Part 3
_Right trusty and Welbeloued Councellour, Wee greet you well. Wee are sorrie to heare, that, notwithstanding Our reiterated Meßages to Our House of Commons, for going on in their businesses in regard of the shortneße of time, betwixt this and Christmas, and of their owne earnest desire, that Wee should now conclude a Seßion, by making of good and profitable Lawes, they continue to loose time; And now of late, vpon Our gracious Answer sent vnto them, haue taken occasion to make more delay, in appointing a Committee to morrow, to consider vpon the points of Our Answer; and especially concerning that point in it which maketh mention of their priuiledges. Our pleasure therefore is, that you shall in Our name tell them, that We are so loath to haue time mis–spent, which is so pretious a thing, in the well vsing whereof Our people may receiue so great a benefit, as We are thus farre contented to discend from Our Royall dignity, by explaining at this time Our meaning in Our sayd Answer, touching that point, That all Our good Subiects in that House, that intend nothing but Our Honour, and the weale of the Common–wealth, may cleerely see Our intention. Whereas in Our sayd Answere We told them, that Wee could not allow of the stile, calling it their ancient and vndoubted right and inheritance; but could rather haue wished, that they had sayd their priuiledges were deriued from the grace and permißion of Our Ancestors and Vs: (for most of them grow from presidents, which shewes rather a toleration then inheritance) the plaine truth is, That Wee cannot with patience endure Our Subiects to vse such Antimonarchicall words to Vs concerning their Liberties, except they had subioyned, that they were granted vnto them by the grace and fauour of Our Predecessours. But as for Our intention herein, God knowes Wee neuer meant to deny them any lawfull Priuiledges that euer that House enioyed in Our Predecessours times, as We expected Our said Answere should haue sufficiently cleered them; neither in Justice what euer they haue vndoubted right vnto; nor in Grace what euer Our Predeceßours or We haue graciously permitted vnto them: And therefore We made that distinction of_ the most part; _For whatsoeuer Priuiledges or Liberties they enioy by any Law or Statute, shall be euer inuiolably preserued by Vs; And Wee hope Our Posteritie will imitate Our footsteps therein. And whatsoeuer Priuiledges they enioy by long Custome, and vncontrolled and lawfull Presidents, Wee will likewise be as carefull to preserue them, and transmit the care thereof to Our Posteritie; neither was it any way in Our minde to thinke of any particular point wherein Wee meant to disallow of their Liberties. So as in Iustice We confesse Our selues to be bound to maintaine them in their rights; and in Grace We are rather minded to encrease, then infringe any of them, if they shall so deserue at Our hands. To end therefore as Wee began, let them goe on cheerefully in their businesses, reiecting the curious wrangling of Lawyers vpon words and syllables; otherwise (which God forbid) the world shall see how often and how earnestly Wee haue pressed them to goe on, according to their calling, with those things that are fit to be done for the weale of Our Crowne and Kingdome; And how many curious shifts haue beene from time to time maliciously found out, to frustrate Vs of Our good purpose, and hinder them from the performance of that Seruice, which they ought to Vs and to Our whole Kingdome; whereof when the Countrey shall come to be truely enformed, they will giue the Authours thereof little thankes._
Giuen at Our Court at Royston, the sixteenth day of December, 1621.
To Our right trustie and welbeloued Councellor, Sir _George Caluert_, Knight, one of Our principall Secretaries.
And finding, that notwithstanding all this care taken by Vs for their satisfaction, & that Our thrice reiterated pressing them to husband well the shortnesse of time, in doing good businesse fit for a Parliament, Wee were so farre from preuailing with them, as to all those three admonitions of Ours, which are here related, First, by Our message deliuered by Our Secretary; Next, by Our conclusion of Our Answere to their Petition; And lastly, by the conclusion of Our explanation sent to Our Secretarie, We neither got answere, nor obedience; Yet the continuall care Wee had that this meeting should not dissolue without some fruit for the publike good of Our Subiects, made Vs addresse another Letter to the Speaker in these words.
Master Speaker, _Whereas at the humble suit of Our house of Commons Wee condescended to make this meeting a Seßion before Christmas, to which purpose We gaue them time vntill Saturday next, in case they would seriously applie themselues to that end; & likewise since, out of Our Grace, and to take away al mistakings, by Our Letters directed to Our Secretarie, Wee were pleased so fully and clearely to explane Our selues in the point of maintaining all lawfull Priuiledges to Our said House, which since Wee cannot heare hath had the wished effect, in making them spend this short time in preparing things most necessary for a Seßion, Wee haue thought good once more clearely by this to impart Our minde vnto them; which is, that in respect of the expectation after this so long a meeting in Parliament, as also that the generalitie, for the most part, rather iudge things by the outward effects then enter into the causes of them, Wee haue an earnest desire to make this a Seßion, to the end that our good and louing Subjects may haue some taste, aswell of Our Grace and goodnesse towards them by our free Pardon, and good Lawes to be passed, as they haue had, both by the great, and vnusuall examples of Iustice since this meeting, and the so many eases and comforts giuen vnto them by Proclamatiō: And therfore calling to minde, that the paßing of the Subsidie, an Acte for continuance of Statutes, and the Pardon, are the three most preßing businesses to be effected before the end of the Seßion, Wee wish them, that, as Wee haue giuen order for the Pardon to goe on with all expedition, so they presently goe in hand with the Acte for continuance of Statutes. As for the Subsidie, though time presseth much, yet if they finde it may not now conueniently be done, we will not make that any way an impediment to the good which Wee desire our people should feele by making this a Seßion. Thus much We thought good to giue them to vnderstand, and withall to assure them, that if they shall not applie themselues instantly to prepare the aforesaid things for Our Royall Assent against Saturday next, Wee will without expecting any further answere from them, construe by their slackenesse, that they desire not a Session; and in such case We must giue a larger time for their returning homeward, to such of both Houses as are to goe into their Countreys to keepe hospitalitie among their neighbours in this time of Recesse._
Giuen at our Court at _Theobalds_, the 17. day of _December_, 1621.
