"May it please your most excellent majesty; We your loyal subjects, the lords and comnons in parliament assembled, having a deep sease of the present miseries of this your king dom, and of the Christian blood, the blood of your subjects, that hath been spilt in this unnatural war: to prevent the desolation and ruin of this kingdom, the destruction of your people, and the danger of your own royal perSon and children, do again, in all humility, petition your majesty, that you will be pleased, before the armies be engaged in battle, they being now drawn near together, to accept of our hamble Auswer to your majesty's first Proposition, and agree unto the first Proposition resented unto you by the hands of our commissioners, for the Disbanding of all Armies; whereby your kingdom will be restored to the ormer happy condition of peace, and the sad accidents and consequences of a civil war be revented; and that, as the most likely means o compose and settle these unhappy differences between you and your people, you will please o return to your parliament, your great and and most faithful council, whose advice your naj. will find more conducing to your greatless, honour, and safety, than the council of omne few about you; whose counsels if they nay prevail, we find all our petitions and endeavours for the peace of this kingdom, to be ruitless.-If God shall make us so happy as to ncline your majesty's heart to this our humble Petition, which your parliament and kingdom may expect from your justice and goodness; our endeavours and counsels shall all be directed to settle the true protestant religion, your majesty's just rights, the preservation and safety of your royal person and children, and the laws of the kingdom, the liberties of the subject, and the privileges of parliament.” Ordered, That this Petition be communicated to the commons at a conference. The King's Proclamation forbidding Obedience to the Parliament, and for calling the Members to him at Oxford.] June 26. The lord Say and Sele acquainted the lords, That he had received a Letter from the King, in which was inclosed a Proclamation from his majesty, which was read: "Whereas we have been long since driven by force and violence from our palace at Westminster, (the place of sitting for us and our two houses of this parliament) so that we could not, with safety of our life, be present with our Great Council; and much the greater part of the members of both houses have been likewise driven by tumults and force, for their safety, from their attendance upon that council, the said members having been threatened and assaulted for delivering their opinions freely in the houses; or have, out of conscience and duty, withdrawn themselves from being present at the debates and resolutions, which they have well known to be so contrary to their duty and allegiance; or for so withdrawing, or for freely speaking in the houses, have been expelled or suspended from being mem bers of that council, contrary to the antient practice and just privileges of parliament. Since which time, and by which means, a great and rebellious army hath been raised against us, under the command of Robert earl of Essex; which army hath not only endeavoured to take away our life from us in a set battle, but the same, and other forces raised by the like means, have committed all the acts of outrage, robbery, and murder, upon our good subjects throughout the kingdom, and sull continue to do the same.And though, in truth, a very small part of that Great Council remain there together; yet, under pretence of having the countenance of our two houses of parliament, some seditious persons assume to themselves (with the assistance of those rebellious armies, and of divers mutinous and despe rate Brownists, Anabaptists, and other ill-affect ed persons in our city of London, by whose means they awe such meinbers of both houses who yet continue amongst them) a power to do things absolutely contrary to the laws of the land, and destructive to our rights, and to the liberty and property of the subject, and to alter the whole frame and government of this king. dom; disposing of the lives and fortunes of us and our good subjects, according to their discretion; subjecting both to their own unlimit ed arbitrary power and governinent.-We have only accused some particular persons, whom we well know to be the authors and contrivers of these deperate counsels and actions; and have forborne to censure, or charge, the whole number of the members remaining, by whose orders and authority the evils have been pretended to be done; hoping that the sense of the miserable distractions of the kingdom would, at length, have brought them to discern where they had erred; and our often Messages and complaints of the violence offered to us, and to the members of both houses, would have procured justice and redress: and that the power and reputation of such amongst them, who wished well to the peace of the kingdom, and ' honour and dignity of parliaments, would have at last so far prevailed, that a right understanding night have been begotten betwixt us and our people; and all shew of force and violence so taken away and suppressed, that we might, in a full and peaceable convention of parliament, with the advice of that our Great Council, have so settled the present distempers, that there might be no fear left of the like for the future.