House of Lords Journal Volume 6: 5 July 1644

DIE Veneris, 5 Julii.

PRAYERS, by Dr. Hoyle.

Domini præsentes fuerunt:

Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker.

Message from the H. C. with an Ordinance.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Gilb't Gerrard Baronet, and others:

To desire their Lordships Concurrence in an Ordinance concerning setting Excise upon some Commodities as are not rated.

Letter from the Lord General's Officers.

A Letter from the Officers of the Lord General's Army was read, and Ordered to be sent to the House of Commons. (Here enter it.)

Report of the Conference, about giving Audience to The States Ambassadors.

The Speaker of this House reported the Effect of the late Conference with the House of Commons, concerning The States Ambassadors; and they agree in the First Part of the Opinion of the Committee, that Sir Oliver Fleminge, Master of the Ceremonies, shall repair unto The States Ambassadors, to let them know, that the Houses do expect that they make their Demand of Audience in Writing.

Marquis De Laguna, a Pass to Spain from Dunkirk.

Ordered, That Don Francisco De Melo, Marquis For de Laguna, (fn. 1) who desireth to pass for Spaine, from Donquerque, shall have a Pass, for Two Frigates of Donquerque, laden with his Lordship's Goods, that thereby may be avoided all Molestation by any of the Ships in Service of the Parliament.

Letter from the Lord Admiral.

Next, a Letter from the Lord Admiral was read.

(Here enter it.)

Message to the H. C. with the Letter to the Lord General.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir Edw. Leech and Doctor Aylett:

To desire their Concurrence to the Letter to the Lord General, with the Alterations made by this House.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That they will send an Answer by Messengers of their own.

Archbishop of Cant's Trial.

Then the House proceeded to hear the further Evidence against the Archbishop of Canterbury upon the Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Original Articles, and the Sixth of the Additional Articles.

Which being ended, the Archbishop desired some short Time to make this Answer; and humbly desired that an Order of this House may be granted, to bring Doctor Heywood and Doctor Martyn, who are in Prison, before this House, to be Witnesses for him.

Hereupon this House Ordered, The Archbishop shall make his Answer to the Evidence this Afternoon at Four of the Clock; and that an Order shall be granted, to bring Doctor Heywood and Doctor Martyn this Afternoon, at Four of the Clock, to attend this House.

Report of the Earl of Leicester's Examination.

The Earl of Northumb. reported, "That the Committee have examined the Earl of Leycester, upon several Questions; to which he hath given particular Answers, which were as follow:

"1. Whither he intended to go to when he was at Wormeleighton, and what Pass he had?

"Answer. To the First Question, his Lordship gave this Answer, That he intended to come for London when he was taken at Wormeleighton; and had the Lord General's Pass.

"2 Question. What Resistance was made in the House at Wormelieghton, when he was apprehended?

"2 Answer. To the Second, he said, That there was no Resistance made in the House at Wormeleighton to those that did come to apprehend him; though he and his Company had Weapons, whereby they might have defended themselves.

"3 Question. Whether any Commissions were found about his Servants when they came up to London, and what those Commissions were?

"3 Answer. To the Third, he saith, That neither he nor any of his Servants had, or hath, any Commission from the King; neither did he or any of his Servants ever serve in Arms against the Parliament; only there was a Commission, dated Twelve Months ago, for one Mashfer, a Frenchman (as he remembers) to be a Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel Feilding; which Commission was left by Mashfer with one Gotier, a Servant of his Lordship's, with some Cloaths; of which his Lordship knew nothing until the Cornet told him of it."

It was further reported, "That the Earl of Leycester had an humble Suit to this House, that he might have Leave to go to his House in the Country."

Leave to go to his House in the Country.

Hereupon this House Ordered, That the Earl of Leycester shall forthwith be freed from his present Restraint, and hath Liberty to go to his House in the Country.

