her own Kingdome by strengthning the hands of Protestants abroad insomuch as she stood at last above the reach of any enemy by open warre and protected by God though often attempted by domestick Treasons and Assasinations till in the end she died in a good old age leaving to her Successor King JAMES the Kingdom of England in an happier condition then ever it was the Kingdome of Ireland wholly subdued and reduced to reap for himselfe the harvest of all her labour and expence and nothing to do for it but to propagate the true Faith in that Kingdome which she prevented by death could not performe and was in probability an easie taske for King JAMES at that time much conducing besides the honour of God to his owne Temporall strength and greatnesse if he had onely gone fairely on in that way which Queene ELIZABETH had made plaine for him The Prosperity of England seemed then at the height or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it pleases God that States many times shall decline from their happinesse without any apparent signes to us or reasons that we can give as a Heathen complaines Oh faciles dare summa Deos eademque tueri Difficiles Lucan How easie are the Gods to raise States high But not to keepe them so These things have made some high-reaching Writers impute the raising and declination of Kingdomes and Common-wealths to certaine aspects of heavenly Constellations to Conjunctions and Oppositions of Planets and various Ecclipses of Celestiall Luminaries others to an hidden strength and secret efficacy of Numbers themselves and most men to the perpetuall Rotation of fortune but the judgements of God in those things are past our finding out and they are too wise who are not content sometimes to wonder For King JAMES the Successour to Queene ELIZABETH was a wise and learned Prince of disposition mercifull and gracious excellently grounded in that Religion which he professed as the world may finde by his extant writings a Prince of whom England conceived wonderfull hope and received with great joy and Triumph but he did not beginne where his Predecessor left proceeding rather in a contrary way what the reasons of it were I will not at all presume to deliver my opinion though some have beene bold to write and publish of late yeeres that it was feare for his own Person that made him to temporize with Rome considering the boldnesse of Jesuiticall Assasines others more candidly conceived it might be his great desire of peace and union with other Princes though he might erre in the meanes of attaining that end for he was by nature a great seeker of Peace and abhorrer of bloodshed according to that Motto which he ever used Beati Pacifici I cannot search into mens thoughts but onely relate the Actions which appeared King JAMES at the beginning of his Reigne made a Peace with Spaine which was brought very low by Queene ELIZABETH and had beene neerer to ruine in all probability had she lived a few yeares longer the Estates of the united Provinces of the Netherlands those usefull Confederates to England began to be despised by the English Court under a vaine shadow in stead of a reason that they were an ill example for a Monarch to cherish Then began secret Treaties to passe betwixt Rome and the Court of England care to be taken about reconciliation of Religions the rigour of Penall Lawes against the Papists notwithstanding that odious plot of the Gunpowder Treason was abated the pompe of Prelacy and multitude of Ceremonies encreased daily in the Church of England and according to that were all Civill Affaires managed both at home and abroad Neither was it easie for the King to turne himselfe out of that way when he was once entred into it so that at last the Papists began by degrees to be admitted neerer to him in service and conversation Exceeding desirous he then was to match the Prince his Sonne to the Infanta of Spaine about which many and long Treaties passed wherein not onely the Spaniard but the Pope made many present advantages of the Kings earnest desires and many waies deluded him as it appeared plainely by his owne Letters to his Ambassadours there since found and published Thus was the King by degrees brought not onely to forsake but to oppose his owne interest both in civill and religious affaires which was most unhappily seene in that cause as the Duke of ROHAN observed wherein besides the interest of all Protestants and the honour of his Nation the estate and livelihood of his owne children were at the height concerned the Palatinate businesse From hence slowed a farther mischiefe for the King being loath perchance that the whole people should take notice of those waies in which he trod grew extremely dis-affected to Parliaments calling them for nothing but to supply his expences dissolving them when they began to meddle with State Affaires and divers times imprisoning the Members for Speeches made in Parliament against the fundamentall priviledges of that high Court Parliaments being thus despised and abused projects against the Lawes were found out to supply the Kings expences which were not small and the King whether to avoid the envy of those things or the trouble of them did in a manner put off all businesse of Government from himselfe into the hands of a young Favourite the Duke of BUCKINGHAM whom he had raised from a Knights fourth Sonne to that great height and entrusted with the chiefe Offices of the Kingdome besides the great power which he had by that extraordinary favour of confering all places and preferments both in Church and State This Duke not long before the death of King JAMES was growne into extraordinary favour and intirenesse with the Prince whom he afterward swayed no lesse then he had before his father like an unhappy vapour exhaled from the earth to so great an height as to cloud not only the rising but the setting Sunne King CHARLES with great hopes and expectation of the people and no lesse high expressions of love and duty from all in generall began his Reigne on the 27 of March 1624. and indeed that love which the people bare to his Person had been before testified whilest he was yet Prince at his returne from Spaine though the journey it selfe had not beene pleasing to the Kingdome for when the people saw him arrived in safety there needed no publike Edict for thanksgiving or joy every society and private family as if the hearts of all had beene in one did voluntarily assemble themselves together praising God with singing of Psalmes with joyfull feasting and charity to the poore insomuch that I suppose the like consent without any interposing authority hath not been often knowne The same affections followed him to his Throne the same hopes and faire presages of his future Government whilest they considered the temperance of his youth how cleare he had lived from personall vice being growne to the age of 23. how untainted of
of the Nation though a number considerable enough to make a Reformation hard compared with those Gentlemen who were sensible of their birth-rights and the true interest of the Kingdome on which side the common people in the generality and Country Freeholders stood who would rationally argue of their owne Rights and those oppressions that were layed upon them But the sins of the English Nation were too great to let them hope for an easie or speedy redresse of such grievances and the manners of the people so much corrupted as by degrees they became of that temper which the Historian speakes of his Romans ut nec mala nec remedia ferre possent they could neither suffer those pressures patiently nor quietly endure the cure of them Prophannesse too much abounded every where and which is most strange where there was no Religion yet there was Superstition Luxury in diet and excesse both in meat and drinke was crept into the Kingdome in an high degree not only in the quantity but in the wanton curiosity And in abuse of those good creatures which God had bestowed upon this plentifull Land they mixed the vices of divers Nations catching at every thing that was new and forraigne Non vulgo not a placebant Petronius Gaudia non usu plebejo trita voluptas Old knowne delight They scorne and vulgar bare-worne pleasure sleight As much pride and excesse was in Apparell almost among all degrees of people in new fangled and various fashioned attire they not only imitated but excelled their forraigne patternes and in fantasticall gestures and behaviour the petulancy of most Nations in Europe Et laxi crines tot nova nomina vestis Petr. Loose haire and many new found names of clothes The serious men groaned for a Parliament but the great Statesmen plyed it the harder to compleat that worke they had begun of setting up Prerogative above all Lawes The Lord WENTWORTH afterward created Earle of STRAFFORD for his service in that kinde was then labouring to oppresse Ireland of which he was Deputy and to begin that worke in a conquered Kingdome which was intended to be afterward wrought by degrees in England And indeed he had gone very farre and prosperously in those waies of Tyranny though very much to the end ammaging and setting backe of that newly established Kingdome He was a man of great parts of a deepe reach subtle wit of spirit and industry to carry on his businesse and such a conscience as was fit for that worke he was designed to He understood the right way and the Liberty of his Country as well as any man for which in former Parliaments he stood up stiffely and seemed an excellent Patriot For those abilities he was soone taken off by the King and raised in honour to be imployed in a contrary way for inslaving of his Country which his ambition easily drew him to undertake To this man in my opinion that character which LUCAN bestowes upon the Roman Curio in some sort may suit Haud alium tauta civem tulit indole Roma Aut â— ui plus Leges deberent recta sequenâ—i Perdita tune urbi nocuerunt secula postquam Ambitus Luxus opum metuenda facultas Transverso mentem dubiam Torrente tulerunt Momentumque fuit mutatus curio rerum A man of abler parts Rome never bore Nor one to whom whilest right the Lawes ow'd more Our State it selfe then suffer'd when the tide Of Avarice Ambition factious pride To turne his wavering minde quite crosse began Of such high moment was one changed man The Court of England during this long vacancy of Parliaments enjoyed it selfe in as much pleasure and splendour as ever any Court did The Revels Triumphs and Princely Pastims were for those many yeares kept up at so great a height that any stranger which travelled into England would verily believe a Kingdom that looked so cheerefully in the face could not be sick in any part The Queene was fruitfull and now growne of such an age as might seeme to give her priviledge of a farther society with the King then bed and board and make her a partner of his affaires and businesse which his extreme affection did more encourage her to challenge That conjugall love as an extraordinary vertue of a King in midst of so many temptations the people did admire and honour But the Queenes power did by degrees give priviledge to Papists and among them the most witty and Jesuited to converse under the name of civility and Courtship not only with inferiour Courtiers but the King himselfe and to sowe their seed in what ground they thought best and by degrees as in complement to the Queene Nuntio's from the Pope were received in the Court of England PANZANI CON and ROSETTI the King himselfe maintaining in discourse That he saw no reason why he might not receive an Embassadour from the Pope being a Temporall Prince But those Nuntio's were not entertained with publike Ceremony so that the people in generall tooke no great notice of them and the Courtiers were confident of the Kings Religion by his due frequenting Prayers and Sermons The Clergy whose dependance was meerely upon the King were wholly taken up in admiration of his happy Government which they never concealed from himselfe as often as the Pulpit gave them accesse to his eare and not onely there but at all meetings they discoursed with joy upon that Theam affirming confidently that no Prince in Europe was so great a friend to the Church as King CHARLES That Religion flourished no where but in England and no reformed Church retained the face and dignity of a Church but that Many of them used to deliver their opinion That God had therefore so severely punished the Palatinate because their Sacriledge had beene so great in taking away the endowments of Bishopricks Queene ELIZABETH her selfe who had reformed Religion was but coldly praised and all her vertues forgotten when they remembred how she cut short the Bishoprick of Ely HENRY the eight was much condemned by them for seizing upon the Abbies and taking so much out of the severall Bishopricksâ— as he did in the 37 yeer of his Reigne To maintaine therefore that splendour of a Church which so much pleased them was become their highest endeavour especially after they had gotten in the yeare 1633. an Archbishop after their owne heart Doctor LAUD who had before for divers yeares ruled the Clergy in the secession of Archbishop ABBOT a man of better temper and discretion which discretion or vertue to conceale would be an injury to that Archbishop he was a man who wholly followed the true interest of England and that of the Reformed Churches in Europe so farre as that in his time the Clergy was not much envied here in England nor the Government of Episcopacy much dis-favoured by Protestants beyond the Seas Not onely the pompe of Ceremonies were daily increased and innovations of great scandall brought into the Church but in point of
expected and obtruded upon Ireland when not desired Many particulars of that nature were expressed in the Scottish Remonstrance CHAP. VI. The Parliament beginneth in England but is soone dissolved The Clergy continue their Convocation The Scots enter into England Some passages of the Warre A Parliament is called to begin on the third of November A Truce betweene the Armies for two Moneths VPon the thirteenth of Aprill the Parliament began when the King produced that forenamed writing of his Scottish Subjects to the French King as an apparent token of their disloyalty and a necessity in him of chastising them by Armes for which he had already made so great a preparation as required a present supply of money from this Parliament To the same purpose that the King had briefly expressed himself the Lord Keeper FINCH in a long and eloquent Oration dilated the businesse Twelve Subsidies were demanded by the King in lieu of which the release of Ship-Money was promised to which demand answer was made by divers Members of the House in severall Speeches That redresse of grievances was the chiefe end of assembling Parliaments and ought to precede granting of Subsidies Which not onely reason but the constant practise of all ages had confirmed That there was never more need of redressing grievances than at this time without which the people would repine to part with twelve Subsidies That the sum was extraordinary great especially to be given for releasing of that which they never conceived the King had any Title to but had taken by power against the Lawes The King promised that grievances should be afterwards redressed but required the Money first because there was a necessity of hastening the Warre without which the opportunity of Summer would be lost To which it was answered by many That the people had no reason to pay for that which was never caused nor desired by them nor could any way prove to their good but quite contrary to the danger and detriment of the whole Kingdome That the same people would undoubtedly pay with more willingnesse so many Subsidies to prevent that unhappy Warre to settle the State and punish the principall contrivers or assistors of that disturbance Among all the Gentlemen of the House of Commons who spake to that purpose the Lord GEORGE DIGBY Sonne to the Earle of Bristoll a young Nobleman of extraordinary abilities was â—minent for a Speech there wherein complaining that the House was required to give present answer concerning supplies to the King to ingage himself in a Warre and that a Civill Warre For said he so I must needs call it seeing we are of the same Religion and under the same King He divided his Complaint into five heads 1. We are not permitted to redresse grievances at all 2. We are not permitted so much as to represent to His Majesty the dis-affection of his Subjects to this Warre 3. We are not permitted to say That we thinke they are the same persons that are the causers of our grievances and the grievances of Scotland and that the cutting off of those Incendiaries of State would be a safe easie and honourable cure 4. That Warre will make the breach wider and the remedy desperate 5. That the best Iustice is to fill the pits which are made to intrap others with the bodies of those that digged them c. Master PYM also a grave and religious Gentleman in a long Speech of almost two houres recited a Catalogue of all the grievances which at that time lay heavy upon the Common-wealth Of which many abbreviated Copies as extracting the heads onely were with great greedinesse taken by Gentlemen and others throughout the Kingdom for it was not then in fashion to print Speeches of Parliament Divers of the Members besides too many to be here named did fully descant upon such particular grievances as they had informed themselves of in their severall Countries and Burroughs But it is most true though it have been said Quicquid multis peccatur inultum est That there was never any Parliament which was more unanimous in apprehension of grievances and yet more moderate in the Language and manner of declaring against them And so great seemed to be their care of offending in this Parliament being the first that in so many yeares had been granted to England that notwithstanding they perceived the Money they were to give to the King must be imployed against their owne interest yet they tooke the Subsidies into consideration by which they might perchance gaine the Kings affection to Parliaments and were content to hope that whilest the Houses sate the bad Councell about the King might be awed into moderation and the Warre against Scotland by wise and honest interpositions might be againe composed as it had been the Summer before But whilest the businesse was in debate whether they were not quick enough in granting or the Conditions were too much feared by the King I will not judge but onely relate what was done The King in Person came into the House upon the fifth of May and dissolved the Parliament but used faire language to them protesting that he would governe as much according to Law as if a Parliament were constantly sitting Yet the next day after the dissolution of it some Members were imprisoned the Lord BROOKE was searched for Papers his Study Cabinets and Pockets Master BELLOSIS and Sir JOHN HOTHAM were committed to Prison for Speeches but soone discharged Master CREW who was a Member of the House of Commons and was in the Chaire for Petitions concerning Ministers was committed to the Tower for not discovering some Petitions delivered to him in Parliament and continued a Prisoner almost to the beginning of the next Parliament After the dissolution of this Parliament the Convocation of Divines continued their sitting and by authority from the King made divers Canons and an Oath to be imposed upon not onely Clergymen but many of the Laity That continuance of the Convocation whatsoever themselves perchance ignorant of the Law might thinke of it was judged very illegall as it appeared by the Votes of the succeeding Parliament and the opinion of Lawyers delivered there When Master BAGSHAW the November following inveighing against those Canons which were made whilest they sate proved the Bishops and Clergy in a premumire The Lord DIGBY at the same time affirming that their Convocation was a new Synod patched out of an old Conventicle Many other Lawyers of note at severall times argued the case concerning those Canons Insomuch that the House of Commons in December following nullo contradicente resolved that those Canons were against the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome the Property and Liberty of the Subject And in the following Aprill 1641. falling againe upon the late Convocation for their Canons and other misdemeanours they voted the Convocation House in 200000 pounds fine to the King The Archbishop of Canterbury to pay 20000 pounds the Archbishop of Yorke 10000 pounds the Bishop of Chester 3000
