"with which it was then in ftreight Allyance and Confederacy, that King had conferr'd the Honour of Grandee upon "him; which was of no other advantage or fignification to "him, than to be Cover'd in the Prefence of that King, as "the principal Subjects there are. That his Affection to the "Proteftant Religion was unquestionable and very Eminent; "and though his Sifters, who had been bred under their Mo"ther, were Roman Catholicks, yet his Brothers, of whose "Education He had taken the fole Care, were very good "Proteftants.

"THAT his opinions in Parliament had been very avow'd, "and were to be prefumed to be according to his Conscience, "in the profeffion of which he was fo publick, that there was "reason to believe he ufed no ill arts in private; fince he "had the Courage to do that Aloud, which he had reason to "believe would difplease many. That it would be a great "prejudice, and blemish to their Councils and Discoveries, if СС after fo long difcourfe of a Malignant Party, and evil Coun"fellors, of which they had never yet named any, they should "firft brand This Lord with that imputation upon fuch a ground and occafion, as must include all thofe Lords who had ર abfolv'd him, which was the Major part of the Lords. In a word, that it would look as if they had devifed those new "words to make Men afraid, and keep them in reserve to apply to all thofe with whom they were Angry.

BUT notwithstanding all this, and all the reafon that could be spoken on that part, and that there could be none on the other, after a Debate of very many hours, till after nine of the Clock at Night (the latest that ever was in the Parliament, but that of the Remonftrance) in which it was evident, that they meant, as far as in them lay, to Confound all thofe, whom they could not Convert; it was Refolv'd by the Majority of Voices, not half of the House being present at that unfeasonable time of the Debate, "that they should accuse the "Duke of Richmond to the Lords to be one of the Malignant "Party, and an evil Counsellor to his Majefty; and to defire "them to joyn in a request to the King, that he might be re"mov'd from any Office or Imployment about his Perfon; which was folemnly recommended to the Lords accordingly, and by them fo far receiv'd, that though the defire was rejected, no diflike or difapprobation of the Matter or the Manner was in the leaft discover'd, or infisted on.

ALL things thus prepared, and fo many Lords driven and kept from the House, befides the Bishops, and they that stay'd there, by this laft inftance, inftructed how to carry themselves, at least how they provoked the Good Lords to Proteft, they Refolv'd once more to try whether the House of Peers would

be

be induced to joyn in the business of the Militia, which they had twice refufed, and to that purpose, their old Friends of the City in the fame numbers flocked to Westminster, but under the new, receiv'd, and allowed, ftyle of Petitioners; but as unlike Petitioners to any of thofe Lords or Commons, whom they understood to be Malignant, as the other Tumults had been. From these Herds there were two notable Petitions deliver'd to the House of Commons, the one from the Porters, their number, as they faid, confifting of fifteen Thousand; the other under the title of many Thousands of poor People in, and about the City of London. The Porters, with great Eloquence, confeffed "the unexpreffible pains, "that Honourable Houfe had taken for the Good of Church "and State; which deferv'd to be Recorded to their Eternal "Fame, though the Effects of those unwearied endeavours cc were not produced, by reafon of the prevalence of that ad"verfe Malignant, Blood-fucking, Rebellious Party, by the cc power of which the Privileges of Parliament, and the Liberty of the Subject was trampled upon, the Rebellion in "Ireland increafed, and all Succours and Relief for that King"dom obftructed. They faid, "That Trade had been long cc languifhing, but was now dead by the Fears, Jealousies, and Diftractions they lay under, for want of Fortification of the .. Cinque Ports, which was a great incouragement to the Pa<c pifts to make Infurrections, and did much animate a Forcc reign Power to Invade us that by the deadness of Trade

cr

they did want imployment in fuch a measure, as did make « their Lives very uncomfortable; therefore their Request <6 was, that That extream neceffity of theirs might be taken "into ferious Confideration, and that the Honourable House c of Commons would fall upon the speedieft course for abatct ing and quelling the Pride, Outrage, and Infolency of the "adverfe Party at Home; that the Land might be fecured by "Fortifying the Cinque Ports, and putting the People into a pofture of Defence, that all their Fears, or as many as "could, might be remov'd, and that Trade might be again fet up and opened, that their wants might be in fome meafure fupplied. They further defired that Juftice might be done upon Offenders, according as the Atrocity of their "Crimes had deferv'd; for if thofe things were any longer "fufpended, they should be forced to Extremities not fit to be "named, and to make good that faying, that Neceffity hath "no Law. They faid they had nothing to lofe but their Lives, and thofe they would willingly expofe to the utmost peril, in defence of the Houfe of Commons, according to "their Proteftation, &c.

''

ke

THE other was a Petition in the names of many Thousands

of

of poor People, and brought by a multitude of fuch, who feem'd prepared for any Exploit. I have thought fit, for the rareness of it, and the rare Effect it produced, to infert that Petition in Terms as it was prefented, Thus.

To the Honourable the House of Commons now affembled in
Paliament.

"The humble Petition of many thousands of poor People "in and about the City of London.

"HUMBLY fheweth, that your Petitioners have lain a "long time under great preffures, and grievances both in Li"berties and Confciences, as hath been largely, and fundry "times, fhewed and declared, by feveral Petitions exhibited "to this Honourable Affembly both by the Citizens, and Ap"prentices of the City of London, and divers Counties and parts of this Kingdom, from which we hoped long e're this, "by your pious care, to have been delivered.