Letter from the Officers in the Lord General's Army, concerning the Motives that induced that Army to go Westward, and Sir William Waller to follow the King.

"For the Right Honourable the Lord Grey of Warke, Speaker of the House of Peers. These.

"My Lord,

"The Army being drawn into the West upon these Reasons, that Lyme was speedily to be relieved, the new Associations and great Levies of Men and Money to be prevented, and the Western Counties to be reduced (which less than an Army of greater Strength than this can hardly effect); it was held to be of absolute Necessity, that this Army should march into these Parts, for these Purposes; Sir Will'm Waller and his Forces being then much nearer to the King's Army than we, by reason that the King marched away from Oxford closer to His Quarters than ours; and this Army, being nearer the West than the other, was, in that respect, One Motive to draw us hither, and to leave Sir Wm. Waller upon his March to attend the King; besides, it was by his Excellency's Command taken by the Council of War into Consideration, whether it were proper to draw Sir Wm. Waller's Forces, which consisted chiefly of the associated Counties of Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, so far as the Western Parts, or whether they would be willing to undertake that March, and forsake their Association; and the instant Necessity of raising the Siege at Lyme admitting no Dispute, it was unanimously Resolved by the Council, That (his Excellency approving it) this Army should march into the West; well considering that a Party could not have been drawn out of the Army, able to undergo the least of those Services; the Enemy being, as we were informed, as strong in Horse as we, and a Party of Horse being improper to raise a Siege in an inclosed Place. These being the Reasons which first prevailed with us to march this Way, which we conceived to be in Pursuance of that Direction which was sent his Excellency from the Committee of both Kingdoms and the Parliament; after we were upon our March, the same Reasons carried us forward; and being persuaded (by the Blessing of God) that we were able with the Army to raise the Siege, and do some other Service here, his Excellency held it most safe to advance rather with the Army, than, by dividing it, to hazard the Loss of a Party, and consequently the Ruin of the whole. What the Success of our March into these Parts hath been, your Lordships have already heard. What our Endeavours are, you shall hereby understand, that his Excellency is now about raising of the Counties, the common Sort of People appearing willing thereunto; and we wish that the well-affected Gentry might be sent down, to the Advancement of that Service, and for the settling of these Parts, and putting the Ordinances of Parliament in Execution; and we are bold to commend the Care of the Churches in these Counties also to your Lordships, for in some Places there are no Ministers at all, and in other Places so scandalous and malignant as are unfit to be suffered; and herein we must not be unmindful of ourselves, but importune your Lordships Recommendation of some able Ministers for our Army, wherein we must acknowledge our Defect. His Excellency spent a few Days in settling of Weymouth and Lyme. We have now been Two Days at Chard, endeavouring to raise these Parts. His Excellency's Resolution is, to be as active as he can, and to mispend no Time, but to proceed in those Courses which shall tend to the Advancement of the Service we have in Hand, and (we hope) to the good Satisfaction of the Parliament, whereof we shall not be unmindful to give your Lordship faithful and constant Intelligence, as the Distance of the Place shall permit; and, as there will be nothing wanting on his Excellency's Part to serve the Parliament and the Kingdom, so we do desire your Lordships to be mindful of the Army, and that such Provision as hath been ordained for its Subsistence may be duly conveyed unto it; for the Charge in these Parts will not be little to maintain those Forces that may be raised in these Counties.

"These Things we are bold by his Excellency's Command to offer to your Lordship; resting,

"Your Lordship's humble Servants,

Ld. Admiral's Letter concerning the State of the Navy, and desiring Supplies for it.

"To the Right Honourable my very good Lord the Speaker of the House of Peers.

