peace and religion and restoring our children to their ancient and lawful patrimony... This parliament, beginning in January last, proceeded some months with such harmony between us and our people as cannot be parallelled by any former time; for as the House of Commons at the first, both in the manner of their supply and otherwise, shewed greater love and more respect than ever any House of Commons did to us or, as we think, to any king before us; so we upon all their complaints have afforded them such memorable and rare examples of justice1 as many ages past cannot shew the like; . . . and although, after their first recess at Easter, we found that they mis-spent a great deal of time, . . . yet we gave them time and scope for their parliamentary proceedings and prolonged the session to an unusual length. ... 2 But during the time of this long recess having to our great charges mediated with the Emperor by the means of our ambassador, the Lord Digby, and having found those hopes to fail which we had to prevail by treaty, we in confidence of the assistance of our people, thus freely promised and protested in parliament, did... reassemble our parliament the 20th day of November last, and made known unto them the true state and necessity of our children's affairs; . . . wherein, howbeit we are well satisfied of the good inclination of most part of our House of Commons, testified by their ready assent to the speedy payment of a subsidy newly to be granted, yet, upon this occasion, some particular members of that House took such inordinate liberty, not only to treat of our high prerogatives and of sundry things that, without our special direction, were no fit subjects to be treated of in parliament, but also to speak with less respect of foreign princes, our allies, than was fit for any subject to do of any anointed king, though in enmity and hostility with us. And when, upon this occasion, we used some reprehension touching those miscarriages, requiring them not to proceed but in such things as were within the capacity of that House according to the continual custom of our predecessors, then, by the means of some evil-affected and discontented persons, such heat and distemper was raised in the House, that, albeit them 1 For instance, in the cases of Bacon, Michell, Mompesson, &c. selves had sued unto us for a session and for a general pardon, unto both which at their earnest suit we assented, yet after this fire kindled they rejected both, and setting apart all businesses of consequence and weight, notwithstanding our admonition and earnest pressing them to go forward, they either sat as silent or spent the time in disputing of privileges, descanting upon the words and syllables of our letters and messages; ... and, notwithstanding the sincerity of our protestations not to invade their privileges, yet, by persuasion of such as had been the cause of all these distempers, they fall to carve for themselves; and pretending, causelessly, to be occasioned thereunto, in an unseasonable hour of the day and a very thin house, contrary to their own customs in all matters of weight, conclude and enter a protestation for their liberties, in such ambiguous and general words as might serve for future times to invade most of our inseparable rights and prerogative annexed to our imperial crown, whereof, not only in the times of other our progenitors but in the blessed reign of our late predecessor, that renowned queen Elizabeth, we found our crown actually possessed; an usurpation that the majesty of a king can by no means endure. By all which may appear that, howsoever in the general proceedings of that House there are many footsteps of loving and well-affected duty towards us, yet some ill-tempered spirits have sowed tares among the corn, and thereby frustrated the hope of that plentiful and good harvest, which might have multiplied the wealth and welfare of this whole land, and by their cunning diversions have imposed upon us a necessity of discontinuing this present parliament without putting unto it the name or period of a session. And therefore, whereas the said assembly of parliament was by our commission adjourned till the 8th day of February now next ensuing, we, minding not to continue the same any longer, ... have thought fit to signify this our resolution, with the reasons thereof, unto all our subjects inhabiting in all parts of this realm; willing and requiring the said prelates, noblemen and states, and also the said knights, citizens and burgesses, and all others to whom in this case it shall appertain, that they forbear to attend at the day and place prefixed by the said adjournment... And albeit we are at this time enforced to break off this convention of parliament, yet our will and desire is that all our subjects should take notice, for avoiding of all sinister suspicions and jealousies, that our intent and full resolution is to govern our people in the same manner as our progenitors and predecessors, kings and queens of this realm, of best government, have heretofore done ; . . . and that we shall be as glad to lay hold on the first occasion in due and convenient time, which we hope shall not be long, to call and assemble our parliament with confidence of the true and hearty love and affection of our subjects, as either we or any of our progenitors have at any time heretofore. [Dated at Westminster, Jan. 6.] Rymer's Fadera, XVII. p. 344. 