against ir. But the hazards, which prefented themselves unto him on the other fide, were no lefs Prodigious: He had a very great appearance of the Nobility; not only of thofe, who had from the beginning walked, and govern'd themfelves by the Rules the Law prescribed, and, in that respect, were unblamable to King and People: But of Others who had paffionately and peevishly (to fay no worfe) concurr'd in all the most violent Votes and Actions, which had been done from the beginning: For befides the Lord Spencer (who had been chofen their Lieutenant of Northampton-fbire, but was recover'd to a right understanding, of which he was very ca pable, by his Uncle the Earl of Southampton) the Lord Paget likewife, who had contributed all his Faculties to Their Service, and to the prejudice of the King's, from before the beginning of the Parliament; had been one of their Teizers to broach those bold high Overtures Soberer Men were not, at first, willing to be feen in; and had been, as a Man most worthy to be Confided in, chofen Lord Lieutenant of one of the most Confiding Counties, the County of Bucking • ham (where he had, with great Solemnity and Pomp, exe cuted their Ordinance,in defyance of the King's Proclamation) and had Subscribed a greater number of Horfes for their Service, upon their Propofitions, than any other of the fame Quality; convinced in his Confcience fed from them, and befought the King's Pardon: And, for the better manifefting the tenderness of his Compunction, and the horrour he had of his former Guilt, he frankly difcover'd whatfoever he had known of their Counfels; and aggravated all the ill they had done, with declaring it to be done to worfe and more horrid Ends, than many good Men beliey'd to be poffible for them to propose to themselves.

NOTWITHSTANDING, this glorious Convention was rather an Ornament to his Court, than any great Advantage to his Counfels; and the use of them more to difcredit the fmall remainder at Westminster, and that the People might fee the Number and Quality of the Diffenters, than that they contriv'd any thing to the active improvement of his Affairs; every Man thinking it high merit in him, that he abfented himfelf from the Company and Place, where all the mifchiet was done and that the keeping himself Negatively innocent, was as much as he ow'd his King and Country. I am willing to impute it to the drowsy and unactive Genius of the Kingdom (contracted by long eafe, and quiet) which fo much abhorr'd the thoughts of a Civil War, that it though a lively and vigorous Preparation against it, was to invite i and there were very few of all the great Lords, who did tend upon the King, who did not declare, "That the Parli

men

ment durft not in truth (whatever fhews they made in hope "to fhake his Majefty's conftancy) make a War; and if they "fhould attempt it, the People would unanimously rise for "the King, who would be most fafe by not intending his "own fafety. Whereas, if he raised Forces, the Parliament "would procure themselves to be believ'd, that it was to "overthrow Religion, and fupprefs the Laws, and Liberties "of the People. They who were of another opinion, and could have spoken more reafon, held it not fafe to express themselves but in the King's own Ear; there being in the great Council of the Peers, who, for ftate, were frequently Af fembled, and by whom in truth the King then defir'd to have tranfacted all things of Moment, fome who were not good Counsel-Keepers, and others who were look'd upon, and believ'd to be Spies upon the reft. But that which made the thought of railing Forces (whatever Arguments there were for it) abfolutely unreasonable, was, that the King had no poffibility to procure either Armes, or Munition, but from Holland, from whence he daily expected fupply: And till that arriv'd, let his Provocations and Sufferings be what they could be, he was to fubmit and bear it patiently.

In the mean time, for a ground of further proceeding upon occafion, the King defir'd the Peers in Council, to fet down in writing the Affronts, and Violence, which had been offer'd to them at London, by which their Prefence in the great Council of the Kingdom was render'd both unfafe, and difhonourable; the which they the more willingly condefcended to, for that the London Pamphlets already afperfed them, as Deferters of the Parliament, and Betrayers of the Liberty of their Country: An Inftrument being drawn up, and agreed upon between them, in which they fet down" the "Tumults, and the Violence offer'd to particular Persons in "thofe Tumults; the Threats and Menaces of the Rabble, at the doors of the Houfe, when they had a mind any Ex"orbitant thing fhould pafs; the Breach and Violation of the "old Orders, and Rules of Parliament, whilft Matters were "in Debate, and the refuming Matters again in a thin House; "and reverfing, waving, or contradicting Refolutions made "in a full Houfe: And, laftly, Mr Hollis's coming to the Bar, "and demanding the Names of thofe Lords who refused to "confent to the Militia, when the multitude without, me"naced and threaten'd all thofe Diffenters: after which, they faid "they conceived, they could not be prefent there, with "Honour, Freedom, or Safety; and therefore forbore to be "any more prefent; and fo all thofe Votes, Conclufions, and "Declarations had paffed, which had begot thofe Diftracti"ons throughout the Kingdom. And this they delivered to

the

the King, figned under their Hands. And yet (which is a fufficient Inftance how unendued Men were with that Spirit and Courage, which was requifite) the next day after the delivery, many Lords came to his Majefty, and befought him "that he would by no means publifh that Paper, but keep it in "his own hands; fome of them faying, "that, if it were "published, they would difavow it: fo that material and weighty Evidence,, which Then might have been of Soveraign ufe to the King, was render'd utterly ineffectual to his Service; his Majefty finding it neceffary to engage his Princely word to them, "never to make it publick without Their con"fent; which he performed moft punctually; and fo, to this day, it was never divulged.

