"argue no more, but give their Vote. Almost Burnet, Vol. 1. "the whole Commons voted in the Negative: So p. 20. "that the Act was indeed rejected by the Majority: "Which the King knew; for he had called for a "Lift of the Numbers, and with his own Pen had "mark'd every Man's Vote: Yet the Clerk of "the Regifter, who gathers and declares the Votes, "faid it was carried in the Affirmative. The Earl "of Rothes affirmed it went for the Negative: So "the King faid, the Clerk of the Register's De"claration must be held good, unless the Earl of "Rothes would go to the Bar and accuse him of "Falfifying the Record of Parliament, which was

capital: And in that Cafe, if he should fail in "the Proof, he was liable to the fame Punish"ment: So he would not venture on that. Thus "the Act was published, though in Truth it was

rejected. The King expreffed a high Difplea"fure at all who had concurred in that Opposi"tion. Upon that the Lords had many Meet"ings they reckoned that now all their Liber"ties were gone; and a Parliament was but a Piece "of Pageantry, if the Clerk of the Register might "declare as he pleased how the Vote went, and "that no Scrutiny were allowed."

а

In May 1641, above a Year before the War betwixt the King and Parliament broke out, "treacherous Design was fet on Foot, not with❝out the Participation of the King, as appeared "under his own Hand, to bring up the English

Army and by Force to diffolve the Parliament, Ludlow's "the Plunder of London being promised to the Mem. p. 15. "Officers and Soldiers as a Reward for that Ser"vice. This was confeffed by Lord Goring, Mr.

66

66

Piercy and others. The Scot's Army was alfo "tried, and the four Northern Counties (Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland and Dur"ham) offered to be given them, if they would "undertake the fame Defign." The Earl of Hol

land,

:

11. p. 290.

Clarend. Vol. land, the King's own General, acknowleged, "That "he found there had been strange Attempts made "to pervert and corrupt the Army; but he doubted not he should be able to prevent any "Mifchief."

Rapin, Vol.
XI. p. 305.

311, 312.

"The Confpiracy to feduce the Army plainly "enough fhew'd the King's Defigns. He fo evi"dently violated the Privileges of Parliament (in "the Bill for Preffing of Soldiers) that there was "not a fingle Member in both Houses but what was perfuaded of the Reality of this Viola

"tion."

66

But that which finished the Breach, and opened a Floodgate to all the Miferies which ensued, was a Step which the King took, the most impru"dent and moft fatal to his Affairs that he could "poffibly take in fuch a Juncture. Jan. 3, 1641-2, Ibid. p. 308, "He fent Sir Ed. Herbert Attorney-General to "the House of Peers, with Orders to accuse of "High-Treason the Lord Kimbolton and five "Commoners, Denzil Hollis, Sir Arthur Haflerig, "John Pym, John Hambden and Will. Stroud. "At the fame Time Officers were fent to their "feveral Houfes to feal up their Trunks, Doors "and Papers. Whereupon the Commons order'd "their Serjeant to go and break open the Seals " and apprehend those that put them on.The "Peers alfo made an Order to open the Doors "and Trunks of the Members of both Houfes "which were fealed: and refolved to join with "the Commons in a Petition to the King for a "Guard, and to reprefent to his Majefty that the

Privileges of Parliament had been violated. A "Serjeant at Arms came to the Houfe of Com"mons from the King and required the five Mem"bers accufed by his Majefty. The Commons ap"pointed fome of their Members to wait upon "the King and acquaint him, That his Message

was

"was a Matter of great Confequence; that it consc cerns the Privilege of Parliament and of all the "Commons of ENGLAND: that they will take it "into Confideration, and attend his Majesty with 86 an Anfwer. In the mean Time the five Members fhall be ready to answer any legal Charge made a"gainst them.

