present to be past into Laws to make them safe in the Reign of His Successor so as they intend not to Impeach the Right of Succession nor the Discent of the Crown in the true Line and also as they restrain not any Power or just Right of His Protestant Successor such Bills shall find from him a ready concurrence Soon after this came out another Proclamation whereby all Roman Recusants and such reputed were enjoyn'd under the Penalty of the Laws to repair to their own homes and not to remove more than Five Miles from thence without Licence Excepted out of this Proclamation the Inhabitants of London and Westminster Monday the 18th of November the House of Commons being informed that Sir Joseph Williamson Secretary of State had lately Countersigned several Commissions for Roman Recusant Officers with a Non-obstante to the Oaths and Test he was by the said House Committed to the Tower The next Day the King sent for the Commons to attend him at the Banquetting-House and told 'em That tho' they Committed His Servant without acquainting him yet He intends to be freer with them and acquaint them with His intentions to release His Secretary which accordingly He did that Day About this time a Bill having been sent up from the Commons to the Lords House for Excluding all Popish Members to sit in either House of Parliament it was past in the said Lords House with some little alterations and a Clause in Favour of His Royal Highness and the said Bill being sent back to the Commons it past there also November 21st with the said alterations but not without some difficulty for Sir Jonathan Trelauny and one Mr. Ash being heated in debate and words of reproach passing between 'em Sir Jonathan struck the other a cuff on the Ear which being return'd by Ash over the Face they were both about to Draw but this disturbance being at last quieted by the Speaker Trelauny was sent to the Tower there to remain all this Sessions and Ash received a Reprimande from the Speaker About the same time came out an Order of Council explaining the late Proclamation whereby all Papists were Banisht 10 Miles from London not to extend to Merchant strangers and such Outlandish who repair hither on the account of Travail And now the Commons begin to look towards the Army again resolving November 25. That it is necessary for the safety of His Majesty's Person and Preservation of the Government that the Forces raised since the 29th of November 77. be forthwith paid off and Disbanded and for this the King requires more Mony In the mean time Oats the great Discoverer of the Plot accuses the Queen hereupon the King places a stricter Guard upon him than ever but the Commons Novemb. 29. order an Address to be made to His Majesty That the said Oats be freed from his restraint attended by his own Servants and that a competent allowance be appointed for his maintenance and that the Queen with all her Servants and all Popish Recusants or such suspected be removed from Whitehall Saturday Novemb. 30. the King had two Bills presented to him one of which viz For Exclusion of all Popish Members to fit in either House of Parliament with a Clause in favour of the Duke of York He past The other which was for raising a third part of the Militia to be in constant Arms for a time He refused alledging That that were to put the Militia out of his Power which thing He would not do no not for one hour but if the Parliament will assist Him with Money for that purpose He will take care to raise such a part of the Militia as shall secure the Peace of the Government and His own Person In the mean time while these things are transacting in Parliament one William Staly a Goldsmiths Son a Roman Recusant is Arraigned at the Kings Bench Bar found guilty and condemned of High Treason for speaking certain words against the Kings Life and accordingly was hanged and quartered at Tyburn but on Petition the King granted his Quarters to his Father who abusing the Kings mercy buried him in Covent-Garden Church-yard with too much State and Ceremony for which reason by His Majesties Order his Quarters were that very night taken up conveyed to Newgate and soon after set up on the Gates of London The same week that Staly was executed Mr. Coleman was arraigned and tryed at the aforesaid Bar and condemned of High Treason The Evidence was the aforementioned Oats and one Bedloe and his own Letters but both the aforesaid Tryals being in Print I shall take no farther notice of particulars The King gave back all Mr. Colemans Estate to his Wife and Children and his Quarters to be Buried Thursday December 4 The Commons Impeacht the Lords Arundel of Warder Bellasis Poâ—is Petre and Stafford of Treason other high Crimes and Misdemeanors severally which several Impeachments were carried up by five several Members of the House of Commons Two Days before the said Lords had been found Guilty upon special Indictments to the same purpose by the Grand Jury of Middlesex before special Commissioners sitting at Westminster but now for some Reasons those proceedings were waved and it was thought more effectual to proceed by way of Impeachment before the House of Lords in Parliament Tuesday December the 17th Ireland Pickering and Groves were Condemned of High Treason as Conspirators in the Plot but their Execution was respited for some time At the same time Whitebread and Fenwick were arraigned but their Tryal put off till the 15th of January And now some of the Members of Parliament begin to accuse one another December the 23d Mr. Mountigue Son to the Lord Mountigue and late Ambassador in France now a Burgess for Northampton carries up five Articles against the Lord Treasurer and Sir John Earnly another Member of the House of Commons accuses the said Mr. Mountigue of holding a Correspondence with the Popes Nuncio at Paris In the mean time the Parliament sit incessantly without Adjournment these Hollidays but only for Christmas-Eve and Christmas Day requiring a full appearance of all their Members not disabled as well Lords as Commons enjoyning all in Town not to depart under strict penalties and sending their Messengers for all absent in the Country But it pleas'd the King on Monday the 30th of December to Prorogue both Houses till the 4th of February following Not long before which the Commons had given more Mony for the Disbanding the Army but inserted a Clause in the Bill for the Mony to be paid into the Chamber of London which proviso would not pass in the Lords House and therefore the Bill remain'd abort During this Interval the Reports were various touching the next sitting it being sometimes affirmed that the Session was further Prorogued till the 25th of February then again that the Parliament would certainly meet at the 4th of February the Day first appointed till at last on the 24th Day of
January the King was pleas'd to settle the variety of Rumour and by His Proclamation then publisht absolutely to Dissolve this Parliament promising however to Issue out His Writs for a New one by the 6th of March next following Thus ended this Parliament having now been continued by several Prorogations and Adjournments 17 Years Eight Months and 17 Days being first called on the Eighth Day of May Anno Domini 1661. With this great Turn I will conclude my Historical Observations on this 30th Year of His Majestys Reign a Year very remarkable if it were only on the account of the Dissolution of this Parliament but more especially for the beginning of those Troubles and Combustions which lasted for so many Years after in Relation to the Plot. Anno 31. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1679. IN further Prosecution of those matters discover'd the last year Green the Cushion-man at Somerset-house Chappel Berry the Queens Porter there and Hill Dr. Goddens Man were on the 10th day of Feb. tryed at the Kings Bench Bar for the Murther of Sir Edmunbury Godfrey which three being convicted cheifly on the Evidene of Miles Prance a Goldsmith were found guilty and having on the next day received sentence of Condemnation to be hang'd for the said Murder Green and Hill were Executed accordingly at Tyborn Feb. 21. But Berry was reprieved for a Week longer all three denying the Fact in as positive terms as could be the last dying a Protestant of which Perswasion he had formerly been before he entred into the Queens service About this time it was that Sir Joseph Williamson quitted his Office of Secretary of State to the Earl of Sunderland To conclude the Transactions of this Month The King Directed the following Letter to the Duke of York Whitehall Feb. 28. 1678. I Have already given you my Resolves at large why I think it fit that you should absent your self for some time beyond the Seas As I am truly sorry for the occasion so may you be sure I shall never desire it longer than it will be absolutely necessary for your good and my Service In the mean time I think it proper to give it you under my Hand that I expect this Compliance from you and desire it may be as soon as conveniently you can You may easily believe with what trouble I write this to you there being nothing I am more sensible of than the constant kindness you have ever had for me I hope you are as just to Me to be assured That no absence nor any thing else can ever change me from being truly and kindly Yours C. R. And accordingly in pursuance of His Majesties pleasure within few days after this the Duke Duchess and Family leave the Kingdom and retired for a while to the Hague and from thence to Brussels And now the Parliament which had been called according to the Kings promise on the Dissolution of the last meet at the appointed 6th day of March The Kings Speech contained That in order to the uniting the minds of His Subjects both to Himself and to one another He had excluded the Popish Lords from their Seats in Parliament Caused the Execution of several men both for the Plot and Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Disbanded as much of the Army as he could get Mony to do Above all That He hath commanded his Brother to absent himself That so all colour may be taken from malicious men of pretending any influence of Popish Councils That He proposes by this means to see whether the Protestant Religion and the Peace of the Kingdom be as truly aimed at by others as they are really intended by Him if so they the Members of Parliament will lay aside all private animosities and employ their time upon the great Concerns of the Nation That he will not cease to make further search into the Plot and the Murder of Sir Edmunbury Godfrey for which he desires the assistance of both Houses That he has ordered the Penal Laws to be Executed against Papists Desires their assistance in raising Supplys for Disbanding the Army and paying off the Fleet and that they would some way make up the loss He has sustain'd by the Prohibition of French Wines and Brandy which turns only to His prejudice and the great advantage of the French That it is necessary to have a Fleet at Sea since our Neighbours are making Naval Preparations That a Constant establishment might be made for the Navy And concludes with His earnest desires to have this a healing Parliament Assuring them to defend with his life the Protestant Religion and the Laws of the Kingdom and expects to be by them defended from the Calumny as well as Danger of those worst of Men who endeaver to render both him and His Government odious to His People The Chancellors Speech was chiefly a descant on the former heads Reminding the Two Houses as p. 12. to the Plot not to over do their Business and that by being too far Transported with the fears of Popery they do not neglect the opportunities of making sober and lasting Provisions against it which says he are the only hopes of the Papists thus to see p. 14. our Zeal out-run our Discretion and that we our selves should become the unhappy occasion of making our own Councils abortive The King and Lord Chancellor having ended their Speeches the Commons returned to their own House and unanimously chose for their Speaker Mr Seymour who had officiated in that Place in the last Parliament who being the next Day presented to the King was refused and the House Ordered to proceed to a new Election which notwithstanding was not made till Saturday the 15th of March on which day they chose Mr Serjeant Gregory the said choice being on the Monday following approved by His Majesty After this the Commons draw up an Address to the King for a Fast in which also the Lords Concur and a Fast was appointed by Proclamation dated Mar. 28 to be observed throughout the Nation on the 11th of April following A Committee being appointed to enquire into the manner of suing out the Earl of Danby's Pardon which upon search being not entred in any Office from the Secretaries Office until it came to the Lord Chancellors but dispatch'd in a private manner and so reported by the Committee the House of Commons resolve Mar. 24. That an humble Address be made to His Majesty representing the irregularity and illegality of the Pardon mentioned to be granted to the Earl of Danby and the Dangerous consequence of Granting Pardons to any persons that lye under an Impeachment of the Commons of England They also desire of the Lords that the Earl of Danby may be sequestred from Parliament and put into safe Custody accordingly the Lords Order the Usher of the Black Rod to take him but upon search at his Houses both in Town and at Wimbleton he could not be found hereupon a Bill is Ordered to be brought in that Thomas
He had made choice of Sir Lionel Jenkins to succeed him in the Place of Secretary who was accordingly Sworn of His Privy Council that day and took his place at the Board Before the end of this Hillary Term the Court of Kings Bench produced several remarkable passages relating to the publick For besides the Tryal and Acquittal of Sir Thomas Gascoin of which before on the 9th of February Thomas Whitfield John Smallbones and William Laud having been formerly indicted for a Ryot in tearing a Petition which was some time since carried about to get Subscriptions to it concerning the sitting of the Parliament being now tryed for the same at the Kings Bench Bar they were found Not guilty of the Ryot and onely Mr. Whitfield guilty of tearing the Petition but what offence that action did amount to was not at that time declared by the Court. About the same time several Booksellers were punisht for publishing Seditious and Scandalous Libels but above all the Sentence against Benjamin Harris the Publisher of the Weekly Domestick Intelligence is most observable who having been Indicted Tryed and found Guilty of Vending a Scandalous Libel called An Appeal from the Country to the City had Judgment on the last day of the Term To stand in the Pillory before the Old Exchange on the Tuesday following Imprisonment for One year Three years Good behaviour and Fined 500 l. the said Appeal to be burnt by the Common Hangman On the fifth of March His Majesty was pleas'd to issue out His Proclamation against Highway-men promising thereby the Summ of 10 l. to any one who should discover any such from the date of the said Proclamation until the second of March following which said Summ was appointed to he paid immediately on the Conviction of such Robber by the Sherif of the County and to be allow'd on His Accounts On the ninth of March the King issued out another Proclamation against such who under a vain pretence of Honor take upon them to be the Revengers of their private Quarrels in Duels and single Combat which ought not to be upon any pretence or provocation whatsoever strictly charging and commanding all his loving Subjects of what quality soeve hat they do not either by themselves or others by Message Word Writing or other ways Challenge or cause to be Challenged any Person or Persons to fight in Combat or single Duel nor Carry Accept or Conceal any such Challenge or Appointment nor actually fight any such Duel or as a Second or otherwise accompany or be assistant therein declaring further