servaunts here are much disheartened that they are kept soe long in darknes in a busines soe highly importing yo'hon', & yo' Maties owne person. Iexpected a let from y Queene for yo' Matie this day, but I beleeve her Matie pu'poses to send her let's by an expresse; for that there are none come from her Matie as yet to be conveyed by Yo' sacred Matic Most humble & most WESTMINSTER, 21° 8bris, 1641. EDW. NICHOLAS. EDEN: 28: "For yo' sacred Matie " "Yours apostyled." Apost: 28 8bris-R. Io Nobris, at 5 at night, by Mr. Wm. Murray. Sir Edward Nicholas to the King. May it please yo' most excellent Matie, I receaved Satterday night last yo' Maties of ye 18th pesent, & have safely delivered yo' Maties to ye Queene & my Lo: Keeper: the messenger that was sent wth yo' Maties said l'ter, (bruysing himself wth a fall from his horse soe as he was not able to ride) sent yo' Maties to me single by ye ordinary post, wch made me suspect that it had bene intercepted, but it came very safe. I have alreddy made known to diverse Lodds & others yo' Maties pious resoluc'on to mainteyne constantly ye doctryne & disciplyne of ye Church of England, & have by their advise delivered extracts (of what yo' Matie hath written) to diverse of yo' Maties servaunts, that yo' piety therein may be vnderstood by yo' good people here. The Queene sent Sr Wm Ballatine from hence on Friday last, & he going im❜ediately from Oatlands wthout calling here, I lost ye opportunity of sending by him, but I pepared my l'ter of ye 23th reddy for him, wch I have now sent by this gent. Mr. Tho. Elliot. Wee here begin to app hend that in ye great troubles there, some of yo Maties packets may miscarry, & therefore I held it my duty to let you Matie vnderstand, that since myne of ye 12th (wch yo' Matie hath return'd) I have sent to yo' Matie lets of ye 15th I haue re& 18th, both we were addressed in packets to ye D. ceaued them of Richmond, & afterwards 2 other packets of ye 20th & 21th directed to Mr. Th'rer. all & thease also. Bid my ser of this objec bee. As concerning ye adiournem' of ye P'liam' here, my Lo: Keeper tells me, that he hath, by his l'ter It is trew. sent in myne of ye 21th fully acquainted yor Matie how y expectac❜on was here frustrated. The Vpper House did Satterday last reade ye Bill transmitted to them by y Comons, for taking away ye votes of B", & intend (as I heare) to speede it as fast as may be, uants make notwithstanding it is said to be against y auntient as much vse order of P❜liam' to bring in a Bill againe the same tion as may Sessions, that it was reiected.' Yo' Maties best servaunts here remayne still in great payne, that in all this tyme they have not receaved any pefect relac'on of ye late disorders at Edinb: concerning Mar: Hamilton & y rest, & they are the more impatient, in regarde they heare that some of ye Com'ons house have coppyes of ye examinac'ons taken in that busines, & other aduertisem" touching ye same. I beseech God to send yo' Matie forth of that laberinth of troubles there, & a safe & hoble returne for Engl: wch willbe most welcome to all honnest men here, and to none more then to Yo' sacred Maties Most humble and most obedient servaunt, WESTMINSTER, 25o 8bris, 1641. EDEN. 30. EDW. NICHOLAS. Written by the King: "I hope this ill newes of Ireland2 may hinder some of theas follies in England." "For yor sacred Matie " "Yours apostyled.” 25° 8bris 1641. Apost. 30 8bris. Rec. 4° Nobris in y morning. 1 The Lords, however, did not proceed so far, until, on the 22nd of October, the House of Commons sent up Mr. Holles to put them in mind of their complaint exhibited against the thirteen Bishops who made the last new Canons, and to pray a speedy proceeding therein." 2 This is an allusion to the rebellion which broke out on VOL IV. H Hen. Vane Sir Edward Nicholas to the King. May it please yo' most excellent Matie, I sent to yo' Matie ye 25th of this pesent 2. let" by Mr. Elliot, & ye same night I receaved yo' Maties apostile of ye 20th, and pesently sent away yo' Maties to ye Queene, & delivered that to my Lo: Keeper. I shall forthwth deliver yo' Maties warrt to St Job Harby, & hasten y dispatch of that busines. I have herein sent yor Matie a coppy of an order wil returne made by the Peers concerning y jurisdic'con of y Archb❜. of Cant. In this packet there is sent to yo Matie by my Lod. of London severall Bills for yo Maties signiture for ye new BPs, wth a ltr from his Lo touching that busines. all those syned by mee w'th this Packe to my L: of Lon: There is still kept here a strict garde & watch about ye Parliam' houses of 100. of ye trayned bands, besides diverse other watchmen: ye petence is an app hension of some conspiracy of ye Papists against ye P'liam here, answerable to that against some Lods in Scotl: & ye alarme of popishe plots amuse and fright ye people here, more then any thing, & therefore that is ye drum that is soe frequently beaten uppon all occasions; & ye noyse of an intenc'on to the 25th of October. The King's memorandum, or apostyle, is dated the 30th. The return of the letter to Sir Edward, on the 4th of November, is a further proof of the rapidity with which, upon occasion, news might travel at that period. As for Ireland generally, and the King's notion of the value of a parliamentary mode of government there, it may be worth