Part 1
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:
—Has been mantained the ancient style, therefore just the more evident printing errors have been corrected. Punctuation has not been corrected also if inconsistent with modern English.
—Italics and smallcaps have been manteined as far as possible, since as in old books (this one was printed in 1621) sometimes text style changes when a word is hyphenated.
HIS MAIESTIES DECLARATION,
Touching his proceedings in the _late Assemblie and Conuention_ of Parliament.
_Imprinted at London by_ BONHAM NORTON and IOHN BILL, Printers to the Kings most Excellent MAIESTIE. 1621.
HIS MAIESTIES Declaration, touching his proceedings in the late Assembly and _Conuention of Parliament_.
Hauing of late, vpon mature deliberation, with the aduice and vniforme consent of Our whole Priuie Councell, determined to dissolue the Assembly and Conuention of Parliament, lately called together by Our Regall power and Authoritie, Wee were pleased by Our Proclamation, giuen at Our Palace of _Westminster_ the sixt day of this instant _Ianuary_, to declare, not onely Our pleasure and resolution therein, but also to expresse some especiall passages and proceedings, moouing vs to that resolution: Wherein, albeit hauing so many yeeres swayed the swords and scepters of three renowned kingdomes, Wee cannot but discerne (as much as any Prince liuing) what apperteineth to the height of a powerfull Monarch: yet, that all men might discerne, that Wee, like Gods true Viceregent, delight not so much in the greatnesse of Our place, as in the goodnesse & benignitie of our gouernment, We were content in that one Act to descend many degrees beneath Our Selfe: First, by communicating to all Our people the reasons of a resolution of State, which Princes vse to reserue, _inter arcana Imperij_, to themselues and their Priuie Councell: Secondly, by mollifying and mixing the peremptorie and binding qualitie of a Proclamation, with the indulgence of a milde and fatherly instruction: And lastly, leading them, and opening to them that forbidden Arke of Our absolute and indisputable Prerogatiue, concerning the calling, continuing, and dissoluing of Parliaments: which, though it were more then superabundant to make Our Subiects know the realitie of Our sincere intentions; yet Wee not satisfied therewith, but finding the bounds of a Proclamation too straight to conteine and expresse the boundlesse affection that Wee beare to Our good and louing people, are pleased hereby to inlarge Our Selfe, (as Wee promised in Our said Proclamation) by a more full and plaine expression of those Letters and Messages that passed from Vs to the Commons in Parliament, which by reason of the length of them, could not bee related at large, but briefly pointed at in Our said Proclamation. For, as in generall the great actions of Kings are done as vpon a stage, obuious to the publike gazing of euery man; so are Wee most willing, that the trueth of this particular, concerning Our owne honour, and the satisfaction of Our Subjects, should bee represented vnto all men without vaile or couering, being assured that the most plainnesse and freedome will most aduantage Vs, hauing in this, and all Our Actions euer affected such sinceritie and vprightnes of heart, as were Wee all transparent, and that men might readily passe to Our inward thoughts, they should there perceiue the selfe–same affections which Wee haue euer professed in Our outward words and Actions.
Hauing anticipated the time of reassembling Our Parliament to the twentieth day of _Nouember_ last, (which Wee formerly appointed to haue met vpon the eighth of _February_ next,) vpon the confidence that their noble and generous declaration at their parting the fourth of _Iune_ put vs in, of their free and liberall assistance to the recouery of Our Childrens ancient inheritance, and hauing declared to them Our resolution of taking vpon Vs the defence of Our childrens patrimonie by way of Armes, the Commons very heartily and dutifully fell immediatly after their reassembling, to treat of a necessary supplie, and concluded, for the present, to grant a Subsidie to be paid in _February_ next, (the last paiment of the latter Subsidie granted by them being not to come in vntill _May_ following) whereby Wee were well and cleerly satisfied of the good intenti[=o] of the Commons in generall, by whose vniforme vote & assent that Subsidy was resolued on, not without intimation of a more ample supplie to be yeelded in conuenient time.
But before this their resolution was reduced into a formall Acte or Bill, some discontented persons that were the cause of all that euill which succeeded, endeauouring to clog the good will of the Commons with their owne vnreasonable ends, fell to dispute in the House of Our high Prerogatiues, namely of the match of Our dearest sonne the Prince, of the making warre with forreigne Princes Our Allies, betweene whom and Vs there was a firme peace religiously made and obserued hitherunto: All which they couered with the cloake of Religion, and with the faire pretence of a duetifull Petition to bee preferred to Vs. Wee vnderstanding right well, that those points were not disputable in Parliament, without Our owne Royall direction, being of Our highest Prerogatiues, the very Characters of Souereignty; & thinking, that when euery Subiect by nature, and the Lawes of the Realme, had the power of matching their children according to their owne best liking, none should denie Vs the like; especially Wee hauing at the beginning of the Parliament declared Our purpose concerning the matching of Our Sonne, the Prince, were fully perswaded, that those specious outsides of Religion and humble petitioning, were added onely to gaine passage vnto those things, which being propounded in their true colours, must needs haue appeared vniust and vnreasonable, as matters wherewith neuer any Parliament had presumed to meddle before, except they had bene thereunto required by their King; nay, not befitting Our Priuie Councell to meddle with, without Our speciall command and allowance; since the very consulting vpon such matters (though in neuer so priuate a maner) being discouered abroad, might at some time produce as ill effects, as if they were publikely resolued vpon. For as concerning the point of Religion, We aswell in the beginning of the Parliament, by a publike and open Declaration made to both Houses in the higher House of Parliament, as also shortly after, by a gracious answere vnto a former Petition of theirs, expressed to the full Our immutable resolution to maintaine true Religion, besides the vntainted practise of Our whole life in that point. And howsoeuer an humble Petition beare a faire shew of respect; yet if vnder colour of concluding on a Petition, a way should bee opened to treat in Parliament of the mysteries of State, without Our Royall allowance, it were a great and vnusuall breach vpon the Royall power: Besides, who knoweth not that the preferring of a Petition, includes an expectation to haue it graunted? and therefore to nippe this springing euill in the beginning, Wee directed Our Letters to the Speaker of that House, the tenour of which Letters followeth.
