-Discipline and that the Presbyterean-Government was then in practice to eschew confusion as much as might be and for satisfaction of the two Houses of Parliament was content that the said Government should be legally permitted to stand in the same condition it then was for three years Provided that himself and those of his Iudgement or any other who could not in Conscience submit thereto might not be obliged to comply therewith but have free practice of their own profession And that a free Consultation and Debate might be had with their Divines at Westminster twenty of his Majestie 's nomination being added to them whereby it might be determined by his said Majesty and the two Houses how the Church-Government after that time should be setled or sooner if differences might be agreed as should be most agreeable to the Word of God with full Liberty to all those who should differ upon consciencious grounds from that settlement Provided that it might not be understood to tolerate those of the Popish-profession nor to exempt those from the penalty of the Laws or tolerate Atheism or Blasphemy 2. As to the Militia though it was undoubtedly the inherent right of the Crown yet to evidence his desire to secure the performance of such Agreement as should be made in order to a Peace his Majesty was content that during his whole reign it should be disposed of by his two Houses of Parliament 3. As to the Arrears of the Army that he should concur in any thing that might be done without violation of his Conscience and Honour 4. As to the Disposal of the great Offices of State and Naming of Privy-Councillers he offered the disposing of them for the whole time of his reign by the two Houses of Parliament 5. For the Court of Wards and Liveries that it should be taken away so as a full recompence might be setled on his Majesty his Heirs and Successors in perpetuity 6. That he would consent to the making of all Oaths Declarations and Proclamations against both or either House of Parliament null and void So likewise of all Indictments and other proceedings against any person for adhering unto them And that he would pass a general Act of Oblivion 7. That for Ireland he would give satisfaction to them 8. That as to such Acts and Grants passed under his great Seal since the 22th of May 1642. and confirming such as had been passed under that made by the two Houses he would give satisfaction in what might reasonably be desired 9. That for confirmation of all these and whatsoever else might be proposed by the two Houses and also of what he should propose on his own part he did earnestly desire a personal Treaty at London with Honour Freedom and Safety 10. And that the Proposals of the Army concerning the Succession of Parliaments and their due Elections should be taken into consideration 11. So likewise that as to what concern'd the Kingdom of Scotland he would apply himself to give all reasonable satisfaction After the sending of this Message by his Majesty the next thing observable that hapned was a Petition through the influence of the Presbytereans presented to the two Houses at Westminster by the common-Common-Council of the City of London acknowledging the Parliament for by that Title they then call'd those Members sitting at Westminster to be the Supream Power in this Kingdom and inter alia praying that the Covenant might be duly observed No wonder then that his Majestie 's gracious Message of November the xvjth was so little regarded as that he had no Answer at all thereto upon the sixth of December following he therefore put them in mind of it still pressing for a personal Treaty Whereunto insted of an Answer they sent him four Bills to be assented unto by him as preparatory to a Treaty These were those four Dethroning Bills which if passed into Acts as they required might have saved the labour of a Treaty Unto which for Answer his Majesty made these most prudent and rational Observations 1. That the Commissioners of Scotiand had openly protested against them 2. To allow of that great Seal made by them without his
be destructive to order and Government or to the peace of the Church or Kingdome That the Ordinances concerning the calling and sitting of the Assembly of Divines be desired to be confirmed by Act of Parliament That the Proposition for the confirmation of the Treaties betwixt the two Kingdomes and the proceedings betwixt them be expressed And that Treaty for the return of the Scots Army of the date of Decem. 23. 1646. be inserted amongst the rest That His Majestie 's assent be desired to what the two Kingdomes shall agree in the prosecution of the Articles of the large Treaty which are not yet finished and that all other things be inserted concerning the joynt Interest of both Kingdomes or the Kingdome of Scotland in particular That the Armies in both Kingdomes which were raised for the preservation of Religion and defence of the King's person may be disbanded now the war is ended and have due satisfaction for their arrears That speedy releif may be sent to Ireland and that an Act of Oblivion may be agreed upon to be passed in the Parliaments of both Kingdomes That His Majesty be restored to His Rights and that in the Propositions a conclusion may be added promising all real endeavour that His Majesty may live in the splendor and glory of his royal progenitors as beseemeth his royal place that so all differences and troubles may end in a mutual confidence and rejoycing Upon debate of which Message from His Majesty Nov. 16. and of that Declaration and those Proposals by the Scottish-Commissioners the House of Commons passed these following Votes 1. That no more addresses be made from the Parliament to the King nor any Letters or Message received from him 2. That it should be Treason for any person whatsoever to deliver any Message to the King or receive any Letter or Message from him without leave from both Houses of Parliament 3. That the Members of both Houses and the Committee of both Kingdomes had power to sit and act alone asformerly the Committee of both Kingdomes had for the safety of the Kingdom 4. And that a Committee should be nominated to draw up a Declaration to be published to satisfy the Kingdome of the reasons of passing these Votes To back which Votes the General and Council of the Army did put forth a Declaration signifying their Resolutions to adhere to the Houses for setling and securing the Parliament and Kingdome without the King and against him or any other that should thereafter partake with him And sent Thanks to the House of Commons for those Votes To shew the people likewise the Reasons of those four Votes the Grandees at Westminster appointed a Committee to search into the King's conversation and errors of his Government and to publish them in a Declaration to the World wherein they objected as high crimes against him his father's death the loss of Rochell and the Massacre and Rebellion in Ireland Which Declaration being printed by their authority was afterwards ordered to be dispersed throughout the whole Kingdome by the several Members of the House of Commons in those Countries and places for which they did serve CHAP. XXVIII THE King therefore seeing himself thus layd aside penned a Declaration with his own hand for the satisfaction of all his people which soon after was made publick by the Press Whereby representing his sad and most disconsolate condition through a long and strict Imprisonment together with his earnest endeavours to have composed all things by an happy peace whereunto he added most just cleer and undeniable Reasons why he could not assent to pass those four dethroning Bills before-mentioned farther shewed what usage he had endured by Colonel Hamond the Governour in whose custody he then was most of his servants being by him discharg'd the Guards redoubled and himself restrain'd of that Liberty which before he had been allowed Appealing also to the world how he had deserved that dealing from his subjects having sacrificed to them for the peace of the Kingdome all but what was much more dear to him than his life viz. his Conscience and Honour and desiring nothing more than to perform it in the most proper and usual way viz. by a personal Treaty Taking notice likewise of the often repeated professions and Engagements made to him by the Army at Newmarket and St. Albans for asserting his just Rights in General by their voted and revoted Proposals which he had reason to understand should be the utmost that would be expected from him yea that in some things he should be eased And conlcuded that if it were peace they desired he had shewed the way thereto being both willing and desirous to perform his part in it by a just complyance with all cheif Interests Was it plenty and Happiness Those were the inseperable effects of peace Was it security His Majesty who wisht that all men would forgive and forget like him did offer the Militia for his own time Was it Liberty of Conscience He who wanted it was most ready to give it Was it right administration of Iustice Officers of Trust were referred to the choyse of the two Houses Was it frequent Parliaments He had legally and fully concurred therewith Was it the Arrears of the Army Upon a settlement he told them that they would be certainly payd with much ease but before that there would be found much difficulty if not impossibility in it But all this was then to no purpose for having got the power of the Sword into their hands the Voice of an Angel from Heaven could have been nothing regarded for on they went with their great worke In order whereunto a Pamphlet was publisht by authority that is to say licensed by a publick Imprimatur where the Prophet Ezekiel was produced to discover what they intended Thus saith the Lord God concerning the prophane wicked Prince whose day is come when Iniquity shall end Remove the Diadem Take off the Crown This shall not be the same Exalt him that is low and abase him that is high And to cajole the Presbyterean having formerly secured themselves from the reach of their Holy Discipline they passed an Ordinance for the speedy dividing and setling the several Counties of this Kingdome into distinct Classical-Presbyteries and Congregational Elderships And desiring to seem men of the greatest Sanctity imaginable they constituted a Committee for the enumeration of great crying sins appointing that they should daily meet and do their utmost endeavour to suppress them And passed another Ordinance for suppressing of Stage-plays and demolishing Play-Houses But all these devices were meerly circumstantial those which more immediately tended to the carrying on their grand work being the chief viz. the approbation which the people then had or seem'd to have of their Votes for no more Addresses to the King Towards the obtaining whereof having been not a little sollicitous they imploy'd their most busy Emissaries and
to Moral Honesty but wholly guided by those whimsical Fantasies which were by their Ring-leaders called the Revelations and Inspirations of God's Holy Spirit it was referred to a Committee to consider of a way for the Raising of Pensions and allowances out of Deans and Chapters Lands to maintain certain Itinerant Preachers who were Authorized to go up and down and spread abroad their Antimonarchical Doctrine whereby the Rabble might be set up and comply with the Souldiery against the Nobility and Gentry Clergy Lawyers and all orderly Government But upon better consideration fearing that the Liberty might in time overwhelm them with confusion and give such a countenance to the Levellers of whose help they had made no small use for the King's Destruction as would bring upon them inevitable ruine Cromwel moved in their Parliament that the Presbyterian Government might be setled promising his endeavours thereto and that the secured and secluded Members might be again invited to return into the House They likewise imploy'd divers of their Preachers of which Mr. Marshal Mr. Nye Mr. Carrel Mr. Goodwyn and Hugh Peters were the chief to cajole others of their own Coat together with the Citizens and expulsed Members with certain Discourses and Proposals telling them that the Presbyterians did differ with the King in point of Civil Interest which was much more irreconcileable than the Interest of Church Government whatsoever shew was made to the contrary Also that it was the Presbyterians who first made War against the late King brought him low and prepared him to receive his deadly blow from the Independants and therefore that the King would look upon them as equally Guilty with the Independants and endeavour equally to cut them off their design being thereby to cast the Presbyterians into utter despair and so to bring them in point of self Preservation to joyn with their Interests for common defence And to carry on their work with the more shew of Sanctity they ordered that a strict Fast should be kept to humble themselves and implore God's Forgiveness for the Ingratitude of the People who did not sufficiently acknowledge with Thankfulness Gods Great Mercies upon this Land in Freeing them from