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.

The Papers concerning the Ships.

March 27. 1643.

TO that part of Your Majesty's first Proposition which concerns Your Ships, we humbly give this Answer;

That the Ships shall be delivered into the charge of such a Noble person as Your Ma∣jesty shall nominate to be Lord High-Admiral of England, and the two Houses of Parli∣ament confide in, who shall receive the same Office by Letters Patents, quamdiu se bene gesserit, and shall have power to nominate and appoint all subordinate Commanders and Officers, and have all other powers appertaining to the Office of High-Admiral; which Ships he shall employ for the defence of the Kingdom against all forein Forces whatsoever, and for the safeguard of Merchants, securing of Trade, and the guard∣ing of Ireland, and the intercepting of all supplys to be carried to the Rebels; and shall use his utmost endeavour to suppress all Forces which shall be raised by any person without Your Majesty's Authority and Consent of the Lords and Commons in Par∣liament, and shall seize all Arms and Ammunition provided for supply of any such Forces.

• Northumberland.
• W. Pierrepont.
• W. Armyne.
• J. Holland.
• B. Whitelocke.

March 28. 1643.

HIS Majesty expects that His own Ships be forthwith delivered to Him, as by the Law they ought to be. And when He shall please to nominate a Lord High-Admiral of England; it shall be such a Noble person against whom no just Exception can be made; and if any shall be, His Majesty will always leave him to his due tryal and examination, and grant his Office to him by such Letters Patents as have been used: In the mean time His Majesty will govern the said Admiralty by Commission, as in all times hath been accustomed. And whatever Ships shall be set forth by His Majesty or His Authority, shall be imployed for the defence of the Kingdom against all Forein Forces whatsoever, for the safeguard of Merchants, securing of Trade, guarding of Ireland, and the intercepting of all Supplys to be carried to the Rebels; and shall use their utmost endeavours to suppress all Forces which shall be raised by any Person what∣soever against the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom, and to seize all Arms and Am∣munition provided for the supply of any such Forces.

Falkland.

March 29. 1643.

WE humbly desire Your Majesty would be pleased to give a more full Answer to the Clause for the Ships to be delivered into the charge of such a Noble per∣son as Your Majesty shall nominate to be Lord High-Admiral of England, and the two Houses of Parliament confide in, who shall receive the same Office by Letters Patents, quamdiu se bene gesserit.

And to that Clause, to suppress all Forces which shall be raised by any person with∣out Your Majesty's Authority and Consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament.

Whereunto if Your Majesty shall be pleased to give Your Assent, we conceive we are then directed by our Instructions, humbly to desire Your Majesty to nominate such a Noble person to be Lord High-Admiral of England, that we may forthwith certifie both Houses of Parliament, that thereupon they may express their confidence in that Person, or humbly beseech Your Majesty to name another; and that in case such No∣ble person, who shall be appointed to be Lord High-Admiral of England, shall be remo∣ved, or shall dye within the space of three years next ensuing, that the Person to be put in the same Office shall be such as both Houses shall confide in.

• Northumberland.
• W. Pierrepont.
• W. Armyne.
• J. Holland.
• B. Whitelocke.

April 5. 1643.

HIS Majesty conceives His former Answer of the 28. of March, concerning His Ships, to be so full, that He can add nothing thereunto in any part of it.

His Majesty conceiving it all the Justice in the world for Him to insist, that what is by Law His own, and hath been contrary to Law taken from Him, be fully restored unto Him, without conditioning to impose any new limitation upon His Majesty or His Ministers, which were not formerly required from them by Law; and think∣ing it most unreasonable to be prest to diminish His own just Rights Himself, because others have violated and usurped them.

Falkland.

April 10. 1643.

BY Instructions yesterday received from both Houses of Parliament, we are com∣manded humbly to insist upon the desires of both Houses expressed in our former Papers concerning the Ships: And both Houses of Parliament do observe in Your Ma∣jesties Answer, not only a Denial to all their Desires, but likewise a Censure upon their Proceedings.

• Northumberland.
• W. Pierrepont.
• W. Armyne.
• J. Holland.
• B. Whitelocke.

April 14. 1643.

HIS Majesty for the present forbears any farther Answer touching His Ships, de∣siring first to receive the Answer of both Houses to His Message of the twelfth of this month:* 1.1 But His Majesty will howsoever, before their departure hence, give them a further Answer.

Falkland.

April 15. 1643.

HIS Majesty gave so clear a Reason to justifie what He insisted upon in the point of the Ships, that He cannot but wonder to see the same again prest to Him; and yet both the Reason He gave left unanswered, and no other Reason opposed to weight against it. His Majesty's end in this was not to lay any Censure upon their Pro∣ceedings; but it being necessary to the matter in question for His Majesty to say what had been done, and the matter of fact being such as it seems could not be repeated but it must appear to be censured, His Majesty did not think Himself bound to be so tender of seeming to censure their Proceedings, as by waving His own true rea∣sonable Justifications, to leave His own naked and exposed to a general Censure. And His Majesty hopes, that since they esteem His saying, that they have taken His Ships from Him contrary to Law, to be a Censure, they will either produce that Law by which they took them, or free themselves from so just and unconfutable a Censure by a speedy and unlimited Restauration. Upon which Demand His Majesty's care of His ancient and undoubted Rights doth oblige Him to insist. And when His Majesty shall think fit to make an Admiral, as near as He can, He shall be such an one against whom no just Exception can be made; and if any shall be offered, He will readi∣ly leave him to the tryal of the Law.

Falkland.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Inserted before, pag. 353.