Edenburgh the common People both Men and Women flung cudgels stones stools or any thing that came next hand at him and after that was done re-inforced their assaults upon the Bishops then present Nor was it the rabble only that were disaffected to the Church-Liturgy and Discipline but persons of all degrees and orders who mutually obliged themselves and the Scottish Nation in a Hellish Covenant to extirpate Episcopacy and to defend each other against all persons To reduce this People to a more peaceful practice the King sent Marquess Hamilton as his Commissioner but there were new seeds of discontents and war dayly sown so that to pacific the discontents of the Scots his Majesty at length gave order for revoking the Liturgy the High-Commission the Book of Canons and the five Articles of Perth made by King James also granted that a general assembly of the Kirk should be holden at Glascow Novem. 21. 1638. and a Parliament at Edenburgh 15 of May 1639. When the Assembly were met they fell to declare against Bishops to excomunicate them and their adherents and to abolish Episcopacy and the Covenanters were also so daring that they seized upon the Kings Revenue surprized his Forts and Castles and at last put themselves in Arms. Cardinal Richlieu of France heightning them 't is said in their factious proceeds by promising them assistance from the French King King Charles now well perceiving that his Clemency to the Scots was converted to his own prejudice raises therefore a gallant Army with which he marches within two miles of Berwick within sight of the Rebel Scots but they Petitioning for a pacification the King yielded thereunto A. D. 1639 and June 17 the King disbanded his Army expecting that the Scots would have done the like according to the Articles of accord but the Covenanters instead of keeping those Articles retained their Officers in pay changed the old form of holding Parliaments invaded the Prerogatives of the Crown and solicited the French King for an aid of men and money His Majesty hereupon calls a Parliament in England to sit April 13 1640. and another in Ireland The Irish Parliament granted money to raise and pay 8000 men in Arms and to furnish them with ammunition but the English Parliament were not so free in granting supplies against the Scots although the King promised them for ever to quit his claim of Ship-money and give satisfaction to their just demands if now they would supply him When his Majesty sent old Sir Henry Vane unto them to demand six subsidies he either purposely or accidentally the first is rather thought named twelve which put the Commons into such a heat that they were about to remonstrate against the War with Scotland Whereupon the King was forced to dissolve the Parliament May the 5. 1640. Howbeit he continued the Convocation of the Clergy which granted him four shillings in the pound for all their Ecclesiastical promotions Soon after this a tumult was stirr'd up at the Bishop of Canterbury's insomuch that a great number of Apprentices and vulgar persons assaulted his house at Lambeth some of whom being apprehended and imprisoned were by their Companions rescued out of Prison for which one of the Ringleaders was hang'd and quartered Now whilst these things were acting at home the turbulent Scots had entred England and defeated a part of the Kings Army before the whole could be imbodied and had gained Newcastle and Durham And no sooner was his Majesty come to his Army in the North but there followed him from some English Lords a Petition conformable to the Scotch Remonstrance which they called the intentions of the Army viz. not to lay down Arms till the reformed Religion meaning Scotch Presbytery was setled in both Nations and the causers and abetters of their present troubles were brought to publick Justice and that in Parliament The King therefore summons the Lords to appear at York September the 24 1640. who accordingly met where it was determined that a Parliament should be called to meet November the third following then a Treaty was agreed upon betwixt the English and Scotch for the ceasing of all Acts of Hostility and one of the Articles was That the contribution of 850 l. per diem should be raised out of the English Northern Counties to maintain the Scotch Army during the Treaty and till peace was secured The fatal long Parliament began November the third which day as 't is said was looked upon by the Archbishop of Canterbury as an unlucky day for meeting of Parliaments in reference to Church-affairs having proved so in the time of King Henry the eighth whereupon he advised the King to put off their setting to another day which his Majesty inclined not unto but at their meeting acquainted them that he was resolved to put himself wholly upon his English Subjects that he would satisfie all their just grievances then commended to their care the chasing out of the sawcy Scots making provisions for his own Army and relieving the oppressed Northern Counties But the Parliament instead of complying with their Soveraign in his just proposals they first set upon purging their house of such whom they thought wou'd not comply with their designs finding fault either with their elections or else making them criminals in some publick grievance then setled Committees for grievances and receiving Petitions voted down Monopolies impeached the Lord Wentworth Earl of Strafford of High-Treason and committed him to the black Rod committed Archbishop Laud likewise to the black Rod and ten weeks after voted him guilty of High-Treason and sent him to the Tower In the mean while Prynn Burton and Bastwick were freed from their confinement and conducted into London in great State and Triumph Alderman Pennington with some hundreds attending him presented the Commons with a Petition from the Citizens of London against the present Church-government Divers Petitions from other places came before them of the like nature And now the Parliament well perceiving their own strength and interest drew up a bill for Triennial-Parliaments wherein the power of calling that great Council of the Nation was upon refusal of the King and neglect of others devolved upon Constables This the King through their importunities granted unto them February the 16 the Parliament voted That no Bishop should have any vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star-Chamber-Court nor have any sway in Temporal affairs and that no Clergy-man should be in Commission of Peace And after about five months from their sitting the Earl of Strafford Lord Deputy of Ireland was brought to his Tryal in Westminster Hall before the Lords as his Judges The King Queen and Prince setting behind a curtain in an adjoyning Gallery and round about the Court stood the Commons his accusers and the Witnesses against him were English and Scotch Anti-Episcoparians and Irish Papists his charge consisted of 28 Articles to all which the Earl answered with such firm reasons that he could not be found
