An account of the growth of popery and arbitrary government in England more particularly, from the long prorogation of November, 1675, ending the 15th of February, 1676, till the last meeting of Parliament, the 16th of July, 1677.

Monday, May 28, 1677.

The House being sate, they received notice by Secretary Coventry, that the King expected them immediately at the Banqueting-House.

Whether being come, The King made a Speech to them on the Subject of their Address. Which Speech to pre∣vent mistakes, his Majesty read out of his Paper, and then delivered the same to the Speaker. And his Majesty added a few words about their Adjournment.

The Kings Speech is as followeth;

Gentlemen,

Could I have been Silent, I vvould rather have chosen to be so then to call to mind things so unfit for you to meddle vvith, as are contained in some parts of your last Addresses, vvherein you have entrenched upon so undoubted a Right of the Crovvn, that I am confident it vvill appear in no Age (vvhen the Svvord vvas not dravvn) that the Prerogative of making Peace and War hath been so dangerously invaded.

You do not content your selves vvith desiring Me to enter into such Leagues, as may be for the safety of the Kingdome, but you tell Me vvhat sort of Leagues they must be, and vvith vvhom, (and as your Addresse is vvorded) it is more liable to be un∣derstood to be by your Leave, then at your Request, that I should make such other Alliances, as I please vvith other of the Confederates.

Should I suffer this fundamental Povver of making Peace and War to be so far invaded (though but once) as to have the man∣ner

and circumstances of Leagues prescribed to Me by Parliament it's plain that no Prince or State vvould any longer believe that the Soveraignty of England rests in the Crovvn, Nor could I think My Self to signifie any more to Foreign Princes, then the empty Sound of a King. Wherefore you may rest assured, that no Condition shall make Me depart from, or lessen so essential a part of the Monarchy. And I am vvilling to believe so vvell of this House of Commons, that I am confident these ill Conse∣quences are not intended by you.

These are in short the Reasons, vvhy I can by no means approve of your Address; and yet though you have declined to grans Me that Supply vvhich is necessary to the Ends of it, I do again declare to you, That as I have done all that lay in my povver since your last Meeting, so I vvill still apply my self by all the means I •…•…an, to let the World see my Care both for the Security and Satis∣faction of my People, although it may not be vvith those Ad∣vantages to them, vvhich by your Assistances I might have procured.

And having said this, he signified to them that they should Adjourn till the 16th. of July.

Upon hearing of this Speech read, their House is said to have been greatly appalled, both in that they were so severe∣ly Checked in his Majesties name, from whom they had been used to receive so constant Testimones of his Royal Bounty and Affection, which they thought they had deserv∣ed, as also, because there are so many Old and fresh Pre∣sidents, of the same Nature; and if there had not, yet they were led into this by all the stepps of Necessity, in duty to his Majesty and the Nation. And several of them offering therefore modestly to have spoken, they were interrupted continually by the Speaker, contesting that after the Kings pleasure signified for Adjornment, there was no further Li∣berty of speaking. And yet it is certain, that at the same time in the Lords House, the Adjournment was in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 forme, and upon the Question first propounded to that

House, and allowed by them; All Adjournments (unlesse made by speciall Commission under his Majesties Broad Seal) being and having alwaies been so, an Act of the Houses by their own Authority. Neverthelesse, several of their Members requiring to be heard, the Speaker had the confidence, without any Question put, and of his own motion, to pronounce the House Adjourned till the 16th. of July, and s•…•…pt down in the middle of the floor, all the House being astonished at so unheard of a violation of their inherent Priviledge and Constitution. And that which more amazed them afterwards was, that while none of their own transacti∣ons or Addresses for the Publick Good are suffered to be Printed, but even all Written Coppies of them with the same care as Libells suppressed; Yet they found this severe speech published in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 next days News Book, to mark them out to their own, and all other Nations, as refractory disobe∣dient Persons, that had lost all respect to his Majesty. Thus were they well rewarded for their Itch of Perpetual Sitting, and of Acting; the Parliament being grown to that height of Contempt, as to be Gazetted among Run-away Servants, Lost Doggs, Strayed Horses, and High-way Robbers.

In this manner was the second meeting of this, whether Convention or Parliament, concluded; But by what Name soever it is lawfull to call them, or how irregular they were in other things, yet it must be confessed, That this House or Barn of Commons, deserved commendations for have∣ing so far prevented the establishment of Popery, by reject∣ing the Conspiratours two Bills; Intituled.

1.

An Act for further securing the Protestant Religion by educating the Children of the Royal family therein; And for the providing for the Continuance of a Protestant Clergy.

2.

An Act for the more effectual conviction and Prosecu∣tion of Popish Recusants.

And for having in so many Ad∣dresses applyed against the French power and 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And their Debates before recited upon this latter subject, do

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sufficently show, that there are men of great parts among them, who understand the Intrest of the Nation, and as long as it is for their purpose, can prosecute it.

For who would not commend Chastity, and raile against Whoreing, while his Rival injoyes their Mistresse?