-But finding, to our great grief, that the power of those seditious persons, who first contrived these desperate and bloody distractions, continues so great; that as they have driven, and now keep us, and the much greater part of both houses, from being present at that Council; so they so far awe those who remain there, that they cannot, with freedom, give their Votes and Resolutions according to their consciences, and the laws and constitu tions of the kingdom: that the members of both houses have been conspelled to make Protestations to live and die with the Earl of Es K 2 sex, the general of the rebellious army, and other unlawful and treasonable Protestations; and that such who have refused to take the said Protestations, have been expelled and imprisoned for such their refusal: that the great affairs of the kingdom are managed and concluded by a private committee, without being ever reported to the houses, contrary to the laws and rules of parliament: that the common council of London, most of them being persons factiously chosen out of Brownists, Anabaptists, and such who oppose the regular wholesome government of that city, and have promised themselves the destruction of the church, are grown the superintendants over both houses, and obtrude upon them what conclusions and resolutions they please: that they take upon them to justify this Rebellion against us, and have presumed, under pretence of the Order of both houses, to invite foreign forces to invade this kingdom: to send agents to foreign princes, to negotiate and treat with them in their own names: to imprison our good subjects contrary to law, prohibiting our judges to grant habeas corpus according to law: to introduce a new clergy throughout the kingdom, by displacing godly learned divines, without the least colour of law or judicial proceedings, and putting ignorant and seditious preachers in their places, to poison the hearts of the people: to countenance the vilifying of the Book of the Common-Prayer, established by the law of the land to seize, levy, and take away what they please of the estates and fortunes of our subjects, by disposing of the 20th part of their estates, by exhausting them with unsupportable | Weekly Taxes for the maintenance of their rebellious army, and by endeavouring to lay odious exercises upon victuals, goods, and merchandize of our people for the same purpose; while they suffer our poor protestant subjects of our kingdom of Ireland, whose defence was undertaken by our two houses, and that army raised for the suppressing of that horrid Rebellion to be starved and in danger of disbanding, or necessitated to descrt that kingdom for want of money, victuals, and such other necessaries as were to be provided for them by act of parliament, out of those monies which they have spent to destroy us and this kingdom: by exacting from merchants Tunnage and Poundage, and other impositions upon merchandizes, as well native as foreign, contrary to an act made this present parliament, with a penalty of prémunire on those who shall pay or receive it: and, lastly, That they have (after the breaking off the late Treaty, by a peremptory recalling their committee, who, in truth, during their abode with us, had no power to treat by reason of their strict limitation) so far rejected all possible means and overtures of treaty and accommodation, that, instead of answering our gracious Messages, the house of commons hath imprisoned our messenger sent by us to them, to invite both houses to an Accommodation; and especially to move them to take such a course for the freedom of parliament, that we might safely advise with that our Great Council for the settling those miserable distractions and distempers: and hath maliciously, and in contempt of us, (after an attempt to murder our royal consort in Bridlington Road, the place of her landing), impeached her of high treason, for assisting us with arms and ammunition to defend us from this rebellion: it is time now to let our good subjects know, that they may no longer look upon the votes and actions of the persons now remaining, as upon our two houses of parliament; freedom and liberty to be present, and of opinion and debate there, being essential to a parliament; which freedom and liberty all men must confess to be taken away from this assembly, when they remember the great tumults brought down to awe and terrify both houses; and that they were thes brought down when any great debate was a either house, and not like to be so carried some seditious persons, who governed those tumults, did desire; that, in the greatest beat and fury of those tumults, the principal go vernors amongst them directed the unruly peo ple to go to Whitehall, where our own person then was; and designed, by force, to have s prized the person of our son the prince; that when it was desired that a Declaration might be made against such tumults, instead of cor senting thereunto, the tumults themselves were justified; and when a legal course was pre scribed by the lords, and taken by the proper ministers of justice, to suppress and preven such tumults and riots, that legal course ** superseded by those who were then present d the house of commons, and the ministers of justice punished and imprisoned for executing the law. When they remember that severa members of either house have been threatened and assaulted in those tumults, and their ova names proscribed as persons disaffected, be cause they freely used to speak their con sciences in both houses: that the house of peers have been so far threatened and me naced, that the names of those have been, with threats, demanded by the house of commons at the bar of the lords house, who refused t consent to this or that proposition which had been in debate before them; and tumultuous Petitions countenanced, which have been pre sented to that same purpose: that the mem hers of both houses have been imprisoned, and forbid to be present at those councils, for no reasons but because their opinion hath not been liked that our negative voice (or greatest and most sovereign privilege) is bold denied: that a presumptuous attempt harb been made by the major part of the remaining part of the house of commons to make our Great Seal of England; the making of which, by the express letter of the law, is High Treason, and would subvert the antient and fundamental administration of justice: that, t this time, we and the major part of both bouses are kept, by a strong and rebellious army, from being present at that