That He will not grant His Pardon to any Person whatsoever that shall fight or be any way aiding or concerned in such Duel where any Person shall be slain or dye of his Wounds received therein but will leave all such persons to the utmost rigour and severity of the Laws And that He will not suffer or endure any person or persons to be or remain at Court who shall presume to intercede for any person or persons offending against this Proclamation straitly charging and commanding by the said Proclamation all persons whatsoever who shall receive or know of any Challenge sent or delivered as aforesaid forthwith to give notice thereof to some of the Privy Council or some Justice of Peace near the place upon pain of His highest Displeasure and being left to the strictest rigour and severity of the Law On the 15th of April being the day to which the Parliament was formerly Prorogued the King then absent at Newmarket my Lord Chancellor by Commission under the Great Seal Prorogued it further to the 17th of May following the Duke of York being present in the House On the 17th of May it was further Prorogued till the first of July And now it was that those Counties which had been lately so active in promoting Petitions for the sitting of the Parliament began to be ashamed of such Actions and to recant The City of Westminster was the first whose Grand Jury by their publick and formal Act at their Sessions after Easter disown'd the said Action of promoting Petitions and charged it on certain Factious persons unknown to them this and more to this purpose they desired their Steward Mr. Withens of the Middle Temple to represent in their names to His Majesty which he did soon after and was Knighted for his Loyalty by the Name of Sir Francis Withens After this followed the like Addresses from the Counties of Surry Essex Middlesex and Norfolk which last mentioned County of Norfolk had this further Acknowledgment in their Message viz. Their humble thanks to His Majesty for recalling the Duke from Flanders To the same purpose ought not to be omitted what happened in my Lord Shandois his Case who having been elected by the Turkey Company of Merchants to go Ambassador to Constantinople and desiring His Majesty's Approbation the King was pleas'd to reply That he having countenanced and been engaged in the Business of a Petition about the Parliament which His Majesty lookt upon as derogatory to His Prerogative and tending to Sedition He could not think him fit for this Favour Hereupon the said Lord desiring to be called into the Council of Foreign Affairs at Whitehall Apr. 26. did there humbly acknowledge to His Majesty his fault in having been concerned in the said Petition alledging That he was misled and drawn in by being given to understand that that proceeding was for His Majesty's Service but that being since better informed he abhorred and disowned all such Practices and humbly begg'd His Majesty's Pardon for what was past After which the King was pleas'd to receive him into His Favour and confirm his Election to the Embassie About this time it was that a false and dangerous Rumour flew abroad and was spread about the Town concerning a Black Box reported to be found wherein was said to be contain'd a Writing importing a Marriage or Contract between His Majesty and the Duke of Monmouth's Mother which report coming to the King's Ear He was pleas'd to Summon the Council to meet extraordinarily on the 26th of April in which He declared the said report to be altogether false and that He thought Himself obliged in Honor and Conscience to have the matter throughly examined and searched into In order whereunto Sir Gilbert Gerard who was rumour'd to have seen some such Writing being called in was examined in Council his Royal Highness and all the Judges of the Courts at Westminster being present touching the truth of what was reported To which he answered upon Oath That he never had any such Writing committed to his Custody nor did he know of any such thing or had ever seen such Writing To all which he also subscribed his Name His Majesty declaring He resolved to use all means possibly to find out the Author of this Report And accordingly a Committee of Council did sit for a great while afterwards to sift into the Business On the fifth of May all the Judges of
this was because the Stat. 13 of this King requires two Lawful and credible Witnesses in Cases of Treason and Dangerfield being not esteem'd such there remain'd only one Witness viz. Oates Saturday the 26th of June being four Days before the Term ended the Grand Jury of Middlesex came to the Kings-Bench Bar and by their Foreman Charles Humphrevile Esq presented to the Bench a Petition Subscribed by 21 of them and desired my Lord Chief Justice to present it to the King for the sitting of the Parliament but the Court refusing to Act in it received it not And the said Jury were at the same time Discharged from further attendance It is said that they had at that time some Bills and Presentments before them against several Persons for being Popish Recusants in Order to their Conviction all which they would have found and presented in few Hours time had they not been Discharged among the rest a Bill against the Duke of York brought into the said Jury and Promoted and in some sort attested by several Lords and Members of Parliament viz. Huntington Shaftsbury Gray of Wark Brandon Russel Candish Sir Gilbert Gerrard Sir Edward Hungerford Sir Scroop How Sir William Cooper Sir Thomas Wharton John Trenchard Esq Thomas Thynn Esq and William Forester Esq And note that the Proceedings of the Petition abovesaid were disowned by another Grand Jury of Middlesex who the same Day came in and presented the Court with a Paper Subscribed by them to that purpose desiring the Court to take particular notice of their dissent to the irregular Proceedings of the other Jury On the last Day of the Term several who should have been Tryed about the' Plot were in regard the Attorny-General had not Evidence sufficient against them some Bail'd and some absolutely Discharged by vertue of the late Act of Habeas Corpus 31. Car. 2. Among the first were Sir James Symonds Edward Peters and Needham with several others who were reputed Priests Mr. Howard Mr. Heveningham both the Ropers Sir John Gage and young Langhorn were absolutely Discharged from their long Imprisonments some having lain by it for 23 Months and the reason of their Discharge was because Mr. Attorney-General declar'd that he had but one Witness against them Sir Anthony Dean and Mr. Pepys were also at the same time absolutely Discharg'd from further attendance But one Holcroft a Conventicle Preacher having removed himself by Habeas Corpus from Cambridge Goal and appearing to be a very Seditious and dangerous Person and to be in Prison not only by Warrant of the Justices on the Oxford Act but also on 17. Car. a Capias Excommunicatum was 2. c. 2. remanded On the first of July being the Day to which the Parliament had been formerly Prorogued it was further Prorogued by Commission to the 22d of the same Month the Duke of York being present in the House and from thence to the 23d of August Bethel who had been one of the Committee of Safety in the late Times and Cornish two reputed Phanaticks had been chosen Sheriffs of London last Midsummer for the Year insuing but appearing since uncapable to bear Office in any Corporation by the Stat. 13. Car. 2. Stat. 2. c. 1. a New Election was appointed to be at Guildhall on the 14th of July against which time they capacitated themselves by receiving the Sacrament and abjuring the Covenant c. As appointed by the said Act and stood for a New Choice against whom two other Competitors appear'd Fox and Nicholson in so much that they came to a Poll a thing unusual during which time a Rlotous Assault was Committed on the Person of Sir Simon Lewis one of the then Sheriffs by Osborn a Draper and others of Bethels Party which being Represented to the King the same Night by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs in Person he Ordered a Commission of Oyer and Terminer to be Issued out for Tryal of the said Riot They continued Polling till Monday following and from thence by Adjournment to Thursday The King in the mean time being entertain'd at Supper at Sheriff Lewis's House Tuesday July 20. On the 29th of July and not before the Votes were declar'd at a Common Hall then Assembled at the Guild-Hall to stand thus Bethel 2276. Cornish 2483. Box 1428. Nicholson 1230. Whereupon the two first were declared lawfully Chosen with great Acclamations At the same time an Address was Presented to the Lord Mayor by Thomas Papillon Esq in the Name of the Commons of the City thereby Disowning all tumultuous and disorderly Proceedings in their last Assembly other than what might be the effect of Emulation for His Majesties Service and the Preservation of their own just Rights desiring his Lordship to Represent the same to the King and that he would in their Names humbly beseech His Majesty that the Parliament might speedily Assemble To which the Lord Mayor Answered in a short Speech That he had not misrepresented any thing touching their last Assembly to His Majesty That their Address touching the Parliament might have been spared in regard the King had been pleased not long since to declare to him and assure him That this Parliament should sit in November next however that he would not be wanting with all humility to lay the whole matter before him On the 23d of August being the Day to which the Parliament had been Prorogued the Houses met and were further Prorogued to the 21st of October following The King promising that they should sit then and Publishing His Proclamation to that purpose Several Remarkable Passages happen'd this long Vacation As the Death of the Earl of Ossery into whose Place of Lord Chamberlain to the Queen Succeeded the Earl of Feversham The Death of Bedloe one of the Evidence concerning the Plot. Also the Prince Palatine Eldest Son of the Elector being here in England on a Visit to the King he received News of the Death of his Father in Germany during his absence It was also during this Vacation that Elizabeth Celier before mention'd Publisht a Narrative of her Tryal and Sufferings in which were some words like Reproach to the Government for which she was Tryed found Guilty of Publishing a Libel Fined 1000 l. to stand Thrice in the Pillory Good Behavior during Life and her Book to be Burnt by the Hangman And now comes on the long expected 21st Day of October and with it the first Session of this Parliament The Day before which The Duke and Duchess of York began their Journey for Scotland by Sea The King Accompanying them as low as Woolwich and there Dineing with them on Shipboard The same Day many Members of both Houses to the Number of 200 as reported met in a kind of Caball at Dinner at the Sun Tavern behind the Exchange On the 21st the Kings Speech contain'd That He had during this long Prorogation made Alliances with Holland and Spain That He desired Mony of them for the Relief of Tangier which had already exhausted
His Purse That He would not have them meddle with the Succession of the Crown in the Right Line but proceed in the Discovery of the Plot and to the Tryals of the Lords c. After this the Chancellor making no set Speech the Commons return'd to their own House and unanimously chose for their Speaker Mr. Williams of Grays-Inn Recorder of Chester One of the first things the House of Commons did was to Purge their own House of certain Members Sir Robert Can a Burgess for Bristol for having said there is no Plot but a Presbyterian Plot Sir Francis Withins head Steward of Westminster and one of the Burgesses for the same for having Declar'd himself abhorrent to the late Tumultous Petitions for the Parliaments sitting The first of these was expell'd the House and Committed to the Tower the other only expell'd But both Order'd to receive their Censure on their Knees And several other Members were declar'd Guilty of the last mention'd Offence On the 30th of October the King Publisht a Proclamation promising His Pardon to all that within two Months shall come in and make any further Discovery of the Plot. And this was done upon an Address of Parliament In the mean time the Commons not satisfied in punishing their own Members who had appear'd against Petitioning for the Parliaments fitting they take notice of others who were without their Walls and among the rest Sir George Jeffreys becomes the Object of their Displeasure who being Recorder of London the Kings Serjeant at Law and Chief Justice of Chester is for the pretended Crime above specified on the 13th of November Voted a Betrayer of the Rights of the Subject and an Address Order'd to be made to His Majesty to remove him from all Publick Offices At the same time it was Order'd that a Committee enquire into all such Persons as have been advising or promoting the late Proclamation stiled a Proclamation against Tumultuous Petitioning But about the same time a matter of much greater concern was thus mannaged On the 11th of November was past in the House of Commons a Bill entituled An Act for securing the Protestant Religion by disabling James Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Territories thereunto belonging Which Bill was on the 15th carryed up to the Lords House by my Lord Russel attended by almost all the Commons who gave a Hum at the Delivery They being departed it was read once and being put to the Vote whether it should be read a second time it was carryed in the Affirmative by two Voices On the second reading it was debated till 11 a Clock at night the King being present all the while and then thrown out of the House by a Majority of about 30 Votes in which Majority were all the Bishops then present which were 14. Several other matters were transacted in Parliament of great moment but in regard the Daily Votes and transactions of the House of Commons was by Order of that House daily made publick in Print I refer the Reader for Particulars to what has been publisht and in these Papers take notice only of some of the most material Passages Among which it may be observed that Mr. Seymour the late Speaker and for whose Election the Commons in the late short Parliament did very much stickle was now ordered to be Impeacht and thò not at the same time yet not long after Impeachments were Voted and drawn up against Sir Francis North Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir William Scroggs Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench Sir Thomas Jones second Justice of the said Court and Sir Richard Weston Puisny Baron of the Exchequer for several pretended Misdemeanors In the mean time William Lord Viscount Stafford one of the 5 Popish Lords in the Tower was brought to his Tryal on an Impeachment of High Treason The Tryal began in Westminster Hall on Tuesday the 30th of November being the next day after the Term ended Which Impeachment and Evidence upon the same was managed by a Committee of the Commons The Tryal lasted for a Whole Week and The Evidence against him were Oates Turberville and Dugdale Of the Lords who sate upon the Tryal the Lord Chancellor being Lord High Steward 31 pronounced him not Guilty and 55 Guilty And accordingly Judgment was pronounced against him on Wednesday the 7th of December But his Execution was respited till Wednesday the 29th of December on which day he was Beheaded on Tower-Hill protesting with his last breath his Innocency as to those Crimes of which he stood Condemn'd It is observable that Bethel and Cornish being then Sheriffs of London and having received the Kings Writ for the Execution of the said Viscount Stafford by severing his Head from his Body according to the constant Course in such Cases had notwithstanding the Confidence to demur upon it whether he ought to be Beheaded or according to the Common Judgment hang'd and quartered and for this they apply'd themselves to the two Houses of Parliament To which the most Honourable House of Lords Answered roundly That the Kings Writ ought to be obey'd But the Commons by way of Concession viz. That they were Content that the said Lord be Executed by severing his Head from his Body only During these Transactions a Comet with a most Prodigious Stream of light appear'd in the West the Star from which the Blaze proceeded was but small and when first discover'd appeared not much above the Horizon but every night afterwards it appear'd higher and higher in the beginning of the Night and consequently setting later and later its Lustre and magnitude also decaying I am neither able nor willing to make any Remarques on the Nature of these Meteors Or to say how far such noxious Exhalations may incline Mankind to Mischief And least of all will I pretend to Interpret whether this Finger of the Almighty is thus seen in the Heavens to Point out Good or Bad Events All that I design is innocently to observe and Remember the Naked Matters of Fact as they happen without disguize or Comment Two things more very observable happen'd before Christmass One was An Address of the House of Commons presented to His Majesty on the 21st of December in answer to His Speech of the 15th wherein he demanded once more Supplies of Mony for the defence of Tangier The effect of the said Address was to deny in as modest Terms as could be all Supplies of Mony for that purpose unless His Majesty would be pleas'd to pass a Bill to Seclude the Duke of York from Inheriting to the Crown and to enable the Protestants of this Nation to Associate themselves for the security of the Protestant Religion the Defence of the King and Kingdoms The other was a most Remarkable Speech Spoke in the House of Lords by the Earl of Shaftesbury the King being then present at least wise so pretended and Printed which being full of Audacious and