discontent if they remembred how much he had done this Parliament as his granting that the Iudges hereafter should hold their places quam diù se benè gesserint bounding the Forrest Lawes taking away Ship-money establishing the Subjects property in Tonnage and Poundage granting the Trienniall Parliament free Iustice against Delinquents With other things Concluding graciously That He would omit nothing which might give them just content And when he had signed the forenamed Bills after a short mention of the journey which he intended speedily to take into Scotland he propounded to them a thing very acceptable concerning his Nephew the Prince Elector Palatine that he could not but at the desire of that Prince send an Ambassadour to assist him at the Dyet at Ratisbone with the Emperour and fearing that he should not receive so good an Answer as might in justice be expected For the better countenancing that businesse he intended to publish a Manifesto in his owne name but would not do it but by consent and advice of Parliament without which he conceived it would be a thing of no validity Which Manifesto was afterwards made by the full consent of both Houses and Sir THOMAS ROE a Member of the House and a Gentleman of great abilities was sent to the Emperour at Ratisbone about it but without any good successe At the same time the Queene Mother of France as was before desired by the Parliament was to take her leave of England The King consented to her departure but Money wanting for the Provision of her Journey the Parliament allotted ten thousand pounds to her out of the Poll-Money This great Lady had arrived in England almost three yeares before and so long been entertained by the King her Sonne in Law with great respect and an allowance answerable to support her State 100. l. per diem It was her mis-fortune how farre her crime I cannot tell that during her abode here the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland were imbroyled in great troubles which the People were apt to impute in some measure to her counsels knowing what power the Queene her Daughter had with the King Others taxed her not at all but looked upon other causes the same counsells which long before her arrivall had distempered England but the people made their judgement upon it from her actions or successes in other places But however it were the Queene was fearefull of the people here and had not long before desired to have a guard allowed her pretending feare of her life by reason of some attempts which she conceived made against her upon which a Guard was set about her house Her Regency in France had not beene happy nor according to the interest of that Kingdome though that perchance may be accounted a fault not so particular to her as commonly incident to the Regency of Queene Mothers in that Land In so much as THUANUS commends the saying of CHARLES the ninth a Prince whom otherwise he doth not praise upon his death bed That since he must dye at that age being foure and twenty he thanked God he had no Sonne least France should fall under a Regency of which he had found the sad effects His Mother was KATHERINE DE MEDICIS of the same Family with this Queene After the time of her Regency her actions had been such that the King her Sonne would not harbour her in his owne Kingdome nor was she welcome into the Territories of her Sonne in Law the King of Spaine But the people there were no lesse desirous of her departure then afterward in England Insomuch as she became a strange example of the instability of humane fortunes that so great a Queen and Mother to so many mighty Princes should want a quiet Harbour for her age Not long after her departure from England she died at Culleine and might seeme a parallel in some things to the same Empresse who founded that City and there planted a Roman Colony AGRIPINA wife to CLAUDIUS CESAR and Mother to NERO They both had tasted of power been active in it but not pleasing to the people They were both taught that the greatnesse of their Sonnes was not so much advantage to their Power as they had hoped and had learned that all power dependent upon another is of small validity and lesse stability as TACITUS observes speaking of the same AGRIPINA Nihil rerum mortalium tam instabile fluxum est quam fama potentiae non sua vi nixa About two Moneths before the departure of this Queene the Princesse MARY eldest daughter to the King not yet ten yeares of age was married with great triumph at White-Hall to the young Prince of Orange WILLIAM Bishop WRENNE being then Deane of the Kings Chappell performed the solemnity on Sunday the second of May 1641. The Marriage had been before debated of in Parliament and consented to The King himselfe upon the ninth of February having declared to the Lords what large Propositions the Ambassadours of the States had made to him upon that purpose The people in generall were pleased with this Marriage and glad the King had chosen out a Protestant Prince and servant to a State which had beene long confederate with England and whose interest carried them the same way Professors of the same Religion and in that kinde of Discipline to which the greatest part of Parliament and People were inclined and hoped though at that time it was not so fully declared as afterward to reforme the Church of England to as that of Scotland already was By this Match of the Kings owne chusing they began to hope that the Spanish Faction in Court was not now at all prevalent but that things might hereafter be carried according to the right English way In this hope they were the more confirmed seeing the Parliament go on without any opposition from the King no dissention having yet happened nor likely to happen as they conceived for that Conspiracy of bringing up the Army against the Parliament which we touched before was not yet discovered nor at all thought of though within few daies after it broke out But some there were who suspended their joy and were not much confident that this Marriage would bring happinesse to England unlesse the King were perfectly right with his People and wished the same thing they did considering at one side the condition of the Prince of Orange and that he might be ambitious of more then was due to him and for that reason ingage himselfe in a reciprocall way for the King against his People if occasion served On the other side they considered the States as Polititians of this world and men who had other interests then that of Religion and if dissention should in England happen betweene Prince and People which was never but feared in some degree might be apt to side with the King against the just freedome of the Subject which must needs depresse the strength of England and keepe it from so much greatnesse
the people tired with expectation of such a cure do usually by degrees forget the sharpnesse of those diseases which before required it or else in the redressing of many and long disorders and to secure them for the future there being for the most part a necessity of laying heavy Taxes and draining of much Money from the people they grow extreamly sensible of that present smart feeling more paine by the Cure for a time then they did by the lingring disease before not considering that the causes of all which they now indure were precedent and their present suffering is for their future security It was the generall opinion of all Gentlemen at that time That a Parliament so much and long desired as this was after so great and constant a violation of the Lawes and Liberties of England in the Kings former Government could scarce in possibility ever grow into the dislike of the people or at least so great a part of the people as might be able which within one yeare was after seene to make a Warre against it and indanger the utter ruine and subversion of it But I have spoken before of some causes which might seeme strong enough to ingage a part of the people against the Parliament whose particular interests and livelihoods were neerely touched how farre any proceeding might distaste others who were uninterested in their private fortunes or callings I cannot tell any certaine reason But I remember within the compasse of a yeare after when this Civill Warre began to breake out over all the Kingdom and men in all companies began to vent their opinions in an argumentative way either opposing or defending the Parliament Cause and Treatises were printed on both sides Many Gentlemen who forsooke the Parliament were very bitter against it for the proceedings in Religion in countenancing or not suppressing the rudenesse of people in Churches which I related before acting those things which seemed to be against the Discipline of the English Church and might introduce all kindes of Sects and Schismes Neither did those of the Parliament side agree in opinions concerning that point some said it was wisely done of the Parliament not to proceed against any such persons for feare of losing a considerable party as is said before Others thought and said That by so doing they would lose a farre more considerable party of Gentlemen then could be gained of the other They also affirmed That Lawes and Liberties having been so much violated by the King if the Parliament had not so farre drawne Religion also into their cause it might have sped better for the Parliament frequently at that time in all their expressions whensoever they charged the corrupt Statesmen of injustice and Tyranny would put Popery or a suspition of it into the first place against them I remember when the Warre was begun among those little Treatises which were then published as many there were without any names to them I found one in which the case is thus expressed to recite the words of it Perchance saith he too much insisting upon Religion and taxing the King for affecting Popery hath by accident weakened the Parliament and brought Parties to the King It may seeme a great Paradox that the best and onely necessary of all things Religion being added into the scale of Lawes and Liberties should make the scale lighter then before Neither can it be true but by accident as thus The strange intercourse betwixt Rome and the English Court The Kings owne Letters to the Pope His favouring of Priests and such things though they may give a State just cause of susspition that their Religion is undermining Yet because it cannot be so absolutely proved to the sight of all the people that the King favoured Popery as that he violated the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome which latter was visible to all the former concerning Religion remaines in the peoples reason as a controverted question the King still protesting for Religion and the disputes about that amusing the People make them by degrees forget that crime of the Kings which was without controversie and evident the violation of Lawes and Liberties And more then so for some supposing that the Parliament unjustly taxed him in Religion did in time believe that he was not so guilty of the other as they would make him which I have heard some of late maintaine From whence may follow a strange conclusion That the Kings dealing so much with Rome to the disadvantage of the Protestant Religion should now turne to his owne advantage in a Protestant Kingdome And we may make this as paradoxicall a supposition That if the King had never done any thing prejudiciall to the Protestant Religion he would have found fewer Protestants this Parliament to take his part For then there being no dispute at all about Religion the crimes of his State mis-government had plainly and inexcusably appeared to all as we have seene that some of our former Kings for the like violation of Lawes and Liberties when there was but one Religion and therefore no dispute about it have been heavily censured in Parliament no man appearing in their justification And why should not a Parliament thinke that such things are cause enough to be stood upon and to justifie their quarrell before God as if the Almighty did not adhorre Injustice Oppression Tyranny and the like in any Kingdome unlesse the prâ—fession of Religion were also depraved Nay he abhorreth it more in that place where the purest profession of Religion is Besides that frequent naming of Religion as if it were the onely quarrell hath caused a great mistake of the question in some by reason of ignorance in others of subtilty whilest they wilfully mistake to abuse the Parliaments Cause writing whole Volumes in a wrong stated case as instead of disputing whether the Parliament of England lawfully assembled where the King virtually is may by Armes defend the Religion established by the same power together with the Lawes and Liberties of the Nation against Delinquents detaining with them the Kings seduced Person They make it the question Whether Subjects taken in a generall notion may make Warre against their King for Religions sake Such was the sense of many Gentlemen at that time which adhered to the Parliament But to proceed in the Narration The Parliament had been of late sensible of the losse of some from them and having detected divers Conspiracies and Machinations of dis-affected people against them and fearing more had in May last â—ramed a Protestation which was solemnly taken by all the Members of both Houses and sent thorow England to be taken by the people the forme of it was in these words I A.B. in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintaine and desend as farre as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovotions within this
did declare nor ever intended to declare both Our Houses of Parliament Traitours or set up Our Standard against them and much lesse to put them and this Kingdom out of Our protection We utterly professe against it before God and the world And further to remove all possible Scruples which may hinder the Treaty so much desired by Vs We hereby promise so that a day be appointed by you for the revoking of your Declarations against all persons as Traitours or otherwise for assisting Vs We shall with all cheerfulnesse upon the same day recal our Proclamations and Declarations and take down Our Standard In which Treaty We shall be ready to grant any thing that shall be really for the good of Our subjects conjuring you to consider the bleeding condition of Ireland and the dangerous condition of England in as high a degree as by these Our Offers We have declared Our Self to do and assuring you that Our chief desire in the world is to beget a good understanding and mutual confidence betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament To the Kings most Excellent Majestie The humble Answer and Petition of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament to the King 's last Message May it please Your Majestie If we the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled should repeat all the ways we have taken the endeavours we have used and the expressions we have made unto Your Majestie to prevent those distractions and dangers Your Majestie speaks of we should too much enlarge this Reply therefore as we Humbly so shall we Onely let Your Majestie know that we cannot recede from our former Answer for the reasons therein expressed for that Your Majestie hath not taken down Your Standard recalled Your Proclamations and Declarations whereby You have declared the Actions of both Houses of Parliament to be Treasonable and their Persons Traitors And You have published the same since Your Message the 25 of August by Your late Instructions to Your Commissioners of Array Which Standard being taken down and the Declarations Proclamations and Instructions recalled if Your Majestie shall then upon this our humble Petition leaving your Forces return unto Your Parliament and receive their faithful advice Your Majestie shall finde such expressions of our fidelities and duties as shall assure You that Your Safety Honour and Greatnesse can onely be found in the affections of Your People and the sincere Counsels of Your Parliament whose constant and undiscouraged endeavours and consultations have passed thorow difficulties unheard of onely to secure Your Kingdoms from the violent mischiefs and dangers now ready to fall upon them who deserve better of Your Majestie and can never allow themselveâ— representing likewise Your whole Kingdom to be balanced with those persons whose desperate dispositions and counsels prevail still so to interrupt all our endeavours for the relieving of bleeding Ireland as we may fear our labours and vast expences will be fruitlesse to that distressed Kingdom As Your Presence is thus humbly desired by us so it is in our hopes that Your Majestie will in Your Reason believe There is no other way then this to make Your Majesties Self happie and Your Kingdoms safe The Parliament immediately after published a Declaration that the Arms which they were enforced to take up for the preservation of the Kingdom Laws and Liberties could not be laid down until the King should withdraw his Protection from such persons as had been voted Delinquents by both Houses and leave them to the Justice of Parliament The King within few days after made another Reply to the