this success made the English too secure insomuch that through neglect of seasonable and fitting supplies the Town of Callis was forced to yield to the French upon but indifferent Terms on the English part Thus the Town of Callis won by the victorious King Edward the third and that by no less than eleven months siege was now in the compass of eight days besieged and regained and that in the depth of Winter it being surrendred on January 17th 1557. And in the same month and year were also the strong Forts of Guises and Hames taken by the French whereby all the English footing was lost in France This loss with the absence of King Philip who did not passionately love his consort the Queen is thought to have hastned the death of Queen Mary She was heard to say That the loss of Callis was written in her heart and might therein be read when her body should be opened She died of a burning Fever Novemb. 17th 1558 and was buried at Westminster The Church-possessions which this Queen had in her hands she freely resigned with this saying That she set more by the Salvation of her own Soul than she did by ten Kingdoms Though she was of no bad natural temper yet through a blind zeal she dealt so rigidly and cruelly against those called Sacramentarians the Protestants that in less than four years space she caused to be put to death of them 277. In Smithfield and other parts of the Land were consumed of them in the flames for Christs-sake 5 Bishops 21 Ministers 8 Gentlemen 48 Artificers 100 Husbandmen Servants and Labourers 26 Wives 20 Widows 9 Virgins 2 Boys and 2 Infants one of them whipt to death by bloody Bonner and the other springing out of its mothers womb as she burned at the stake was thrown again into the fire Sixty four more were persecuted for their profession of the true Christian Doctrin whereof 7 were whipped 16 perished in prisons and were buried in dunghills and many lay in captivity condemned till the coming in of Queen Elizabeth and many fled the Realm in those Scorching times amongst whom was Katharine Dutchess of Suffolk the last Wife of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk Pray God of his great mercy defend England from the Religion and cruelties of Antichristian Rome On the self-same day that Queen Mary died died also Cardinal Pole Archbishop of Canterbury and was buried at Canterbury In the raign of this Queen extream dearths raged also Quartain Agues of which many old people died especially Clergy-men At a little Town about a mile and Eastward from Nottingham a Tempest of thunder did great harm beat down many Houses forced the Bells out of the Steeple carrying them to the outside of the Church-yard and some Webs of Lead four hundred foot into the field A Child by the violence of it was taken out of a mans arms and carried a hundred foot Five or six men besides the Child were slain by it Some Hail-stones fell that were fifteen Inches about Mayors and Sheriffs of London in her Raign In her first Year Sir Thomas White was Mayor Thomas Offley William Hewet Sheriffs In her second Year Sir John Lyon was Mayor David Woodroffe William Chester Sheriffs In her third Year Sir William Garret or Gerrard was Mayor Thomas Lee or Leigh John Machel Sheriffs In her fourth Year Sir Thomas Offley was Mayor William Harper John VVhite Sheriffs In her fifth Year Sir Thomas Curteis was Mayor Richard Mallory James Altham Sheriffs In her sixth Year Sir Thomas Lee or Leigh was Mayor John Halsey Richard Champion Sheriffs ELIZABETH A. D. 1558. QUeen Elizabeth the Restorer and Defender of tne publick profession of the Apostolical Religion in England begun her Reign A. D. 1558 Novemb. 17. Upon the death of her sister Queen Mary she removed to the Charter-house of London and from thence was royally attended through the City unto the Tower In which Triumphal state as she passed through the streets of London when the Book of God was presented to her at the little Conduit in Cheapside she received it with both her hands and kissing it laid it to her breast saying That the same had been her chiefest delight and should be the Rule by which she meant to frame her Government January 15 was the Crown-Imperial set on her head by Dr. Oglethorp Bishop of Carlile Shortly after which a Parliament sate wherein the Title of the Supremacy was restored to the Crown with the Tenths and First fruits of all Ecclesiastical Livings and the Book of Common-Prayer set forth in Edward the sixths time was ratified as also those Acts repealed which were Enacted in Queen Maries time in favour of the Romish and against the Reformed Religion During this Parliament a Petition was made unto her Majesty to move her unto Marriage in hope of royal Issue from her To which she replied That she best liked a Virgins life but that if it hapned that her affection should change her choice should be only of such an one as should be as careful as any of themselves for the publick good As for her Issue she said if she should have any it might grow out of kind and prove ungracious and therefore to leave behind her a more lasting and grateful remembrance she held it sufficient that a Marble-stone should declare to posterities that she a Queen had reigned lived and died a Virgin This Maiden-Queen the better to secure her self against the Bishop of Rome who sought to disable her Title by the calumny of Illegitimation entred into a league with some Princes of Germany This done she claimed the restitution of Callis as her right having been lawfully granted and assured by the French themselves unto the Crown of England But the English Queen was not more desirous to have Callis than the French was unwilling to part with it howbeit at length it was thus concluded That Callis should remain French the term of eight years and then to return to the English else the French to pay 500000 Crowns which they never performed though the agreement was sealed and sworn unto Next her Highness proceeds to purge the Clergy of England ordering the Oath of Supremacy and other Articles to be tendred them which many refusing were forthwith deprived of their Ecclesiastical Benefices and Promotions Then went forth Commissioners to suppress those Monasteries restored by Queen Mary Matthew Parker A. B. Cant. and to cast out all Images set up in Churches and after the reducing of Church-matters into order this happy Queen brought her Coyns into fine and pure Sterling debasing of Copper-coins causing likewise great store of Munition Armour and Powder to be brought into the Land and laid up in readiness against a time of need A. D. 1562 Her Majesty sent Ayds into France to support the Reformed Religion there These with great joy were received into the Towns of Newhaven Roan and Deep but within the space of twelve moneths they were forced back
