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                         TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

—Has been mantained the ancient style, therefore just the more evident
 printing errors have been corrected. Punctuation has not been corrected
 also if inconsistent with modern English.

—Italics and smallcaps have been manteined as far as possible, since as
 in old books (this one was printed in 1621) sometimes text style
 changes when a word is hyphenated.




                                 HIS
                              MAIESTIES
                             DECLARATION,

                    Touching his proceedings in the
                    _late Assemblie and Conuention_
                            of Parliament.

[Illustration: DIEV ET MON DROIT.]

                    _Imprinted at London by_ BONHAM
                         NORTON and IOHN BILL,
                 Printers to the Kings most Excellent
                            MAIESTIE. 1621.

[Illustration]




                                  HIS
                               MAIESTIES
                 Declaration, touching his proceedings
                       in the late Assembly and
                      _Conuention of Parliament_.


Hauing of late, vpon mature deliberation, with the aduice and vniforme
consent of Our whole Priuie Councell, determined to dissolue the
Assembly and Conuention of Parliament, lately called together by Our
Regall power and Authoritie, Wee were pleased by Our Proclamation,
giuen at Our Palace of _Westminster_ the sixt day of this instant
_Ianuary_, to declare, not onely Our pleasure and resolution therein,
but also to expresse some especiall passages and proceedings, moouing
vs to that resolution: Wherein, albeit hauing so many yeeres swayed
the swords and scepters of three renowned kingdomes, Wee cannot but
discerne (as much as any Prince liuing) what apperteineth to the height
of a powerfull Monarch: yet, that all men might discerne, that Wee,
like Gods true Viceregent, delight not so much in the greatnesse of
Our place, as in the goodnesse & benignitie of our gouernment, We were
content in that one Act to descend many degrees beneath Our Selfe:
First, by communicating to all Our people the reasons of a resolution
of State, which Princes vse to reserue, _inter arcana Imperij_, to
themselues and their Priuie Councell: Secondly, by mollifying and
mixing the peremptorie and binding qualitie of a Proclamation, with
the indulgence of a milde and fatherly instruction: And lastly,
leading them, and opening to them that forbidden Arke of Our absolute
and indisputable Prerogatiue, concerning the calling, continuing,
and dissoluing of Parliaments: which, though it were more then
superabundant to make Our Subiects know the realitie of Our sincere
intentions; yet Wee not satisfied therewith, but finding the bounds of
a Proclamation too straight to conteine and expresse the boundlesse
affection that Wee beare to Our good and louing people, are pleased
hereby to inlarge Our Selfe, (as Wee promised in Our said Proclamation)
by a more full and plaine expression of those Letters and Messages that
passed from Vs to the Commons in Parliament, which by reason of the
length of them, could not bee related at large, but briefly pointed
at in Our said Proclamation. For, as in generall the great actions of
Kings are done as vpon a stage, obuious to the publike gazing of euery
man; so are Wee most willing, that the trueth of this particular,
concerning Our owne honour, and the satisfaction of Our Subjects,
should bee represented vnto all men without vaile or couering, being
assured that the most plainnesse and freedome will most aduantage Vs,
hauing in this, and all Our Actions euer affected such sinceritie and
vprightnes of heart, as were Wee all transparent, and that men might
readily passe to Our inward thoughts, they should there perceiue the
selfe–same affections which Wee haue euer professed in Our outward
words and Actions.

Hauing anticipated the time of reassembling Our Parliament to the
twentieth day of _Nouember_ last, (which Wee formerly appointed to
haue met vpon the eighth of _February_ next,) vpon the confidence
that their noble and generous declaration at their parting the fourth
of _Iune_ put vs in, of their free and liberall assistance to the
recouery of Our Childrens ancient inheritance, and hauing declared to
them Our resolution of taking vpon Vs the defence of Our childrens
patrimonie by way of Armes, the Commons very heartily and dutifully
fell immediatly after their reassembling, to treat of a necessary
supplie, and concluded, for the present, to grant a Subsidie to be paid
in _February_ next, (the last paiment of the latter Subsidie granted
by them being not to come in vntill _May_ following) whereby Wee were
well and cleerly satisfied of the good intenti[=o] of the Commons in
generall, by whose vniforme vote & assent that Subsidy was resolued
on, not without intimation of a more ample supplie to be yeelded in
conuenient time.

