House of Lords Journal Volume 8: 17 December 1645

Die Mercurii, 17 die Decembris.

Prayers, by Mr. Corbett.

Ds. Grey de Warke, Speaker.

Letter from Sir T. Glemham, inclosing One from the King.

The Speaker acquainted the House, "That Yesterdaynight a Messenger with a Trumpet brought him a Letter from Sir Tho. Gleman, Governor of Oxon, with a Letter therein inclosed from His Majesty: The Messenger was at the first brought to the Committee of Examination, and afterwards to the Committee of both Kingdoms, and thence to him."

The Letter.

"For the Right Honourable the Speaker of the House of Peers pro Tempore.

"My Lord,

"His Majesty hath commanded me to send the inclosed to your Lordship from Him, to be presented to the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England at Westm. And so I rest,

Oxford, 15 Dec. 1645.

"My Lord,

Your Lordship's humble Servant.

"Tho. Glemham."

Next, the Letter of the King's was read.

(Here enter it.)

Harcock to be Marshal of the Vice Admiralties of S. and N. Cornwall.

The Lord Robertes reported from the Committee of the Admiralty; videlicet,

"Ordered, That Jo. Hancock (a Person for his good and faithful Service well deserving of the State) be, from this Committee, presented to both Houses of Parliament, for their approving him to be Marshal of the Vice Admiralties of South and North Cornewall; and that, after such Approbation signified, he may be admitted thereunto accordingly, by Warrant from this Committee."

Which, being read, was approved of by the Lords in Parliament; and Ordered to be sent to the House of Commons, for their Concurrence: Which was accordingly sent, by Mr. Doctor Aylett and Mr. Doctor Heath.

Next, a Petition of the Earl of Holland was read, as follows:

E. of Holland's Petition, for some Allowance in Consideration of his Losses.

"To the High and Honourable Court of Parliament, the Lords and Commons assembled at Westm.

"The humble Petition of Henry Earl of Holland;

"That you will be pleased to permit him, after a long and silent Patience, to take so much Encouragement from the Examples of your Goodness to others, to present his Suits and present Condition unto you, occasioned by these Troubles; the rather, because that in most of them they may be looked upon as Marks of Honour fallen upon him, for his Obedience to the Public; and, since the Current both of his Affections and Actions hath ever carried him that Way, he cannot but presume to hope that One sudden Stream, broken out of his constant Course, shall not still bear up or carry such a Fault against all his other Actions as to make him uncapable of your Favour: But, because the Particulars are many, he humbly prayeth the most Honourable Houses to cast their Eyes upon this Paper annexed; and, though in some of the Particulars of his Losses he might be a Suitor to your Justice, yet he chooseth rather to submit himself to your Goodness, for such a Resolution and Determination in your Petitioner's Fortune, as may give a Subsistence to his Person and Family in some Measure suitable to his Condition; that shall then value it as most agreeable to his Heart, when it may be thus accompanied with the Marks of your Favour, as the Prosperity of your Councils shall always be with his Prayers.

"A Particular of such Losses as the Earl of Holland hath sustained in his Private Fortune, by reason of the Public Troubles.

Particular of his Losses.

"1. His Place of First Gentleman of His Majesty's Bed-chamber was taken from him, refusing to attend Him when He sent for his Person, or his Key, which he delivered to my Lord Fawkeland; to which Place, besides all other Profits, there belonged unto it a Diet of Sixteen Dishes, valued at Sixteen Hundred Pounds a Year.

"2. His Two Pensions of Two Thousand Pounds a Year apiece, payable unto him out of the King's Revenue in His Exchequer, which he constantly received until this Parliament.

"3. His Third Part of the Customs for Sea Coal exported is taken from him, for which he hath heretofore received One Thousand Three Hundred Pounds per Annum.

"4. The Seal-office for the King's Bench and Common Pleas, which yielded him before these Troubles Two Thousand Pounds per Annum clear Profit, for which he paid to the Executors of Sir Rob't Killigrew Twenty-one Thousand Pounds, hath for these Three Years and more afforded no Profit at all to him; he having paid to the Parliament upon Accompt all that was received in Lieu of the Rent (fn. 1) received to His Majesty.

"5. There is payable to him, out of the Exchequer, upon his Patent of the Justiceship in Eyre, the Yearly Sums of One Hundred Pounds, and One Hundred Marks, which are in Arrears for Four Years past, as likewise all his Fees and Profits, both of his Constableship of Windsor, and his Place of Lord High Steward to the Queen.

"6. His Majesty oweth him Twenty Thousand Pounds, the which he hath a Privy Seal for the greatest Part of it, besides Ten Thousand Pounds more given him under His Majesty's Hand, but never paid, for his Preparation and Expences when he took upon him the Command of the Army; in the disbanding whereof, it is not unknown to the Parliament, how perfect an Obedience and Fidelity the said Earl paid to all their Commands."

Message to the H. C. with it.

Ordered, That Doctor Aylett and Doctor Heath do To-morrow Morning carry down to the House of Commons this Petition, and the Paper of Losses of the Earl of Holland; with this Sense, "That the Lords, considering the good Affections which the Earl of Holland hath shewed unto the Public, do think fit that a Person who hath suffered so much in his Fortune for adhering to the Parliament should in some Measure be by them relieved."

Message to them, with the King's Letter; and for Committees to prepare an Answer to it.

A Message was sent to the House of Commons, by Dr. Aylett and Dr. Heath:

To communicate to them the King's Letter, received this Day; and to desire that the Members of both Houses, that are of the Committee of both Kingdoms, do communicate the same to the Scotch Commissioners, that so an Answer may be returned to this and the former Letter of the King's.

