THE Connexion BEING CHOICE COLLECTIONS OF SOME PRINCIPAL MATTERS IN King JAMES his Reign Which may serve to supply the Vacancy betwixt Mr. Townsend's and Mr. Rushworth's Historical Collections LONDON Printed for W. Crook at the Green Dragon without Temple Bar 1681. AN ADVERTISEMENT OF THE Collector WHo ever you are or of what Quality you be that this Connexion comes to the â—ands of there is no need of an Auâ—hor's begging your Favour for without an Apology if the seriâ—us and deliberate Results of a Wise King by his Parliament and by his Privy Council with the Learnâ—d Discourses of some Great men in that time such as the Duke of Bucking ham Sir Francis Bacon c. without Reflections Annotations Observations c. will not please am sorry for it yet I will give thâ— reason of the Publication of this viz. There being an Historical Collection of the last Parliaments oâ— Qu. Elizabeth by Mr. Heywooâ— Townsend which Ends before thâ— beginning of King James his Reignâ— and Mr. John Rushworth beginâ— his Historical Collections so late iâ— the said King's Reign that therâ— is nigh twenty years space betwixâ— them of which time nothing of History is in Print in this Method And although Wilson and Saunderson have both wrote that Great King's Life yet neither of them have reported Matter of Fact in this manner You have these Collections as â—hey came to my hands from several â—areful Collectors of Choice Things And truly I was in hopes I should â—ave got more relating to that time â—ut I found these so difficult that I â—ave over the farther search and â—ielded to the desire of some that â—ad seen them to let them go as â—hey are THE CONTENTS AN. 1. Jac. Reg. A Proclamation bâ— King James to Repress all Pyrâ—cies and Depredations upon the Seâ— wherein Rules and Articles are set foâ— the prevention of Sea Rovers and Pyrates An. 2. Jac. A Proclamation of the Revocation of Mariners from Foreign Services and to prevent them turning oâ— Pyrates and to hinder Acts of Hostility to be committed on the Coasts of England An. 3. Jac. An Act of Parliament for the granting of three intire Subsidies and six Fifteenths and Tenths granted by the Temporality to his Majesty with the Reasons why granted shewing the great Advantage his Majesty hath been to the Kingdom â—ac The Declaration of the Opinions of the Non-conformists as it was delivered to King James in the third year of his Reign â—ac A Proclamation by King James with Rules to prevent Pyracies â— 7. Jac. A Proclamation of King James touching Fishing â— 8. Jac. The Case of Sir John Kenneâ—da and his Lady shewing the Contract â—in Marriage â—ac Vpon the Case of Sir John Kenâ—eda whether an English Jurisdiction may disannul a Marriage made in Scotland â—ac Certain Points of Law and Reaâ—on whereby it may plainly appear that â—he Question between the Lady Kenneda and Sir John concerning the Validity of their Marriage may and ought by ordinary course of Law be heard and determined before the Ecclesiastical Judges in England who have Jurisdictions in the Places where they do both dwell Whereupon the Civilians have grounded their Opinions given in this Case to that Effect 9 Jac. The Commission and Warrant foâ— the Condemnation and burning of Baâ—tholomew Legat who was burnt iâ— Smithfield in London for Hereticâ— Opinions 9 Jac. The Commission and the Warranâ— for the Condemnation and burning oâ— Edward Wightman of Lichfield witâ— an Account of his Heretical Opinions 14 Jac. An Order of the King 's Privâ— Council sent to the Peers of the Realm for the Tryal of the Earl and Countesâ— of Somerset for the poysoning of Siâ— Thomas Overbury 14. Jac. Sir Francis Bacon's Speech aâ— the Arraignment of the Earl of Somerset 14 Jac. King James his Pardon to Frances Countess of Somerset for poysoning Sir Thomas Overbury 19 Jac. An Order of the Privy Council 22 Jac. His Grace the Duke of Buckingham's Answer to the Scandals of the Marquess of Inoiosa the Spanish Ambassador wherein his Abusive Reflections are wip'd off CHOICE COLLECTIONS IN King JAMES His Reign Anno Dom. 1603. in An. Reg. Jac. 1. A Proclamation by King James to repress all Pyracies and Depredations upon the Sea wherein Rules and Articles are set for the prevention of Sea Rovers and Pyrates THE Kings Majesty being certainly informed through the manifold and daily complaints made to his Highness as well by his own Subjects as others of the continual Depredations and Pyracies committed on the Seas by certain lewd and ill disposed persons and finding that the ordinary proceeding held of late times for the suppressing of these enormities and