taken by both Houses.

fons fuffer'd to go out of the House, till this should be concluded. After a long Debate, these words were agreed upon, and offer'd to the House for the Proteftation.

Upon thisoc-A. B. do, in the prefence of Almighty God, Promife, cafion a Pro"Vow, and Proteft, to Maintain and Defend, as far as lawteftation is "fully I may, with my Life, Power, and Eftate, the true "Reform'd Proteftant Religion, exprefs'd in the Doctrine "of the Church of England, against all Popery and Popish "Innovations within this Realm, contrary to the fame "Doctrine; and, according to the Duty of my Allegiance, "his Majesty's Royal Perfon, Honour, and Eitate; as also, "the Power and Priviledges of Parliament; the lawful "Rights and Liberties of the Subject; and every Person "that maketh this Proteftation, in whatfoever he fhall do « in the lawful purfuance of the fame: And to my power, "and as far as lawful I may, I will Oppose, and, by all "good ways and means, endeavour to bring to condign "Punishment, all fuch, as fhall either by Force, Practice, "Counfels, Plots, Confpiracies, or otherwise, do any thing "to the Contrary of any thing in this prefent Proteftation "contain❜d: And further, that I fhall, in all juft and ho"nourable ways, endeavour to Preserve the Union and "Peace between the three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, "and Ireland; and neither for hope, fear, nor other Re"fpect, fhall Relinquish this Promife, Vow, and Prote"Itation.

THIS was immediately taken by the Speaker of the House of Commons, and by all the Members then prefent; and fent up to the Lords, who all likewife took the fame, except the Earl of Southampton, and the Lord Roberts, who pofitively refused it, alledging, "There was no Law that enjoin'd it, "and the Confequence of fuch Voluntary Engagements, "might produce Effects that were not then intended: Which without doubt was very wifely confider'd; and had not been prefs'd in the House of Commons, for two Reasons: It being vifibly impoffible to Diffwade the thing, the House being awaken'd by the difcourfe, mention'd before, of a Plot against the Parliament, the Poyfon of which, this Sovereign Antidote was to expel and discover; But efpecially, for that well affected Perfons, who were jealous of no other Defign than the Alteration of the Government of the Church, thought they had oblig'd those rigid Reformers from any fuch Attempt, when they had once bound themselves «To Main"tain and Defend the Proteftant Religion express'd in the "Doctrine of the Church of England; there being no other

Scheme

Scheme of the Doctrine of the Church of England, than the Thirty nine Articles, of which one is, "To preferve the Go"vernment of the Church by Bishops.

WHEREAS the other Party was abundantly gratified, with having an Oath of their Own making, to entangle the People (fo like a Covenant, by which fuch admirable things had been compafs'd by their Neighbours) and upon which they could make what Glofs they pleased, when they had occafion; as they did within two days after: For the Proteftation being taken on Monday the Third of May, the Wednesday following, fome of their own Party took occafion to inform the House, "That it was apprehended by many well affected "Perfons abroad, who were of notable and exemplary de❝votions to the Parliament, That if they fhould take that "Proteftation, they fhould thereby engage themselves for "the Defence of Bishops, which in their Confcience they "could not do; and which, they hoped, the House did not "intend to oblige them to; Whereupon, without any great oppofition (the House being thin; and they who were of another opinion, believing this Artifice would, to all fober men, appear very Ridiculous) this enfuing Order was made.

by an Order

"WHEREAS fome Doubts have been rais'd, by feveral The Expla "Perfons out of this Houfe, concerning the meaning of thefe nation of the Proteftation, "words contain❜d in the Proteftation lately made by the Mem"bers of this Houfe [viz. ] The true Reform'd Proteftant of the House "Religion, exprefs'd in the Doctrine of the Church of Eng- of Commons. "land, againit all Popery and Popish Innovations within "this Realm, contrary to the fame Doctrine] This House "doth declare, That by thofe words was and is meant, only "the Publick Doctrine profefs'd in the faid Church, fo far as "it is oppofite to Popery and Popish Innovations; and that "the faid words are not to be extended to the maintaining "of any Form of Worship, Discipline, or Government, nor "of any Rites, or Ceremonies, of the said Church of England.