Council; and that thời who are present are, by the same army, awed both houses, as well those who have been by and forced to take unlawful and treasonable the faction of the Malignant Party expelled Protestations to engage their votes: and that for performing their duties to us, and into such resolutions and directions, which concern whose rooms no persons have been since chosen the property and liberty of the subjects, are by their countries, as the rest who shall desire transacted and concluded by a few persons, our protection, shall be welcome to us at our (under the name of a Close Committee, con- city of Oxford; until, by the adjournment of sisting of the earl of Manchester, the lord Say, the houses to some fit and free place, or otherMr. Pym, Mr. Hampden, Mr. Stroud, Mr. wise, due course be taken for the full and free Martin, and others, the whole number not ex- convention in parliament of us and all the ceeding 17 persons) without reporting the same members of both houses: and for their better to the houses, or having the same confirmed encouragement to resort to us, we hereby will by the houses, contrary to the express law and and command all the officers and soldiers of customs of parliament.-All these, for the our army to suffer all such persons who are matter of fact, we are ready to make proof of, members of either house, with their attendants and desire nothing but to bring the contrivers and servants, to come to us to this our city of of all the aforesaid mischiefs to their trial by Oxford.-And that none of our good subjects law; and, till that be submitted to, we must may believe that, by this our necessary Declapursue them by arms or any other way, in ration against the freedom and liberty of that which our good subjects ought to give us as-present assembly, we may have the least insistance to that purpose: the imagining the tention to violate or to avoid any act or acts death of us, our royal consort, or our eldest passed by us for the good and benefit of our son; the levying war against us in our realm, people this parliament; we do hereby declare giving to them aid or comfort; the counter-to all the world, That we shall, as we have feiting our Great Seal or Money, being by the often promised, as inviolably observe all those express words of the statute of the 25th of acts, as if no such unhappy interruption had Edw. 3. c. 2. high treason: and how applicable happened in the freedom and liberty of that this is to those who have borne arms against council: and desire nothing more than to have us, and to those who have consented that such such a free convention in parliament, that we arms be borne; to those who have promised may add such further acts of grace as shall be to live and die with the earl of Essex, and to thought necessary for the advancement of the those who every day consent to some act for true protestant religion, for the maintenance the support and increase of that army, we shall of the liberty and property of the subjects, and leave to all the world to judge; and hope that the preservation of the liberty, freedom, and this gracious warning and information, now privileges of parliament.-And that all the given by us, will make that impression in the world may see how willing and desirous we hearts of our people, that they will no longer are to forget all the injuries and indignities suffer themselves to be misled from their duty offered to us by such who have been misled and allegiance upon any pretences whatsoever; through weakness or fear, or who have not and we do declare, That we shall proceed with been the principal contrivers of the present all severity against all persons whatsoever, who miseries; we do offer a free and general Pardon shall henceforward assist, vote, or concur in to all the members of either house (except Roany kind toward the maintenance and counte- bert e. of Essex, Rob. e. of Warwick, Edw. e. nancing such actions and resolutions, which, of Manchester, Henry e. of Stamford, Wm. by the known and express laws of the land, visc. Say and Sele, sir John Hotham, sir Arth. are high treason; and against all those who Haslerig, sir H. Ludlow, sir Edw. Hungerford, shall adhere to them, who are in rebellion and sir Francis Popham; Nath. Fiennes, John against us, as against rebels and traitors, in Hampden, John Pym, William Stroud, Henry such manner as by the laws and statutes of the Martyn, and Alex. Popham; Isaac Pennington realm is directed and appointed. And since alderman of London, and captain Ven; who, by the power of seditious persons, we and both being the principal authors of these present houses are kept from being secured against calamities, have sacrificed the peace and prostumultuous assemblies, and both houses from perity of their country to their own pride, maadjournment to some place of safety; which, lice, and ambition; and against whom we shall being done, might quickly make an end of proceed as against persons guilty of high treason these miserable distractions, whereby we are by the known laws of the land; and shall, in debarred from the benefit and advice we ex- the proceeding, be most careful to preserve to pected from that our Great Council, the mem- them all privileges in the fullest manner that, bers thereof being scattered into several places: by the law or the usage of former times, is due therefore, that the whole kingdom- may see to them, if they shall, within ten days after that we are willing to receive advice from those the publishing of this our Proclamation, return who are trusted by them, though we cannot to their duty and allegiance to us. And, lastly, receive the same in the place to which they we further command and enjoin all our subwere called, for the reasons aforesaid, nor in-jects, upon their allegiance to us, as they will tend to receive advice from them elsewhere in the capacity of houses of parliament: We do bereby declare, That such of the members of answer the contrary to Almighty God, and as they desire that they and their posterity should be freed from the foul taint of high treason, but the subsistance of some that are more innocent. I might therefore shew you my children, whom the rigour of your justice would make compleat orphans, being already motherless. I might shew you a family, wherein there are some unworthy to have their share in that mark of infamy, which now threatens me: but something there is, which if I could shew you, would move you more than all this; it is my heart, which abhors what I have done more, and is more severe to itself, than the severest judge can be. A heart, Mr. Speaker, so awakened by this affliction, and so intirely devoted to the cause you maintain, that I earnestly desire of God to incline you so to dispose of me, whether for life or death, as may most conduce to the advancement thereof.