offences have wrought less Reformation than was expected In his Princely care to preserve Justice as one of the main Pillars of his Estate and for the speedier suppression of all such Pyracies and depredacious Crimes most hateful to his mind and scandalous to his peaceable Government and for the better continuance of Amity with all other Princes and States hath with the advice of his Privy Council for the speedy prevention or severe punishment hereafter of such foul crimes and pyracies set down certain Articles hereunto annexed which his Highness commanded all his Officers whom it may concern of what degree soever to see duely executed wherein if any manner of person shall be found culpable or wilfully negligent contemptuous or disobedient his Majesty declareth hereby that punishment shall be inflicted upon him or them with such severity as the Example thereof shall terrifie all others from committing any so odious crimes or contemptuous Offences First That no Man of War be furnished or set out to Sea by any of his Majesties Subjects under pain of death and confiscation of Lands and Goods not only to the Captains and Mariners but also to the Owners and Victuallers if the Company of the said Ship shall commit any pyracy depredation or murther at the Sea upon any of his Majesties Friends Item That if any person whatsoever shall upon the Seas take any Ship that doth belong to any of his Majesties Friends and Allies or to any of their Subjects or shall take out of it by force any goods of what nature or quality so ever he or they so offending shall suffer death with Confiscation of Lands and Goods according to the Law in that Case provided Item That all Admiral Causes except the Causes now depending before the Commissioners for Causes of depradations shall be summarily heard by the Judge of the High Court of the Admiralty without admitting any unnecessary delay Item that no appeal from him be admitted to the Defendent or Defendents in causes of Depredation either against the offenders or their Accessaries before or after the offence committed or those in whose possession the Goods spoiled are found unless first by way of provision the sum adjudged be paid to the Plaintiff upon Sureties to repay it if the Sentence shall be reversed Item that no prohibition in such
Advertisement the Lady received from time to time from the Lieutenant or Weston touching Overbury's State of Body and Health were ever sent nigh to the Court though it were in Progress and that from my Lady such a Thirst and Listening he had to hear that he was dispatched Lastly That there was a continual Negotiation to set Overbury's Head on Work that he should make some to clear the Honour of the Lady and that he should be a good Instrument towards her and her Friends all which was but Entertainment For your Lordships shall see divers of my Lord of Northampton's Letters whose Hand was deep in this Business written I must say in dark words and Clauses that there was one thing pretended and another thing intended that there was a real Charge and somewhat not real a main Drift and Dissimulatien Nay further there be some Passages which the Peers in their Wisdoms will discern to point directly at the Poysonment King James his Pardon to Frances Countess of Somerset for Poysoning of Sir Thomas Overbury James Rex THe King to whom c. Greeting Whereas the Fountains â—s well of Mercy as Justice are wont â—nd ought to flow from the King's Throne of which the former of Juâ—tice in the memorable Case of the Death and Murther of Sir Thomas Oâ—erbury in a constant and right Course â—ath flowed and is derived from us â—nd our Royal Court for the full Saâ—isfaction of our selves and Subjects And whereas divers and manifold Causes of our Clemency occur which â—ay move our Regal Mercy towards Fr. Carre late Countess of Somerset â—hiefly that Murther with so many â—nd such examples of Justice before this â—ime expiated especially two whereof the first respecteth her Father and Friends and Family and Noble Progeny the other hath respect to her self because she freely and willinglâ— confessed her Offence submitting anâ— prostrating her self at the Altar of ouâ— Mercy not only during the time â—â— her Imprisonment but also publicklâ— and in her Trial And forasmuch aâ— Lord Ellesmere our Chancellor â—â— England and being our High Steward of England in that behalf and aâ—â— her Peers by whose Judgment shâ— was Convict at the Humble Petitioâ— of the said Frances publickly made solemnly bound themselves by theiâ— promise to intercede for our Royaâ— Mercy towards her and first weighâ—ing