18. Address of both Houses to the King, 8 March, 1624'. May it please your most excellent Majesty: We are come unto you, employed from your most faithful subjects and servants, the Lords and Commons assembled in this present parliament. And first, they and we do give most humble and hearty thanks to Almighty God, that, out of his gracious goodness, he hath been pleased, now at last, to dispel that cloud and mists, which for so many years hath dimmed the eyes of a great part of Christendom in that business whereof we do now consult. And secondly, we acknowledge ourselves most bound unto your Majesty, that you have been pleased to require the humble advice of us your obedient subjects in a case so important as this, which hitherto dependeth between your Majesty and the king of Spain; which we jointly offer from both Houses, no one person therein dissenting or disagreeing from the rest. And that is, That upon mature consideration, and weighing many particulars of sundry natures, finding so much want of sincerity in all their proceedings, we, super totam materiam, present this our humble advice unto your Majesty; That the treaties, both for the marriage and the Palatinate, may not any longer be continued with the honour of your Majesty, the safety of your people, the welfare 1 Approved by the House of Commons on March 5 (C. J. I. p. 729), and presented to the King the same day (L. J. III. p. 250).. of your children and posterity, as also the assurance of your ancient allies and confederates. Lords' Journals, III. p. 250. 19. Address of both Houses to the King, 22 March, 1624'. Most gracious Sovereign, We your Majesty's most humble and loyal subjects, the Lords and Commons in this present parliament assembled, . . . most ready and willing to give your Majesty and the whole world an ample testimony of our sincere and dutiful intentions herein, have upon mature advice and deliberation, as well of the weight and importance of this great affair, as of the present estate of this your kingdom (the weal and safety whereof is, in our judgments, apparently threatened, if your Majesty's resolution for the dissolving of the treaties now in question be longer deferred, and that provision for the defence of your realm and aid of your friends and allies be not seasonably made), with a cheerful consent of all the Commons, no one dissenting, and with a full and cheerful consent of us the Lords, resolved; That, upon your Majesty's public declaration of the utter dissolution and discharge of the two treaties of the marriage and Palatinate, in pursuit of our advice therein, and towards the support of that war which is likely to ensue, and more particularly for those four points proposed by your Majesty, namely for the defence of this realm, the securing of Ireland, the assistance of your neighbours the states of the United Provinces and others your Majesty's friends and allies, and for the setting forth of your royal navy, we will grant for the present the greatest aid which was ever granted in parliament to be levied in so short time, that is to say, three entire subsidies and three fifteenths, to be all paid within the compass of one whole year after your Majesty shall be pleased to make the said declaration; the money to be paid into the hands and expended by the direction of such committees or commissioners, as hereafter shall be agreed upon in this present session of parliament... Lords' Journals, III. p. 275 Approved by the Houses on March 22, and presented to the King on March 23 (L. J. III. pp. 275 ff., and C. J. I. pp. 746 ff.). 20. Address of both Houses to the King, 10 April, 1624. May it please your most excellent Majesty: It having pleased your Majesty, upon our humble suit and advice, to dissolve both the treaties, to our great joy and comfort, we, your Majesty's most faithful and loyal subjects, the Lords and Commons assembled in parliament, do in all humbleness offer unto your sacred Majesty these two petitions following: First, That for the more safety of your realms and better keeping your subjects in their due obedience and other important reasons of state, your Majesty will be pleased, by some such course as your Majesty shall think fit, to give present order, That all the laws be put in due execution, which have been made and do stand in force against Jesuits, seminary priests and all others that have taken orders by authority derived from the see of Rome, and generally against all Popish recusants; and as for disarming, that it may be according to the laws and according to former acts and directions of state in the like case and yet, that it may appear to all the world, the favour and clemency your Majesty useth towards all your subjects of what condition soever, and to the intent the Jesuits and priests now in the realm may not pretend to be surprised, that a speedy and certain day may be prefixed by your Majesty's proclamation, before which day they shall depart out of this realm and all other your Highness's dominions; and neither they nor any other to return or come hither again, upon peril of the severest penalties of the laws now in force against them; and that all your Majesty's subjects may thereby also be admonished not to receive, entertain, comfort or conceal any of them, upon the penalties and forfeitures which by the laws may be imposed upon them. Secondly, Seeing we are thus happily delivered from that danger, to which those treaties (now dissolved) and that use which your ill-affected subjects made thereof would certainly have drawn upon us, and yet cannot but foresee and fear lest the like may hereafter happen, which would inevitably bring such peril unto your Majesty's kingdoms, we are most humble suitors to your gracious Majesty to secure the hearts of your good subjects by the engagement of your royal word unto them, |