Mayor Stephen Slaney Henry Billingsley Sheriffs In her seven and twentieth Year Sir Wolstone Dixie vvas Mayor Anthony Ratcliffe Henry Pranel Sheriffs In her eight and twentieth Year Sir George Barne was Mayor George House William Elkin Sheriffs In her nine and twentieth Year Sir George Bond was Mayor Thomas Skinner John Catcher Sheriffs In her thirtieth Year Sir Martin Calthorp served one part Sir Richard Martin the other Hugh Offley Richard Saltonstall Sheriffs In her one and thirtieth Year Sir John Hart was Mayor Richard Gurney Stephen Some Sheriffs In her two and thirtieth Year Sir John Allot served one part Sir Rowland Heyward the other Nicholas Mosley Robert Brook Sheriffs In her three and thirtieth Year Sir William Webbe was Mayor VVilliam Rider Benet or Benedict Barnham Sheriffs In her four and thirtieth Year Sir William Roe was Mayor John Garret or Gerrard Robert Taylor Sheriffs In her five and thirtieth Year Sir Cuthbert Buckle served one part Sir Richard Martin the other Paul Banning Peter Haughton Sheriffs In her six and thirtieth Year Sir John Spencer was Mayor Robert Lee Thomas Bennet Sheriffs In her seven and thirteth Year Sir Stephen Slaney was Mayor Thomas Lowe Leonard Halliday Sheriffs In her eight and thirtieth Year Sir Thomas Skinner served one part Sir Henry Billingsley the other John Wats Richard Godard Sheriffs In her nine and thirtieth Year Sir Richard Saltonstall was Mayor Henry Roe John More Sheriffs In her fortieth Year Sir Stephen Some was Mayor Edward Holmedon Robert Hampson Sheriffs In her one and fortieth Year Sir Nicholas Mosley was Mayor Humphrey Walde Roger Clerk Sheriffs In her two and fortieth Year Sir William Rider was Mayor Thomas Smith Thomas Cambel VVilliam Craven Sheriffs In her three and fortieth Year Sir John Garret or Gerrard was Mayor Henry Anderson William Glover Sheriffs In her four and fortieth Year Sir Robert Lee was Mayor James Pemberton John Swinerton Sheriffs JAMES A. D. 1602 KING James his Title to the Crown of England sprung from Henry the seventh whose Issue 〈◊〉 the Male failing in the late deceased Queen Elizabeth the off-spring of Margaret his eldest daughter was the next Heir which Lady Margaret being married unto James the fourth King of Scotland by him had Issue James the fifth whose only daughter and Child Queen Mary was the Mother of King James the sixth of that name that had swayed the Scepter in Scotland Which learned Prince when he heard of the death of Queen Elizabeth set forward out of Scotland and was with great joy received of all his English Subjects in his way to London and at his approach unto that honourable City the Lord Mayor and Aldermen with five hundred choice Citizens all in Chains of Gold and well-mounted met his Majesty and with all solemn observance attended him unto the Charter-house Then preparations were made for his Coronation but before the day appointed thereunto a Proclamation came forth that no Citizen should presume to approch the Court the City having buried in one week above one thousand of the plague And yet a greater plague than this was intended against England about the Kings coming in had not God in his mercy prevented it For Pope Clement the eighth having sent unto Henry Garnet Superior of the Jesuites in England two Bulls therein prohibiting any to be admitted to the Crown unless he would first tolerate the Romish Religion and by all his best endeavours advance that Catholique cause Hereupon the Popes creatures to do their unholy Father the best service they could combined with some whom private discontents had discomposed to surprise the Kings person and Prince Henry intending to retain them prisoners in the Tower or if they could not gain the Tower then to carry them to Dover-Castle and there to keep them till they had brought the King to their own terms and compleated their designs The persons accused for this Conspiracy were Henry Brook Lord Cobham Thomas Lord Grey of Wilton Sir Walter Rawleigh Sir Griffin Markham Sir Edward Parham George Brook and Bartholomew Brooksby Esquires Anthony Copley Gentleman Watson and Clark Priests A. D. 1603 and July 21 King James and Queen Anne were Crowned at Westminster by John Whitguift Archbishop of Canterbury and when the Coronation was over the Conspirators were conveyed to Winchester where the Term was then kept because of the plague at London and there had their Tryal and were all condemned by their Jury save Sir Edward Parham Howbeit only three of them were executed namely Watson Clark and George Brook This business thus Transacted for the safety of King and Kingdom his Majesty to gratify the Puritan or Presbyterian party that had petitioned for a reformation in the English Church commanded an Assembly of selected Divines to appear in his Royal presence at Hampton-Court whither the summoned accordingly repaired Persons summoned to maintain the cause of the Church of England were the Archbishop of Canterbury Bishops of London Durham Winchester c. Persons for the reformation of the Church were Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Sparks of Oxford Mr. Knewstubs and Mr. Chaderton of Cambridge At this conference his Majesty notably vindicated the Church of England see the conference at Hampton-Court Printed 1604. After an indeavour of setling Church-peace the King commanded a new Translation of the holy Scriptures which was accordingly done A. D. 1604 and August the nineteenth was peace proclaimed betwixt the two Nations of Spain and England And the King to joyn the Nations of England and Scotland into an happy unity caused himself by Proclamation to be stiled King of Great Britain A Proclamation also came forth commanding all Jesuites and Seminary Priests out of the Land but these under-miners of Church and State mean not to leave England so but design to stay and triumph in its ruins purposing by one fatal-blow to destroy the King the Prince the Peers both temporal and Spiritual the Knights and Burgesses of Parliament And the Traytors intent when that damnable villany should be effected was to surprize the Queen and remainder of the Kings Issue Richard Bancroft A. B. Cant. to bring in forreign powers and to alter Religion Sir Edward Baynham an Attainted person was sent to the Pope to acquaint him with the designed Gun-powder-Treason and Thomas Winter brought with him out of Flanders Guy Fawks as a fit Executioner of their hellish project The Conspirators resolved among themselves that it was lawful for case of Conscience to destroy the innocent with the nocent and this by the Authority and judgment of Garnet himself Then they took Oath of secresy swearing by the blessed Trinity and the Sacrament they then were about to receive never to disclose directly or indirectly by word or circumstance this their Plot in hand nor any of them to desist from the Execution thereof until the rest of the Conspirators should give leave This done Mr. Thomas Piercy hired an house next adjoyning to the Parliament-House pretending it to be for his Lodgings and