with our selves the Nature of he Offence upon which she was Indicted Arraigned Convicted and Condemned viz. that the Process and Judgment were not as of a Principal but as of an Accessary before the Fact and that she seemed to have begun by the Procurement and wicked Instigation of certain base Persons Know ye that We moved with Pity oâ— our special Grace and of our certain Knowledge and our meer Motion Pardoned Remitted and Remised and by these Presents for us our Heirs and Successors do Pardon Remise and Release to the aforesaid Frances Carre late Countess of Somerset or by whatsoever other Name or Sir-name or Addition of Name or of her Sirname of Dignity Place or Places the same Frances may be known esteemed called or named or lately was known esteemed called or Named the Slaughter Killing Poysoning Bewitching Death Felony and Felonious Murthering of the aforesaid Sir Thomas Oâ—erbury or by whatsoever Name Sir-name or Addition of Name or Sir-name of Place or Places the said Sir Thomas Overbury may be known esteemed called or named or lately was known esteemed called or named by the said Frances by her self alone or with any other Person or Persons whatsoever howsoever in what manner soever whensoever or wheresoever done committed or perpetrated all and all manner of Conspiracies Felonies Abettments Procurements Incitations Partnerships Maintainances Helps Hirings Commands Councils Crimes Transgressions Wrongs Offences and Faults whatsoever the aforesaid Death Slaughter Killing Poysoning Bewitching Felony and Felonious Murthering of the aforesaid Sir Thomas Overbury in any wise touching or concerning and the Accessary of them as before the Fact as after the Fact and Flight and Flights made thereupon although the said Frances of the Premisses or any of the Premisses stand or not stand Indicted Impeached Appellat Vocat Rectat Maneat Convicted Condemned Attainted or Adjudged by the Judgment of her Peers before the aforesaid High Steward of England or otherwise howsoever or thence in time to come shall appear to be Indicted Impeached Appellari Rectari Vocari Waviari Convicted Condemned Attainted or Adjudged and all and singular Indictments Judgments Condemnations Executions Pains of Death Pains of Corporal Punishments and all other Pains and Penalties whatsoever of for or concerning the Death Slaughter Killing Poysoning Bewitching Felonies and Felonious Murthering of the aforesaid Sir Thomas Overbury in upon or against the same Frances had made returned or adjudged or which we against the same Frances may have in time to come Imprisonment at our Royal Pleasure or Restraint confining to a certain place only excepted Moreover we do pardon and by these presents for us our Heirs and Successors remit and remise to the aforesaid Frances all and every Outdowries which against the same Frances by reason or occasion of the Premisses or any of them have been proclaimed or hereafter shall be proclaimed and all and all manner of Suits Complaints Impeachments and Demands whatsoever which we against the same Frances for the Premisses or any of the Premisses have had have or in time to come shall have and the suit of our Peace which appertained to us against the same Frances or may appertain by reason of the Premisses or any of them and by these Presents we do give and grant our firm peace to the same Frances willing that the same Frances by the Justices Sheriffs Escheators Bayliffs or any other our Ministers by the occasions aforesaid or any of them be not molested troubled or in any manner vexed so as nevertheless she stand right in our Court if any towards her should speak concerning the Premisses or any of the Premisses although the said Frances do not find good and sufficient Security according to the Form of a certain Act of Parliament of the Sovereign Lord Edward the Third Late King of England our Progenitor held at Westminster in the Tenth Year of his Reign for her Good Behaviour from henceforth towards us our Heirs and Successors and all our People And farther for us our Heirs and Successors of our more ample special Grace and out of our certain Knowledge and our meer motion we will and grant by these presents that these our Letters Patent of Pardon and all and singular the things contained in the same â—hall stand and be good firm valid sufficient and effectual in the Law and from henceforth shal by no means beâ—ome void and that in time to come â—he said Frances by any means shall not be Indicted Arrested Accused â—exed or troubled of for or concernâ—ng the Death Murther Slaughter Poysoning Bewitching Felony or â—elonious Killing of the aforesaid Sir Thomas Overbury howsoever or by whatsoever means the said
