Basiliká the works of King Charles the martyr : with a collection of declarations, treaties, and other papers concerning the differences betwixt His said Majesty and his two houses of Parliament : with the history of his life : as also of his tryal and martyrdome.

A Declaration of the true Causes which moved His MAJESTY to Assemble, and after inforced Him to Dissolve the First and Second Meet∣ings in Parliament.

THE King's most Excellent Majesty, since His happy access to the Im∣perial Crown of this Realm, having by His Royal Authority sum∣moned and assembled two several Parliaments, the first whereof was in August last by adjournment held at Oxford, and there dissolved, and the other begun in February last, and continued until the fifteenth day of this present month of June, and then to the unspeakable grief of Him∣self and (as He believeth) of all His good and well-affected Subjects, dissolved also; although He well knoweth the the calling, adjourning, proroguing 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 Regal Actions, He is not bound to give an account to any but to God only, whose immediate Lieutenant and Vicegerent He is in these His Realms and Dominions, by the Divine Providence committed to His Charge and Govern∣ment: yet forasmuch as, by the assistance of the Almighty, His purpose is so to or∣der Himself and all His Actions, especially the great and publick Actions of State concerning the weal of His People, as may justifie themselves not only to His own Conscience and to His own People, but to the whole World; His Majesty 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 Majesty to assemble, and after inforced Him to dissolve these Parliaments; that so the mouth of Malice it self may be stopped, and the doubts and fears of His own good Sub∣jects at home, and of His Friends and Allies abroad, may be satisfied, and the deserved blame of so unhappy accidents may justly light upon the Authors there∣of.

When His Majesty, by the death of His dear and Royal Father of ever-blessed memory, first came to the Crown, He found himself ingaged in a War with a potent Enemy, not undertaken rashly, nor without just and honourable grounds, but in∣forced, for the necessary defence of Himself and His Dominions, for the support of His Friends and Allies, for the redeeming of the ancient 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 incouraged therein by

the humble advice of both the Houses of Parliament, and by their large promises and protestations to His late majesty, to give Him full and real assistance in those Enterpri∣ses which were of so great importance of this Realm, and to the general Peace and Safety of all His Friends and Allies. But when His majesty entred into a view of His Treasure, He found how ill provided He was to proceed effectually with so great an Action, unless He might be assured to receive such Supplies from His loving Subjects as might inable Him to manage the same.

Hereupon His majesty being willing to tread in the steps of His Royal Progenitors, for the making of good and wholsome Laws for the better government of His people, for the right understanding of their true Grievances, and for the supply of moneys to be imployed for those publick services, He did resolve to summon a Parliament with all convenient speed He might; and finding a former Parliament already called in the life of His Father, He was desirous, for the speedier dispatch of His weighty affairs and gaining of time, to have continued the same without any alteration of the members thereof, had He not been advised to the contrary by His Judges and Coun∣sel at Law, for that it had been subject to question in Law, which He desired to avoid. But as soon as possibly He could, He summoned a new Parliament, which He did with much confidence and assurance of the love of His People, that those who not long before had with some importunity won his Father to break off his former Treaties with Spain, and to effect it had used the mediation of his now majesty, being then Prince and a member of the Parliament, and had promised in Parliament their uttermost assistance for the inabling of his late majesty to undergo the War which they then foresaw might follow, would assuredly have performed it to his now majesty, and would not have suffered him in his first Enterprise of so great an expectation to have run the least hazard through their defaults.

This Parliament (after some adjournment by reason of his majestie's unavoidable occasions interposing) being assembled on the eighteenth day of June, it is true that his Commons in Parliament, taking into their due and serious consideration the manifold occasions which at his first entry did press his majesty, and his most im∣portant affairs which both at home and abroad were then in action, did with great readiness and alacrity, as a pledge of their most bounden Duty and Thankfulness, and as the first-fruits of the most dutiful affections of his loving and loyal Subjects devoted to his service, present his majesty with the free and chearful gift of two en∣tire Subsidies; which their gift, and much more the freeness and heartiness expressed in the giving thereof, his majesty did thankfully and lovingly accept. But when he had more narrowly entred into the consideration of his great affairs wherein he was imbarked, and from which he could not without much dishonour and disadvantage withdraw his hand, He sound that this summe of money was much short of that which of necessity must be presently expended for the setting forward of those great actions which by advice of his Council he had undertaken, and were that Summer to be pursued. This his majesty imparted to his Commons House of Parliament: but before the same could receive that debate and due consideration which was fit, the fear∣ful visitation of the Plague in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, where the Lords and the principal Gentlemen of quality of his whole Kingdom were for the time of this their service lodged and abiding, did so much increase, that his majesty, without extream peril to the lives of His good Subjects, which were dear unto him, could not continue the Parliament any longer in that place.

