write unto him: the king never gave the lord | disadvantageous engagements"-The lord C. C. directions for any further charge, but moving having thus made a true and clear Answer his maj. upon some solicitation of the e. of to the several Articles exhibited against him, Bristol, his maj. was pleased to answer, that he humbly leaveth the same to your lordships the earl was upon other ways and solicitations; grave consideration; reserving to himself, as by which the lord C. took himself to be dis-well all just advantages against any part of those charged of that business, and, perhaps, anArticles in the varieties and contradiction of Lot found answered the earl of Bristol so." the Charge; as also, the supply of any thing in these his humble Answers that may be defec tive in point of form; or which, by further instance, or doubtful interpretation, may require a clearer explanation." the ef the 5th A to do an at the duke: be made t presence, NC estucony, HOW OUT ed or done in a out the k rucle he sa were apponer the earl of ere the br of the co s of the ha ved to attest come express nittee, tog "IX. To the Ninth Article he saith; He This Answer being read, it was ordered, That the earl of Bristol may reply thereunto he pleases.'-We shall not trouble the reader with the other proceedings in the earl of Bristol's Cause, as they were no way momentous; and since, in a few days time, a great blow from above rendered all these Trials abortive We shall, therefore, turn back to the Commons, and see what they were about, before the king thought proper to put an end to this parlia ment. "X. To the Tenth Article he saith, That ion; and cour will witness ner of formats : and as to12 rd C. knows t cll knows tha of all the C 2 and is b of Bristol a verily believe wers had bee o reply, end to the e ad promised ommissioners heard any e that d; and the coat; but further, for moving it, and carrying ing the state." 'n to the ki d pleasure ar d C. had eve d them; ba work in e lord C atter to pr knows of am, to the ce or was ere there was upposed ath at in such a fashion in Spain, as sir W. Aston The King's Letter to the Speaker to hasten the Supply. The same day a Letter from the King was delivered to the Speaker, the tenor whereof was as follows: "Trusty and wellbeloved, we greet you well;-Our house of commons cannot forget how often, and how carnestly, we have called upon them for the specding of that Aid which they intended us for "XI. To the Eleventh Article he saith; rtaken, the ketentrapping directions pass him without reform-bring.us money nor credit by the time which just Answer" ticle be sath any such ser ing the a ice; but hat That there ast 1st the safest wight acc aton; and if the earl be charged with any themselves have fixed, which is the last of this thing more than the directions import, the dis-month; and being further deferred would be patches will clear that: but the lord Conway of little use, we being daily advertised from all conceives that the cause of the earl of Bristol's parts, of the great preparations of the enemy troubles proceeds, truly, from his own large ready to assail us: we hold it necessary, by promises on the behalf of Spain and the empc- these our letters, to give them our last and final ror, and the little grounds the effects shew he admonition, and to let them know, that we bad for drawing of his maj. into so deep and shall account all further delays and excuses to be express denials. And therefore we will and require you to signify unto them, that we do expect that they forthwith bring in their bill of Subsidy, to be passed without delay or condition, so as it may fully pass the house by the end of the next week at the furthest: which if they do not, it will force us to take other resolutions. But let them know, if they finish this according to our desire that we are resolved to let then sit together for the dispatch of their other adairs so long as the season will permit; and, after their recess, to bring them together again the next winter. And, if by their denial or delay, any thing of ill consequence shall fall out either at home or abroad, we call God and man to witness that we have done our part to prevent it, by calling our people together to advise with us; by opening the weight of our occasions unto them, and by requiring their timely help and assistance in these actions wherein we stand engaged by their own counsels and we will and command you, that this letter be read publicly in the house." June 10. The copy of the duke's Answer was brought down to the commons, by Mr. baron Trevor and sir C. Cæsar; and they further signined, "That the duke had made a request to their lordships, which they, also, recommended to this house, that the commons would proceed, with all expedition, in their Reply to this Answer; that so they might go on with business of much higher concern."By the further proceedings on the Journals, the Commons seem to have fallen upon the consideration of the duke's Answer immediately; though nothing is particularly entered about it. At this time, also, they had prepared a Petition to the king concerning Popish Recusants; a business they had, from time to time, been upon, ever since the beginning of this session. And, having perfected their list, it was presented to his maj. along with their petition. loyal subjects, the commons now assembled i The Commons' Answer to the King's Letter to their Speaker.] The next thing of note the commons went upon was to prepare a Declaration, by way of Answer to the King's Letter for Supply. This was read in the house and agreed to, June 14th, and ordered to be presented to his maj. by the Speaker, attended by the whole house. Accordingly, on the 15th of June, Mr. Maxwell, gentleman usher of the black rod, came down to the commons and acquainted them, "That the lords desired, them to come up to them, to hear a com| mission read for the Dissolution of this Parliament." Whereupon, Mr. Speaker, with the house, went up accordingly. We shall give the Speaker's oration to the king, on the delivery of the Declaration, as above mentioned, from Rushworth, since we have no other autho-nually before you.'