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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