House of Lords Journal Volume 17: 9 May 1702

DIE Sabbati, 9 Maii.

Domini tam Spirituales quam Temporales præsentes fuerunt:

PRAYERS.

Edgeworth's Bill.

Hodie 2^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act for the Relief of Robert Edgworth Esquire, with relation to the forfeited Estates in Ireland."

ORDERED, That the said Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House, presently.

Then the House was adjourned during Pleasure, and put into a Committee on the said Bill.

After some Time, the House was resumed.

And the Lord Viscount Longueville reported, "That the Committee had gone through the said Bill; and think it fit to pass, without any Amendment."

L. Mountjoy's Bill.

Hodie 2^a vice lecta est Billa, intituled, "An Act for the Relief of William Lord Viscount Mountjoy, with relation to the forfeited Estates in Ireland."

ORDERED, That the said Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House, presently.

Then the House was adjourned during Pleasure, and put into a Committee upon the said Bill.

After some Time, the House was resumed.

And the Lord Viscount Longueville reported, "That the Committee had gone through the said Bill; and think it fit to pass, without any Amendment."

Dr. Drake's Book, History of the last Parliament:

After reading the Order made the Sixth Instant, at the Desire of Doctor Drake, for his Attendance this Day; and also taking into Consideration the Paragraph in the Preface of the Book, intituled, "The History of the last Parliament;" which was read, as followeth; (videlicet,)

"And perhaps there was a Third Thing in Prospect, of deeper Reach than all these, which was, That should it have pleased GOD, for our Sins, to have suatched from us the King on the sudden, by Chance of War, or other fatal Accident, during the Tumult of Arms Abroad, and the Civil Disorders they had raised among us at Home, and a numerous, corrupt, licentious Party throughout the Nation, from which the House of Commons was sometimes not free, they might entertain Hopes, from the Advantage of being at the Helm, and the Assistance of their Rabble, to have put in Practice their own Schemes, and have given us a new Model of Government of their own Projection, and so to have procured to themselves a lasting Impunity, and to have mounted their own Beast the Rabble, and driven the sober Part of the Nation like Cattle before them. That this is no groundless Conjecture, will readily appear to any considering Persons, from the Treatment her Royal Highness the Princess of Denmark, the Heiress Apparent to the Crown, met with all along from them and all their Party. They were not contented to shew her a constant Neglect and Slight themselves, but their whole Party were instructed to treat her not only with Disrespect, but Spite; they were busy to traduce her with false and scandalous Aspersions; and so far they carried the Affront, as to make her at one Time almost the common Subject of the Tittle-tattle of almost every Coffeehouse and Drawing Room; which they promoted with as much Zeal, Application, and Venom, as if a Bill of Exclusion had then been on the Anvil, and these were the introductory Ceremonies."

Dr. Drake examined about it:

After the reading whereof, Doctor Drake was called in; and the Order of the Sixth Instant read to him.

Then the Lord Keeper asked him, "What he had to say concerning the said Book?"

And the Book and the said Paragraph being shewed him, he owned, "He writ the Book, and that Paragraph in particular; and he thought he had just Reason to write it, he having heard her Highness talked of disrespectfully in almost every Coffee-house."

Then he withdrew; and, after some Debate, was called in again.

And the Lord Keeper told him, "The House was not satisfied with what he had said; but thought he trifled; and required him to acquaint the House with the Grounds of his writing that Paragraph."

He answered, "He found it mentioned in divers anonymous Pamphlets published at that Time; and hoped it was no Hurt to answer those Pamphlets; and desired Time to recollect what those Pamphlets were."

And then withdrew.

After some Time, he was called in again, and asked the following Questions; (videlicet,)

"If he could charge any Person or Persons in the Kingdom with the Matters asserted by him in that Paragraph?"

To which he answered, "That he did not know any such Person."

Then he was asked, "Whether he had heard any other Persons say, That they could charge any Person whatsoever with the Matters contained in that Paragraph?"

He said, "He did not know of any such Person."

Being further asked, "If he had any other Grounds besides the Pamphlets, and what those Pamphlets were?"

