Canterburys Doom, Floating text 1
Maſter Grymſtones Speech IN PARLIAMENT, VponUpon the Accuſation and Impeachment of William Laud, Archbiſhop of Canterbury, of High TREASON.
Mr. Speaker;
THere hath beene preſented to the Houſe, a moſt faithfull and exact Report of the conference wee had with the Lords Yeſterday, together with the opinion of the Committees, that were imployed in that ſervice.
That they conceived it fit, the Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury ſhould hee ſequeſtred.
I muſt ſecond the motion, and with the favour of the Houſe, I ſhall bee hold to offer my reaſons, why I conceive it most neceſſary, wee ſhould proceed a little further, than the deſire of above ſequeſtration. Maſter Speaker, long introductions are not ſutable to weighty buſineſſes, we are falne upon the great man, the Archbiſhop of Canterbury; Looke upon him as hee is in his Highneſſe, and hee is the ſtye of all pestilent filth, that hath infected the State, and Government of the Church and Common Wealth: looke upon him in his dependanties, and hee is the man, the onelyonly man that hath raiſed and advanced all thoſe (that together with himſelfe) have beene the Authors and cauſers of all the NOTE.raines, miſeries and calemities, we now groane under.
Who is it but he onelyonly, that hath brought the Earle of Strafford to all his great place and imployments, a fit instrument and ſpirit to act and execute all his blouay deſignes in theſe Kingdomes?
Who is it but he onelyonly that brought in Secretary Windebanke into the place of Secretary and truſt, the very Broker and Pander to the Whore of Babylon?
VVho is it, Maſter Speaker, but hee onelyonly that hath advanced all Popiſh Biſhops? I ſhall name ſome of them, Biſhop Manwaring, the Biſhop of Bath and Wells, the Biſhop of Oxford, and Biſhop Wren, the leaſt of all, but the most uncleane one.
Theſe are men that ſhould have ſed Chriſts Flocke, but they are the Wolves that devoured them; the Sheepe ſhould have fed upon the Mountaines, but the Mountaines have eaten up the Sheepe. It was the happineſſe of the Church, when the zeale of Gods Houſe did eate up the Biſhops, glorious and brave Martyrs, that went to the flaks, in defence of the Protestant Religion; but the zeale of theſe Biſhops hath beene to eate up and perſecute the Church.
VVho is it Maſter Speaker, but the great Archbiſhop of Canterbury, that hath ſet at the Helme to guide and ſteere them to all the managing of their Projects that have beene ſit on foote in this Kingdome theſe tenne yeares laſt paſt, and rather than hee would ſtand out, hee hath moſt unworthily trucked and chaffered in the meaneſt of them? As for inſtance, that of Tobacco, wherein thouſands of poore people have beene ſtripped and turned out of their Trades, for which they have ſerved as Apprentiſes; wee all know hee was the Compounder, and contractor with them for the Licences, putting them to pay Fines, and Fee-Farme rents to uſe their Trades.
Certainely, Maſter Speaker, hee might have ſpent his time better (and more for his Grace, in the Pulpit; then thus ſharking and raking in the Tobacco ſhoppe.
Mr. Speaker, we all know what he hath beene charged withall heere in this Houſe, Crimes of a dangerous conſequence, and of tranſcendent nature, no leſſe than the ſubverſion of the Government of this Kingdome, and the alteration of the Proteſtant Religion, and this not upon bare information onelyonly, but much of it comes before us already, upon cleare and manifest proofes, and there is ſcarce any buſineſſe, Grievance, or Complaint, come before us in this place, wherein we doe not finde him intermingled and as it were twiſted into it, like a buſie and angry Waſpe, his ſting is in the taile of every thing.
VVe have this day heard the report of the Conference yesterday; and in it the Accuſations which the Scottiſh Nation hath charged him with all: And we doe all know he is guilty of the ſame (if not more) in this Kingdome.
