hoftility to

Whereas the answer was only given upon compulfion, after a formal divifion had left no Alleged alternative. He fays that the real fecret of ground of the hoftility difplayed to Palmer, and the reason Palmer. why the angry men preffed with all their power that he might be expelled the House, was that they had borne him a long grudge for the civility he showed as one of the managers in the profecution of the Earl of Strafford, in that he had not used the fame reproachful language which the others had done: "Whereas No truth the men moft eager to protect Palmer were notoriously those who, like Culpeper, Falkland, and even Hyde himself, had shown least mercy or forbearance to Strafford. Finally he says,* that in the close of the day, when the divifion was taken against Palmer, and on the rifing of the House, an order was obtained, without much oppofition, for the printing of the Remonftrance: Whereas two days were occupied by averment the Palmer debate, and not even an attempt was

therein.

Falfe

Hift. ii. 48-9.

I give the entire paffage, taking it up from where the paffage previously quoted (ante, p. 336) ends. As he there mentions, he had appealed to the Houfe whether there was Clarendon any precedent of the like: "and there is no doubt," he continues, "there never had been; and it was very irregular. "But they were too pofitively refolved to be diverted; and, "after two hours debate, he himself defired, 'that to fave the "House farther trouble, he might anfwer and withdraw'— "which he did. When it drew towards night, after many "hours debate, it was ordered that he should be committed 66 to the Tower; the angry men preffing with all their power, "that he might be expelled the Houfe: having borne him a "long grudge, for the civility he showed in the profecution "of the Earl of Strafford; that is, that he had not used the "fame reproachful language which the others had done... "And in the clofe of that day, and the rifing of the House, "without much oppofition, they obtained an order for the "printing their Remonftrance."

made during either to smuggle in any order for as to the printing. When it was done, it was done printing. openly, but the time for it was even yet not come.

Such are the deliberate averments of Clarendon; and fuch in each cafe the complete difproof which a fimple statement of the fact enables me to give.

§ XXII. PETITION TO ACCOMPANY REMON

STRANCE.

Debate:

27th Nov.

SATURDAY, the 27th of November, was the Eleventh day named for reception of the report of the Committee appointed to draw the Petition to the King; defigned, in accordance with Pym's fuggeftion, to accompany the Remonftrance. It was ushered in by threatening omens. Charles was now arrived from Scotland, and had King's been received with magnificent entertainment arrival. in the City, on the previous Thursday. He had returned afterwards to Whitehall in fuch elation and excitement as rarely was witneffed in him; between that evening and the following day, when he proceeded to Hampton Court, had given Nicholas the feals which were held by Impolitic Windebank; had deprived old Vane (whofe acts. Treasurer's staff had been taken from him at York) of his Secretary ship; had seen privately Culpeper, Falkland, and "Ned Hyde;" had directed a proclamation to be iffued for more Order as implicit obedience to the laws established for to Religion. the exercise of religion; and had given order for the immediate difmiffal of thofe Trained Bands employed upon guard at the two Houses, which, as we have feen, upon the receipt of

ment

Guard to Hampden's dispatch out of Scotland anparlia nouncing the plots against the leaders of the difmiffed. Covenant, had been ordered up for their protection, and fince had guarded them by night and day. He had alfo taken the refolution, though the act was deferred for yet a few days, to remove Col. Balfour from the command of the Tower, and to appoint Col. Lunsford in his place. The temper of the House at fuch report as had reached them of these incidents was not flow in revealing itself.

Excitement in House.

Prayers had just been faid when Hampden rofe in his place; made a statement as to a Buckinghamshire papift, one Adam Courtney, fufpected of connivance in the plot now proved against the King's officers to bring up the Hampden Army to overawe the Parliament; and, profpeaking ducing the minute pieces and fragments of certain letters which Courtney had torn up on his arrest, defired that they should be deciphered by the army committee then fitting, by whom alfo the delinquent could be

Question

as to Guard.

King's meffage.