undecent Expressions was by order of the Lords House burnt by the Common Hangman at the Exchange and in the Pallace yard On the 4th of January His Majesty was pleased to send His Message to the House of Commons in Answer to their Address of December 21. abovemention'd in which Message He let them know That he had received their Address with all the disposition they could wish to comply with their reasonable Desires but upon perusal of it he was sorry to see their thoughts so wholly fixt on the Bill of Exclusion as to determine that all other remedies for the Suppressing of Popery will be ineffectual That His Majesty is confirm'd in His opinion against That Bill by the Judgment of the House of Lords who rejected it That He thinks there remains nothing more for Him to say in Answer to the foresaid Address then to recommend to this House the Consideration of all other means for the preservation of the Protestant Religion to which they have no reason to doubt His concurrence whensoever they shall be presented to Him in a Parliamentary way And in conclusion again He urges them to the preservation of Tangeir On the Friday following being the 7th of January the House entred upon the Consideration of the said Message and resolve as the opinion of the House That there is no security or safety for the Protestant Religion the Kings Life or the Well constituted and establisht Government of this Kingdom without passing a Bill for disabling James Duke of York to inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging and that to rely upon any other means or remedies without such a Bill is not only insufficient but dangerous That till such a Bill be past this House cannot give any Supply to His Majesty without danger to His Majesties person Extream hazard of the Protestant Religion and unfaithfullness to those by whom this House is intrusted That all persons who advised His Majesty in His last Message to this House to insist upon an opinion against the Bill for Excluding the Duke of York have given Pernicious Council to His Majesty and are Promoters of Popery and Enemies to the King and Kingdom And as such they name George Earl of Hallifax Henry Marquiss of Worcester Henry Earl of Clarendon against which as also against Lewis Earl of Feversham and Laurence Hide Esq they Vote an Address to be presented to His Majesty to remove them from all Offices of Honour and Profit and from His Majesties Councils and Presence for ever They further Vote and Resolve the same day That whosoever shall herafter Lend or cause to be Lent by way of advance any Mony upon the Branches of the Kings Revenue arising by Customs Excise or Hearth Mony shall be adjudg'd to hinder the sitting of Parliaments and shall be responsible for the same in Parliament On the Monday following being the 10th of Jan. the King was pleas'd to determin this Session by Proroguing the Parliament to the 20th day of Jan. then next following at the same time passing only Two Publick Bills viz. One about Irish Cattel and One about Burying in Woollen The House of Commons were it seems aware of this Prorogation and therefore that very morning the first thing they did after they were sate and before the Usher of the Black Rod came in they Resolved That whosoever advised His Majesty to Prorogue this Parliament to any other purpose then in Order to the passing of a Bill for the Exclusion of James Duke of York is a Betrayer of the King the Protestant Religion and of the Kingdom of England a Promoter of the French Interest and a Pensioner to France On the 13th of Jan. a Court of Common Council being Assembled in London they ordered to be drawn up and Presented to the King a Petition setting forth That whereas the Parliament had convicted one of the 5 Popish Lords in the Tower and were about to convict the other 4 of High Treason That they had Impeacht the Chief Justice Scroggs and were about to impeach other Judges and all this in order to the preservation of His Majesties Life the Protestant Religion and Government That they were much surprized to see the Parliament Prorogued in the hight of their buisiness That their only hopes were that this was done only in order to bring such Affairs about again as were necessary to the Settling the Nation They therefore pray'd that His Majesty would be pleas'd to let the Parliament sit at the day appointed and so to continue till they had effected the great Affairs before them To this effect were the words of their Petition which was further ordered to be delivered that night or as soon as may be by the Lord Mayor attended with the new Recorder George Treby Esq and certain Members of the Court of Aldermen and Common Council But before the said 20th day of Jan. arrived the King was pleased by his Proclamation bearing date at Whitehall Jan. 18. to dissolve this Parliament and intimate His Royal pleasure and intentions to call an other to sit on the 21st of March following at Oxford Not long after this viz. on the 25th of Jan. the Earl of Essex and other Lords Presented to the King a Petition setting forth That whereas the Nation and His Majesties Person were in imminent danger from the Papists unto which no stop or remedy could be provided unless by a Parliament That several Parliaments being call'd and assembled they were Prorogued and dissolved before any sufficient order could be taken therein c. That His Majesty had been prevailed with to call another at Oxford where neither Lords or Commons can be in safety but will be dayly exposed to the Swords of the Papists and their adherents the liberty of speaking thereby destroyed and the validity of their Acts and proceedings left disputable the straightness of the place unfit for such a Concourse of persons as now follows every Parliament and the Witnesses which are necessary to give Evidence upon the Commons Impeachment unable to bear the charges of such a Journey and unwilling to trust themselves under the Protection of a Parliament that is it self evidently under the Power of Guards and Soldiers They therefore pray that the Parliament may sit at Westminster This was subscribed Monmouth Kent Huntington Bedford Salisbury Clare Stamford Essex Shaftsbury Mordant Evers Pâ—get Grey Herbert Howard Delamer About the same time the King was pleased to displace my Lord Sunderland from the Office of Secretary of State and to confer the said Office on my Lord Conway and several other Members of the Privy Council were then also alter'd And thus concluded the 32d year of His Majesties Reign observable for divers matters but above all for the Transactions of the Lords in Parliament who by their Prudent and Judicious proceedings on the 15th of November defeated the industrious malice of the Dukes Enemies by rejecting the Bill past by the Commons
Holland His Tryal was put off till the first Thursday next Term which is the 9th of June On the 14 of May being the last day but one of the Term the Earl of Danby was brought by Habeas Corpus from the Tower to the Kings Bench Bar where by his Council he urged hard that he might be Bail'd but the Court being unsatisfied that they had sufficient Jurisdiction in his Case he being committed by Authority of Parliament and as it seemd not being within the benefit of the Habeas Corpus Act he was remanded back to the Tower On the last day of Easter Term Fitz-Harris was again brought into the Kings Bench Court to give Evidence to the Grand-Jury upon a Bill of Indictment against De Puy who had been Groom of the Robes to the Duke The Jury desired that the Evidence might be given to them privately But the Court overruled that and Fitz-Harris declared upon Oath Publickly in Court a great deal of Scandalous stuff not fit to be mentioned relating to the Death of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey which the said De Puy had told him a little before the Death of the said Knight but all this Fitz-Harris spoke from De Puy's mouth Of his own knowledge he said only this That the Earl of Danby coming down the great Stairs at Winsor he heard him say that now he would make Godfreys heart ake To this he added that De Puy told him presently after the Murder that the Earl had sent Godfrey on an arrant from which he would never return Upon this Evidence the Earl of Danby's name was inserted into the Bill of Indictment against De Puy as accessary to the said Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey and the Bill was accordingly found against them both At the same time it was that the said Jury presented the Court with a Petition that they would intercede with the King for the sitting and Continuance of a new Parliament During all this Easter Term and many Months after many Loyal Addresses flowed to the King from all parts of England full of Congratulations and nothing of that factious strain which had almost rendred the very word Petitioning to be scandalous among these Loyal Addresses that from Norwich ran highest for the Kings Prerogative and a little reflecting on the exorbitances of the late Commons but as if this were a notorious Scandal to the Parliament the Grand-Jury of Middlesex above mentioned presented the same as a publick Libel but this did not discourage the Loyal party who still continued their Addresses It would be tedious to name all and how kindly they were received by the King who never suffered those who brought 'em to depart without some gracious mark of His Favor Not so to those who took upon them in their Petitions to direct His Majesty about the Calling and continuance of Parliaments To this Purpose its observable that the City of London were divided in these matters Part of them being most of the Court of Aldermen and some of the Common-Council had drawn up a Loyal Address in like manner as the whole Burrough of Southwark had done this they Presented to the King at Windsor by the Hands of Sir William Turner and Sir John Moor with abundance of Countenance and Favour But another Party having composed a far different Petition both for form and matter and it being also the same Day carried to Windsor by the Lord Mayor one Alderman and the Recorder they were refused to be admitted to the Kings Presence but orderd to attend at the Council at Hampton Court the Thursday following where they received a Repremend from my Lord Chancellor Finch now newly created Earl of Nottingham At the same time it was that the Leiutenancy of the City of London attended with their Loyal Offers of their Lives and Fortunes among these was Sir George Jeffryes the Kings Serjeant and late Recorder of London with his Sword on as one of the said Leiutenancy On the 8th of June in Trinity Term was Dr. Oliver Plunket Tryed for High Treason at the Kings Bench Bar the Evidence against him were all profest Papists as said and came out of Ireland the chief matters Sworn against him That he was made Primate of Ireland by the Pope at the King of France's recommendation that upon that account he having ingaged to do that King all the Service he could he had actually Levied among his Popish Clergy great Sums of Mony therewith to introduce the French Dominion into that Kingdom and extirminate the Protestants Upon this Evidence he was found Guilty The next day being Thursday the 9th of June Fitz-Harris was Tryed at the same Bar for High Treason the chief Evidence against him were Everard and Sir William Waller for the Prisoner appear'd Oats and Colonel Mansell and told a long story Scandalous in it self but of no weight My Lord Chief Justice therefore according to the Evidence which was home and clear against the Prisoner directed the Jury to find for the King which being also the directions of the other 3 Judges the Jury after above an half hours consultation brought in their Verdict Guilty Presently after this Tryal Mrs. Fitz-Harris the Prisoners wife and her Maid accused my Lord Howard of Escrick of the Contrivance of that Treasonable Libel of which her Husband was Convicted upon which accusation the said Lord was committed to the Tower on Sunday morning June 12. On the Wednesday following being the 15th of June Plunket and Fitz-Harris were severally brought to the Kings Bench Bar and received Judgment of Condemnation as in cases of High Treason About this time it was that the King in Council was pleas'd to order a Parliament to be call'd in Scotland on the 28th of July I must not forget that on the last day of Trin. Term a Bill of Indictment against the Lord Howard being delivered in to the Grand-Jury of Edmunton Hundred then serving in the Kings Bench for the County of Middlesex Sworn to by Mrs. Fitz-Harris and her Maid and some others and the said Jury not thinking the Evidence sufficient they were about to indorse it with an Ignoramus when Mr. Ward one of the Clerks of the Crown Office attending upon them withdraw'd it from before ' em Of this action they complain'd to the Court but being told that the Attorney General might stop these proceedings as he saw occasion or words to that purpose with which the Jury being nothing satisfied they went immediately and preferr'd a Bill of Indictment against the said Ward to the July of Oswelston Hundred then attending for this misdemanor which Bill the said last mention'd Jury found On Friday the First of July Dr. Oliver Plunket the Popish Primat of Ireland and Edward Fitz-Harris were both Executed at Tyburn for the several Treasons of which they were severally Tryed and Condemn'd the last Term. Plunket in a long Speech declar'd his Innocency forgave his Enemies and Pray'd for the King Queen and Duke of York But Fitz Harris said