Monarchy and bestowing Liberty upon them by changing Kingly Government into a Free State or Republick To sweeten likewise the affections of the Vulgar towards them they made most specious pretences of paying all the publick Debts and raising Three Hundred thousand Pounds for supplying the necessities of the Common-wealth as they term'd it without any charge or burthen to the people and to that end passed an Act for abolishing all Deans and Chapters and for sale of their Lands And the better to fortifie themselves and their Usurped Dominion they fram'd another Act whereby they declared certain particulars to be Treason viz. 1. If any man should maliciously affirm their present Government to be Tyrannical usurped or unlawful or that the Commons in Parliament were not the Supream Authority of the Nation or that should endeavour to alter that their Government 2. If any should affirm their Council of State or Parliament to be Tyrannical or unlawful or endeavour to Subvert them or stir up Sedition against them 3. For any Souldiers of their Army to contrive the death of the General or Lieutenant General or endeavour to Raise Mutinies in the Army or to Levy War against the Parliament or to joyn with any to Invade England or Ireland to Counterfeit their Great Seal or kill any Member of their Parliament or any Judge or Minister of Justice in their duty Soon after this they framed and passed another Act declaring England with all the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging to be a Free State and to be Governed by the Representatives of the People in Parliament without any King or House of Lords Which Act was Proclaimed in the City of London by Alderman Andrews then Lord Mayor Alderman Pennington Wollaston Fowkes Kenrick Byde Edmunds Pack Bateman Atkins Viner Avery Wilson Dethick Foote then attending him The Londoners being by that time brought unto so much Vassalage by these insolent Regicides as that in obedience to a Vote made by their servile Parliament they were constrain'd to invite that wicked Conclave to a Thanksgiving Dinner whereat all of them were to rejoyce together for bringing the Grand Delinquent to punishment that is to say for the Murther of the King for the greater honour of that day the Lord Mayor met the Speaker and the other Members of Parliament at Temple-Bar and there resigning the Sword to him received it again and carryed it before him to Christs Church Whence after a Canting Sermon he conducted them to Grocers-Hall and entertain'd them in the quality of a Free State the Cooks having every one of them an Oath to prepare for those Saints nothing but wholsome Food Being therefore thus seeming firmly setled in their Tyrannical Dominion they went on in passing sundry other Acts in their Pseudo-Parliament of which the Ruling Grandees had the chief benefit viz. 1. To encourage the Purchasers of Deans and Chapters Lands by the sale of them at Ten years Purchase in case of ready Money or doubling what was due to those as should so purchase 2. Another for the sale of the Goods and Personal Estate of the King Queen and Prince 3. A Third for sale of the Crown Lands with particular Instructions to sell them at Thirteen years purchase 4. Soon after this they passed another Act for Coyning of new Money with direction for the form of the stamp to be thereon 5. Another declaring what Offences should be thenceforth adjudged Treason viz. to express or publish their Government to be Tyrannical or that the Commons in Parliament were not the Supream Authority 6. And for the quicker riddance of Deans and Chapters Lands they added farther Power and Instructions to the Trustees for the sale of them 7. Next to reward their Bloody President Bradshaw who gave Judgment of Death upon the King they passed another Act for settling Two thousand pounds per annum upon him And that there might be a known mark of distinction betwixt themselves and others they passed an Act for the Subscribing an Engagement whereby every man should promise to be true and Faithful to the Government then established without a King or House of Lords or in case of refusal to have no benefit of the Laws But the Crown-lands so doom'd to be sold went but slowly off they therefore passed another Act to constitute a Committee to remove obstructions in the sale of them Nor was all this sufficient to satisfie their greedy appetites or was evident enough from the aim they had to devour all the Gleabe and Tithes throughout the whole Kingdom To which purpose they passed an Act whereby they nominated certain Commissioners to receive and dispose of all Rents Issues and profits of all Rectories
For a Conclusion In answer to the witness of God upon our solemn Appeal you say you have not so learned Christ to hang the equity of your Cause upon events We could wish that blindness had not been upon your Eyes to all those marvellous Dispensations which God hath wrought lately in England But did not you solemnly Appeal and Pray Did not we do so too And ought not we and you to think with fear and trembling of the Hand of the Great God in this Mighty and strange appearance of his but can slightly call it an event Were not both your and our expectations renewed from time to time whilst we waited on God to see which way he would manifest himself upon our Appeales And shall we after all these our Prayers Fastings Teares Expectations and solemn Appeales call these bare Events The Lord pitty you Surely we fear because it hath been a merciful and gracious deliverance to us I beseech you in the Bowels of Christ search after the mind of the Lord in it towards you and we shall help you by our Prayers that you may find it For yet if we know our Hearts at all our Bowels do in Christ yearne after the Godly in Scotland It is not unworthy of Observation likewise that as this signal dissaster to the Presbyterians did very much raise the Spirits of the Independant Grandees so did it incite them to give all possible encouragement to the rest of that Party and to all other Sectaries of whose help upon occasion they might stand in need They therefore first passed an Act Intituled An Act for the relief of Religious and peaceable People from the rigour of former Acts of Parliament in matter of Religion amongst which those of primo and 35 o Eliz. which concern the Subjects obedient repairing to Church were repealed And shortly after that another Act whereby they directed all proceedings at Law scil Writs Pleadings Patents Books of Reports and other Law Books to be in English Next they imposed a Tax of an hundred and twenty Thousand Pounds a Month for the support of their Army and not long after passed an Act declaring that their new Great Seal Engraven with a Cross and an Harp with this Circumscription The Seal of the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England should be the Seal of the Parliament of that Common-wealth and be only used by order of Parliament and that it should be Treason to counterfeit the same Most certain it is that the late wonderful defeat which the Scots received at Dunbar by the English then commanded by Cromwel did not a little startle the whole Godly Party in that Nation For whereas before though it was through the advantage they made of the King's Name whom they had got thither as hath been already observed that they rais'd their Army 't is very well known that His Majesty was not permitted to have any hand in the conduct thereof no not so much as to be Personally in that part of the Realm in which it was lest his presence should have had any influence thereon in reference to his own just Rights so much did their own guilt of Disloyalty terrifie them But the case was now altered For soon after this great overthrow they sent to His Majesty earnestly desiring his presence with them and to Court him with the fairer assurance of their fidelity appointed a certain day for his Coronation which was accordingly perform'd with great Solemnity So that then standing clear with his best Subjects of that Kingdom he began to form an Army upon his own and their Interest Yet not without the assistance and Joynt-help of the Kirk-Party there which in humane reason might have been thought to his advantage In the Head whereof he entred England at Carlisle upon the Seventh of August and marcht to Worcester without any great opposition But whether there was any thing of Treachery in them that then over-perswaded His majesty to make stay there against his own judgment or whether Almighty God would not give his Blessing to the aid of those who had formerly been so false and perfidious to His Royal Father and himself is hard to say Sure we are that so great was the confluence from most parts of England to Cromwell's assistance the Presbyterians then joyning with him and divers of their Preachers Marching with him in a Military way that after a most sharp dispute at and near that City being over-powered with strength and numbers his Army was totally routed and destroy'd himself and some few others being necessitated to escape by flight It may seem strange I presume to some that I should here touch the Presbyterians so near the Quick there being some of opinion that though the most rigid of that Sect were at that time forward against the King yet that His Majesty had many Well-wishers of them in this his adventure But if I be herein censured I desire to know what this expression used by those Thirty six Presbyterian and Independant Ministers which joyn'd together in a Petition for respiting the Execution of Mr. Love one of their own coat of whom I have already given some touch doth mean viz. that in putting him to death the hopes and expectations of the Common Enemy against compliance with whom he had made open protestation at his Tryal will be heightened And that the forbearance of so putting him to death would manifest to the World that you id est the Parliament do put a difference betwixt those who offend from Principles of Enmity against God and his People and others who transgress through the mistakes of an erroneous conscience in the midst of great and various changes Again I would gladly know what construction is to be made of those words Printed in one of the News-books of that year viz. The Presbyterians in Lancashire and parts adjacent have not only declaimed against the late defection in Norfolk but declared against the Conjunction and Proceedings of Iockey and their young King with Middleton Ogilby and the rest of the Royal Party and are resolved to adhere to the present Government and to walk close and stedfast in the ways of Truth and Holiness ¶ Here it will not be impertinent I hope to make a little pause and contemplate the infinite goodness and mercy of God in so wonderful a preservation of the King our present Sovereign after this fatal ruine of his Army at Worcester Who though pursued and sought for with all the art and skill that these Bloody Regicides and their whole Party could devise was through the signal fidelity of some few persons of whom certain Narratives of the particular passages therein which are already made publick do make honourable mention so well secured from their fury and with such admirable contrivance and skill conducted that he Landed safely upon the Fifteenth of October following at New-Haven in France And as so strange and little less than