His Majesty therefore on the eleventh day of July then following adjourned the Par∣liament from Westminster until the first day of August then following, to the City of Oxford; and his Highness was so careful to accommodate his Lords and Commons there, that, as He made choice of that place, being then the freest of all others from the danger of that grievous Sickness, so He there fitted the Parliament-men with all things convenient for their entertainment: and his Majesty himself being in his own heart sincere and free from all ends upon his people (which the Searcher 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 there assembled, and His Majestie's Affairs opened unto them, and a further supply desired, as necessity required, He found them so slow and so full of delays and diversions in their resoluti∣ons, that before any thing could be determined, the fearful Contagion daily increased, and was dispersed into all the parts of this Kingdom, and came home even their doors where they were assembled.

His Majesty therefore rather preferred the safety of His People from that present and visible danger, than the providing for that which was more re∣mote, 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 Majesty; and thereupon His Majesty, 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 at a time convenient for their re-assembling, His Majesty 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 Coun∣cil and of His Council of War, He continued His preparations and former resolu∣tions, and therein not only expended those moneys which by the two 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 good satisfaction not only to His own people, but to all the world, that they were not lightly or unadvisedly un∣dertaken and pursued. But it pleased God, who is the Lord of Hosts, and unto whose Providence and good pleasure His Majesty doth and shall ever 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, and our party no little advantage; and it would much avail to further His Majestie'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 Majesty 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 ex∣pectation, asswaging the rage of the Pestilence, and in a manner of a sudden re∣storing health and safety to the Cities of London and Westminster, which are the fittest places for the resort of His Majesty, His Lords and Commons, to meet in Par∣liament, His Majesty in the depth of Winter, no sooner descried the probability of a safe assembling of His people, and in His Princely Wisdom and Providence fore∣saw, that if the opportunity of seasons should be omitted, preparations both defen∣sive 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 Parliament, where He might freely communicate the necessities of the State, and by the counsel and ad∣vice of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, who are the representative body of the whole Kingdom, and the great Counsel of the Realm, He might proceed in these enterprises, and be inabled thereunto, which concern the common good, safety and honour both of Prince and People; and accordingly the sixth of February last a new Par∣liament was begun.

At the first meeting His Majesty did forbear to press them with any thing which might have the least appearance of His own Interest, but recommended unto them the care of making of good Laws, which are the ordinary subject for a Parliament: His Majesty believing that they could not have suffered many days, much less many weeks, to have passed by, before the apprehension and care of the common safety of this Kingdom, and of the true Religion prosessed and maintained therein, and of Our Friends and Allies, who must prosper or suffer with us, would have led them to a due and a timely consideration of all the means which might best conduce to those ends: which the Lords of the higher House by a Committee of that House did timely and seasonably consider of, and invited the Commons to a Conference concerning that great business; at which Conference there were opened unto them the great occasions which pressed His Majesty: which making no impression with them, His majesty did, first by message, and after by Letters, put the House of Commons in mind of that which was most necessary, the defence of the Kingdom, and due and timely prepa∣rations for the same.

The Commons House after this, upon the seven and twentieth of March last, with one unanimous consent at first agreed to give unto His Majesty three intire Subsidies and three Fiteens for a present supply unto Him; and upon the six and twentieth of April after, upon second cogitations they added a fourth Subsidy, and ordered the days of payment for them all; whereof the first should have been on the last day of this present month of June. Upon this, the King of Denmark and other Princes and States being ingaged with His Majesty in this Common Cause, His Majesty fitted His occa∣sions according to the times which were appointed for the payment of those Subsidies and Fifteens, and hastned on the Lords Committees and His Council at War to per∣fect their resolutions for the ordering and setting of His designs: which they accor∣dingly 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 Majesty 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 forein 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 House of Commons therewith, and laid open unto them truly and clearly how the state of things then stood, and yet stand, and at several times and up∣on several occasions re-iterated 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 ends, ill beseeming publick persons trusted by their Country, as then they were, not only neglected, but wilfully refused to hearken to all the gentle admonitions which His Majesty could give them, and neither did nor would intend any thing but the prosecu∣tion of one of the Peers of this Realm; and that in such a disordered manner, as be∣ing set at their own instance into a Legal way, wherein the proofs on either part would have ruled the cause, which His Majesty allowed, they were not therewith content, but in their intemperate passions and desires to seek for errors in another, fell into a greater error themselves, and not only neglected to give just satisfaction to His Maje∣sty in several cases which happened concerning His Regality, but wholly forgot their ingagements to His Majesty for the publick defence of the Realm: whereupon His Majesty wrote a Letter to the Speaker, dated the ninth day of June, 1626. in these words.

