|
| Aug. 2. |
92. Acknowledgment by L. Firmyn that he had received of
Mr. Husband, printer to the House of Commons, a ream of the
orders for Members absent to attend the House within a fortnight.
[¼ p.] |
| Aug. 4. |
93. Declaration of the Absenting Members of both Houses of
Parliament to the Army. That they were compelled to absent
themselves by reason of the force and violence offered to the Parliament by a tumultuous multitude. That having received from
his Excellency Sir Thos. Fairfax a Declaration [printed in Lords'
Journals ix., pp. 375–378] on the part of himself and his Council
of War, showing the grounds of their present advance towards the
City, and having perused the same, we look upon it as a declaration full of truth, the matter of fact being well known to most
of us, who have been eye and ear witnesses thereof, full of Christian,
noble, and public affection to the good, peace, and prosperity of this
kingdom, and full of integrity and faithfulness to the true interest
of the English nation, and full of undaunted and generous resolutions to assert the honour and freedom of the Parliament, and
effectually to vindicate it from the force and violence whereby it
hath been of late trampled under the foot of a rabble of people,
unto which force it is still exposed, &c. Whereupon we cannot but
mutually engage ourselves, as hereby we do, to live and die with
Sir Thos. Fairfax and this army, in the vindication of the honour
and freedom of the Parliament. [Signed by the Earl of Manchester
as Speaker, and 8 other members of the Lords' House, and by Wm.
Lenthall, Speaker, and 57 members of the Commons', of whom only
13 are given in this copy.] Endorsed, |
|
93. i. An engagement of the Lords and Commons who went to
the Army, dated 4 Aug. 1647. [Printed in Lords'
Journals ix., p. 385. Copy. 4 pp.] |
August 3.
Edinburgh. |
News letter from Edinburgh. That the General Assembly being
to sit, that took up the business thereabouts, David Leslie having
settled Mula [Mull] island, is marched into Assinshire [Assynt in
Sutherland], intending to treat with the Highlanders in the shire
of Stranaverne [Strathnaver], under the Lord Rea; for hitherto
they have not declared either for the Parliament or for the rebels;
they are a wild people, and go naked, only wearing a kind of
aprons, and their weapons are bows and arrows; the arrows are
forked, that where they stick there is no getting them out but by
lancing, and they are a considerable party, and it is said that some
of the rebels are gone out of the west thither. David Leslie
intends to offer them terms, and, if they will come in, to settle the
north in obedience to the Parliament. The Kirk here has something to present to the Assembly, concerning which some account
will be given by the next. [Printed. Perfect Occurrences, N. S.,
No. 32. Newspaper Collection I.] |
August 11.
Coventry. |
94. The Committee at Coventry to Mr. Basnett. Considering
the great distress the garrison of Warwick Castle is in for want of
maintenance, having had no assignations nor other means of subsistence allowed them since May last, besides other arrears due to
the officers and soldiers during the time of five years' service, we
have therefore thought fit to assign them 250l. out of the last half
year's rent payable by the Earl of Northampton. You are to pay
the money to such persons as Col. Bridges, Governor of that garrison,
shall appoint, as part of their arrears. [1 p.] |
| August 18. |
95. Order of the House of Commons. That 500l. be advanced
and forthwith paid to Col. Conway upon account as part of his
arrears, and that it be referred to the Committee for the Affairs of
Ireland at Derby House to consider how this sum may be advanced and paid. [Printed in Commons' Journals v., 277. Copy.