To Our trustie and welbeloued, Sir _Thomas Richardson_, Knight, Speaker of Our Commons House of Parliament.
And hauing at last (as Wee hoped) by these meanes scattered and dispersed those mistes and vapours, which had beene thus raised about their Priuiledges, the House hauing resolued on Tuesday, the eighteenth of _December_, to returne thankes vnto Vs, and therewith an excuse for not making a Sessi[=o], and passing Bills, both conteined in a Petition in writing, and dispatched the same vnto Vs, being by that time come to _Theobalds_, the tenour whereof followeth.
May it please your most Excellent MAIESTIE,
_We your most loyall and humble Subiects, the Knights, Citizens and Burgeßes of your Commons House of Parliament, hauing this Morning, to our great comfort, heard your Maiesties Letter sent to our Speaker, full of Grace and Goodneße to vs and all your people, haue thought it our duetie foorthwith, to returne our most humble and heartie thankes to your Sacred Maiestie, for so Royall a fauour vouchsafed vnto vs; And we doe humbly beseech your Maiestie to be truely informed from vs, that although we haue beene very desirous in our duetie to your Maiestie, who called vs to this seruice, and to our Countrey for whom we serue, to haue some good Lawes now to haue beene paßed; and that there might haue beene a Seßion before Christmaße, to which your Maiestie vpon our humble Petition, was heretofore Graciously pleased to giue way: yet entring now into a serious consideration of the nature of those things, which must of neceßitie be prepared for the finishing of a Seßion, and the strait of time whereunto we are driuen, by some vnhappy diuersions which haue fallen vpon vs, to our great griefe, wee are enforced once againe to fly to your Maiesties Grace and fauour, humbly submitting our selues to your Royall wisedome, what time will be fittest for our departure, and for our reacceße, to perfect those beginnings which are in preparation with vs; which time by Gods grace we resolue to spend with that diligence and care, as shall giue good satisfaction to your Maiestie, to our Countrey, and to our owne consciences, that we shall make good vse thereof._
This Wee accepted graciously, and returned them an answere by their owne Messengers in these words.
_That We were sorrie this could not bee made a Seßion, according to their owne desire expressed in their late Petition preferred vnto Vs, to which Wee had most willingly aßented; that they knew there was no fault in Vs, who obseruing the needleße impediments, vpon which they tooke occasion to stay their proceedings, had often admonished them, not to lose time; first, by Secretary_ Caluert, _and afterwards by three Sundry Letters and Answers. But since they conceiued the straitnesse of time (which they had drawne vpon themselues) was such, that it would permit nothing to bee done at this time, Wee had giuen order to adiourne the Parliament till the eighth of February next, which was the first day Wee had formerly appointed for Our meeting together._
_Wee were likewise pleased to say, that Wee could not omit to tell them, that we expected other thankes from them, then they had sent Vs at this time, namely for Our gracious promises to maintaine their Priuiledges, as Our owne Soueraigne Prerogatiue: First contained in Our Answere to their Petition, and afterwards as clearely explaned and enlarged by Our next Letter to Secretarie_ Caluert, _as Our wits, for their safetie, satisfaction and aduantage, could poßibly deuise; but of this We heard nothing, being slipt by, and wholly omitted by them._
Which message was accordingly deliuered the next morning in the House of Commons. But while We were busied at _Theobalds_ in receiuing their Petition, and returning this answere agreeable to Our Grace and good intention towards them, these mutinous and discontented spirits, neuer giuing ouer their wicked purpose, began anew to stirre the coles of discontentment amongst them; and making them beleeue, that their Priuiledges were yet in danger (upon what ground God knowes, Wee cannot imagine nor guesse) procured a Committee to be made for taking their Liberties into consideration; where a Protection was made, to whom Wee know not, concerning their Priuiledges, which they pretended to bee violated by Our Letters and messages, and thereupon in an vnseasonable houre, being sixe of the clocke at night, and a very thinne House, scarcely comming to the third part of the full number, contrary to their owne custome in all matters of weight, they conclude and enter a Protestation for their Liberties, in such ambiguous and generall words, as might serue for future times to inuade most of those Rights and Prerogatiues annexed to Our Imperiall Crowne, as bee the very markes and Characters of Monarchie and Souereigntie, and whereof Wee found Our Crowne vndoubtedly possessed. For founding the claime of their Priuiledges vpon the words of Our Writt for assembling a Parliament, the contriuers of that Protestation craftily mentioned some words, _viz._ _Super arduis Regni negotijs_, but of purpose left out _quibusdam_, which restraines that generalitie to such particular Cases, as Wee are to consult with them vpon. And the very vncontrolled Custome of all times doeth manifestly prooue, that the King Himselfe, or His Chancellour in his name, doeth at the very beginning of the Parliament declare vnto them what things these _quibusdam_ are, wherein hee craueth their aduice and assistance; And vse is euer the best interpreter of words in a case of this nature: Vpon which vnduetifull Protestation Wee were iustly occasioned to publish Our pleasure for dissolution of the Parliament, as appeares by Our Proclamation.
Imprinted at London by BONHAM NORTON and IOHN BILL, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie. M.DC.XXI.