Jester I will take off the fools Cap which I now put upon thy head for sending him thither and put it on the King of Spains for letting him return When the Prince was returned from Spain a Wife was sought for him from France by a marriage with Henrietta Maria the daughter of King Henry the fourth The love of whom the Prince had received by the eye and she of him by the ear For having formerly received impressions from the reports of his gallantry when she was told of his passing through Paris she answered That if he went to Spain for a Wife he might have had one nearer home and saved himself a great part of that labour Prince Charles after the celebrating of his Fathers Funerals whereat himself was chief Mourner he next hastned the coming over of his dearest Consort the Princess Henrietta Maria whom the Duke of Chevereux had in his name espoused at the Church of Nostredame in Paris and he receiving her at Dover the next day after Trinity-Sunday at Canterbury began the Nuptial embraces A. D. 1625 and June the eighteenth a Parliament was assembled at the opening of which the King acquainted them with the necessities of supplies for the War with Spain which themselves importunately had ingaged his Father in and made it as hereditary to him as the Crown But through the practises of some unquiet persons of that Parliament two petitions one respecting Religion the other redress of grievances were brought into debate both formed in King James his time which delayed the succours and increased the necessities Yet at length the Parliament granted two Subsidies Which done and divers Acts passed the Parliament was adjourned till August and their Convention to be at Oxford by reason of the plague then raging in London When the Parliament was met again according to the time appointed there were high and furious debates of grievances as That evil Councels guided the King That the Treasury was misimployed with reflections on the Duke of Buckinghams miscarriages The Commons consulting to divest the Duke of his Admiralship and to demand an account of those publick moneys wherewith he had been intrusted The King hereupon dissolved the Parliament And the infection decreasing at London his Majesty was Crowned at Westminster February the second And February the sixth another Parliament was begun wherein the Commons voted the King four Subsidies But some of the Members highly taxed the Duke of Buckingham and Articles were carryed up against him to the Lords House for his ill management of the Admiralty his ingrossing Offices preferring his kindred to places unfit for them making sale of places of Judicature and his Mother and Father-in-Law's fostering of Popish Recusants These leading Commoners were Mr. Cook Dr. Turner Sir Dudley Digges Sir John Elliot and Sir William Walter And to make the Faction more sport the Duke and Earl of Bristol did mutually impeach each other But his Majesty to put a stop to these contrasts dissolved the Parliament June 18 1626 before the Bill for the Subsidies was passed Therefore the King by the advice of his Council took care to provide money some other ways hence followed the levying of Customes and Imposts upon all such Merchandizes as were imported and exported Then compositions to be made with Recusants for the Leases of their lands and tenements for forfeitures due since the tenth year of King James Also Privy-Seals were issued out and Benevolence proposed c. The several Maritime Counties and Port-Towns were ordered by the Council to set out Ships for the guarding of the Sea-Coasts against the attempts of Spain and Flanders which they very unwillingly if at all yielded unto A Royal Fleet was also preparing to be set out designed for Barbary as was given out But at last as the most expeditious way for raising of money a general Loan was resolved upon and Commissioners forthwith appointed for the purpose which grand Assesment of the Loan met with much opposition from people of all sorts and degrees upon which divers Gentlemen were committed prisoners and George Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury refusing to License a Book in behalf of the Loan was suspended for a time from his Archiepiscopal jurisdiction and Dr. Williams Bishop of Lincoln for speaking some words concerning the Loan in disadvantage of the King fell into some disfavour and Sir Randolph Crew for being backward to promote it was displaced from his Office of Lord Chief Justice A. D. 1627 His Majesty being now sued by the French Protestants of Rochel for his protection and because the King of France had seized on the English Merchants goods in the river of Burdeaux therefore sent the Duke of Buckingham to attach the Isle of Rhee which had now submitted to the English valour had not the Duke managed that War more with the Gayeties of a Courtier than the Arts of a Souldier In this expedition many brave English-men lost their lives from which when the Duke was returned those poor remains of his Army most of them Irish and Scots were billeted in divers villages of England to the great discontent of the Country This Epedition being so unhappy and the miseries of Rochel making them importunate for the Kings assistance he therefore summoned a Parliament to meet March 17th 1627 He also passed a Commission under the great Seal to levy monies throughout the Nation by impositions in nature of Excise When the Parliament were met at their prefixed time there was forthwith presented to the House of Commons a certain Paper called a Speech without-dores Wherein was laid open the miscarriages of many persons in places of Trust with several sorts of National grievances The first matter that the Parliament took into their consideration was the grievances of the Country and the first grievance they debated was the Case of those Gentlemen who having refused the Loan were notwithstanding their Habeas Corpus committed to prison This business took up a long debate and earnest which was chiefly managed by Sir Francis Seymour Sir Thomas Wentworth Sir Benjamin Rudyard Sir Edward Cook and Sir Robert Philips Next the House proceeded to the drawing up of a Petition against Recusants to which Petition the King gave a satisfactory answer Then after the granting of the King five Subsidies they took into debate the Petition of Right wherein they prayed his Most Excellent Majesty First That no man hereafter be compelled to make or yield any Gift Loan Benevolence Tax or such like charge without common consent by Act of Parliament and that none be called to make answer or to take such Oath or to give attendance or be confined or otherwise molested concerning the same Secondly That no Free-man be taken and imprisoned or be disseized of his freedom or liberty or his free-customes or be out-lawed or exiled but by the lawful judgment of his Peers or by the Laws of the Land Thirdly That the Souldiers and Mariners now billeted in divers Counties might be removed and the people
