Cecil Papers: 1642

Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 22, 1612-1668. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1971.

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'Cecil Papers: 1642', in Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House: Volume 22, 1612-1668, (London, 1971) pp. 370-373. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-cecil-papers/vol22/pp370-373 [accessed 18 March 2024]

1642

The Earl of Northumberland to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, May 31. I have received your Lordship's letter of the 28th, and shall observe your directions therein so far as lies in my power. Your going away in that manner was very unexpected to divers of your friends, and I do not know how it will be possible in the way of justice to divide your Lordship from the other Lords that are faulty in the like kind. We have hitherto been very moderate in censuring this contempt, for we have only cited your Lordship and the rest to appear against a certain day. The opinion which the world conceives of this action is the greatest punishment we shall or can inflict upon you for this offence. The only way to redeem what you have lost is to do all the good offices you can whilst you stay at York, and to return hither again with all convenient speed, which is the earnest desires of those that wish well unto your Lordship.—London, 31 May, 1641.
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The Earl of Northumberland to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, June 7. The citing your Lordship amongst others to appear by the 8th of this month was impossible to be avoided, both because the contempt was alike in all, and because our House was more sensible of your leaving them than they were of the rest as less expecting it from you than from almost any of the other Lords. It were not answerable to the respect I have ever professed unto your Lordship to conceal what I conceive to be the true state of your condition. If you do not something to redeem the good opinion of the Parliament, you will be in danger to undergo as heavy a censure as those other Lords that have fled away from the Parliament, and it will not be in the power of any of your friends to keep the storm from you. I do not apprehend what greater inconvenience can happen to your Lordship for disobeying a verbal command of the King's (which you allege for the reason of your stay) than is likely to fall upon you for not obeying his writ, seconded by an order of our House. If you had been pleased well to have considered this matter, I am confident you would have found reason enough not to have left us; and I do believe that having discharged that which you supposed a duty, you may see cause to return in the same manner that you went from hence. I do heartily wish your Lordship may do that which will be for your honour as well as for your contentment.—London, 7 June, 1642.
P.S. If I can prevail I will persuade with some of my friends that we may not proceed too hastily against those Lords that are gone from us, so as we may still have it in our powers to show favour unto those that shall deserve well of the Parliament.
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The Earl of Northumberland to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, June 14. I find by your Lordship's letter of the 8th present that from an unwillingness in you to displease the King you are resolved to stay at York. In my former letters I have freely told you my opinion of your condition, to which I shall only add this, that if you will speedily return I dare confidently say that you shall not suffer any kind of censure from our House for what is past; but if you be satisfied in your own judgment that it is fittest for you to remain there at York, I will forbear to trouble you with any further thoughts of mine upon that occasion, yet shall never be wanting to do you the best service that I am able; though truly in this particular there will be little in my power.— London, 14 June, 1642.
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The Earl of Northumberland to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, June 15. The House of Commons have this day brought up an impeachment against the 9 Lords that returned in answer to the Parliament in a letter, and we shall proceed upon this impeachment to sentence them so soon as they have made their defence or declined it. I shall beseech your Lordship not to be discouraged by this quick proceeding, for I can assure you that we resolve to make a great difference betwixt you and some others who, we hear, have expressed good affections to the Parliament and those 9 Lords whom we conceive fit to be made examples of. If you or any other Lords excepting those 9 do return unto the Parliament I do not doubt of your being well received, and what is past will not be remembered. The messenger is in haste, therefore I can say no more.—London, 15 June, 1642.
P.S. The moneys and plate are brought in faster upon our late propositions for the peace and safety of the kingdom than the treasurers that are appointed can receive it.
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The Earl of Northumberland to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, June 20. Before I received your Lordship's letter this day, I had done you that service which you therein desired, and had given you an account thereof. There remains now nothing more for me to inform you of but that you will receive a very hearty welcome both from the Parliament and from your own particular friends, amongst whom none shall ever serve you with more affection than your most humble servant.—London, 20 June, 1642.
