THE Speeches Of the KING'S Most excellent Majesty in this GREAT COURT Of PARLIAMENT. Printed, Anno 1641. His Majesty's first Speech in Parliament, the third of November, 1640. My Lords, THE knowledge I had of the desires of my Scottish Subjects, was the cause of my calling the last Assembly of Parliament, wherein had I been believed, I sincerely think, that things had not fall'n out as now We see. But it is no wonder that men are so slow to believe that so great a sedition should be raised on so little ground. But now my Lords and Gentlemen, the honour and safety of this Kingdom lying so nearly at the stake, I am resolved to put myself freely and clearly on the love and affections of my English Subjects, as these of my Lords that did wait on me at York, very well remember I there declared. Therefore my Lords, I shall not mention mine own interest, or that support I might justly expect from you, till the common safety be secured; though I must tell you I am not ashamed to say, those charges I have been at, have been merely for the securing and good of this Kingdom, though the success hath not been answerable to my desires. Therefore I shall only desire you to consider the best way both for the safety and security of this Kingdom, wherein there are two parts chief considerable. First, the chastising out of the Rebels. And secondly, the other in satisying your just grievances, wherein I shall promise you to concur so hearty and clearly with you, that all the world may see my intentions have ever been, and shall be, to make this a glorious and flourishing Kingdom. There are only two things that I shall mention to you: First, the one is to tell you that the Loan of money which I lately had from the City of London, wherein the Lords that waited upon me at York assisted me, will only maintain my Army for two months from the beginning of that time it was granted. Now my Lords and Gentlemen I leave it to your considerations, what dishonour and mischief it might be, in case for want of money my Army be disbanded, before the Rebels be put out of this Kingdom. Secondly, the securing the calamities the Northern people endure at this time, and so long as the treaty is on foot. And in this I may say not only they, but all this Kingdom will suffer the harm; therefore I leave this also to your consideration, for the ordering of these great affairs whereof you are to treat at this time. I am so confident of your love to me, & that your care is for the honour and safety of the Kingdom, that I shall freely and willingly leave to you where to begin: only this, that you may the better know the state of all the affairs. I have commanded my L. Keeper to give you a short and free account of these things that have happened in this interim, with this protestation, that if this account be not satisfactory as it ought to be, I shall whensover you desire, give you a full and perfect account of every particular. One thing more I desire of you, as one of the greatest means to make this a happy Parliament; That you on your parts, as I on mine, lay aside all suspicion one of another, as I promised my Lords at York: It shall not be my fault if this be not a happy and good Parliament. His Majesty's second Speech in Parliament, Novem. 5. 1640. My Lords, I Do expect that you will hastily make relation to the House of Commons of those great affairs for which I have called you hither at this time, and for the trust I have reposed in them, and how freely I put myself on their love and affections at that time; and that you may know the better how to do so, I will explain myself concerning one thing I spoke the last day. I told you the Rebels must be put out of this Kingdom; it's true, I must needs call them so, so long as they have an Army that do invade us; & although I am under treaty with them, and I under my great Seal do call them subjects, and so they are too, but the state of my affairs in short, is this: it's true, I did expect when I did will my Lords and great ones at York to have given a gracious answer to all your grievances; for I was in good hope by their wisdoms & assistances to have made an end of that business; but I must tell you, that my subjects of Scotland did so delay them, that it was not possible to end there: therefore I can no ways blame my Lords that were at Rippon, that the treaty was not ended, but must thank them for their pain● & industry; and certainly had they as much power as affections, I should by that time have brought these distempers to a happy period; so that now the treaty is transported from Rippon to London, where I shall conclude nothing without your knowledge, and I doubt not but by your appreciation; for I do not desire to have this great work done in a corner, for I shall lay open all the steps to this misunderstanding, and causes of the great differences between Me and my Subjects of Scotland. And I doubt not, but by your assistance to make them know their duty, and also by your assistance to make them return whether they will or no. His Majesty's Speech to both the Houses, january 25. 