-But the relations by which rity; viz. "Most gracious and dread sovereign ;According to that liberty of access and liberty of speech, which your maj. and your royal progenitors have ever vouchsafed to your house of commons; your majesty's most humble and your maj. stands in a gracious aspect towards your people, do far transcend and are more prevalent and binding, than any relation of a master towards a servant; and to hear and satisfy the just and necessary desires of your people, is more honourable than any expression tended to have presented to the king; as also of grace to a servant. To be a master of a servant, is communicable to many of your subjects; to be king of a people, is regal, and incommunicable to subjects. Your maj. is truly stiled by that naine, which the greatest · emperors, though they borrowed names and titles from those countries which they gained "The king's most excellent maj. since his by conquest, most delighted in, pater patria. happy access to the imperial crown of this And the desires of children are preferred be- reali, having, by his royal authority, summonfore those of servants; for the servant abidethed and assembled two several parliaments; not in the house for ever; but the son abideth ever. The government of a king was truly termed by your royal father, A politic marriage between him and his people; and, I may safely say, There was never a better union between a married pair, than is between your maj. and your people." the first whereof was in Aug. last, by adjournment held at Oxford, and there dissolved; and the other begun in Feb. last, and continued until the 15th of this present June, and then, to the unspeakable grief of himself, and, as he believeth, of all his good and well affected subjects, dissolved also: although he well knowThe Lords Petition to the King against dis-eth, that the calling, adjourning, prorogning, solving the Parliament.] When the lords had notice of the commission for dissolving this parliament, the house seemed to be much concerued at it; and, immediately, joined in an humble Remonstrance to the king to prevent it. The tenor whereof followeth: "May it please your excellent majesty; We your faithful and loyal subjects, the peers of this kingdom, having received this morning a Message from your maj. intimating an intention to dissolve this parliament; remembering that we are your maj.'s hereditary great council of the kingdom, do conceive, that we cannot deserve your maj.'s gracious opinion expressed in this Message unto us, nor discharge our duty to God, your maj. and our country, if, after expression of our great and universal sorrow, we did not humbly offer our loyal and faithful advice to continue this parliament; by which those great and apparent dangers at home and abroad, signified unto us by your maj.'s command, may be prevented, and your maj. made happy in the duty and love of your people, which we hold the greatest safety and treasury of a king; for the effecting whereof, our humble and faithful endeavour shall never be wanting." and dissolving of parliaments, being his great council of the kingdom, do peculiarly belong unto himself, by an undoubted prerogative, inseparably united to his imperial crown; of which, as of his other royal actions, he is not bound to give an account to any but to God only, whose immediate lieutenant and vicegerent he is in these realms and dominions, by the Divine Providence committed to his charge and government, yet forasmuch as, by the assistance of the Almighty, his purpose is so to order himself, and all his actions, especially in the great and public actions of state, concerning the weal of his kingdoms, as may justify himself, not only to his own conscience, and to his own people, but to the whole world, his maj. hath thought it fit and necessary, as the affairs now stand both at home and abroad, to make a true, plain, and clear Declaration of the causes which moved his maj. to assemble, and after enforced him to dissolve these parliaments; that so the mouth of malice itself may be stopped, and the doubts and fears of his own good subjects at home, and of his friends and allies abroad, may be satisfied, and the deserved blame of these so unhappy accidents may light upon the authors thereof.