in their service for the Publick Cause should be secured from the injury of their Masters and their time to go on toward their freedom by which means multitudes of Youth forsook their Masters to fight for the Parliament They also invited their Brethren the Scots as they call'd them to come into England to their aid And to animate the people to take up Arms for the Parliament some busie Clergy-men made great not good use of that sacred Text in their Pulpits Curse ye Meroz c. Judges the 5.23 But blessed are the Peace makers saith the Prince of peace About the beginning of March Commissioners were appointed to treat at Oxford in order to a rcconcilation but the Parliaments proposals were so out of reason that the treaty proved fruitless A. D. 1643 in the beginning of the Spring the Queen returned into England bringing with her considerable supplies of Men Money and Ammunition out of France and that year his Majesty became Master of the North and West some few Garisons excepted July the 5th Sir Ralph Hopton with his Cavaliers routed Sir William Waller at Lansdown near Bath and July the 15th he again defeated him at Roundway-hill by the Devizes killing many hundreds in the place and taking many more Prisoners Bristol and Exeter were yielded unto those two Martial Princes Rupert and Maurice Sons of Fredrick Prince Palatine of the Rhine and Elizabeth his Wife Sister to King Charles the first Gloucester the King besieged with a brave Army and the besieged under the command of Colonel Edward Massey defended themselves with great bravery till the Earl of Essex came with an Army and raised the Siege From this Siege the two Armies marched within few miles each of the other without any engagement save a little skirmish by Alborne-Chace till they came to Newbury where a sore Battel was fought On the Kings part were slain the Earls of Carnarvon and Sunderland and the Learned Lord Faulkland Essex lost many of his Officers January the 22 those loyal Members of Parliament who dissented from them at Westminster met at Oxford by the Kings Summons of these besides the Prince and Duke of York the Lord Keeper Littleton Treasurer Cottington Duke of Richmond and Marquess of Hartford there were nineteen Earls and as many Lords and one hundred and seventeen Knights and Gentlemen Other Loyal Lords Knights and Gentlemen Members of Parliament were at this time imployed in the Kings service in divers places of the Nation In this month and year the Scotch Army under the Conduct of the Earl of Leven entred England for the Parliament being about 18000 foot and 2000 horse About this time was Loyal Newark besieged by Sir John Meldram but by Prince Ruperts coming it was relieved and the Parlimentarians forced to march away after great losses on such conditions as the Prince would grant them This year upon a cessation of Arms in Ireland some forces came over to the Kings assistance This year also that Rebellious thing called a Parliament at Westminster and their Adherents and some to save themselves from punishment took the Scottish Solemn League and Covenant with hands lifted up to the most high God swearing to endeavour the preservation of the reformed Religion the extirpation of Popery and Prelacy to preserve the Rights and priviledges of Parliament and liberties of the Kingdom and to defend and preserve the Kings Majesties person and Authority c. All the Parliaments pretence in raising Arms was reformation for the defence of the Kings person to rescue him from his evil Council and to make him a glorious King which at length they did when they deprived him of his natural life A. D. 1644 Sir William Waller defeated Sir Ralph Hopton about Brandon Heath The Lord Fairfax and his Son Sir Thomas took divers of the Kings Garisons in the North. Prince Rupert raised the Siege of Latham-house June the 29 the Kings forces gave a great defeat to Wallers Army at Cropredy-bridge And presently after this the King drove the Earl of Essex up into Cornwall but the Earl deserted his Army passing by water to Plymouth and his horse taking the advantage of a dark night escaped leaving the Foot to shift how they could who capitulated for their lives leaving their Arms Cannon Amunition and Baggage to the Kings disposal Then Ilferdcomb Barnstable and Saltash yielded to the King who now victoriously marched towards London July the third was a great fight at Maston-Moor where the Parliament obtained a very considerable Victory And October the 27th Essex Waller and the Earl of Manchester met the King as he came out of the West at Newbury where a sharp Battle was fought and the Kings part forced out of the field In November Mac-Mahon an Irish Rebel was hang'd and quartered at Tyburn And December 23d Sir Alexander Carew was beheaded on Tower-hill for attempting to give up the Island of Plymouth to the Kings forces January the first Hotham the Son and January the second Hotham the Father were beheaded on Tower-hill for designing to betray Hull to the Royalists and for other treacheries January the 10th William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-hill where he preached his last Sermon taking for his Text Heb. 12. Vers 2 So yielded his neck to the stroak of the Executioner The charge against him was endeavouring to subvert the Laws Religion and Priviledges of Parliament January the 30th by his Majesties procurement a Treaty was held at Vxbridge where the Parliaments demands were That Episcopacy might be extirpated that Presbytery might be establisht and that the King should yield up the Militia solely into the Parliaments dispose which were such unreasonable demands that the King could not yield to them February the 20th the Lord Mac-Guire another of the grand Irish Rebels was executed at Tyburn About this time was the Parliaments Army new-moduled The Earl of Essex and the other Commanders who were Parliament-men Oliver Cromwel was excepted were by the self-denying ordinance lately made to attend in Parliament in whose steads other and more active persons were appointed Sir Thomas Fairfax was constituted Captain-General Oliver Cromwel then the Sectaries Darling was made Lieutenant-General Henry Ireton Commissary-General c. After which model the Kings affairs of the Nation began fatally to decline A. D. 1645 His Majesty drew his Army out of Oxford in order to relieve his Nothern Counties and Garisons but after he had stormed and taken Leicester in his way he was called back to secure Oxford which the Parliament Army threatned with a Siege This while Sir Thomas Fairfax had intercepted a Letter of the Lord Gorings to the King wherein that Loyal Subject had desired of his Majesty to forbear engaging with the Enemy till he could be joyned with him Hereupon Fairfax left his Siege afore Oxford and made directly towards the King with a purpose to fight him before that addition of strength should come in And at a place near