Mr. Speaker, he hath beene, and is the common enemy to all goodnes and good men, and it is not ſafe, that ſuch a Viper ſhall be neere to his Majeſties perſon, to diſtill his poyſon into his ſacred eares, nor is it ſafe for the Common-wealth that hee ſhould ſit in ſo eminent place of government being thus accuſed; We know what we did in the Earle of Straffords caſe. This man is the corrupt Fountaine that hath infected all the ſtreames, and till the Fountaine be purged, we cannot expect to have any cleare Channels. I ſhall be bold therefore to offer my opinion, and if I erre, it is the error of my Iudgment, and not my want of zeale and affection to the publicke good.
I conceive it moſt neceſſary and fit, that we ſhould now take up a Reſolution to doe ſomewhat, to ſtrike whilſt the Iron is hot; And goe up to the Lords in the name of this Houſe, and in the, name of the Commons of England, and to accuſe him of high Treaſon, and to deſire their Lordſhips his perſon may be ſequeſtred, and that in convenient time we may bring up the Charge.
After the Houſe had this day voted the Arch Biſhop a Traitor, Mr. Hollis the ſame day was ſent up to the Lords to accuſe him of High Treaſon, which he did immediatly, in the generall, without any particular charge, aſſuring the Lords, that in convenient time there ſhould be a particular charge exhibited againſt him by the Commons to make good the accuſation: Wherefore he deſired the Lords, that the Arch Biſhop might be ſequeſtred from the Houſe and committed; hereupon he was forthwith committed to the Gentleman Vſher, but yet permitted to goe in his company to Lambeth for ſome books to read in, and ſuch Papers as pertained to his defence againſt the Scotts charge; And what papers of greateſt conſequence he then conveyed away thence, burned, or defaced, is worthy inquiry.
Maſter Hollis his report from the Lords I finde thus entred in the Commons Iournall.
18. December 1640.
Maſter Hollis reported, that according to the command of this Houſe, hee had delivered to their Lordſhips the Meſſage; that my Lord Keeper ſaid, Their Lordſhips had conſidered of the Meſſage, and accordingly they had ſequeſtred the Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbury from Parliament, and had committed him in ſafe cuſtody to the Gentleman Vſher of their Houſe.
The Lords Order for his commitment is thus entered in their Journall.
18. December 1640.
It is this day Ordered, that the Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbury (being accuſed of high Treaſon by the houſe of Commons in their owne names, and in the name of the whole Kingdome of England) be committed to the ſafe cuſtody of the Gentleman Vſher attending this high Court, and that he be ſequeſtred from the ſaid Houſe, untill his Grace ſhall cleare himſelfe of the Accuſations that ſhall be laid againſt him by the ſaid Houſe.
This proud imperious Arch-Prelate, who had cloſe-impriſoned others for ſundry yeares in remote Caſtles in forraigne Iſlands, meerely for oppoſing his Tyranny and Innovations, excluding not only their Friends, but Wives, Children from the leaſt acceſſe unto their Priſons, or the Iſles wherein they were exiled, for their comfort or reliefe; was yet ſo impatient of reſtraint himſelfe, that immediatly after his Commitment to Maſter Maxwels houſe at Chearing, Croſſe, though he had convenient lodgings, more liberty by farre then he demerited, and all his friends free acceſſe to viſit him, yet hee became an humble ſuiter to the Houſe of Peers (even in the wet cold winter ſeaſon, when a warme lodging in moſt mens judgment was more wholeſome for him, then cold moiſt walkes, that he might have liberty to goe abroad with his Keeper to take the Ayre, which liberty himſelfe would never indulge to any Priſoner committed by him, for the leaſt offence, eſpecially under the Notion of a Puritan: O ſtrange impatience, worthy admiration that he who had cloſe Impriſoned many Godly Chriſtians, Miniſters, mobſcure holes and Dungeons, without the leaſt pity or indulgence, divers yeares; even for well doing, or petty offences againſt himſelfe, ſhould not be able to endure a few weekes impriſonment, (when charged with high Treaſon it ſelfe, againſt the King and Kingdome,) without Petitioning for liberty to take the Ayre. A requeſt ſo unſeaſonable, that no wiſe Man in his condition would have demanded it, and the Parliament in Juſtice or Honour could not condeſcend to it. But this ſuit of his being deemed unſeaſonable, was rejected.
