The Queen to Sir Edward Nicholas. : Maistre Nicholas, I haue reseaued your letter : and that you send me from the King: which writes me word he has been vere well reseaued in scotland: and that both the armie: and the people: have shued a creat joye to see the King: and such that theay say was neuer seen before: pray god it may continued for the letter that I writt to you counserning the commissionaires it is them that are toe dispatch bussinesse in the Kings absence: I thank you for your care of geuing me aduises of what passes at London: and soe I reste OTELANDS,' the 19 August. Your frand, HENRIETTE MARIE R. Indorsed," For Mistre Nicholas." In Sir E. N.'s writing: "19° Aug. 1641. The Queenes ler to me." Sir Edward Nicholas to the King. May it please yo' most excellent Matie, Yesterday I receaved yo' Maties of the 17th of this month, & in it one to the Queene, & another to my Lo: Keeper: I forthw" presented yo' Maties his assent on that day to several Bills both public and private, and then bade the Parliament farewell. The next day, Sunday, the Commons sat for the purpose of forming and presenting a petition on the subject. On the 9th, his Majesty again gave the royal assent to four Bills, and took leave a second time, telling the Parliament that he should return before Michaelmas, if possible. At two o'clock he set off, accompanied by the Elector Palatine and the Duke of Rich mond. 1 Oatlands at this time was the Queen's property, having been granted to her some years before, by the King, for her life. In the preceding year, 1640, her son, Henry of Oatlands, was born there. Oatlands had long been a royal mansion; but the house, which then stood on low ground, was pulled down during the Protectorate, with the exception of a small part, which was again given up to the Queen upon the Restoration. 2 Sir Edward Lyttelton, soon after created Lord Lyttelton. He succeeded Finch, and it was not inaptly said of him that he was a good Englishman, a good subject, and learned in the King's to the Queene, wch when she had read, her Matie comanded me to forbeare to deliver that to my Lo. Keeper, & took it into her owne custody, for that her Matie said it was written att her entreaty, & Apostyled in that there is now noe occasion for ye delivery of it, writing: as her Matie tells me she will by her next satisfy yo Matie, & I hope I have donne nothing but my duty year verrie in obeying her Maties comaund touching that letter. Satterday morning the Comittees did set forth towards Scotland, & that day the Peers adiourned their House till too-morrow it is conceaved there will not be much business donne now in P'liam't3 untill they shall understand of the arrivall and recepcon of their Comittees by yo' Matie, whereon all their eyes are fixed. The Constable of ye Tower is commanded by ye Lodes House forthwh to reside constantly in the Tower, & order is given (as I am credibly tould) that there shal be 40 souldiers added to reinforce that garrison, wch new soldiers are to be contynued & paid by the P'liam't here during yo' Maties absence. Upon a Conference had betweene both Houses, there is an order of P'liam't for ye present disarming the laws but, not having the same dexterity that his predecessor had, he was not so fitly qualified for his important trust in such perilous and critical times. 1 What is apostyled by the King will be printed in the margin of the passages so noted. 2 These Commissioners were appointed by both Houses on the 16th of August, with instructions to negotiate with the Scottish Parliament respecting the affairs of that kingdom. Their real mission was to counteract the anticipated effects of the King's presence in Scotland. 3 Here the Secretary hardly shows his usual discernment. The Commons had been very busy since the King's departure: having brought fresh charges against the impeached Bishops; voted Perry, Jermyn, and Suckling, guilty of high treason; and established a complaint against the Queen's Capuchin Friars. Though the King was gone, yet Commissioners were left to exercise the royal functions in Parliament, and the assent was given to the Bill for Tonnage and Poundage on the 16th of August. Before adjournment also, they had made fresh orders against the Recusants, and also for raising money speedily for the use of the army. right. of all Recusants,' and some Comittees of the Houses are appointed to see ye statutes on that behalf forthwh put in execucon. Upon consideracon of ye great ielousies that are raysed here & spread abroade, as if there were some intencons to make use of some of y armyes to ye preiudice of y Parliam', and upon the apparent delay that hath been used in y paying off, & disbanding ye English armye, wch hath bene cleerely throughe y negligence of those whom ye Parliam hath imployed in that service, I humbly beseech yo' Matie to give me leaue to offer to yor Matie conyour aduce sideracon, whether it may not be fitt for yo* Matie to the Keeper