multitudes of His Majesties Subjects which Proceedings being contrary to the Common and known Laws of this Land and tending to promote discontents among the People and to raise Sedition and Rebellion His Majesty doth therefore strictly charge and commad all and every his loving Subjects of what Rank or Degree soever that they presume not to agitate or promote any such Subscriptions nor in any ways joyn in any Petition of that manner to be preferred to His Majesty upon peril of the utmost rigour of the Law that may be inflicted for the same At the same time His Majesty issued out another Proclamation declaring His Resolution to Prorogue the Parliament from the 26th of January to the 11th of November next Notwithstanding the scope of these two Proclamations the business of Petitioning went forwards several were perfected and delivered not long after one from London Subscribed with many Thousands of hands others from York Essex Surrey and Wiltshire all which the King receiv'd but coldly and as appeared afterwards ineffectually for on the 26th of January being the Day to which the Parliament was Prorogued His Majesty was pleased to make a short Speech to both Houses containing That when he declared in Council His Intention of putting off the Parliament to a time so remote as November it was not without mature Consideration That he cannot be perswaded from any thing that has happened since in reference to Affairs within the Kingdom to alter or repent of that Resolution That notwithstanding considering the present danger which threatens some of our Neighbours and Allies He thinks fit to appoint a day for their meeting again in April yet the Distractions and Jealouses at home are of such a nature and so heightned and improved by the malice and and Industry of ill men that he is unalteablylos opinion that a longer Interval of Parliament will be absolutely necessary for composing and quieting of Mens minds in order to which he is afraid the most proper Remedies would prove ineffectual without the assistance of some further time He resolves therefore that on the said meeting in April there shall be a further Prorogation unless the Condition of our Allies abroad do then require our immediate assistance Hereupon he commanded the Lord Chancellor to Prorogue the Parliament to the 15th of April In the mean time Articles of high Misdemeanor were offer'd by way of Complaint to the King and Council against the Lord Chief Justice Scroggs by Oates and Bedloe who had formerly declar'd themselves unwilling to give any Evidence against any Papists or concerning the late Popish Conspiracy in any Court where the said Chief Justice should fit as Judge But the Prosecution of this Affair soon fell and the Cause never came to be heard further than the Chief Justices Answer In the beginning of Hillary Term Sir Thomas Gascoigne a York-shire Knight of 85 years of age was Arraigned at the Kings Bench Bar in Westminster Hall upon an Information of High Treason in conspiring the Death of the King and the Subversion of the Government He was afterwards brought to his Tryal at the same Bar the Jury were all York-shire Gentlemen the Foreman Sir Thomas Hodson The chief Evidence against him one Balron who had formerly been Baily of his Colepits and one Mowbray who had also belonged to his Family but their Testimony it seems not being of that Weight or credibility with the Jury as some expected they brought in their Verdict Not Guilty whereupon the Prisoner was immediately discharged We are now arrived at the end of the 31st year of His Majesties Reign a year observable for many Revolutions thô all concluding peaceably and well through the Mercy of God and the Wisdom of our Superiours the factious Rabble having been never more ready for Combustion since the late Wars of Cursed Memory Anno 32 Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1680. THE Conclusion of the last Year left his Royal Highness in Scotland but the beginning of this must be remarkable for his return to England which healing Action in the entrance will I hope as a good Omen prognosticate Peace and Happiness to the King and Kingdom during the rest of this Thirty second Year of His Majesty's Reign On the 31 of January the Duke acquainted the Lords of the Privy Council at Edinburg That he had received a Letter from the King calling him very speedily to Court That though he did very chearfully obey His Majesty's Commands and went with much joy to attend Him yet he could not part from their Lordships so soon without a great deal of Reluctancy and Trouble having both at his reception and during the short time of his abode there met with all possible demonstration of civility and kindness both from the Nobility Gentry and from the Representatives of the several Bodies of the Nation particularly from the Council of which he had so just a resentment that he could not in all his life forget them and should not fail upon all occasions to meet their great kindness and affection shewn him with all the service he was capable to do them That he would acquaint His Majesty that He had in Scotland a brave and loyal Nobility and Gentry a regular Privy Council and the Judicatures filled with able Persons well affected to His Majesty's Service and Interest That he had observed the disaffected Party were nothing so considerable as their Friends in England studied industriously to represent them to be He then recommended to the Council the setling of the Differences between several Gentlemen of the Highlands whom he had always observed to be firm to His Majesty's Interest The Lord Chancellor in the name of the Council acknowledged the great happiness they had had in hi Presence Conduct and Advice and declared how much devoted they all were to the Service of His Majesty and his Royal Highness and that they could not express the great grief they had to part so soon with him to whose Council and Presence they owe so many Advantages After this the Duke Duchess and all their Retinue began their Voyage by Sea for London where he arrived at the Court Privy Stairs on the 24th of February about Three in the afternoon not without all the due signs of Joy and Welcome There arrived at the same time from the Privy Council of Scotland a Letter full of Loyal Expressions to the Kings Service with abundance of Recommendation and Protestations for the Duke's Interest Two days after his arrival his Royal Highness was attended by the Lord Mayor Court of Aldermen Recorder and Common Council of the City of London at which time the Recorder having in all their names Congratulated his safe arrival they all kist the Hands both of the Duke and Duchess On the 11th of February His Majesty was pleased to declare in Council that He had granted His Secretary Coventry leave to resign his Place of Secretary of State That His intention was to continue him however of His Council And that
for secluding him from the Succession of these Crowns when they should happen to fall to him by the old known Laws of Inheritance Which action being of such mighty Consequence to the Peace or perpetual Trouble of this Nation and the Question being so happily settled it being also a leading President to many other healing actions which have happen'd since let me once take leave to break the concise Method which I at the beginning of these Notes propounded and remember in this place some Verses writ immediately upon that Transaction by a true Lover of his King and the Royal Family Glorious and great Indeed These these are they Who truly thus their noble Blood display And by the Soul which they this day have shewn Make all the Lawrels of their Line their own These are old Englands Peers hearts that despise To be o'reawd by Number and by Noise No they 're too Brave too Loyal and too Wise Thus did their mighty Ancestors combine When Force misplac'd the Crown from the right Line Thus they stood firm to Truth and never fail'd Tell the unblemisht Rose of York prevail'd And must again that sad Dispute appear No we are much too young for Plato's year Our Renown'd Peerage will not have it so The Demi-Gods and Heroes Thunder NO What remote noise is this Hark how it grows Neerer and lowder now the Torrent flows All Europe shouts aloud Spring-Tydes of Joy Salute the Brittish sle Hark how they cry Fame now is yours more from one Law refus'd Than half the Numerous Laws ye ever us'd Anno 33. Car. 2. Anno Dom. 1681. IN the beginning of this Year City and Country were busy in the Election of Members to serve in the next Parliament to be holden at Oxford For the most part the Old Members were chosen again I shall give a short account of what happen'd at London on this occasion by which a guess or estimate may be made of the Transactions elsewhere The Election for that City was perform'd at Guild-Hall on Fryday the 4th of February and the choice which the Common Hall fixt upon were Sir Robert Clayton Sir Thomas Player Thomas Pilkinton and William Love Esquires To which four as soon as the Election was over a Paper was presented in the Name of the Citizens of London then Assembled in Common Hall containing a return of their most hearty thanks for their faithful and unweary'd endeavors in the two last Parliaments to search into and Discover the depth of the Plot to preserve His Majesties Royal Person the Protestant Religion and the well Establisht Government of this Realm to secure the meeting and sitting of frequent Parliaments to assert our undoubted Rights of Petitioning and to punish such who would have betray'd those Rights to promote the long wisht for Union of His Majesties Protestant Subjects to Repeal the 35. El. and the Corporation Act and more especially for their endeavors in promoting the Bill of Exclusion of James Duke of York In fine they conclude that being confidently assured that they the said Members for the City will never consent to the granting any Mony-supply till they have effectually secured us against Popery and Arbitrary Power they resolve by Gods assistance to stand by their said Members with their Lives and Fortunes After this another Paper was presented from the said Citizens to the two Sheriffs requesting them in the Name of all the said Citizens then Assembled in Common Hall to return their grateful acknowledgment to the Earl of Essex and by him to the rest of the Lords who presented the late Petition and Advice to His Majesty In like manner were the former Members of Parliament again Chosen in most places and in many such Papers of Address presented to them in their respective Countries as had been done by the Communalty of London to their Members Also contrary to the Old Customes of the Members Treating the Country where they stood now the Country in most places Treated them or at least every Man bore his own Charges About a Week before the Session the King left London and removed to Oxford appointing certain Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse to keep Garison in the Meuse during His absence Many Members of the House of Commons especially those of London went to Oxford accompany'd or attended with the Cerimonious Cavalcade of a numerous Train of Friends On the 14th of March The King and Queen enter'd Oxford Received and Presented by the Mayor and Body of that City at the East-Gate and from thence attended with Acclamations and all sort of Demonstrations of Joy to Christ-Church The next Day the Body of the University waited on Their Majesties and received the Honour to kiss Their Hands presenting at the same time to the King a large Oxford Bible and to the Queen the Cuts belonging to the History and Antiquities of the University both Richly bound The 21st of March being now arrived and the Members of both Houses of Parliament Assembled at Oxford according to the Kings Writs of Summons the Lords sate in the Gallery at the Schools and the Commons in the Convocation House His Majesties Speech at the opening of the Sessions contained That the unwarrantable Proceedings of the last House of Commons were the occasion of the Dissolution of the last Parliament That as he will never use Arbitrary Government himself so He is resolved never to suffer it in others That whosoever shall calmly consider the Proceedings in the last Parliament may perhaps more wonder at His Patience so long than that He grew weary at last That it is as much His Interest and care as theirs to preserve the Liberty of the Subject because the Crown can never be safe when that is in Danger that neither Liberty nor Property can subsist long when the just Rights and Prerogatives of the Crown are Invaded or the Honour of the Government brought low and into disreputation that He hath call'd this Parliament so soon to shew that no Irregularities in Parliaments shall make him out of Love with them That the Just care they ought to have of Religion ought not to be so managed and improved into unnecessary fears as to be made a Pretence for Changing the Foundation of the Government that He hopes the Example of the ill success of former heats will dispose them to a better Temper that they would not lay so much weight upon any one Expedient against Popery as to determine all other are ineffectual that they ought to remember that without the safety and Dignity of the Monarchy neither Religion nor Property can be preserved that He cannot depart from what he had formerly so often declar'd touching the Succession but to remove all reasonable fears that may arise from the possibility of a Popish Successors coming to the Crown if means can be found out that in such a Case the Administration of the Government may remain in Protestant Hands he shall be ready to hearken to any such Expedient by
which the Religion may be preserved and the Monarchy not destroy'd that therefore they would provide for Religion and Government together with regard to one another because they support one another and that they would make the known Establisht Laws of the Land the Rules and Measures of all their Votes because He is resolved they shall be His. After this Speech the Commons return'd to their House and Chose for their Speaker William Williams Esq who had managed that Office in the last Parliament Who being the next Day presented made a Speech to the King and claim'd by humble Address as his Words were The Antient Rights of the Commons Nothing of extraordinary note passed till Saturday the 26th of March on which Day it was that the House of Commons were informed that the Lords had refused to proceed upon the Impeachment of the Commons against Edward Fitz-Harris for High Treason but had directed that he should be proceeded against at the Common Law Hereupon they Vote That this refusal of the Lords to proceed in Parliament upon such Impeachment is a Denial of Justice and a Violation of the Constitutions of Parliaments an Obstruction to the further Discovery of the Popish Plot and of great Danger to His Majesties Person and the Protestant Religion And further they resolve That for any inferior Court to proceed against Edward Fitz-Harris or any other Person lying under an Impeachment in Parliament for the same Crimes for which he or they stand Impeached is an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament On the Monday following the Bill against the Duke of York was Read the first time and Order'd a second Reading When on a suddain the King sends for the Commons up to the House of Lords and tells them That He perceived heats betwixt the Lords and them and therefore He had Order'd the Chancellor to Dissolve the present Parliament which he accordingly did immediately The same Day the King left Oxford and came to Windsor that Night the next Morning by Eight a Clock to Whitehall Not long after this His Majesty was pleas'd to Publish in Print a Declaration to all his Loving Subjects in which He set forth the Reasons which induced Him to Dissolve His two last Parliaments His reasonable desires which He had proposed to 'em with their unwarrantable proceedings in return declaring however that He is not yet out of Love with Parliaments but that He will frequently advise with them as His great Council which He hopes ere long to find in a better Temper much to this purpose were the Contents of that Declaration which by His Majesties Order in Council was appointed to be Read in all Churches and Chappels About the same time all the Factious News call'd Domestick Intelligence and Weekly Printed for Francis Smith Ben. Harris and Langly Curtis were by Order of Council as reported put down and silenced And the abovemention'd Francis Smith a Notorious Libel Printer was Committed to Newgate In Easter Term this year Sir Francis Pemberton became Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench in the Room