his person by the Rabble animated by some enraged Papists for thus disappointing them of making a Proselite of him as they boasted they had done and given publick thanks in divers Churches But his Lordship assured him that as he had spent the greatest part of his life and fortune in the Service of his Highnesses Royal Family and defence of the Protestant Religion he would willingly Sacrifice the remainder of both on so honourable an occasion as this With which hearty invitation his Highness was so pleased that he took no farther thoughts whither to go but remained with his Lordship Being thus gone from the Pallace-Royal the Queen Mother of France came immediately thither to try again as 't was thought if she could prevail with him to change his Religion And as soon as she came sent her Son the Duke of Anjou afterwards of Orleans to visit him who return'd with the news that he was not to be found But as soon as it was known that he was at the Lord Hatton's House she sent the then Marquess since Duke of Plessis a Person of such famed parts and abilities that in consideration thereof he was made Governour to the Duke of Anjou to perswade with him to comply with his Mothers advise for effecting whereof he exercised all his parts and elocution with great earnestness urging that since the Death of his Father the Queen his Mother had the sole Power and Authority over him Disputing whether the King his Brother as his Sovereign had equal Authority to dispose of him And the discourse growing somewhat publick the Marquess of Ormund and the Lord Hatton then present arguing in the Dukes defence the French Marquess finding himself overmatch't in great passion return'd without the success expected at the Pallace-Royal where the French Queen staid very late till he came back Whose report when both Queen 's heard they were then fully satisfied in the Dukes firmness to his Religion so that after that no considerable attempt was made on him though he continued for near two months very nobly entertained by the Lord Hatton until through the Marquess of Ormund's and his Lordships Interest Necessaries could be provided for his going into Germany CHAP. XXXVIII IT is not to be doubted but that the Convening of these persons from all parts of the Nation considering that divers of them being Members of the Old Long Parliament and eagerly thirsted to obtain their wonted power again having to that end corrupted a great part of the Army did not a little endanger his new-raised Dominion But such was his vigilancy that their Plots took no effect Seeing therefore both how and by whom his Authority had been thus affronted lest others in time by such examples might be swayed his next business was to gain some shadow of being owned by the generality of the people throughout the three Kingdoms which by the help of his Emissaries in short time he accomplisht first from Scotland by Gratulatory Petitions and next from the Counties and chief Places throughout England and Ireland Which being effected he then put on the Mask of a most tender and zealous Patriot earnestly promoting the performance of Justice encouraging Virtue and discountenancing Vice And to gain those of the Clergy who might be most serviceable to his purpose he made no small shews of his favours unto them yet with a check to the insolency of the Presbyterian and depressing the Episcopal and Orthodox To those also of the Romish persuasion though he seemed severe 't is certain enough that he did somwhat favour them there being not any sort of men to whom he carried not some shew of respect having an excellent faculty of courting them with some appearance of kidness But to captivate those who were seemingly Religious he had a singular art of discoursing with them most Divinely and not only so but Praying Sighing Groaning and somtimes shedding Tears in their presence yet having a special vigilancy upon all Parties and Interests which possibly might disturb his quiet So that the Royalists whose generous and active Spirits were ever prompting 〈…〉 our the Kings Restauration and to 〈…〉 a Rising in the West were soon 〈…〉 some of them were brought to Tryal amd 〈◊〉 death for the same But the lives of these Loyal 〈…〉 this subtle Tyrant for he took advantage thereby to cause the Estates of all others of that 〈◊〉 sate quiet to be decimated except such as by mony could free themselves from that great exaction And for the strict Levying of that most oppressive Tax he constituted fourteen select Major-Generals each of which had several Counties under his Jurisdiction who not only exercised their Authority in an Arbitrary and unlimited manner but at length grew so insolent that he thought it not fit to continue them in that power And now looking upon himself as an absolure Monarch he exercised the Authority of conferring the Honour of Knighthood first upon the Lord Mayor of 〈◊〉 And having soon after concluded a League 〈◊〉 France he went on and Knighted two of his Colonies Pride and Barksted the one who had been a Dray-man the other a seller of Thimbles and Bodkins of Silver And having throughout all parts of England by underhand practices those of his Preaching-Clergy serving him therein to some purpose made way for an Election of such Members for another Parliament as might best advance his future ambitious designs he sent out Writs of Summons for Convening of them accordingly At which meeting none were permitted to enter the House which refused to acknowledg and subscribe to his Authority Whereupon some being excluded went back to their Countries But those which sate went stoutly on with the work having made choice of Sir Thomas Widdrington to be their Speaker That the chief end whereat this proud and subtle Tyrant at that time drove was by the help of this Convention to be invested with the Title of King few there were to whom it was not evident enough though he cunningly seemed to look another way That there might therefore be the less suspicion thereof the design was so laid that the work should be brought about by degrees and in a Collateral way To which end in the first place as a preparation thereto they passed an Act whereby the Knights Citizens and Burgesses there assembled for so are the words did in the name of all the people of that Common-Wealth fully clearly and absolutely and for ever disclaim and renounce all Fealty Homage or Allegiance pretended to be due unto Charles Stuart Eldest Son of the late King Charles Iames Stuart c. or any other Issue or Posterity of the said King or any person or persons pretending or which should pretend Title by from or under them or any of them And soon after that another Act for security of the person of his Highness the Lord Protector and continuance of the Nation in Peace and Safety the
preamble whereof beginneth thus for asmuch as the Prosperity and Safety of this Nation and the Dommions thereunto belonging very much dependeth under God upon the security and preservation of the person of his Highness c. In which Act several offences were adjudged Treason and certain Commissioners for England and Wales therein nominated for the Tryal of Offenders against the said Act. Which foundation being so laid it was by his Friends and Favourers then thought high time to discover what they would be at and accordingly moved that whereas this Nation had for thirteen hundred years at the least been governed by Kings and though some of them had offended the people yet that Title had never been abolished Also whereas the Government by the said Title was interwoven with the Laws and accommodated to the dispositions of the people that they should humbly Petition and Advise his Highness to take upon him the same Title Which motion took such effect that there was an Instrument soon drawn up by them called the Humble Petition and Advice whereby they besought his Highness so to do Whereunto that he might not seem to have any knowledg of what they were about much less any desire thereof but be still more and more sought to and importuned therein he answered with all shew of modesty that indeed those Arguments which they had used to him were persuasive but not compulsive and that the Title of Protector might be well accommodated to the Laws To which they replyed that the Title ought to be such as was suitable to the Laws and the Laws not be made suitable to the Title urging the Statutes of 9. Edw. IV. and 3. Henr. VII whereby it was provided that no one should suffer for bearing Arms on the behalf of him that was de facto King though he had no just right to the Crown Which Arguments were made use of to him meerly for shew the better to disguise his ambitious aim as though without such strong motives he could not have been won thereto But the plain truth is that after this business came thus in question the Sectaries of all sorts nay a great part of the Souldiery shewed a vehement dislike thereof being privately instigated by Lambert and some other of the Principal Officers who did themselves upon Cromwels death expect to have succeeded him in the Place of Protector it being Elective as is manifest from the Instrument of Government whereby that Tyrant was at first so Constituted whereas had he been advanced to the Title of King the case might have been otherwise So that this crafty Fox discerning no small peril to himself by such divisions as might thereby arise especially in the Army wherein lay his chief strength and support thought it the safest way to decline it and to stick still to that of Protector yet to have the Government setled in a kind of Monarchic manner And so in imitation of that which had formerly been Regal to have a House of Peers But against that also there were great and high oppositions so that though it was with much ado agreed that there should be another House yet it would not be allowed the Title of an House of Peers Whereupon the result was that an Act Intituled The Humble Petition and Advice should pass whereby they ordained what Stile the chief Magistrate should have idest Lord Protector of the Common-Wealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging Likewise that Parliaments consisting of two Houses should be called once in three years with qualifications of such as should serve therein And that the number of such as should sit in the other House should be nominated by the Lord Protector and approved by the House of Commons Moreover that he should have power to nominate his Successor And that a Confession of Faith should be agreed on by his Highness and the Parliament according to the Rule and Warrant of the Scriptures Which Act being presented to him accordingly was assented to and passed But that Act being in some sort deficient about a month following they passed another relating thereto and called The Explanatory Petition and Advice Wherein inter alia is this Clause viz. Whereas in the Fourth Article Publick Ministers or Publick Preachers of the Gospel are disabled to the Elected to serve in Parliament it is hereby explained and declared to such Ministers and Preachers only as have maintenance for Preaching or are Pastors or Teachers of Congregations In which Act is also contained the Oaths of the Lord Protector and of his privy-Privy-Council as also the Oaths of the Members of that Parliament Soon after which he was again in WestMinster-Hall standing under a Rich State solemnly invested into his Old Title of Lord Protector and into the Government thus new modelled Where in the presence of the Members of that Parliament Sir Thomas Widdrington their Speaker delivered unto him in the name of them all and as Representatives of all the people in the three Kingdoms a Purple Robe lyned with Ermine as also a Bible Sword and Scepter descanting upon each of them as significant in some respect All which being performed the Instrument of that new Modelled Government called The Humble Petition and Advice was publickly read Whereunto assenting he was then and there Proclaimed Protector of England Scotland and Ireland with sound of 〈◊〉 and afterwards in the City of London So likewise at Dublin in Ireland and Edenburgh in Scotland Which new devised Government so much resembling Monarchy though the Title did not sute thereto did so 〈◊〉 please the Anabaptists and Fifth-Monarchy men that they 〈◊〉 spired his ruin by a sudden Insurrection but their 〈◊〉 being timely discerned came at length to nothing 〈◊〉 reupon for prevention of farther mischief he committed to Prison several persons of no small note whose power with the Souldiery might otherwise have much endangered his safety Viz. Lawson one of his Admirals at Sea Harrison Rich Danvers and some other Colonels Nay Lambert himself being aware that his hopes of succeeding him were then by that new framed Government frustrated began to fall off from him and to incline to the Fanaticks Which so awakened the Protector that he took from him his Commission of Lieutenant General and gave it to Fleetwood who by the Marriage of his Daughter stood more nearly typed to his Interest And that he might the better allure those of the Army and some other which were no great friends to him to conform the more pliantly to this his new setled Dominion he tickled them with the specious Title of Lords by calling them to fit in the other House obliging also many other desperate and mean persons which were Officers of the Army with the like shadows of Honour The names of which persons so called were as followeth viz. Richard Cromwel his eldest Son Henry Cromwel his other Son then Lord Deputy of Ireland Nathaniel Fienes
