A short view of the life and reign of King Charles (the second monarch of Great Britain) from his birth to his burial.

1628.

Being thus ingaged and embroiled, he gave a beginning to his third Parli∣ament on the seventeenth of March,

and freely declares to them the necessi∣ties under which he lay; in Answer whereunto the Commons voted five Subsidies, but meant he should pay dearly for them before he had them. Such grievances as they thought fit to insist upon, were cast into the mold of a petition, by them called a Petition of Right; which if the King granted, he must lose his prerogative; if he deni∣ed it, he must lose all hopes of their supply in his great extremities. The consideration of which last induced him to yield to their desires, and con∣firm that petition by Act of Parliament, the Prerogative never so much descen∣ding from Perch to popular Lure, as by that concession. But though this Act of grace might have given satisfa∣cton even to supererogation (as one well observeth) yet the Commons were not so contented, but were preparing a Remonstance to take away his Right of Tonnage and Poundage, as disclaimed by him in that Act; which coming to the Kings knowledge, on the twenty

sixth of June, he adjourns the Parliament till the twentieth day of October then next ensuing.

In the mean time the Duke prepares for the relief of Rochel, both by Sea and Land, and being ready to set sail, was suddenly cut off at Ports-muth by the hand of one John Felton, a disconten∣ted Officer of the last years Army, al∣ledging no other reason for that bloody act, but that the Duke had been decla∣red an Enemy to the Common-wealth, in a Remonstrance tendred to the King in the former Session.

But such was the constancy of the Kings temper, and the known evenness of his spirit, that this sad Accident made little or no stop in the procee∣dings of the Fleet, which at the last set forwards under the command of the Earl of Lindsey,; who found the Haven of Rochel so strongly barred, that it was utterly impossible for his Ships to force their way (though it was gallant∣ly

attempted) and give relief to the be∣sieged; who thereupon set open their Gates, and received their King into their Town without more delay.

To smooth his way to the next Session of Parliament, adjourned again till the twentieth of January, Arch-bishop Abbot is admitted to kisse his hand, by whom he is commanded not to fail of his atten∣dance at the Councel table; Dr. Barnaby Potter (a through-paced Calvinian) is made Bishop of Carlisle, and Mr. Mounta∣gues book called Appello Caesarem (for which he had been questioned and mo∣lested in the beginning of the Kings first Parliament) must be supprest and called in by Proclamation.

But this little edified with the facti∣on in the house of Commons, who not onely took upon them the reforming of the Church and State, but called the Customers in question for levying Ton∣nage and Poundage, not then granted (nor ever likely to be granted as it had

been formerly) by Act of Parliament, and distraining such Merchants goods as refused to pay it. And in this point they went so high, that fearing they should be dissolved before they had ven∣ted their own passions in that particular, upon the second day of March they lockt the Doors of the Parliament-house, kept the key thereof in one of their pockets, and held the Speaker by strong hand in his Chair, till they had thundred out their Anathemaes not onely against such as should dare to levie it, but those also who should willingly pay it. The news of which riotous proceeding being brought immediately to the King, he sent his Band of Pensioners, accompani∣ed by his ordinary Guard, to force open the doors, and going himself to the House of Peers, he dissolved the Parlia∣ment, not having continued in that Sessi∣on above forty dayes.

At the end of the former Session he had admitted Sir John Savill of York∣shire, a busie man in the House

of Commons, (but otherwise a politique and prudent person) to be one of his Privy Council, created him Lord Sa∣vill of Ponfract, and made him Com∣ptroller of his Houshold in the place of Sir John Suckling deceased. And a little before the beginning of the fol∣lowing Session, he took into his Coun∣cil Sir Thomas wentworth of Wentworth Woodhouse in the same County, whom be created Viscount Wentworth, and made Lord President of the North, and within two years after Lord De∣puty of Ireland also. A man he was of prodigious Parts, which he made use of at the first in favour of the Popular Facti∣on: But being gained unto the King by Sir Ri. Weston then Chancellour of the Exchequer, (afterwards Lord Treasurer and Earl of Portland) he became the most devout friend of the Church, the greatest Zelot for advancing Monarchi∣chall Interesse, and the ablest Minister of State which our Histories have afforded to us.

On the judgement of these two his Majesty did much rely in Civil matters, as he did on the advice of Doctor Neile then Bishop of Durham, and Doctor Laud then Bishop of Bath and Wells, in matters which concerned the Church. These last he had called unto his Coun∣cil in the beginning of April 1627. and finding them to be of as great abilities to advise, as sincere affections to his per∣son; he advanced the first to the See of Winchester, and afterwards to the Arch∣bishoprick of York, Anno 1631. the se∣cond to the See of London, and from thence to Canterbury, Anno 1633.