The Kings Prerogative of Pardoning Question'd.

[REsolved, That an Humble Ad∣dress be made to His Maje∣sty,* Representing to his Majesty the Irregularity, and Illegality of the Pardon, menti∣oned by his Majesty to be Granted to the Earl of Danby, and the Dangerous Consequence of Granting Pardons to Any Persons that lie under an Impeach∣ment of the Commons of England.]

Here's the Kings Power of Life and Death shaken at the very Root;* and what's the Unpardonable Crime at last, but This among Others!

[That he is Popishly-Affected, and hath Trayterously Conceal'd,* af∣ter he had Notice of, the Late Hor∣rid Plot, or Conspiracy, Contrived by the Papists against his Majesties Person and Government, and hath Suppress'd the Evidence, and Reproachfully Discountenanced the Kings Witnesses in the Disco∣very of it, in favour of Popery, Immediately ten∣ding to the Destruction of the Kings Sacred Per∣son, and Subversion of the Protestant Religion.]

There happen'd no Evil under the Sun in those Days, but the Late Horrid Plot, or somewhat like it, had still a Finger in the Pye: But from Pardoning in my Lord Danby's Case, they pro∣ceeded afterward, to a Bolder Step in my Lord Page  47 Staffords; and to make a Moot-Point of it, whe∣ther the King, by his Prerogative, could so much as Remit, any Part of the Sentence; but Sir W. I. gave his Opinion upon't, in Favour of the Prero∣gative, upon a very Weighty Reason. [This House (says he) lyeth not under any Obligation to Offer at any Opposition, nor concern themselves herein, Especially at This Time, when such a Dispute may End, in Preventing of the Execution of the said Lord Stafford: And therefore I do humbly Conceive you may do well to give your Consent,* that the said Writ be Executed according to its Tenor.]

The Short of the Bus'ness was This; Sentence of Death was pass'd,* in Form, upon my Lord Stafford; and the Kings Writ to the Sheriffs, Commanded only his Head to be Sever'd from his Body. Bethel and Cornish, (the then Sheriffs of Lon∣don and Middlesex) Apply'd themselves by Peti∣tion, to the Lords, to know whether they should Obey the Writ, or Not: The Lords found the Scruples Vnnecessary, and Declar'd [That the Kings Writ ought to be Obey'd.] After this, to the Com∣mons, Stating the Matter under These Four Fol∣lowing Quaeries. (I speak upon the Credit of the Collection of Debates above-mention'd,)

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• *1. Whether the King, being nei∣ther Iudge nor Party, can Order the Execution?
• 2. Whether the Lords can award Execution?
• 3. Whether the King can Dispense with any part of the Execution?
• 4. If the King can Dispense with some part of the Execution, why not with All?

Upon the Debate, it was, in the Conclusion,* [Resolved, That This House is [CONTENT,] (That is to say; it does VOVCHSAFE, and with MVCH A-DO too) that the Sheriffs of Lon∣don and Middlesex, do Execute William Late Viscount Stafford, by Severing his Head from his Body only.]

The Story of these Insolencies will never be Believ'd in After-Ages; but however, we are up∣on the Foot still, of the (a) [Tray∣terous,* and Execrable Conspiracy for the (b) Imprisoning, Deposing, and Murdering his Sacred Majesty, and the (c) Raising and Disposing of Men, Monys, Arms, and other Things Necessary for their Wicked, and Trayterous De∣signs, and Namely, a Commission for William Vis∣count Stafford, to be Paymaster of the Army.

HEre's a Dreadfull Bus'ness (as the Good Wo∣man said) about this same Trayterous, and Execrable Conspiracy; Pray the Lord it be Page  49 all True at Last; for the Government was Migh∣tily off the Hinges about it; and the Fountain of Mercy, and Power, seem'd to be quite Dry'd-up. The Sheriffs were become the Peoples Officers, and the Commons made Iudges of the Validity of the King's Writ, The Style of Authority, was no longer [We Charge and Command] but Re∣solv'd upon the Question;] and the Power of the Keys, dropt into St. Stephens Chapel.