A. C. 17092 difcretion, as to throw the Guilt of thofe, whofe Fa thers were in the Royal Intereft, and whole Families have been great Sufferers by it, only upon their profeffing themselves of thofe Principles, which are abfolutely nec ffary to fupport our antient Conftitution, the prefent Eftablishment, and Succeffion in the Proteftant Line? The fe are fome of the fad Effects this Age may ⚫ be faid to feel, for the fins of the precedirg. Yet we muft not flatter our felves that they are fent upon us, ⚫ as Judgments for their Iniquities only. Our own Folly ⚫ and Wickedness, may juftly ftand accountable, in a good ⚫ measure, for them. Providence may permit fuch Punishments, as the natural Confequences of the fins of a preceding Generation; but it never inflicts them, without the Provocations of the prefent. Tho' this Sermon was but ill relith'd by a great many Members, yet the next Day the Majority of the Commons order'd their Thanks to be return'd to Dr Weft for it; as the Lords did to the Bishop of St. Asaph. Two Feb. 2. Days after, Mr. Dolben reported from the Committee Report of to whom the Anfwer of Dr. Henry Sacheverell was rethe Commit ferred, was, That they had confidered the fame, and tee about Dr. Sacheverel's find there were contained therein many Things not warran Answer. ted by the Courfe of Proceedings upon Impeachments, foreign 10 the Charge, unbecoming a Perfon Impeached, and plainly defigned to Reflect upon the HONOUR OF THE HOUSE, and did humbly fubmit to the Judgment of the Houfe their Opinion; that for avoiding any Imputation of • Delay to the Commons in a Cafe of fo great Importance, a Replication be forthwith fent up to the Lords, maintaining the Charge of the Commons, and that the • Committee had accordingly prepared the fame; which they had directed him to report to the House, and he read the fame in his Place, and afterwards delivered the Report in at the Table, where the fame was read. Then the Replication was read a fecond Time, which occafion'd a Debate, in which fome of the Doctor's Friends infinuated, as if it were advisable to leave this Offender to the ordinary Courfe of Juftice: But the Queftion being put, it was refolv'd, by a Majority of 182 Voices againft 88 That the faid Replication be the Replication of the • Commons to the Aniwer of Dr. Henry Sacheverell ; and order'd that the fame be engrofs'd, being as follows: Febr. 3. Replication of the Commons. • HE Commons have confider'd the Anfwer of Henry T'acheverell Dactor in Divinity, to the Articles of Impeachment exhibited again.ft him by the Knights, ⚫ Citizens and Burgeffes in Farliament Affembled, and ob 1 obferve, that there are many things in it not warranted A. C. by the Courfe of Proceedings upon Impeachments, 17. ⚫ foreign to the Charge of the Commons, unbecoming a • Perfon Impeach'd, and plainly defign'd to refle& upon the Honour of the Houfe of Commons in this Proceed⚫ing, for which they might demand your Lordship's im• mediate Juftice. 'But the Commons being fenfible that the Nature of the Crimes whereof he ftands Impeach'd, and the Ne• ceffity of bringing him to a speedy and exemplary Pu & nifhment require, That all occafions of Delay fhould be avoided, and not doubting that your Lordships will, in due Time, vindicate the Honour of the Commons, and the Juftice of their Proceeding, The Commons ⚫ do aver their Charge againft the faid Henry Sacheverell for High Crimes and Mifdemeanours to be true; and that the faid Henry Sacheverell is Guilty in fuch manner as he ftands Impeach'd ; and that the Commons will be 'ready to prove their Charge against him at such convenient Time as thall be appointed for that purpose. Lords to the On the 3d of February Mr. Dolben, by Order of the Commons, carried the Original Answer of Dr. Sacheverell, and the Replicatiou thereunto, to the Lords, who, the next Day, fent a Meffage to the Commons, That their Message Lordships had appointed the Thursday following, being from the the 9th of that Month, at Eleven a-clock in the Fore- Commons, anoon, for the Tryal of Henry Sacheverell, Docter of bout Dr. Sa'Divinity, at the Bar of their Houfe; and that their cheverel's 'Lordships would take care that there fhould be Con- Tryal. veniencies made there for the Managers of the Com mons, at the Tryal upon the Impeachment against him? Hereupon the Commons order'd their Serjeant at Arms to go to Westminster Hall, Court of Requests and Places adjacent, and Summon the Members there to attend the Service of the House; and being return'd, it was refolv'd, That Managers be appointed to make good the Articles Managers of Impeachment againft againft Dr. Henry Sicheverell; appointed by the Commons. ' and order'd that the Committee to whom it was referr'd ⚫ to draw up the faid Articles, be the faid MANAGERS, 1. Sir John Holland, Comptroller of Her Majefty's 2. Mr. Secretary Boyle. 3. Mr. Smith, Chancellor of the Exchequer. 6. Robert A. C. 1752 The Commons re fift in a 6. Robert Walpole Efq; Treasurer of the Navy. 9. Mr. Dolben. 10. Sir Thomas Parker. 11. Sir Peter King, Recorder of the City of London. 12. Sir John Holles. 13. The Lord William Powlet. 14. The Lord Coningsby. 16. Mr. Thompson. 17. Lieutenant-General Stanhope. 