while upheld by some few and much art used for perpetuating his Dominion first by procure Congratulations from all the Souldiery in England Scotland and Ireland Secondly from all the Independent Congregational-Assemblies Thirdly from the most eminent of the London Ministers as also from the French Dutch and Italian Churches and lastly from most of the Counties Cities and chief Towns in England all of them engaging to live and dye with this youngster In many of which solemn Congratulatory Addresses being highly magnified for his Wisdom nobleness of mind and lovely Composition of Body his Father Oliver was compared to Moses Zerubabel Ioshua Gideon Elijah to the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel to David Solomon and Hezekiah Likewise to Constantine the Great and to whomsoever else that either the Sacred Scripture or any other History had celebrated for their Piety and Goodness Insomuch as it was then by most men thought that this their late framed Government might be durable enough against the disturbance of any opposers But so active and earnest were the Fanaticks against it that they spared not their utmost industry for the supplanting thereof And discerning Fleetwood then General of the Army to be very much a friend unto all of their party unto him they made addresses for furtherance of their design speciously suggesting that the Office of Protector being at the disposal of Cromwel was to him alone intended though Richard had been Proclaimed by some few of the Council And to the end that the Souldiers might likewise incline to their side they put them on to require the auditing of their Arrears two pence a week having been withheld of their pay and not only so but to insist upon greater priviledges as Souldiers than they had enjoyed in Olivers time viz. that no Souldier should be displaced without consent of the Council of War no nor questioned for Murther Robbery or any other Offence otherwise than by the Law-Military whereby they were sure to have no little favour Likewise that it should be in the power of the Army upon all occasions to make choice of their General of all which they had first disputes with this Richard and afterwards by their Remonstrances did insist upon boldly These perrillous attempts being therefore discerned by his Highness he forthwith summoned a Parliament according to the tenor of the old Instrument which Parliament was for its greater honour to consist of two Houses thereby not doubting but to scatter these dangerous clouds and met accordingly at Westminster upon the seventh of Ianuary But consulting together instead of complying with his Highnesses designs they fell to questioning the Authority of the Other House Nor did they at all brook the Irish and Scotch sent thither as Representatives from each of those Realms Nevertheless after divers tedious and warm disputes they were at length content to transact with those who Sate in that Other House not excluding such Peers who had been faithful to the Parliament from their priviledges of being summoned as Members thereof and that they would receive any Message from them but by some of those who were Members of their own House And to the end they might by degrees bring themselves into power they attempted the asserting of their Interest in the Militia by a salvo in their Vote relating to the Fleet. Moreover to captivate the people with specious shews of alleviating their burthens they made divers formal Speeches for the taking away of all Excise as also of Tonnage and Poundage after the next three years Likewise to make shew how tender they were of the peoples Liberties they did not only set at large Colonel Overion and others which had been committed to Prison by Oliver without payment of Fees but questioned the Lieutenant of the Tower for detaining those persons there Appointing also a Committee of Inspection for Publick Accompts Which Committee Reported the Yearly incomes of England Scotland and Ireland to be eighteen hundred sixty eight thousand seven hundred and seventeen pounds and the Issues to be no less than two Millions two hundred and one thousand five hundred and forty pounds By which they saw that three hundred thirty two thousand eight hundred twenty three pounds of Debt incurred Yearly upon them by the ill management of that great Revenue which was treble to what any King of England ever enjoyed And further saw that to maintain the Conquest of Scotland they were at the Yearly charge of one hundred sixty three thousand six hundred and nineteen pounds more than the Revenue of that Kingdom did then yield unto them Other particulars they then had likewise in hand all tending to the publick benefit of the Nation forbearing to give mony beneficial Offices or rewards as formerly had been usual amongst themselves by which means the world might by degrees be wrought into a dislike of being Governed by that Military power which for so long time had Ruled the Roast and to restore the general sway of the Realm to themselves as the Representative of the People in whom according to the Presbyterian Maxim the whole Sovereign Power virtually was Which design so destructive to the Sword-mens Interest did not only disturb their minds but by doubts and jealousies at length divided their strength into Parties and Factions some of them holding their Councils at Wallingford House with the General others at White-hall with the Protector and his Confidents But in this Fraction those of Wallingford House being much the more numerous drew up a bold Representation both to the Protector and the House which so startled his Highness that he forthwith stood upon his Guard and so allarmed the House of Commons that they thereupon Voted That during the Sitting of the Parliament there should be no General Council or meeting of the Officers of the Army without direction leave and Authority of the Lord Protector and both Houses of Parliament And that no person should have and continue any Command or Trust in any of the Armies or Navies of England Scotland or Ireland or any the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging who should refuse to subscribe that he would not disturb or interrupt the free meeting in Parliament or their freedom in their Debates or Councils And to sweeten the Common-Souldiers lest they should joyn with their Officers in turning them out of Doors as they had formerly done added that they would presently take into consideration how to satisfie the Arrears of the Army with present pay and likewise to prepare and Act of Indempnity for them A great Task indeed had that Parliament then upon their Hands viz. the pleasing of the people which could no otherwise be than by alleviating their heavy burthens and satisfying the Souldiery by feeding them with mony whereon they fell seriously to consider But whilst they were intentive on these necessary works the Animosities of the Army Officers grew higher and higher against each other strict Guards being kept by
those at White-Hall with the Protector against those at Wallingford House with the General the Protector in pursuance of the Parliament-Votes forbidding any further Convention of those Officers at Wallingford House Which prohibition signifyed little for the Wallingford House-men being much the more numerous and sturdy at length so awed and daunted his Highness that they obtained his consent to a Commission and Proclamation ready penned to Dissolve the Parliament though he had with great assurance to the Members promised the contrary Whereupon the Usher with the Black Rod was twice sent to the House of Commons by Mr. Nathaniel Fienes Speaker of the Other House requiring them to come up Who being not ignorant upon what errand it was not only scorned to stir but some of them became so couragious to move that the House should declare it High Treason for any person whatsoever to put force upon any Members of the House and that all Votes Acts and Resolutions passed by any Members of Parliament when the rest were detained from or taken out of the House by force should be null and void And finding themselves so unanimous to their Resolves Adjourned the House till next Monday Morning attending their Speaker all in fair Order through Westminster-Hall to his Coach in the face of the Souldiers which had then beset both the Palace-Yards CHAP. XLI BUT on Monday morning all avenues to the House being stopt up by the Souldiers and entrance peremptorily denyed unto any of the Members the Wallingford-House-Officers unto whom most of those at White-Hall were by that time joyned casting off Whalley Goffe and Ingoldesby with some other of the Protectors chiefest Confidents and taking in Lambert Sir Arthur Haselrigg Colonel Okey and some others who had been set aside by Oliver considering with themselves that though they must necessarily govern by a Military-power yet the name and shadow of a Parliament would best captivate the people forasmuch therefore as the Members of that Parliament then so excluded could not properly be readmitted but with much hazard to the Souldiers Interest they procured a private Conference with some Members of the Old Long Parliament formerly turned out by Oliver viz. Sir Henry Vane Sir Arthur Haselrigg Colonel Ludlow Colonel Iones Thomas Scot Thomas Chaloner Major General Lambert and some others to the number of about twenty At which Conference it being agreed that they should take in William Lenthal the Old Speaker and meet in the House on Saturday the seventh of May in order thereto they set forth this following Declaration viz. The Publick concernment of this Common-Wealth being through a vicissitude of dangers deliverances and back-slidings of many brought into that state and posture whereon they now stand and our selves also contributing thereto by wandring divers ways from Righteous and Equal Paths And although there hath been many Essays to obviate the dangers and to settle these Nations in Peace and Prosperity yet all have proved ineffectual the only wise God in the course of his providence disappointing all endeavours therein And also observing to our great grief that the good Spirit which formerly appeared amongst us in the carrying on of this great work did daily decline so as the Good Old Cause it self became a reproach we have been led to look back and examine the cause of the Lord 's withdrawing his wonted presence from us and where we turned out of the way that through mercy we might return and give him the Glory And amongst other things calling to mind that the Long Parliament consisting of the Members there Sitting until the 20 th of April 1653. were eminent assertors of the Cause and had a special presence of God with them and were signally blessed in that work the desires of many good people concurring with ours therein we judg it our duty to invite the aforesaid Members to return to the exercise and discharge of their Trust as before the said 20 th of April 1653. And therefore we do hereby most earnestly desire the Parliament consisting of those Members who continued to Sit from the year 1648. until the 20 th of April 1653. to return to the exercise and discharge of their Trust and we shall be ready in our places to yield them as becomes us our utmost assurance to Sit in safety for the improving present opportunity for setling and securing the Peace and Freedom of this Common-Wealth praying for the presence and blessing of God upon their endeavours Which Declaration was signed by General Fleetwood and the Council of Officers of the Army In order whereunto those Members of the long-Long-Parliament came the day following to the Painted-Chamber but finding of their designed number which was forty and two that there wanted a couple they sent to the Gaols for a present supply Where having the Lord Munson and Henry Martin ready at hand who lay there upon Executions for Debt with Lisle and Whitlock from the Chancery-Bench they advanced into the House with a Mace born before them their names being as followeth Lord Munson Henry Martin Bulstrode Whitlock Mr. Lisle Thomas Chaloner Alderman Atkins Alderman Penington Thomas Scott Cornelius Holland Henry Vane Mr. Prideaux Sir Iames Harington Lieutenant General Ludlow Michael Oldsworth Sir Arthur Haselrigg Mr. Iones Colonel Purefoy Colonel White Henry Nevil Mr. Say Mr. Blagrave Colonel Bennet Mr. Brewster Sergeant Wilde Iohn Goodwyn Mr. Nicholas Lechmore Augustine Skynner Mr. Downes Mr. Dove Mr. Iohn Lenthal Mr. Iohn Saloway Mr. Iohn Corbet Mr. Walton Gilbert Millington Mr. Gold Colonel Sydenham Colonel Byngham Colonel Ayre Mr. Smith Colonel Ingoldesby Lieutenant General Fleetwood Upon notice of whose Sitting there being many of the Members of that old Parliament then walking in Westminster-Hall and more about the City those in the Hall consulting together and thereupon being satisfied that they had as good right to sit there again as those who were gone in before resolved to follow them into the House or at least to attempt it These being Mr. Annesley Sir George Booth Mr. Iames Herbert Mr. William Prynne Mr. George Montagu Mr. Iohn Evelin Mr. Iohn Herbert Mr. Gowen Mr. Evelyn Mr. Knightley Mr. Clive Mr. Hungerford Mr. Harvey Mr. Packe Who being come to the Door after much expostulation with the Guard for their Priviledges of Sitting were denyed entrance Whereupon resolving to wait a fitter opportunity some of them came again on Monday following viz. Mr. Annesley Mr. Prynne and Mr. Hungerford and went into the House Which free admittance causing Mr. Annesley to presume that the rest might also come in he went out again into the Hall to give others notice thereof but upon his return found it otherwise For those who were met would not go on with any business so long as Mr. Prynne did make his stay amongst them so that they soon adjourned and upon their next meeting ordered That such persons formerly Members of that Parliament who had
