House of Lords Journal Volume 6: 13 July 1644

DIE Sabbati, 13 die Julii.

PRAYERS, by Mr. Salaway.

Domini præsentes fuerunt:

Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker.

Letter from the Earl of Denbigh.

A Letter from the Earl of Denbigh to the Speaker of this House, was read. (Here enter it.)

Letter from the Earl of Warwick.

A Letter of the Earl of Warwicke's, Lord Admiral, concerning Captain Fletcher, was read, concerning some Allowance to be allowed him for his Maintenance.

Message to the H. C. with an Order for the Thanksgiving.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Mr. Serjeant Whitfield and Mr. Serjeant Fynch:

To desire their Concurrence in an Ordinance concerning the keeping the Day of Public Thanksgiving for the Victory near Yorke.

Message to them, about taking off the Earl of Bedford's Sequestration;

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Sir Rob't Rich and Mr. Page:

1. To desire their Expedition in the Desire of the Earl of Bedford, mentioned in his Petition, for taking off the Sequestration from his Estate.

with the Earl of Warwick's Letter;

2. To communicate unto them the Lord Admiral's Letter concerning Captain Fletcher, with Recommendations.

and Mr. Fortescue's.

3. To deliver to them Mr. Anthony Fortescue's Letter, concerning the Delivery of his Goods seized.

Colours, &c. taken at the Battle at York.

This Day Captain Steward brought divers Commissions of the Earl of Newcastle's, and a Letter, which were taken at the Battle near Yorke, with many Colours and Ensigns of the Enemy's.

Ld. Hunsdon accused by the Commons;

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Mr. Jepson; who said, "He was commanded, by the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses assembled in Parliament, to accuse, in their Name, and in the Name of all the Commons of England, and did accuse, John Lord Hunsdon of High Treason, for adhering to the Enemies of the King and Parliament; and they did desire their Lordships to sequester him from Parliament, and to secure his Person in safe Custody."

The Lord Hunsdon, being present, desired Leave to speak a few Words, which the House gave him Leave to do.

Then he humbly desired that there might be a speedy Proceeding in this Business, that so his Innocency might the sooner appear.

And afterwards he withdrew.

committed to the Black Rod.

And the House taking this into Consideration; Ordered, That the Lord Hunsdon shall be committed to the safe Custody of the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, until the further Pleasure of this House be known; and that he be sequestered from Parliament.

The Answer returned was:

Answer to the H. C.

That, according to the Desire of the House of Commons, their Lordships have taken a Course to sequester the Lord Hunsdon from Parliament, and have secured his Person.

Trial of the Pix.

Ordered, That the Earls of Kent and Bolingbrooke are hereby appointed Committees, to join with a Committee of the House of Commons, for the Trial of the Monies in the Pix in the Mint in The Tower of London, on Monday next.

Propositions of The States Ambassadors.

Next, was read the Propositions in English, delivered by the Ambassadors of The States of the (fn. 1) United Provinces; together with a Memorandum of divers Ships which have been taken, for which Reparation is required.

Mrs. Roach's Cause.

Ordered, That the Escheator of the City of London shall attend this House on Wednesday next, concerning Mrs. Roche's Business.

"Credence des Ambassadeurs de l' Estat au Parlement du Royaulme d' Angleterre:

States Ambassadors Credentials.

"Les Estats Generaulx des Provinces Unies du Paisbas, a tous ceulx qui ces Presentes verront, Salut. Comme ainsi soit, que pour l' Avancement du Bien & Repos du Royaulme d' Angleterre, nous avons jugé À propos d'envoyer par dela de nostre Part quelques Personnages de Qualité; et estants pleinement informez de la Suffisance, Prudence, Fidelité, et Diligence, des Sieurs Guillaume Boreel, Sieur de Duynbeke, Westhoven, Domburel, Conseillier et Premier Pensionaire de la Ville d'Amsterdam, Jean de Reede, Sieur de Reinswoude, du Corps de nostre Assemblée, nos Ambassadeurs Extraordinaires, et le Sieur Albert Joachimi, Chevalier, Sieur d'Oostende en Oedekenskerke, nostre Ambassadeur Ordinaire, leurs avons donné, comme nous donnons par ceste, Pouvoir de presenter aux Orateurs respectiss des deux Maisons du dict Royaulme, ceste Authorisation, pour en suitte d'icelle estre 'dmis aux Besoignes, qu'ils auront À desmeller avec les dictes deux Maisons, en vertù de leur Instruction.

"Faict À la Haye, en nostre Assemblée soubs nostre Contre-seel en Cire rouge, Paraphare et Signature de nostre Greffier, le xxxi^me de Decembre, Mil Six Cents Quarante-trois, estroit paraphé Fr. V. Donia^VT. plus basestoit escrit par Ordonnance des Hauts et Puissants Seigneurs Les Estats Generaulx, et signé Corn. Musch, 1643."