-When his maj. by the death of his dear and royal father, of ever-blessed memory, first came to the crown, he found himself engaged in a war with a potent enemy, not undertaken rashly, nor without just and honourable grounds, but enforced for the necessary defence of himself and his dominions, for the support of his friends and allies, for the redeeming of the antient honour of this nation, for the recovering of the patrimony of his dear sister, her consort, and their children, injuriously and under colour of treaties and friendship, taken from them, and for the maintenance of the true religion; and invited thereunto, and encouraged therein, by the humble advice of both houses of parl. and by their large promises and protestations to his late majesty, to give him full and real assistance in those enterprizes, which were of so great The King's Reasons for dissolving the Parlia- importance to this realin, and to the general ment.] Rushworth has left us a copy of a Re-peace and safety of all his friends and allies: monstrance, which, he says, the commons in- but when his maj. entered into a view of his VOL. II. The King dissolves the Parliament.] This Petition was presented to the king by the earl of Manchester, lord president of the council, with the earls of Pembroke, Carlisle, and Holland; who besought his maj. to give audience to the Whole House of Peers' on this account: but the king answered, "That his resolution was to hear no motion for that purpose; but that he would dissolve the parliament.' Accordingly a commission, in the usual form, under the great seal, was sent to the house of lords, whereby an end was put to this parliament. Saunderson, in his life of Charles I. says, that the king's words to the lords, who came to intercede for a longer sitting, were, No, not a Minute!' And that on the very day the parliament was dissolved, the earl of Arundel was confined to his house, and the earl of Bristol committed to the Tower by the king's order. sideration which was fit, the fearful visitation of the Plague in and about the cities of London and Westminster, (where the lords and the principal gentlemen of quality of his whol kingdom were, for the time of this their ser vice, lodged and abiding) did so much increase that his maj, without extreme peril to the live of his good subjects, which were dear unt him, could not continue the parliament an longer in that place. His maj. therefore, o the 11th day of July then following, adjourne the parliament from Westminster, until the 1s day of Aug. then following, at the city of Ox ford: and his maj. was so careful to accom modate his lords and commons there, that a he made choice of that place, being then the freest of all others from the danger of tha grievous sickness; so he there fitted the par liament men with all things convenient fo their entertainment: and his maj. himself, be all ends upon his people, which the Searche of Hearts best knoweth, he little expected that any misconstruction of his actions would have been made as he there found. But when the parliament had been a while assembled and his majesty's affairs opened unto them. and a further Supply desired, as necessity re treasure, he found how ill provided he was to sembled. His maj. therefore, rather preferred the safety of his people from that present and visible danger, than provided for that which was more remote, but no less dangerous to the state of this kingdom, and of the affairs of that part of Christendom, which then were, and yet are, in friendship and alliance with his ma And thereupon, his maj, not being then able to discern when it might please God to stay his Hand of Visitation, nor what place might be more secure than other, nor what time convenient for their reassembling, dissolved that parliament.-That parliament being now ended, his majesty did not therewith cast off his royal care of his great and important affairs; but, by the advice of his privy council and of his council of war, he continued his preparations, and former resolutions; and therein not only expended those monies, which, by the 2 Subsidies aforesaid, were given unto him for his own private use, whereof he had too much occasion as he found the state of his exchequer at his first entrance; but added much more of his own, as by his credit, and the credit of some of his servants, he was able to compass the same. At last, by much disadvantage, by the retarding of provisions, and uncertainty of the means, his navy was prepared and set to sea; and the designs unto which they were sent and specially directed, were so probable, and so well advised, that, had they not miscarried in the execution, his majesty is well assured they would have given fearful visitan he lords and tie e parlament ister, untitle at the city of careful to 800 ons there, that a e, being the e danger of ere fitted the e 5 Convene: x good satisfaction, not only to his own people, but to all the world, that they were not lightly or unadvisedly undertaken and pursued: but it pleased God, who is the Lord of Hosts, and unto whose Providence and good pleasure his maj. doth, and shall submit himself, and all his endeavours, not to give that success which was desired: and yet were those attempts not altogether so fruitless as the envy of the times hath apprehended, the enemy receiving thereby no small loss, nor our party no little advantage. And it would much avail to further his maj.'s great affairs, and the peace of Christendom, which ought to be the true end of all hostility, were these first beginnings, which are most subject to miscarry, well seconded and pursued, as his maj. intended; and as, in the judgment of all men conversant in actions of this nature, were fit not to have been neglected.These things being thus acted, and God, of his infinite goodness, beyond expectation, asswaghich the Seasing the rage of the pestilence, and, in a manner e little expe of a