their main design were then necessitated to dissemble it for a while and therefore seeming to lay aside their over-bold proposals represented to the Parliament that they would adhere to their Authority in opposition to the Common Enemy and that they would not at all fail to stand by them in the settlement of the Common-Wealth against all disturbances whatsoever Which fair expressions did lull the Rumpers into such a seeming security the City also feasting them at a Thanksgiving Dinner whereat the Officers of the Army were also present that being totally void of any fear from those dangers so lately obvious they fell upon Sequestring such new Delinquents as had at that time appeared in Sir George Booth's Rising As also setled the Excise Revived the Assesment for the Army neglecting no other means imaginable for gaining the whole wealth of the Nation into their Ravenous Clutches But the design of the Army being shortly after ripened the Officers which for a while had cunningly shadowed their purposes under a plausible disguise began again to appear in their proper colours and presented the House with such another bold Address as they had formerly done Which so startled the Rumpers that they gravely declared That every Member of the Army as freemen of England had a right of Petitioning the Parliament but withal thought fit to let them know that the Petitioners ought to be very careful both in the manner and in the matter of what they desired that the way of promoting and presenting the same may be peaceable and the thing Petitioned for not tending to the distrubance of the Common-Wealth nor to the dishonour of the Parliament And that it was the duty of Petitioners to submit their desires to the Parliament and acquiesce in the judgment thereof Nevertheless doubting as they might do very well that the Souldiers which so often before had made themselves Masters of the Parliament would again follow the example of Oliver either in turning them out of Doors or making them Hackneys to their ambitious ends being not ignorant that without mony those Sword-men could no way subsist and that none was like to be so plausibly raised as by the name of a Parliament to the end therefore that they might the more insensibly diminish their power they passed an Act That all Orders Ordinances and Acts made by any single Person and his Council or both or either of them or otherwise or by any Assembly or Convention pretending to have Authority of Parliament from and after the nineteenth day of April 1653. and before the seventh of May 1659. and which had not been or should not be Enacted Allowed or confirmed by that present Parliament should be and were thereby declared deemed taken and adjudged to be of no force and effect from and after the said seventh day of May 1659. And that no person or persons should after the eleventh of October 1659. Assess Levy Collect Gather or Receive any Custom Impost Excise Assesment Contribution Tax Tallage or any sum or sums of mony or other Imposition whatsoever upon the people of that Common-Wealth without their consent in Parliament or as by Law might have been done before the third of November 1640. And that every person offending contrary to that Act should be and was thereby adjudged to be guilty of High Treason and should forfeit and suffer as in case of High Treason And thinking then that their whole work was in effect done they lookt upon themselves as men of such might that they Voted the Commissions of Lambert Desborow and some other eminent Magnifico's of the Army null and void and that they and every of them should be discharged from their respective Military imployments Likewise that the Army should be governed by seven Commissioners the most confiding men you may be sure viz. Lieutenant General Fleetwood Lieutenant General Ludlow General Monke Sir Arthur Haselrigg Baronet Golonel Valentine Walton Colonel Herbert Morley and Colonel Robert Overton or any three or more of them who were to give notice unto Lambert and the rest that they were each of them discharged of their respective Military imployments Which was no sooner made known to those Sword-men than that General Lambert and his party prepared for their defence on the other side the Commissioners for the Rumpers issuing out Orders suitable to the exigency of their affairs Of which Lambert and his followers being made aware they drew down to Westminster in an Hostile equipage where they possessed themselves of the Palace-Yard and all avenues leading thereto having before-hand given out that they found it absolutely necessaray to Dissolve the Parliament for the good of the Nation But for the support of that Convention commonly called the Rump another part of the Army were no less earnest and active and in opposition to Lambert did at the same time march thither also placing themselves in King's-street and other parts about Westminster All which was done betimes in the morning so that when Lenthal the Speaker came in his Coach according to the usual time to sit in the House though he found his way clear enough through the Souldiers in King-Street when he came to the Palace-Yard he saw it otherwise and therefore made his return It was then thought by some that the Souldiers thus met would not have departed so tamely But Lambert having his ends by shutting out the Rumpers both parties retreated quietly closing again in a seeming friendly manner But that there might not be wanting some shadow of a Civil Power did wisely agree upon a Committee of Safety viz. General Lambert Major General Desborow Bulstrode Whitlock Colonel Edward Ludlow Colonel Sydenham Major Saloway Mr. Strickland Colonel Berrey Mr. Lawrence Sir James Harrington Alderman Ireton Sir Archibald Iohnston Lord Wareston Alderman Tichburne Mr. Henry Brandreth Mr. Thompson Colonel Hewson Colonel Clarke Colonel Lilburne Colonel Bench. Cornelius Holland Giving them Authority to call Delinquents to account to suppress all Insurrections to treat with Forein States and Princes top raise the Militia in the several Counties and to dispose of all places of Trust with a farther large and unlimited power setting also forth a Declaration in Print intituled A Declaration of the General Council of the Officers of the Army whereby they publisht that they had lodged the Civil and executive Power of Government in the Committee of Safety whom they had obliged to prepare such a form of Government as might best sute with a free State without a single Person Kingship or House of Peers CHAP. XLII WHerewith whilst they were in hand came a Letter out of Scotland from General Monke importing that himself and some of the Officers there with him were much dissatisfied with their transactions here and that he had not only secured divers strong Holds in that Kingdom but committed to safe custody those of his Officers who were Dissenters from him therein as also Possessed himself of the Garrison of
the Nobility and Gentry civilly and intimating that it would be their wisdom rather to enlarge than contract any whit of their Interest And farther told them that the fewer qualifications they did put upon succeeding Parliaments it would be the better Desiring them to be tender in imposing new Oaths for he had heard of the Oath of Abjuration alledging that there was more reason to repent of those already taken than to take farther new ones And so warning them to beware of Cavaliers and Fanaticks commending Scotland to their care and assuring them of Ireland concluded with some intimation of his thoughts for a Free-State Having thus taken his leave of the House he withdrew to his place in the Council of State Where the first thing he found under consideration was that the Citizens of London being grown somwhat unruly had stifly resolved to own no power but of a Full and Free Parliament encouraged thereto by sundry Petitions to that purpose which they had seen from several Counties refusing to pay Taxes but by consent of such a Parliament Which put the Rumpers upon this desperate exigent viz. either to reduce them to obedience by a strong hand or themselves to be reputed but the shadow of Authority In order whereunto they commanded General Monke to march thither with his Forces and to compel them to pay the Assesments Whereupon he advanced with speed to Guild-Hall and there made his demand of what the Parliament had required Which much dashing the hopes that the Citizens had otherwise of him they modestly answered that in Magna Charta confirmed by the Petition of Right and ratified by that present Parliament the day before their forcible Dissolution they were to pay no Taxes but by their consent in Parliament which at that present they had not Yet to avoid the giving him any just offence desired farther time to consider thereof Which though the General readily granted yet he wrote to the House for their farther direction Whereupon answer was forthwith returned that he should in the first place imprison Colonel Bromefield Alderman Bludworth Lieutenant Colonel Iackson Major Cox Colonel Vincent c. some of which number had attended him from the City but a little before And secondly that he should remove their Chains dig up their Posts and break down their Gates Which harsh and rough service did at first not a little startle him considering it was done partly to make tryal of his patient obedience to them and partly to occasion a certain enmity betwixt him and the City and then to cast him off by diminishing his power as he very well discerned But foreseeing the event he submitted thereto which was to enrage the Citizens throughly against the Rump and that upon the expiring of his Commission the next day after his power would be diminished by the conjunction of six others with him in equal Command Which being made known by him to his Officers who lookt for a better reward for their service concluding that the Rump would shortly lay them aside also and perpetuate their own sitting Having likewise made so sure an experiment of the Cities temper which he then knew was positive for their Liberties and Rights and concluding thereupon that he might safely put his confidence in them after private discourse had with some of the chief Citizens he first wrote his Letters to the Rumpers wishing them at last to put a period to their siting and make some certain provision for future Parliaments And thereupon marching with his Forces into the City immediately declared for a Full and Free Parliament Which raised the hearts of all people so much that they expressed their great joy by Bells Bonefires and all other testimonies of joy imaginable And having waited a while for a return to his Letter and receiving no manner of Answer thereunto he procured a Conference with some of the old Secluded Members Finding also that the settlement proposed by the Rumpers was too weak and slender to repair the breaches in Government he resolved to withdraw all force from the House and to admit those to sit there whose tempers were more moderate and therefore sending for the Secluded Members to meet him at white-hall he represented unto them what he then thought best to be done viz. The meeting of a Full and Free Parliament saying that the House should be open unto them and wishing them all happy success therein Which old Members being by this means met together again they began where they broke off in Decemb. 1648. ratisfying that Vote then made viz. That the Concessions of the late King were a sufficient ground to proceed on for setling the Peace of the Kingdom Whereupon most men took courage in hope of an happy deliverance from that miserable slavery they had so long endured and in the next place Voted Monke to be Lord General of all the Forces in England Scotland and Ireland By virtue whereof he soon with much prudence disarmed the Fanaticks the Parliament in the mean time taking seasonable care to secure the Peace of the Nation by two wholsom Acts the one for the Militia whereby Gentlemen of worth and quality had opportunity to put themselves in Arms The other by raising mony for the support of such Forces as might be necessarily imployed for the Publick safety And in order to an happy Establishing of the Government upon the old Foundation did ordain that Writs should issue out for the meeting of a Full and Free Parliament upon the 25. of April then next following In the mean time constituting a Council of State of moderate men and so at last put a period to that old and unhappy Convention But notwithstanding all this the danger was not totally over for the Council of State discerning no little averseness in some Officers of the Army and some other turbulent Spirits to this hopeful settlement and thereupon requiring an Engagement from them of their peaceable demeanor were necessitated to imprison some of the most obstinate refusers amongst which Lambert was one and not the least who finding the Fanaticks most eager for another push got out of Prison and Headed that Party Which through the great vigilancy of the General being seasonably routed near Daventre in Northamptonshire the chief of them were committed to several Prisons The Parliament therefore meeting upon the 25. of April Sir Iohn Greenvile presented to both Houses a Declaration from the King then at Breda with certain Letters bearing date April 4. Which with great joy being openly Read they presently Voted His Majesties speedy return to His people the whole Navy also soon after submitting to His obedience So that within very few days following he was solemnly Proclaimed in the Cities of London and Westminster and his Arms set up in all publick places those formerly erected for the Common-Wealth and Oliver being pulled down and defaced And upon May 25.
