Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 4, 1629-42. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1767-1830.
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'House of Lords Journal Volume 4: 22 April 1640', in Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 4, 1629-42( London, 1767-1830), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol4/pp61-64 [accessed 10 October 2024].
'House of Lords Journal Volume 4: 22 April 1640', in Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 4, 1629-42( London, 1767-1830), British History Online, accessed October 10, 2024, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol4/pp61-64.
"House of Lords Journal Volume 4: 22 April 1640". Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 4, 1629-42. (London, 1767-1830), , British History Online. Web. 10 October 2024. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol4/pp61-64.
In this section
DIE Mercurii, 22 die Aprilis,
Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales, quorum nomina subscribuntur, præsentes fuerunt :
PRAYERS.
This Day the Lord Keeper delivered to the House the Effect of what was Yesterday delivered, by the Com mand of His Majesty, at the Meeting of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the House of Commons, at Whitehall: videlicet,
"My Lords,
Report of what was delivered by the Lord Keeper by the King s Command to both Houses, at Whitehall.
"I beg your Pardon if I do not report it to you in the Manner I delivered it Yesterday: I have it not in Writing, but only in short Heads, which I have not here, yet I hope I shall deliver the Substance of it That which I then delivered was, by His Majesty's Command, to this Purpose; to put your Lordships and the House of Commons in Mind of the Cause of the Calling of this Parliament, which was for the Supply of His Majesty; the Reasons and the Motives that did cause the King to require this Supply were as great as ever King had; that the Supply itself, in Point of Time, was so to be hasted and speeded, that, if (fn. 1) it were not so, it would be of no Use at all to His Majesty, because the Army was now marching, and is a Charge of at le st One Hun dred Thousand Pounds a Month to His Majesty.
"That the Manner of the Supply, that His Ma jesty now expected, was not that great and main Supply which must back it, and finish the Business; but such a Supply as may enable His Majesty to go on with this present Design, to the End the Charge that he hath been, and is at, may not be all lost, for Lack of that Supply His Majesty hath taken Notice of some Scruples that did remain in Mens Minds, touching the Shipping Business; and for the clearing of those Doubts and Scruples, and that there might be a perfect and clear Understanding of His Majesty s Proceedings and Intentions, by His Majesty's Command, it was declared to your Lordships, first, that the King never had it in His Thought or He rt to make any Revenue of the Shipping Business, nor to make the least Penny of Profit or Advantage to Himself; that, de facto, He had not done it, but, whatsoever had been levied or collected that Way, had been paid over to Sir William Russell, the areasurer of the Navy; and the Accounts by him were in de at the Council Table; and by those Accounts will plainly appear, that every Penny collected hath been expended towards the providing of Ships, and a great deal of His Majesty's own Money every Year expended too, besides the ordinary Provisions; and the End of this was but to preserve the Domin on of the Sea, to preserve Trade and Commerce, to keep up the Glory and Honour of this Nation, and to aefend all His People, and all His Kingdoms, from those Dangers that otherwise might have light on them It could be no Benefit, it was never intended to be a Benefit, to Himself; and therefore that He should draw a Charge from His Subjects, without any Benefit to Himself, or any other End but the Preservation and Good of you all, is a Thing not to be imagined; as this Case was, it was declared to your Lordships, His Majesty was (fn. 2) once resolved that no Ships should go out this Year; but His Majesty was enforced to alter those Resolutions, on these Reasons He was resolved, that it was necessary for Him to and in Army, for the reducing of His disaffected Subjects of the Scottish Nation; He did understand of the great Naval Preparations that are made by all the Neighbouring Princes; and it was necessary for His Majesty to put Himself in to a Strength at Sea, and such a one as might keep up the Dominion of the Narrow Seas, which indeed are the Safety of this Kingdom; and that without which, Trade and Commerce, which now so much flourish, could not have subsisted so many Years: He did understand likewise, that those of Argiere make great Preparations, they have some Sixty Sail of Ships that are provided; they have committed many Insolencies, taken divers Ships upon the Coast of Spaine; they have taken a Ship belonging to this Kingdom, called The Rebecca, whose Lading was