*The order had been given by the King on the evening of his arrival, Thursday, the 25th. Early on Friday morning Pym reported to the Houfe that, whereas, heretofore, a Guard had been fet, at the defire of the Commons, in respect of the multitude of foldiers, and other loose perfons, infesting the precincts of Westminster, and was afterwards continued by both Houses, and the Lord Chamberlain [Effex], who had a commiffion to be Lord General on this fide Trent, took a care concerning the fame; but now, upon His Majesty's return, he hath furrendered his commiffion, and the Lords have received a message from his Majefty, to be communicated to both Houfes, that the Guard, that had been fet in his ab"fence, perhaps was done upon good grounds, but now his prefence is a fufficient guard to his people; and therefore it is his pleasure they thould be difcharged; and, if need be to have a Guard hereafter, his Majefty will be as glad to "have a Guard as any other,"

for de

brought up from Aylesbury gaol and examined. After him rofe Mr. Oliver Crom- Oliver well, to call attention to a grofs flander against Cromwell. the House of which he held the proofs in his hand, and by which it seemed that "one "whom he named not left he fhould with"draw himself" had given out that the principal members had been alarmed on feeing the intended City entertainment to his Majesty announced, and had fent privately to the faid City to induce them not to entertain him. After Cromwell, Mr. Strode prefented himself, to move that fome courfe might be Suggestion taken for putting the kingdom in a posture fence of of defence, in which he was feconded by Sir kingdom. Thomas Barrington and Sir Walter Earle; and, upon the fuggeftion of the fame active member, a committee of feven was named to draw up the whole proof of the first design to bring up the Army to overawe the House, and to prepare for introduction at the next fitting a bill for the "future commanding of "the Arms and the Trained Bands of the "kingdom." The member for Beeralfton Referred alfo moved that reasons should at once be to Comsented to his Majefty for the continuance of the Guard over both Houses, and that these

pre

mittee.

This was on Saturday; and on the morning of the fol- Tuesday, lowing Tuesday, the 30th of November, Pym prefented thofe 20th Nov. reafons in a remarkable report which fhows how thoroughly exifting dangers were appreciated, and how much was thus early fufpected of the King's moft cherished defign. Already,

in a second reply to a further petition on the fubject of the con- King's tinuance of the Guard, his Majefty had all but confeffed his defign as purpose of gathering an armed force around his perfon. So tender was he of the Parliament's safety, he protested, "that to "fecure them, not only from real, but even imaginary dangers,

to Guard.

Perfonal reafons.

Pym's

counter reafons.

Plots in progrefs.

should be drawn by the fame committee to whom it had been referred to prepare the Petition to accompany the Remonftrance.

"he had commanded the Earl of Dorfet to appoint fome of "the Trained Bands to wait upon the Parliament for a few "days; in which time, if he fhould be fatisfied that there is "just reafon, he would continue them, and likewife take fuch a courfe for the fafety of his own perfon as should be fit." Quietly difregarding this intimation, Pym's report was an elaborate expofition of reafons for continuing the existing Guard, under their own officers. It adverted to the great number of diforderly, fufpicious, and defperate perfons, efpecially of the Irish nation, lurking in obfcure alleys and victualling houfes in the fuburbs and other places near London and Westminster. It described the jealousy conceived upon discovery of the defign in Scotland, for the furprifing of the perfons of divers of the nobility, members of the parliament there, which had been spoken of here, fome few days before it broke out, not without fome whispering intimation that the like was intended against divers perfons of both Houses: which had found the more credit, by reafon of the former attempt of bringing up the army, to difturb and enforce this parliament. It enlarged upon the confpiracy in Ireland, and indicated the alarming evidence exifting that fomething of the like was defigned in England and Scotland. It hinted at divers advertisements coming at the fame time from beyond sea, "that there fhould be a great alteration of religion in England "in a few days, and that the necks of both the parliaments "fhould be broken." It inftanced the recent divers examinations and dangerous speeches of the popish and discontented party; and the fecret meetings and confultations of the papifts in feveral fhires and diftricts. And its authors concluded that for thefe confiderations a Guard was neceffary; for they did conceive there was just cause to apprehend that there was fome wicked and mischievous practice still in hand Attack on to interrupt the peaceable proceedings of the parliament. Nor Parlia- lefs neceflary did they confider it that the Earl of Effex should be continued in the command. "For preventing whereof it "is fit the Guard fhould be continued under the fame com"mand, or fuch other as they should choose; but to have it "under the command of any other, not chofen by themselves, "they can by no means confent to; and will rather run any "hazard, than admit of a precedent fo dangerous both to this "and future parliaments. And they humbly leave it to his "Majefty to confider whether it will not be fit to fuffer his High Court of parliament to enjoy that privilege of providing "for their own fafety, which was never denied other inferior

ment

expected.

Unfafe without