Message from the H. C. that they adhere to the Answer to the King's Letter, and for satisfying the Scots Commissioners about it.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Henry Mildmay Knight;

To desire Concurrence in these Particulars:

1. That this House doth adhere to the Letter formerly passed both Houses, in Answer to the King's: And it is further Resolved, That it be referred to the Members of both Houses that are of the Committee of both Kingdoms, to confer with the Scotts Commissioners, and to offer unto them the Reasons for adhering to their Answer to the King's Letter; and to receive any Reasons that shall be offered by the Commissioners for the Parliament of Scotland to the contrary, and to report the same to both Houses.

and with Orders, &c.

2. An Order to pay Thirty Pounds, out of Haberdashers Hall, to the Gallery Keepers at St. Margarett's Westm.

3. Votes for making a Classis of the Chapel of The Rolls, and Four Inns of Court.

4. An Order to pay Two Hundred Pounds to Colonel Davies, out of Haberdashers Hall.

5. An Order for Support of the Countess of Stamford.

6. An Order for paying One Thousand Pounds for the Leycestershire Foot, out of the Excise.

7. To pay One Hundred Twenty-eight Pounds, Nineteen Shillings, and Eight Pence, to Geo. Tapper, out of the Receipts of the Excise.

8. To pay Four Thousand Pounds, out of Delinquents Compositions, to the Committee of North'tonshire.

9. That Mr. Scholoer may officiate the Cure of the Rectory of Ould, in the County of North'ton, until the Pleasure of both Houses be further signified to the contrary.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House will take this Message into Consideration, and will send an Answer by Messengers of their own.

Ashenden & al. sent for, for seizing the Goods of Morris, a Clerk of this House.

Upon reading the Petition of Henry Morris, an Under Clerk to this House; complaining, "that his Goods are seized on, and will be carried away, unless Order from this House be presently taken."

It is Ordered, That Wm. Ashenden, Ric'd Hankinson, Thomas Austin, and Gabriell Garroway, shall personally appear before this House To-morrow Morning, to shew Cause why they have distrained the Goods of Henry Morris; and they, and all others whom it may concern, are to forbear any further or other Prosecution in this Kind, until the Pleasure of this House be further signified.

Answer to the King's Letter.

The House took into Consideration the Vote of the House of Commons brought up this Day, concerning adhering to the Letter to be sent in Answer to the King's Letter.

And it was Resolved, upon the Question, That this House agrees to this Vote now brought up from the House of Commons.

Message from the H. C. about sending it to the King; and to expedite the Propositions for Peace.

A Message was brought from the House of Commons, by Sir Henry Vane Junior:

To let their Lordships know, that, upon reading of the King's Letter sent down to them this Day from this House, (fn. 2) they perceive it to be much in Substance with the former; and they think the Houses are obliged to send as speedy Answer as they can to the King's Letter; and they conceive the retarding of sending that Answer which remains in this House will be much to the Disadvantage of the Parliament; therefore they desire an Answer to the Vote brought up this Day.

And further to acquaint their Lordships, that the House of Commons have appointed, de Die in Diem, to take the Propositions for Peace into Consideration; therefore desire their Lordships would give as much Expedition as (fn. 3) may be to the Propositions already brought up; and they will dispatch the rest, and bring them up as soon as possibly may be.

The Answer returned was:

Answer.

That this House agrees to the Vote concerning the Answer to the King's Letter brought up this Day; and they will take the Propositions speedily into Consideration.

Another Letter from the King, desiring a Pass for His Commissioners to come to London, to treat about a Peace.

"CHARLES R.

"His Majesty cannot but extremely wonder, that, after so many Expressions on your Part of a deep and seeming Sense of the Miseries of this afflicted Kingdom, and of the Dangers incident to His Person, during the Continuance of this unnatural War; your many great and so-often-repeated Protestations, that the raising of these Arms hath been only for the necessary Defence of God's true Religion, His Majesty's Honour, Safety, and Prosperity, the Peace, Comfort, and Security of His People; you should delay a safe Conduct to the Persons mentioned in His Majesty's Message of the Fifth of this Instant December, which are to be sent unto you with Propositions for a well-grounded Peace; a Thing so far from having been denied at any Time by His Majesty whensoever you have desired the same, that He believes it hath been seldom (if ever) practised amongst the most avowed and professed Enemies, much less from Subjects to their King: But His Majesty is resolved, that no Discouragements whatsoever shall make Him fail of His Part, in doing His utmost Endeavours to put an End to these Calamities, which, if not in Time prevented, must prove the Ruin of this unhappy Nation; and therefore doth once again desire, that a safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for those Persons expressed in His former Message; and doth here conjure you, as you will answer to Almighty God in that Day when He shall make Inquisition for all the Blood that hath and may yet be spilt in this unnatural War, as you tender the Preservation and Establishment of the true Religion, by all the Bonds of Duty and Allegiance to your King, or Compassion to your bleeding and unhappy Country, and of [ (fn. 4) Charity to your] selves, that you dispose your Hearts to a true Sense, and employ all your Faculties in a most serious Endeavour, together with His Majesty, to set a speedy End to these wasting Divisions; and then He shall not doubt but that God will yet again give the Blessing of Peace to this now distracted Kingdom.

Given at the Court at Oxford, the 15th Day of December, 1645.

"For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro Tempore."

Adjourn.

House adjourned till 9^a cras.