Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
parliament_n	honourable_a	house_n	petition_n	3,157	5	9.0634	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81180	A Cunning plot to divide and destroy, the Parliament and the city of London. Made knowne (at a common hall) by the Earle of Northumberland, Master Solliciter, and Sir Henry Vane. The design is fully discovered in the severall examinations and confessions, of Master Riley. Several examinations and confessions, of Sir Basill Brook. Severall examinations and confessions, of Master Violet. Proclamations from his Majesty. Letters from his Majesty. Letters from the Lord Digby. Letters from Colonell Read.	Northumberland, Algernon Percy, Earl of, 1602-1668.; Vane, Henry, Sir, 1612?-1662.; England and Wales. Sovereign (1625-1649 : Charles I). Proclamation for the removing of the Courts of Kings-Bench and of the Exchequer from Westminster to Oxford.	1644 (1644)	Wing C7586; Thomason E29_3; ESTC R11898	34,816	59

of this present Parliament as will appeare by the Lord Digbyes letter to De vic and the summoning of the great Councell or Parliament at Oxford compared with the third of these Propositions By the letter to De vic this Parliament as the resolution then was at Oxford must not be acknowledged and by this third Proposition for that very cause the Parliament must be waved and the Treaty must be immediatly between the King and City The consequence whereof had been no lesse then the rendring of the Kingdome for ever uncapable of having any more Parliaments This Parliament It was called and continued according to the knowne Lawes and Usages of the Kingdome was afterwards by an Act of Parliament assented unto by his Majestie so acknowledged and made indissolvable without its own consent a greater Testimony of the validity of this Parliament then I think was ever given to any If neither the Common Lawes and usages of this Kingdome nor the concurrent Authority of an Act Parliament be able to support this Parliament when his Majestie shall declare the contrary I shall without more words leave to your judgements whether this doctrin doth not at once blow up the fundamentalls of all Parliaments Lawes of the Kingdome Libertie of the Subjects and of the whole pollicie and Government of this Kingdome which being destroyed what security you could have devised for the maintaining of the Religion Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome as is promised you in his Majesties letter I know not 3. The third was not onely the preventing of the assistance of our Brethren in Scotland But that which is worse and must have necessarily followed thereupon the embroiling of both the Nations in divisions in all likelihood fat all unto both this will appeare by putting together what hath beene done by the Parliament those at Oxford and the transactions in this designe The Parliament long since have invited that Nation to our assistance in this common cause upon weighty considerations As first conceiving that by this meanes through Gods blessing this great cause which concernes our Religion Lawes Liberties and all we have would be assured and the event of the War otherwise doubtfull made more certaine 2. Secondly that by their assistance the war might be the sooner ended and so by consequence the calamities which of necessity must accompany it their assistance adding so considerable a strength to our party besides the reputation which the concurrence of a whole Nation with us will adde to the justnesse of the cause 3. And thirdly that as in likelihood by their joynt concurrence a better Peace for present might be procured so in all probability what shall be agreed upon would be the more lasting and durable both Nations being equally interested in what should be agreed upon Besides the Covenant maturely sworn and agreed upon by both Nations for the maintenance and defence of Religion and of the mutuall Lawes and Liberties of each Kingdome a solemne league and Treaty hath likewise beene mutually agreed upon between the Parliament here and that Kingdome concerning the manner of their assistance and great sums of money have been thereupon sent unto them In which Treaty one Article is That neither Nation shall entertaine any Treaty of Peace without the advice and consent of the other This in briefe containes the transactions between that Nation and the Parliament At Oxford by papers in the forme of Proclamations they have stiled this assistance an Invasion of the Kingdome and one end of the calling of that great Councell or Parliament is for opposing of the same In the carriage of the present designe by one of Reads letters to Ryley he saith That a dore is open by the comming in of the Scots for the destruction of this Kingdome That therefore this Peace must presently be concluded That all is lost unlesse it be done speedily The maine intent of the letter is for the speeding of it to that end The Lord Digbyes letter to Sir Basil Brooke referring the delivering of his Majesties letter to my Lord Mayor to his discretion he forthwith delivers it to Wood to be the next day delivered to my Lord Mayor and he next day after the delivery to be by him published He saw it necessary and so resolved at Oxford That we must speedily breake with the Scots Their assistance how necessary and by Gods blessing how beneficiall it is like to be unto us I think you see but this must be prevented The honour and publike faith of Nations how Sacred it is and from the rules of Religion and common policie how tenderly to be preserved each man knowes But this designe