Crown, and averfe enough to the extravagant pretences and proceedings of the Parliament, did not conceal their prejudice to the Commiffion of Array,as not warranted by Law; which did very much work upon other Men, and made the Obedience lefs chearful that was given to that Service. Mr Selden had, in the Debate upon that Subject in the House of Commons, declar'd himself very pofitively, and with much sharpnefs against the Commiffion of Array, as a thing exprefsly without any Authority of Law; the Statute upon which it was grounded being, as he faid, repeal'd; and difcourfed very much of the ill Confequences, which might refult from fubmitting to it; He anfwer'd the Arguments which had been ufed to fupport it; and eafily prevail'd with the Houfe not to like a proceeding, which they knew was intended to do them hurt, and to leffen their Authority. But his Authority and Reputation prevail'd much further than the House, and begot a prejudice against it in many well affected Men without doors: When the King was inform'd of it, he was much troubled, having looked upon Mr Selden as well difpofed to his Service. And the Lord Falkland, with his Majefty's leave, writ a friendly Letter to Mr Selden, "to know his reason, "why, in fuch a conjuncture, whatever his Opinion were, "he would oppofe the fubmiffion to the Commiffion of Ar"ray, which no body could deny to have had it's original "from Law, and which many Learned Men ftill believed to "be very Legal, to make way for the establishment of an "Ordinance, which had no manner of pretence to Right. He Anfwer'd this Letter very frankly; as a Man who believed himself in the right upon the Commiffion of Array, and that the Arguments he had ufed against it could not be Answer'd; fumming up fome of thofe Arguments in as few words as they could be comprehended in: But then he did as frankly inveigh against the Ordinance for the Militia, "which, he "faid, was without any fhadow of Law or pretence of Prece"dent, and moft deftructive to the Government of the King"dom: And he did acknowledge, that he had been the more "inclin'd to make that difcourfe in the House against the "Commiffion, that he might with the more freedom argue "against the Ordinance; which was to be confider'd upon a « day then appointed: And was most confident, that he should "likewife overthrow the Ordinance: which, he confeffed, "could be lefs fupported, and he did believe, that it would be "much better, if both were rejected, than if either of them "fhould stand, and remain uncontrolled. But his confidence deceived him; and he quickly found, that they who fuffer'd themselves to be intirely govern'd by his Reason, when those Conclufions refulted from it which contributed to their own defigns,

defigns, would not be at all guided by it, or fubmit to it, when it perfwaded that which contradicted, and would difappoint thofe defigns: And fo, upon the day appointed for the Debate of their Ordinance, when he applied all his Faculties to the convincing them of the illegality and monftrousness of it, by Arguments at least as clear and demonftrable as his former had been, they made no impreffion upon them; but were eafily Anfwer'd by thofe who with moft Paffion infifted upon their own fenfe. He had fatisfied them very well, when he Concurr'd with them in Judgement; but his Reafons were weak, when they crofled their Refolutions. So moft Men are deceiv'd in being too reafonable; concluding that Reafon will prevail upon thofe Men to fubmit to what is Right and Juft, who have no other confideration of Right or Justice, but as it advances their Intereft, or complies with their Humour, and Paffion. And fo eafy it hath always been to do harm, and to mislead Men, and fo hard to do good, and reduce them to Reason.

THESE Paper-skirmishes left neither fide better inclin❜d to the other, but, by fharpning each other, drew the matter nearer to an iffuc. The King had written a Letter to the Mayor and Aldermen of London, and to the Masters and Wardens of each Company; by which, "he affured them, of his "defire of the Peace of the Kingdom; and therefore requir'd "them, as they tender'd their Charter of the City, and their "own particular Welfares, not to bring in Horfes, Money, cc or Plate, upon the Propofitions of the Houfes, whereby, "under pretence of raifing a Guard for the Parliament, "Forces would be levy'd, and, in truth, imploy'd against his "Majefty Of which the Houfes taking notice, publish'd a Declaration to the City, "That they could not be fecur'd by his Majefty's Proteftations, that his defires, and purpofes "were for the Publick Peace; fince it appear'd, by divers exon a Letter "preffions, and proceedings of his Majefty, that he intended from the • to ufe Force against those who submitted to the Ordinance King to the cof the Militia; and that he had likewife fome intention of and Alder. making an Attempt upon Hull. In both which Cafes, they men. "did declare, that whatfoever Violence should be used, either