worth at least Two Hundred and Threescore Thousand Pounds His Majesty knows well, that, though He had resolved to have a Parliament, yet a Supply by Parliament could not have come in timely enough to do this Work, so that was an unavoidable Necessity for the Ships to go one this Year, and, going out on these Peasons, His Majesty could not forbear the Ship money this Year; but did, and doth, expect there should be a Concurrence of your Readiness that Way But, to clear all Things for the future, and that your Lord ships might know what His Majesty's true and only Intentions are, His Majesty was pleased to let it be declared, that He hath no Ends of Arms for Him self, nor hath He any Thought but to keep up the Glory and Honour of this Nation, and to put Him self into such a Condition as may be able to render Him considerable both amongst His Friends and amongst His Enemies; that He may be useful to His Friends, that He may be apprehended by His Ene mies, that He may be a Moderator at Sea, without which that great Glory that the Monarchs of this Nation have ever aimed at will be lost; and that He may be able to preserve all of you in Safety, that Commerce and Trade may flourish, and this Kingdom may enjoy Peace and Happiness His Majesty is not wedded to this particular Way; and therefore, in Conclusion, it was found to be explained to your Lordships a little more fully, which was through His Fault that delivered it at the Time, and in that Or defit came; and His Majesty was pleased to direct it to be declared, That, if your Lordships and the House of Commons will think of only other Way to maintain Him in such a Manner as is fit for His Ma jesty, for your King, and for a King of this Island to live in, put it into what Way you please, settle it with as much Security and Safety as you can invent, that you may be sure there can come nothing to the King but in that Way; that you may be sure it shall be employed for your Good and Safety, and (fn. 3) in these necessary and honourable Ends, opened to your Lordships, His Majesty is willing to concur, and is further pleased it should be declared to you, That nothing shall be propounded, for the securing of the Propriety of your Estates and the Liberties of your Persons, but His Majesty will as graciously and rea dily grant the same as it is possible for you to ask it His Majesty doth bring with Him Wishes and Royal Desires, that this may prove a happy and blesled Parliament; and was pleased to put you into the Way how to make it so, which was, by putting Obliga tions and Trust and Confidence upon His Royal Word, which it becomes us, in Duty and good Manners, fit for Subjects, to take from our King Next, it is a Way of more securing you from all Dangers, and Fears, and Jealousies, than any Course whatsoever, that you yourselves can think on; for there is a Trust that must always be reposed in a King; and, when the King is pleased to declare Himself so gracious and so free, that He will perform this Trust to the uttermost, with Royal heaped Measure, it is the greatest Se curity, no Security of Law, no other Security that Parliament can invent, can match it: Thirdly, it is a Thing agreeable with His own Gracious Nature, who stands as much upon His Honour as any Prince, and He will not lose the Honour of being trusted this Way His Majesty is so gracious and sweet in His own Nature, as He thinks it a great Scorn His People should out go Him or overcome Him in that Kind, and therefore you cannot express so much dutiful Af fection, and Love and Good will to Him as He will requite and reward with Graciousness and with Good ness, yea with Abundance of Grace and Goodness towards you His Majesty was pleased that you should be put in Mind of an Example, that can be no Discouragement, but rather an Encouragement in this Kind; and that is, His Subjects of Ireland, who did, the last Parliament before this, give the King Six Subsidies, and that the Second Day of the Parliament, without Condition, they relying merely on His Grace and Goodness; and the Effect was, that, before the End of that Parliament, they had all that was promised performed to them to a Tittle, with Advantage They have this Parliament given His Majesty Four Subsidies, and have relied on His Grace and Goodness, as they formerly did, and His Majesty doth resolve the World shall see that this Reliance on His Grace and Goodness is a Course that they shall never find, but that He takes it so to Heart, is He will be with and before them in it If Ireland will thus move His Majesty, much more England, for England is that which is, and ought to be, nearest and dearest to the King, it is the Place where He and His Postcrity are settled, it is the Kingdom He values above all His other Kingdoms, and therefore your Lordships, and the rest of the Kingdom, the House of Commons, needs not doubt, bu any Express on of Affection and Duty from you to the King will be far more graciously accepted, and rewarded and requited, than it could be from any of His other Kingdoms.