"My Lord,

"I crave Leave to trouble your Lordship with a brief Narration of the State of the Navy; which when I look upon as respecting the future, I find extremely defective, the Stores being exhausted, and the Magazine of Hemp, Rozin, Tar, Masts, Canvas, and other Materials, near totally empty. It is true, the House of Commons hath had an honourable Care to set apart Timber for the several Yards; but, if it remain unwrought through the Officers not being enabled to fit it to Use, the Condition of the Navy will not be bettered as to actual Service. I find that the Credit of the Commissioners for the Navy (which was heretofore very serviceable upon an Exigent) is much spent; that the Tradesmen will deliver nothing without ready Money, having not received the First Payment for the Provisions abroad, though the Second Payment is become due; that the Victuallers at Chatham and Portsmouth, &c. will deliver no more Victuals to the Ordinary (in regard of the great Debts owing them), whereby, and by the Want of Wages, the Ship-keepers are ready to mutiny, and the Attendance on the Ships to be neglected. When I consider the Fleet now abroad, I find the Irish Guard in Danger to be deserted (before the Summer ends) by His Majesty's Ships employed here, for Want of Means to compleat Right Months Victuals, they receiving aboard but Six Months at their going out; that divers of the Ships with me will be forced shortly to come in, without a Reparation of what was spared for the saving of Lyme, and a speedy furnishing of those Remainders that were received short of the Summer's Portion; for neither of which (as I am informed) is any Money ready. I shall not urge the setting forth of more Ships to increase the Summer's Fleet, knowing the great Expences that lie upon the State; but, if some Ships designed to be Part thereof, and now detained in the River (for aught I can hear to the contrary) through Want of Money, were abroad, the Prejudice that befalls the North Sea Fishermen, and the Trade of the Kingdom in general, by Want of Convoys, might happily be in some better Measure prevented, to which I am able to contribute very little Assistance (more than the present Disposition of the Fleet affordeth), the Ships with me being wholly taken up for securing of the Western Parts, which cannot be neglected. A Winter Guard is necessary to be thought on, and the Preparations will not admit of Delay. The Wages and Freight of Ships now in Service will amount to (fn. 2) a great Sum; and, if the Provision of Money precedes not their coming in, the State will contract a great Surplusage of Charge, besides the Discouragement of the Mariner.

"It is too apparent, that the Customs and Excise set apart to the Navy do not near reach the Expence, though the Benefit of Reprizals be cast in; and I hear not of any other Resolutions or Means to make it up. It will easily be determined that Supplies of this Nature and Variety cannot be made on a sudden (especially in Masts, whereof, as I take it, there are few in England); and that the Opportunity of Time cannot be let slip, without a very great Prejudice by Addition in Matter of Price.

"I cannot with too much Sense and Sadness of Thoughts apprehend the Danger that inevitably threatens the Safety of His Majesty's Dominions, if timely Care be not had in the Premises; which, in Testimony of my Duty, and Performance of my Trust, I cannot do less than represent to your Lordship.

"I have this Evening received Letters and other Papers from Milford-Haven, setting forth the distracted Condition of those Parts, which I have sent up to the Committee of both Kingdoms. They came accompanied with Captain William Rigby a Prisoner, whom I have directed to be kept in safe Custody at Portsmouth, till the Parliament or the Committee shall please to command him to London; he being suspected to be the unhappy Instrument of the late Calamities in Lancashire, by his treacherous Compliance with the Enemy.

"And so, desiring your Lordship to impart this Letter to my noble Lords the House of Peers (having myself communicated the same in Substance to the House of Commons), together with the Tender of my humble Service, I take Leave, and rest,

"Your Lordship's
Humble Servant,
Warwicke."

Aboard The James, in Portland Roade, 1 Julii, 1644.

Post meridiem.

PRAYERS, by Dr. Smith.

Domini præsentes fuerunt:

Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker.

Archbishop of Cant's Trial.

The Archbishop of Canterbury made his Defence to the Evidence given against him this Morning.

Ordered, That this House will proceed further in the Trial of the Archbishop of Canterbury on Monday next come Sevennight.

Adjourn.

House adjourned till 9^a cras.