Paper from The States Ambassadors, proposing a Treaty, by Commissioners, between the King and the Two Houses.

"Right Honourable Lords and Commons,

"From the very Beginning of the Restauration of the Liberty of the Republic of The United Provinces of the Low Countries, the High and Mighty Lords, our Lords The States General, their chiefest Wishes and Desires have ever been, to see that the King of Greate Brittaine and these Kingdoms might be perpetually maintained and preserved in a good Concord, Peace, and Union; by which nothing could befall them but all Safety and Advantage; and that for Three principal Reasons:

"First, That these Kingdoms, being the greatest and the strongest Body which having received and maintained the Profession of the true Christian Protestant Religion, and conserving itself so well, it might also contribute much, yea by Fame and Reputation itself, to the Conservation of States confederate and Friends, and of all the other Protestant Churches established and spread through whole Europe.

"Secondly, That these Kingdoms, by their Situation, Commodities, Traffic, and Navigation, and their Republic being so nearly combined by their common Interest of State and Religion, our Lords might rest assured, that the Interests of the King and these Kingdoms being so mightily advanced and conserved by the same Means, those of The Low Countries could not be but well conserved.

"And Thirdly, That this intestine Peace, Union, and Concord (which Prosperity and Weal ordinarily accompanies), continuing here, that not only the King and Kingdoms should be able to maintain and preserve themselves; but that the States confederate and Friends, or the good Cause of the Protestant Religion in other Parts, unjustly suffering (as formerly it hath been, and yet this Day is too much perceived), they might ever find their Refuge and Azyle, their Succour and their Aid, against all those who on the contrary Part of other States and Churches should undertake to undermine the true Foundation of the Happiness of these flourishing Kingdoms; for, your Situation being well considered, you are in yourselves, as a World apart, separated from many Inconveniences of the other.

"You have all your Commodities at Home, not only which are necessary, and for your Pleasure and Delight, but also in such Plenty that you are able to communicate them to other Nations your Neighbours.

"The Sea doth serve you for a Ditch and Bulwark; and your Power by Sea is able to maintain you in your Felicity, and to exempt and free you from all Foreign Enemies.

"So that the Good of your own Conservation, and the Cause of your Evil and Ruin, could not be necessitated nor found elsewhere but at Home, and within yourselves.

"And certainly the Kings and Queens formerly have done notable Assistances for the Maintenance and Conservation of the true Religion, and of many States which had Need thereof; amongst which, our Lords do profess themselves as much obliged and bound as any other.

"And the King and these Kingdoms shall yet in Time be able to do the like Assistance, as well for the present (now there is so great a Necessity as for the future), provided you conserve yourselves in that Concord and Union, which heretofore hath made, and shall ever make, you mighty and redoubted.

"From hence it is, that the common Enemies of the Peace of Christendom, and their Agents, who (long since) have framed and forged the Design of an universal Monarchy of whole Europe, yea of the whole World; seeing and perceiving with an envious and malicious Eye your former Happiness, your flourishing State, and your Power, and that there was nothing so contrary and dreadful to their vast Conceptions than your Opposition.

"To hurt and weaken, yea to ruin you if they had been able, they have heretofore used all Violence, and the Strength of great Fleets and Armies; but in vain, and without Success.

"They have at last not been able to act a better Play than that which is most familiar to them, and which often hath helped them to the Ruin of many great States, which have not been so circumspect and prudent as you are: It is so, Right Honourable, that quitting Violence in a profound Peace which they had with you, and during the Time of the same, they have sown amongst you the Seeds and Weeds of Discord and Dissention, as well in Politic as Church Businesses, and shall ever foment them, whence they could assure themselves of a certain Profit, what End soever the said Dissentions might take.

"And by these Means, and their accustomed Craft, they have proposed to obtain by intestine Troubles you should weaken yourselves; and, making you less mighty and less dreadful, and no Ways considerable, you might serve at last (which God avert) to the inglutting of their insatiable Ambition, to the Destruction of the true Religion, and of all that which may be dear and recommendable to you; as we see already brought to pass in Ireland, where the Cruelties, Murders, horrible and unheardof Slaughters, have been perpetrated with Effusion of so much innocent Blood, to the total Destruction of the true Protestant Religion, and to the great Danger of the State itself.

"Our Lords, seeing these Misunderstandings, Troubles, and Miseries, here already grown to so great an Extremity, and be so highly interested in your Well-being, have esteemed fit and timely to send us their Ambassadors to this Kingdom, to offer to the King and to His Parliament our Service and Mediation.