But before this their resolution was reduced into a formall Acte or
Bill, some discontented persons that were the cause of all that euill
which succeeded, endeauouring to clog the good will of the Commons with
their owne vnreasonable ends, fell to dispute in the House of Our high
Prerogatiues, namely of the match of Our dearest sonne the Prince, of
the making warre with forreigne Princes Our Allies, betweene whom and
Vs there was a firme peace religiously made and obserued hitherunto:
All which they couered with the cloake of Religion, and with the
faire pretence of a duetifull Petition to bee preferred to Vs. Wee
vnderstanding right well, that those points were not disputable in
Parliament, without Our owne Royall direction, being of Our highest
Prerogatiues, the very Characters of Souereignty; & thinking, that
when euery Subiect by nature, and the Lawes of the Realme, had the
power of matching their children according to their owne best liking,
none should denie Vs the like; especially Wee hauing at the beginning
of the Parliament declared Our purpose concerning the matching of Our
Sonne, the Prince, were fully perswaded, that those specious outsides
of Religion and humble petitioning, were added onely to gaine passage
vnto those things, which being propounded in their true colours, must
needs haue appeared vniust and vnreasonable, as matters wherewith
neuer any Parliament had presumed to meddle before, except they had
bene thereunto required by their King; nay, not befitting Our Priuie
Councell to meddle with, without Our speciall command and allowance;
since the very consulting vpon such matters (though in neuer so priuate
a maner) being discouered abroad, might at some time produce as ill
effects, as if they were publikely resolued vpon. For as concerning the
point of Religion, We aswell in the beginning of the Parliament, by a
publike and open Declaration made to both Houses in the higher House of
Parliament, as also shortly after, by a gracious answere vnto a former
Petition of theirs, expressed to the full Our immutable resolution to
maintaine true Religion, besides the vntainted practise of Our whole
life in that point. And howsoeuer an humble Petition beare a faire shew
of respect; yet if vnder colour of concluding on a Petition, a way
should bee opened to treat in Parliament of the mysteries of State,
without Our Royall allowance, it were a great and vnusuall breach vpon
the Royall power: Besides, who knoweth not that the preferring of a
Petition, includes an expectation to haue it graunted? and therefore to
nippe this springing euill in the beginning, Wee directed Our Letters
to the Speaker of that House, the tenour of which Letters followeth.

Master Speaker, _Wee haue heard by diuers reports to Our great griefe,
That the farre distance of Our Person at this time from Our high
Court of Parliament, caused by Our want of health, hath emboldened
some fiery and popular spirits in Our House of Commons, to debate and
argue publikely, in matters farre beyond their reach or capacitie,
and so tending to Our high dishonour, and to the trenching vpon Our
Prerogatiue Royall. You shall therefore acquaint that House with Our
Pleasure, That none therein shall henceforth presume to meddle with any
thing concerning Our gouernment, or mysteries of State; namely, not
to speake of Our dearest Sonnes match with the Daughter of_ Spaine,
_nor to touch the Honour of that King, or any other Our friends or
Confederates: And also not to meddle with any mens particulars, which
haue their due motion in Our ordinarie Courts of Justice. And whereas
We heare that they haue sent a message to_ S^[ir] Edwin Sandys, _to
know the reasons of his late restraint, you shall in Our name resolue
them, That it was not for any misdemeanour of his in Parliament: But
to put them out of doubt of any question of that nature that may arise
among them hereafter, you shall resolue them in Our name, That We
thinke our Selfe very free and able to punish any mans misdemeanours
in Parliament, as well during their sitting, as after; which We
meane not to spare hereafter, vpon any occasion of any mans insolent
behauiour there, that shall be ministred vnto Us. And if they haue
already touched any of these points which Wee haue here forbidden, in
any Petition of theirs which is to be sent vnto Vs, it is Our pleasure
that you shall tell them, That except they reforme it before it come
to Our hands, Wee will not deigne the hearing nor answering of it. And
whereas Wee heare that they are desirous, that We should make this a
Seßion of Parliament before Christmas, You may tell them, It shall be
in their default if they want it: For if they will make ready betweene
this and that time, some such Lawes as shall be really good for the
Common–wealth, Wee will very willingly giue Our Royall assent vnto
them: And so it shall thereby appeare, That if good Lawes be not made
at this time for the weale of the people, the blame shall onely and
most iustly lie vpon such turbulent spirits, as shall preferre their
particular ends to the weale of this Kingdome and Common–wealth. And so
We bid you farewell. Giuen at Our Court at Newmarket, the third day of
December, 1621._

  To Our trustie and welbeloued,
  _The Speaker of Our Commons_
  House of Parliament.

Which Letters being publikely read in the House, they were so farre
either from reforming their intended Petition, which conteined those
points by Vs forbidden, or yet from going on cheerefully in propounding
of good Lawes, for which they were called, and to which purpose Wee
granted them in the end of Our said Letter to the Speaker, to make it
a Session before Christmas, whereof Wee vnderstood them to bee very
desirous, that they resolued to send the same vnto vs together with
another Petition iustifying the former, notwithstanding Our forbidding
them in Our said Letter to send the former Petition vnto Vs, as also
sate euer silent thereafter, till they were dissolued, as shall
hereafter more largely be expressed.