last Answer of the Parliament The substance of it was that he could neither do nor offer any more then he had already and that he should think himself clear and innocent from any blood that might be spilt in this Quarrel praying God so to deal with him and his posterity as he desired to preserve Religion Law and Liberty of the Subjects and Priviledge of Parliament The Parliament returned Answer that while the King thinks himself bound in Honour to protect such Delinquents in whose preservation the Kingdom cannot be safe nor the Rights of Parliament at all maintained but must needs fall into utter contempt they must needs think he hath not done what he can oâ— ought to do They tell him it is impossible that any reasonable man should believe him to be so tender of bleeding Ireland when at the same time divers of the Irish Traitours the known favourers of them and agents for them are admitted into his Presence with grace and favour and some of them employed in his service THE HISTORY OF THE PARLIAMENT OF England The third Booke CHAP. I. Prince RUPERT and Prince MAURICE arrive in England The Earle of ESSEX taking leave of the Parliament goeth to his Command The King increaseth in strength at Shrewsbury A Skirmish at Worcester The great Battell of Keynton is fought ABout the beginning of this September Prince RUPERT second Sonne to FREDERICK Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhene who had long beene detained Prisoner of Warre by the Emperour and newly released arrived in England to offer his Service to the King his Uncle in those Warres which were now visibly begun in this unhappy Kingdome together with him came his younger Brother Prince MAURICE an addition rather of Gallantry then strength to the Kings side being both young and unexperienced Souldiers Neither indeed though they were neere in birth to the Crowne of England were they neere enough to adde any security to the King by purchasing the Peoples hatred to themselves though that were imagined and talked of by many as the cause why they were sent for Their elder Brother CHARLES Prince Elector might have served more fitly to play that part But he having long remained in the Court of England had lately left the King not above two Moneths before the arrivall of his Brothers The reasons why he went away were partly expressed by himselfe afterward in a Message which he sent out of Holland to the Houses of Parliament wherein he professed sorrow for these distractions and protested that whilest he was in the Court of England he had by all meanes indeavoured to bring the King into a good opinion of his Parliament acknowledging that his owne interest and that of the Protestant Religion in Germany did more depend upon the happinesse of the English Parliament then upon any thing else under God True it is that this Prince left not the King untill he saw the rent betweene him and his Parliament too great to close and having before been exposed by the King to some probability of envy as when he attended his Majesty to the House of Commons for surprizall of the five Members and with him afterwards when some things unpleasing to the people had been done he might in likelihood being of that opinion that he was of this cause thinke it the wisest way to take a faire leave in time of the King These two
Franciscus Haraeus compiled Annals of the bloody and fierce Warres in the Netherlands when some of those Provinces fell from the obedience of Philip the second King of Spaine Which businesse he relates in such a way as must in probability lead a Reader to believe that the King and his Officers were altogether innocent and the people of those Countries the only causers of their own Calamity Meteranus wrote the History of those very times which who so reads must needs make a contrary censure concerning the occasion of that Warre The like discrepancy hath been found in Historians of all ages and Nations and therefore not to be much wondred at if it now happen But that which of all other is most likely to be differently related because informations will not agree in such a distance is concerning the actions of Warre and Souldiery and in the time of this Warre it is a thing of extreme difficulty I might say of impossibility for those of one Party to be truly informed of all the Councels or the very Performances and Actions of Commanders and Souldiers on the other side How much valour the English Nation on both sides have been guilty of in this unnaturall Warre the World must needs know in the generall fame But for particulars how much Worth Vertue and Courage some particular Lords Gentlemen and others have shewed unlesse both sides do write will never perfectly be known My residence hath bin during these Wars in the quarters and under the protection of the Parliament and whatsoever is briefly related of the Souldiery being toward the end of this Book is according to that light which I discerned there For whatsoever I have missed concerning the other Party I can make no other Apology then such as Meteranus whom I named before doth in the Preface to his History De Belguis tumultibus Whose words are thus Quòd plura de Reformatorum patriae defensorum quà m de Partis adversaere bus gestis exposuerìm mirum haudquaquam est quoniam plus Commercii familiaritatis mihi cum ipsis major indagandi opportunitas furt Si Pars adversaidem tali probitate praestiterit ediderit Posteritas gesta omnia legere liquido cognoscere magno cum fructu poterit In like manner may I averre that if in this discourse more particulars are set down concerning the actions of those men who defended the Parliament then of them that warred against it it was because my conversation gave me more light on that side to whom as I have indeavoured to give no more then what is due so I have cast no blemishes on the other nor bestowed any more characters then what the truth of Story must require If those that write on the other side will use the same candour there is no feare but that posterity may receive a full information concerning the unhappy distractions of these Kingdoms This I must adde that to inform the world of the right nature causes and growth of these Distractions it will require that the Discourse begin from precedent times which I shall indeavour to deduce down to the present with as much brevity as the necessity of unfolding truth can possibly admit Neither is it needful to begin the Story from times of any great distance or to mention the Government of our most ancient Princes but from that Prince fresh in the memory of some yet living who first established the Reformed Religion in this Kingdome and according to that 〈◊〉 a new interest in the State which was most behoofefull and requisite for her Successors to follow and much conducing besides the glory of Almighty God to their own Honour Power and Greatnesse THE CONTENTS BOOK I. CHAP. I. WHerein is a short mention of Queene Elizabeth King James and the beginning of King Charles his Reign His two first Parliaments Of the War with Spaine and France The death of the Duke of Buckingham And the third Parliament of King Charles 1 CHAP. II. A briefe Relation of some grievances of the Kingdome The various opinions of men concerning the present Government The condition of the Court and Clergy of England Some observations of a stranger concerning the Religion of the English people 15 CHAP. III. The condition of the Scottish State and Clergy when the new Booke of Lyturgy was sent unto them how it was received with some effects which followed The Kings Proclamation sent by the Earle of Traquare against which the Lords make a Protestation 27 CHAP. IV. The Scots enter into a Covenant The Marquesse Hamilton is sent thither from the King A Nationall Synod is granted to them but dissolved within few daies by the Marquesse as Commissioner from the King The King declares against the Covenanters and raises an Army to subdue them 38 CHAP. V. The 〈◊〉 of the English People from this Warre with Scotland 〈◊〉 King advanceth to Yorke with his Army The prepaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the Scottish Covenanters A Pacification is made and 〈◊〉 Armies disbanded Another Preparation for Warre with â—â—â—â—land A Parliament called to begin in England on the 13 of 〈◊〉 The Parliament of Scotland is broken off by command of 〈◊〉 to the Earle of Traquare 46 CHAP. VI. The Parliament beginneth in England but is soone dissolved The Clergy continue their Convocation The Scots enter into England Some passages of the War A Parliament is called to begin on the third of November A Truce between the Armies for two Moneths 58 CHAP. VII The beginning of the English Parliament Grievances examined Sufferers relieved Delinquents questioned The Archbishop of Canterbury committed to the Tower The flight of Secretary WINDEBANKE and of the Lord Keeper FINCH 70 CHAP. VIII The Tryall and death of the Earle of Strafford Conspiracies detected during the agitation of it An Act for continuance of this present Parliament With a mention of that Grant of the Trienniall Parliament in February before 87 CHAP. IX Allowance of money from the English Parliament to the Scots The vast Charge of disbanding the two Armies The great Taxations for that purpose and the manner of Poll Money The people take a Protestation An Act for putting down the High Commission Court and Starre-Chamber with other occurrences of that time The Queene Mother departeth England The King goeth into Scotland 103 BOOK II. CHAP. I. A Standing Committee during the Recesse of both Houses of Parliament The Rebellion of the Irish and Massacre of the â—testants there Some indeavours of the English Parliament 〈◊〉 relief of that Kingdom 1 CHAP. II. The King returneth out of Scotland and is pompoushly entertained by the City of London The Remonstrance is published by the Parliament The King entreth into the House of Commons The 〈◊〉 of the 12. Bishops and how it was censured by the Lords and Commons Divers unhappy obstructions of the relief of Ireland 16 CHAP. III. The Queen passeth into Holland with her Daughter the Princesse Mary Difference between the King and Parliament concerning the Militia The
King goeth toward York and is followed with a Petition from the Lords and Commons to Theobalds and another Declaration to Newmarket The King is denyed entrance into Hull by Sir John Hotham 38 CHAP. IV. Many Members of both Houses leave the Parliament and repaire to the King Nine of the Lords who first went away are impeached by the Commons and censured by the Peers The Great Seal is carried away from London to York Some Votes of Parliament concerning the Kings Proceedings A Petition with nineteen Propositions sent from the Parliament to the King 58 CHAP. V. An Order for bringing in of Plate and Money into Guild-Hall The Kings Declaration to the Lords about him Their Profession and Protestation to him The King layeth Siege to Hull but raiseth it again The Earl of Warwick taketh possession of the Navy as Lord Admirall The Earl of Essex is voted in Parliament to be Lord Generall of all their Forces 83 CHAP. VI. A brief Relation of the condition of divers Counties in England when the Parliaments Ordinance for the Militia and the Kings Commission of Array were put in execution With a mention of some Lords and otherswho were actors on either side The Lord Mayor of London committed to the Tower and sentenced by the Parliament A mention of some Declarations Messages and Answers that passed between the King and the two Houses of Parliament 99 BOOK III. CHAP. I. PRince Rupert and Prince Maurice arrive in England The Earl of Essex taking leave of the Parliament goeth to his Command The King increaseth in strength at Shrewsbury A Skirmish at Worcester The great Battell of Keynton is fought 1 CHAP. II. The Parliament send to the King concerning an Accommodation A fight at Brainford Another Treaty with the King begun and broken of Reading besieged by the Lord Generall Essex and surrendred to him A Conspiracy to betray Bristoll A treacherous Plot against the Parliament and City of London discovered and prevented 29 CHAP. III. Matters of State trans-acted in Parliament touching the Assembly of Divines The making of a new Great Seale Impeaching the Queen of High Treason and other things The Lord Generall Essex after some Marches returneth to quarter his wasted and sick Army about Kingston The Kings Forces Masters of the West The Earl of Newcastle his greatnesse in the North. Some mention of the Earle of Cumberland and the Lord FAIRFAX 47 CHAP. IV. Some Actions of Sir Thomas Fairfax in the North. The Queen lands in England The revolt of Sir Hugh Cholmley and the two Hothams The state of this Warre in the Westerne parts The condition of the Associated Counties A short relation of Sir William Waller his Actions of Colonell Cromwell Sir William Brereton and Sir John Gell. 63 CHAP. V. The death of the Lord Brooke and of the Earle of Northampton A short mention of some Actions in divers Counties The low condition of the Parliament at that time The Siege of Gloucester 85 CHAP. VI. The Expedition of the Lord Generall Essex for reliefe of Gloucester The great Battell of Newbury described 101 THE HISTORY OF THE PARLIAMENT OF England CHAP. I. Wherein is a short mention of Queene ELIZABETH King JAMES and the beginning of King CHARLES his Reigne his two first Parliaments Of the Warre with Spaine and France The death of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM And the third Parliament of King CHARLES QUeene ELIZABETH of glorious Memory together with that great Stock of Wealth and Honour which her prudent and just Government had brought to the English Nation had enriched them besides with a greater Treasure which we may justly account the cause of all the rest Religion reformed from Popish Superstition That Reformation engaged the Queene in a new Interest of State to side with the Protestants against those Potent Monarchs of the other Religion which seemed at the beginning as much danger and disadvantage to her as it proved in conclusion security and Honour so impossible it is for any disadvantage to prevaile over them that helpe the Lord against the Mighty That Storme from France which so much threatned the weake beginnings of her Reigne was suddenly blowne over by the death of HENRY the second and some few Moneths after of his Sonne FRANCIS who had married the Queene of Scotland the danger which remained greatest was from Spaine where PHILIP the second then reigned a Prince not greater in Dominion Treasure and Armies then deeply engaged against the Protestant Religion by the instigation and assistance of the Jesuites an Order which in the Age before had beene highly counrenanced by Pope PAUL the third in opposition to the Gospell-Doctrine that then began to spread apace in Germany and other parts The whole Order of Iesuites as endeavouring to set up one Temporall Kingdome of Christendome suitable to the Papall Hierarchy applyed their service altogether to the Monarchy of Spaine as being then far the greatest in Europe and fittest for their purpose by the late uniting of so many Kingdomes and Dutchies under the person of CHARLES the Emperour who by a fortunate birthright inherited together with Casule and Arragon and all the great Acquisitions of his Grandfather FERDINAND in Italy and the West Indies the rich and usefull patrimony of his Father PHILIP Burgundy and the Netherlands all these he had left intirely to his Sonne PHILIP who to so large a Territory had made that strong addition of the Kingdome of Portugall and might seeme an Enemy too mighty for England and all the Protestants of Europe to oppose But Queene ELIZABETH had woven the interest of her own State so inseparably into the cause of Religion it selfe that it was hard to overthrow one without the ruine of the other And God who had given her so much grace and courage as to rely wholly upon him did with that Almighty hand not onely hold her up from sinking but lift her above the heads of all her enemies By what degrees and means she atchieved the great Actions of her reigne and brought so much prosperity to her Nation it is not the scope of this discourse to relate at large for her History is not the worke in hand but only in briefe to declare that before her death she was the happy instrument of God to promote the Protestant Religion in all parts She curbed the Spanish greatnesse by supporting France from ruine to give some balance to the other as she preserved Scotland from being swallowed up by the French before She protected the Hollanders against him vanquished his Armies both by Land and Sea with many other such things as might seeme too much to be the atchievements of one Reigne And last of all she reduced Ireland wholly to obedience notwithstanding all the subtill machinations of Spain and open assistance given in Armes to her Irish Rebels All which she accomplished by the justice and prudence of her government by making the right use of her Subjects hearts hands and Purses in a Parliamentary way as also securing