quoting an anecdote preserved in an old tract in the British Museum; where, in conversation with the Earl of Pembroke, in March 1641, his Majesty is reported to have said, "The businesse of Ireland will never be done in the way that you are in; four hundred will never do that work; it must be put in the hands of one. If I were trusted with it, I would pawn my head to end that work. And though I am a beggar myself, yet (speaking with a strong asseveration) I can find moneye for that." This is the same person to whom, in 1642, the Lord Keeper Lyttelton delivered the Great Seal, when the King sent him for it. Lyttelton, terrified at what he had done, fled immediately afterwards to join the King at York. May states him to have been "a young gentleman, and Groom of the Privy Chamber to his Majesty." introduce Popery was that wch first brought into dislike wth the people ye governement both of ye Church and Comonwealth. I have not bene sparing to make knowne yo' Maties pious resoluc'on to mainteyne ye doctrine & disciplyne of the Church of Engl: wth I perceave gives very good satisfac'on. with the to bee waranted My Lo: Keeper having occasion to wayte on yo I comand Queene this day, did yesterday move ye House for you to speake leave, & tould their Los that my Lo: Bankes had a Keeper & co'misson dormant to be Speaker in his absence, but Bankes ye Lods said they would chuse their owne Speaker, & see if it can soe named ye Lo. P. Seale,' whereupon my Lo. Keeper by anie reute said he would (to avoide all question) rather stay, but or president ye Lods pressed him not to forbeare his iourney, least Vpper House ye Queene might take it ill, & soe his Lo' goes this may chuse day to Oatlands, & ye Lo. P. Seale is to be Speaker speaker. in his absence. that the there doe well to Judge Berkley was yesterday att ye bar in ye Vpper House, & there heard his charge read, to wch he pleaded not guilty, & made a prudent answeare; whereupon tyme is given him till Tuesday next to produce witnesses concerning soe much of his charge as relates to misdemeanors. The House of Com'ons You shall did yesterday by vote declare, that ye 13 Bishops," put the B. of (who are questioned for making ye new cannons,) Lincolne in ought not to haue vote in ye Lods House in any cerning the busines & they are this day to have a conference wth ye Lods thereupon, & also touching y excluding of all ye Bps from voting in ye Bill (wch is passed y for a preCom'ons House) to take away totally ye BPs votes.* : 1 Henry Earl of Manchester. 2 He was Justice of the King's Bench; was committed to the Tower by the Lords on a charge of high treason, and afterwards fined in the sum of 20,000l., besides being declared incapable of all further administration of justice. 3 These were Walter Carle, Bishop of Winchester; Robert Wright, B. Coventry and Lichfield; Godfrey Goodman, B. Gloucester; Joseph Hall, B. Exeter; John Owen, B. St. Asaph; William Piers, B. Bath and Wells; George Cook, B. Hereford; Matthew Wren, B. Ely; William Roberts, B. Bangor; Robert Skinner, B. Bristol; John Warner, B. Rochester; John Towers, B. Peterborough; Morgan Owen, B. Landaff. The Bill went further than Sir Edward reports, for it in mynde con pardon I thought fitt those 13 Eps should haue munire, that you may giue order to it in my the Atur: for All yo' Maties best servaunts here pray for yo' Maties name if he speedy & happy dispatch of affaires there, conceaving shall thinke yo' pesence would be of very much advantage to yo services here, & this is also y earnest prayer it fitt. Yo' sacred Maties of Most humble & most obedient servaunt, WESTMINSTER, 27° 8bris' 1641. EDEN 2: No : By the King: "I co'mande you to direct my L: Keeper in my name to issew out a Proclamac'on co'manding all Parlament Men to attend on the Parlament. "Thanke Southampton in my name, for stopping the Bill against the Bishops : &, that at my co'ming, I will doe it myselfe." "For yor sacred Matie." "Yours apostyled." 27 8bris Apost. 2°. 9bris.—R. 6o 9bris 1641 at 6. at night, by Mr. Brunker. Sir Edward Nicholas to the King. May it please yo' most excellent Matie, My last to yo' Matie was of ye 27th pesent, wch I sent by packet addressed to Mr. Th'rer. Yo" Maties long absence encourages some to talke in Parliam' of highe matters. It was yesterday in debate in ye Com'ons House, that ye Parliam' may have the approbac'on of all officers, councellors, amb'dors, and ministers, and yo' Matie ye nominac'on.' The reasons alleaged for cluded "Bishops and other persons in holy orders." It was to shut them not only out of Parliament, but also from the Privy Council, the Commission of the Peace, or the execution of " 'any temporal authority, by virtue of any commission." A pamphlet strongly marking the direction of the public feeling was at this time industriously and widely circulated, under the title of, "Lord Bishops none of the Lord's Bishops." 1 A highly figurative and elaborate speech was made on this occasion by "Master Smith, of the Inner Temple," which he has done posterity the favour to publish. In one part he observes: Prerogative and Liberty are both necessary to this kingdom; and, like the sun and moon, give a lustre to this benighted nation, so long as they walk at equal distances; but when one of them shall venture into the other's orb, like |