stiled a great Teacher in Israel who being in private conference with Obediah Sedgwick and one Alliston and askt by Alliston whether it were possible to end the War by a Treaty No said he we will never Treat unless we may have all granted which we formerly demanded Nay if the King should grant that now we should not agree For if the King had put down Bishops and Cathedrals at first we would have given him all their Lands But should he do it now we would not give him any of their Revenues For we must have both Church-Lands and Delinquents Estates also and all little enough to pay the Parliaments Debts and Recompence those who have Suffered for us and reward such as have laboured in our Cause Whosoever therefore observes their Demands by those Propositions presented to His Majesty at Oxford and the Passages of the Treaty at Uxbridge thereupon will find that their Commissioners did not much swerve from Mr. Marshals Principles And now I mention this Treaty for Peace at Uxbridge I cannot but take notice of a Memorable Accident First That whereas the Buckinghamshire-men were the first of all the Counties in this Kingdom that came in a Tumultuous manner to Westminster 11 Ian. 1641. with a Petition on the behalf of the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members which gave Countenance to the many Exorbitant Practises that after ensued and had Thanks returned them by the two Houses So were they the first County that Attempted to Petition for Peace But coming towards Uxbridge in great Numbers for that purpose were by Authority of the Commissioners there from those at Westminster met by a Regiment of Horse and Forced to return home with their Petition Sir Iohn Lawrence one of the Principal of them with others being sent up to Westminster and Committed to Prison for going about to Exhibite such a Malignant Petition as they call'd it CHAP. XLVI HAVING now done with these Observations let us see what Resemblance that great Rebellion of the Barons above four hundred Years since had with this Touching which I shall chiefly make use of what that Learned Antiquary Sir Robert Cotton Kt. and Barronet who died many Years since hath written thereof in that brief discourse of his Intituled A short view of the long Reign of K. Henry the third No other disquiet did the State then feel but such as is Incident in all Malice to Authority The Commons greedy of Liberty the Nobility of Rule The greatest in trust for publick Affairs being still shot at by the aspiring of those that doom themselves less in Imployment than they are in Merit That the Surfeit of a long Peace perchance having let in some abuses from whence the Commons to whom days present seem ever worst commend the foregon Ages they never remembred and condemn the present though they know neither the Disease thereof nor the Remedy To these Idle and usual Humours fell in some of the Young and Noble Spirits who being as truely ignorant as the rest first by sullying the Wisdome of the present and greatest Rulers making each casual mishap their Errors seem to decipher each Blemish in Government and then by holding certain imaginary and phantastick Forms of Common Wealths flatter their own Belief and Ability that they can mould any State to these general Rules which in particular Applications would prove Idle and Gross Absurdities Amongst this Unequal Medley there were of the Nobility Richard Earl of Pembroke Gloucester and Hartford Darlings of the Multitude Some for the merit of their Fathers whose Memories they held Sacred as Pillars of publick Liberty and Opposers of encroaching Monarchy These by force would effect what the other did effect by Cunning. The Lords still frustrate of their Malicious ends began to sow on these late grounds of the Peoples Discontents quaerelas ambiguos de principe sermones quoque alia turbamenta Vulgi and took it up a fashion to endeare and glorify themselves with the sensless Multitude by depraving the King's Discretion and Government Neither was the Church without a busy part in this Tragick Work For Walter Bishop of Worcester and Robert of Lincoln to whom Mountfort and his Faction praecordialiter adhaerebant were far engaged In such Designs Church-men are never wanting and the distast of the present Government as well in the Church as Common-Wealth will ever be a knot of Strength for such Unquiet Spirits who as well frame to themselues some other form of Government than the present in the Church as in the Temporal State as that which with the giddy Multitude winneth best Opinion and did at this time sute the Peoples Humours so much distasting the new Courts of the Clergy their Pomp c. A fair Pretext was it to those Factious Bishops to use their bitter Pens and Speeches so far against Religious-Orders Ceremonies and State of the Church that one of them incurred the Sentence of Excommunication at Rome and Treason at home For he injoined the Earl of Leicester in remissione peccatorum ut causam illam meaning his Rebellion usque ad mortem assumeret Asserens pacem Ecclesiae Anglicanae nunquam sine gladio materiali posse firmari It was not the best Doctrine that this Man could plant by Liberty or War when the first Church rose by Fasting and Prayer True Piety binds the Subject to desire a good Soveraign but to bear with a bad one and to take up the burthen of Princes with a bended Knee rather in time so to deserve Abatement than resist Authority To Suppress these Troubles and supply the King's Extremity a Parliament was called much to the liking of those Lords who as little meant to Relieve the King as they did to quiet the State their end at that time being only to open at home the Poverty of their Master to lessen his Reputation abroad and to breath out their own Passions freely whilst those times of Liberty permit Here they began to tell him he had wronged the Publick State in taking to his Private Election the Iustice Chancelour and Treasurer that should be only by the Common-Council of the Realm They blame him c. to have hurt the Common-Liberty by Non-Obstantes in his Patents to make good Monopolies for private Fauourites c. And that Sir Robert Passelew had torn from the Borderers of his Forest under pretence of Incroachments or Assarts great Sums of Money And therefore they wonder that he should now demand relief from his so pill'd and poled Commons Upon new grant of the great Charter admittance to his Council of some Persons Elected by the Commons c. They spare him such apittance as must tye him to their Devotion for a new supply Thus Parliaments which before were ever a Medicine to heal up any Rupture in Princes Fortunes are now grown worse than the Malady saith from thence more Malignant
Humours began to Reign in them than well Composed Tempers Before the King would again submit himself as he had the last Parliament to so many strict Enquiries of his Disloyal Subjects he meaneth to pass through all the shifts that extremity and need with greatness of mind could lay upon him c. Beginning with the Sale of Lands and then of Iewels And in the end having not means to defray the Diet of his Court was enforced to break up House and with his Queen and Children cum Abbatibus Prioribus satis humiliter Hospicia quesivit prandia This low Ebb gave great assurance to the Rebellious Lords that they should now at last have the Soveraign Power left a Prey to their Ambitious Designes And to bring it faster on they desire nothing more than to see the King's Extremity constrain a Parliament For at such times Princes are ever less than they should be Subjects more To hasten on the time and adapt the means there are sown certain Seditious Orators that the King's Necessity must repair it self upon the Fortunes and Blessings of his People that having nothing of his own left he might and meant to take of other But seeing still that Majesty and Right subsist not without means and power and himself had of neither so much as would stop the present Breach in his own wants or his Subjects Loyalties he flyeth to the Bosom of his People for Relief and Council At Oxford they met in Parliament where his Necessities found so many undutiful demands that he was forced to render up to their Rebellious Will his Royal Power Here the Commons knowing that Quum eligere inceperunt they were loco libertatis stood with the King to have the managing of the State put to the care of XXIII whereof XII by their Election whereto they look't strictly and the other by him who in all things else was left as a Cipher Dober Castle the Key of the Kingdome they had furnished as most of the Forts of Reputation in the Realm with Guardians of their own sworne respectively to the State And then taking the like assurance of all the Sheriffs Bayliffs Coroners and other publick Ministers searching the behaviour of many by strict Commission upon Oath to win Opinion in shew among the Vulgar who groaned under their late Extortions whereas their end was truly as it proved by displacing the Faithful Subjects of the King to open a way to their own Dependents Thus changing sole Power into the Rule of many and those by popular Election made the State believe that by this form of limitted Policy they had utterly suppressed the Mind of Man for ever Dreaming more upon the Imaginary Humours of Licentious Soveraignty But it fell out nothing so For now every Man begun to estimate his own Worth and to hammer his Head on every design that might enlarge his Power and Command Then began the great Men to rent from the Crown and Regal Seignories all such Royal Sutors as Neighboured any of their Seats whereto they Inforce their Service And so as the Record saith ad sectas indebitas servitutes intolerabiles subditos Regis compulerunt Thus they made themselves of so many Subjects whilst they lived in Duty totidem Tyranni as the Book of St. Albans saith when they had left their Loyalty Montfort Gloucester and Spenser the Heads of this Rebellious Design having by the late Prouisions drawn to the hands of the XXIV Tribunes of the People the intire managing of the Royal Estate and finding that Power too much dispersed to work the end of their Designs forced the King again to call a Parliament where they delivered the Authority of the XXIV to themselves and Created a Triumvirate non constituenda Reipublicae causâ as they first pretended for their own ends And so in the interest of some private contented the publick was staid but to make a speedier way to one of them as it â—fatally did to become Dictatores perpetuos These three Elect nine Councellors and appoint quod tres ad minus alternatim semper in Curiâ sint to dispose of the Custody of Castles de alijs regni negotijs the Chief-Justice Chancellor and Treasurer with all Offices Majores Minores they reserve the choice of to themselves The Lords that had imped their Wings with Eagles Feathers and liked no gain but what was raked out of the