imprisoned which refused the payment of that Loane Great summes of money were required and raised by privy Scales A Commission for squeezing the Subject by way of Excize Souldiers were billited upon them And a designe laid to inslave the Nation by a force of German Horse with many other things of that nature Those affaires of State which concerned Conâ—ederates abroad had been managed with as much disadvantage and infelicity to them as dishonour to the English Nation and prejudice to the Cause of Religion it selfe Peace was made with Spaine without consent of Parliament by which all hope was utterly lost of re-establishing the Kings neerest kinred in their just Dominion and the Protestant Religion much weakened in Germany What Counsells had then influence upon the Court of England might be the amazement of a wise man to consider and the plaine truth must needs seeme a paradox to posterity as that the Protestant Religion both at home and abroad should suffer much by the Government of two Kings of whom the former in his own person wrote more learnedly in defence of it and the latter in his owne person lived more conformably to the Rules of it then any of their Contemporary Princes in Europe But the Civill Affaires of State were too ill managed to protect or at least to propagate true Religion or else the neglect of Religion was the cause that Civill Affaires were blessed with no more honour and prosperity The right waies of Queen ELIZABETH who advanced both had been long ago forsaken and the deviation grew daily farther and more fatall to the Kingdom Which appeared in a direct contrariety to all particulars of her Reigne Titles of Honour were made more honourable by her in being conferred sparingly and therefore probably upon great desert which afterwards were become of lesse esteem by being not onely too frequently conferred but put to open sale and made too often the purchase of Mechannicks or the reward of vitious persons At the death of that Duke the people were possessed with an unusuall joy which they openly testified by such expressions as indeed were not thought fit nor decent by wise men upon so tragicall and sad an accident which in a christian consideration might move compassion whatsoever the offences of the man were To such people that distick of Seneca might give answer Res est sacra miser noli mea tangere fata Sacrilegae Bustis abstinuere manus Sacred is woe touch not my death with scorne Even sacrilegious hands have Tombs forborne And it may be that God was offended at the excesse of their joy in that he quickly let them see the benefit was not so great to them as they expected by it but his judgements are too high for men to search True it is that the people in generall loving the Kings Person and very unwilling to harbour the least opinion of ill in him looked upon the Duke as the onely hinderance of the Kingdomes happinesse supposing that though other Statesmen might afterwards arise of as bad or worse intentions then the Duke yet none would have so great a power for execution of them nor any other Genius be ever found to have so great a mastery over the Kings Genius But it is certaine that men did much therefore rejoyce at the death of this Duke because they did before much feare what mischiefe might befall a Kingdome where that man who knew himselfe extreamly hated by the people had all the keyes of the Kingdome in his hand as being Lord Admirall and Warden of the Cinque-Ports having the command of all the Souldiers and the onely power to reward and raise them These joyes and hopes of men lasted not long for in the same yeer being the fourth of King CHARLES and after the death of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM another Parliament was dissolved and then the Priviledges of that high Court more broken then ever before Six Members of the House of Commons who had been forward in vindicating the Priviledges of Parliament were committed close Prisoners for many moneths together without the liberty of using books pen inke and paper while they were detained in this condition and not admitted Bayle according to Law They were also vexed with informations in inferiour Courts where they were sentenced and fined for matters done in Parliament and the payment of such Fines extorted from them Some were enforced to put in security of good behaviour before they could be released The rest who refused to be bound were detained divers yeares after in custody of whom one Sir JOHN ELLIOT a Gentleman of able parts that had been forwardest in expression of himselfe for the freedome of his Country and taxing the unjust actions of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM while that Duke lived though the truth be that the 〈◊〉 of his were no other then what carried 〈◊〉 consent in them dyed by the harshnesse of his imprisonment which would admit of no relaxation though for healths sake he petitioned for it often and his Physitian gave in testimony to the same purpose The freedome that Sir JOHN Eâ—â—OT used in Parliament was by the people in generall applauded though much taxed by the Courtiers and censur'd by some of a more politike reserve considering the times in that kind that TACITUS censures THRASEAS POETUS as thinking such freedom a needlesse and therefore a foolish thing where no cure could be hoped by it Sibi periculum nec aliis libertatem After the breaking off this Parliament as the Historian speaketh of Roman liberty after the battell of PHILIPPI nunquam post hoc praelium c. the people of England for many years never looked back to their ancient liberty A Declaration was published by the king wherein aspertions were laid upon some Members but indeed the Court of Parliament it selfe was declared against All which the dejected people were forced to read with patience and allow against the dictate of their own reason The people of England from that time were deprived of the hope of Parliaments and all things so managed by publike Officers as if never such a day of account were to come I shall for methods sake first of all make a short enumeration of some of the chiefe grievances of the Subjects which shall be truly and plainly related as likewise some vices of the Nation in generall that the Reader may the better judge of the causes of succeeding troubles during the space of seven or eight yeares after the dissolution of that Parliament and then give some account concerning the severall dispositions of the people of ENGLAND and their different censures of the Kings government during those years touching by thâ—â—â—â—â—mewhat of 〈◊〉 manners and customs of the 〈◊〉 ENGLAND and then briefly of the condition of Ecclesiasticall affaires and the censures of men concerning that CHAP. II. A briefe Relation of some grievances of the Kingdome The various opinions of men concerning the present Government The condition of the Court and Clergy of England Some
The effect of that Protestation was for we cannot here insert it at large That the Service Booke was full of Superstition and Idolatry and ought not to be obtruded upon them without consent of a Nationall Synod which in such cases should judge That it was unjust to deny them liberty to accuse the Bishops being guilty of high crimes of which till they were cleered they did reject the Bishops as Judges or Governours of them They protested also against the High Commission Court and justified their owne meetings and superscriptions to Petitions as being to defend the glory of God the Kings Honour and Liberties of the Realme This Protestation was read in the Market place at Sterlin and the Copy hung up in publike CHAP. IV. The Scots enter into a Covenant The Marquesse HAMILTON is sent thither from the King A Nationall Synod is granted to them but dissolved within few daies by the Marquesse as Commissioner from the King The King declares against the Covenanters and raises an Army to subdue them FRom Sterlin the Commissioners resorted to Edenburgh whither many from all parts met to consult of the present businesse and concluded there to renew solemnly among them that Covenant which was commonly called The lesser confession of the Church of Scotland or The confession of the Kings family which was made and sealed under King JAMES his hand in the yeare 1580. afterwards confirmed by all the Estates of the Kingdome and Decree of the Nationall Synod 1581. Which Confession was againe subscribed by all sorts of persons in Scotland 1590. by authority of Councell and Nationall Synod and a Covenant added to it for defence of true Religion and the Kings Majesty which Covenant the aforesaid Lords Citizens and Pastours in the yeare 1638. did renew and tooke another according to the present occasion The Covenant it selfe expressed at large in the Records of that Kingdome consisted of three principall parts The first was a re-taking word for word of that old Covenant 1580. confirmed by Royall Authority and two Nationall Synods for defence of the purity of Religion and the Kings Person and Rights against the Church of Rome The second part contained an enumeration of all the Acts of Parliament made in Scotland in defence of the reformed Religion both in Doctrine and Discipline against Popery The third was an application of that old Covenant to the present state of things where as in that all Popery so in this all innovations in those Bookes of Lyturgy unlawfully obtruded upon them are abjured and a preservation of the Kings Person and Authority as likewise a mutuall defence of each other in this Covenant are sworne unto Against this Covenant the King much displeased made these foure principall objections First By what authority they entred into this Covenant or presumed to exact any Oath from their fellow Subjects Secondly if they had power to command the new taking of this Oath yet what power had they to interpret it to their present occasion it being a received Maxime That no lesse authority can interpret a Law then that which made it or the Judges appointed by that Authority to give sentence upon it Thirdly What power they had to adde any thing to it and interpose a new Covenant of mutuall assistance to each other against any other power that should oppose them none excepted And fourthly That all Leagues of Subjects among themselves without the privity and approbation of the King are declared to be seditious by two Parliaments in Scotland one of the tenth Parliament of JAMES the sixth Act the twelfth and the other the fifteenth Act of the ninth Parliament of Queene MARY What answer the Covenanters made to these objections and what arguments the King used to enforce the contrary are largely expressed in many writings being such indeed as not onely then but since in the sad calamities of England have been discoursed of in whole volumes containing all that can be said concerning the true Rights and Priviledges of Princes and People The Covenant notwithstanding was generally subscribed by all there present at Edenburgh in February 1638. and Copies of it sent abroad to those who were absent and so fast subscribed by them also that before the end of Aprill he was scarce accounted one of the Reformed Religion that had not subscribed to this Covenant And the Church and State were divided into two names of Covenanters and Non-Covenanters the Non-Covenanters consisting â—irst of Papists whose number was thought small in Scotland scarce exceeding six hundred Secondly some Statesmen in Office and favour at that time Thirdly someâ— who though they were of the Reformed Religion were greatly affected to the Ceremonies of England and Booke of Common-Prayer Many Bishops at that time came from thence to the Court of England and three Lords of the Councell of Scotland whom the King had sent for to advise about the affaires of that Kingdome where after many debates what course to take whether of reducing the Covenanters by Armes or using more gentle meanes The King at last sent the Marquesse HAMILTON together with those three Lords into Scotland The Marquesse arrived at Dulketh and within few daies entred Edenburgh in Iune being met and conducted into the City by a great multitude of all ranks in which number were seven hundred Pastors of Churches The Marquesse by the Kings Command dealt with the Covenanters to renounce their Covenant or else told them there was no hope to obtaine a Nationall Synod which they so much desired for setling of the Church which they affirmed could not be done without manifest perjury and profanation of Gods Name But when nothing was agreed upon they besought the Marquesse at his returne into England to present their humble desire to the King But before his departure in Iuly he published the Kings Proclamation wherein his Majesty protests to defend the Protestant Religion and that he would no more presse upon them the Booke of Canons or Service Booke but by lawfull Mediums That he would rectifie the High Commission and was resolved to take a speedy opportunity of calling both a Parliament and Synod When the Proclamation was ended the Covenanters read their Protestation of which the heads were That they never questioned his Majesties sincerity in the Protestant Religion That these grants of his were not large enough to cure the present distempers for he doth not utterly abolish that Service-Booke nor the High Commission being both obtruded against all Law upon them That their meetings are not to be condemned in opprobrious words being lawfull and such as they would not forsake untill the purity of Religion and peace might be fully setled by a free and Nationall Synod The Marquesse went into England to returne at a prefixed day the twelfth of August In the meane time the Scots keepe a solemne Fast and the Covenanters not hoping from the King so quick a call of a Nationall Synod as the present malady required published a writing wherein
they endeavour to prove That the Church in such a condition may provide for it selfe That the power of calling a Synod in case the Prince be an enemy to the truth or negligent in promoting the Churches good is in the Church it selfe And that the State of the Church of Scotland at that time was necessitated to such a course which they endeavour to prove by reciting all their particular grievances and by answering all arguments of the contrary side for the Right of Princes howsoever affected to Religion as appeares at large in their Tractate concerning the necessity of Synods The Marquesse returned into Scotland before the appointed day and brought Articles from the King to which the Covenanters if they would have either Parliament or Synod were required to consent But they utterly rejected those Articles as too invalid for their purpose of setling things so that the Marquesse fearing least the Covenanters weary of delayes would call a Synod without staying the Kings consent earnestly perswaded them to forbeare it onely till his next returne from Court whither he would presently go to perswade the King Which request of his with much a do was granted by them and the day for his returne appointed the 22 of September by which time unlesse the Marquesse returned it was free for the Covenanters to provide for their owne affaires But the Marquesse with singular diligence prevented his day and published the Kings Proclamation of which the chiefe heads were First The King did abrogate all Decrees of Councell for the Booke of Canons and Common-Prayer and abrogate the High Commission Secondly That none should be pressed to the five Articles of Perth Thirdly That Bishops should be subject to the censure of a Synod Fourthly That no Oath should be given at Ordination of Pastors but by Law of Parliament Fifthly that the lesser Confession of 1580. should be subscribed to by all the Kingdome Sixtly That the King called a Nationall Synod to begin at Glasco the 21 of November 1638. and a Parliament at Edenburgh the 15. of May 1639. Lastly for peace sake he would forget all their offences past The Covenanters at the first hearing of this peacefull Message were much joyed but looking neerely into the words they found as they affirme That their precedent actions were tacitly condemned and the just freedome of a Nationall Synod taken away Therefore loath to be deceived they frame a Protestation not as they alledged mis-doubting the candor of the King but not trusting those in favour with him by whose destructive Councell they supposed it was that the King had not shewed this clemency at first The chiefe heads of their Protestation were these First after humble thanks to God and the King they conceived this grant no sufficient remedy for their sores For His Majesty calls that a panick feare in them which was upon no imaginary but just grounds as a reall mutation both of Religion and Lawes by obtrusion of those Bookes directly popish Secondly whereas the King in his former Mandates so highly extolled those Bookes as most religious and fit for the Church they could not be satisfied with a bare remission of the exercise of them unlesse he would utterly abrogate and condemne them or else itching Innovators would not be wanting hereafter to raise new troubles to the Church about them Thirdly the just liberty of Nationall Synods is diminished and Episcopacy set up they being allowed as Bishops though not deputed by the Churches to give their voices in a Synod Fourthly the subscribing againe of that old Covenant could not be admitted for many reasons there at large expressed of which some are That it would frustrate their late Covenant and make it narrower then before and not able to suit to the redresse of present grievances and be a needlesse multiplying of Oathes and taking the Name of God in vaine with many other objections which cannot be fully here inserted That Covenant notwithstanding was solemnly taken at Edenburgh by the Marquesse of HAMILTON the Kings Commissioner and all the Privy Councell The Marquesse then gave Order for the Synod fearing least the Covenanters if he delayed to call it would do it themselves and on the 16. of November came to Glasco in great state Where after many meetings for preparation to the businesse on the 21 of the same Moneth according to the Kings Edict the Nationall Synod began But within seven daies that Synod was dissolved by the Marquesse HAMILTON in the Kings Name and they commanded to sit no more The Marquesse alleadging for reason of it that they had broken the Lawes of a free Synod in many proceedings not onely in those few daies of their sitting but before it began in their manner of Elections with other such like matters But they protested against that dissolution and continued the Synod when the Marquesse was gone What were the Acts of that Synod what proceedings it had and what impediments it met withall you may reade in two large descriptions the one published by the King the other by the Synod how the Bishops protested against the Synod how the Synod answered their Protestation how the Synod wrote to the King how they proceeded against the Bishops deposing them all from their Dignities how of all fourteene Bishops eight were excommunicated foure excluded from all Ministeriall Function and two onely allowed to oâ—â—icâ—ate as Pastours how the five Articles of Perth the Booke of Lyturgy the Booke of Canons and Ordination were all condemned the High Commission taken away and whatsoever else had crept into the Church since the yeare 1580. when that Nationall Covenant was first established The Scots Covenanters when themselves broke up the Synod wrote a Letter of thanks to the King and immediately after published a Declaration dated the fourth of February 1638. from Edenburgh and directed To all the sincere and good Christians in England to vindicate their actions and intentions from those aspersions which enemies might throw upon them That Declaration was welcome to the people of England in generall and especially to those who stood best affected to Religion and the Lawes and Liberties of their Country But by the Kings Authority it was suppressed as all other papers that might be sent from the Scots and a Proclamation soone after bearing date the 27. of February 1638. was published by the King and commanded to be read in all Churches of England the Title of it was A Proclamation and Declaration to informe our loving Subjects of England concerning the seditious Actions of some in Scotland who under false pretence of Religion endeavour the utter subversion of our Royall Authority The Declaration was â—illed with sharpe invectives and execrations against the Scottish Covenanters but the truth is it wrought little upon the hearts of the English People who conceived a good opinion of the Scots and were more confirmed in it because the King had carried the whole businesse so closely from the English Nation as not onely not