BUT now we, who are of the meaneft Rank and Quality, "being touched with penury, are very fenfible of the ap"proaching ftorms of Ruin, which hang over our Heads, and "threaten to overwhelm us, by reafon of the fad distractions "occafioned chiefly and originally, as your Petitioners hum"bly conceive, by the prevalency of the Bifhops, and the Po"pifh Lords, and others of that Malignant Faction; who "make abortive all good Motions, which tend to the Peace,

and Tranquillity of this Kingdom of England, and have "hitherto hinder'd the fending relief to our Brethren in Ire"land, although they lye weltering in blood; which hath "given fuch head to the Adverfaries, that we juftly fear the "like calamities inevitably to befal us Here, when they have vented their rage and malice There.

<.

"ALL which, occafions fo great a decay and ftop of Trade, "that your Petitioners are utterly impoverished, and our mi"feries are grown infupportable, we having already spent all "that little means, which we had formerly, by Gods blef"fing, and our great labour, obtain'd; and many of us have not, nor cannot tell where to get, bread to fuftain our felves "and families; and others of us are almoft arrived at the "fame Port of calamity; fo that unless fome speedy remedy "be taken for the removal of all such obstructions, which "hinder the happy progrefs of your great endeavours, your "Petitioners fhall not reft in quietnefs, but fhall be forced to lay hold on the next remedy which is at hand, to remove "the disturbers of our Peace; Want and neceffity breaking "the bounds of Modesty and rather than your Petitioners

:

"will fuffer themselves, and their families, to perish through "Hunger and neceffity, though hitherto patiently groaned "under, they cannot leave any means uneшlayed for their re<<lief.

"THE Cry therefore of the Poor, and Needy, your Poor "Petitioners, is, that fuch Perfons, who are the obftacles of "our peace, and hinderers of the happy proceedings of this "Parliament, and the enjoyment of the looked for purity of "Religion, fafety of our lives, and return of our welfares, may be forthwith publickly declared, to the end they may "be made manifeft; the removal of whom we humbly con"ceive will be a Remedy to cure our miferies, and put a "period to thefe distractions: and that thole Noble worthies "of the Houfe of Peers, who concur with your happy Votes, may be earnestly defired to joyn with this Honourable cc Houfe, and to Sit and Vote as one entire body; which we ૮૮ hope will remove from us our deftructive Fears, and pre"vent that, which Apprehenfion will make the Wifeft and "Peaceablest men to put into Execution.

"FOR the Lords fake hear us, and let our Religion, Lives, "and Welfares be precious in your fight, that the loins of "the Poor may bless you, and pray, &c.

AFTER this fcandalous and extravagant Petition delivered, the House, according to its gracious cuftom, ordered thanks to be given for their great kindness. To the Which when it was delivered by the Speaker, who told them that the House was in confideration of thofe things, whereof they complained, fome of that rabble, no doubt as they had been taught, replied, "that they never doubted the House of Com

mons, but they heard all stuck in the Lords Houfe, and <c they defired to know the Names of thofe Peers, who hin"dered the agreement between the Good Lords and the "Commons: which they preffed with unheard of rudeness and importunity, and with a seeming unwillingness withdrew, whilft the House took the matter into further confideration.

YET notwithstanding this Provocation, and that it was urged by many Members, fome of which had been affaulted and ill intreated by that Rabble in their paffage to the House, "that the countenancing fuch Licentious perfons and proceed"ings would be a great blemifh to their Counfels, they were again called in; and told, "that the Houfe of Commons "had endeavoured, and would continue thofe endeavours for "their relief; and they doubted not, when they had deliver"ed their Petition, and what they had faid, to the Lords, "which they would prefently do, the caufes of their evils "would be found out,and fome fpeedy courfe refolved upon for

their relief; and therefore defired them with patience to "attend a further Anfwer. And accordingly that Petition was folemnly read, and delivered to the Lords at a Conference; and the Conference no fooner ended, than Mr Hollis, one of those Five whom the King had accused a Month before of High Treafon, was fent to the Lords in a Meffage to defire them, "that they would joyn with the House of Čommons in their defire to the King about the Militia; to "which he added, "that if that defire of the House of Com"mons was not affented to, he defired those Lords who were willing to concur, would find fome means to make them"felves known, that it might be known who were against "them, and they might make it known to those that fent "them.

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AFTER which Motion, and Meffage, the Lords again refumed the Debate; which the Earl of Northumberland begun with a profeffion, "that whofoever refused, in that par

ticular, to joyn with the Houfe of Commons, were, in His cc opinion, Enemies to the Common-wealth; when the Major part of that Houfe had twice before refused to concur with them in it. Yet when his Lordfhip was queftioned for that Unparliamentary language, all the other Lords of that Faction joined with him; and declared, "that it was Their "opinion likewife: the Rabble being at the door to execute whatever they were directed: fo that many Lords, out of a juft indignation to fee their Honours, and their Liberties Sacrificed to the People by Themfelves; others, out of real fear of being murthered, if they fhould, in that conjuncture of time, infift on their former refolutions, withdrawing themfelves; the Major part of thofe, who ftayed, concluded to joyn The Lords with the Houfe of Commons in their defire concerning the pass the Bill Militia. touching the

WITHIN two days after this agreement, and fubmiffion Militia, of the Lords, another Petition was prefented to the Commons, in the name of the Inhabitants of the County of Surrey, by a multitude of People, who were, or pretended to be, of that County, and Subfcribed by above two thoufand hands. Their Petition was of the ordinary ftrain, full of devotion to the House of Commons, and offering to execute all their commands; but with it they prefented likewise a Petition, which they intended to prefent to the Lords, if They approved it, and was Subscribed by above two thousand hands; by which it may appear Where that Petition was drawn, and When, however the hands were procured. The Petition to the Lords took notice "of their happy concurrence with the House of "Commons in fettling the Militia, and Forts, in fuch hands. "as the Common-wealth might Confide in, and the King

"dom