following he was condemned of Felony as seeking the death of some of the Kings Counsellors and on Febr. 22 of the same year he was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-hill where he thus spake to the people Dearly beloved Friends I am brought hither to suffer death albeit I never offended against the King either in word or deed and have always been as true and faithful to this Realm as any man hath been But forasmuch as I am by Law condemned to die I do acknowledg my self as well as others to be subject thereunto Wherefore to testifie my obedience which I owe unto the Laws I am come hither to suffer death whereunto I willingly offer my self with most hearty thanks unto God that hath given me this time of repentance who might through sudden death have taken away my life that I neither should have acknowledged him nor my self When having uttered these words with others exhortatory That the people would continue constant in the Gospel suddenly there was heard a great noise whereby the assembly was struck into great fear which noise was made by some of the Trainband-Hamlets coming hurrying on the Tower-hill This stir being ceased another presently insued for the people seeing Sir Anthony Brown ride towards the Scaffold they violently ran and crowded together thitherward supposing he had brought a pardon from the King and with a sudden shout cried a pardon a pardon God save the King But these interruptions over the Duke proceeded in his speech requesting the people to join in prayer with him for the King exhorting them unto obedience to him and his Council Which done asking every man forgiveness and declaring that he freely forgave every man he meekly submitted his head to the Axe Whose death the people were much grieved for speaking very bitterly against the Duke of Northumberland and the good King sorely mourned because of it which likely did much increase his Consumptive distemper that brought him to his end Whilst he lay in his weakness he was over-wrought to disinherit his two sisters Mary and Elizabeth and to ordain by Will for his Successor to Englands Diadem Guilford Dudley's Wife Jane the elder Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whose Mother the Lady Frances was the Daughter of Mary Queen of France and Charles Branden Duke of Suffolk Unto this Will of King Edward all his Council the Bishops and all the Judges saving Sir John Hallis subscribed When the King drew towards his last breath he prayed as followeth Lord God deliver me out of this miserable life and take me among thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake if it be thy will send me life and health that I may truly serve thee O my Lord bless thy people and save thine inheritance O Lord God save thy chosen people of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and my people may praise thy holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christs sake So turning his face and seeing some by him he said I thought you had not been so nigh Yes said Dr. Owen we heard you speak to your self Then said the King I was praying to God O I am faint Lord have mercy upon me and receive my Spirit And in so saying he yielded up the Ghost July 6 1553. And was interred in the Chappel of St. Peters at Westminster He was a Prince very well learned in the Latin and Greek Tongues also in the French Spanish and Italian adorned with the skill of Logick Natural Philosophy Musick and Astronomy Of such observation and memory that he could tell and recite all the Ports Havens and Creeks belonging to England Scotland and France what coming in there was how the Tide served in every of them what burden of Ship and what wind best served the coming into them Of all his Nobles chief Gentry and Magistrates he took special notice of their hospitality and religious conventions He was very sparing of his Subjects blood though rebells or hereticks When Joan Butcher was to be burnt for heresie all his Council could not move him to sign the Warrant for her execution till Dr. Cranmer A. B. laboured with him therein to whom the King said What my Lord will you have me send her quick to hell And taking the Pen he used this speeeh I will lay all the charge hereof upon Cranmer before God So zealous he was for the reformed Religion and against Popery that he thrust out all the Roman fopperies out of the Churches and superstitions out of the English Church nor would he permit his sister Mary to have Mass said in her house though the Emperour Charles made suit for it in her behalf So charitable that he conferred on the City of London Christs-Hospital and St. Thomas-Hospital for the relief of the Impotent fatherless Children and wounded Soldiers and Bridewell for vagabond and idle persons and so circumspect as to himself and publick that he kept a Journal-Book written with his own hand how all things proceeded with him and the state even from the first day of his raign unto his death The Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings Reign In his first Year Sir John Gresham was Mayor Thomas White Robert Chertsey Sheriffs In his second Year Henry Amcoats was Mayor William Lock Sir John Ayleph Sheriffs In his third Year Sir Rowland Hill was Mayor John Yorke Richard Turk Sheriffs In his fourth Year Sir Andrew Jud was Mayor Augustine Hinde John Lion Sheriffs In his fifth Year Sir Richard Dobbes was Mayor John Lambert John Cowper Sheriffs In his sixth Year Sir George Barne was Mayor William Garret or Gerard John Mainard Sheriffs Queen MARY A.D. 1553 PIOVS King Edward having exchanged this wretched life for an happy the Councel in the first place perswaded the Lord Mayor and certain of the Aldermen of London to take their Oathes to be faithful to the Lady Jane Grey then caused the said Lady Jane to be proclaimed in London Queen of England But when Queen Mary heard the news of her brothers death and the Councels proceeds by her Letters she required the Councel as they tendred her displeasure and their own safeties to proclaim her Queen and Governour of the Land Unto which Letters the Lords forthwith answered That by good Warrant of Ancient Laws of the Realm besides the last Will of King Edward the right was in the Lady Jane to govern England unto whom therefore and none other they must yield subjection They also remembred the Queen of the unlawful marriage and divorce of her Mother of her own illegitimation desiring her to forbear any furder claim and to submit her self to the Queen Jane now her Soveraign Which Letters sent to Queen Mary were subscribed by Thomas Canterbury Archbishop Thomas Ely Chancellor Henry Suffolk Duke The Duke of