must violate and staine our honour in the highest For contrary to the Article before mentioned this Treaty must presently be set on foot without them such violations are alwayes deeply resented by the parties injured how dangerous therefore the consequence must needs have beene he that runnes may reade This was the Designe It was too Ugly It was too Black Bare fac'd to have been presented to your view and therefore it must be masqu't This hook must be baited with the sweet word Peace It hath been long since observed from the Ecclesiasticall proceedings of the Romish Church That in nomine Domini Incipit omne malum The Holy Name of God must bear out all their Spirituall wickednesses The end of all Civil Policie is the preserving of just and Honourable Peace and therefore these men when Divisions Violence and what is most contrary to Peace is intended yet for the compassing of these ends Peace must be pretended So was it by many of them about this time twelve moneth Designed in their Petition to the Parliament for a Peace and so was it in the bloodie plot upon the Citie and diverse Members of both Houses discovered the last Summer For upon the examinations of diverse of them It appeared that the ground of that plot was laid in the first Petition and that the second was to have been guilded over with a Petition for Peace These men I speak of these designes they cry Peace Peace that destruction might have come upon you as an armed man You shal now hear the examinations and other things read at large unto you SIR HENRY VANE JUNIOR His Introduction to the Reading the severall Examinations taken in this businesse Together with severall Observations delivered by him upon occasion thereof GENTLEMEN YOU have heard very fully the State of this bu sines by what the Persons that have already spoken have opened to you in generall that which you are now in the next place to have communicated to you are the Examinations as they proceeded from the mouthes of the Parties themselves that you may see the Design in its lively colours and that as you have had it summarily presented to you from this Noble Lord and worthy Gentleman you may now hear the parties themselves speak The first Examination that was taken was the 4. of Jan. 1643. and

A CVNNING PLOT TO DIVIDE AND DESTROY THE PARLIAMENT AND THE CITY OF LONDON Made knowne at a Common Hall by the Earle of Northumberland Master Solliciter and Sir Henry Vane The Design is fully discovered in the Severall Examinations and Confessions of Master RILEY Severall Examinations and Confessions of Sir BASILL BROOK Severall Examinations and Confessions of Master VIOLET Proclamations from his MAJESTY Letters from his MAJESTY Letters from the Lord DIGBY Letters from Colonell READ LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Peter Cole at his shop in Cron-Hill right over against Popes-Head Aily neare the Royall Exchange January 16. 1643. The Right Honourable the Earle of Northumberland his Speech MY Lord Maior and you Gentlemen of the City of London the two Houses of Parliament have not of late had any occasion to imploy us hither the reason hath been because that your readinesse and your forwardnesse have upon all occasions prevented any thing that they could ask or desire from you But now at this time we come from command of the two Houses to communicate unto you a discovery that hath been lately made under a fair and specious pretence of desiring peace to raise divisions and to make factions here in the City and between the City and the two Houses of Parliament What hath already passed and come to the knowledge of the Houses they have sent us here to acquaint you with the Papers and the Examinations will be here read unto you and likewise the Sense of the two Houses When you shall heare these read and consider the Instruments that were the Actors and the Persons imployed in this Negotiation you will be best able to judge of the businesse If you please to have the patience to heare these Examinations read these Gentlemen will read them A Narrative of a Designe and Practise upon the City of London lately discovered and some Observation upon it by Mr SOLLICITER MY Lord Mayor and you Gentlemen and worthy Citizens of this City You have heard by this Noble Lord that it hath pleased Almighty God out of his goodnesse within these few dayes to make a discovery to both the Houses of an intended practise upon the Parliament and City and so by consequence upon the whole Kingdome And in respect that the Stage whereupon this designe was to have been acted were the Houses of Parliament and principally this City and that some of the Actors in that Tragedy for so I may call it were members of this Citie And likewise in respect of that neere Conjunction between the Houses and you That as Hypocritus twins they are like to live and dye together Therefore they have commanded me and diverse other Gentlemen of the House of Commons to make known unto you what this designe and practice was But before I tell you either what it was or the dangerous consequence of it I think it will not be amisse that you should heare it from one of themselves who was an Actor and projector of it that is from the Lord Digby who in a letter writ to Sir Basil Brooke concerning this businesse doth professe That since these troubles did begin There was no design nor no practise that was so likely to have taken that was so likely to have produced that good effect as they stile it as this You may very well remember the bloody Designe upon the Parliament and this City discovered about half a yeare since