sudden, restoring health and safety to the his actions cities of London and Westminster, which are the fittest places for the resort of his maj. his while assemlords, and commons, to meet in parl. his maj. ened unto in the depth of winter, no sooner descried the 1, as necessit probability of a safe assembling of his people, ow, and so and in his princely wisdom and providence, forer resolutions, saw, that if the opportunity of seasons should be nitted, preparations, both defensive and offensive could not be made in such sort as was requisite for their common safety, but he advised and resolved of the summoning of a new par!. where he might freely communicate the necessities of the state, and have the counsel and advice of the lords and commons in parliament, maj. himself, te e, and free ra found. But determined, ased, and w is kingdom; s where they , rather pres 1 that present ed for that the affairs of hen were, and ice with bis t being then which was most necessary, the defence of the kingdom, with due and timely preparations for the same.-The commons house, after this, upon the 27th of March last, with one unanimous consent at first, agreed to give unto his maj. 3 entire Subsidies, and three Fifteens, for a present Supply unto him; and, upon the 26th of April after, upon second cogitations, they added a 4th Subsidy; and ordered the days of payment for them all, whereof the first should have been on the last day of this present June. Upon this the king of Denmark, and other princes and states, being engaged with his maj. in this common cause, his maj. fitted his occasions according to the times which were appointed for the payment of those Subsidics and Fifteens; and hasted on the lords committees, and his council of war, to perfect their resolutions for the ordering and settling of his designs; which they accordingly did, and brought them to that maturity, that they found no impediment to a final conclusion of their counsels, but want of money to put things into action. His maj. hereupon, who had, with much patience, expected the real performance of that which the commons had promised; finding the time of the year posting away, and having intelligence not only from his own ministers and subjects in foreign parts, but from all parts of Christendom, of the great and powerful preparations of the king of Spain, and that his design was upon this kingdom, or the kingdom of Ireland, or both, (and it is hard to determine which of them would be of worst consequence) he acquainted the commons therewith; and laid open unto them truly and clearly, how the state of things then and upon several occasions, reiterated the same: but that house, (being abused by the violent and ill-advised passions of a few members of the house, for private and personal s dangerous who were the representative body of the stood, and yet stand, and at several times, whole kingdom; and that this great council of the realm, might proceed in those enterprizes, and be enabled thereunto, which concern the common good, safety, and honour both of lease God to prince and people; and accordingly, the 6th ends, ill-beseeming public persons trusted by what place of Feb. last, a new parl. was begun. At the their country, as then they were) not only r, nor what it first meeting his maj. did forbear to press them neglected, but wilfully refused to hearken to all mbling, dist with any thing which might have the least the gentle admonitions which his maj. could iament being appearance of his own interest; but recom- give them; and neither did nor would intend >t therewith a mended unto them the care of making good any thing, but the prosecution of one of the at and import laws, which are the ordinary subject for a par- peers of this realm, and that in such a disorderf his privy cliament.-His maj. believing that they could ed manner, as being set at their own instance he continued resolutions; his credit, not have suffered many days, much less many into a legal way, wherein the proofs on either weeks, to have passed by, before the appre- part would have ruled the cause, which his error themselves; and not only in several cases which happened concerning se monies, hension and care of the common safety of this maj. allowed, they were not therewith content; were given kingdom, and the true religion professed and but, in their intemperate passions, and desires whereof be maintained therein, and of our friends and to seek for errors in another, fell into a id the state of allies who must prosper or suffer with us, would greater nce; but have led them to a due and timely consideration neglected to give just satisfaction to his maj. ants, he was those ends; which the lords of the higher house, his regality, but wholly forgot their engageist, by much by a committee of that house, did timely and ments to his maj. for the public defence of the s navy was to a conference concerning that Great Busi- tioned Letter to the Speaker, dated 9th of June, by of provisions, and the designs pecially directed advised, the of all the means which might best conduce to seasonably consider of, and invited the commons ness: at which conference there were opened unto them the great occasions which pressed his maj.; which making no impression with them his mai Aid realm; whereupon his maj. wrote the foremen 1626.--Notwithstanding which letter read in the house, being a clear and gracious manifestation of his maj.'s resolutions, they never so |