under Gods favour we shall comfortably enjoy the same to us and our posterity for ever Next to Religion and peace with God we will Remember that Universal peace of State both at home and abroade which under your Christian and prudent Government we enjoy whereof we have the less reason to doubt any interruption when we behold the Greatness and reputation of your Majesties power and the goodness and Excellency of your Royal disposition whereof the latter is not like â—o give the cause or occasion and the â—ormer is likely to abate the Courage â—nd forces of any hostile attempts And â—astly we cannot but with unspeakable â—oy of heart consider of that blessing which having respect to later times in â—his state is rare and unwonted which â—s the blessed fruit and Royal Issue of â—ingular towardness and comfort which God hath given your Majesty with â—reat hope of many the like these being â—ndeed as arrows in the hand of the Mighty able to dant your Enemies â—nd to assure your loving subjects and â—o safe-guard your Royal person and to sheild and protect each other and to be a pledge to us and our posterity of future and perdurable felicity The benefits and blessings dread Soveraign amongst many others as we gladly acknowledge to your Majesties great honour and our great comfort So nevertheless having upon mature advice concluded to present to your Majesty a gift in proportion and speed of payment exceeding all former presidents of Parliament and the times of Peace considered we do further think fit to add and express those reasons special and extraordinary which have moved us hereunto lest the same our doing may be drawn into President to the prejudice of the State of our Countrey and our posterity A first and principal reason is thaâ— late and monstrous attempt of that cursed crew of desperate Papists to have destroyed your Excellent Majesty the Queen and your Royal Progeny together with the Reverend Prelates Nobility and Commons of this Land â—ssembled in Parliament to the great confusion if not subversion of this Kingdom the barbarous malice in â—ome unnatural subjects we have â—hought fit to check and encounter with the certain demonstration of the â—niversal and undoubted Love of your Loyal and Faithful Subjects not only for the present to breed in your Maâ—esty a more confident assurance of our uttermost aides in proceeding with a princely resolution to repress them and to furnish your Majesty against hostile attempts both by Sea and Land out also for the future times to give â—heir Patrons and partakers to understand that your Majesty can never want in this Kingdom meanes of defence of your rights revenge of your wrongs and support of your estate A second reason is that memorable benefice wherewith it hath pleased the Divine providence in great grace and favour to bless this Nation in your Majesties person by addition of another Kingdom whereby both ancient hostilities are quite extinguished and all footing and approaches of any For rainer in this Island are excluded and your Majesties other Dominions the more secured which happy event was nevertheless attended with sundry rare and necessary circumstances of charge now at your Majesties first entrance and setling such as the like hath not been in former times nor is like to be in suceeding ages A third and most urgent reason is the great and excessive charge which the unnatural Wars of Ireland newly finished before our late Renowned Queens decease did necessarily impose upon your Majesty by drawing with it a long traine of after expences even in your Majesties time till the peace thereof were throughly setled and assured which Kingdom is now since your Majesties time become in the vastest Province thereof capable of the plantation of Religion Justice Civilty and Population and may in longer time arise to be a most profitable and opulent member of your Imperial Crown A fourth reason ariseth from the great contentment and joye which we have in the remembrance of your Majestiâ— most gracious disposition to the good of your people testified as well at your first entrance into this Kingdom by your Princely care you took out of your own Royal mind to free them by your Proclamation from any burdens of Monopolies and other unlawful things which then remained in use as also of late your comfortable messages sent unto us dureing this Session of Parliament purporting the continuance of like gracious intention towards them where just occasion of grief should appear which