THIS Explanation being thus procured in the House of Commons, without ever advifing with the House of Peers (who had likewife taken the fame Proteftation) and, in truth, fo contrary to the intentions of most that took it; They order'd, "That the Proteftation, together with this Explanation, "fhould be Printed and Publifh'd; and that the Knights "and Burgeffes fhould fend Copies thereof to the Counties "and Burroughs for which they ferv'd; and that they should "intimate unto the People, with what Willingness all the "Members of that Houfe made that Proteftation; and that "they fhould further fignify, that as They did Juftify the "taking

"taking it Themfelves, fo they could not but Approve it "in All fuch as fhould take it. Upon which Declaration, the Emiffaries of their Clergy caused the same to be taken in London, and the Parts adjacent, within very few days after the Publishing. And for Their better Encouragement (though their Zeal would not attend fuch Formalities) a Bill was prepass'd there, pared, pafs'd the Houfe of Commons, and was fent up to to compel "the Lords, to Compel all the Subjects to take that Proteall the Sub- cftation. What the Succefs of that Bill was; and what Use jects to take was afterwards made of this Protestation (which was Then thought fo harmless a thing) and particularly, what Influence it had upon the bufinefs of the Earl of Strafford, fhall be remembred in its proper place.

A Bill

it.

The other

buted to

wards the

THE Other Accident that fell out during the time that the Accident bufinefs of the Earl of Strafford was agitated, and by which that contri- He receiv'd much Prejudice, was the Death of the Earl of Bedford. This Lord was the greatest Person of Interest in all Bill of At the popular Party, being of the best Estate, and beft Undertainder, was ftanding, of the whole Number; and therefore most like to the Death of Govern the Reft. He was befides, of great Civility, and of the Earl of much more good Nature than any of the Other. And there

Bedford.

fore the King refolving to do his business with that Party by Him, refolv'd to make him Lord High Treasurer of England, in the place of the Bishop of London; who was as willing to lay down the Office, as any body was to take it up. And to gratify him the more, at His defire, intended to make Mr Pym Chancellor of the Exchequer, as he had done Mr Saint-John his Sollicitor General (all which hath been touch'd before) as alfo, that Mr Hollis was to be Secretary of State, the Lord Say Master of the Wards, and the Lord Kimbolton to be Lord Privy-Seal after the death of his Father, who then held that place. Others were to be placed about the Prince, and to have Offices when they fell.

THE Earl of Bedford fecretly undertook to his Majesty, that the Earl of Strafford's Life fhould be preferv'd; and to procure His Revenue to be fettled, as amply as any of his Progenitors; the which he intended fo really, that, to My knowledge, he had it in defign to endeavour to obtain an Act for the fetting up the Excife in England, as the only natural means to advance the King's profit. He fell Sick, within a week after the Bill of Attainder was fent up to the Lords House; and Died fhortly after, much afflicted with the Pasfion and Fury which he perceiv'd his Party inclined to infomuch as he declared, to fome of near truit to him, "That "he fear'd, the Rage and Madness of this Parliament, would "bring more Prejudice and Mischief to the Kingdom than it "had ever fuftain'd by the long Intermiffion of Parliaments.

He

He was a wife man, and would have proposed and advised Moderate courses: but was not incapable, for want of Refolution, of being carried into Violent ones, if His advice were not fubmitted to: and therefore many, who knew him well, thought his Death not unseasonable, as well to his Fame, as his Fortune; and that it rescued him as well from some poffible Guilt, as from those visible Misfortunes, which men of all Conditions have Since undergone.