guilty of Treason either in particulars or in the whole The Parliament therefore resolved for right or wrong this wise man must fall to proceed against him by Bill of Attainder and upon April the 19 by making a Law after the fact vote him guilty of High-Treason yet withal add a caution for the security of themselves that it should not be drawn into a president Which vote of theirs passed not without a long debate and contention and 59 of the Members honestly dissented from the vote whose names were afterwards posted and marked for the fury of the Rabble In the bill of Attainder the Earl was charged for endeavouring to subvert the ancient Fundamental Laws and Government of the Realms and for exercising a tyranous and exorbitant power over the liberties and estates of his Majesties Subjects and for having by his own authority commanded the laying and assessing of Soldiers upon his Majesties Subjects in Ireland And also for that upon the dissolution of the last Parliament he did slander the House of Commons to his Majesty and did advise his Majesty that he was loosed and absolved from rules of Government and that he had an Army in Ireland which he might imploy to reduce the Kingdom And that the said Earl had been an Incendiary of the Wars betwixt England and Scotland c. May the first his Majesty called both Houses together and told them that he had been present at the hearing of the great Cause and that in his Conscience positively he could not condemn the Earl of Treason and yet could not clear him of misdemeanours but hoped a way might be found out to satisfie Justice and their fears without oppressing his Conscience May the second the Prince of Orange was Married to the Princess Mary at Whitehall May the third there came a seditious Rabble of about 5 or 6000 of the dregs of the People armed with staves cudgels and other instruments of outrage to the Parliament-dores clamouring Justice Justice and posted upon the gate of Westminster a Catalogue of names of those that would have acquitted the Earl whom they stiled Straffordians Then at the dores of the House of Peers they affronted some of the Lords especially the Bishops at their passing in and out after this they forced open the dores of the Abby-Church where they broke down the Organs spoiled the Vestments and Ornaments of Worship From thence they hurried to the Court and there most Impudently and Traiterously cried out That they would have Straffords head or a better upbraiding the King himself who perswaded them as they passed by to a modest care of their own private affairs with an unfitness to Reign and when some Justices of the Peace according to their Office endeavoured to suppress those tumults by imprisoning some of the Leaders of them they themselves were imprisoned by the command of the Commons upon pretext of an injury offered to the Liberties of the Subject one of which was as they then dictated that every one might safely Petition the Parliament howbeit afterwards they acted quite contrary to such whose Petitions were too honest to please them But notwithstanding these tumultuous inforcements his Majesty would not sign the Bill of Attainder till he had consulted both with the Judges as to matter of Law and the Bishops as to matter of Conscience When the Judges told his Majesty that in point of Law according to the Oath made by Sir Henry Vane of the Earls advice to raise horse to awe this Nation the Earl was guilty of Treason 't is said an eminent Bishop did answer the King that he had a Conscience as a private man and as a publick and though by his private Conscience he could not yield to the Earls death yet by his publick considering the present state of things he might May the 10. With much reluctancy the King signed a Commission to some Lords to pass that Bill of Attainder and another of ill consequence also which was for continuation of the Parliament during the pleasure of the two Houses May the 12 1641 was the Earl of Strafford strongly guarded to the Tower-Hill and there with courage beseeming a Christian he suffered the severing of his Head from his body The death of which great and able Minister of State did so terrifie the other Ministers of State that many of them made a voluntary resignation of their Offices At the request of the house of Commons the King for peace-fake relinquished his claim to Tonnage and Poundage and yielded to sign the Bills for taking away of the High-Commission and Star-Chamber Courts A. D. 1641 and October the 12 the Natives or wild Irish began a most bloody Rebellion throughout the whole Kingdom of Ireland on a suddein invading the unprovided English that were scattered amongst them despoiling them of their goods and massacring 200000 of them without any respect of sex age kindred or friendship making them as so many sacrifices to their bloody superstition the Popish Religion The chief heads of this Rebellion and Massacre besides the Priests were Sir Phelim O-Neal Turbough O-Neal his Brother Rowry Mac-Guire Philip O-Rely Moelmurry O-Rely Sir Conno Mac-Gennis Mac-Brian and Mac-Mahon His Majesty then in Scotland having intelligence of the dismal fate of the English in Ireland sent post to the Parliament of England to have them send reliefs thither but differences still heightning betwixt the King and his Parliament succours were not seasonably sent by which the Rebels much strengthened themselves At the Kings return from Scotland the Parliament presented him with a Petition for taking away the votes of Bishops in the House of Lords and the Ceremonies of the Church and for the removing of evil Councellors from about him Their grand Remonstrance they also presented him wherein were reckoned up the offences of the Courtiers the unpleasing resolves of some Judges the neglects or rigours of some Ministers of State the undigested Sermons of some Preachers the Positions of some Divines in the Schools unpleasing accidents they therein represented as designs of Tyranny and those things which had been reformed were yet mentioned as burthens To this Remonstrance his Majesty answered That he thought he had given satisfaction to his Peoples fears and jealousies concerning Religion Liberty and Civil Interests by the Bills he had past this Parliament desiring that misunderstandings might be removed on either side and that the bleeding condition of Ireland might perswade them to unity for the relief of that unhappy Kingdom But this modest answer of his Majesties did not at all satisfie the factious The Apprentices and Rabble in great numbers and much confusion resorted again to Westminster some crying out against Bishops and Liturgy of the Church others boldly menacing that the Militia should be taken out of the Kings hands Affronting the Bishops at their passing in and out of the Lords House and before Whitehall behaving themselves very insolently His Majesty hereupon took a Guard of such Gentlemen as offered their