p'sently to wryte yo' l'res to the Speaker of one or being to that effect, onlie I both Houses, taking notice of y delay & sloth that would haue hath bene used in ye disbanding the armies, wch tice my wyfe have bene kept on foote here to ye great greeof it. vaunce of yo subets in ye North, & att a heavy Heerein I haue tane the inclosed you aduer charge to yo' kingdome in England in g'rall, notwithstanding yo' Matie hath from tyme to tyme by frequent speeches to both Houses often called upon them to ease this yo kingdome of that greevous burthen. Yo' Matie now understanding, that (when by y agreem wth the Scots all the Englishe forces are to be disbanded) ye Lo. G'rall hath advertised ye Houses that there wants 140. thousand pounds to finish that worke, therefore yor Matie may be pleased to quicken the Parliam here, & to let them know how sensible yo' Male is of ye long sufferings of yo people of England, & to comaund the Houses, (all other matters set apart,) forthwith to apply themselves to free this yo' kingdome of soe heavy & dayly a charge. Such a letter would let yo' people here see yo care & affec'on to them, & make appeare cleerely to the world that there is noe intenc'on on yor Maties pte to make use of the army here, as may be otherwise insinuated. 1 This originated in a complaint from the Commons to the Lords on the 17th of August, that the laws for disarming them were neglected, and that many of them were even screened by members of the Upper House. I humbly beg yo' Maties p'don for this bold & tedious discourse, wch is noe other than an effect of the dutifull affeccon of Yo' Maties most humble & most EDW. NICHOLAS. As I was closing this packet, I receaved one from Edenburgh, wherein was yo' Maties ler of the 19th p'esent: I shall lett my Lo. Keeper understand what yo' Matie hath comaunded me to deliver to my Lo. Ch. Justice Bankes (who is now in his circuit in Suffolke) touching ye 4 Irishe regiments,' and desire his LOPP (in ye others absence) to acquaint y Lodes House therewith. Yo' Maties le' of ye 19th p'sent I have sent to ye Queene. WESTMINSTER, 23o Aug. 1641. Under this date, in the King's writing, "EDEN. 28." Indorsed, For yor Matie" And signed by the King, "Yours apostyled." Likewise indorsed by Sir E. N. "My ler to ye King of ye 23 Aug. 1641. Apostiled ye 28th.” The King to Sir Edward Nicholas. Nicholas, I thanke you for the account you haue giuen by yours of the 14, comanding you still to continew the same course, as lykewais that in my name ye tell the same to my Lord Cheefe justice Bankes? also: So I rest EDEN 19 Aug: 1641. Your frend, CHARLES R. You must tell my L. Cheefe justice Bankes from When the Irish regiments were on the point of being disbanded, the Ambassadors of France and Spain made an application to the Parliament on the 14th of August for leave to hire several regiments for foreign service; but their application was refused. 2 Sir John Banks, who had succeeded Sir Edward Lyttelton as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. discretion may bee trusted greater maters. in me that I am so far now engaged to the Spanish Embassador1 for fower regiment, that I cannot now goe backe, for it was asseured me before I cam from London that bothe Houses were content, onlie it wanted the formalitie of voting: whereupon I gaue an absolute order for the leauing & transporting of those men, but also reiterated my promises to the Embassador: wherefor he must tell the Houses from me that thease leauies must not be stoped. C. R. Addressed: "For your selfe." Sir Edward Nicholas to the King. May it please yo' most excellent Matie, This morning about 6 o'clock I receaved by y hands of Mr. Murray yo' Maties of the 22th, & have acquainted my Lo. Keeper, that yo' Matie is well satisfyed wth his lett', whereof his LoPP is very glad, & acknowledgeth yo' Maties great goodnes to him in it. ties Before my receipt of yo" Maties last letter I had acquainted my Lo. Keeper (in ye absence of I see your my Lo. Ch. Justice Bankes) wh what yor Matie commanded me, touching yo" Mati engagem* for transportac'on of 4 regiments of Irishe for ye service of the Spanishe King, & why reasons of it, & his LOPP having that morning made ye same knowne to the Lodes, they thereupon had ye next day a conference whye Comons House, the result of wch conference is not as yet reported to ye Lodes House, but I am tould, that the Comons are very much against these 4 regiments going for Spayne, in regard it crosseth wth yo' Maties & ye Houses Declaration 1 Don Alonzo de Cardenas. This is noticed in the preceding letter. 2 On the 28th of August, when the House of Commons again took this affair into consideration, Sir Benjamin Rudyard spoke loudly against it, founding his objections principally upon the points here stated by Sir Edward Nicholas. The Commons then refused assent to the measure, in which the Lords agreed with them; and a letter, expressing their refusal, was sent to the King. |