18. Lieutenant-General Mordaunt. 20. Sir David Dalrimple. It being afterwards debated, and the Queftion put, whether the House in a Body, or a Committee of the folv'd to af whole Houfe, ftould be prefent at the Tryal? It grand Com- was carried for the Committee of the whole Houfe mittee at the by a Majority of 192 Voices, againft 180: And Tryal. the Doctor's Friends having, on this Occafion, been the ftronger, Mr. Bromley, one of the moft eminent amongst them, was fent to the Houfe of Lords, to ac• quaint their Lordships with that Refolution, and to ⚫ defire that a convenient Accommodation might be prepa. • red for the Commons. Mr. Bromley, having on the 6th of February, carried this Meflage to the Lords, their Lordfhips, the fame Day, fent a Meffage of their own to the Commons, to acquaint them, That they had order'd the Lords, with white Staves, humbly to move Her Majefty, that She would be pleas'd to give Order for a Place to ⚫ be prepared in Westminster-Hall, for their Lordfhips to proceed upon the Tryal of Dr. S.cheverell. On the 8th of February the Lords fent another Meffage to the Commons, importing, That Her Majefty had given Order, that a Court be prepared in Westminster-Hall for the faid Tryal, which would take up fome Time; and therefore the Tryal could not be at the Time appointed; but that affoon as the Place was prepar'd, the Commons The Day fhould have Notice of the Day of Tryal'. The next of Tryal put Day Dr. Sacheverell made his Appearance at the Barr of Febr. 9. the Lords House, but he was told that his Tryal was put Dr. Sa off, and that he should have timely Notice when it should cheverel's come on. In the mean time the Doctor's Friends, both Friends drink in the Cities of London and Westminster, and in feveral bis Health and Delive-Places in the Country, were extreamly bufie, and in range. their private Meetings drank his Health, and happy Deli. verence. Од A. C. 17. On the 20th of February the Lords fent a Meffage to the Commons, to acquaint them, That their Lordships had appointed Monday, the 27th of that Month, for the Tryal of Henry Sacheverell, Doctor in Divinity, before their Lordships in Westminster-Hall: Whereupon the Commons appointed a Committee, to go and fee what • Conveniencies and Accomodations were made in West• minfter-Hall, for the Committee of their House, and the Managers, to be at the Tryal. Three Days after, Febr. 23. Mr. Onflow reported from that Committee, that having view'd the faid Places accordingly; and that they expreffing their Difl ke, feveral Alterations had been made fiuce, and they now found Accommodations for • Four Hundred Perfons, befides the Managers; which Report having the next Day, been taken into Confi- Febr. 24. deration, the Commons made the following Orders: ་ Orders of the Commons relating to I. That nothing that shall be said by any Member of this II. That no Perfon ( but Members of this Houfe) do pre- III. That the P.ff ge for the Members of the House, to and from their Places in Westminster-Hall, be kept clear, for their more convenient Puffage; and that the Serj-ant and Officers attending this Houfe do take care accordingly IV. That the Committee appointed to fee what Conve niencies and Accommodations are made in WestminsterHill for the Committee of this Houle, and the Managers at the Tryal of Dr. Henry Sacheverell, do Exa. miae and Report to the House what other Provision may be made for fecuring the faid Paffage; according to the aforementioned Order. On the 25th of February, the Commons made thefe further Orders. V. That a Meffage be fent to the Lords, by Mr. Dolben, with the Names of fuch Witneffes as are to be examined to make out the Impeachment against Dr. Henry Sacheverell, and to defire that the Lords will make forth Summons for their Attendance at the faid Tryal од al. A. C. 179. on Monday next, viz. for Henry Clements, Bookseller, X. That no Member do prefume to go out of the House The fame Day the Lords fent a Meffage to the Commons, to acquaint them, That their Lordships would give Order for fummoning the Witneffes to be produDr. Sa- ced, as defired: And all things for Dr. Sicbeverel's cheverel's Tryal being thus prepared, on the 27th of February, beTryal begins tween Eleven and Twelve a-Clock in the Morning, the Febr. 27. Mr. At torney General, and Mr. Lechmere, open the Articles of Impeachment. Lords went in their Formalities, to the Court in Westmin fter Hall, where a vaft Number of Spectators, of both Sexes, had been admitted by the Lord Great Chamberlain's Tickets: The Managers of the Commons, and the Committee of their whole Houle, having taken their refpective Places, and Dr. Sacheverell been brought to the Barr, Sir James Montague, Attorney-General, and one of the Managers, spoke firft in Behalf of the Commons of Great Britain; fhewing the Reasons of this Profecution, which was not intended against the Fur &tion, but against a particular Perfon; and he was feconded by Mr. Lechmere, who enlarged upon the Nature, and aggravated the Ennormity of the Crimes for which Doctor Sacheverell food impeach'd. After this Doctor Sachevereks Epiftle Dedicatory, prefix'd to the Sermon he preach'd at the Af fizes held at Derby, was read; as were alfo feveral Pa |