joye of ours hath bred a desire in us to express in more then ordinary manner our extraordinary and humble thankes unto your Majesty for the same and to make it appear on our parts that we will at no time omit any Testimonies of Love and Duty toward your Majesty that may procure or deserve the perfecting and accomplishing of so Princely a work so well begun of Grace and favor towards us it being far from our dispositions to entertain any such unthankfulness into our hearts as not chearfully to assist with our goods and substance and all other duties of Subjects such a Soveraign by whom we find our selves so tenderly regarded Thus Gracious Soveraign out of those extraordinary Reasons and considerations as also out of our great Love and affection towards your Majesties person vertues and felicities we do with all humble and chearful affections present to your Majesty three subsidies and six Fifteenths and Tenths and we do most humbly beseech your Majesty that it may be enacted by Authority of this present Parliament in manner and form following Anno. Dom. 1605. An. Reg. Jac. 3. The Declarations of the opinions of the Non-conformists as it was delivered to King James himself on their behalf in the third year of his Reign 1. WE hold and maintain the same Authority and Supremacy in all causes and over all persons Civil or Ecclesiastical granted by Statute to Queen Elizabeth and expressed and declared in the Book of Advertisements and Injunctions and in Mr. Bilson against the Jesuites to be due in full and ample manner without any Limitation or Qualification to the King and his Heirs and Successors for ever neither is there to our knowledge any one of us but is and ever hath been most willing to subcribe and Swear unto the same according to form of Statute And desire that those that shall refuse the same may bear their own iniquitie That 2. We are so far from Judging the said Supremacy to be unlawful that we are perswaded that the King should sin highly against God if he should not assume the same unto himself and that the Churches within his Dominions should sin damnably if they should deny to yield the same unto him yea though the Statutes of the Kingdom should deny it unto him 3. We hold it plain Anti-Christianism for any Church or Church-Officers whatsoever either to arrogate or assume unto themselves any part or parcel thereof and utterly unlawful for the King to give away or
the Infanta which was promised with as great Assurance as words could express But they will say that â—his Earnestness and Haste was it that disturbed all the Business and so I â—hink it did And I confess withal â—hat it was our End and Endeavour â—o put them from their Shifts and to â—ring to an Issue that Treaty under â—he Delay whereof we had suffered so â—uch And I profess further that the Honour and good Success of this Intention do properly belong to his Majesty and the Prince by whose Wisdom and Resolution a desperate Remedy was so well applied to a desperate Disease But they say That howsoever my Endeavours might at first concur to hasten the Match yet after the Princess Palatine had written Letters unto me and had sent her Secretary to confirm a Marriage betwixt her Soâ— and my Daughter Then I instantly caused the Prince to revoke his Procuration and turn'd all upside down And here is revealed another mysticaâ— Use they would make of my Name to divide Father and Daughter Brother and Sister Master and Servant and to break all the Bonds of Naturâ— and Affection by Jealousie of Statâ— And can the Devil attempt more But what Proof Nay what Appearance do they shaddow this withal Forsooth by telling that they knoâ— in Spain that the same day thoâ— Letters were delivered the Revocâ—tion was pronounced but how knew they that Or do they not know in Spain that the Prince himself opened and read all the Letters and heard all Addresses And by what Inspection could they know more than the Prince Except those innocent Letters were like indented Pictures which shew to one's view a fair and to another's a foul Face Is it not strange that Malice it self is not satiated with the Distresses of those Worthy Princes except it bereave them not only of necessary Support and Relief but also of that Love and good Opinion whereby they must subsist And to what other End tendeth that careful Admonition to the King to takeheed both to himself and to the Prince My Precipitation my Ambition and my Popularity are but the Fringe and Shadow The supplanting of these Princes the Diversion of the Affection of their Father and Brother the bereaving them of all Assistance