he himselfe said That this is above all that hitherto hath been in agitation This is their sence upon it that were the Projectors and were to have been the Actors in it The thing in brief is thus It was a seditious and Iesuiticall Practice and Designe under the specious pretence of Peace to have rent the Parliament from the City and the City from the Parliament To have severed and disjoyned the Parliament within it self the City within it self Thereby to render up both Parliament and City to the Designes of the Enemy which is not all for the destruction and nulling of this present Parliament was intended as likewise the ingaging our selves in a Treaty of Peace without the advice or consent of our Brethren of Scotland contrary to the late Articles solemnly agreed upon by both Kingdomes to the perpetuall dishonour of this Nation by breach of our publique Faith ingaged therein to that Nation thereby not only utterly to frustrate our expectation of assistance from Scotland but which is worse in all likelihood to ingage the two Nations in broyles if not in a war This in briefe was the design the particulars whereupon it was framed and the parties that were Actors in it I shall likewise discover to you There was one Read who called himselfe Collonel Read a man I suppose well known by name to this City He had been heretofore many yeares since a common Agent for the Papists he was a principall person to whom the Packets and addresses from Rome were made it was he that did disperse them abroad in the Kingdome with whom for the advancing of the Popish Cause continued consultations were held who for advancing of the Catholique Cause as they call it went over into Ireland there fomented the Rebellion having been one of the Plotters of it and was taken Prisoner there and sent hither This was the man who was the principall contriver and Actor in the present businesse Who together with Sir Basil Brooke a known Jesuited Papist a great Stickler in all the Popish transactions and Treasurer of the monies lately contributed by the Papists in the War against Scotland both prisoners having laid the designe here Mr Reads enlargement must be procured that he might act his part at Oxford Sir Basil Brooke must lye ledger here But because so great a businesse required more mannagers therefore one Violet a broken Goldsmith and a Protestant in shew must be brought in as a fit person to go between these Papists and the parties in the City Mr Ryley by reason of his place of Scoutmaster of the City and his reputation amongst the Commoners must be gained who in these respects might be very usefull both in the way of Intelligence between Oxford and them as likewise by promoting it with the Citizens others in the City of principall note amongst the people are dealt withall The first thing Mr Ryley must act is the exchange of Read a prisoner for the Treason and Rebellion in Ireland under the name of Captain Read taken prisoner at Burleigh House in this Kingdome for one of no greater ranke than a Quarter-master That being done a Character of Intelligence was agreed on between Read Ryley and Violet Read to be knowne by the name of Collonel Lee Ryley by the name of The Man in the Moone and Violet by the name of James Morton After Reads going to Oxford the Queene the Dutches of Buckingham and the Lord Digby are consulted with These are the Managers at Oxford with his Maiesties knowledge Reade from Oxford by Letters

confidence in your discretion and warinesse not to be deluded that in the hopes of the good effects towards a happy peace which you seeme to promise your selfe from this negotiation His Majesty is pleased to descend very far in writing so gratious a Letter to those who may seeme to have deserved so ill of him I send you herewithall a copy of the Letter it selfe which varies only in stile not in matter from that draught which was sent downe hither which if you like and continue your confidence that it might be effectuall to so blessed an end as peace and union you are to deliver to those parties seconded with assurance of his Majesties most gratious and sincere inclinations to give them full satisfaction in all their reasonable desires but if you shall finde cause to lessen the beliefe of a powerfull effect by this Letter of His Majesties It is then recommended to your discretion to forbeare the delivery of it since it would be a very unfit thing to expose so great a grace and condescending of his Majesty to hazards of being made frustrate and contemned God send you happy successe in this great undertaking I professe it is that whereth wih my beliefe and reason goe along more comfortably then with any thing I have known in projection since these troubles But it is not fit to ravell further into the businesse this hazardous way and therefore I shall adde no more but I am Oxford 29. Decemb 1643. Your very affectionate Servant GEORGE DIGBY GENTLEMEN If there had beene no Comment made upon this businesse this Letter would have beene enough This Letter acknowledgeth the draught that was sent from the City of London from those that had contrived it here and that it was past the Court at Oxford without any materiall alteration this Letter likewise acknowledgeth so much wisedome so much caution in Sir Bazill Brooke that known lesuited Papist as hath bin told you before so much tendernes of his Majesties Honour to be in him that all is left to his discretion as he thinks fit of If he finde the Temper of the City to be right to be delivered it is left to his caution to his warinesse to his sence and measure of his