TRusty and well-beloved, We greet you well. Our House of Commons cannot forget how often and how earnestly We have called upon them for the speeding of that aid which they intend unto Vs for Our great and weighty Affairs, concerning the safety and honour of Vs and Our Kingdoms; and now the time being so far spent, that unless it be presently conclu∣ded, it can neither bring Vs money nor credit by the time which themselves have prefixed, which is the last of this month, and being further deferred would be of little use, We being daily advertised from all parts of the great preparation of the Enemy ready to assail us, We hold it necessary by these Our Letters to give them Our last and final admonition, and to let them know, that We shall account all further delays and excuses to be express denials: and there∣fore We will and require you to signifie unto them, that We do expect that they forthwith bring forth their Bill of Subsidy to be passed without delay or condition, so as it may fully pass that House by the end of the next week at the furthest; which if they do not, it will force Vs to take other resolutions. But let them know, that if they finish this according to Our desire, that We are resolved to let them sit together for the dispatch of their other affairs, 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 may call God and man to witness, that We have done Our part to prevent it, by calling Our people together to advise with Vs, by opening the weight of Our occasions unto them, and by requiring their timely help and assistance in those Actions wherein We stand ingaged by their own Counsels. And We will and command you, that this Letter be publickly read in the House.

Notwithstanding which Letter read in the House, being a clear and gracious mani∣fest of His Majesty's resolutions, they never so much as admitted one reading to the Bill of Subsidies; but in stead thereof they prepared and voted a Remonstrance or De∣claration, which they intended to prefer to His Majesty, containing (though pallia∣ted with glosing terms) as well many dishonourable aspersions upon His Majesty, and upon the Sacred memory of His deceased Father, as also dilatory excuses for their not

proceeding with the Subsidies, adding thereto also coloured conditions, crossing there∣by His Majestie's direction, which His Majesty understanding, and esteeming (as He had cause) to be a denial of the promised Supply, and finding that no admonitions could move, no reasons or perswasions could prevail, when the time was so far spent, that they had put an impossibility upon themselves to perform their promises, when they esteemed all gracious Messages unto them to be but interruptions; His Majesty upon mature advisement discerning that all further patience would prove fruitless, on the fifteenth day of this present month He hath dissolved this unhappy Parliament: the acting whereof as it was to his Majesty an unexpressible grief; so the memory thereof doth renew the hearty sorrow which all His good and well-affected Subjects will com∣passionate with Him.

These passages his Majesty hath at the more length and with the true Circumstances thereof expressed, and published to the world, lest that which hath been unfortunate in it self, through the Malice of the authors of so great a mischief, and the malevolent Report of such as are ill-affected to this State or the true Religion here professed, or the fears or jealousies of Friends and dutiful Subjects, might be made more unfortunate in the Consequences of it, which may be of worse effect than at the first can be well appre∣hended. And his Majesty, being best privy to the integrity of His own heart, for the constant maintaining of the sincerity and unity of the true Religion professed in the Church of England, and to free it from the open contagion of Popery and secret infe∣ction of Schism, of both which by His publick Acts and Actions He hath given good testimony, and with a single heart, as in the presence of God, who can best judge thereof, purposeth resolutely and constantly to proceed in the due execution of either; and observing the subtilty of the adverse party, He cannot but believe that the hand of Joab hath been in this disaster, that the common Incendiaries of Christendom have sub∣tilly and secretly insinuated those things which unhappily (and, as his Majesty hopeth, beyond the intentions of the Actors) have caused these diversions and distractions: and yet notwithstanding His most Excellent Majesty, for the comfort of His good and well∣affected Subjects, in whose loves He doth repose Himself with confidence, and esteem∣eth it as his greatest riches; for the assuring of his Friends and Allies, with whom, by God's assistance, He will not break in the substance of what he hath undertaken; for the discouraging of his Adversaries, and the adversaries of his Cause, and of his Do∣minions and Religion, hath put on this resolution, which He doth hereby publish to all the world; That as God hath made him King of this great People and large Do∣minions, famous in former Ages both by Land and Sea, and trusted him to be a Fa∣ther and Protector both of their persons and fortunes, and a Defender of the Faith and true Religion: so He will go on chearfully and constantly in the defence thereof, and (notwithstanding so many difficulties and discouragements) will take his Scepter and Sword into his hand, and not expose the persons of the people committed to his charge to the unsatiable desires of the King of Spain, who hath long thirsted after an universal Monarchy, nor their Consciences to the yoke of the Pope of Rome; and that at home he will take care to redress the just Grievances of his good Subjects as shall be every way fit for a good King.

And in the mean time his Majesty doth publish this to all his loving Subjects, that they may know what to think with truth, and speak with duty, of his Majesties Acti∣ons and Proceedings in these two last dissolved Parliaments.

Given at His Majestie's Palace at White-Hall, this thirtieth day of June, in the Se∣cond year of His Majestie's Reign of Great Britain, France, and Ireland.