The Parlia

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L. Mayor, cc

"against thofe who exercife the Militia, or against Hull, They "could not but believe it as done against the Parliament. "They told them, that the dangerous, and mifchievous inc tentions of fome about his Majefty were fuch, that what"foever was moft precious to Men of Confcience and Honour, as Religion, Liberty, and Publick Safety, were like to be overwhelm'd and loft in the general Confufion and "Calamity of the Kingdom; which would not only queftion, "but overthrow the Charter of the City of London; expole

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"the Citizens, their Wives and Children, to violence and "villany; and leave the Wealth of that famous City as a "Prey to thofe defperate, and neceffitous Perfons: And there"fore they forbid all the Officers to publish that Paper, as "they would answer their Contempt to the Parliament; by "the Power and Authority of which, they affir'd them, they "fhould be protected, and fecured in their Perfons, Liberties, and Eftates, for whatfoever they fhould do by Their "advice or perfwafion.

To this the King replied, "That he wonder'd fince they The King's "had ufurped the fupreme Power to themselves, they had not Reply. "taken upon them the Supreme Style too; and directed their "very new Declaration to their Trufty and Well-beloved, "their Subjects of the City of London: For it was too great "and palpable a Scorn, to perfwade them to take up Armes against his Perfon, under Colour of being loving Subjects "to his Office; and to deftroy his Perfor, that they might "preserve the King That he was beholding to them, that "they had explain'd to all his good Subjects the meaning of "their Charge against his Majesty, that by his intention of "making War against his Parliament, no more was pretended СС to be meant, but his refolution not to submit to the high In"juftice and Indignity of the Ordinance for the Militia, and "the business of Hull. He faid, he had never conceal'd his "intentions in either of thofe Particulars (he wifh'd They would deal as clearly with Him) but had always, and did "now declare, That that pretended Ordinance was against the "Law of the Land; against the Liberty and Property of the "Subject; destructive to Sovereignty; and therefore not con"fiftent with the very Conftitution and Effence of the King"dom, and the Right and Privilege of Parliament: That he "was bound by his Oath (and all his Subjects were bound by "theirs of Allegiance, and Supremacy, and their own Pro"teftation lately taken, to affift his Majefty) to oppose that "Ordinance, which was put already in execution against him, ແ not only by Training and Arming his Subjects, but by “ forcibly removing the Magazine, from the place trufted by "the County, to their own Houfes, and guarding it there "with Arm'd Men: Whither it would be next removed, and "how ufed by fuch Perfons, he knew not.

"THAT the keeping his Majesty out of Hull by St John "Hotham, was an Act of High Treafon against his Majesty; " and the taking away his Magazine and Munition from him, << was an Act of Violence upon his Majefty, by what hands <c or by whofe direction foever it was done: And, in both " cafes, by the help of God, and the Law, his Majefty faid, ແ he would have Justice, or lose his Life in the requiring it;

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"the which he did not value at that rate, as to preserve it with "the Infamy of fuffering himself to be robbed, and fpoiled of

that Dignity he was born to. And if it were poffible for "his good Subjects to believe, that such a Defence of himself, "with the utmost power and ftrength he could raise, was "making a War against his Parliament, he did not doubt, "however it fhould please God to difpofe of him in that con"tention, but the juftice of his Caufe would, at the laft, pre"vail against thofe few Malignant Spirits, who, for their own "ends and ambitious defigns, had fo mifled and corrupted "the understandings of his People. And fince neither his own "Declaration, nor the Teftimony of fo many of his Lords, "then with his Majefty, could procure credit with those Men, "but that they proceeded to levy Horfe, and to raise Money "and Armes against his Majefty, he said, he was not to be "blamed, if after fo many gracious expoftulations with them, "upon undeniable principles of Law and Reafon (which they "anfwer'd only by Voting that which his Majefty faid, to be "neither Law, nor Reafon; and fo proceeded actually to levy "War upon his Majefty, to juftify that which could not be "otherwise defended) at last he made fuch provifion, that as "he had been driven from London, and kept from Hall, he "might not be surprised at York; but be in a condition to re"fift, and bring to juftice thofe Men, who would perfwade