Ashes of Monarchy made head against their Soveraign and to mate him the better called in some French Forces Thus the Common-Wealth turned again the Sword into her own Bowels And though these Men were more truly sensible of their own Design than of others Miseries yet found they no better pretext for private Interest than that of the publick And therefore at the entry of the Warr they cried Liberty although when they came near to an end they never spake word of it At Lewes the Armies met Where the King endeavours a Reconciliation but in vain For Perswasions are ever unprofitable when Justice is Inferior to Force The Sword decides the difference and gave the King and Prince Prisoners The Person now as well as the Regal Power thus in the hands of Montfort and Gloucester found neither bound of Security nor expectation of Liberty but what the emulous competition of greatness which now began to break out between these mighty Rivals gave hope of For Montfort meaning by ingrossing from his Partner to himself the Person of the King and to his Followers the best Portion of the Spoil to draw more fruit from this advantage than it should in Fellowship yield dissolved the knot of all their Amity Thus equal Authority with the same Power is very fatal we see to all great Actions For to fit Minds to so even a Temper that they should not have some motions of Dissenting is impossible The King now at the Victor's Discretion suted himself with incomparable Wisdome according to the Necessity of the time Neither did Humility wrong Majesty when there was not other means to contain Spirits so Insolent but Dissembling Leicester is become a Darling of the Common Rout who easily change to every new Master but the best durst not Sail along his Fortune by the Light of his Glory Christal that fairly glistereth doth easily break And as the Ascent of Usurping Royalty is slippery so the top is shaking and the Fast fearful For by this time the Imprisoned Prince was escaped and fast assured of Gloucester by the knot of his great Mind and Discontent And both with the torn remainder of the Loyal Army United and by speedy March Arrived unlook't for neer Evesham to the Unarmed Troops of the secure Rebels whom they instantly Assailed for it was no fit season to give time when no time did assure so much as Expedition did promise Dispenser and other Lords of that Faction made towards the King
Rebellion That the first Seeds of it were sown in Queen Elizabeth's time grew up in K. Iames and came to perfect ripeness in K. Charles his Reign is proportionably true of the Holy-League The first Platform of that was laid in the time of K. Charles the Ninth soon after the Reformation of Religion got footing in France It broke out in K. Henry the third's time and was at last suppressed by K. Henry the Fourth So that it infested the Reigns of three Kings no less than this of ours The cheif pretended occasion of it was the defence of Religion which the Ring-Leaders of that Faction did if not conceive themselves yet labour to perswade the People to be in danger of utter Ruine and Extirpation And that by reason of some Indulgence and Toleration granted by Charles the ninth and the Queen Mother and continued by Henry the third unto the Huguenots or Protestants who were as odious to them as Papists were with our Men though the truth was those Princes did as intirely detest the Religion of Protestants as the most zealous among ours can do the Papists And what they did in favour of them was meerly to preserve the Peace of the Kingdom Before the League was fully hatch't the State of that Kingdom was not much unlike this of ours before the late Troubles Some Grievances there were which waited upon it into the World For besides the Toleration of the Huguenots which distasted the Zealots the greatness of some new Men at Court bred an high discontent in divers of the Nobility And the heavy Taxes and Impositions upon the Common-People made them generally dissaffected with the present Government And this Variety of Malignant Humors rising from several Springs all met in the same Stream and bent their course to the same common end Innovation and Subversion of the Establish't Government A Parliament for so I shall take leave to call the general Assembly of the three Estates in France not according to the modern use of the Word in that Country from whence this Kingdom borrowed at first the name and thing but in compliance with our own Language was thought to be a sure Remedy at a pinch for â—etling the publick Distractions And though such Assemblies had been long intermitted in that Realm and the Kings of later time were grown out of love with them as conceiving that while they who represent the whole Nation are convened together with such Supream Power the Royal Authority in the mean time remained little better than suspended Yet upon a consultation had with a Council of Peers like that of ours at York and a motion from them to that purpose Francis the second was content to call a Parliament at Drleans which was quietly Dissolved by his Death before the States had done any thing but only shew'd their Teeth against the Protestants taking a solemn Protestation for Defence of their Religion and by that excluding all others from any Vote in that Assembly By the like exigence was Henry the third driven to have recourse to the like Remedy which proved indeed worse than the Disease For after his Intimation of a Parliament to Commence at Bloys the Duke of Guise and his Allies laid the Foundation of the League who being the most Popular and Powerful Subjects in the Kingdome sought by that means to augment their own greatness and secure the State of Religion which was so straitly twisted with their Interests This Duke besides his Ambition which prompted him sufficiently to those Turbulent Undertakings has formerly received some disgust at Court not much unlike that of Philip Earl of Pembroke for the Keys of the Pallace were taken from him and bestow'd upon the King of Navarr With which disgrace he was extreamly vexed and his Brother the Cardinal much more though they cunningly Dissembled and made a shew as if nothing troubled them but the Toleration of and connivence at Calvinisme by that means veiling their own Passions and Private Interests with an honest Cloak and colour of Religion So by little and little the Factious among the great ones were confounded with the differences in Religion and instead of Male-Contents and Guisards they put on the name of Catholicks and Huguenots Parties which under colour of Piety ministred so much the more Pernicious Fewel to all the Succeeding Combustions and Troubles The League was ushered in with Declarations Remonstrances and Protestations to the same effect and much in the same Language with this of our Covenanters We the Princes Noblemen Gentlemen and Commons Parties to that League profest that nothing but pure Zeal and Sincere Devotion which we bear to the Honour of God his Majesties Service the Publick Peace and Preservation of our Lives and Estates together with the Apprehension of our utter Ruine and Destruction hath necessitated us to this Resolution which we are constrained to put on for which we cannot any way be taxed or traduced for Suspition of Disloyalty Our Councils and Intentions having no other Design but meerly the Maintenance and Advancement of the Service of God Obedience to his Majesty and Preservation of his Estate And perceiving by what is past that our Enemies have not nor ever had any other aim but to Establish their Errors in the Kingdom to extirpate Religion and by little and little to undermine the King's Authority and totally alter the Government we can do no less in discharge of our Honours and Consciences than withstand the Sinister Designs of the Supream Enemies of God and his Majesty by a common Covenant and Association it being no more than time to divert and hinder their Plots and Conspiracies for all Faithful and Loyal Subjects to enter into a Holy Union and Conjunction which is now the true and only means left in our Hands by God for restoring of his own Service and Obedience to his Majesty The chief Heads of the League to which they swore were either altogether or in Proportion the same with those in our English Covenants viz. 1. To Establish Religion the Law and Service of God in its Pristine State according to the form and usage of the Catholick Roman-Church there as of the Protestant Reformed-Church here 2. As our Covenanters swore in the second Article to extirpate all Popery Heresy c. So did the Leaugers Renounce and abjure all Errors contrary to their Religion 3. As our Men in the third Article swore to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliament and Liberties of the Kingdom and to preserve the King's Person and Authority but with a Reservation in the Preservation and Defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdon So did they to preserve Henry the third of that Name and his Successors the Most Christian Kings in the State Splendour Authority Right Service and Obedience which are due unto him from his Subjects but with this Abatement according as is contained in
about the City setting Guards in sundry places with Threats of the like Cruelty to divers others Upon endeavour to suppress which Uproar the City Garrison refused to obey being so much Devoted to the Councils and Actions of the Sixteen that Alexander de Monte said plainly He would not move against them who managed the Cause of God and all good Men with so much sincerity The Council of the Sixteen Condemning and Executing many Citizens whom they suspected to incline to the Kings Party in a precipitous manner About that time there being a consultation held at Rens by the chief Heads of the League where they Treated long about their Common Interests though every one did palliate their divers Pretences and coloured their private Designs yet was it plain enough that they would never concur in the same end As for the Spaniards they wholly trusted to their own Power and the necessity in which the rest stood of their Assistance The Popes Nuncio insisting upon the Majesty of the Apostolick See and the Foundation of Religion which the Pope must dispose The Duke of Lorreyne stood upon his credit as Head of the Family and pretended that the rest in Modesty must sit down to him The Duke of Savoy had an aim at the Compassing of Provence The Duke of Mercur at Brittain The Duke of Namurz meant to Cantonize the Government The Duke of Mayne as Head of the Army and chief of the Faction relyed upon the Union of the People and assent of the Nobility who stood well affected to him But things being not yet ripe and every one proceeding with great Caution and Secrecy concealed his own Designs and made a semblance as if he were moved with no other Considerations but of the publick good The Duke of Mayne attempted to