The King understanding that the Commons Whitelock, "had voted against the Arreft or Seifure of their p. 50, 51. "Members, went himself the next Morning to "the Houfe, guarded with his Penfioners, and "followed by about 200 of Courtiers and Soldiers. "of Fortune, most of them arm'd with Swords "and Piftols. The Vote of the Houfe declares "them to be 500 armed Men, Papifts and Sol

diers, who came with the King. The five Mem"bers receiving fecret Notice from a great Court "Lady their Friend, got out of the Houfe juft as "the King came."—" They were hardly gone "out, when his Majefty appeared, and as he "paffed up towards the Chair faid, By your Leave Rapin, Vol. "Mr. Speaker I must borrow your Chair a little. XI. p. 314. Looking round he faid,-As long as thefe Per

" fons that I have accufed are here, I cannot expect "that this House will be in the right Way: There

66

fore I am come to tell You that I must have them "wherefoever I find them. Well, fince I fee all the "Birds are flown, I do expect them from You, that "You shall fend them unto me, as foon as they re"turn bither."-"As his Majefty was going out,

many Members cried out aloud fo as he might Neal, Vol. I. "hear them, Privilege! Privilege! The Houfe was pag. 533. "in a terrible Pannick while the King was in the "Chair, the Door of the Houfe and all the A- venues being crowded with Officers and Sol"diers.

66

"Upon the King's going away the journed in a Flame for fome Days,

Houfe adordering a "Com

1.

Welw. Mem.mittee to fit in Guild-Hall, in the mean Time.
pag. 64.
"Whoever they were that advifed the King to

Tindal's

Int. p.7.

this rafh Attempt, are justly chargeable with all "the Blood that was afterwards fpilt; for this fud"den Action was the first and visible Ground of "all our following Miferies. It was believed that "if the King had found the five Members in the "Houfe, and had called in his Guards to feife "them, the Houfe would have endeavoured their "Defence, and oppofed Force to Force; which "might have endangered the King's Perfon. But "the Confequences were bad enough without this; "for immediately upon it there was nothing but "Confufion and Tumult; Fears and Jealoufies "every where."

.

"So notorious a Breach could not but be of "infinite Difadvantage to the King; being looked upon as equal to a Diffolution of the Parlia

ment. Since he might, they faid, upon the "fame Grounds as well feife 500, as 5 Members. "Wherefore it not only produced an Union in "both Houses, but was a plain Indication that "the King would affuredly be revenged of fuch "Members as had given him Offence, when"ever it fhould be in his Power; which Confider"ation determined the leading Men to tie up his Hands for the future by Abridging the Prero"gative.

"The Truth is, fais Lord Clarendon, it cannot "be expreffed how great a Change there appear"ed to be in the Countenance and Minds of all "Sorts of People, in Town and Country, upon "these late Proceedings of the King. All that "had been formerly faid of Plots and Confpira"cies against the Parliament, was now thought

true and real. All that had been whispered of "Ireland, was now talked aloud and printed. "The Shops of the City were generally fhut up,

378.

as if an Enemy were at their Gates; and the Clarend. Vol. People in all Places at a Gaze. On the other On the other II. p. 377 "Side; they who had the greateft Courage and "Alacrity oppofed all feditious Practices, between "Grief and Anger were confounded with the "Confideration of what had been done and what "was like to follow. But above all, the Anger and Indignation, was very great and general, "that to all the other Overfights and Prefump"tions was added, the Expofing the Dignity and

Majefty and Safety of the King, in his Coming "in Perfon, in that Manner, to the Houfe of "Commons; and in Going the next Day, as he "did, to the Guild-Hall and to the Lord Mayor's, "which drew fuch Reproaches upon him to his "Face."

"The King quickly after this retired from Lon"don to Hampton-Court. The Parliament receiv- Tindal's Sum ❝ed Information, that George Lord Digby was in P. 124. "Arms at Kingston upon Thames, attended with "feveral Officers: Whereupon both Houses fe "Precautions to hinder the King from becoming "Master of Portsmouth, and fend Sir John Hỏ"tham to fecure Hull." And both Sides And both Sides prepare for War.

CHAP. VII.

Other arbitrary and oppreffive Measures: Which were Invafions of the Nation's Rights, and fubverfive of the CONSTITUTION.

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..

H

E fent over 30,000 Pounds to the Nether- Echard, p. lands to raise German Horfe with Arms to 434. "be brought to England for his Service.". "Burlemack (by whom the Money was remitted)

"being