A Sight of the Transactions of these Latter Years, Section 9 – Section 10
1646.
100. A Diſcovery of groſſe impiety in the Oxonians, pretending a deſired treaty with the Parliament, for a wel-grounded peace, and yet at that time the Earl of Glamorgan, had a Commiſſion to the ruine of all the proteſtants in Ireland, and ſo conſequently of us in England alſo.
101. The great Seale broken before the Lords and Commons, on Tueſday the 11, of Auguſt, 1646.
The Speech of the Lord Louthe…, Chancellour of Scotland, to the King at Newcaſtle, July, 1646.
YOur Majeſty was pleaſed on Monday laſt to call the Lords of Your Councell and Committee, to acquaint them with the Propoſitions, and told them before you would deliver Your Anſwer, You would make the ſame known to them: The time aſſigned to the Commiſſioners ſtay is ſo ſhort, and the conſequence of your Majeſties Anſwer of ſo great importance, either for the perſervation or ruine of Your Crowne, and Kingdomes, as we could not be anſwerable to God, nor to that Truſt repoſed in us, unleſſe we repreſent to your Majeſty how neceſſary it is that your Maieſty aſſent to the Propoſitions as the condition of affaires now ſtandin ſo great extremity, and that the danger and loſſe of your refuſall will be remedileſſe, and bring on a ſuddaine ruine and deſtruction.
I ſhall begin firſt with the laſt, which is the danger and ſhall next ſpeake a word of the remedy.
The differences betwixt your Majeſty and your Parliament (which no man knoweth better than your Majeſties ſelfe,) are growne to ſuch a height, that after many, bloudy battels, the Parliament having your Majeſty, all the Forts, Garr…o…s, and ſtrong holds in their hands, having your Majeſties Revenue, Exciſe, Aſſeſſements, Sequeſtrations, and the Authority to raiſe all the men and money in the Kingdome, and having, after many victories and great ſucceſſes, a ſtrong Army on Foot, are now in ſuch a poſture for ſtrength and power: they are in a capacity to doe what they will, both in Church and State. And ſome are ſo afraid, and others ſo unwilling to ſubmit themſelves to your Majeſties Government, that they deſire not you, nor any of your Race, longer to reigne over them: But the people are ſo wearie of the Warre, and great burthens they doe groane under, are ſo loath to have Monarchicall Government deſtroyed, that they are not attempt to caſt it totally off, till once they ſend Propoſitions of Peace to your Majeſty, leaſt the people (without whoſe concurrence they are not able to carry on their deſign) ſhould fall from them; but after ſo great Warre and trouble, that they may have a perfect ſecurity from oppoſition and Arbitrary power, they have reſolved upon the Propoſitions, which are tendred to your Majeſty, as that without which the Kingdome and your people cannot be in ſafety, and that there cannot be a firme peace upon any other tearmes.
Your Majeſties friends in the Houſes, and the Commiſſioners from Scotland, (after much wraſling) did conſent to the ſending of thoſe Propoſitions, or to be …ated the hunderers of peace, or otherwayes to ſend no Propoſitions at all.
And now Sir, if your Majeſty (as God forbid) ſhall refuſe to aſſent to the Propoſitions, You will loſe all Your friends in the Houſes, loſe the City, and all the Countrey. And all England will joyne againſt you as one man; they will proceſſe and depoſe you, and ſet up another Government; they will charge us to deliver your Majeſty to them, and to tender their Garriſons, and remove our Armies out of England, and upon your Maieſties refuſall of the propoſitions, both Kingdomes will be conſtrained for their mutuall ſafety, to agree and ſettle Religion and peace without You, which (to our unſpeakable griefe) will ruine your Maieſty and your poſterity, and if your Maieſty refuſe our faithfull advice (who deſire nothing on Earth more than the preſervation of your Maieſties Royall Throne.) And if your Maieſty loſe England by your wilfulneſſe, You will not be permitted to come and reigne in Scotland.