of Sir William Scroggs who had obtain'd a Writ of Ease Great Expectation there was to see what the Court would do in the Case of Edward Fitz-Harris and some Hesitation the Grand-Jury of Middlesex of which one Mr. Godfrey Brother and Heir to the late Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was the Foreman made to receive the Bill of Indictment against him in regard he had been Impeacht by the House of Commons till they were inform'd and satisfied by the Court that all the Judges of England had the Day before met and resolved upon that question Nemine Contrad cente that they might lawfully proceed in the Tryal notwithstanding the aforemention'd Votes of the House of Commons after this the said Jury found the Bill and Fitz-Harris was Arraign'd at the Bar on the last Day of April he was thrice bid to hold up his Hand insisting upon the Impeachment in Parliament but at last he held up his Hand and heard his Indictment Read which was for High Treason exprest in a certain Writing call'd The True Englishman full of most horrid Expressions against the King as if he were a Conspirator in the Plot and exciting the Nation to rise as one Man against him c. To which Indictment he put into Court a Dilatory Plea against the Jurisdiction alledging that he being Impeacht by the Commons in Parliament he cannot be Tryed here but this Plea not being under Councils Hand was refused to be received however the Court gave him time to consider whether he would stand by such a Plea in regard it might be fatal unto him in case it should be over-Ruled and assign'd him for Council Sir Francis Winnington Mr. Williams Mr. Pollexfen and Mr. Wallop as he desired to argue the said Point of Judicature next Wednesday if he persisted in such Plea On the said Wednesday being the 4th of May the Prisoner was again brought to the Bar attended with His Council at which time the Kings Attorney Sir Robert Sawyer enter'd a Demurrer to the Prisoners Plea and insisted chiefly on the manifest defect of form in regard the Plea run that the said Fitz-Harris was Impeacht at the late Parliament at Oxford de Alta proditione but does not say of what sort or manner of Treason nor sets forth the Impeachment at large which a Plea ought to do when it is to the Jurisdiction After this the Council of the Prisoner joyn'd in Demurrer but upon their earnest motion tho' opposed by the Attorney General time was given them to next Saturday Morning to maintain the said Plea by Argument if they can At which time it was argued largely by Williams Winnington Wallop and Pollexfen for the Prisoner and by the Attorney General the Sollicitor Serjeant Jeoffreys and Sir Francis Withens for the King the Kings Council and also the Court declaring that they medled not at all with the Priviledge of the House of Commons or Jurisdiction of the Lords in Parliament which was not in the Point tho in truth the Council for the Prisoner would fain have put that upon 'em but only as to the form of the Plea After all the debate which lasted from 8 till after 12 that Day the Lord Chief Justice declar'd that the Court would take a convenient time to consider before they gave their Judgment On the Wednesday following being the 11th of May the Prisoner being again brought to the Bar by the Lieutenant of the Tower my Lord Chief Justice in the Name of the whole Court gave Judgment and declar'd That he and his Brothers had Consider'd of the Plea that they had also consulted with others of the Judges and that himself Justice Jones and Justice Raymond were of opinion that the Plea was insufficient Dolbin doubting the Plea was therefore over ruled and the Prisoner ordered to Plead over and accordingly he pleaded not Guilty and alledging that a material Evidence on his part was now in
Jenner Sir Thomas 182 The five Jesuites Tryed and Executed 55 Ignoramus Juries 118 120 126 127 146 Jones Sir Thomas 90 182 Ireland Pickering and Groves 35 K. KIng Charles I. His Statue and Inscription 169 A Monument and Funeral Voted for Him 4 King Charles II. His Statue and Inscription 199 His Admirable Prudence and Conduct 208 L. LAnghorn Richard 55 Langhorn Junior 83 Landsdown Lord 191 Lauderdale Duke 14 Lewis Sir Simon 84 London Petition 97 Address to their Members 103 Loyal Address 116 Lord Mayor of London Arrested 165 The Act disown'd by the Common Council 167 Loyal Lieutenancy of London 116 Vid. Quo Warranto M. LOrd Mayor and Aldermen of London go to Windsor to Congratulate 57 Arested 165 Middlesex Grand Jurys 82 Loyal Address 130 Militia 33 Monmouth Duke 54 57 60 74 79 80 163 185 187 Moor Sir John the Loyal Lord Mayor of London 116 125 149 159 N. NEwmarket Fire 164 News Factious silenced 75 109 158 North Sir Francis 90 109 181 North Sir Dudly 148 Norwich Loyal Address 115 O. OSsery Earl 86 Otes Titus 33 124 198 203 204 Oxford the King and Queen receiv'd there 105 Parliament there 105 Vniversity condemn 27 Propositions Seditious and impious 178 P. PArliament The long one Dissolved 37 Another call'd at Westminster 40. Dissolved 56. Another call'd at Westminster 58. Sit. 87. Dissolved 98. Another call'd and sit at Oxford 105. Dissolved 108 Papists Banisht 10 Miles from London and Westminster 29 32 Not to remove above five Miles from their homes 31. Excluded from sitting in Parliament 32 33 Payton Sir Robert 59 77 Papillon Thomas 85 165 202 Pemberton Sir Francis 109 159 182 Pepys Samuel 55 Peter Lord 187 Petitioning in an illegal manner 61 62 69 Pilkinton Thomas 125 158 Plot business its beginning 26 Plunket Oliver 116 118 119 Pope burning 59 157 Popish Lords Committed 28 Impeacht 35 45 47. Bail'd 194 Powis Countess 59 75 77 Prance Miles 38 Pritchard Sir William 156 165 167 182 202 Privy Council 45 Proclamations for a Fast 28 43. Against Papists 29 31 32. Against illegal Petitions 62. For Discovery 88. Against Highway-men 70 205. Against Duels 70 Against News Pamphlets 75. For Apprehension of Conspirators 174. Of Neutrality 196 Pretections of the Commons discharg'd 8 Q. QAarrel in the House of Commons 32 Quo Warranto London 146 170 171 172 181 R. RAces of English Horses in France 163 Reading Nathaniel 46 Rebellion in Scotland 54 204 Review of the Land Forces 201 Rich Peter 154 Riots 107 157 166 184 Roswel Thomas 203 Rouse John 119 126 176 177 Rupert Prince Palatine Dies 159 Russel Lord 176 177 S. SAunders Sir Edmund 159 182 Sawyer Sir Robert 11 12 Scaffolds in Westminster-Hall removed 169 Scotland Rebellion there 54 204 Loyal Parliament there 121 Their Acts 123 128 Bishops there write to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 141 Scrogs Sir William 21 58 64 90 Seymer Speaker 43 90 Shaftsbury Earl 8 93 119 127 128 144 161 Shandois Lord 73 Sheriffs of London Committed to the Tower 149 Bail'd Ibid. Shute Samuel 125 Sidney Algernoon 185 Smith Aaron 183 Smith Francis 109 Staley William 34 Stafford Vicount 76 91 92 Statue of King Charles 1. 169 Of King Charles 2. 208 Symonds Sir James 83 T. TAngier 78 87 93 94 191 Tasburgh Richard 76 Thanksgiving Meeting Prohibited 142 Appointed for the Discovery of the Conspiracy 179 181 Thinne Thomas 135 136 Titchburn Sir Henry 77 Trade with France Prohibited 10 Treby Sir George 176 182 Tulse Sir Henry 184 Tumult at Edinburgh 142 at Dublin 144 V. VIenna Siege and Relief 190 Votes Printed 90 W. WAkeman Sir George 27 56 Walcot Hone and Rouse 176 War with France promoted by the House of Commons 5 7 9 10 12 Ward Sir Patience 167 Weston Sir Richard 90 Whitfield Thomas 69 Williamson Sir Joseph Secretary of State 31 32 39 Wilmore John 145 156 Withens Sir Francis 72 88 Wi. Williams Speaker 88 107 Y. YOrk the Most Illustrious Duke 30 39 40 49 57 58 60 66 68 87 93 94 95 96 132 137 139 140 141 143 146 174 198 200 201. Some Books Printed for Sam. Lowndes over against Exeter-Exchange 1. AN Introduction to the Old English History Written by Robert Brady M. D. Folio 2. A general Chronological History of France beginning before the Reign of King Pharamond and ending with the Reign of King Henry the Fourth by the Sieur de Mezeray Fol. 3. Parthanissa that most Fam'd Romance the six Volumes Compleat by the Right Honourable the Earl of Ossory Fol. 4. Clelia an excellent New Romance the whole Work in five Parts Fol. 5. The Compleat Horseman and expert Farrier Written by Thomas de Grey the 5th Edition 6. Saducismus Triumphatus or a full and plain Evidence concerning Witches and Apparitions by Joseph Glanvil Chaplain in Ordinary to his late Majesty with some Additions by Dr. Moor and Dr. Horneck the 2d Edition 7. Two choice and useful Treatises the one Lux Orientalis Written by Mr. Glanvil the other A Discourse of Truth by the Reverend Dr. Rust Lord Bishop of Bromer in Ireland with Annotations on them both by Dr. More 8. The Great Law of Consideration Written by Dr. Horneck the 4th Edition 9. Papismus Regiae potestatis eversor Reverendus admodum Episcopus Lincoln Anglicè Scripsit 10. An Anatomick-Chirurgical Treatise of Glandules and Strumaes or Kings-Evil-Swellings c. by John Brown one of His Majesties Chyrurgions 11. Paul Festeaus French and English Grammer being the Newest and exactest Method now extant for the attaining to the Elegancy and Purity of the French Tongue the Fifth Edition 12. Claudius Maugers Letters in French and English the Second Edition with Additions 13. The Mirror of Fortune or the True Characters of Fate and Destiny 14. The Situation of Paradise found out being an History of a late Pilgrimage unto the Holy-Land 15. Credulity and Incredulity in things Divine and Spiritual by Morick Causabon D. D. Prebendary of Canterbury 16. The French Rogue being a pleasant History of his Life and Fortune 17. Cicero against Cataline in four Invective Orations Englished by Christopher Wase 18. China and France in Two Parts 19. The Fire of the Altar by Dr. Horneck the 2d Edition 20. Cambridge Jests or Witty Alarms for Melancholy Spirits the 2d Edition 21. Idea Eloquentiae Authore Joanne de Kerhuel S. E. M. An Advertisement THere is now in the Press and will be Published the next Term these two Books viz. A Compleat History of England c. in Folio Written by Dr. Brady The Crucified Jesus c. Written by Dr. Anthony Horneck
their Errors They need not blush to Repent and Confess such faults which some of Note and Quality have done already Heaven is full of those that have been Converts But the Impenitent must fill another place where it will be a Double Hell to remember that they might once have received Grace and pardon but refused it A BRIEF Historical Account Of the PUBLICK TRANSACTIONS During the 30th Year of the Reign of KING CHARLES II. Anno Dom. 1678. I Design in the Method observed by Annalists to commit to memory the Publick Transactions during the 30th Year of His Majesty's Reign a Year which seems remarkable and to promise more than usual since that number hath been more than once signal in the course of His Royal Life In the 30th Year of this Century 1630 He was Born the 30th day of May compleated the first day of His Age on the 30th day of January He began His Reign in the 30th Year of His Age 1660. He was by the miraculous Providence of God restored to the possession of His Three Kingdoms after a long and barbarous Exile In the beginning of this Year we find the Parliament sitting The King had newly made a Speech to both Houses the substance of which was That for their satisfaction he had made such Alliances with Holland as are for the preservation of Flanders and which cannot fail of that end unless prevented by the want of due Assistances to support those Alliances or by the small regard the Spaniards themselves must have to their own Preservation That he cannot suspect the want of assistance by reason of their repeated Engagements that a War which must be the necessary consequence of those Alliances ought neither to be Prosecuted by halves nor want such assurances of perseverance as may give him encouragement to persue it that He had used all means possible by a Mediation to have procured an Honourable and safe Peace knowing how preferable such a Peace would have been to any War that this Kingdom must necessarily own the vast benefits it has received by Peace whilst its Neighbours only have yet smarted by the War but finding a Peace no longer to be hoped for by fair means it shall not be his fault if it be not obtain'd by force that for this reason he has recall'd his Troops out of France and consider'd that we cannot have less Forces on our part than 90 Sail of Capital Ships and 30 or 40 Thousand Land-men that he is contented that such Monys as shall be given to these uses be appropriated as strictly as they can desire that he hath directed such larger dimensions for the Building the New Ships as will cost him above 100000 l. more than the Act allows that for repairing the Old Fleet and buying Stores c. He hath expended a great deal more than 200000 l. He hath born the charge of a Rebellion in Virginia and a New War with Algiers that he stands engaged to the Prince of Orange for his Neices Portion that he cannot be able to maintain his constant necessary Establishments without the New Imposition on Wines be continued that to remove all sorts of Jealousies he hath Married his Neice to the Prince of Orange thereby giving full assurances never to suffer that Princes Interest to be ruin'd if assisted as he ought to be to preserve them that he expects from them a plentiful supply suitable to such great occasions and that these considerations being of the greatest Importance that ever concern'd the Kingdom he would therefore have them enter immediately upon them without suffering any other business whatsoever to divert ' em Before the Parliament proceeded to Answer this Speech they Sate on part of the 30th of January the Aniversary Fast and then Voted 70000 l. for a solemn Burial of his late Majesty King Charles I. and to erect a Monument for the said Prince of Glorious Memory the said Sum to be rais'd by a Two Months Tax to begin at the expiration of the present Tax for Building Ships This tho' in truth an Affair to which the Nation has stood obliged this 29 Years yet being never mention'd till yesterday when first moved in the House of Commons by my Lord O-Brian Eldest Son to the Earl of Tumond and whose Son lately had Marry'd my Lord Treasurers Daughter seem'd surprizing The next Day being the 31 of January the House of Commons in return to the Kings Speech presented their Address to His Majesty at White-hall containing thanks for his care exprest for the preservation and Encouragement of the Protestant Religon in concluding a Marriage between his Niece and the Prince of Orange beseech him not to admit of any Treaty of Peace whereby the French King shall be left in possession of any greater Dominion or power than is left him by the Pyrenaean Treaty that both on our parts and the parts of the Confederates no Ship nor Vessel may be admitted to come out of any Port of France but that the Ships and Men be seized and the Goods destroy'd that he would please to provide that none of the parties who shall joyn in this Alliance and Confederacy against France depart from the said Alliance till the said King be reduced to the said Treaty that neither we nor the Confederates admit any Trade with France or suffer any Goods to be Imported from thence on pain of Forfeiture that His Majesty in making such Confederacies as necessary for attaining these ends shall never doubt of the affections of the People Lastly they renew their former protestations and engagements to persevere in the prosecution of the said War and when he shall be pleas'd to Impart such Alliances and Confederacies to them in Parliament to give such ready assistances upon all occasions as may bring the War to a happy conclusion To this Address the King return'd the following Answer in Writing which was read in the House of Commons the 4th of February That he was not a little surpriz'd to find so much inserted there of what should not be and so little of what should that his Speech was to both Houses joyntly and the return ought to be from both That in the Address of the 20th of May last you did invite him to a League offensive and defensive with Holland against the French King and for the preserving the Spanish Netherlands and upon his Declaration of such Alliances assured such speedy assistances as may fully Answer the occasion that he hath made such Alliances yet finds no return but the Old promises upon new Conditions and so He may be used to Eternity should he seem satisfied with such proceedings that on the 28th of May last he told you how highly he was offended at the great Invasion of his Prerogative yet you take no notice of it but add to your former ill conduct new Invasions you desire him to oblige his Confederates never to consent to a Peace till the most Christian King be reduced to the Pyrenaean