Master Speaker, _Wee haue heard by diuers reports to Our great griefe, That the farre distance of Our Person at this time from Our high Court of Parliament, caused by Our want of health, hath emboldened some fiery and popular spirits in Our House of Commons, to debate and argue publikely, in matters farre beyond their reach or capacitie, and so tending to Our high dishonour, and to the trenching vpon Our Prerogatiue Royall. You shall therefore acquaint that House with Our Pleasure, That none therein shall henceforth presume to meddle with any thing concerning Our gouernment, or mysteries of State; namely, not to speake of Our dearest Sonnes match with the Daughter of_ Spaine, _nor to touch the Honour of that King, or any other Our friends or Confederates: And also not to meddle with any mens particulars, which haue their due motion in Our ordinarie Courts of Justice. And whereas We heare that they haue sent a message to_ S^[ir] Edwin Sandys, _to know the reasons of his late restraint, you shall in Our name resolue them, That it was not for any misdemeanour of his in Parliament: But to put them out of doubt of any question of that nature that may arise among them hereafter, you shall resolue them in Our name, That We thinke our Selfe very free and able to punish any mans misdemeanours in Parliament, as well during their sitting, as after; which We meane not to spare hereafter, vpon any occasion of any mans insolent behauiour there, that shall be ministred vnto Us. And if they haue already touched any of these points which Wee haue here forbidden, in any Petition of theirs which is to be sent vnto Vs, it is Our pleasure that you shall tell them, That except they reforme it before it come to Our hands, Wee will not deigne the hearing nor answering of it. And whereas Wee heare that they are desirous, that We should make this a Seßion of Parliament before Christmas, You may tell them, It shall be in their default if they want it: For if they will make ready betweene this and that time, some such Lawes as shall be really good for the Common–wealth, Wee will very willingly giue Our Royall assent vnto them: And so it shall thereby appeare, That if good Lawes be not made at this time for the weale of the people, the blame shall onely and most iustly lie vpon such turbulent spirits, as shall preferre their particular ends to the weale of this Kingdome and Common–wealth. And so We bid you farewell. Giuen at Our Court at Newmarket, the third day of December, 1621._
To Our trustie and welbeloued, _The Speaker of Our Commons_ House of Parliament.
Which Letters being publikely read in the House, they were so farre either from reforming their intended Petition, which conteined those points by Vs forbidden, or yet from going on cheerefully in propounding of good Lawes, for which they were called, and to which purpose Wee granted them in the end of Our said Letter to the Speaker, to make it a Session before Christmas, whereof Wee vnderstood them to bee very desirous, that they resolued to send the same vnto vs together with another Petition iustifying the former, notwithstanding Our forbidding them in Our said Letter to send the former Petition vnto Vs, as also sate euer silent thereafter, till they were dissolued, as shall hereafter more largely be expressed.
Those petitions being sent from the Commons by a select number of that House vnto Vs then being at _Newmarket_ for Our health, the House forbare to proceed in any businesse of importance, purposing, as was apparently discerned, and as the euent prooued, so to continue vntill the returne of their Messengers with Our Answere, which wee vnderstanding, and being desirous to haue the time better husbanded, as was fit (the shortnesse thereof, by reason of the approach of Christmas being respected) required Our Secretarie to deliuer a Message vnto them for this purpose, which he did, first by word of mouth, and after by appointment of the House set it downe in writing in these words, viz.
_His Majestie, remembring that this House was desirous to haue a Seßion betweene this and Christmasse, whereupon it pleased Him to signifie vnto vs, that wee should haue contentment therein, and that there should be a Seßion, if wee our selues were not in fault, taking now notice that the House forbeares to proceede with any Billes vntill the returne of the Messengers, lately sent vnto his Majestie, hath enioyned mee to commaund the House in his Name not to lose time in their proceeding for preparing of good Lawes in the meane while, in consideration of this so neere approach of Christmaße; And that his Majestie hopes they will not take vpon them to make a Recesse in effect, though not in shew without his warrant._
Bvt this Message being deliuered, was so farre from working that good effect, which Wee did most iustly expect, that contrariwise some captious and curious heads tooke exception thereat, as tending to the breach of their Priuiledges, by commanding them to proceede with Bills, though We thereby, neither designed any particular Billes for them to proceed with, nor yet forbade any other Parliamentary proceedings; And with those, and such other vndutifull straines of wit, they spunne out the time vntill the returne of their Messengers, who being come to _Newmarket_, presented both the Petitions vnto vs, who well knowing before hand the effect of the former, and then obseruing the contents of the latter, and finding, that from both did reflect vpon Our Person and gouernment sundry causelesse aspersions, and that thereby Our Royall Prerogatiues were inuaded and assailed, after an admonition to beware of medling therewith, Wee returned vnto them Our Answere in writing, as followeth.
HIS MAJESTIES ANSWERE to the Apologetike Petition of the House of COMMONS, _Presented to his Majesty by a dozen_ of the Members of that House, _by their directions_.