-Sir, not to trouble you any longer, if I die I shall die praying for you; if I live I shall live serving you; and render you back the use and employment of all those days you shall add to my life." when the commons understood, they resolved to give orders for making a new Great Seal themselves, and appointed a committee to see it done with all speed: but they made no use of it till the lords gave their consent on the 12th of Oct. following. The form of it wa, a representation of the house of commons, the members sitting, on one side; and the arms of England and Ireland, on the other. The Lords agree to invite the Scots.] July 5. The commons having received Inform tion of the ill success of the lord Fairfax in the North, and that the marquis of Newcastle had entirely routed his forces at Atherton-Moor, near Bradford, were in great consternation: and, this day, at a conference, communicated this bad news to the lords; earnestly pressing them to nominate a committee of their house, to go forthwith into Scotland, and to desire the Scots nation to send aid and assistance into England against the papists and others, now in arms to destroy the Protestant religion and the liberty of this kingdom. The lords agreed to this, and ordered the lord Grey of Werk t attend the house the next morning for that purpose. July 11. A Letter from the lord-general, was read in the house of lords, desiring to have 500 horse sent him presently, to recruit his army, and 200 horse a month provided for the same purpose; as likewise a magazine of saddles and horse arms. Another letter of a later date, from the general, was also read, setting forth the distressed condition of his army, Both the houses agreed to supply the lon general, as he desired; all the troops then raised in London, except those for the imme diate defence of it, were ordered to march Mr. Waller expelled.] After this speech, Mr. Waller having withdrawn, be was called in again; and, being by the Speaker required thereto, gave the house an exact account how he came first to the knowledge of this business; as also what lords were acquainted therewith, or bad engaged themselves therein. Notwithstanding which he was expelled the house; and so being left to the Council of War, as all the rest of the conspirators had been, he was condemned to die. But Whitlocke tells us, “That the lord-general granted him a reprieve; and, after a year's imprisonment, and paying a fine of 10,000. he was discharged, and travelled into France." Information of sir J. Hotham's intending to | deliver up Hull July 4. The commons hav-forthwith; and that there should be a course ing received information of some design of betraying Hull to the king, in which sir John Hotham and his son were concerned, sent sir Wm. Strickland up to the lords with a message and several intercepted letters from the aforesaid sir John and his son; in consideration of which, he said, the commons had come to some Resolutions for the better securing and preserving that fortress; which were these: That sir Wm. Strickland and Mr. Hatcher, members of their house, with the mayor of Hull and sir Matthew Boynton, should be appointed a committee for the government of Hull; and that the former two should go down forthwith to take it upon them: That sir M. Boynton should be appointed colonel of the garrison in that town, and recommended to the general for a commission for that purpose. Sir H. Vane, jun. and Peregrine Pelham, esq. members for Hull, with sir Wm. Allanson, were also added;" to all which the lords agreed. The Commons order a new Great Seal to be made.] In this message the commons again pressed the lords to consent to the making of a new Great Seal, because, they said, the kingdom was not able to subsist without it; but the lords let them know, That they adhered, in this, to their former resolution; which, to supply him with horse, arms, and saddles. There was necessity sufficient for a general reinforcement at this time, the king's troops being every where victorious; for, besides the great victory in the North, already mentioned, sir Wm. Waller was defeated in the West, by the lord Wilmot, sir Ralph Hopton, &c. and his army totally ruined. Prince Rupert had also taken Bristol; so that the king's affairs were now in the most flourishing condition that they ever had been throughout the whole war. The King's Declaration, after his Victory in the North and West, and the taking of Bristol. On the day after the king received advice of the taking of Bristol, he published the following Declaration, addressed to all his loving subjects: can "As the grievance and losses of no particular persons, since these miserable bloody distem pers have disquieted this poor kingdom, be compared to the loss and damage we our self have sustained, there having been no vic tory obtained but in the blood of our own subjects, nor no rapine or violence committed, but to the impoverishment and ruin of our own people; so a blessed and happy peace cannet be so acceptable and welcome to any man as to us. Almighty God, to whom all the secrets of invading the