½ p.] |
| August 20. |
96. An Ordinance for declaring null and void all votes, orders,
and Ordinances passed in one or both Houses since the force on
both Houses on July 26 until Aug. 6. Whereas there was a
visible, horrid, insolent, and actual force upon the Houses of Parliament on Monday the 26th July, whereupon the Speakers and
many members of both Houses were forced to absent themselves,
and whereas they could not return to sit in safety before the 6th
of August, it is declared by the Parliament that the Ordinance of
26th July, for the revoking of the Ordinance of the 23rd July for
settling the militia of the City, being obtained by force and
violence, and all orders, votes, and Ordinances passed in either or
both Houses since the 26th July to the 6th Aug., are null and
void, and were so at the making thereof. [Printed in Commons'
Journals v., 280. Copy. 2 pp.] |
| August 26. |
97. Additional orders of the Lords and Commons assembled in
Parliament for the visitation and reformation of the University
of Oxford and the several Colleges and Halls pertaining to it.
[Printed in Lords' Journals ix., pp. 406, 407. Draft of the first
part of the Ordinance imperfect. 1¼ pp.] |
August 31.
Goostree. |
98. The Committee [at Chester ?] to the Committee of Lords and
Commons [for Compounding] at Goldsmiths' Hall. We thought it
our duty to inform you of the nature of the delinquency of
Mr. Robt. Brownfield, of Harpsford, and late of Witton, near
Northwich, a garrison held for the King and Parliament. In
contempt of the Ordinance of 22 Oct. 1643 against spies and intelligencers, Mr. Brownfield did, about 26 May 1644, after his release
as prisoner at Chester, where he ingratiated himself with Sir
Francis Gamull, Governor of that city, write a letter to the
Governor, which might have been attended with dangerous consequences both to the garrison of Northwich and the adjacent
country, had it been effected according to the letter. In that letter
he not only, according to promise, advertised Sir Francis of the
moving, intents, and designs of our armies and of the Scots, but
endeavoured the ruin of the garrison at Northwich, directing when
and by what means it might be surprised. By reason of his contempt of the Commons' order in not going up to tender himself a
composition for his estate, he was by our warrant of the 18th inst.
apprehended and committed to the custody of John Birch, keeper
of the prison at Halton Castle, but was two days after released,
notwithstanding our warrant. We crave your directions for our
further proceedings herein, and wish that some course may be taken
for punishing Birch. [2 pp.] |
| Aug. and Sept. |
Collection of warrants, commands, Acts of Court, and other
papers registered in the Cancellaria of Smyrna established by
Sir Thos. Bendysh, ambassador to the Grand Signor for settling
the government of the affairs of the Levant Company. They comprise:—In fol. 1. The Lord Ambassador's prohibition to two ships
in port to land goods till order. 2. The Court's resolution for the
ambassador to go to Constantinople by land, followed by an order
for 20 per cent. to be levied on goods landed contrary to the order.
3. Order for payment of consulage by English goods in strangers'
ships, and that those indebted for consulage shall receive 1,000
dollars per man out of the two ships "London" and "Unicorn."
4. The Company's orders tendered to the factors, who resolve,—
5. That one upon the place be treasurer for a year at 5 per cent.
allowance, but registering bargains in the Cancellaria not approved.
6. Ordered that 300 dollars per annum be allowed to George
Homero, dragoman, being 100 dollars more than formerly; the
800 dollars formerly allowed the two dragomans deceased now
ordered to be divided between three, and $100 thereof given Oslan
as youngest dragoman. Reasons against the consulage of $4 lent
on the Italian trade, and 3 per cent. agreed on. 7. Church government, and fines for not coming in due time to divine service, and
for swearing. 8. All other ships arriving prohibited to come near
the castles before the general ships, or till order from the Lord
Ambassador. 9. Neither the general ships nor any other to serve
the Grand Signor or other prince or state. 10. Also $1,800 per
mensem allowed the two general ships for demurrage, to be paid
before their departure, half here and half at Constantinople.
11. For consulage upon the two ships, those that have bills of
exchange from the Company shall defalk it inwards. [Endorsed:
"Register of his Lordship [the Ambassador's] proceedings at
Smyrna." Read 11 April 1648. Copies. 13 pp. Levant Company, Vol. i., No. 107.] |