He said, "He had no other Grounds besides the Pamphlets; and named the several Pamphlets following, as the Ground of writing that Paragraph; (videlicet,)

"The Two Legion Letters; The Black List; The Jura Populi Anglicani; and, Toland's Reasons for inviting over the Princess of Hanover."

And being asked, "If in any one of these Pamphlets there was any Thing said about setting aside the present Queen?"

He answered, "He did not remember there was."

Then, he being withdrawn, the said Paragraph was taken into Consideration; and it was proposed, "To pass a Censure thereupon."

And, after Debate,

The Question was put, "That a Censure shall be now put upon the said Paragraph?"

It was Resolved in the Affirmative.

Book censured:

Then this Question was put, "That, in the Preface of the Book, intituled, "The History of the last Parliament, begun at Westminster, the Tenth Day of February in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of King William, Anno Domini 1700," there are several Expressions, which are groundless, false, and scandalous, tending to create Jealousies in Her Majesty of Her People, and to cause great Misunderstandings, Fears, and Disputes, amongst the Queen's Subjects, and to disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Kingdom?"

It was Resolved in the Affirmative.

It is Resolved and Declared, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That, in the Preface of a Book, intituled, "The History of the last Parliament, begun at Westminster the Tenth Day of February in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of King William, Anno Domini 1700," (written by Doctor Drake, as he owned at the Bar), there are several Expressions, which are groundless, false, and scandalous, tending to create Jealousies in Her Majesty of Her People, and to cause great Misunderstandings, Fears, and Disputes, amongst the Queen's Subjects, and to disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Kingdom.

Dr. Drake to be prosecuted by Attorney General:

It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That Her Majesty's Attorney General do forthwith effectually prosecute the said Doctor Drake, for having writ and published the said Paragraph in the Preface to his Book, intituled, "The History of the last Parliament, begun at Westminster the Tenth Day of February in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of King William, Anno Domini 1700;" wherein are contained several Expressions, which are groundless, false, and scandalous, tending to create Jealousies in Her Majesty of Her People, and to cause great Misunderstandings, Fears, and Disputes, amongst the Queen's Subjects, and to disturb the Peace and Quiet of the Kingdom.

Proceedings about his Book, to be printed.

Lords Committees appointed to draw up what shall be printed and published of this Day's Proceedings; and to report to the House on Monday next, at Twelve a Clock:

Their Lordships, or any Three of them; to meet on Monday next, at Ten a Clock, in the Prince's Lodgings.

Tom Double, Nutt the Publisher to attend.

The Master and Wardens of the Stationers Company attending, pursuant to Order, to give an Account of what they have done, in order to find out the Author, Printer, and Publisher, of the Pamphlet, intituled, "Tom Double returned out of the Country, or the true Picture of a modern Whig, &c." said, "They had done all that lay in their Power to find them out; and did find that John Nutt was the Publisher of it, who lives near Stationers Hall; but they could not find the Author or Printer."

Then they withdrew.

And a Paragraph being read out of the Pamphlet, it is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That John Nutt do attend this House on Tuesday next, at Eleven a Clock in the Forenoon, and bring with him his Books of Accompts.

Animadversions on the Two last Sermons 30th January; and List of Members of H. C. meeting at The Vine, Publishers, &c. of them to attend.

It is ORDERED, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the Master and Wardens of the Stationers Company do take Care to find out the Authors, Printers, and Publishers, of the Books or Pamphlets following; (videlicet,) one, intituled, "Animadversions on the Two Sermons of the Thirtieth of January last, one preached to the Honourable the House of Commons, the other to the Lower House of Convocation, in a Letter;" the other, intituled, "A List of one unanimous Club of Members of the late Parliament, November 11th, 1701, that met at The Vine Taverne, in Long Acre;" and that they attend this House on Tuesday next, at Eleven a Clock, to give an Account of what they have done in this Matter.

Adjourn.

Dominus Custos Magni Sigilli declaravit præsens Parliamentum continuandum esse usque ad et in diem Lunæ, undecimum diem instantis Maii, hora undecima Auroræ, Dominis sic decernentibus.