long as they have an Army that do invade us although I am under Treaty with them and under my Great Seale doe call them Subjects for so they are too His desire to have them out was sweetned with that reason That he was sensible how much his English Subjects of the North would suffer otherwise All which with more particulars was set forth in a long Oration by the Lord Keeper FINCH who likewise justified the Kings intention of calling this Parliament before the Peeres petitioned him at Yorke Though the King were thanked for his Grace toward his English Parliament yet that motion of expelling the Scots was otherwise considered of by the Houses as will appeare in the particulars of it For about a weeke after it was ordered by the House of Commons That 100000 l. should be paid to the two Armies to be levied rateably upon all the Counties of England except the Northerne Counties which were then charged and till it could be leavied the Money to be taken up at Interest And Scottish Commissioners were allowed to come and exhibite their complaints and dispute the businesse at London who accordingly came thither about the nineteenth day of the same Moneth for the businesse was not yet ended but still in Treaty which Treaty as the King said in his Speech was but transported from Kippon to London Before the great cure which was expected from this Parliament could go on it was necessary that some time should be spent in searching and declaring the wounds which in divers elegant and judicious Speeches was done by some Members of both Houses The abuses which of late yeares had been committed about Religion and the manifold violations of Lawes and Liberties were upon the first day after the House of Commons was setled being the ninth of November enumerated and discoursed upon by Master GRIMSTON Sir BENJAMIN RUDIERD Master PYM and Master BAGSHAW and the abuses of Ireland reflecting much upon the Earle of Strafford were opened by Sir JOHN CLOTWORTHY of Devon but living in Ireland The like Speeches for many daies following were made by divers Gentlemen of great quality where in the midst of their complaints the King was never mentioned but with great Honour They alwaies mixing thanks for the present hope of redresse with their complaints of former grievances The first of which they rendred to the King and threw the other upon his Ministers of which if the Reader would see a perfect exemplar Sir BENJAMIN RUDYERD his Speech the second that was delivered in the House will best discover the present state of grievances and the way of sparing the King a Religious Learned and Judicious Gentleman Cujus erant mores qualis facundia Whose Speech I shall wholly insert that the condition of the State may the better bee understood Master Speaker WEE are here assembled to doe Gods businesse and the Kings in which our owne is included as we are Christians as we are Subjects Let us first feare God then shall we honour the King the more for I am afraid we have beene the lesse prosperous in Parliaments because we have preferred other matters before him Let Religion be our Primum quaerite for all things else are but Et caetera's to it yet we may have them too sooner and surer if we give God his precedence We well know what disturbance hath been brought upon the Church for vaine petty trifles How the whole Church the whole Kingdome hath been troubled where to place a Metaphor an Altar We have seene Ministers their wives children and families undone against Law against conscience against all bowels of compassion about not dancing upon Sundaies What do these sort of men thinke will become of themselves when the Master of the House shall come and finde them thus beating their fellow Servants These inventions were but sives made of purpose to winnow the best men and that is the Devills occupation They have a minde to worry preaching for I never yet heard of any but diligent Preachers that were vext with these and the like devices They despise Prophecy and as one said they would faine be at something were like the Masse that will not bite a muzzled Religion They would evaporate and dis-spirit the power and vigour of Religion by drawing it out into solemne and specious formalities into obsolete antiquated Ceremonies new furbish'd up And this belike is that good worke in hand which Doctor HEYLIN hath so celebrated in bis bold Pamphlets All their acts and actions are so full of mixtures involutions and complications as nothing is cleare nothing sincere in any of their proceedings Let them not say That these are the porverse suspitions malicious interpretations of some factious spirits amongst us when a Romanist hath bragged and congratulated in print That the face of our Church begins to alter the Language of our Religion to change And SANCTA CLARA hath published That if a Synod were held Non intermixtis Puritanis setting Puritans aside our Articles and their Religion would soone be agreed They have so brought it to passe that under the name of Puritans all our Religion is branded and under a few hard words against Iesuites all Popery is countenanced Whosoever squares his actions by any rule either divine or humane he is a Puritan Whosoever would be governed by the Kings Lawes he is a Puritan He that will not do whatsoever other men would have him do he is a Puritan Their great worke their Masterpiece now is to make all those of the Religion to be the suspected party of the Kingdome Let us further reflect upon the ill effect these courses have wrought what by a defection from us on the one side a separation on the other some imagining whether we are tending made hast to turne or declare themselves Papists before hand thereby hoping to render themselves the more gracious the more acceptable A great company of the Kings Subjects striving to hold communion with us but seeing how farre we were gone and fearing how much further we would go were forc'd to fly the Land some into other inhabited Countries very many into savage Wildernesses because the Land would not beare them Do not they that cause this cast a reproach upon the Government Master Speaker Let it be our principall care that these waies neither continue nor returne upon us if we secure our Religion we shall cut off and defeat many plots that are now on foot by them and others Beleeve it Sir Religion hath been for a long time and still is the great designe upon this Kingdome It is a knowne and practised principle That they who would introduce another Religion into the Church must first trouble and disorder the Government of the State that so they may worke their ends in a confusion which now lies at the doore I come next Master Speaker to the Kings businesse more particularly which indeed is the Kingdomes for one hath no existence no being without the other their relation is so
the Lord MANDEVILL and the forenamed five Members by Sir WILLIAM KILLIGREW Sir WILLIAM FLEMEN and others in the Innes of Court and else where in the Kings name was an high breach of the priviledge of Parliament a great scandall to his Majesty and his Government a seditious act manifestly tending to the subversion of the Peace of the Kingdome and an injury and dishonour to the said Members there being no legall charge or accusation against them Whereas there is mention made in the late recited words of this Declaration concerning the Innes of Court we cannot omit that about the same time so unhappy a Genius of division reigned among all sorts there wanted not some men dis-affected to the Parliament who went up and down perswading the young Gentlemen of the Innes of Court to make offer of their service to the King as a guard of defence if any danger threatned his Person Upon which divers of those young Gentlemen to ingratiate themselves repaired to the Court and were kindly received by the King and Queen The Parliament at that time further declared That the Priviledges of Parliament and the Liberties of the Subject so violated and broken could not be fully and sufficiently vindicated unlesse his Majesty would be pâ—eased to discover the names of those persons who advised his Majesty to issue out such Warrants for sealing of the Chambers and Studies of the said five Members to send a Sergeant at Armes to the house of Commons to demand those members to issue out Warrants for their apprehension to come thither himself in Person to publish Articles in the forme of a Proclamation against the said Members in the fore-declared manner to the end that all such persons who advised him to these actions might receive condigne punishment According to this the Houses humbly desired his Majesty that he would so far satisfie their just and legall request as to let them know those informers for the Law in two severall Statutes provides that satisfaction that if in time of Parliament the King accuse a Member of the same of what crime soever he ought to signifie to the Parliament who were the informers but the King refused to do it Upon which the House of Commons examined his Atturny General Sir EDWARD HERBERT who had preferred the aforesaid Articles he confessed nothing to them concerning any other Person or informer but only that he received the Command from the King himself and knew nothing further of it The same the King testified concerning his said Attourny in a Letter to the Lord Keeper wherein he justifieth the Atturny his action as being no otherwise then the duty of a servant required But the Parliament made another judgement of it as namely that Sir EDWARD HERBERT had broken the Priviledge of Parliament in preferring the said Articles and done an illegal act upon which he was committed to prison These actions of the King did exceedingly afflict all honest Protestants especially at such a time when the affairs of bleeding Ireland did so much and so speedily require the assistance of England which must needs by these unhappy distractions be retarded and the totall losse of the Protestant Cause there much endangered But the City of London was not the least sensible of it who in a deep and sorrowfull apprehension of this designe Petitioned the King with an expression of all the fears and dangers which they conceived themselves in at that time The things which they enumerate in their Petition are That his Majesty had put out a Person of Honor and Trust from being Lieutenant of the Tower That he had lately fortified White-hall with men and munition in an unusuall manner Some of which men had abused with provoking language and with drawn swords wounded divers unarmed Citizens passing by To explain this branch of their Petition the Reader must be informed That the King the very next day after he had entred the House of Commons as aforesaid went in his Coach into the City of London whither he had heard that those five Members had retired themselves and was every where humbly entreated by the Citizens in flocks about his Coach That he would be pleased to agree with his Parliament and not infringe the Priviledge thereof The King perceiving which way the affections of the City went returned again to White-hall where he staid about a week after During which time by what advice or to what intention I cannot tell he built there a little Court of Guard and entertained some Gentlemen and others who as the Petition declares gave those affronts to divers Citizens that passed by They complain likewise in the Petition of the late endeavours used to the Innes of Court the calling in divers Canoniers and other assistants into the Tower the late discovery of divers Fire-works in the hands of a Papist But most of all say they our feares are encreased by your Majesties late going into the House of Commons attended with a great number of armed men besides your ordinary Guard for apprehending divers Members of that House to the endangering of your sacred Person and of the Persons and Priviledges of that Honorable Assembly The effects of all which fears tend not only to the overthrow of the whole trade of this City and Kingdom which your Petitioners already feel in a deep measure but also to the utter ruine of the Protestant Religion and the Lives and Liberties of all your loyall Subjects The Petitioners therefore most humbly pray your sacred Majesty that by the advice of your great Councell in Parliament the Protestants in Ireland may be speedily relieved the Tower put into the hands of Persons of Trust that by removall of doubtfull and unknown Persons from about White-hall and Westminster a known and approved Guard may be appointed for the safety of your Majesty and Parliament and that the Lord MANDEVILL and the five Members of the House of Commons lately accused may not be restrained of Liberty or proceeded against otherwise then according to the Priviledges of Parliament The King though he conceived this Petition as himself expressed of an unusuall nature yet willing to give content to the City returned a Gracious Answer to their particulars That for Ireland he conceived he had expressed as much care on his part as possibly he could and would not faâ—l for the future What he had done concerning the Tower had been to satisfie their fearâ— before in displacing one or good Trust and putting in another of unquestionable Reputation and what preparation of strength soever he made there was with as great an eye of safety and advantage to the City as to his own Person For his Guard entertained at White-hall he alleadged the disorderly and tumultuous conflux of people to Westminster to the danger of his Royall Person not punished at all by course of Law and if any Citizens were wounded he was assured it happened by their own ill demeanours that he knew no other endeavours to the Innes of
Traitors came not out till the beginning of January though that Rebellion broke out in October and then by special Command from Vs but fourty Copies were appointed to be printed It is well known where we were at that time when that Rebellion broke forth in Scotland that we immediately from thence recommended the care of that businesse to both Houses of Parliament here after We had provided for all fitting Supplies from our Kingdom of Scotland that after Our return hither We observed all those Forms for that service which We were advised to by Our Councel of Ireland or both Houses of Parliament here and if no Proclamation issued out sooner of which for the present We are not certain but think that others before that time were issued by Our directions it was because the Lords Iustices of that Kingdom desired them no sooner and when they did the number they disired was but twenty which they advised might be signed by Vs which We for expedition of the service commanded to be printed a circumstance not desired by them thereupon We signed more of them then Our Iustices desired all which was very well known to some Members of one or both Houses of Parliament who have the more to answer if they forbore to expresse it at the passing of this Declaration and if they did expresse it We have the greater reason to complain that so envious an aspersion should be cast upon Vs to Our People when they knew well how to answer their own Objection This was the Kings Answer to that point of the Parliaments Declaration concerning Ireland But the House of Commons in another Declaration though long after charge the King upon the same particular with more circumstances of aggravation as That although the Rebels had most impudently styled themselves The Queens Army and professed that the cause of their rising was To maintain the King's Prerogative and the Queens Religion against the Puritan Parliament of England and thereupon both Houses of Parliament did humbly and earnestly advise His Majestie to wipe away this dangerous Scandal by proclaiming them Rebels and Traitors to His Majestie and the Crown of England which then would have mated and weakned the Conspirators in the beginning and have encouraged both the Parliaments here and good people there the more vigorously to have opposed their proceedings yet such was the power of evil counsel about him that no Proclamation was set forth to that purpose till almost three months after the breaking out of this Rebellion and then Command given that but fourty should be printed nor they published till further direction should be given by His Majestie But the businesse of Ireland was more particularly touched in subsequent Declarations which in their due time and place may hereafter be related That Proclamation against the Irish Rebels came not out above two days before the King entred the House of Commons as is before expressed by which act so great a disturbance was made and the relief of Ireland so much retarded It was likewise complained of to the King by the House of Commons within three weeks after that since the Ports by order of both Houses as is before mentioned had been stopped against all Irish Papists many of the chief Commanders then in the Head of the Rebels had been suffered to passe by His Majesties immediate Warrant Of which the King cleared himself in Answer to them that by examining his own memory and the notes of his Secretaries he could not finde himself guilty of granting any such Warrants CHAP. III The Queen passeth into Holland with her daughter the Princesse MARY Difference between the King and Parliament concerning the Militia The King goeth toward York and is followed with a Petition from the Lords and Commons to Theobalds and another Declaration to Newmarket The King is denied entrance into Hull by Sir JOHN HOTHAM IT was wonderful that nothing at all could advance or further this great and necessary work of reducing Ireland when so many courses were propounded and undertaken as about the middle of February both Houses of Parliament had found a way which they conceived to be most substantial and firm to carry on that War namely by adventuring for proportions of Land in Ireland there being by their account within the four Provinces of Vlster Connaught Munster and Leinster two millions and an half of Acres of Land forfeitable from the Rebels in those Provinces to be shared among those Adventurers in the City of London or other Counties thereabout that would bring in or subscribe such Sums of money as were thought fit and which were upon good and serious consideration set down in particular whereby if an happie Conquest were made upon those bloody Rebels a large recompence might be made to all those English who either in Person of Purse had contributed to so good a work The King was well contented with these Propositions offâ—ring withal to go himself in Person into Ireland but that was not thought sitting by the Parliament and so far it passed that an Act was made to that purpose enabling the Parliament with power to carry on that War until Ireland should be declared to be wholly subdued and that no Peace or Cessation of Arms should be at any time made with those Rebels unlesse both Houses of Parliament assented to it But while these things were acting other businesse wherein the safety and security of England was concerned fell into debate which was touching the Militia of the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales to be setled in every County upon such persons as the Parliament should approve A Petition to this purpose was sent to the King presently after they had received a Message from him dated the twentieth of Ianuary wherein the King in fair language desires the Parliament since that particular Grievances and Distractions were too many and would be too tedious to be presented by themselves that they would comprise and digest them into one entire Body that so His Majestie and themselves might be able to make the more clear Iudgement of them and that it should then appear by what His Majestie would do how for he hath been from intending or designing any of those things which the too-great fears and jealousies of some persons seem to apprehend and how ready he would be to equal or exceed the greatest examples of most indulgent Princes in their Acts of Grace and Favour to the People This Message was received with thanks by the Parliament who resolved to take it into speedie and serious consideration But to enable them with security to discharge their duties in those affairs they desired the King to raise up to them a sure ground of safety and confidence by putting in the mean time the Tower with other principal Forts and the whole Militia of the Kingdom into the hands of such persons as the Parliament might trust and should be recommended to him by both Houses This Petition of theirs was not well