Majesties honour to doe in it as he pleaseth there is likewise held forth unto you that in his opinion which is my Lord Digbies opinion there was nothing that ever he observed of any projection It is his owne word and therefore you may the better observe it that he never observed any thing in projection or in designe all this Parliament tending this may that was more likely and probable to bring the Kings ends about And if you remember this till you heare another Letter of his read by and by which there declares plainly that the Kings end in his Councels now about him is never to acknowledge this to be a Parliament Compare that with this heere and then you may understand what a project this was In the last place you may observe that the Lord Digby his great inclinations as well as Sir Bazill Brookes for a blesled peace and a blessed union in this Kingdome when you know very well there hath not beene a more unhappy instrument to blow up jealousies and misunderstandings betweene his Majesty and his People and that durst not stand the iustice of Parliament but was fain to fly out of the Kingdom for it and at the beginning of these unhappy distraction he advised his Majesty to retire into some strong place the better to engage him in a warre upon his Subjects And yet no other phrase in his mouth but a happy peace and a blessed union to cozen poore people to lead them into snares This Letter on the outside is thus directed To Our Trusty and welbeloved Our Lord Major and Aldermen of Our City of London and all other our well affected Subjects of that City It is Superscribed Charles Rex And beneath By His Majesties Command George Digbie TRusty and welbeloved We greet you well When We remember the many Acts of Grace and favour We Our Royall Predecessours have conferred upon that Our City of London and the many Examples of eminent Dutie and Loyalty for which that City hath been likewise famous We are willing to beleeve notwithstand-the great defection We have found in that place that all men are not so far degenerated from their Affection to Vs and to the Peace of the Kingdom as to desire a continuance of the miseries they now fell and therefore being informed that there is a desire in some principall Persons of that City to present a petition to Us which may tend to the procuring a good understanding between Us and that Our City whereby the peace of the whole Kingdom may be procured We have thought fit to let you know That We are ready to receive any such Petition and the Persons who shall be appointed to present the same to Us shall have a safe Conduct And you shall assure all Our good Subjects of that Our City whose hearts are touched with any sense of duty to Vs or of Love to the Religion and Lawes established in the quiet and peaceable Fruition whereof they and their Ancestors have enjoyed so great Happiness That We have neither passed any Act nor made any Profession or Protestation for the maintenance and Defence of the true Protestant Religion and the Liberties of the Subject which We will not most strictly and Religiously observe and for the which we will not be alwaies ready to give them any security can be desired And of these Our Gracious Letters We expect a speedy Answer from you And so We bid you farewell Given at Our Court at Oxford in the 19. yeer of Our Raign 26. Decemb. 1643. GENTLEMEN In this Letter also you may observe some few particulars upon the reading of it over First the good informations his Majesty hath of the inclinations of his people here how that some principall men in this City as it seems was informed him were very willing for to petition him to peace the grounds of this you know upon what hath been offered already how they came to be presented to him and that by expressing of it here in his Letter it was rather to win your affections to it under these plausible pretences then that he had any reall or solid ground for any such thing In the second place you may observe thus much as hath been told you already that his Majesties scope in this Letter and the design of the Counsell about him is to invite you of this City to be his interposers for the peace of the whole Kingdom as if there were no Parliament sitting or as if you had quite forgot the trust that your selves have reposed in this present Parliament for he faith he understands that you have a minde to petition him for a peace that by that means the peace of the whole Kingdome may be effected and if you will fend

him such a Petition he will then very willingly receive it The third thing is this That his Majesty declares that there is no art he hath hitherto passed in Parliament but he will be most willing to confirm a Declaration that is renewed upon all occasions but never otherwise observed then it is now for in the mean time that act whereby this Parliament is a Parliament whereby all other acts of Parliament and the whole frame of the Lawes of this Kingdome are confirmed and preserved that very act in this design is to be laid aside and utterly to be destroyed And this Treaty is brought about for no other ends but to destroy that so that you may plainly see upon what ground these things are got from his Majestie and upon what counsels and withall consider what colour of ground you can have to receive any fruit from any such Declarations and Protestations as these are when they must only serve to amaze you til this Parliament and in this all Parliaments are for ever rooted out and destroyed The next Letter that is to be offered to you is the Letter of the Lord Digby upon another occasion which was presented to the Houses by a Noble Lord that is here present his Excellencie my Lord Generall who intercepted it going beyond Sea you shall understand there yet more clearly what manner of counsels his Majesty is now upon at Oxford which Letter shall be now read unto you For my very worthy Friend Sir Henry De Vic. From Oxford the 27. Decemb. 