Those petitions being sent from the Commons by a select number of that
House vnto Vs then being at _Newmarket_ for Our health, the House
forbare to proceed in any businesse of importance, purposing, as
was apparently discerned, and as the euent prooued, so to continue
vntill the returne of their Messengers with Our Answere, which wee
vnderstanding, and being desirous to haue the time better husbanded, as
was fit (the shortnesse thereof, by reason of the approach of Christmas
being respected) required Our Secretarie to deliuer a Message vnto them
for this purpose, which he did, first by word of mouth, and after by
appointment of the House set it downe in writing in these words, viz.

_His Majestie, remembring that this House was desirous to haue a Seßion
betweene this and Christmasse, whereupon it pleased Him to signifie
vnto vs, that wee should haue contentment therein, and that there
should be a Seßion, if wee our selues were not in fault, taking now
notice that the House forbeares to proceede with any Billes vntill
the returne of the Messengers, lately sent vnto his Majestie, hath
enioyned mee to commaund the House in his Name not to lose time in
their proceeding for preparing of good Lawes in the meane while, in
consideration of this so neere approach of Christmaße; And that his
Majestie hopes they will not take vpon them to make a Recesse in
effect, though not in shew without his warrant._

Bvt this Message being deliuered, was so farre from working that good
effect, which Wee did most iustly expect, that contrariwise some
captious and curious heads tooke exception thereat, as tending to the
breach of their Priuiledges, by commanding them to proceede with Bills,
though We thereby, neither designed any particular Billes for them to
proceed with, nor yet forbade any other Parliamentary proceedings; And
with those, and such other vndutifull straines of wit, they spunne out
the time vntill the returne of their Messengers, who being come to
_Newmarket_, presented both the Petitions vnto vs, who well knowing
before hand the effect of the former, and then obseruing the contents
of the latter, and finding, that from both did reflect vpon Our Person
and gouernment sundry causelesse aspersions, and that thereby Our
Royall Prerogatiues were inuaded and assailed, after an admonition to
beware of medling therewith, Wee returned vnto them Our Answere in
writing, as followeth.

  HIS MAJESTIES ANSWERE
  to the Apologetike
  Petition of the House of
  COMMONS,
  _Presented to his Majesty by a dozen_
  of the Members of that House,
  _by their directions_.

_We must heere begin in the same fashion that We would haue done if
your first Petition had come to Our hands before We had made stay
thereof, which is to repeat the first words of the late_ Queene _of
famous memory, vsed by her in Answer to an insolent proposition, made
by a_ Polonian _Ambassadour vnto her, That is_, Legatum expectabamus,
Heraldum accepimus. _For We had great reason to expect that the first
Meßage from your House should haue beene a Message of thankesgiuing
for Our continued gracious behauior towards Our people since your
last Recesse, not onely by Our Proclamation of grace, wherein were
conteined sixe or seuen and thirty Articles, all of seuerall points
of grace to the people; but also by the labour We tooke for the
satisfaction of both Houses in those three Articles recommended vnto
Vs in both their names by the right Reuerend Father in God, the
Archbishop of_ Canterbury, _And likewise for the good gouernement of_
Ireland _We are now in hand with at your request. But not onely haue
Wee heard no newes of all this, but contrary great complaints of the
danger of Religion within this Kingdome tacitely implying Our ill
gouernment in this point. And We leaue to you to iudge, whether it
be your duties that are the Representatiue body of Our people, so to
distast them with Our gouernment, whereas by the contrary it is your
duty with all your endeauours to kindle more and more a dutifull and
thankefull loue in the peoples hearts towards Vs for Our iust and
gracious gouernment. Now, whereas in the very beginning of this your
Apologie, you taxe Vs in faire termes of trusting vncertaine reports,
and partiall informations concerning your proceedings, We wish you to
remember, that We are an old and experienced King, needing no such
leßons, being in Our conscience freest of any King aliue from hearing
or trusting idle reports, which so many of your House as are neerest Vs
can beare witnesse vnto you, if you would giue as good eare to them,
as you doe to some Tribunitiall Orators amongst you. And for proofe
in this particular, Wee haue made your owne Meßengers conferre your
other Petition, sent by you with the copie thereof, which was sent Vs
before, betweene which there is no difference at all, but that since
Our receiuing the first Copy you added a conclusion vnto it, which
could not come to Our hands till it was done by you, and your Meßengers
sent, which was all at one time. And if that We had had no Copie of
it before hand, We must