But on the other side, that poor desire of Perpetuating themselves those advantages which they have swallowed, or do yet gape for, renders them so •…•…bject, that they are be∣come a meer property to the Conspiratours, and must, in order to their continuance, do and suffer such things, so much below and contrary to the spirit of the Nation, that any honest man would swear that they were no more an English House of Parliament. And by this weaknesse of theirs it was, that the House of Peers also (as it is in contigu∣ous Buildings) yeelded and gave way so far even to the shaking of the Government. For had the Commons stood firme, it had been impossible that ever two men, such as the Black and White Lords, Trerise and Frechvvel, though of so vast fortunes, extraordinary understanding, and so proporti∣onable Courage, should but for speaking against their sense have committed the Four Lords (not much their inferi∣ours) and thereby brought the whole Peerage of England under their vassalage.

They met again at the Day appointed, the 16 of July, The supposed House of Commons were so well appayed, and found themselves at such ease, under the Protection of these frequent Adjournments, which seemed also further to confirme their Title to Parliament, that they quite forgot how they had been out-lawed in the Gazette, or if any sense or it remaind, there was no opportunity to discover it. For his Majesty having signified by Mr. Secretary Coventry his pleasure; that there should be a further Adjournment, their Mr. Seymour (the speaker deceased) would not suffer any man to proceed, But an honourable Member requiring modestly to have the Order Read, by which they were be∣fore

Adjourned, he Interrupted him and the Seconder of that motion. For he had at the last Meeting gained one President of his own making for Adjourning the House with∣out question, by his own Authority, and was loath to have it discontinued, so that without more ado, like an infallible Judge, and who had the power over Counsels, he declared, Ex Cathedra, that they were Adjourned till the third of De∣cember next. And in the same moment stampt down on the floor, and went forth (trampling upon, and treading under foot, I had almost said, the Priviledges and usage of Parlia∣ment, but however) without shewing that decent respect which is due to a multitude in Order, and to whom he was a Menial servant.

In the mean time the four Lords lay all this while in the Tower, looking perhaps to have been set free, at least of Course by Prorogation. And there was the more reason to have expected one, because the Corn Clause which de∣ducted Communibus Annis, 55000 I. out of the Kings Cus∣tomes, was by the Act of Parliament to have expired.

But those frequent Adjournments left no place for Divi∣nation, but that they must rather have been calculated to give the French more scope for perfecting their Conquests, or to keep the Lords closer, till the Conspirators Designes were accomplished; and it is less probable that one of these was false, than that both were the true Causes So that the Lords, if they had been taken in War, might have been ran∣somed cheaper than they were Imprisoned. When there∣fore after so long patience, they saw no end of their Captivi∣ty, they began to think that the procuring of their Liberty deserved almost the same care which others took to conti∣nue them in Durance; and each of them chose the Me∣thod he thought most advisable.

The Earl of Shaftsbury having addressed in vain for his Majesties favour resorted by Habeas Corpus to the Kings Bench, the constant Residence of his Justice. But the

Judges were more true to their Pattents then their Jurisdicti∣on and remanded him, Sir Thomas Jones having done him double Justice, answering both for himself and his Brother Tvvisden, that was absent and had never hard any Argument in the case.

The Duke of Buckingham, the Earle of Salisbury, and the Lord Wharton, had better Fortune then he in recurring to his Majesty by a Petition, upon which they were enlarged, making use of an honorable Evasion, where no Legal Re∣paration could be hoped for. Ingratefull Persons may cen∣sure them for enduring no more, not considering how much they had suffered. But it is Honour enough for them to have been Confessors, nor as yet is the Earl of Shaftsbury a Mar∣tyr, for the English Liberties and the Protestant Religion, but may still live to the Envy of those that maligne him for his Constancy.

There remaines now only to relate that before the meet∣ing appointed for the third of December, his Majesties Pro∣clamation was Issued, signifying that he expected not the Members attendance, but that those of them about Town may Adjourn themselves till the fourth of April 1678. Wherein it seemed not so strange, because often done be∣fore, as unfortunate that the French should still have so much further leisure allowed him to compleat his design upon Flanders, before the Nation should have the last opportuni∣ty of interposing their Counsells with his Majesty (it cannot now be said) to prevent it. But these words that the House may Adjourn themselves were very well received by those of the Commons who imagined themselves thereby restored to their Right, after Master Seymours Invasion; When in re∣versal of this, he probably desiring to retain a Jurisdiction, that he had twice usurped, and to adde this Flower to the Crown, of his own planting, Mr. Secretary Coventry deli∣vered a written Message from his Majesty on the 3d. of De∣cember, of a contrary effect, though not of the same vali∣dity

with the Proclamation, to wit, That the Houses should be Adjourned only to the 15. of January 1677. Which as soon as read, Mr. Seymour would not give leave to a worthy Member offerring to speak, but abruptly, now the third time of his own authority, Adjourned them, without putting the Question, although Sr. J. Finch, for once doing so in Tertio Charoli, was accused of high Treason; This only can be said, perhaps in his excuse, That whereas that in tertio Car. was a Parliament Legally constituted, Mr. Seymour did here do as a Sheriff that disperses a Riotous assembly. In this man∣ner they were kickt from Adjourment to Adjournment, as from one stair down to another, and when they were at the bottom kickt up again, having no mind yet to Go out of Doors.