"To help (if acceptable) to remove and take away the Jealousies which are, and might be, and to compose the Dissentions by the mild Ways of an (fn. 2) amicable Conference.

"And our said Lords declare, That they have not been moved hereto by any Presumption, or to intrude themselves in the Business of a great King and of these mighty Kingdoms, but only to acquit themselves of the Office and Duty of a good Friend; and also to acknowledge in this Occasion the great Obligation which the King and these Kingdoms have upon our Republic.

"Our Lords further do persuade themselves, that no other State in the World but theirs shall be found more fit and acceptable (in their Opinion) to interpose itself in the Mediation of an Accommodation and Re-union between His Majesty and His Parliament, and to whose Interposition more Credit might be given without all Suspicion.

"For the Honour, Greatness, and Prosperity of the King and these Kingdoms is by Reflexion the same for our Republic; and, on the contrary, your Evil is to us a very great Affliction and a most sensible Evil.

"From thence may be taken this firm Assurance, that the Aim of our Mediation shall not be to recommend an Accommodation and Reconciliation feigned and painted without, nor prejudicial and not assured within.

"But to procure a true Re-union, sincere and perfect, founded upon the Basis of the true Religion and Justice, which shall re-establish respectively the good Correspondence, Confidence, Love, and the Respects between the King and His Parliament, and between all the good Subjects of these great Kingdoms.

"The King hath so much approved of the Reasons and Proffers of our said Lords, that His Majesty hath accepted on His Part our Interposition, and hath consented to a Conference between Commissioners to be sent from both Parties (if you find it good); and that you shall chuse the Place, the Time, and the Number of the Persons, who shall be employed in this Action.

"Right Honourable, now we come unto you by Command of our Superiours, to make the same Proffer of Mediation, and to understand whether also it may be agreeable and acceptable unto you. We have always observed, that your good Inclinations have been carried to Peace, if you receive Satisfaction to your just and reasonable Demands; your Wisdoms also may well judge, that the Way of Arms is not always the surest, their Successes being very uncertain, and which changeth its Face in a Moment.

"The good Cause which is proposed doth not always promise an assured and certain Success; for we are all Men, and God sometimes permits the good Cause to suffer for our Sins.

"All War is an Affliction and Punishment of God; in which we are not to take Delight, when we can be freed of it upon honest and sure Terms and Conditions, that the Wrath of God be no longer provoked against us.

"It is to be considered also, if no reasonable Accommodation be found, that the Decision of your Differences by Arms is not to be expected so soon; but rather, on the contrary, that it shall be the Cause of perpetuating the Wars in these Kingdoms, because the King shall ever live in His Royal Posterity, and the Parliament never dies; to suscitate always the former evil Successes by new Wars, which at Length shall cause the total Ruin and Destruction of State and Religion, only to the great Advantage of the common Enemy of our Faith.

"Right Honourable, if it please you to make Use of our Intercession, unto which the King consented at our First Proposition and Offer, we promise you to proceed and labour in it with all Sincerity and Fidelity, as Ambassadors sent by your best Friends and Allies, making Profession of One and the same Religion.

"And we shall spare no Endeavour, Travail, nor Pains (by the good Will which His Majesty hath declared to us and by your good Intention), to make the Affections of our Lords succeed to such Perfection, that the King and His Parliament, and all good and loyal Subjects of the King and Lovers of their Country, shall find their desired Contentment and Tranquillity with all Assurance.

"Right Honourable, we must yet add these few Words, That your Troubles and Wars trouble and endamage us also; for many Merchants and Masters of Ships daily present themselves to our Lords The States Generall, and to us here, with their Complaints, that your Men and Ships of War trouble their Course of Trading and Traffic, and take their Goods and Ships, without any just Cause, and without Reason and any Right at all, as may be seen by a Memorandum hereunto annexed; which you are desired to take Notice of, and to give Order for Restitution and Reparation of the Damages sustained for the present, and to take such Course that in the future the like Excesses be prevented.

"And if any Doubts be found in the said Memorandum, that it may please you to appoint us some Commissioners to settle the Points of which we are complaining, as it shall be found to agree with Reason.

"Ships, Merchandizes, and other Goods, of which the High and Mighty Lords The States Generall of The United Provinces of the Low Countries demand by their Ambassadors the due Restitution, and Payment of all Damages and Interests.

Restitutions demanded by The States General, from the Parliament.

"First, The Restitution of the Ships, Goods, and Merchandizes, which have been taken by some Ships of the Parliament of England, within the Haven and Ports of the Provinces of Holland; videlicet,

"The Thomas Bonaventure, Mr. Thomas Sharper.
The Pawel of Rotterdam, Mr. W'm Smiets.
The Goulden Parrett, Mr. Ditlytt Muller.