Treaty a Determination fitting only for God Almighty since none but He can tell the terms of Peace who knows the event of War You desire him not to suffer a Ship of theirs to come from France under pain of Confiscation not excepting Allies Prince or Ambassadors if any among them that he does not believe any Assembly of Men ever gave so great and publick a provocation to the whole World without so much as considering to provide one Ship Regiment or penny towards justifying it that however if by your assistance he may be put into Armes sufficient for such a Work He will not be weary till Christendom be restored to such a Peace that it shall not be in the power of any one Prince to disturb it that the Rights of making and managing War and Peace are in His Majesty and if you think he will depart from any part of that Right you are mistaken the Reins of Government are in his hands and he hath the same care to preserve them there as to preserve his own Person he keeps both for his Peoples protection and safety and that if this House will encourage His Majesty to go further in Alliances you must consider of raising speedy supplies for from the consideration of those he must take his measures Some things of note however were done before the Supply was concluded The House of Commons took off all written Protections which had been by some Members granted to such as were not really their Servants to an incredible number Voting no Protection allowable to any but their Menial Servants actually in Service and that without a written Certificate And now was the Earl of Shaftsbury releas'd from his Confinement in the Tower where he had been close Prisoner ever since last Spring and restored to his place in Parliament having first made the following Submission at the Lords Bar Feb. 25. viz. 1. I do acknowledge that my endeavouring to maintain that this Parliament was Dissolved was an ill advised Action for which I humbly beg pardon of the Kings Majesty and this most Honourable House 2. I do acknowledge that my bringing a Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Kings Bench was a high violation of your Lordships Priviledge and a great aggravation of my former offence for all which I beg pardon Subscribed Shaftsbury The next Day he sate in the House of Lords On the 27. The City was not a little Allarm'd with the French Kings taking of Ghent and the great danger of several other places of note in Flanders That Night were sent from London 12 Companys of Foot for Ostend follow'd the next Day by the Dukes of Monmouth and Albermarle the Earls of Mulgrave and Plymouth c. most of which Lords soon after return'd About a Fortnight after this a Poll-Bill for raising Monys past both Houses and presently after the Commons express their impatiency for a War their Transactions running in these Terms March 14. Upon several motions made for considering of the deplorable condition of the Nation resolved in a Committee of the whole House That it is the opinion of this Committee that an Address be presented to the King humbly to advise His Majesty that His Majesty to quiet the minds of his Loyal Subjects and to encourage the Princes and States Confederates against the French King would be graciously pleased to proclaim and enter into an actual War with the French King and to give his Majesty assurances that this House will constantly stand by and aid His Majesty in the prosecution thereof with necessary and plentiful suppplies and assistances and that His Majesty will presently dismiss the French Ambassador and recal his from France and Niminghen Which Address was the next Day drawn up accordingly and sent to the Lords for their Concurrence but never proceeded further Wednesday 27th of March the Parliament was Adjourn'd by the Kings Order till the 11th of April being the Week after Easter the King having first Sign'd the Poll-Bill in which was a strict Appropriating Clause for the Mony so Levy'd to be applied to no use but the intended French War also another Clause Prohibiting the Importation of any French Commodities for Three Years Soon after which the French King prohibited ours for Ten Years Thursday the 11th of April the Parliament met again and Adjourn'd to the Monday following at which time by the Kings appointment they chose a New Speaker in the House of Commons Sir Robert Sawyer one of the Kings Council Learned and a great Practicer in the Exchequer and from thence Adjourn'd over to Monday the 29th of April During these Intervals a strict Fast is kept on Wednesday the 10th of April in London and the Wednesday Fortnight following through England to implore Gods Blessing upon His Majesty and his Kingdoms and for the averting of Gods Judgments Monday the 29th of April the Houses met again the King and Lords in their Robes My Lord Chancellor in a long Speech recited all the Addresses that they had made in relation to a War with France what the King had already done in pursuance of the same and joyning an effectual League with the Confederates to that end and how ready the King was to pursue their desires but that now he discovered the Dutch were entring upon a Treaty of Peace with the French King and that without his consent or privity and therefore His Majesty demands the advice of his Houses how to proceed Monday following being the 6th of May Sir Robert Sawyer excused himself in a Letter that he could not attend the House by reason that he was taken very ill of the Stone occasioned by his long sitting last Saturday whereupon the Old Speaker was again chosen and reinstated in the Chair The same Day the King returned a short Answer to an Address of the House of Commons Voted on the said last Saturday which contain'd their humble Advice that he would forthwith enter into the present Alliance with the Confederates and an Actual War with France c. To which this Answer was read by one of the Secretaries of State viz. C. R. HIs Majesty having been acquainted with the Votes of the 4th Instant is very much surprized both with the matter and manner of them but if His Majesty had had Exceptions to neither yet His Majesty having asked the Advice of both the Houses doth not think fit to give any Answer to any thing of that nature till he hath a concurrent Advice of both Houses Among which mentioned Votes of the 4th Instant beside the Advice abovesaid this was past by a majority of 16 Voices That the late Leagues made with the States-General of the United Provinces are not pursuant to the Addresses of this House nor consistant with the good and safety of the Kingdom In the mean time the Commons are not at all discouraged with this Answer but draw up an Address and present it to the King at Whitehall on Saturday the 11th of May in the afternoon
containing Their humble thanks to His Majesty for demanding their advice that accordingly they gave it they beseech Him to communicate to them His Resolutions thereupon and whereas they conceive that the Inconveniencies and Dangers which the Kingdom now lies under might totally or in a great measure have been prevented in case His Majesty had accepted of the Advice by them given in their Addresses of the 26 of May Last and the 31 of January That therefore he would please to remove those Counsellors that advised him to give those answers which he did to the said Addresses that he would please to accept of this Petition in good part as proceeding form persons heartily devoted to him c. In fine that he would please to remove the Duke of Lautherdale from His presence and Councils Which being read the King immediately returned Answer in these few words only That he was much Surprized at the Extravagancy of their Address and unwilling at present to give it such a due Answer as it deserves On the Munday following the King past several private Bills and then caused the Parliament to be Prorogued till Thursday come Sevenight being the 23 of this instant May by which means this Session which had been of a long Continuance by Adjournment was determin'd and all Bills and business in either House then Depending defeated and returned to the same State as when first moved But withal such Bills as had been rejected are now in a Capacity of being moved again which no Bill can be in the same Session when once rejected On the aforementioned Thursday the 23. of May the Parliament met again and the House of Commons being sent for by the Black Rod to attend His Majesty in the House of Lords the King delivered His pleasure to this effect That he is resolved as far as He is able to save Flanders either by a War or Peace which way he sees most conducing either ways he thinks it convenient to keep up His Army and Navy at Sea for some time till a Peace be concluded but leaves it to them to consider of Supplies for their Continuance or Disbanding and in either case not to discourage so many Worthy and Gallant Gentemen who have offerd their Lives and Service to their Country and that in pursuit of the Parliaments advice and Resolutions That a Branch of His Revenue is now expiring another part of it is cut off by a Clause in the Poll-Bill That he has borrowed 200000 l. upon the Excize at their request of all which they are to consider That he hath no Intentions but of good to them and His people nor ever shall Desires they will not drive him into extremities which must end ill both for them and Him and which is worst of all for the Nation desires to prevent all disorders and mischeifs that may befal by our disagreement but in case any do leaves it to God Almighty to Judge who is the occasion of it In fine That he will not for the future suffer the Course and Method of passing Laws to be changed by taking together several matters in one Bill This was immediately followed by a long but excellent Speech of my Lord Chancellor which thô something too large for the intended Brevity of these Notes must not be omitted The substance therefore contained That Holland is become resolved to seek all occasions they can of coming out of the War in regard the Spaniards fail them That the States to that end entred into a League Offensive and Defensive with His Majesty to obtain a Peace by force if it could not be had otherwise which promised Success till it was heard abroad that this League the onely thing by which His Majesty could oblige the States had been so ill understood at home as to meet with some very unfitting and very undeserved Reflexions and that they understood there was a Resolution of giving no Mony till satisfaction first had in matters of Religion which in all Countrys are the longest debates that can be entred upon and at this time should least have been stirr'd when they understood that the King had received an Address and had exprest His resentment of it then they concluded it was in vain to rely any longer on England for England was no longer it self All sides began to wish for Peace as well Spain as Holland and if the Cessation now endeavoured be effected no doubt but a Peace will follow What Influence that Peace will have is uncertain We have given no small provocation to a Mighty King it therfore concerns us to secure our selves by preserving Peace and Unity at home he that foments Divisions now does more harm to his Country than a Forrain Enemy can do no fear of Arbitrary Government can justify no Zeal to Religion can sanctify such a Proceeding He minds them of the Late times when Religion and Liberty were truly Lost by being made a handle and pretence for Sedition when Prelacy was calld Popery and Monarchy Tyranny c. and can we now endure to see men break the Act of Oblivion every day by reviving the Memory of forgotten Crimes in new Practices It s worth Consideration whether we do not bring some kind of scandal upon the Protestant Religion when we seem so far to distrust the truth and power of it that after so many Laws past to guard it and so many miraculous deliverancies from the attempts made against it we should still be affraid of its continuance Hath not the Late Act made it impossible for the most conceal'd Papist that is to get any kind of Imployment As little reason there is to be jealous of our Liberties and Property Can there be a greater evidence of the Moderation of a Prince and His tenderness of the Liberty of the Subject than to suffer as he does every day so much licentious and malitious Talk to pass unpunisht Search all Nations through all Ages and shew fewer greivances and less cause of Complaint and a happier people than we at are this Day He proceeded then to the matter of the Revenue to the same purpose with what the King had said before but enlarging Tells em The King will no more accept a good Bill how valuable soever unless it comes in the old and decent method of Parliaments that the late way of tacking together in one Bill several Independent and incoherent matters seems to alter the whole frame and Constitution of Parliaments takes away the Kings Negative Voice in a manner forcing Him to take all or none it takes away the Negative Voice too of the House of Lords by the same Consequence It looks like a kind of Defamation of the Government and seems to suppose the King and House of Lords to be so ill affected to the Publick that a good Bill cannot carry it self through by the Strength of it's own Reason and Justice without being helped by Clauses it gives up the greatest share of Legislature to the Commons
