House of Lords Journal Volume 4: 28 December 1641

DIE Martis, videlicet, 28 die Decembris.

PRAYERS.

Lord Keeper to move the King for a Monthly Fast.

Ordered, That the Lord Keeper do wait on the King, and move His Majesty from both Houses of Parliament, That a Monthly Fast may be kept throughout the whole Kingdom, during the Troubles of Ireland; and that His Majesty will be pleased that a Proclamation may issue forth for this Purpose, and likewise for the keeping of the 20th of January next a Fast throughout the Kingdom, except London and Westminster, where it hath been already solemnized.

The Lord Admiral reported from the Committee of both Houses, "That they have considered of a Draught of a Petition to be presented to the King, concerning the Kensington Business; which Petition hath been read in the House of Commons, and hath been approved of." Hereupon the said Petition was read, in hæc verba: videlicet,

Petition of the Lords and Commons, concerning the false Report of the E. of Newport's Speech about seizing the Queen and Her Children.

"To the King's most Excellent Majesty.

"The humble Petition of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled.

"Whereas, during the Time of Your Majesty's last being in Scotland, the Queen's Majesty received Information, that, at a Meeting in Kensington (where the Earl of Essex, the Earl of Newport, the Lord Viscount Say & Seale, the Lord Mandevile, the Lord Wharton, Members of the Lords House, the Lord Dungarvan, Mr. Nath. Fynes, Sir John Clatworthy, and Mr. John Pym, Members of the House of Commons, were present), upon a Discourse of some Plots that should be done in this Kingdom, or in Scotland, the Earl of Newport should say, If there be such a Plot, yet here are His Wife and Children; insinuating the same to signify, that the Person of Her Majesty and Her Children should be seized upon.

"And whereas Your Majesty, upon Friday last, was pleased to demand of the Earl of Newport whether his Lordship heard any Debate at Kensington about seizing upon the Queen and Her Children; which when his Lordship had denied with many and deep Asseverations, Your Majesty replied again, That he was to tell Your Majesty no more than You knew already, and therefore should consider well what he should answer; and his Lordship denying it the Second Time, Your Majesty, parting from him, replied, You were sorry for his ill Memory, seeming thereby to give Credit to that Information; which Information and Report tend not only to the great Scandal of the Members of both Houses of Parliament before named, but express an Endeavour to stir up Jealousies, and work a Division, between Your Majesty and the Parliament.

"It is therefore the humble and instant Desire of the Lords and Commons in this Parliament, that Your Majesty will be pleased to declare who was the Reporter or Reporters of those Words, pretended to be spoken at Kensington by the Earl of Newport; and that Your Majesty will be pleased likewise to move Her Majesty to discover who acquainted Her therewith.

"And this, as Your greatest and most faithful Council, they advise Your Majesty to perform; the Exigency of the Affairs of both Kingdoms being such as necessarily require a sudden Remedy, which cannot expect any Possibility of Success without a right Understanding between Your Majesty and the Parliament; the only Way for effecting whereof is, by the present Discovery and Removal of ill Counsellors and false Informers, which, to our great Grief, we have by Experience found to be too frequent and active in these dangerous Times."

Ordered, That this House agrees that this Petition be presented to the King.

Committee to learn when the King will be attended with this Petition.

Then the Lord Admiral, the Earl of Bath, and the Earl of Holland, were appointed to wait on the King, to know when the select Committees of both Houses shall attend Him, to present the aforesaid Petition to Him.

And these Lords presently returned, with the King's Answer:

The King's Answer.

"That His Majesty hath appointed the select Committees to attend Him, for this Purpose, To-morrow in the Afternoon, at One of the Clock, at Whitehall.'

Committee to present the Petition.

And these Lords following were appointed Committees for this House, to join with a proportionable Number of the House of Commons, to attend His Majesty To-morrow, and to present the aforesaid Petition unto Him: videlicet,

Message to the H. C. for an Answer to the Conference, concerning the Tumults about the Parliaments.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir Robert Rich and Mr. Page:

To desire them to give an Answer to the Conference last Night, concerning the People coming about the Parliament Houses in such Multitudes.

The King offers to furnish 10,000 English for Ireland, to be paid by Parliament.

The Lord Chamberlain signified to this House, "That the King had commanded him to let the Parliament know, that His Majesty will furnish Ten Thousand English Voluntiers for the Service of Ireland, if the House of Commons will undertake to pay them."

The Messengers return with this Answer from the House of Commons:

Answer from the H. C.

That they will give an Answer, by Messengers of their own, presently.

This Day it was Resolved, upon the Question,

Vote that this is a Free Parliament.

That this Parliament is at this present a Free Parliament.

Message to the H. C. to acquaint them that the Lords have appointed a Committee to present the Petition about the Earl of Newport.

Ordered, That Sir Robert Rich and Mr. Page do deliver a Message to the House of Commons To-morrow, when they sit (they being now up), to let them know, that this House hath appointed a Committee of Seven Lords, to join with a proportionable Number of theirs, to wait on the King To-morrow, at One of the Clock in the Afternoon, at Whitehall, to deliver the Petition to His Majesty, concerning the Kensington Business.

Adjourn.

Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque in diem Mercurii, videlicet, 29^m diem instantis Decembris, hora 1^a post meridiem.