thereby to exclude such Peers as have been faithful to the Parliament from their priviledg of being duly summoned to be Members of that House Then they took into their consideration the Cases of divers persons who had been imprisoned in the time of Oliver Major General Overton and others of the Common-wealth party they released The Duke of Buckingham was also freed out of Windsor-Castle upon his Father-in-Law the Lord Fairfax's giving 20000 l. security that he should not seek by any means to promote the interest of Charles Stuart Next after long and tedious debates they yielded that the Members who had been returned to serve for Scotland and Ireland should continue to set amongst them as Members for that present Parliament They likewise proceeded to draw up a bill which should be entituled An Act of Recognition of his Highness his right and title to be Protector and chief Magistrate of the Common-wealth of England c. But this was never perfected A. D. 1659 The Army now grew jealous of his Highness complaining of his company that he kept how that divers of them were no better than Cavaliers censuring his Religion also giving out that Godliness was discouraged by him that he rather favoured those of loose principles than the zealous professors of the Gospel April the 6th General Charles Fleetwood presented the Protector a Representation from the Officers of the Army wherein they complained That they who had born the brunt of the War were now despised and like to be laid aside That the Cavaliers held dangerous meetings in and about London That lists of the names of such who were the Tryers of the old King were Printed in red Letters and scattered about as if they were men appointed for destruction That the famous actions of the long Parliament and his late Highness in and since 1648 were traduced and vilified Therefore they desired that his Highness would be pleased to represent these things to the Parliament and procure their remedies The Army also began to grow jealous also of the Parliament as if they were too favourable to the Royal party and joyned with the Protector to bring the Officers of the Army into subjection Thereupon the General-Council of Officers held many meetings and consultations which the Parliament hearing of voted that there should be no meeting nor General Council of Officers without consent and by order of his Highness the Lord Protector And that no person should have any command in the Army who should refuse to subscribe that he will not disturb the free meetings in Parliament or their freedom in their debates and counsels These votes the Protector sent to the Officers of the Army which they valued not at all but on the contrary resolved that the Parliament should be dissolved And in order thereunto Desbrough with other chief Officers went to the Protector and forced him to sign a Commission for the Parliaments dissolution and accordingly the Parliament was dissolved Which being effected their next work was to put a period to the Protectors power by restoring that remnant of the Long Parliament which his Father had turned out to which end the Officers of the Army invited those Members of Parliament who continued sitting till April the 20th 1653. and promised them that they would be ready in their places to yield them their utmost assistance that they might set and act in safety These Members accepted their invitation and accordingly took their places in Parliament May the seventh and upon notice that these were again housed divers of those that were secluded in 1648 attempted to have taken their places but were repulsed Then these Members caused the Protectors Great Seal to be broken and voted their own old Seal up again Then sent to the Protector for an acknowledgment from him of his submission to their government and accordingly on May the twenty-fifth he made his resignation and submission declaring in writing That though in respect to the particular engagements that lay upon him he could not be active in making a change in the Government of these Nations yet through the goodness of God he would freely acquiesce in its being made and that he held himself ingaged as with other men he expected Protection from the present Government so to demean himself with all peaceableness under it and to procure to the utmost of his power that all in whom he had interest should do the same In short time after this Henry Cromwel came over and yielded up the Lieutenancy of Ireland unto the Members sitting at Westminster who appointed five Commissioners for the Government of that Kingdom General Monck in Scotland conformed himself to their directions and Colonel Lockhart Governour of Dunkirk likewise submitted to their Authority Then this Junto commanded all such as had been in Arms for the King to depart twenty Miles from London passed an Act for setling of the Militia in the respective Counties of England and Wales Ordered a whole years Assessment at 35000 l. a month on England 6000 l. the month on Scotland and 9000 l. on Ireland to be paid into the Treasury before the eleventh of August next following Ordered the immediate sale of White-Hall Hampton-Court and Sommerset-House towards payment of the Armies Arrears To their quondam Protector they were so friendly as to protect him from all arrests and withal to promise the payment of all his debts for his Fathers Funeral and other occasions which amounted to 29640 l. but this they never performed The while these things were in agitation the Kings friends were very busie in promoting his interest by engaging as many as they could for his service in all places of England and so successful was the Kings Commissioners that great part of the Nobility and Gentry of England and Wales were interested by them in the Kings quarrel and a day was fixed in July for their appearing in Arms the first rising was to be chiefly of such as had never engaged on the Kings side in the late Wars thereby to draw the Army unto a more faint opposition Sir George Booth Sir Thomas Middleton and some other of the old Parliamentarians raised a party in Cheshire Flintshire and Lancashire to the number of about three or four thousand men who declared for a Free Parliament and the due rights and priviledges of the Nation against that Phanatick and unlawful power which now usurped dominion over them But Major General Lambert marching speedily against them and encountring them his old Souldiers without much bloodshed totally routed them near unto Nantwich August the 17th Colonel Charles White raised a small party in Nottingham and Derby-Shires other inconsiderable parties were raised in other parts but dispersed themselves again for the Rulers at Westminster having met with some hint of this designed rising had so ordered their standing-Army and Militia-forces in most places of the Land that no considerable parties of the Kings friends could have opportunity to get into a Body After the defeat of