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end that there might be publick notice of it, he fent from Huntington, when he was upon his Journey, a Meffage to both Houfes: "That, being then in his remove to his City of York, where he intended to make his Refidence for fome "time, he thought fit to fend that Meffage to them, and very "earneftly to defire them, that they would ufe all poffible induftry in expediting the bufinefs of Ireland; in which they fhould find fo chearful a concurrence from his Majefty, that "no inconvenience fhould happen to that Service by his abfence, he having all that paflion for the reducing that King"dom, which he had expreffed in his former Meffages, and "being, by words, unable to manifeft more affection to it, "than he had endeavour'd to do by thofe Meffages: having

likewife done all fuch Acts, as he had been moved unto by "his Parliament. Therefore, if the Misfortunes and Calami"ties of his poor Proteftant Subjects there fhould grow upon "them (though he fhould be deeply concern'd in, and fenfible "of their fufferings) he faid, he fhould wash his hands before. "the World from the leaft imputation of flackness in that most "neceffary, and pious work.

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"AND, that he might leave no way unattempted, which "might beget a good understanding between him and his Parliament, he faid, he thought it neceffary to declare, that, as He had been fo tender of the Privileges of Parliament, that he had been ready and forward to retract any Act of his own, which he had been informed had trenched upon "their Privileges; fo he expected an equal tenderness in "them of his known Prerogatives, which are the unquestionable Privileges of the Kingdom; amongst which, he was affured, it was a Fundamental one, that his Subjects could not be obliged to obey any Act, Órder, or Injunction, to "which He had not given his Confent.

AND, therefore, he thought it neceffary to publish, that "he expected, and thereby required, Obedience from all his loving Subjects to the Laws eftablifhed; and that they "prefumed not upon any pretence of Order, or Ordinance, to which his Majefty was no Party, concerning the Militia, сс or any other thing, to do, or execute what was not warrantable by thofe Laws; he being refolved to keep the "Laws himfelf, and to require Obedience to them from all his Subjects.

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"HE once more recommended unto them the substance of "his Meffage of the twentieth of January laft; that they would compofe, and digeft with all fpeed, fuch Acts as they fhould "think fit for the prefent, and future establishment of their Privileges, the free and quiet enjoying their Eftates and For"tunes, the liberties of their Perfons, the fecurity of the true "Religion

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"Religion then profeffed in the Church of England, the maintaining his Regal and Juft Authority, and fettling his "Revenue; he being moft defirous to take all fitting and just ways, which might beget a happy understanding between him and his Parliament, in which he conceived his greatest Power, and Riches did confist.

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Both Houses I HAVE not known both Houfes in more choler and rage, Votes con- than upon the receiving this Meffage, which came early to cerning the them on Wednesday the fixteenth of March. Now the day Militia. before had been fpent in preparing all things ready for the execution of the Ordinance of the Militia; They had Voted, and Refolved, that it was not any way against the Oath of Allegiance, that all the Commiffions to Lieutenants under "the great Seal were illegal, and void; and that whofoever "fhould execute any Power over the Militia by colour of any "Commiffion of Lieutenancy, without confent of both "Houses of Parliament, fhould be accounted a disturber of the Peace of the Kingdom. Then they agreed upon this Propofition, That the Kingdom had been of late, and still was, in fo evident and imminent danger, both from Enemies abroad, and a Popish and difcontented Party at home, that there was an urgent, and inevitable neceffity of putting his Majefty's Subjects into a pofture of defence, for the fafeguard both of the King, and his People; and that the Lords and Commons, apprehending that danger, and being sen"fible of their own duty to provide a fuitable prevention, had, in feveral Petitions, addreffed themselves to his Majefty for the ordering and difpofing the Militia of the Kingdom in fuch a way, as was agreed upon, by the Wisdom of both Houfes, to be moft proper for the prefent exigence of the Kingdom: Yet they could not obtain it; but his Majefty did feveral times refufe to give his Royal Affent thereunto. Upon this Propofition, they Refolved, that in that cafe of extreme danger, and of his Majefty's refufal, the Ordinance agreed on by both Houses for the Militia did oblige the People, and ought to be obeyed, by the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom; and that fuch Perfons as fhould be nominated Deputy Lieutenants, and approved "of by both Houfes, fhould receive the Commands of both "Houfes, to take upon them to execute their Offices. All which Refolutions were ordered, the fame night, to be Printed and Publifhed. So that, when the King's Meffage from Huntington was read the next morning, and feemed to be against their Votes of the day before, they concluded, " that

it could not be fent from the King, but that it had been inferted in blanks left in the Town for fuch purposes; and immediately made a Committee, "to find out by whom

that

"that Meffage was framed. But when they remember'd, that they had Voted as much a week before, and had examined the Gentlemen who brought it, and had receiv'd it from the King's own hand, they proceeded no further in that inquifition; but fatisfied themfelves with a new Vote, "that thofe "Perfons, who advised his Majefty to abfent himself from "the Parliament, and thofe that advised him to that Meffage, "were Enemies to the Peace of the Kingdom, and justly to "be fufpected to be favourers of the Rebellion in Ireland. And for the matter it felf they refolv'd to infist upon their former Votes; and withal declared, " that when the Lords "and Commons in Parliament, which is the fupreme Court "of Judicature in the Kingdom, fhould declare what the Law "of the Land is, to have that not only queftioned, and con"troverted, but contradicted, and a Command that it should "not be obeyed, was a high breach of the Privilege of Par" liament.

AND this likewise they caused to be speedily Printed; left the King should be able to perfwade the Subjects, that an Order of theirs, without His confent, was no Law to compel their Obedience. And from this laft Refolution, by which the Law of the Land, and confequently the Liberty of the Subject, was refolved into a Vote of the two Houfes, which paffed without any dispute or hesitation, all Sober Men difcerned the fatal period of both, and faw a Foundation laid for all the Anarchy and Confufion, that hath followed.