and Comfort and finally the Disturbing of all our Affairs are the true Ends of these Fore-warnings and false pretended Fears For my Ambition and Popularity how appeared it in Parliament by casting say they all Odious Matters upon the King and arrogating the thanks of all things acceptable to my self and by the Title given me to be Redeemer of my Country Such Generalities are ever the Subterfuges of deceit But let them instance in any Particular either of odious Matter there propounded and cast upon the King or of plausible whereof all the Honour was not his and that with greater Demonstration of Reverence and Thankfulness than in former Parliaments hath been seen For the Title it is true that by our Journey into Spain we were brought out of Darkness into Light and the Discovery of former Inconveniencies and future Dangers of the Treaties was applauded in Parliament as no less than a Work of Redemption to the State But therein all that I assumed or was attributed to me was the Happiness to have been under the Prince's Government whose Wisdom in discovering the Insincerity of their Pretences in refusing those things which were utterly inconvenient in yielding to such as being prejudicial were corrigible afterwards and in qualifying the rest to a tolerable Construction was the only means of redeeming our Safety and settling our Affairs And for his Majesty who hath heard of his Name that can doubt that his deep Understanding and Experience was the true Fountain from which all our Directions did proceed Then how can I be charged with Envy against the great Good of Christendom and especially of England and Spain When all the World shall understand that the King and Prince under God and by his Blessings are the chief means to rescue all Christendom especially England from the Usurpation of that pretended Empire which they call the Good but is truly the Bondage and Misery of both Having thus served their Turns with my Name against his Majesty against the Prince against the Parliament against his Royal Daughter and her Race who could think it possible their Malice could strain higher Yet their Master-piece is behind And whereas their former Suggestions were grounded upon they say here They know in Spain and such Shaddows of Testimonies at large For this they now hatch because it is monstrous in it self and hath nothing in Being possible to ground upon They lay a strange Foundation upon a bare Pretence that many speak ominously fearing the worst but withal knowing that his Majesties Wisdom cannot be wrought upon by Popular Apprehensions they say farther that he that told it did the Office of a good Man both to God his Majesty and the Prince Yet surely this was not the good Man of David that imagineth no Evil and telleth no Untruth but such an one as St. John calleth the Accuser of the Brethren or as Doeg the Edomite that told the King how David his Son-in-law and the Priest of Abimelech had conspired against him For what saith this good man Forsooth that the Puritans if they do desire a King which willingly they do not do not at all desire the Most Illustrious Prince but the Prince Palatine whose Scout Mansfield is whatsoever he pretends And lest any man might imagine that they mean Factious Puritans which are now no considerable Number amongst us In the next Clause for Explanation they mention the Fury of the Parliament and soon after the Reproach of the whole English Nation But why then do they not call us by the old name of Protestants Because that is now a Name of too much allay and could have bred no distaste in the King but knowing what he suffered by Puritans elsewhere to make the whole Nation odious both to King and Prince they turn us Puritans all at once though that Faction be more hated and supprest amongst us than in all the World besides And what is then our Ruin First In General That we are not willing to be subject unto Kings Secondly In Particular That we desire not the Prince but the Palsgrave to succeed For the First Let them know that these Kingdoms of Great Britain are beyond Comparison more Antient than the Kingdoms of Spain and yet no Story reputeth that they ever had or desired or were capable of any Government but Regal And the Religion we profess binds our Consciences more firmly to obey honour support and defend our Kings against all hteir Enemies than Popish Religion can do And this they will find to be true when they attempt ought against us For the Second I will not be so vain as to discourse of the Prince or his Interest in the good Opinion of the People This only I say for his Religion