As foon as the Earl of Bedford was dead, the Lord Say (hoping to receive the reward of the Treafurer-fhip) fucceeded him in his undertaking, and faithfully promised the King, "That he fhould not be prefs'd in the matter of the "Earl of Strafford's Life; and under that promife got credit enough, to perfwade his Majefty to whatsoever He said was neceflary to that bufinefs. And thereupon, when the Bill was depending with the Lords, and when there was little fufpicion that it would Pafs, though the Houfe of Commons. every day by Meffages endeavour'd to quicken them, He perfwaded the King "To go to the Houfe of Peers, and ac"cording to custom to fend for the House of Commons, and "then to declare himself, That he could not, with the fafety "of a good Confcience, ever give his Confent to the Bill "that was there depending before them concerning the Earl "of Strafford, if it should be brought to him, because he was "not fatisfied in the point of Treafon: But He was fo fully "fatisfied that the Earl was unfit ever to serve him more, "in any condition of Employment, that he would joyn with "them in any Act, to make him utterly incapable of ever "bearing Office, or having any other employment in any of "his Majesty's Dominions: which he hoped would fatisfy

<< them.

THIS Advice, upon the Confidence of the giver, the King refolv'd to follow: But when his Refolution was imparted to the Earl, He immediately fent his Brother to him, befeeching his Majefty "By no means to take that way, for "that he was most affured it would prove very pernicious to him; and therefore defired, he might depend upon the "Honour and Confcience of the Peers, without his Majefty's "interpofition. The King told his Brother, "That he had "taken that Refolution by the advice of his best Friends; "but fince he liked it not, he would decline it. The next Morning the Lord Say came again to him, and finding his Majefty alter'd in his intention, told him, "If he took that "courfe he advised him, he was fure it would prevail; but "if he declined it, He could not promise his Majefty what "would be the iffue, and fhould hold himself abfolutely dif "engaged from any undertaking. The King obferving his

Pofitive

Tumults a

bout the

Peers.

of

Pofitiveness, and conceiving his intentions to be very fincer fuffer'd himself to be guided by him; and went immediate to the House, and faid as the other had advised. Whethe that Lord did in truth believe the discovery of his Majefty Conscience in that manner, would produce the effect he fore told; or whether he advifed it Treacherously, to bring on thofe inconveniencies which afterwards happen'd; I know not: But many who believ'd his Will to be much wore than his Understanding, had the Uncharitableness to think, that he intended to betray his Master, and to put the ruin of the Earl out of question.

THE event proved very fatal; for the King no fooner return'd from the Houfe, than the House of Commons, in great paffion and fury, declared this laft act of his Majefty's, to be

The most unparallel'd Breach of Privilege, that had ever "happen'd; That if his Majefty might take notice what Billi "were paffing in either House, and declare his Own opinion, "it was to forejudge Their Counfels, and they fhould not "be able to fupply the Common-wealth with wholesome "Laws, fuitable to the Diseases it labour'd under; That this "was the greatest Obstruction of Justice, that could be ima"gin'd; That they and whofoever had taken the late Pro"teftation, were bound to maintain the privileges of Parlia.. ment, which were now too grofsly invaded and violated: with many sharp difcourfes to that purpose.

THE next day, great multitudes of People came down to House of Westminster, and crowded about the House of Peers, exclaiming with great Outcries, "That they would have Justice; and publickly reading the Names of those who had diffented from that Bill in the House of Commons, as Enemies to their Country; and as any Lord pafs'd by, call'd, Juftice, Justice; and with great rudeness and infolence, preffing upon, and thrufting, thofe Lords whom they fufpected not to favour that Bill; profeffing aloud, "That they would be govern'd "and difpofed by the Honourable House of Commons, and "would defend their Privileges according to their late Pro"teftation. These unheard of acts of Infolence and Sedition continued fo many days, till many Lords grew fo really apprehenfive of having their Brains beaten out, that they abfented themselves from the House; and Others, finding what Seconds the House of Commons was like to have to compafs whatever they defired, changed their minds; and fo in an Afternoon, when of the Fourfcore who had been prefent at The Bill of the Trial, there were only fix and forty Lords in the House Attainder (the good People still crying at the doors for Juftice) they put pas'd the the Bill to the queftion, and eleven Lords only diffenting, it House of Lords. pafs'd that Houfe, and was ready for the King's affent.

THE