To make fome little amends for this want of mettle (for it proceeded from nothing else, They being moft hy in fubfcribing, and moft paffionate against publishing, who were of unqueitionable Affection to his Majefty, and integrity to his Caule) and that the World might fee, there was a Combination among good Meo, to affift his Majefty in the defence of the Law, as well as there was against both by Others: Upon the King's declaring himself fully in Council, where His Majesty's all the Peers were prefent, That, as He would not require Declaration c or exact any obedience from them, but what should be to the Lords cc warranted by the known Law of the Land; fo he did exattending "pect that They would not yield to any Commands not le gally grounded, or impofed by any other: That he would defend every one of them, and all fuch as fhould refufe any "fuch Commands, whether they proceeded from Votes, and

him at

York, June 13. 1642.

Orders of both Houfes, or any other way, from all dan"gers and hazards whatfoever. That his Majefty would detfend the true Proteftant, Religion, eftablished by the Law "of the Land; the Lawful Liberties of the Subjects of Eng

land; and juit Privileges of all the Three Eftates of Parlia "ment, and would require no further Obedience from them, "than as accordingly he fhould perform the fame: And his "Majefty did further declare, that he would not, as was falfely "pretended, engage them, or any of them, in any War 2 gainst the Parliament; except it were for his neceffary de "fence, and fafety, against fuch as did infolently Invade of Attempt against his Majefty, or fuch as fhould adhere to "his Majefty: All the Peers engaged themfelves, "not to The promife" obey any Orders, or Commands whatfoever, not warranted of the Lords by the known Laws of the Land; and to defend his Mia and others jefty's Perfon, Crown, and Dignity, together with his ju thereupon. and Legal Prerogative, against all Perfons and Power what foever: That they would defend the true Proteftant Rei "gion, eftablished by the Law of the Land; the Lawful L

"berties of the Subject of England; and just Privileges of "his Majefty, and both his Houles of Parliament: And lastly, "They engaged themfelves not to obey any Rule, Order, or "Ordinance whatsoever, concerning any Militia, that had "not the Royal Affent:

"THIS being Subscribed by their Lordships, was, with their confent, immediately Printed, and carefully divulged over the Kingdom, bearing date at York the thirteenth of June. 1642. with the Names of the Subfcribers. Two days after, his Majefty in Council taking notice of the Rumours fpread, and Informations given, which might induce many to believe, that his Majefty intended to make War against his Parliament, "profeffed before God, and faid, he declared to His Majesty's all the World, that he always had, and did abhor all fuch Declaration and profeffi"Defigns, and defired all his Nobility and Council, who were on of June there upon the place, to declare, whether they had not 15. 1642. "been Witneffes of his frequent and earneft Declarations and disavowing "Profeffions to that purpose: Whether they faw any Colour any Intenti ens of raising "of Preparations or Counfels, that might reasonably beget avvar. "belief of any fuch Defign; and whether they were not "fully perfwaded, that his Majefty had no fuch Intention: "But that all his Endeavours, according to his many Profef"fions, tended to the firm and conftant Settlement of the true "Proteftant Religion; the juft Privileges of Parliament; the "Liberty of the Subject; the Law, Peace, and Profperity of "this Kingdom:

WHEREUPON all the Lords, and Counsellors present, unanimously agreed, and did fign a Paper in these words:

"WE, whofe Names are under written, in Obedience to The Decla "his Majefty's defire, and out of the Duty which we owe ration; and "to his Majefty's Honour, and to Truth, being here upon Profeffion of "the place, and Witneffes of his Majefty's frequent, and the Lords and Coun "earneft Declarations and Profeffions of his abhorring all fellers to the "Defigns of making War upon his Parliament; and not fee-fame effect. "ing any colour of Preparations or Counfels, that might "reasonably beget the belief of any fuch Defigns, do profess "before God, and teftify to all the World, that we are fully "perfwaded that his Majefty hath no fuch intention: But

that all his Endeavours tend to the firm and constant fettle"ment of the true Proteftant Religion; the juft Privileges of "Parliament; the Liberty of the Subject; the Law, Peace, "and Profperity of this Kingdom. Which Teftimony, and Declaration was Subfcribed by

Lord

Ни МајеAy's Decla ration there

upon.

St P.Wich Controller.

St J.Colepepper Chan.Exch.Lord Chief Justice Banks

THIS Teftimony of the Lords and Counsellors was immediately printed, and publifhed, together with a Declaration of his Majefty's; in which he faid,

C

"THAT though he had, in the laft feven Months, met with fo many feveral encounters of ftrange and unufual Declarations, under the Name of both his Houles of Parlia ment, that he fhould not be amazed at any new Prodigy of "that kind; and though their laft of the 26th of May gave him a fair warning, that the Contrivers of it having spent "all their stock of bitter and reproachful Language upon him, "he was now to expect they fhould break out into fome bold, "and difloyal Actions against him: And, having by that De"claration, as far as in them lay, devefted his Majefty of that "Præeminence and Authority, which God, the Law, the "Cuftom and Confent of this Nation had placed in him, and "affumed it to Themfelves, that they fhould likewife, with

expedition, put forth the fruits of that Supreme Power, for "the violating, and fuppreffing the other which they defpifed "(an effect of which refolution, he faid, their Declaration ແ against his Proclamation concerning the pretended Ordi "nance for the Militia, and their punishing of the Proclaimers appeared to be) yet, he muft confefs, in their laft Attempt "(he faid, he spoke of the laft he knew; they might proba bly fince, or at that prefent, have outdone That too) they had outdone what his Majefty had conceiv'd was their pre"fent intention. And whofoever heard of Propofitions, and "Orders, for the bringing in of Money or Plate to maintain "Horfe, and Horfe-men, and Armes, for the prefervation of "the Publick Peace, or for the Defence of the King and both "Houfes of Parliament (fuch was their Declaration, or what "they pleafe to call it, of the tenth of June) would furely "believe the Peace of the Kingdom to be extremely fhaken;