And here behold the common Genius of Tyrannicall domineering ſpirits, none ſo inexorable, mercileſſe, inſenſible of others unjuſt oppreſſions as they in the ruffe of their proſperity, none more degenerous, puſilanimous, querulous, impatient, or ſordidly baſe then they in the ſtormes of adverſity. Let this Arch-Prelates ſuddaine downe-fall from the Pinnacle of Honour, Power, into a reſtrained deſpicable condition, and his impatience under it, be a future admonition to all Lording Prelates, and Tyr…nizing Grandees, to carry themſelves with all moderation in their places, and to learne this good leſſon from an heathen Poet, which moſt men in the hight of their felicity are over-apt to forget.
fClandian in Rufinum I. 2. p.Deſinat elatis quiſquam confidere rebus,
Jnſtabileſque Deos, et Lubrica Numina diſcat.
Illa manus, quoe ſceptra ſibi geſtanda parabat,
Cuius ſe toties ſubmiſit ad oſcula ſupplex
Nobilitas, digitos ductis inflectere nervis Cogitur, &c.
Aſpiciat, ne quis nimium ſublata ſecundis Colla gerat.
What occurrences happened betweene the Archbiſhops reſtraint and his commitment to the Tower, you may read in his Diary, and in the gPag. 23. 24.…roviat of his life.
On the 22. of February 1640. the Houſe of Commons Ordered, that to morrow morning, the Report concerning the Articles against the Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbury, be firſt reade if it be ready.
On February 23. they further Ordered Mr. Pym to make the report of the Articles against the Archbiſhop of Cant. the next morning.
February 24. Mr. Pym preſented from the Committee appointed for that purpoſe the Articles againſt the Archbiſhop of Canterbury, The Title to the Articles, the Articles themſelves, and the concluſion to them were all ſeverally twice read, and all ſeverally voted, and paſt upon the queſtion, and afterwards by reſolution upon the Question, it was ordered that theſe Articles ſo read and voted ſhould be ingroſſed.
February 26. The Articles againſt the Archbiſhop of Canterbury which were formerly ordered to be ingroſſed, were now read, and it was reſolved upon the question, that the Articles thus ingroſſed and read ſhould be ſent up to the Lords in maintenance of the Charge against the Archbiſhop of Canterbury, whereby he ſtands charged of high Treaſon, Mr. Pymme, Mr. Hampden, and Mr. Maynard, went up with the Articles according to the former Order.
VponUpon the reading of theſe Articles the Lords made this Order for his the Archbiſhops commitment to the Tower.
26. February 1640.
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament, that the Lord Archbiſhop of Cant. his Grace, ſhal stand comitted to the Tower of London. But the pleaſure of this houſe is, that he continue ſtill in the ſafe custody of the Gentleman Vſher of this Houſe till M…nday the firſt of March 1640 and then that the Letutenant receive his Grace into his ſafe Cuſtody, until the pleaſure of this Houſe he further known, and in the meane time Mr. Maxwell is to be reſponſible for him, and not to permit him to goe abroad, and that the Archbiſhop oſ Canterbury, and the Earle of Strafford ſhall not come together.
Mr. Pym returnes and acquaints the Houſe, that according to his Abilities he had performed their commands, and it was ordered, that thankes ſhold be given him for the good ſervice he had therein done this Houſe.
Thus the Commons Iournall relates the times and manner of theſe proceedings and Articles againſt Canterbury, unanimouſly voted by all when both Houſes were fulleſt, with the concurring ſuffrages of all thoſe Members who have ſince deſerted the Parliament, and repaired, to Oxford, ſome of whom made bitter Invectives againſt him, whoſe mouths muſt be for ever ſtopped, by their own ſuffrages in full Parliament, from uttering any thing in luſtification of this Arch-Traitor, or in derogation of the Iudgment & execution paſſed againſt him upon the ſeveral Articles of his Impeachment, which I ſhall here Preſent you with altogether, beginning with the Originall Articles of the Houſe of Commons, (carried up by Maſter Pym and others, whoſe ſpeech at their delivery I have here annexed to them as they were printed by order of the houſe long ſince, next adioyning the Scottiſh Commiſsioners Charge againſt him, and then the Commons Additionall Articles.