rellished by the King as appeared by his Answer But the thing was of so great consequence that one Answer could not suffice Many reiterated Petitions were presented and many Answers returned upon this subject which are extant upon Record where the King often promiseth to be careful that no hands but those who are very faithful to the Common-wealth shall be by him entrusted with any part of the Militia but the nomination of any persons to those places he will reserve to himself it being a principal and inseparable flower of his Crown vested in him and derived to him from his Ancestors by the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom The Parliament on the other side affirming that nothing could enable them to suppresse the Rebellion in Ireland and secure themselves but the instant granting of that humble Petition which they hoped the King would not absolutely deny That it was their duty to him and the Common-wealth to represent unto him whatsoever they found so absolutely necessary for the preservation of both which the Laws both of God and man enjoyn them to see it put in execution During the debate of this businesse and before any absolute conclusion was made of it the King took a journey to Canterbury upon what reasons shall be anon declared It was before related that the King after his entring into the House of Commons to surprise the five Members had stayed a week at White-hall and then retired to Hampton-Court the next day after divers Citizens with a great shew of Boats and Guns in them brought the five Members to Westminster with many expressions that they would not forsake them who sare to defend their Religion Laws and Liberties The King now resident at Hampton-Court seemed extremely distasted at the Citie and pretended the reasons of his absence from Parliament to be fear for his Person by reason of Tumults that might be raised but true it is after this time he never could be brought neer the Citie or Parliament either in body or minde Within few days after the King had been at Hampton-Court he sent for divers of his servants who were then Members of the Parliament to leave the House and give their attendance upon his Person But two the chief of them ROBERT Earl of Essex lately made Lord Chamberlain of this Houshold and HENRY Earl of Holland Groom of the Stool chose rather to obey his Writ whereby they were called to assist in Parliament about the highest affairs of England then to obey this private Command of his to come and attend at Hampton-Court alleadging in excuse that their attendance in Parliament was truer service to him as King then any other could be For this the King presently after sent a Messenger to demand the Staff of the one and the Key of the other being the Ensignes of their Offices which they willingly resigned to the Messengers hands From Hampton-Court about the midst of February the King and Queen went to Canterbury and so to Dover with the Princesse MARY their eldest daughter married not a yeer before to WILLIAM son to the Prince of Orange The Queen her self passed from thence into Holland under pretext of keeping her daughter company to her husband the Lady was then about ten yeers of age which was not at all hindered by the Parliament But the Queen carried with her all or the greatest part of the Crown-Jewels of England which immediately she pawned in Holland and with that money bought Arms and Ammunition for that sad War which ensued not long after between the King and the Parliament of England The King's stay at Canterbury and Dover was not long nor the places so remote but that some businesse might passe though with great trouble of those Lords and others Members of the House of Commons who posted between upon all occasions The greatest thing which was done in that time was that the King at Canterbury signed the Bill for taking away Bishops Votes in Parliament When the Queen and her daughter had taken Sail the King came back to Greenwich whither he sent for the Prince and Duke of York to come to him and attend him in his journey to the City of York which was the place which he intended to reside at and to that purpose immediately went on his way as far as Theobalds to which place he was followed with a Petition from both Houses presented to him upon the first of March 1641. The substance of it was to intreat his Majestie that be would at last be pleased to grant their necessary Petition concerning the Militia of England which if he did refuse in these times of distraction they must be enforced and did resolve to dispose of it for the safety of the Kingdom in such manner as had been propounded to his Majestie They likewise intreated him to continue his abode neer London and his Parliament and not to take his son the Prince out of those parts and in conclusion desired his Majestie to be informed by them his great Councel that by the Laws of England the power of raising ordering and disposing of the Militia within any Citie Town or other place cannot be granted to any Corporation by Charter or otherwise without the authority and consent of Parliament The King denied to give any other Answer concerning the Militia then what he had before done That he conceived himself not safe in any place neer London and that he would take such a care of the Prince his son as should justifie him to God as a Father and to his Dominions as a King The Parliament upon occasion of that short Answer of the King to their Petition voted presently that that Answer was a flat Denial and that all was truth which they had averred in their Petition concerning the danger of his removal so far from the Parliament and likewise carrying of his son away It was likewise ordered by the Lords and Commons that the Earl of Northumberland Lord Admiral should give speedie directions for all the Ships belonging to the Navie Royal to be speedily rigged and fitted for the service of the Common-wealth A Declaration was drawn then by both Houses and presented to the King at Newmarket upon the ninth of March by the Earls of Pembroke and Holland with some Members of the House of Commons wherein were represented to him some of the old Grievances expressed in the first Remonstrance at his return out of Scotland as That the designe of altering Religion had been carried on by those of greatest authority about him for divers yeers That the War against Scotland was procured in order to that designe That the Rebellion in Ireland was contrived here in England out of many presumptions gathered from several examinations there They speak likewise of his attempt for bringing his Army against the Parliament of which before mention was made of his Warrants granted contrary to promise for transportation of JERMYN DIGBY and other Delinquents of that great breach of Parliament-Priviledge in
making way for the utter subversion of it 1. Force is gathered together at York under pretence of a Guard for His Majesties Person to make an opposition against the Parliament and by strong hand to support and protect Delinquents so as no Order of Parliament can be obeyed but on the other side is slighted and scorned to make the Parliament of no reputation to be but Imago Parliamenti a meer shadow without substance without efficacie 2. To send out in His Majesties name and as Declarations and Messages from him bitter invectives against the Parliament to perplex it and engage it in expence of time to answer them and besides cunningly to insinuate and infuse into the people by false colours and glosses a disopinion and dislike of the Parliament and if it be possible to stir up their spirits to rise against it to destroy it and in it all other Parliaments to the ruine of themselves their wives and children 3. The third Plot is The Members are drawn away and perswaded to forsake their duty and attendance here and go down to York thereby to blemish the actions of both Houses as done by a few and an inconsiderable number and rather a Party then a Parliament and perhaps to raise and set up an anti-Parliament there My Lords this is now the great Designe whereby they hope by little and little the Parliament shall even bleed to death and moulder to nothing the members dropping away one after another a desperate and dangerous practice and as your Lordships well observed when you were pleased to communicate the businesse to us an effect of the evil Counsels now prevailing and tending to the dissolution of the Parliament of this Parliament which under God must be the preserver of three Kingdoms and keep them firm and loyal to their King subject to his Crown save them from being turned into a Chaos of disorder and confusion and made a dismal spectacle of misery and desolarion this Parliament which is the last hope of the long-oppressed and in other Countries even almost wholly-destroyed Protestant Religion this Parliment which is the onely means to continue us to be a Nation of freedom and not of slaves to be owners of any thing in a word which must stand in the Gap to prevent an in-let and inundation of all misery and confusion My Lords this Parliament they desire to destroy but I hope it will destroy the destroyers and be a wall of Fire to consume them as it is a wall of Brasse to us to defend King and Kingdom us and all we have Your Lordships wisely foresaw this Mischief and as wisely have endeavoured to prevent it by making your Orders to keep your Members here as that of the ninth of April and several other Orders enjoyning them all to attend thereby restraining them from repairing to York where the Clouds were observed to gather so fast threatning a storm and such preparations to be made against the Parliament that it necessitated both Houses to passe a Vote That the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make War against the Parliament and all who shall serve and assist in such Wars are declared to be Traitours which Vote passed the 20 of May so setting a mark upon that place and their opinion concerning those who should at this time resort thither Yet now in such a conjuncture of time when the Kingdom had never more need of a Parliament and the Parliament never more need of all the help and assistance of the best endeavour and advice of every Member the Safety and even Being of three Kingdoms depending on it after such Orders and Commands of your Lordships House to the contrary such a Vote of both Houses and expressely against their Duty being called thither by Writ under the Great Seal which is the King 's greatest and highest Command and not controllable nor to be dispensed with by any other Command from him whatsoever and called to treat and consult de arduis Regni the great urging and pressing affairs of the Kingdom never more urgent never more pressing notwithstanding all this these Lords the Earls of Northampton Devonshire Dover Monmouth the Lords HOWARD of Charlton RICH GREY COVENTRY and CAPEL have left their stations withdrawn themselves and are gone to Yorkâ— and being â—ummoned to appear by an Order of the 30 of May in stead of obedience return râ—fusal by a slighting and scornful Letter which hath been so adjudged both by your Lordships and the House of Commons My Lords the â—ouse of Commons hath likewise upon the consideration and debate of this businesse finding it so much to concern the safety of the Kingdom and the very Being of the Parliament passed this Vote That the Departing of these nine Lords from the Parliament without leave after such a time as both Houses had declared That the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make War against the Parliament and their still continuing at York notwithstanding their Summons and Command is an high Affront and Contempt of both Houses and that the said Lords did as much as in them lay that the service of Parliament might be deserted and are justly suspected to promote a War against the Parliament The House in further prosecution of their duty in this Particular and in pursuance of their Protestation which obliges them to endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such high offenders against not onely the Priviledges but the very Essence of Parliament have sent me up to impeach these Lords and desire that speedy and exemplary Justice may be done upon them And accordingly I do here in the name of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House assembled in Parliament and in the name of all the Commons of England Impeach SPENCER Earl of Northampton WILLIAM Earl of Devonshire HENRY Earl of Dover HENRY Earl of Monmouth CHARLES Lord HOWARD of Charleton ROBERT Lord RICH CHARLES Lord GREY of Ruthen THOMAS Lord COVENTRY and ARTHUR Lord CAPEL for these high Crimes and Misdemeanours following viz. For that contrary to their duty they being Peers of the Realm and summoned by Writ to attend the Parliament and contrary to an Order of the House of Peers of the ninth of April last and several other Orders requiring the attendance of the Members of that House and after a Vote past in both Houses the twentieth of May last That the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make War against the Parliament and that whosoever served or assisted him in that War was adjudged a Traitour did notwithstanding afterwards in the same month of May contemptuously having notice of the said Votes and Orders withdraw themselves from the said House of Peers and repair to the City of York where the preparations of the said War were and yet are in contrivance and agitation they knowing of such preparations and being by an Order of the thirtieth of May duely summoned by the House of Peers to make their appearance before that
the choice of Councellours 16. That the extraordinary Guards and Military Forces now attending Your Majestie may be removed and discharged and that for the future You will raise no such Guards or extraordinary Forces but according to the Law in case of actual Rebellion or lavasion 17. That Your Majestie will be pleased to enter into a more strict Allegiance with the States of the United Provinces and other Neighbour Princes and States of the Protestant Religion for the defence and maintenance thereof against all designes and attempts of the Pope and his adherents to subvert and suppresse it whereby Your Majestie will obtain a great accesse of strength and reputation and Your Subjects be much encouraged and enabled in a Parliamentary way for Your aid and assistance in restoring Your Royal Sister and her Princely Issue to those Dignities and Dominions which belong unto them and relieving the other distressed Protestant Princes who have suffered in the same Cause 18. That Your Majestie will be pleased by Act of Parliament to clear the Lord Kymboâ—ton and the five Members of the House of Commons in such manner that future Parliaments may be secured from the consequence of that evil president 19. That Your Majestie will be graciously pleased to passe a Bill for restraining Peers made hereafter from sitting or voting in Parliament unlesse they be admitted thereunto with the consent of both Houses of Parliament And these our humble Desires being granted by Your Majestie we shall forthwith apply our selves to regulate Your present Revenue in such sort as may be for Your best advantage and likewise to settle such an ordinary and constant increase of it as shall be sufficient to support Your Royal Dignity in Honour and Plenty beyond the proportion of any former Grants of the Subjects of this Kingdom to Your Majesties Royal Predecessours We shall likewise put the Town of Hull into such hands as Your Majestie shall appoint with the consent and approbation of Parliament and deliver up a just account of all the Magazine and chearfully employ the uttermost of our endeavours in the real expression and performance of our most dutiful and loyal affections to the preserving and maintaining the Royal Honour Greatnesse and Safety of Your Majestie and Your Posterity Hen. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. To these Propositions sent from the Parliament the King returned such an Answer as shewed that he was much displeased with the whole Businesse For before his particular Answers to the several Propositions he complaineth in general and those very sharp expressions of the method of their proceedings against him and that the Cabalists of this businesse for so he calls them have used great art and subtilty against him first to strengthen themselves with unlawful power before they make their illegal demands He taxes them that first they had removed the Law it self as a rub in their way and pressed their own Orders and Ordinances upon the people tending to a pure arbitrary power as Laws and required obedience to them without the consent or concurrence of himself That they had wrested from him the command of the Militia a thing inherent in his Crown countenanced the Treason of HOTHAM against him and directed to the people invectives against his Government to weaken his just authority and due esteem among his Subjects casting upon him aspersions of a strange nature as that he should favour a Rebellion in the bowels of his Kingdom He complains likewise that they had broached for so he calls it a new Doctrine namely that the King is bound to passe all Laws that shall be offered to him by both Houses of Parliament a point of policie fit for their present businesse as destructive to all his Rights That they have overawed his Subjects in stifling all Petitions that did not please them and filled the peoples ears with needlesse fears and jealousies and such like things before they thought his Majestie sufficiently prepared to take those bitter Pills For saith he if they had unseasonably vented such Propositions as the wisdom and modestie of their Predecessours never thought fit to offer to any of Our Progenitours nor We in honour or regard to Our Regal Authority which God hath intrusted Vs with for the good of Our People could receive without just indignation for such many of the present Propositions are their hopes would soon have been blasted and those persons to whom Offices Honours Power and Commands were designed by such ill timing of their businesse would have failed of their expectation not without a brand upon the Attempt Therefore he saith that they had made before-hand those fore-named preparations The King seems to doubt likewise because the Parliament have not told him that this is all they desire of him that these Propositions are probably intended to make way for a Superfetation of a yet higher nature And in the Propositions in general he observes that the Contrivers of them the better to advance their true ends disguised as much as they could their intents with a mixture of some things really to be approved by every honest man others specious and popular and some already granted by him All which saith he are cunningly twisted and mixed with other things of their main designe of ambition and private interest But the King desires not to be understood so as if he intended to fix this designe upon both or either House of Parliament for he utterly professeth against it being most confident of the loyalty good affections and integrity of the intentions of that great Body and knowing well that very many of both Houses were absent and many dissented from all those particulars of which he complains but that he believes and accordingly professes to all the world that the malignity of this designe hath proceeded from the subtil informations mischievous practices and evil counsels of some ambitious turbulent spirits disaffected to God's true Religion using their own language the Unity of the professours thereof his Honour and Safety and the publike peace and prosperity of the people And such other like General expressions In particular the King expressed himself with great indignation against ten of their Propositions which were the 1 2 3 4 5 9 10 15 16 19 averring that if they did intend the establishment of his honour together with the security of his people as their profession is they would not offer him such Propositions for that Profession joyned to these Propositions appeared to his judgement as a mockery and scorn He averreth further that their Demands are such as that he were unworthy of that Royal descent from so many famous Ancestours unworthy of the Trust reposed in him by the Laws if he should devest himself of such a power so inherent in his Crown and assume others into it protesting that if he were both vanquished and a prisoner in worse condition then any the most unfortunate of his predecessours had ever been reduced unto he would never stoop so lowe as to
grant those demands and to make himself of a King of England a Duke of Venice The several Answers that the King made and Arguments that he used to each several branch of those Propositions are too large to be here inserted and may be read by those that would be further informed in the printed Book of Parliament-Declarations and Ordinances CHAP. V. An Order for the bringing in of Plate and Money into Guild-hall The King's Declaration to the Lords about him Their Profession and Protestation to him The King layeth Siege to Hull but raiseth it again The Earl of Warwick taketh possession of the Navie as Lord Admiral The Earl of Essex is voted in Parliament to be Lord General of all their Forces ON the tenth day of Iune following an Order was made by both Houses of Parliament for bringing in of Money and Plate to maintain Horse Horse-men and Arms for Preservation of the Publike Peace and defence of the King's Person for that the Parliament in their expressions always joyned together with their own safety and both Houses of Parliament Wherein it was expressed that whosoever should bring in any Money or Plate or furnish any Horse-men and Arms for that purpose should have their Money repayed with Interest according to eight in the hundred for which both Houses of Parliament did engage the Publike Faith Four Treasurers were ordained whose Acquittances for the receipt of any Sum should be a sufficient ground to the Lenders to demand their Money and Plate again with the Interest belonging thereunto The Treasurers were Sir JOHN WOLLASTON Knight and Alderman of London Alderman TOWES Alderman WARNER and Alderman ANDREWES Commissaries also were appointed to value the Horse and Arms which should be furnished for that service It was desired in that Order that all men resident in or about London or within 80 miles would bring in their money Plate or Horse within a fortnight after notice and they that dwell farther off within three weeks and that those who intended to contribute within the time limited but were not for the present provided of money or Horse should subscribe that it might be soon known what provision would be for effecting of that great and important Service And in conclusion it was declared that whatsoever was brought in should be imployed to no other purposes but those before mentioned the maintenance of the Protestant Religion the King's Person dignity and authority the Laws of the Land the Peace of the Kingdom and Priviledges of Parliament Whilest this Order was drawing up advertisement by Letters was given to the Parliament that the Crown-Jewels were pawned at Amsteldam and other places of the Netherlands upon which money was taken up and Warlike Ammunition provided in those Parts as Battering-pieces Culverins Field-pieces Morter-pieces Granadoes with great store of powder pistols carabines great saddles and such like Whereby the Parliament thought they could not otherwise judge then that the King did plainly intend a War against them and had designed it long before They received intelligence at the same time that the King had sent a Commission of Array into Leicestershire directed to the Earl of Huntington the Earl of Devonshire and Mr HENRY HASTINGS second son to the Earl of Huntington for the Lord HASTINGS eldest son to that Earl did then adhere to the Parliament which three were chief in the Commission but many other Knights and Gentlemen of that County were named in it Together with this Commission of Array the King sent a Letter also containing the reasons of it wherein he complaineth that the Parliament by their Ordinance for the Militia would devest him of that power which is properly inherent in his Crown And for the occasion and reason of that Commission he urgeth a Declaration of their own using their very expressions and words in his Letter that whereas it hath been declared by Votes of both Houses of Parliament the fifteenth of March last that the Kingdom hath of late been and still is in evident and imminent danger both from enemies abroad and a Popish disconted party at home he concludes that for the safeguard both of his own Person and People there is an urgent and inevitable necessity of putting his people into a posture of defence c. Thus did the Parliaments Prologue to their Ordinance of Militia serve the King's turn for his Commission of Array totidem verbis The copie of which Commission and Letter coming into the hands of the Parliament it was resolved upon the Question by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that this Commission of Array for Leicester is against Law and against the Liberty and Property of the Subject and resolved again upon the Question within two days after That all those that are actours in putting the Commission of Array in execution shall be esteemed as disturbers of the Kingdoms Peace and betrayers of the Liberty of the Subject It was also ordered by both Houses that this Commission of Array and the forementioned Votes should be forthwith printed and published thorow the Kingdom The King was not wanting to his own designe in the mean time and whatsoever might give countenance to the businesse he had in hand but made a short Declaration to the Lords who then attended him at York and others his Privie Councel there in these words We do declare that We will require no obedience from you but what is warranted by the known Laws as We expect that you shall not yeeld to any Commands not legally grounded or imposed by any other We will defend all you and all such as shall refuse any such Commands whether they proceed from Votes and Orders of both Houses or any other way from all danger whatsoever We will defend the true Protestant Religion established by the Laws the lawful Liberties of the Subjects of England and just Priviledges of all the three Estates of Parliament and shall require no further obedience from you then as We accordingly shall perform the same We will not as is falsely pretended engage you in any War against the Parliament except it be for Our necessary defence against such as do insolently invade or attempt against Vs and Our Adherents Upon this Declaration of the King those Lords and others of his Councel made a Promise to him and subscribed it with their hands as followeth We do engage our selves not to obey any Orders or Commands whatsoever not warranted by the known Laws of the Land We engage our selves to defend Your Majesties Person Crown and Dignity with Your just and legal Prerogative against all Persons and Power whatsoever We will defend the true Protestant Religion established by the Law of the land the lawful Liberties of the Subjects of England and just Priviledges of Your Majestie and both Houses of Parliament Lastly we engage our selves not to obey any Rule Order or Ordinance whatsoever concerning any Militia that hath not the Royal Assent Subscribed by L. Keeper D. of Richmond Ma. Hertford E.
hath since been confirmed if I mistake not by his example and Your Majesties Chief Iustice Sir JOHN BANKS both in accepting their Ordinance and nominating their Deputy-Lieutenants how much further they proceeded I know not But Sir if the opinions of those great Lawyers drew me into an act unsutable to Your Majesties liking I hope the want of yeers will excuse my want of judgement And since by the Command of the Parliament I am now so far engaged in their Service as the sending out Warrants to summon the County to meet me this day at Lincoln and afterwards in other places I do most humbly beseech Your Majestie not to impose that Command on me which must needs render me false to those that relie on me and so make me more unhappie then any other misery that can fall upon me These things Sir I once more humbly beseech Your Majestie may be taken into Your Gracious consideration and that You would never be pleased to harbour any misconceit of me or of this Action since nothing hath yet passed by my Commands here or ever shall but what shall tend to the honour and safety of Your Majesties Person to the preservation of the Peace of Your Kingdoms and to the content I hope of all Your Majesties Subjects in these parts amongst whom I remain Your Majesties most humble and most dutiful Subject and Servant FRA. WILLOUGHBY Upon the receipt of these Letters the Lords sent a Message to the House of Commons in which they expressed how much they did value and approve the endeavours of this Lord in a service so much importing the safety of this Kingdom not doubting of their readinesse to concur with them upon all occasions to manifest the sense they have and shall retain of his deservings which appear the greater by how much the difficulties appearing by the circumstances of those Letters have been greater The Lords therefore as they resolved to make his Interest their own in this Service for the publike good and safety of the Kingdom so they desired the Commons to joyn with them in so just and necessary a work To this the House of Commons consented and resolved to joyn with the Lords in this Vote making the like resolution also for the Deputy-Lieutenants for the County of Lincoln and desired the Lords concurrence therein Upon which it was ordered by the Lords in Parliament that they agree with the House of Commons for the resolution concerning the Deputy-Lieutenants of the County of Lincoln In Essex also which proved a most unanimous County and by that means continued in peace and happinesse the Earl of Warwick whose care and action was not confined onely to the Sea chosen Lord Lieutenant by the Parliament when he went down to muster and exercise the Country was received with great applause The Trained Bands were not onely compleat but increased by Voluntiers to unusual numbers and so affectionate to that Cause they were in general that they presented a Petition to the Earl of Warwick and the Deputy-Lieutenants in the name of all the Captains and Lieutenants of the several Companies and in the name of all persons belonging to the Trained Bands To which Petition when it was read in the field they expressed a full consent by their general acclamations and applause in every Company The Earl of Warwick therefore sent the Petition to the Parliament to let them see the extraordinary alacrity and affection of that County of Essex to them which was in these words which follow To the Right Honourable ROBERT Earl of Warwick Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Essex and to the worthy Gentlemen the Deputy-Lieutenants of the same County confided in by the most Honourable the high Court of Parliament We the Captains and Lieutenants with the full consent of the Trained Bands and Voluntiers of the County now assembled having before the accesse of this present Parliament seen our Religion our Laws and Liberties brought to the brink of ruine and subversion by the results of most desperate and wicked Counsels could not but with exâ—â—ding joy behold the assembling and continuance of so great and faithful a Councel the Representative Body of this Kingdom and with most certain confidence commit thereto all that was dear unto us And having also seen the late hellish designes and actings of a malignant party in this Kingdom and the bloody Rebellion in Ireland all working to retard the progresse or subvert the being of this worthy Parliament and therein to bereave us of all our hopes of Reformation or future peace and happinesse to this Church or State we cannot but ascribe all glory praise unto the Lord of lords expresse most hearty thankfulnes to his blessed Instruments that great Assembly for their undaunted resolutions unparallell'd endeavours and happie proceedings for the common good And herein as not the least means of our safety for the most necessary and seasonable Ordinance of theirs touching the Militia whereby we are put under the Command and Guidance of so noble a Lord and such worthy Gentlemen whereunto we humbly desire this present day and meeting may be an evidence and pledge of our free and willing obedience Having intrusted our Religion our Laws and all into the hands of that great and most faithful Councel the Parliament whose care and fidelity we have so abundantly found we even bleed to see the heart and actions of our Royal King contrary to his own Royal expressions declining from the Counsels of his Parliament carried after other Counsels whom as the Laws and Constitutions of this Land have not known nor reposed upon so we for our own parts neither will nor dare intrust with our Religion or Laws and whom we verily believe could they prevail against that highest Court under God our chiefest Bulwark and Defence would soon deprive us both of Religion and Law and notwithstanding all their specious pretences reduce us to a condition no lesse miserable then slavish From the deep apprehensions of all which we do freely and heartily promise and tender our persons and estates to assist and defend to the uttermost the high Court of Parliament now assembled the Members Power and Priviledges thereof and therein his Majesties Person and Authority and the Kingdoms Peace according to our late Protestation against all contrary Counsels Power or force of Arms whatsoever which shall be reared up or attempted against them And this our humble Acknowledgement and Resolution which we doubt not will be accorded unto by all good Subjects we humbly desire your Honour and Worships to tender on our behalf to that most honourable Assembly of Parliament for whose happie progresse and successe we shall daily pray Subscribed J. KITELEY HENRY FARRE JOHN BALLET JOHN FLEMMING WILLIAM MARSHAM ROBERT BARRINGTON Captains THO. HARPER JOHN WOODCOCK RICH. LAWRENCE GEORGE COLWEL THO. CLARK WIMLIAM BURLS Lieutenants The Parliament were very forward to expresse their approbation of this most affectionate Declaration of the Essex men and returned