of His Majestys Revenue by the Prohibiting Act it was carry'd in the Negative Yeas 145 Noes 202. Saturday the 22th of June the Lords sent down the Bill for Disbanding with an enlargement of the time prefixt for one Month longer to which the Commons would not agree but desired a Conference at which to give their Lordships the reasons why they could not consent to the alteration Monday the 25th of July the Parliament was Prorogued to the first of August the King having then past the following Bills 1. An Act for granting a supply to His Majesty of 619388 l. 11 s. 9 d. for Disbanding the Army and other uses therein mentioned 2. An Act for granting an Additional Duty to His Majesty upon Wines for Three Years 3. An Act to enable Creditors to recover their Debts of the Executors and Administrators of Executors in their own wrong 4. An Act for Burying in Woollen 5. An Act for Admeasurement of Keels and Boats carrying Coals 6. An Act for Reviving a former Act of the 13th of this King ch 2. for avoiding unnecessary Suits and delays and for continuance of an other Act of 22. 23. Car ' 2. ch 10. touching intestates Estates 7. An Act for further Relief and Discharge of poor Prisoners for Debt 8. An Act touching Highways 9. An Act for preservation of Fishing in the River Severn On which said first of August they being again met they were again Prorogued over to the 29th Day of the same Month. Soon after that also there came out a Proclamation requiring a full Assembly at the said 29th Day But in the mean time the French being beaten from the Siege of Mons by the English chiefly under Command of my Lord of Ossery on the part of the Prince of Orange the King Issued out another Proclamation dated the 8th of August whereby reciting the last Proclamation but in regard the State of Affairs abroad was alter'd since then he is pleas'd to Prorogue the Houses over till the first Day of October next requiring then a full Assembly after this it was again Prorogued to the 21st of October In the mean time a Peace is concluded between France Spain and Holland and a Truce for some Months with the Emperor On Saturday Sunday Monday and Tuesday the 28th 29th and 30th of September and first of October the Privy-Council sate twice a Day The business a Popish Plot several were committed and others examin'd among whom Sir George Wakeman Physician to the Queen and Mr. Coleman belonging to Her Royal Highness the Dutchess of York which said Dutchess went with the Lady Ann that very Tuesday Morning to visit the Princess of Orange designing a stay only of 14 Days This Discovery of a Plot opening every Day more and more the aforesaid Mr. Coleman and Mr. Langhorn of the Temple were committed close Prisoners with several others their Studies search'd their Papers seized and sent to Whitehall And now just before the meeting of the Parliament one Sir Edmondbury Godfrey a Justice of the Peace in Middlesex a severe Enemy of the Papists as by some reported was found Dead in a Ditch not far from Hampstead He appear'd to the Coroners Jury to be strangled tho' afterwards his own Sword was run through him and so found with Money in his Pocket This was lookt on by the Town as a Confirmation of the above-mention'd Plot. On the appointed 21st of October the Houses met The Kings Speech contain'd these words and these words only concerning the Plot I have been informed of a Design against my Person by Jesuites of which I shall forbear any Opinion lest I may seem to say too much or too little but leave the matter to the Law The Chancellor on the same Head had these Expressions And tho' His Majesty doth in no sort prejudg the Persons accused yet the strict enquiry into this matter hath been a means to Discover so many other unwarrantable Practices of theirs that His Majesty hath reason to look to ' em The Examination of this Plot and the concurrent Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey employ'd the Commons so assiduously that towards the beginning of this Session they sate whole Days from Morning till late at Night The Product was a Fast Voted the minutes and Votes of the House of Commons forbid to be divulg'd several Lords Committed Bellasis Arundel of Warder Powis Stafford Petre Castlemain c. Soon after this came out a Proclamation appointing a Fast through all England on the 13th Day of November Thursday the 31st of October the House of Commons resolved upon the Evidence that hath already appear'd to this House this House is of Opinion That there hath been and is an Execrable and Hellish Design contrived and carry'd on by Popish Recusants for Assassinating and Murthering the King for Subverting the Government and for destroying the Protestant Religion by Law Establisht The same Day Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was Buried The Solemnity proceeded from Bridewell to St. Martins in the Fields 72 London Ministers Marching two and two before the Body and above 1000 Men in the same Order following after The next Day in pursuance of an Address presented to the King by the Commons the Saturday before came out a Proclamation whereby all Papists or such reputed be Banisht 10 Miles from London and Westminster to remove themselves by the 7th Day of November except Housholders and they to take the Oaths or suffer the Penalties inflicted by Law The same Day the Commons in Parliament resolved That an Address be made to the King that the Trained-Bands of London Westminster and Surry be rais'd for preservation of His Majestys Person and the Parliament during this Session On Munday the 4th of November came out an Order of the King in Council proposing That whoever can Discover any Officer or Soldier in any of the Kings Guards Horse or Foot who has taken the Oaths and Test and since turn'd Papist such Discoverer shall have 20 l. for every Man so Discovered Monday the 4th of November It was moved in the House of Commons that an Address be made to the King to remove the Duke of York from his Presence and Councils but the debate was Adjourn'd over to Fryday next at which time it being again moved the debate was again Adjorn'd over to Thursday following The next Day being Saturday the 9th of November His Majesty went to the Lords House in His Robes and made a Speech to both Houses Wherein after he had return'd them His most hearty Thanks for their very great and extraordinary care for preservation of His Person in this time of Danger He told 'em That he was as ready to joyn with them in all ways and means that may Establish a firm security to the Protestant Religion as their own Hearts can wish and this not only during His Life but in future Ages even to the end of the World And therefore He is come to assure 'em that whatsoever reasonable Bills they shall
Earl of Danby render himself to Justice by a certain day or in default thereof to be Attainted which Bill was read twice and committed In the mean time the Lords had past a Bill in their House for banishing and disabling the said Earl which being sent down to the Commons for their Concurrence was by them rejected as a Censure too favourable They also Vote an Address to be made to His Majesty That the said Earl be not permitted to reside in any of His Majesties Houses of Whitehall Somerset-house and St. James's Also another Address for a Proclamation to apprehend the said Earl and that no Subject presume to harbour or conceal him In the mean time the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Danby was highly canvast at several Conferences between the Lords and Commons till at last on the 16th of April a Message is brought from the Lords House to acquaint the Commons That the Earl of Danby had the last night rendred himself to the Usher of the Black Rod and is committed by their Lordships to the Tower On the same 16th of April 4 of the 5 popish Lords in the Tower who had been on the 9th instant Impeacht gave in their Answers in Person viz. Powis Stafford Petre and Arundel but the Lord Bellasis being disabled by the Gout had his Answer received in Writing On the 20th of April the King was pleas'd to declare to His Privy Council His pleasure to dissolve them and to constitute a new one which for the future should consist of the constant number of 30 Members of which 15 to be certain viz. 1. The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 2. Bishop of London 3. Lord Chancellor 4. One of the Chief Justices 5. The Admiral 6. Master of the Ordenance 7. Treasurer 8. Chancellor of the Exchequer 9. Privy Seal 10. Master of the Horse 11. Lord Steward 12. Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold 13. Groom of the Stole And the two Secretaries The other 15 elective at the Kings pleasure 10 out of the Nobility and 5 Commoners Besides these such Princes of the Blood as shall be at Court A Lord President and a Secretary of Stotland but these uncertain And according to this new Model so many of them as were in Court did the next morning being April 21 meet in the Council Chamber and were there Sworn Privy-Counsellors The same day His Majesty was pleased to acquaint the two Houses with what he had done and that He was resolved in all His weighty and Important Affairs next to His great Council in Parliament to be advised by this Privy Council After this viz. on the 24th day of April Nathaniel Reading Esquire was Tryed before my Lord Chief Justice North and several other special Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer sitting in the Kings-Bench Court at Westminster His crime of which he stood indicted was for endeavoring to stifle Bedlo's Evidence against the Popish Lords or at least to lessen the same which being proved by the Oaths of the said Bedloe one Wiggins his Man and one Mr Speke which two last Bedloe had hid privately in his Chamber to over-hear their discourse he was found guilty had Judgment to stand in the Pillory for an hour in the Palace-Yard Imprisonment for one year and fined 1000 l. Which Sentence was accordingly Executed About this time it was that the Bishops of Ely Gloucester and Bath and Wells were accused for Papists but the Accusation quickly fell it being discovered to be a malicious contrivance to blast their Reputation and fix a Scandal on the whole Order On the 25th of April the Earl of Danby and Lord Bellasis appear'd in Person at the Bar of the Lords House the Earl putting in his Plea and the Lord Bellasis his Answer The next day the Lords Stafford Arundel and Powis appear'd at the same Bar and having retracted their former Pleas to their Impeachments which appeared insufficient to the House of Commons put in their further Answers to the same After this on the last day of April His Majesty was pleased to send for the Commons to attend Him in the House of Lords and acquaint 'em by the mouth of the Lord Chancellor That he was ready to agree to any Laws to secure Religion so the Discent of the Crown in the Right Line be not defeated and therefore he is willing that a Provision be made First to distinguish a Papist from a Protestant Successor then to limit the Authority of the First in these particulars viz that all Church preferment may be confer'd on Pious and Learned Protestants That there may not want a Parliament on the Kings Death but that the Parliament then in being or the last that sat should at such time reassemble without any new Summons or Election That during the Reign of any Popish Successor no Privy Counseller no Judge at the Common Law or in Chancery shall be put in or displaced but by Authority of Parliament That none but Protestants be Justices of Peace so also for Lord Lieutenants Deputy Leiutenants and Officers in the Navy not to be put in or removed but by Authority of Parliament concluding that it is hard to invent any other restraint to be put on a Popish Successor yet if any thing else can occur to the Wisdom of the Parliament whereby to secure Religion and Liberty without defeating the Right of Succession it self that His Majesty is most ready to consent to it After the Consideration of this Speech had been Adjourn'd over from time to time It was at last Resolved on the 11th of May in the House of Commons in defence of the Kings Person and the Protestant Religion that they will stand by His Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes and that if His Majesty should come by any violent Death which God forbid that they will revenge it to the utmost upon the Papists And according to this Vote they drew up an Address on the 14th with this varation in the form of Words viz. We shall be ready to Revenge upon the Papists any violence offered by them to your Sacred Majesty The Words by them being neither exprest nor intimated in their Vote though essential and necessary to the Justice of the intended Revenge Further then this they took no notice of the Kings Resolution exprest in the said Speech but contrary to that Clause which related to the Succession on the 15th of May they brought in a Bill to Disable the Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England which being Read the first time on the said 15th of May was on the 21st read again and Committed to a Committee of the whole House yet the House divided on the Question Yeas 207. Noes 123. But the Parliament being soon after Prorogued it never proceeded further In the mean time the two Houses of Parliament are very earnest in debating the Methods relating to the Tryals of the five Popish Lords in the Tower and the Earl of Danby which last being on the third of
Evidence not appearing so home as expected they were now Bail'd and so continued till the last Day of Hillary-Term following at which time they were Discharged on their own single Recognizance to appear in Trinity-Term next without being brought to any Tryal But now arrives the 10th of July on which Day the King was pleas'd to Dissolve the present Parliament by Proclamation with a Declaration of His Intention to call another on the 17th of October following On the 18th of July Sir George Wakeman Baronet the Queens Physitian William Marshal William Rumley and James Corker Benedictin Monks were Tryed for High Treason relating to the late Plot the Evidence Oates Bedloe and others But the Jury found 'em not Guilty and they were discharged Several Libels hereupon flew abroad against my Lord Chief Justice Scroggs who notwithstanding did sufficiently acquit himself from all aspersion in the Judgment of sober People In August the King fell dangerously ill at Windsor upon the Intelligence of which His Royal Highness came over Post to His Majesty But it pleas'd God that the King recovering His Health to the great Joy of the Nation The Lord Mayor of London with the Court of Aldermen and a Train of 30 Coaches and about 100 Horsemen went on Monday the 15th of September to Windsor to Congratulate His Majesty's Recovery which Complement was as kindly received as handsomely performed On the Wednesday following the King attended by His Royal Highness and the whole Court rerurn'd to Whitehall that Night by the Lord Mayors express Order there were Bonfires throughout the whole City for His Majesty's return as well to His former Health as place of Residency But it seems the Duke of Monmouth having contracted the Kings Displeasure on some account or other not commonly known His Majesty was pleas'd to take from him his Commission of Captain General and for a time expel him the Kingdom soon after this the said Duke went over to Vtrecht and at the same time His Royal Highness return'd to Brussels But this last it seems without designs of any long stay there for on Sunday Night the 12th of October His said Royal Highness the Dutchess and Family arrived at St. James's to the surprize of some and Joy of others The King having call'd a New Parliamenz as he had formerly promised on the Dissolution of the last to meet on the 17th of October He was now further pleas'd to Prorogue it from the time appointed to the 26th of January following On the first Day of Michaelmas-Term my Lord Chief Justice Scroggs took occasion to make an Excellent Speech in the Kings-Bench Court concerning the many Scandalous Libels that had been Publisht against him since Sir George Wakemans Tryal and acquittal in which Speech he purged himself at large of any Corruption and with a great measure of Courage declar'd That he was neither afraid nor ashamed to own what he had done That the Impeachment of the course of Publick Justice by vulgar noise and clamour did not at all terrify him to a Compliance with the Rabble against his Conscience and Understanding nor to try any cause otherwise then according to the Evidence and the probability and credibility it carries with it Mr. Justice Jones and Justice Dolbin spoke also to the same purpose and appear'd as Compurgators of the Chief Justices Integrity Much discourse there was at this time and many Narratives came out daily concerning the Discovery of a New Plot which the Papists was is said had contrived to lay on the Presbyterians The chief Discoverer was one Dangerfield alias Willoughby Several were accused and laid up as Conspirators among whom the Countess of Powis Mrs Celier Sir Robert Payton and Mr Gadbury The Effigies of the Pope in all his Pontificalibus had been for several years past solemnly burnt by the people in the Month of November yearly but never with so much Ceremony as on the 17th of November this year it being a Day observed by some in memory of Queen Elizabeth The Procession consisted of one personating the Dead Body of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey carried on a Horse with a Bell-man to mind the People of his Murther Priests in Copes with a large Silver Cross Carmelite and Gray Friers six Jesuites and after them the Waits several Bishops some in Lawn Sleeves others with Copes and Miters on then six Cardinals and after them the Pope on a Pageant with Boys and Incense Pots and other Ceremonious Pomp behind him the Devils Representative In this manner they marched about five at night from Bishopsgate to the Temple-gate at Chancery Lane End attended with Thousands of People at which appointed station they Committed the Effigies to the Flames of a very extraordinary Bonfire at which time the mock-Devil departed and the Shew ended On Thursday the 27th of November The Duke of Monmouth arrived in the night time at London on whose return the Citizens exprest a mighty Joy by Bonfiers Fire-works and Ringing of Bells all the next day and most part of the night In the mean time his Royal Highness with his Duchess and Daughter attended with a Guard and Retinue suitable to their Quality made a Journey into Scotland Where being arrived The Duke was at Edenborough on the 4th of December received and Complemented by the Privy Council of that Kingdom with abundance of Respect and Honor The Lord Chancellor made a Speech in the name of all the Council to which his Royal Highness Answer'd in very affectionate Terms expressing his great satisfaction at the Civilities he had received since his arrival in that Kingdom And declaring his readiness to promote the Honor and Service of the King and the Interests of the Scottish Nation About this time great endeavors were used to procure a Multitude of Hands to Petitions which were framing in London Westminster and several Counties to be presented to the King for the sitting of the Parliament on the 26th day of January next according to the last Prorogation which manner of Petitioning being unwarrantable and tumultuous the King was pleased in Council Dec. 10. to Order the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to take care in their several stations of His Majesties Honor and of the peace and safety of the City and not to suffer such persons that should sign such Petitions or go about to procure hands to them to go unpunished but that they should proceed against them or cause them to be brought before the Council Board to be punished according to a Resolution of all the Judges of England 2. Jac. which may be seen Cro. 2. part of Reports fol. 37. His Majesty was further pleased to issue out His Proclamation dated the 12th day of December containing That whereas he hath been informed that divers evil disposed persons endeavor in several parts of this Kingdom to frame Petitions to His Majesty for specious Ends and purposes relating to the publick and thereupon to collect and procure to the same the hands and subscriptions of
