House of Commons Journal Volume 12: 24 August 1698

Parliament meets.

THE Parliament meeting, pursuant to the beforeannexed Proclamation, and to the Writs which had issued for that Purpose; and the most noble William Duke of Devonshire, Lord Steward of his Majesty's Houshold, having made the First before-annexed Commission, or Deputation, under his Hand and Seal, bearing Date the Nineteenth Day of August Instant, for administring the Oaths appointed to be taken by the Members of the House of Commons; and the Right Honourable the Earl of Bridgwater, Peregrine Bertie ViceChamberlain, Sir Henry Goodrick, and John Smith Esquire, the Commissioners, in the said Commission named, attending in the Rooms belonging to the Clerk of the House of Commons, called the Inner Court of Wards, the usual Place for administring the said Oaths, at the Opening of a Parliament; and Thomas Chute Esquire, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, delivering in a Book of the Names of the Members who had been returned; and Paul Jadrell Esquire, the Clerk of the House of Commons, and Mr. Necdler, his Clerk Assistant, and other his Clerk's attending; the said Commissioners administred the Oaths appointed to such Members as appeared: Who being informed, that the Parliament was to be prorogued, by writ directed to the Lords and Commons, they went /?/ without going into the House of Commons, or /?/ any Message from the Lords, to the House of /?/ Where the Writ for proroguing the Parliament until the Twenty seventh Day of September next was read; and is as followeth; viz.

Parliament prorogued.

Tho. Cantuar', Pembroke C. P. S. Devonshire, Marleborough, Romney, Orford, Cha' Mountagu.

Gulielmus Tertius, Dei gra', Angliæ, Scotiæ, Franciæ, & Hiberniæ, Rex, Fidei Defensor, &c. prædilectis & fidelibus nostris prælatis, magnatibus, & proceribus, regni nostri Angliæ, ac dilectis & fidelibus nostris militibus, civibus, & burgensibus, dicti regni nostri, ad parliamentum nostrum apud civitat' nostram Westm', vicesimo quarto die instantis mensis Augusti inchoand' & tenend', convocatis, & electis, & vestrum cuilibet, salutem. Cum nos, pro quibusdam arduis & urgentibus negotiis, nos, statum & defensionem dicti regni Angliæ, ac ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, concernentibus, dictum parliamentum nostrum ad diem & locum prædict' teneri ordinavimus; ac vobis, per separal' brevia nostra apud civitat & diem præd' interesse mandavimus, ad tractand', consentiend', & concludend', super iis, quæ in dicto parliamento nostro tunc & ibidem proponerent' & tractarent; quibusdam tamen certis de causis, & considerationibus, nos ad præsens specialiter moven', dict' parliament' nostrum usque vicesim' septim' Septembris prox' futur' duximus prorogand'; ita quod nec vcs, nec aliquis vestrum, ad dictum vicesim' quart' diem Augusti, apud civitat' prædict' comparere teneamini, seu arctemini: Volumus enim, vos, & quemlibet vestrum, inde erga nos penitus exonerari; mandantes, & tenore præsentiu' firmiter injungend' præcipientes vob', & cuilibet vestrum, ac omnibus aliis, quibus in hac parte intersit, quod ad dict' vicesimum sept' diem Sept', apud præd' civitat' Westm', personalit' compareatis & intersitis, & quilibet vestrum compareat & intersit, ad traciand', saciend', agend', & concludend', super iis, quæ in dicto parliamento nostro, de communi consilio dicti regni nostri, savente Deo, contigerint ordinari. Testibus, Tho' archiepiscopo Cant', & cæteris custodibus & justiciar' regni, apud Westm', decimo octavo die Augusti, anno regni nostri decimo.

Chute.

Breve ad parliament', de prima summonitione prorogand'.

Chute.