"Which Ships my Lord Admiral the Earl of Warwick hath promised to the Lords Ambassadors aforesaid, not only to restore them, but also to have them brought to the same Places in Holland where they were taken; and, upon this Condition, Captain Zachary, with his Ship arrested, hath been discharged in Holland, and is returned here to London.

"Secondly, The Restitution of the Ships and their Merchandizes, with Reparation of all the Damages sustained, as followeth:

"The Tygre of Rotterdam, Mr. Cornelis Lenderson Valik.
The Pellican of Rotterdam, Mr. Cornelis Joppen.
The Tygre of Amsterdam, belonging to John Coemans and others.

"Which Holland Ships, with their Merchandizes, have been taken at Sea by the Parliament Ships, only upon Pretence that they went to trade, or had traded, in the Ports and Havens under the Obedience of His Majesty of Great Britt. which is or shall be ever free, according to the Law and Nature, and the contrary hath never been notified unto them; nor could it be prohibited in Justice and Reason, and the Custom of all Nations.

"Thirdly, The Restitution of the Ship and Merchandizes, as followeth:

"The Black Grayhound, Mr. John Alberts, of Amsterdam.

"Which Ship, trading at Exeter, at the Time when the said City was in the Obedience of the Parliament, and having been forced to serve the King, hath been surprized by those of the Parliament, and as a Prize brought up to London; though she cannot be made a lawful Prize for one nor other, being a Holland Ship, belonging to Subjects of Holland, and forced as well into the one as the other Service.

"Fourthly, The Restitution of the Ship and Goods, The Julian of Amsterdam, taken with Corn, going from Amsterdam, to St. Malo in France.

"And there could be no Reason at all in the World why the said Ship should have been seized, and be still detained, since she is a Holland Ship, laden with Merchandizes of Holland, going out of One of Holland Ports, to a Place and Town of France, which is in Amity with the Parliament, which could not be prohibited upon any Pretext in the World.

"Fifthly, The Restitution of Corn, belonging to Merchants of Amsterdam, laden at Dantzy, to be transported to St. Sebastian in Biscay, by a Ship called The Simson of Bristoll, at the Time when the said Town of Bristoll, as could not (fn. 3) have been known to the contrary, was said to be under the Obedience of the Parliament; and the changing of which could not in any Case endamage the Goods of a Nation which is Neuter.

"Sixthly, The due Payment to James Ablyn, of Amsterdam, for certain Bills of Exchange to him given by the Commissioners of King and Parliament then at Dublyn, by reason of some Merchandizes of his ordered to the said Ablin, to furnish for the Service of the State, and the Payment of which hath already been ordered by the Parliament, of which he expects still the Satisfaction.

"Seventhly, The Restitution and Reparation of Damage sustained, to John Peeverson Van Ulieland, Master of his Ship, which, coming from Norway to Sunderland, where the Scotts Army was, hath there been seized, taken, and very ill used in his Person, and could not obtain here at London more than a Part of his Goods, and, by Necessity, great Delays, and Charges for the maintaining of himself and Mariners, is undone, if he receiveth not Reparation of all Damages sustained, to the Sum demanded in his Petition.

"Eighthly, The Restitution and Satisfaction to Adriaen Hendrie and Abraham Van De Couter, Dutch Merchants of the Intercourse, of their Ship The Will'm and Frederic, and her Lading of Salt, which hath been taken from them and employed in the Parliament's Service, as appears by their Petition.

"Ninthly, The Restitution of the Ship and Goods of Will'm Herris Merchant, and Burgess of Rotterdam, which Ship, called The Godspeede, returning from the Mideteranean Sea to Rotterdam, hath been taken by the Parliament's Ships, and brought up to London, without any valid Cause of any Pretext.

"Tenthly, The Restitution of a little Ship of Two and Thirty Ton, called The Blacke Goate, going from Amsterdam to Lisbon, loaden with Ammunition and Merchandizes, brought to the Isle of Wight the 20th of June last, Master of the Ship Henry Claes Van Ulieland, and Commissary Drick Johnson of Enkhuysen.

"Eleventhly, The Restitution of the Ship and Goods of Peter Quirynsen, of Rotterdam; the said Ship, called The Hope, going to Exeter, and laden with Merchandizes permitted, with the Silver or Money taken out of Two Men of War of my Lords The States, belonging to the Merchants who had freighted the said Ship.

"Twelfthly, The Restitution of a Ship of Flushinge, called The Sampson, going to Dublyn, with his Merchandize and Lading; which Ship, being by those that took it detained at Sea, cannot be claimed in the Court of Admiralty here at London, which hath had no Knowledge nor Judicature at nor upon it."