Storm Mant where the Kings Council many Lords and Prelates and chief Officers of the Crown were with a less Guard than the Quality of the Persons and weakness of the place required To which purpose he brought divers of the Citizens of Paris drew out the Garrisons of Meaux Dreux and Pontois but was repulst by the Valour of the Lords themselves and their Families President Janin was sent into Spain to negotiate with the King of that Realm in behalf of the Leaguers but return'd without any resolution For it was desired in Spain that the War should move but a slow pace that the Duke of Mayne should not grow so much in Credit and Authority with his Party The Council of the Sixteen at Paris to whom the Preachers stuck close which was at first the Basis and Ground-work of the League pretending to carry all things according to their own liking demeaned themselves with much partiality and Passion proper to a Faction without any regard to preserve the Rights of the Crown or the Honour and Reputation of the French Nation their only Studies and whole Endeavours being set upon such things as might ruine the King whom they hated most perfectly and extinguish both his Name and all the Huguenot-Party so that they might put the Reins of Government into the hands of such Persons as would rule all things according to their Humours But the Duke of Mayne studying how to curb and moderate their turbulent desires instituted a Council of State distinct from that of the Sixteen consisting of many Wise and Moderate Men to counterpoise and restrain the heady courses of the other Amongst which were Villeroy Iannin c. Men not tainted with Spanish Practises nor the inconsiderate Zeal of the Preachers which kindled a great Heart-burning and emulation betwixt the Council of the State with the Parliament at Paris and Council of the Sixteen especially some of the Zealots amongst them Thus have we seen the main resemblance of the Holy League with this of ours as to the Original and Prosecution of it though in the ends of them they did somewhat differ Apparent it is that the carriage of the Scotts here was the very same with that of the Spaniards there Their Pretences the same viz. Religion and Assisting their Brethren Their private ends the same the advance of their own greatness Which were no sooner fully understood by the French but even those which were the Kings greatest Enemies began to detest them and chose rather to submit to the just Obedience of their King than undergo the Spanish-Yoke For when the Council of Spain were resolv'd to send but small Forces into France and to spin out the Wars to their own least cost and most advantage Hoping by that means to obtain their ends upon the French who without their help were not able to stand against the Kings Forces which were to procure the Lady Infanta Isabella of Spain to be declared Queen of France in a full Assembly of the States which they intended to force the Duke of Mayne to call for that purpose The Duke perceiving it began utterly to disgust them complaining of their niggardly and sparing assistance afforded to the League and eager desires of domineering which had occasioned the loss of all their former pains and given the King opportunity of recovering such strength as that he was now Superior to them both in Reputation and Forces with much more bitter Language to the Spanish Embassadors he underhand began to Treat of an accord with the King yet remitted nothing of his Violence and pursuit of his Ambitious ends but calling an Assembly of the States at Paris declared himself fully against the King and Proposed the new Election of another hoping the Crown might be conferr'd upon himself for his great Actions in the Wars none having merited more of the Cause Yet could he not prevail with those of his own Family the Dukes of Lorrein and Guise thinking as highly of themselves as he And when the matter came to be opened in a Close Committee of the chief Leaguers before some select Delegates of the three Estates the Duke of Feria in a set Speech full of Art and Eloqnence recommended the Infanta to their Election a thing which the Spanish Agents had before Practised under hand with many large proffers of Honour and Reward to those of the House of Lorrein and other chief Agents of the League Which Proposal sounded so strange in the Ears of the French generally that the Bishop of Saintliz William Rosa a Man of an harsh Temper and dogged Eloquence which he had many Years Exercised against the King and his Adherents though a Fiery-Zealous Leaguer could not endure to hear with Patience but instantly said he now saw the Kings Party was in the right of it who had always given out that they of the League did nothing but veil their State-Interests with the Mask of Religion Which Imputation himself and his Companions had ever laboured to consute out of the Pulpits and that now it grieved him to the Heart to see it confirm'd from the Mouths of the Embassadors
B. Ib. p. 403. D. The second Parliament of K. Charles I. dissolved 15. Junii An. 1626. 2 Car. 1. Ib. p. 419. B. C A Loan of money required by the K. Ship-money required Privy Seals Ib. p. 420. A Benevolence proposed Ib. p. 422. An. 1626. Short View of the Life of K. â— Charles impr Lond. 1658. p. 46. An. 1627. Rushw. Coll. p. 428. E. p. 429. 27 Junii Ib. F. * 8 Nov. Ib. p. 469. Life of King Charles by Dr. Perenchef impr Lond. 1676. An. 1627. 3 Car. I. Rushw. Coll. p. 480. C. The third Parliament of K. Charles I. 17 Martii Ib. p. 481. D. Ib. p. 531. B. 26 Junii 1628. Ib. p. 644. B. Ib. D. Short View of the Life of K. Charles p. 26. Rushw. Coll. p. 647. C. Ib. p. 651. C. Ib. p. 656. C. An. 1628. * Febr. Ib. p. 670. F. Short view of the life of K. Charles p. 53. The third Parliament of King Charles the first dissolved 2. Martii Rushw. Coll. p. 672. A. Planting Schismatical Lecturers * Hist. of the Presbyterians by Dr. Heylin p. 11. 12. * Hist. of the life and death of Archbish. Laud. p. 9. Buying in impropriate Tythes for their support * Ib. p. 211. 212. Ib. p. 311 312. The absurdity and ill effects of them Their practising of military Discipline His Majesties Declaration printed at London An. 1639. p. 6. Ib. p. 7. Ib. p. 9. An. 1633. An. 1634. The Inland parts charg'd with Ships for defence of the Realm A usual mask for evil designs Hist. of Arch-Bishop Laud's life c. p. 92. 93. Multitudo ubi religione capta est potius vatibus quam Ducibus suis paret Curtius lib. 4. An. 1637. The Service-book sent into Scotland King Charles his large Declaration p. 16. Ib. p. 17. Ib. p. 18. 19. Ib. p. 19. Ib. p. 22. Ib. p. 23 24 25. 23 Julii 1637. Tumults at Edenborough by reason of the Service-book * Ib. p. 26 27. Ib. p. 31. 17. Oct. 1637. 1638. Ib. p. 35. 18. Oct. Ib. p. 37. Ib. p. 41. Ib. p. 47. * 19. Febr. 1638. Ib. p. 40. Tables of Advice erected The first Covenant by the Scots His Majesties Declaration Ib. p. 40. * Dated at Windsor 20 May 1638. The Marq. of Hamilton sent into Scotland to appease the people there Ib. p. 85. 86. Ib. p. 88. Ib. p. 96. 28. Junii Ib. p. 110. 111. 22 Sept. Ib. p. 137. Ib. p. 147. Ib. p. 156. 24 Sept. Ib. p. 188 189. Ib. p. 195. * 13. Oct. Ib. p. 197. Ib. p. 208. Ib. p. 210. Ib. p. 226. An. 1534. 25. H. 8. Holinsh p. 936. 937. Ib. p. 228. Ib. p. 229. 230. Ib. p. 224. 28. Oct. Ib. p. 248. Ib. p. 264. Ib. p. 281 282 283. Ib. p. 287. 27 Nov. Ib. p. 290. 29. Nov. The Assembly at Glasgow dissolved Ib. p. 294. Ib. p. 317. Episcopal Government abolish'd in Scotland Ib. p. 319. Ib. p. 366. * 18 Dec. Ib. p. 375. Ib. p. 402. Ib. p. 404. The Scots put themselves in Arms. The King raised an Army whereof he made the Earl of Arundel General 27 Martii 1639. * 28 Maii at the Birks The King's Declaration since the Pacification in the Camp near Barwick p. 3. 4. Ib. p. 17. * 17 Junii Articles of Pacification with the Scots * 20 Junii Ib. p. 17. Ib. p. 19. Ib. p. 20 * 2 Julii * 20 Julii Ib. p. 30. August Novemb. * Earl of Dumfermelyn Lord Lowdon * 5 Dec. Ib. p. 41. 18. Dec. Scots raise more forces Jan. 1639. Act. 34. Ib. p. 57. * The King's Declaration printed at Lond. 1639. Ib. p. 8. * Sir Henry Vane junior * Preface to the Memoires of the lives of James and William D. of Hamilton Impr. Lond. 1677. 1640. An. 1640. 13 Apr. The Short Parliament call'd The Short Parliament dissolved 5 Maii. 9 Maii. * 11 Maii. 11 Julii Ad. 38. * 17. Aug. The first Invasion of the Scots * 18 Aug. * 28 Aug. A grand Council of the Peers at York 24 Sept. 9. Oct. Treaty at Rippon The long Parliament began 3. No. Will. Lenthal of Lincolns Inn being Speaker * 9 Nov. * 11 Nov. The Earl of Strafford impeach'd of Treason * 13 Nov. * 18 Dec. * 19 Dec. * 21 Dec. * 14 Jan. * 5 Febr. * 11 Febr. * 28 Nov. * 11 Dec. * 15 Dec. * 16 Dec. * 29 Jan. * 10 Febr. * 11 Febr. 1641. * 10. Martii * 2. Febr. * 16. Martii Tryal of the E. of Strafford * 22. Martii * 23. Martii An. 1641. * 3. Apr. * 5. Apr. * 7. Apr. * 19. Apr. * 12. Maii * 3 Maii Pretended Plots and Conspiracies * 5 Maii. * 7 Maii. * 10 Maii. * 12 Maii. * 13 Maii. * 14 Maii. * 17 Maii. * 17 Junii * 24 Julii * 16 Aug. Posture of Defence Bill for perpetuating the Parliament * 7 Maii. * 9 Junii * Lord Say sworn Master of the Wards 17 Maii. Earl of Leicester made Deputy of Ireland 19 Maii Earl of Essex made Lord Chamberlain 29 Julii Oliver St. John made Sollicitor General The King went into Scotland * 2 Aug. * Will. Strode * 12 Aug. The grand Remonstrance * 19 Oct. * 20 Oct. * 31 Oct. Alderman Penington and others made a Committee for setting up Preaching Ministers 19 Dec. A. 1640. * Dr. Downing * Exact Col. p. 543. * 23 Oct. The Rebellion in Ireland * 22 Junii * 3 Julii * Sir William Parsons one of the Lords â—ustices in that Kingdom and Sir Adam Loftus Vice-Treasurer there persons experimentally known to have much adhered to and furthered the designs of these Rebellious contrivers in England that an Army of a thousand Scots was to arrive in Ireland to force the Catholicks to change their Religion and that Ireland could never do well without a Rebellion to the end the remnant of the Natives might be extirpated wagers being laid at the general Assizes by divers of them that within one year no Catholick should be left in Ireland * See his Majesties Answer to the two Papers concerning Ireland printed with the full and perfect Narrative of the Treaty at Uxbridge p. 212. * See the full Relation of the Treaty at Uxbridge p. 133. 136. * Impr. Londan 1658. p. 86. * 25 Oct. * 30 Oct. * 12 Nov. * 14 Nov. * 15 Nov. * 20 Nov. * Exact Coll. p. 1. * 22 Nâ— * 25 Nov. The King returned from Scotland * 26 Nov. * 27 Nov. * 29 Nov. 30 Nov. 1 Dec. * Exact Coll. p. 22. * 11 Dec. * 15 Dec. * Exact Coll. p. 532. * 19 Dec. * 26 Dec. * 27 Dec. * 28 Dec. * 29 Dec. * Exact Coll. p. 533. * 31 Dec. * 31 Dec. 1 Jan. 4 Jan. See the Articles against them Exact Coll. p. 34. * 7 Jan. * 8 Jan. The King with the Queen Prince and D. of York