liberty and property of the of our heart are open, who hath so often and subject, or violating the just privileges of parso miraculously preserved us, and to whose liament, that we call that God to witness, who power alone we must attribute the goodness hath covered our bead in the day of battle, of our present condition, how unhappy soever that we desire from our soul, and shall always it is with reference to the public calamities, use our utmost endeavour, to preserve and adknows with what unwillingness, with what an- vance the true Reformed Protestant Religion, guish of soul, we submitted ourself to the established in the Church of England, in which necessity of taking up defensive arms. And we were born, have faithfully lived, and, by the world knows with what justice and bounty the grace of God, shall resolutely die: That we have repaired our subjects, for all the pres- the preservation of the liberty and property of sures and inconveniences they had borne, by the subject, in the due observation of the such excellent laws as would for ever have known laws of the land, shall be equally our prevented the like; and with what earnestness care, as the maintenance of our own rights; and importunity we desired to add any thing we desiring to govern only by those good laws, for the establishment of the religion, laws, which, till they were oppressed by this odious and liberty of the kingdom. How all these rebellion, preserved this nation happy. And have been disturbed, invaded, and almost de- we do acknowledge the just privileges of parstroyed, by faction, sedition, and treason, by liament to be an essential part of those laws, those who have neither reverence to God nor and shall, therefore, most solemnly defend and affection to men, but have sacrificed both to observe them; so that, in truth, if either relitheir own ends and ambition, is now so evi- gion, law, or liberty, be precious to our peodent, that we hope, as God hath wonder-ple, they will, by their submission to us, join fully manifested his care of us, and his with us in the defence of them, and thereby defence of his and our most just cause, so establish that peace, by which only they can he bath so far touched the hearts of our flourish and be enjoyed. Whether these men people, that their eyes are at last opened that be professed enemies to the established o see how miserably they have been seduced, Ecclesiastical government; who reproach and and to abhor those persons whose malice and persecute the learned orthodox ministers of subtilty had seduced them to dishonour him, the church, and into their places put ignorant, to rebel against us, and to bring much misery seditious, and schismatical preachers; who and calamity upon their native country.-We vilify the Book of Common Prayer, and impiwell remember the Protestation voluntarily ously profane God's worship with their scurmade by us, in the head of that small army werilous and seditious demeanor, are like to adwere master of in September last, to defend vance that religion: whether those men, who and maintain the true reformed protestant re- boldly, and without the least shadow or colour ligion and if it should please God, by his of law, impose insupportable Taxes and odious blessing upon that army, to preserve us from Exercises upon their fellow-subjects, imprison, this rebellion, that we would maintain the just torment, and murder them, are like to preserve privileges and freedom of parliament, and go- the liberty and property of the subject: and ern by the known laws of the land; for whose whether those men, who seize and possess lefence, in truth, that army was only raised, themselves of our own unquestionable revenue, and hath since been kept up. And there can- and our just rights; have denied us our negative not be a more seasonable time to renew that voice; have, by force and violence, awed and Protestation than now, when God hath vouch- terrified the members of both houses; and, afed us so many victories and successes, and lastly, have, as far as in them lies, dissolved ath rendered the power of those, who seek to the present parliament, by driving away and lestroy us, less formidable than it hath been, imprisoning the members, and resolving the so that we shall probably not fall under the whole power thereof, and more, into a comcandalous imputation, which hath usually-at-mittee of a few men, contrary to all law, cusended our Messages of Peace, that they proceed from the weakness of our power, not love of our people) and when there is more freedom in many counties, for our good subjects to receive true information of their own and our condition; the knowledge whereof hath been, with equal industry and injustice, kept from them, as other acts of cruelty have been imposed on them. We do therefore declare to all the world, in the presence of Almighty God, to whom we must give a strict account of all our professions and protestations, That we are so far from intending any alteration of the religion established, (as hath been often falsely, scandalously, and against the conscience of the contrivers themselves of that rumour, suggested to our people) or from the least thought VOL. III. tom, or precedent, are like to vindicate and uphold the privileges of parliament, all the world may judge. We do, therefore, once more, conjure our good subjects, by their me mory of that excellent peace and firm happiness with which it pleased God to reward their duty and loyalty in time past; by their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, which no Vow or Covenant, contrived and administered to and by themselves, can cancel or evade; by whatsoever is dear and precious to them in this life, or hoped or prayed for in the life to come, that they will remember their duty and con sider their interest; and no longer suffer themselves to be misled, their prince dishonoured, and their country wasted and undone, by the malice and cunning of those state impostors; L |