Hull.

IT was now known, that the King was gone to York, which Their Order made them apprehend their Principality of Hull might be in concerning danger; and therefore they immediately Refolve, "That no "Forces whatfoever fhall be admitted in that Town, without "the immediate confent of both Houses: which Order was "fent thither by an exprefs. And having prepared the People to be ready for the Militia, by publishing "That, in cafe " of extreme danger, they were to obey that Ordinance; "they were, in the next place, to find the danger to be ex"treme; and, to that purpose, they produced Letters without any name, pretended to be written from Amfterdam, fignifying that they had intelligence there, that there was an Army ready in Denmark to be Tranfported into England, "and was to be Landed at Hull; which, they faid, had been "confirmed to them, by a Perfon of Reputation, from New"Market, who confirmed the intelligence of Denmark: and added, that there were likewife Forces ready in France to "be Landed at Hull.

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OF this, how grofs and ridiculous foever it appeared to Wife Men, they made a double ufe (befides the general impreffion in the People) the one to colour and countenance their

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Orders

The King's

"he could not have believed the Parliament would have fent "him fuch a Declaration, if he had not seen it brought by "fuch Perfons: and faid he was Sorry for the Parliament, but "Glad he had it; for by that he doubted not to fatisfy his sc People. He faid they fpoke of ill Councils; but he was con"fident They had worfe Information, than he had Councils. "He told them, the bufinefs of Ireland would never be done "in the way they were in, four hundred would never do that "work; it must be put into the hands of One: and, he said, "if He were trufted with it, he would pawn his Head to end "that work.

ASSOON as the Committee returned and reported, what Answer they had received, and in what difpofition and temper they found, and left the King; it was Order'd, that their Declaration, which they had fent to him, fhould be fpeedily printed, and carefully difperfed throughout the Kingdom, that the People might fee upon what terms they ftood; and all other poffible courfes were taken to poyfon the hearts, and affections of the Subjects, and to fupprefs all thofe, who, in any degree, feemed to diflike their high proceedings. Above all, care was taken to place fuch Preachers, and Lecturers, in the most populous Towns and Parishes, as were well known to Abhor the prefent Government, and temperature of Church and State; many of whom were recommended, and pofitively injoined, and impofed upon Parishes, by the Houfe of Commons; and others, by fuch Factious Members, whofe reputation was most current and all Canonical Clergy-men, and Orthodox Divines, were, with equal induftry, difcountenanced, imprisoned, or forced to a long attendance upon Committees, or the Houfe (which was worse than Imprisonment) under the notion and imputation of Scandalous Minifters. Which charge and reproach reached all men whofe Inclinations they liked not, or whofe Opinions they fufpected. And that they might be fure to be as ftrong and abfolute at Sea, as at Land, they appointed the Lord Admiral to fend the Names of all thofe Captains of Ships, who were to attend the Fleet for that Summer Service, to them, to the end they might have fuch men, in whom they might Confide; which his Lordship moft punctually obferved. By which they helped to free him of thofe Officers whom he could not plaufibly have discharged; and ftruck out the names of those, whole Affections, or Relations they thought themselves not secure in.

THE King thought it now time, according to his former Meffage to refolution,which he had not communicated to many,to remove both Houses to York, which was a place of good reception, and conveniYork. ency, for those who were willing to attend him; and to the

in his way to

end that there might be publick notice of it, he fent from Huntington, when he was upon his Journey, a Meffage to both Houfes: "That, being then in his remove to his City of "York, where he intended to make his Refidence for fome "time, he thought fit to fend that Meffage to them, and very "earneftly to defire them, that they would use all poffible in"duftry in expediting the bufinefs of Ireland; in which they fhould find fo chearful a concurrence from his Majefty, that "no inconvenience fhould happen to that Service by his abfence, he having all that paflion for the reducing that King"dom, which he had expreffed in his former Meffages, and "being, by words, unable to manifeft more affection to it, "than he had endeavour'd to do by thofe Meffages: having "likewife done all fuch Acts, as he had been moved unto by "his Parliament. Therefore, if the Misfortunes and Calami"ties of his poor Proteftant Subjects there fhould grow upon them (though he should be deeply concern'd in, and fenfible of their fufferings) he faid, he fhould wash his hands before, "the World from the leaft imputation of flackness in that most "neceffary, and pious work.

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AND, that he might leave no way unattempted, which "might beget a good understanding between him and his Parliament, he faid, he thought it neceffary to declare, that, "as He had been fo tender of the Privileges of Parliament, that he had been ready and forward to retract any Act of his own, which he had been informed had trenched upon "their Privileges; fo he expected an equal tenderness in "them of his known Prerogatives, which are the unquestion"able Privileges of the Kingdom; amongft which, he was affured, it was a Fundamental one, that his Subjects could "not be obliged to obey any Act, Order, or Injunction, to which He had not given his Confent.

AND, therefore, he thought it neceffary to publifh, that "he expected, and thereby required, Obedience from all his loving Subjects to the Laws eftablished; and that they "prefumed not upon any pretence of Order, or Ordinance, "to which his Majefty was no Party, concerning the Militia, "or any other thing, to do, or xecute what was not war"rantable by thofe Laws; he being refolved to keep the "Laws himfelf, and to require Obedience to them from all his Subjects.

"HE once more recommended unto them the fubftance of "his Meffage of the twentieth of January laft; that they would "compofe, and digeft with all fpeed, fuch Acts as they should "think fit for the prefent, and future eftablishment of their Privileges, the free and quiet enjoying their Eftates and For"tunes, the liberties of their Perfons, the fecurity of the true

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"Religion