The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

Thursday, the First of May.

MR. Secretary Cook delivers a Message from * 1.1 his Majesty, viz. to know whether the House will rest on his Royal Word, or no, de∣clared to them by the Lord Keeper; which, if they do, he assures them it shall be Royally per∣formed.

Upon this there was a silence for a good space: Then Mr. Secretary Cook proceeded, This si∣lence invites me to a further Speech, and further to address my self: Now we see we must grow towards an issue; for my part, how confident I have been of the good issue of this Parliament, I have certified in this place, and elsewhere, and I am still confident therein; I know his Majesty is resolved to do as much as ever King did for his Subjects: all this Debate hath grown out of a sense of our sufferings, and a desire to make up again those Breaches that have been made.

Since this Parliament begun, hath there been any dispence made of that which hath formerly been done? when means were denied his Maje∣sty, being a young King, and newly come to his Crown, which he found ingaged in a War, what could we expect in such Necessities? His Majesty called this Parliament to make up the breach: his Majesty assures us we shall not have the like cause to complain: he assures the Laws shall be established, what can we desire more? all is, that we provide for Posterity, and that we do prevent the like suffering for the future; were not the same means provided by them before us? can we do more? we are come to the Liberty of the Subjects, and the Prerogative of the King, I hope we shall not add any thing to our selves, to depress him. I will not divine, I think we shall find difficulty with the King, or with the Lords, I shall not deliver my opinion as Counsellor to his Majesty, which I will not justifie and say here, or at the Council-Board. Will we in this necessity strive to bring our selves into a better condition, and greater Liberty, than our Fathers had, and the Crown into a worse than ever? I dare not advise his Majesty to admit of that: If this that we now desire be no Innovation, it is all contained in those Acts, and Statutes, and whatsoever else we would add more, is a dimi∣nution to the King's Power, and an addition to our own. We deal with a wise and prudent Prince, that hath a Sword in his hand for our good, and this good is supported by Power. Do not think, that by Cases of Law and Debate we can make that not to be Law, which in experi∣ence we every day find necessary: make what Law you will, if I do not discharge the place I bear, I must commit men, and must not discover the cause to any Jaylor or Judge; if I by this Power commit one without just cause, the bur∣den falls heavy on me, by his Majesties displea∣sure, and he will remove me from my place. Go∣vernment is a solid thing, and must be supported for our good.

Sir Robert Phillips hereupon spake thus:

That if the words of Kings strike impressions in the hearts of Subjects, then do these words upon this occasion strike an impression into the hearts of us all: to speak in a plain language, we are now come to the end of our journey, and the well disposing of an Answer to this Mes∣sage, will give happiness or misery to this King∣dom. Let us set the Common-wealth of Eng∣land before the eyes of his Majesty, that we may justifie our selves, that we we have demeaned our selves dutifully to his Majesty.

The House being turned into a grand Commit∣tee, the matter of the liberty of the Subject was Debated of.

And Sir Edward Cook said, That the Royal Word had reference to some message formerly sent; his Majesties word was, That they may secure themselves any way, by Bill or otherwise, he pro∣mised to give way to it; and to the end that this might not touch his Majesties Honour, it was pro∣posed, that the Bill come not from the House, but from the King: We will and grant for us and our Successors, and that we and our Successors will do thus and thus; and it is the King's Honour, he cannot speak but by Record.

Sir Thomas Wentworth.

Sir Thomas Wentworth concluded the Debate, saying, That never House of Parliament trusted more in the goodness of their King, for their own private, than the present; but we are am∣bitious that his Majesties goodness may remain to Posterity, and we are accomptable to a pub∣lick trust: and therefore seeing there hath been a publick violation of the Laws by his Ministers, nothing will satisfie him but a publick amends; and our desires to vindicate the Subjects Right by Bill, are no more than are laid down in ••ormer Laws, with some modest Provision for Instructi∣on, Performance and Execution.

Which was agreed to, and a Message to be de∣livered by the Speaker is agreed to by the House.

AMidst those deliberations, another Message * 1.2 was delivered from his Majesty by Mr. Se∣cretary Cook; That howsoever we proceed in this business we have in hand, which his Majesty will not doubt, but to be according to our con∣stant profession, and so as he may have cause to give us thanks; yet his resolution is, that both his Royal care, and hearty and tender affection

towards all his loving Subjects, shall appear to the whole Kingdom, and all the World, that he will govern us according to the Laws and Cu∣stoms of this Realm; that he will maintain us in the Liberties of our Persons, and Proprieties of our Goods, so as we may enjoy as much happiness as our Fore-fathers in their best times; and that he will rectifie what hath been, or may be found amiss amongst us, so that hereafter there may be no just cause to complain. Wherein as his Ma∣jesty will rank himself amongst the best of Kings, and shew he hath no intention to invade or im∣peach our lawful Liberties, or Rights; so he will have us to match our selves with the best Sub∣jects, not by incroaching upon that Sovereignty or Prerogative, which God hath put into his hands for our good, but by containing our selves within the Bounds and Laws of our Fore-fathers, without restraining them, or enlarging them by new Explanations, Interpretations, Expositions, or Additions in any sort, which, he telleth us, he will not give way unto.

That the weight of the Affairs of the King∣dom, and Christendom, do press him more, and that the time is now grown to that point of maturity, that it cannot endure long debate or delay; so as this Session of Parliament must con∣tinue no longer than Teusday come Seven-night at the furthest: In which time his Majesty, for his part, will be ready to perform what he pro∣mised; and if the House be not as ready to do that is sit for themselves, it shall be their own faults.

And upon assurance of our good dispatch and correspondence, his Majesty declareth, that his Royal intention is to have another Session of Par∣liament at Michaelmas next, for the perfecting of such things as cannot now be done.

This Message was Debated the next day, being Saturday, May 30. whereupon Sir John Elliot spake to this effect.

The King, saith he, will rank himself with the best of Kings, and therefore he would have us to * 1.3 rank our selves with the best Subjects; we will not incroach upon that Sovereignty that God hath put into his hands: This makes me fear his Maje∣sty is mis-informed in what we go about, let us make some enlargement, and ••••t it before him, that we will not make any thing new: As for the time of this Session, it is but short, and look how many Messages we have, so many interruptions, and mis-reports, and mis-representations to his Majesty produce those Messages.

Sir Miles Fleetwood continues the Debate, and said, That this business is of great importance, we are to accommodate this, The breach of this Parliament will be the greatest misery that ever be∣fell us; the eyes of Christendom are upon this Par∣liament, the state of all our Protestant Friends are ready to be swallowed up by the Emperor's Forces, and our own Kingdom is in a miserable strait, for the defence of our Religion that is invaded by the Romish Catholicks, by the colour of a Commis∣sion, which is intolerable; the defence of our Realm by Shipping is decayed, the King's Revenue is sold and gone; where shall the Relief be ob∣tained but in Parliament? Now we are in the way, let us proceed by way of Bill, in pursuance of the King's Message, to establish the Fundamen∣tal Laws in Propriety of our Goods, and Liberty of our Persons: It was declared to us, that courses by Loan and Imprisonment were not lawful; let us touch them in our Bill, and that all Prece∣dents and Judgments seeming to the contrary, be void; and that all Commitments against the Law be remedied, and that we be protected against the fear of Commitments.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr. Secre∣tary Cook brings a Message to rely on the King's word.
• * 1.2

  The King gives no∣tice to both Houses, that he intends shortly to end this Session.
• * 1.3

  Sir John Elliot.