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The Earl of Dorset to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, June 27. Had you pleased to have imparted your departure to me, truly I should have secreted it even from the King himself, for I do believe that no allegiance binds an honest man to disclose his friend's trust. I hope your Lordship's concealing it rather proceeded from care than from the least suspicion you lodged either of my ability or will to have kept your counsel.
Give me leave at this distance, with the same ingenuity and freedom which personally you admitted me into, to pray you not to be active in any course that may justly induce his Majesty to believe you are engaged or will be in any faction against him, or that you study more to comply with other men's designs than your own and self-preservation; which in these arbitrary and perilous times cannot nor will not, at least, undergo any heavy or hard censure if you keep yourself safe within that circle; for the most experienced pilot may be to seek how to steer himself securely when wind and tide blow so contrary ways. Heaven prevent these storms that threaten ruin, I may fear, as much to all as any; for this fatal fire once kindled, who knows how to quench the flames or when or whether the conflagration may extend? I do not apprehend your well tempered disposition can be induced to add fuel to the fire; men only either of desperate fames or fortunes can promise themselves any amelioration of condition by such broken and distracted ways. Those that enjoy such a portion of honour and such a proportion of estate, as by God's blessing you do, cannot but really mourn the desperate face of the times and pray for the sudden emendment of them. The which truly I cannot despair of when I observe the tractable and "counsellable" disposition of the King; who though apt to take extempore resolutions upon the first impressions, yet upon pause and second thoughts changes to the better, an instance whereof I was a very glad witness of yesterday. When upon an intelligence of the Earl of Stamford's too excessive zeal he had resolved vim vi repellere and concluded on a course that might have given beginning to a great deal of misery, he was altered by the more poised and wise advice of those that study how to preserve things from extremity.
Good my Lord, study day and night to keep the more violent spirits from passing the Rubicon. Let them at London put nothing in execution that may give probable ground of fear (and so just [ground] of resolve) to hinder them, and they may sleep very securely from any attempts hatched here at York to their danger. Let as many as will despair, I am one of those that believe that an easy and safe way may be found to lead us all forth this dark and inextricable labyrinth. Let not fears prevail above hope, nor reflection on past errors represent despair of a real oblivion "futurely", and I am confident such a beginning is half way to an end; whereas a continuance, much more a progress, of baneful misunderstandings, which already have involved too many otherwise considerable persons, will at last confound all.
I crave your pardon if I have been impertinently troublesome, and beseech you to believe the truth, that I have no ends on you but to do you any acceptable service you shall command me.— June this 27th, 1642.
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Warrant.
1642, Sept. 7. Warrant to Sir Bainham Throckmorton, Bt., John Tailor and John Gunninge, merchants of Bristol, who are lessees of the woods and ironworks in the Forest of Dean, which they hold of Sir John Winter. They are forbidden to pay their half yearly rent of £3375 to the Commissioners of the Exchequer or to Mr Scawen, Receiver for Gloucestershire, but to retain the money until the King's pleasure be communicated to them.— From the Court at Nottingham, this 7th of September, 1642.
1 p. (200. 14a.)
The Earl of Northumberland to the Earl of Salisbury.
1642, September 26. The draught which your Lordship sent to Serjeant Atkins was returned to me this afternoon with some doubts he makes upon it, which I hope will soon be satisfied when I wait upon you. I should be very glad you would appoint the Serjeant or some other counsel to meet you here upon Wednesday at night, that I may apply myself the best I can to give them satisfaction.
From the army we have this day received advertisement of an encounter near Worcester between some of the Cavaliers and our troop. By all the relations that I have seen it appears that our men were in disorder, especially our General's own troop of gentlemen, but in conclusion we gained the town and are now masters of it. I here send you the copy of a letter written from my Lord Mandeville to me, which is as perfect a narration of that day's service as I have yet heard.
I beseech you to present my service to my Lady of Salisbury, and assure my Lady Elizabeth that she has gained so absolute a dominion over me that she is not more mistress of herself than she is of your faithful servant.—London, Monday night, September 26, 1642.
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Richard Shipheard, Sander Knight, Roger Waterman, Tobias Powell, Francis Weekesteed and Thomas Brise to the Committee for the Prince Elector's Revenue.
[? c. 1642]. They pray for payment for work done about the house lately Lord Cottington's, which his Lordship has left them destitute of. The country being so much disabled by continual quartering of soldiers and other taxes, men cannot employ them as formerly, so that they are utterly impoverished.—Undated.
1 p. (214. 73.)