very little the substance of what he had to say or discover being by him delivered to Dr. Hawkins Minister of the Tower for his Wife and therefore it is to be presumed that he Dyed no Papist in regard he had the assistance of a Protestant Minister which all Papists have been known to rerefuse on those occasions His Discovery is since Printed About this time several Factious People were committed to the Tower for High Treason namely Rouse Hayns White and one Colledge commonly call'd the Protestant Joyner But above all let it be remember'd that on July 2. the Earl of Shaftsbury commonly call'd by way of Excellency The Protestant Earl was before the Council at Whit hall to which the King came from Windsor that day on purpose accused of High Treason and for the same committed to the Tower and his Papers seized At the Sessions at the Old Bayly which followed soon after the Earl of Shaftsbury and the Lord Howard moved to be Bail'd but they were answered by the unanimous opinion of the Judges That it was not in the Power of that Court to Bail out of the Tower At the same Sessions it was that a Bill of Indictment of High Treason was delivered to the Grand-Jury of London against Colledge commonly call'd the Protestant Joyner but the Jury made for the purpose as is supposed appear'd so partial and Arbitrary in their proceeding that notwithstanding the home Oaths of several Witnesses among which were Dugdale and Smith two of the great Evidence against the Plotters and another who had been a Member of the House of Commons they brought in the Bill Ignoramus But another Bill being exhibited soon after to the Grand-Jury at the Assizes at Oxford against the said Colledge part of the Treasonable Words and Matters being Transacted there the Bill was found there on the same Evidence which was rejected at the Old Bayly And in August he was Tryed Condemn'd and Executed at Oxford The Weather that happen'd this Summer was memorable for an extraordinary Drought all over England and also beyond Sea all April May and June and some part of July but about the beginning of July fell such plentiful Rains that the Ground which in all parts was Scorcht up like the High-Ways almost to a miracle became as fresh and Green again as on May Day Dayseys and the other Flowers of the Spring appear'd again towards the End of July With Grass in abundance in some places and expectations of a second Hay-time to recompence the want of the first On the 28 of July the Parliament sate in Scotland where his Royal Highness Presided as His Majesties High Commissioner At the opening of the Sessions the Kings Letter was read setting forth That He had call'd them at that time to advise of such things as may truly conduce to the security and Interest of that Kingdom and as an eminent Expression of His Favor He hath named his most dear and most intirely beloved Brother James Duke of Albany and York to be His Commissioner there c. After this the Duke made a Speech Declaring the high esteem he had of the great Honor and happiness the King had been pleased to do him in making choice of him to serve as his Commissioner in that his antient Kingdom since it shews to all the World the Goodness the King hath for him and Confidence he hath in him and capacitates him not only to serve His Majesty as becomes a Loyal Subject but also to evince the real concern he hath for the good of that Kingdom and his readiness to serve it and improve its Interest That His Majesty had commanded him to assure them that he will inviolably maintain and protect the Protestant Religion as by Law Establisht in that Kingdom and the Church Government by Arch-Bishops and Bishops That he will maintain and allow the Properties and Rights of His Subjects according to the due course of Law and that he doth expect that they will not be short of the Loyalty of their Ancestors in vigorously asserting and cleering His Royal Prerogative and in declaring the Rights of His Crown in its natural and Legal course of Descent c. After this the Duke entertained the whole Parliament at a Splendid and Royal Feast The Lords by themselves and the Commons by themselves at several Tables On the First of August The Parliament returned a most Loyal and Dutiful Answer to His Majesties Letter which Answer being so mighty full of true Loyalty it would be an Injury to abridge it in this place every Line every word carrying the true and emphatical marks of gratitude and Duty I therefore refer to the Print Also in pursuance and Confirmation of their Loyal Affections on the 14th of Aug. the Parliament past a Bill entituled An Act acknowledging and asserting the Right of Succession to the Imperial Crown of Scotland By which they recognize and declare That the said Crown is by Inherent Right and the nature of the Monarchy as well as by the fundamental and unalterable Law of the Realm transmitted and devolved by Lineal Succession according to proximity of Blood and that no difference in Religion no Law nor Act of Parliament can alter or divert the Right of Succession and Lineal descent of the Crown to the neerest and Lawful Heirs and therefore they declare it High Treason by Writing Speaking or any other manner of way to endeavor the alteration suspension or diversion of the Right of Succession At the same time they past another Act ratifying all former Laws for the security of the Protestant Religion On the 31st of August Oates was by Order of Council expell'd from Whitehall his Sallery taken off and accused of Misdemeanors Great Numbers of Poor French Protestants about this time flockt over out of France to whom our King was so Gracious as by Act of Council to declare His Pleasure that all His Officers and Magistrates should give 'em the same Countenance and Favour with His own Subjects That He would take 'em into His Protection That He would grant 'em His Letters of Denization forthwith upon their request and That He would intercede with the next Parliament to obtain for them an Act of Naturalization He also granted very ample Letters Patents for Collecting Monies all over England for their Relief Dated the 10th of September this Year On Michaelmas Day being the Customary Day for the Annual Choice of the Lord Mayor of London Sir John Mooor an Addresser was Chosen into that Office for the Year Insuing tho' with a great and unusual opposition by the Fanatick Party The New Sheriffs were Alderman Pilkinton a City Member in the two last Parliaments and one Mr. Shute Which two New Sheriffs being employ'd to invite the King to the Lord Mayors Feast The King was Graciously pleas'd to accept of the Invitation and Declar'd That He liked the Message but not the Messengers This Summer the King was pleas'd to appoint under Him certain Deputies or
Wickham 100 Marks Swinnock 500 Marks and Jekel 200 Marks On the 19th of May being the last Saturday in Easter Term Sir Patience Ward one of the Aldermen of London was Tryed at the Kings Bench Bar upon an Information of Perjury for giving false Evidence upon Oath in the Cause Tryed last Mic. Term between the Duke and Pilkinton The Perjury was proved upon him by the Oaths of several Aldermen and other persons of great Credit among which were two of the Jury that Tryed the said Cause between the Duke and Pilkinton Whereupon the said Sir Patience was Convicted and found Guilty by the Jury but the Judgment of the Court was respited till next Term. The better part of the City of London both for Number and Quality appear'd about this time very Loyal and as an Instance of their Good Affections it was Resolved at a Common-Council held at Guild-Hall May 22. That whereas Sir William Pritchard Knight Lord Mayor of this City was in a rude manner lately Arrested at the Suit or in the name of Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubois and whereas it hath been alledged by the said Mr. Papillon and Mr. Dubois that the Action upon which the said Arrest was was prosecuted at the Instance of the Citizens of London the Members of this Court to deliver themselves and the said Citizens from this untrue imputation do declare that they were not privy or consenting to the said Action or Arrest and do disown and disapprove the same And not long after Broom the Coroner was by the Common-Council put out of that Office and made uncapable of enjoying any place of preferment in the City Soon after viz. on the 25th of May was set up in one of the Niches of the Old Exchange a Curious Statue of King Charles the First with this Inscription underneath cut in Marble ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ Serenissimi ac Religiosissimi Principis Caroli Primi Angliae Scotiae Franciae Hiberniae Regis Fidei Defensoris Bis mar â—ris in Corpore in Effigie Impiis Rebellium manibus ex hoc loco deturbata confracta A. D. MDCXLVIII Restituta hic demum collocata A. D. MDCLXXXIII Against the beginning of Trinity Term the Scaffolds in Westminster-Hall after they had stood there and cumber'd the Hall for above Three Years were by order from my Lord Chamberlain taken down and removed On Wednesday the 6th of June was held a Common Council at Guildhall in London where all the Treasonable and irregular Acts of that Court in the Times of Rebellion were Repeal'd and a Bill past in the said Common Council for declaring and asserting the Antient Rights of the Chair by which Bill my Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen were restored to their negative Voice which had been taken away by an Act in the late Rebellious Times and never question'd before that Also it was at this Common Council declar'd and Enacted That my Lord Mayor has sufficient and lawful Power of Choosing one Sheriff And accordingly my Lord Mayor did the next day declare his Choice at the Bridg-House Feast by Drinking to Mr. Alderman Daniel as one of the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex for the Year insuing On the first Tuesday in Trinity-Term Judgment was given in the Court of Kings-Bench in the Quo Warranto brought last Trinity-Term against the City of London of which I made mention in the last Year The Pleadings were large on both sides The chief Crimes on which this Writ was grounded were Two For exacting Tolls in their Markets illegally and for framing and Printing a scandalous Petition wherein they charged the King with obstructing the Justice of the Nation by Proroguing the last Parliament Whether these were sufficient Causes of seizing their Liberties was argued pro and con by the Sollicitor General and the Recorder last Hillary-Term and by the Attorney-General and Mr. Pollixsin last Term very largely and elaborately And now my Lord Chief Justice Saunders being Sick and absent Justice Jones having concisely Summed up all the Proceedings past in a very pithy and solid Speech gave Judgment and declar'd it to be the unanimous opinion of that Court That the Liberties and Franchises of the City of London be seized into the Kings Hands After which he Declar'd by the Kings express Order That Judgment should not be enter'd till His Majesties Pleasure be further known Thursday the 14th of June was held a Common Council in London at which Court the following Petition was Order'd to be Presented to the King at Windsor it was entituled the humble Petition of the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council Assembled It acknowledged their hearty and unfeigned sorrow for the misgovernment of that City of late Years which occasion'd a Quo Warranto to be brought against them and Judgment therein That they are deeply sensible and thankfully acknowledge the Kings great Favour in not requiring Judgment to be immediately enter'd thereon In this distressed condition they humbly cast themselves at His Royal Feet imploring His Princely Compassion and Grace begging Pardon for all Offences with most solemn promises and assurances of constant Loyalty and obedience to His Majesty His Heirs and Successors and of a regular Administration of His Government in that City for the future and humbly beg His Majesties Commands and directions This Petition was carried and Presented by the Lord Mayor and several Loyal Aldermen and Citizens of London on Munday the 18th of June After which my Lord Keeper by the Kings Command Declar'd That for the sakes of so many of the present Magistrates and other eminent Citizens in London who are of undoubted Loyalty and affection to His Majesties Service His Majesty will shew the City all the Favour they can reasonably desire In fine That His Majesty requires their Submission to these Regulations That no Lord Mayor Sheriff Recorder Common Serjeant Town-Clerk or Coroner of London or Steward of Southwark shall be capable of or admitted to the exercise of their respective Offices before His Majesty shall have approved them under his own Sign manual That His Majesties disapproving the Mayor twice He may if he please nominate a Lord Mayor himself so also for Sheriffs Nevertheless the Election of these Officers may be according to the antient usage of the City with some small Restrictions then specified On Wednesday the 20th of June was held a Court of Common Council again at Guild-Hall the Question being put whether they should assent and submit to His Majesties Order of Regulation as above exprest it was carried in the affirmative by the Majority of 18 Voices The Yeas being 104 and the Nays 86. Towards the end of this Trinity-Term was discover'd a Damnable Plot and Conspiracy carried on by those who call themselves True Protestants Mr. West of the Temple was first apprehended examined and Committed And His Majesties Proclamation Dated the 23 of June came out for the apprehension of others who had Conspired against the Lives of