Sir, we have laid our hands upon our hearts, we have asked Counſell and direction from God, and have had our moſt ſerious thoughts upon the remedy, but can finde no other to ſave your Crowne and Kingdomes, than your Maieſties aſſenting to the propoſitions, and dare not ſay but they are higher in ſome things, (if it were in our power and option to remedy) than we approved of, but when we ſee no other meanes for curing the diſtempers of the Kingdomes, and cloſing the breach between your Majeſty and your Parliament, our moſt humble and ſafe adviſe is, your Majeſty will be graciouſly pleaſed to aſſent to them as the onelyonly way to eſtabliſh your Throne; becauſe your Majeſty ſhall be thereby received againe in your Parliament, with the applauſe and acclamations of your people, by your Royall preſence all friends will be ſtrengthened, and all Enemies, (who feare nothing ſo much as the granting the propoſitions) will be weakned; your Maieſty will have a fit opportunity hereafter, to offer ſuch propoſitions as You and your Parliament in wiſedome ſhall thinke fit, for your Crowne and Kingdome, the Armies will be disbanded, and your people finding the ſweet fruit of a peaceable Government: you will gaine their hearts and affections, and that will be your Maieſties ſtrength and glory, and will recover all that you have loſt in this time of tempeſt of trouble.
And if it pleaſe God to incline your Royall heart to this adviſe of your humble, and faithfull ſervants, who next to the honour and ſervice of God, eſteem nothing more pretious, than the ſafety of your perſon, and Crowne: our actions ſhall make it appeare, that we eſteem no hazard too great for your Maieſties ſafety, and that we are willing to ſacrifice our lives and fortunes for eſtabliſhing your Throne and iuſt Right.
Die Sabbathi 5. April. 1645.
Be it Ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament aſſembled, That all and every perſon of what degree or quality ſoever, that hath lived or ſhall live within the Kings Quarters, or been aiding, aſſiſting, or adhering unto the Forces raiſed againſt the Parliament, and hath or ſhall come to inhabite or reſide under the power and protection of the Parliament, ſhall ſwear upon the holy Evangeliſt in manner following.
The Negative Oath.
I A. B. doe ſwear from my heart, that I will not directly nor indirectly adhere unto, or willingly aſſiſt the King in this Warre, or in this Cauſe againſt the Parliament, nor any Forces raiſed without the conſent of the two Houſes of Parliament, in this Cauſe or Warre. And I doe likewiſe ſwear that my comming and ſubmitting my ſelf under the power and protection of the Parliament, is without any manner of deſigne whatſoever, to the prejudice of the proceedings of the two Houſes of this preſent Parliament, and without the direction, privity, and advice of the King, or any of his Councell, or Officers, other then what I have now made known. So help me God, and the Contents of this Book.
And it is further Ordained by the authority aforeſaid, that the Commiſſioners for keeping of the Great Seale of England, for the time being, ſhall have power, and are hereby authorized to tender and adminiſter the ſaid Oath unto any Peere, or Wife, or Widow of any Peere, ſo comming to inhabit as aboveſaid. And it ſhall be lawfull to and for the Committee of the Houſe of Commons for Examinations, the Committee for the Militia in London, and all Committees of Parliament in the ſeverall Counties and Cities of the Kingdom, to tender and adminiſter the ſaid Oath unto every other perſon ſo comming to inhabit as aboveſaid. And if any perſon (not being a member of, or Aſſiſtant unto either of the Houſes of Parliament) ſhall refuſe or neglect to take the ſaid Oath, ſo duly tendered unto him or her, as aboveſaid, the ſaid Commiſſioners and Committees reſpectively, ſhall, and may commit the ſame perſon to ſome priſon, there to remain without Baile or Mainprize, untill he shall conforme thereunto.
Jo. Brown Cler. Parliamentorum.
Collected by John Vicars.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Vicars, A Sight of the Transactions of these Latter Years (1646)