they came back on the left hand of their Enemies Sir PHILIP STAPLETON with his Horse gave them a terrible Charge which they were not long able to indure but finding a gap in an hedge got from him upon the Spurre as fast as they could to the rest of their broken Troops and so at last joyned with their Foot that stood by the Ordinance And now on both sides the Horse were gathered to their own Foot and so stood together both Horse and Foot one against another till it was night The Parliament Army being wholly possessed of the ground which their Enemies had chosen to fight upon stood upon it all night and in the morning returned to a warmer place neere Keynton where they had quartered the night before for they were much pinched with cold and the whole Army in extreme want of Victuals The Kings Army had withdrawne to the top of the hill for their more security where they made great fires all the night long About nine of the clock the next morning the Parliament Army drew out againe into Battalia and so stood about three houres untill the other Army was quite gone from the hill and then they withdrew themselves into their Quarter towards Keynton and to their other Brigado Artillery and Ammunition which being commanded by Colonell HAMBDEN and Colonell GRANTHAM as aforesaid was now come to Keynton and lodged there The King had drawne out his Horse upon the further side of the hill where he stayed till toward night whilest his Foot were retiring behinde the Hill and marching away A little before night his Horse also withdrew themselves and about an houre after the Parliament Horse marched quite away and went with the rest of the Army to Warwick to refresh themselves That going to Warwick was thought by a noble Gentleman of the Parliament side to be ill designed For saith he had the Army instead of going to Warwick marched toward Banbury we should have found more Victuals and had in probability dispersed all the Foot of the Kings Army taken his Canons and Carriages and sent his Horse farther off whereas now because we did not follow them though they quitted the field whereon they fought and left their Quarter before us yet they began soone after to question who had the day Howsoever it were true it is that the King no lesse then the Parliament pretended to be victorious in that Battell and so farre ascribed the Victory to his owne side that a Prayer of thanksgiving to God was made at Oxford for it A thanksgiving was also on the Parliament side for the Victory of that day And it is certaine that there were many markes of Victory on both Armies Colours and Canon were taken on both sides without any great difference of the number of them And though in Speeches made afterwards by either Party and Bookes printed there is no consent at all concerning the number of men slain but so great a discrepancy as it is almost a shame to insert into an History yet surely by the best account there were more slaine on the Kings side then on the other Those of quality that were lost on both Parties were of the Kings the Earle of Lindsey Lord Generall of his Army the Lord AUBIGNY brother to the Duke of Lenox Sir EDWARD VARNEY Standard-Bearer Colonell Sir EDMUND MONROY a Scottish Gentleman and Colonell LUNSFORD his Brother with other Gentlemen and Commanders besides Common Souldiers whose number as is before said would not be agreed upon yet I have heard that the Country people thereabouts by burying of the naked bodies found the number to be about six thousand that fell on both sides besides those which died afterwards of their wounds There were taken Prisoners of the Kings side the Lord WILLOUGHBY Sonne and Heire to the Earle of Lindsey Colonell VAVASOR Colonell LUNSFORD Sir EDWARD STRADLING with others of lesse note a George the Badge of a Knight of the Garter was found in the field by a Common Souldier besides that which the Lord Generall Lindsey wore and had about his neck when he was slaine and bought of him by a Captaine which was sent up to the Parliament there viewed and restored againe to the Captaine On the Parliament side were slaine onely these of marke and quality the Lord St. JOHN eldest Sonne to the Earle of BULLENBROOKE Colonell CHARLES ESSEX and Lieutenant Colonell RAMSEY and none of any great note taken Prisoners The Battell was fought with great courage on both sides both by the Generals and other Commanders besides some particular Regiments of Souldiers who were observed to performe their parts with great courage and bravery such as Colonell HOLLIS his Regiment of Redcoats and others too many to be all named in a short Discourse It could not but fall into the observation of many men that the yeare before upon the same day of the Moneth namely the 23. of October that this famous Battell of Keynton was fought the bloody Rebellion of the Irish broke out with that inhumane Massacre of the English Protestants in that Kingdom where the English by their owne losse and bleeding were sadly put in minde that they had too long deferred the revenge of their butchered Brethren in Ireland It was likewise observed by many men of the Parliament side who seemed to make no question but that the Victory was on their side as a further blessing of God to the Protestant Cause that on the very same day that this Battell was wonne in England the Sweads obtained a very great and notable Victory against the Imperialists and those of the Roman Religion in Germany But the King supposing himselfe victorious at Keyntonâ—ield â—ield immediately published a Declaration To all his loving Subjects for so it is stiled after his Victory against the Rebels Wherein though the expostulation be very bitter yet he indeavoureth that it should not seeme to be made against the Parliament it selfe but against some of them whom he termeth malignant malicious with such like Epithites as have laboured to lay aspersions upon him of things whereof he professeth himselfe altogether innocent Those aspersions he makes of two sorts the first is concerning his favouring of Popery and imploying Papists in his Army the second of raising that Army against the Parliament Both which he labours to wipe off with a recrimination against the Parliament For the first after a great Protestation of the truth of his Religion and his past present and future care for the better establishing of it in his Dominions with the extirpation of Popery though he cannot but acknowledge that some eminent men of that Religion are armed in his Service which he thinks excusable in so gteat a necessity and danger as he was in yet he tells the Parliament That in their Army there are more Papists Commanders and others then in his For the second That he leavyed his Army against the Parliament He seemeth to hope That none of his good Subjects will beleeve
it unlesse they will beleeve that a dozen or twenty factious and seditious persons be the high Court of Parliament which consists of King Lords and Commons For the Priviledges of Parliament he averres That whosoever will not believe the raising of an Army to kill their King To alter the government and Lawes by extravagant Votes of either or both Houses To force the Members to submit to their Faction and take away freedome of consultation from them to be the Priviledge of Parliament must confesse That the Army now raised by the King is no lesse for the vindication and preservation of Parliaments then for his owne necessary defence The King chargeth them likewise with uncharity That they have indeavoured to raise an implacable hatred betweene the Gentry and Commonalty of the Kingdome by rendring all persons of Honour odious to the Common People under the stile of Cavaliers and to perswade the people that there was an intention by the Commission of Array to take away a part of their Estates from them Which he denyes and concludes with Protestations to the contrary The Parliament returned answer to this Declaration but not as being the Kings according to their oft mentioned custome but comming from wicked and malicious contrivers of falshood and scandals Who say they to our unspeakable sorrowes have gained so much power with his Majesty as to vent the same under the Title of his owne Royall Name For the first objection They do not affirme that the King favours Popery himselfe but justifie that things have been carried in the favour of it by some about him according to the particular instances in many of their former Declarations They seeme to be amazed at the strange boldnesse of the Contrivers of that Declaration in averring that there are more Papists in their Army then in the Kings whereas they cannot or at least do not name any one which they desire may be done if there be any such that the Parliament may know how to displace them But the Parliament in their Answer name many of greatest ranke and quality of that Religion in the Kings Army who have raised him in some Counties the most considerable Forces which he hath and many Commissions granted by himselfe to Papists acknowledged so That it were sencelesse to thinke that any Papists favoured the Parliaments Cause at all whereas it is certaine that there are none of that Religion but are either openly or secretly assistant to that cause which the King hath taken For the second objection That the Kings Forces are not leavyed against the Parliament it selfe but a few seditious persons They thinke it an impossible thing that twelve or twenty such persons as they are termed should have power to compell the rest of that Body to sâ—bmit to their Faction and to have their freedome of consultation taken from them The truth is say they not a few persons but the Parliament it selfe is the thorne that lyes in these mens sides which heretofore when it was wont to prick them was with much â—ase by a sudden dissolution pulled out But now that it is more deeply fastened by an Act of continuance they would force it out by the power of an Army That whosoever will read the Speeches and Declarations made upon the breaking up of all former Parliaments ever since the beginning of this Kings Reigne will finde the pretences of those unjust dissolutions to be grounded upon exceptions against particular Members under the name of a few factious and seditious persons so that the aspersing and wounding of the Parliament thorow the sides of a few Members is no new invention But say they those former Declarations in the Kings name being groundlesse invectives not against particular Members but against the Votes and Proceedings of both Houses and declaring the Earle of Essex Generall of the Forces raised by them to be a Traytor and that all those which assist him thereby comprehending both Houses of Parliament by whose Command and Authority he bears that place to be Rebels and guilty of High Treason is argument sufficient no groundlesse accusation to prove the Kings Army to be raised against the Parliament or to take away the Priviledges thereof Those Priviledges of Parliament consisting in three things 1. As they are a Councell to advise 2. A Court to judge 3. A representative body of the Realme to make repeal or alter Lawes These Priviledges have say they during the sitting of this Parliament been all apparently broken to the view of all men by the Kings wicked Councell Their advice scarse at all hearkened unto by the King but other counsels of unknowne persons preferred before them For the second as a Court to judge The Delinquents so pronounced by the Parliament have bin pâ—oâ—ected by the King against them of which they give many particular instances Touching the third for making Laws They instance his refusall of many wholsome Bils for Church and State besides the breaking of their Priviledges they produce some attempts utterly to subvert them as the forementioned indeavour of bringing up the Northerne Army to force Conditions upon the Parliament the Kings Letters and Commands to Members of both Houses to attend him at Yorke leaving their true and legall station which when they obeyed it was scandalously alleadged that they were driven away For any violence intended to the Kings Person as they utterly deny it so they referre it to indifferent men to judge by all their long sufferings and humble Petitions to him to avoid those indangerings of his Person But for that imputation layed upon them of an indeavour to raise an implacable malice and hatred between the Gentry and Commonalty of the Kingdome They conceive it a Charge of a strange nature that they should indeavour to raise the hatred of the Commonalty against themselves For so it must follow unlesse the Contrivers of that Declaration will deny the Parliament to be Gentlemen But though we know say they well there are too many of the Gentry of this Kingdome who to satisfie the lusts of their owne ambition are content to sell their birth-right to render themselves and their posterity to perpetuall slavery and to submit themselves to any arbitrary and unlimited power of Government so they may for their owne time pertake of that Power to trample and insult over others Yet we are certaine that there are many true hearted Gentlemen who are ready to lay downe their lives and fortunes and of late have given ample testimony thereof for maintenance of their Lawes Liberties and Religion with whom and others of their resolution we shall be ready to live and dye Lastly they prove by particular instances that in the Kings Commission of Array there is not onely an intention to take away part of mens Estates but that it hath been put into reall execution with many other things in justification of all their proceedings and Declarations which may be read more at large in the Records This was the
slaine That Commission of Array was directed from the King to Sir NICHOLAS CRISPE Sir GEORGE STROUD Knights to Sir THOMAS GARDINER Knight Recorder of London Sir GEORGE BINION Knight RICHARD EDES and MARMADUKE ROYDEN Esquires THOMAS BROWNE PETER PAGGON CHARLES GENNINGS EDWARD CARLETON ROBERT ABBOT ANDREW KING WILLIAM WHITE STEVEN BOLTON ROBERT ALDEM EDMUND FOSTER THOMAS BLINKHORNE of London Gentlemen and to all such other persons as according to the true intent and purport of that Commission should be nominated and appointed to be Generals Colonels Lieutenant Colonels Serjeant Majors or other Officers of that Councell of Warre The Commission it selfe is to be read at large in the Parliament Records But this Conspiracy was prevented and proved fatall to some of the Contrivers being detected upon the last day of May which happened at that time to be the day of the Monethly Fast and Master WALLER Master TOMKINS with other of the forenamed Conspirators being apprehended were that night examined by divers grave Members of the Parliament of whom Master PYM was one and afterwards reserved in custody for a Tryall They were arraigned in Guild-Hall and Master WALLER Master TOMKINS Master CHALLONER Master HASELL Master WHITE and Master BLINKHORNE were all condemned none were executed but Master TOMKINS and Master CHALLONER being both hanged Master TOMKINS in Holborne and Master CHALLONER in Cornhill both within sight of their own dwelling houses Master HASELL dyed in Prison BLINKHORNE and the other were by the mercy of the Parliament and the Lord Generall Essex reprived and saved afterwards Master WALLER the chiefe of them was long detained Prisoner in the Tower and about a yeare after upon payment of a Fine of ten thousand pounds was pardoned and released to go travell abroad It was much wondered at and accordingly discoursed of by many at that time what the reason should be why Master WALLER being the principall Agent in that Conspiracy where Master TOMKINS and Master CHALLONER who had been drawne in by him as their own Confessions even at their deaths expressed were both executed did escape with life The onely reason which I could ever heare given for it was That Master WALLER had been so free in his Confessions at the first without which the Plot could not have been clearly detected That Master PYM and other of the Examiners had ingaged their promise to do whatever they could to preserve his life He seemed also much smitten in conscience and desired the comfort of godly Minister being extremely penitent for that soule offence and afterwards in his Speech to the House when he came to be put out of it much be wailed his offence thanking God that so mischievous and bloody a Conspiracy was discovered before it could take effect CHAP. III. Matters of State trans-acted in Parliament touching the Assembly of Divines The making of a new Great Seale Impeaching the Queene of High Treason and other things The Lord Generall Essex after some Marches returneth to quarter his wasted and sick Army about Kingston The Kings Forces Masters of the West The Earl of Newcastle his greatnesse in the North. Some mention of the Earle of Cumberland and the Lord FAIRFAX AT the same time that these Conspiracies were closely working to undermine the Parliament and Warre was raging in highest fury throughout the Kingdome many State-businesses of an unusuall nature had been trans-acted in the Parliament sitting For things were growne beyond any president of former ages and the very foundations of Government were shaken according to the sense of that Vote which the Lords and Commons had passed a yeare before That whensoever the King maketh Warre against the Parliament it tendeth to the dissolution of this Government Three things of that unusuall nature fell into debate in one moneth which was May 1643. and were then or soone after fully passed one was at the beginning of that moneth concerning the Assembly of Divines at Westminster Among other Bils which had passed both Houses and wanted onely the Royall Assent that was one That a Synod of Divines should be chosen and established for the good and right settlement of Religion with a fit Government for the Church of England This Bill was oft tendred to the King to passe but utterly refused by him The matter therefore was fully argued what in such cases might be done by Authority of Parliament when the Kingdomes good is so much concerned when a King refuseth and wholly absenteth himselfe from the Parliament And at last it was brought to this conclusion That an Ordinance of Parliament where the King is so absent and refusing is by the Lawes of the Land of as good Authority to binde the people for the time present as an Act of Parliament it selfe can be It was therefore Voted by the Lords and Commons That the Act for an Assembly of Divines to settle Religion and a forme of Government for the Church of England which the King had oft refused to passe should forthwith be turned into an Ordinance of Parliament and the Assembly thereby called debate such things for the settlement of Religion as should be propounded to them by both Houses which not long after was accordingly put in execution The case seemed of the same nature with that of Scotland in the yeare 1639. when the Scottish Covenanters as is before mentioned in this History upon the Kings delay in calling their Nationall Synod published a writing to that purpose That the power of calling a Synod in case the Prince be an Enemy to the truth or negligent in promoting the Churches good is in the Church it selfe In the same moneth and within few daies after another businesse of great consequence was by the Lords and Commons taken into consideration which was the making of a new Great Seale to supply the place of that which had been carried away from the Parliament as before is mentioned This businesse had been fully debated in the House of Commons and the Moneth following at a Conference between both Houses the Commons declared to the Lords what great prejudice the Parliament and whole Kingdome suffered by the absence of the Great Seale and thereupon desired their speedy compliance in Votes for the making of a new one The matter was debated in the House of Peeres put to Votes and carried for the negative The onely reason which they alleadged against the making of a new Seale was this That they have hitherto dispatched all business since the absence of the Seale by vertue of Ordinances of Parliament and they conceived that the same course might still be kept in what matters soever were necessary to be expedited for the good of the Kingdome without a Seale Yet the Lords gave a respective answer That if the House of Commons would informe them in any particular cases wherein the Kingdomes prejudice by absence of the Great Seale could not be remedied by vertue of an Ordinance they would take it into further consideration to induce complyance accordingly Neither was