his People that their Religion was in danger, because his "Majefty would not confent it fhould be in Their power to "alter it by their Votes; or their Liberty in danger, becaufe "he would allow no Judge of that Liberty, but the known "Law of the Land: Yet, he faid, whatever provifion he "should be compelled to make for his fecurity, he would be "ready to lay down, affoon as they fhould revoke the Orders "by which they had made Levies, and fubmitted thofe Per"fons, who had detain'd his Towns, carried away his Armes, "and put the Militia in execution contrary to his Proclamation, ແ to that Trial of their innocence, which the Law had directed, and to which they were born: If that were not fub"mitted to, he should, with a good confcience, proceed against "those who fhould prefume to exercife that pretended Ordinance for the Militia, and the other who fhould keep his Town of Hull from him, as he would refift Perfons who sc came to take away his Life, or his Crown from him.

"AND therefore his Majefty again remember'd, and re"quired his City of London to obey his former Commands,

and not to be mifled by the Oration of thofe Men, who "were made defperate by their Fortunes, or their Fortunes "by Them; who told them their Religion, Liberty, and "Property, was to be preferv'd no other way, but by their "Difloyalty

"Difloyalty to his Majefty: That they were now at the brink "of the River, and might draw their Swords (which was an "expreffion ufed at a great convention of the City) when nothing purfued them but their own evil confciences. He wish'd "them to confider, whether their Eftates came to them, and were fettled upon them, by Orders of both Houses, or by "that Law which his Majefty defended: What fecurity they "could have to enjoy their own, when they had helped to rob "his Majefty; and what an happy conclufion That War was "like to have, which was raised to opprefs their Soveraign: "That the wealth and glory of their City was not like to be "deftroyed any other way, but by Rebelling against his Ma"jefty; and that way inevitably it muft; nor their Wives and "Children to be exposed to violence and villany, but by thofe "who make their Appetite and Will the meature, and guide "to all their Actions. He advised them not to fancy to them"felves Melancholy apprehenfions, which were capable of no "fatisfaction; but ferioufly to confider what fecurity they 'could have, that they had not under his Majefty, or had not "been offer'd by him: And whether the Doctrine those Men "taught, and would have them defend, did not destroy the "Foundations upon which their security was built?

THE great conflux that hath been mention'd, of Men of all Conditions, and Qualities, and Humours, could not continue long together at York, without fome impatience and commotion; and moft Men wonder'd, that there appear'd no provifions to be made towards a War, which they faw would be inevitable: And when the Levies of Soldiers under the Earl of Effex, were haften'd with so much vigour, that the King should have no other Preparations towards an Army, than a fingle Troop of Guards made up of Gentlemen Voluntiers; who, all Men forefaw, would quit the Troop when there fhould be an Army: And many do yet believe, that the King too long deferr'd his recourfe to Armes; and that if he had raised Forces upon his firft repulse at Hull, his fervice would have been very much advanced; and that the Parliament would not have been able to have drawn an Army together. And fo Men still reproach the Councils which were then about the King, as they were cenfured by many at that time; but neither They then, nor These now do understand the true reason thereof. The King had not, at that time, one Barrel of Powder, nor one Mufquet, nor any other provision neceffary for an Army; and, which was worse, was not fure of any Port, to which they might be fecurely affign'd; nor had he Money for the fupport of his own Table for the term of one Month. He expected, with impatience, the arrival of all thofe neceffaries, by the care and activity of the Queen; who