"My Lords,
I take this, as near as my Memory will serve, to be the Effect of that I delivered Yesterday; wherein if I have omitted any Thing, I shall humbly crave your Lordships Pardon Something in Conclusion was directed to your Lordships alone; which was, that, though Supply and Assistance of this Kind doth usually move first and naturally from the House of Commons, yet, in this Case, His Majesty was pleased to call your Lordships to be present; First, that your Lordships might be Witnesses of the great and weighty Reasons that move His Majesty to require Supply, and that your Lordships might be Witnesses to His Majesty's gracious and clear Expres sions to all His Subjects; upon which Ground His Majesty doth not doubt, that, if the House of Commons should fail in their Duty, of which He doth assure Himself He shall never find them guilty, yet that your Lordships will concur with His Majesty, in Preservation of Him, in Preservation of yourselves and your Posterity, and in keeping the Honour and Glory and Fame of this Nation."
Afterwards, his Lordship being put in Mind, by some of the House, of a Particular delivered Yesterday, and now omitted in this Report, his Lordship added, "It is very true, there was another Thing I mentioned then, touching Tonnage and Poundge; for the answering of an Objection, which perhaps some might make, by saying Tonnage and Poundage was given for that Purpose It is true, it was given for the ordinary Guard of the Sea; but it is impossible that, considering the Naval Preparations now made by Naval Princes, that the Profits of Tonnage and Poundage can find and maintain such a Fleet at Sea, that shall be able to preserve the Dominion of the Sea, to make the King Moderator, and to keep up Trade and Commerce, for the Advantage and Cood of His Subjects."
Report concerning the Fast.
Message to the H. C. for Conference touching the Fast.
The Lord Chamlerlain reported, The Lord Arch bishop of Cant and himself have attended the King, about the Petition for a Fast, according to the Directions of this Honourable House; and His Majesty likes it very well, and will refer the Time and the Place unto their Lordships, and the House of Com mons Hereupon the Lords thought fit to have a Conference with the House of Commons; and, to that Purpose, a Message was sent to the Commons, by the Lord Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Foster: That the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the High Court of Parliament have received an Answer from His Majesty about a Fast, Who is graciously pleased to consent to the Keeping of it, as is desired, and likes it very well; and refers the Time and Place, and other Circumstances, to the Wisdom of both Houses; therefore, their Lordships do desire a Conference with the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the House of Com mons, this Afternoon, at Three of the Clock, in the Painted Chamber, with the Number of Twelve Lords The Commons presently returned Answer, That they will be ready, at the Time and Place appointed, with double Number of Committees, according to the Manner.
Committee for the Conference.
The Names of the Lords Committees of the Con ference concerning the Fast :
L. Treasurer.
L. Chamberlain. E. of Bedford. E. of Essex. E. of Bristoll. L. Bp. of Winchester. |
L. Bp. of Chester.
L. Bp. of Sarum. Ds. Pagett. Ds. Kimbolton. Ds. Brooke. Ds. Gray de Werke. |
To meet at Three of the Clock this Afternoon, in the Painted Chamber.
Forged Protections.
Order.
The Lord Keeper moved the House, That he was informed, that there were abroad divers false Protec tions of some Lords of this House, dispersed abroad about the Town, and sold some of them for Three Pounds a piece, some of them going under the Name of the Lord Morley; but are conceived to be counterfeit; one of those that dispersed and sold them abroad is committed by the Lord Chief Justice unto the King's Bench, whereupon it was Ordered, That he should be brought hither Tomorrow Morning; and likewise such others so offending as shall be discovered and apprehended by the Lord Chief Justice.
Public House, Disorders complained of, near the Parliament House.
It was likewise signified to the House, That there have been lately divers Disorders and Abuses committed by Footmen and Pages, and by Keepers of Taverns and Alehouses, near the High Court of Parliament, contrary to the Orders of this Honourable House, made Decimo sexto die Martii, One Thousand Six Hundred Twenty Three, Anno Viccsimo primo Jacobt, and this Day read in this House; it was thereupon Ordered, That those that are Keepers of Taverns and Alehouses be sent for, and have Notice to attend and appear before this Honourable Court, Tomorrow Morning, by Nine of the Clock.
Adjourn.
Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli declaravit præsens Par liamentum continuandum esse usque in diem crastinum, videlicet, diem Jovis, (fn. 4) 23m instantis Aprilis, hora nona Aurora, Dominis sic decernentibus.