1643. Your very effectionate Friend and Servant George Digby SIr My indisposition the last week fore'st me to refer you to my Secretary for an account of what Occurrences that offorded This week hath been so little productive of any thing Considerable that when I shall have told you of taking of Beston Castle in Cheshire by his Majestes Forces under the Lord Biron a place of huge Importance both for strength and Command of all those countries of Cheshier Lancashire and some parts of Stafford and Darbishiere I shall have told you all the Marquesse of New castle having attempted nothing since the taking of Winckfield Mannor Plimouth remaining still in its former condition besieged and there having been nothing done between my Lord Hopton and Sir Walliam Waller since the unlucky beating up of one of our Quarters at Alton But we are in daily expectation of a criticall Blow between them The Lord Wilmot being now joyned with the Lord Hopton with a fresh strength of a thousand Horse and both being under march to attain Waller who hath possess'd himself of Arundell-Town we having a strong Garrison in the Castle and it is probably hoped he cannot avoid fighting with him upon disadvantage Thus much for the Military part The Prince de Harcourts Negotiation by way of Intermise for an Accommodation is well nigh at an end as I beleeve for that the pretended Parliament will not hearken to any Propositions from him in any other way then of an avowed addresse by which they might seem either to be owned by him as a Parliament and applied to by him as an Ambassadour or else to be admitted by the King for somewhat more considerable then He hath in a long time owned them for A point which His Majestie may not suffer them to gain without subverting the grounds Maxime of all his late proceedings against them and that which He now goes upon by the advice of all his Nobility here as you will perceive by this inclosed Proclamation upon the effects thereof all the Eyes of the Kingdom are now fixed God send them to be as good actuated as they are in speculation for I am confident that in reason it carries Probability of the surest and readiest way to the reestablishment of His Majestie and his Iust Rights and powers of any course that hath been yet attempted This is all more then the heartiest respects of Your affectionated Servant George Digby I have received yours of the 19. and will by the next give you an account of that particular in it that concernes your self GEntlemen this letter for what concerneth the Military part of it I beleeve your own knowledges are able to give your selves the best judgement how that that Criticall blow that he there sperketh of is now fallen in great part upon their own heads and that thanks be to God Sir William Waller being now in the Castle of Arundell having taken above 1000. or 1200. prisoners and some 100. and odde Officers with all other things delivered to him we see which way the Criticall blow is fallen for which we have all cause to acknowledge the goodnesse of Almighty God The second part declareth to your consideration that boldnesse and confidence which breakes forth in the Lord Digbyes Pen that it seemeth he hath forgotten he hath been a Parliament man he calleth that Parliament which is setled by Act of Parliament the very name whereof ought to be sacred to the eares of all true English men and lovers of their Countrey he calls a pretended Parliament That which durst never be called sayd or written at any time heretofore in England by any whatsoever The second thing you may observe is this That that councell of Nobility which you will heare of by and by in a Proclamation must now not onely be of a Councell of Nobility there but of all those that have beene likewise expelled out of the house of Commons or house of Peeres or withdrawn themselves from their duty and the trust put in them by their Country all these now must assemble together and what to do To settle his Majesties just rights and Power and this just right and power is to make this Parliament though setled by an Act of Parliament a pretended Parliament or in a word to give our lawes liberties or rights a being or not a being solely in his Majesties pleasure how just that is you your selves may easily discerne and how destructive it would be to you A third thing considerable in this letter is that though his Majestie should have any inclination to doe his Parliament right to acknowledge them a Parliament yet my Lord Digby saith it is a point that must not be suffered It is a point which his Majestie must not permit to be gained though it be but to do the Parliament that right as to acknowledge what they are by Act of Parliament his faithfull and Supreame Councell But in stead of this as you will heare by a Proclamation of the 22. of December All the members of both Houses that have forsaken their Country deserted the cause contributed to undermine the State and Kingdome and expose them to the prey of the Irish Rebels This must be the wholesome advice about his Majestie and this wholesome advice must beheld up though with the unnaturall ruin of this Parliament which must not be acknowledged but another thing set up in forme of a Parliament somewhat like a Parliament