1640. My Lords, THe Knights, Citizens, Burgesses; the principal cause of my coming here at this time, is, by reason of the slow proceed in Parliament, touching which is a great deal of inconvenience. Therefore I think it very necessary to lay before you the state of my affairs as now they stand, thereby to hasten (not interrupt) your proceed. First, I must remember you that there are two Armies in the Kingdom in a manner maintained by you, the very naming of which, doth more clearly show the inconvenience thereof, than a better tongue than mine can express. Therefore in the first place, I shall recommend unto you the quick dispatch of that business, assuring you that it cannot rest upon me. In the next place I must recommend unto you the state of my Navy & Forts; the condition of both which is so well known unto you, that I need not tell you the particulars, only thus much, they are the walls and defence of this Kingdom, which if out of order, all men may easily judge what encouragement it will be to our enemies, and what disheartening to our friends. Last of all, (and not of the least to be considered) I must lay before you the distractions that are at this present occasioned through the cause of Parliament; for there are some men that more maliciously then ignorantly, will put no difference between reformation and alteration of government. Hence it cometh that divine Service is irreverently interrupted, and Petitions in an ●ll way given in, neither disputed nor denied. But I will enter into no more particulars, but show you a way of remedy, by showing you my clear intentions, and some mark that may hinder this good work. I shall willingly and cheerfully concur with you for the reformation of all innovations both in Church and Common wealth, and consequently that all Courts of justice may be reform according to Law. For my intention is clearly to reduce all things to the best & purest times, as they were in the time of Qu. Elizabeth. Moreover, whatsoever part of my revenue shall be found illegal or heavy to my subjects, I shall be willing to lay down, trusting in their affections. Having thus clearly and shortly set down my intentions, I will show you some rubs, and must needs take notice of some very strange (I know not what term to give them) Petitions given in the name of divers Counties, against the established government of the Church, and of the great threaten against the Bishops, that they will make them to be but a Cipher, or at least taken away. If some of them have encroached too much upon the Temporalty (if it be so) I shall not be unwilling these things should be redressed and reform, as all other abuses, according to the wisdom of former times; so fare I shall go with you, no farther. If upon serious debate, you shall show, that Bishops have some temporal authority, not so necessary for the government of the Church, and upholding Episcopal jurisdiction, I shall not be unwilling to desire them to lay it down; but this must not be understood, that I shall any way consent that their voice in Parliamen should be taken away: for in all the times of my predecessors since the Conquest, and before, they have enjoyed it; I am bound to maintain them in it, as one of the fundamental institutions of this Kingdom. There is one other rock you are on not in substance but in service; and the form is so essential, that unless it be reform, will split you on that rock. There is a Bill lately put in concerning Parliaments. The thing I like well to have frequent Parliaments, but for Sheriffs and Constables to use my authority, I can no ways consent unto. But to show that I desire to give you content in substance as well as in show, that you shall have a Bill for doing thereof, so that it do not trench neither against my Honour, neither against the ancient prerogatives of the Crowns concerning Parliaments, ingeniously confess, often Parliaments is the fittest means to keep correspondency between Me and my people, that I do so much desire. To conclude, now all that I have shown you, the state of my affairs, my own clear intentions, and the rocks I would have you shun. To give you all contentment, you shall likewise find by these Ministers, I have or shall have about me for the effecting of these my good intentions, which shall redouble the peace of the Kingdom, and content you all. Concerning the conference you shall have a direct answer on Monday, which shall give you satisfaction. His Majesty's Speech to both Houses of Parliament in the Lord's House, at the passing of the Bill for a Trieniall Parliament, the sixteenth of November, 1640. MY Lords, and you the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the House of Commons; you may remember when both Houses were with me at the banqueting House at Whitehall, I did declare unto you two rocks I wished you to eschew, this is the one of them, and of that consequence, that I think never bill passed here in this House of more favour to the Subjects than this is, and if the other Rock be as happily passed over as this shall be at this time, I do not know what you can ask, for aught I can see it this time, that I can make any question to yield unto: Therefore I mention this to show unto you the sense that I have of this Bill, and obligation, as I may say, that you have to me for it, for hitherto, to speak freely, I have had no great encouragement to do it; if I should look to the outward face of your actions or proceed, and not look to the inward intentions of your hearts, I might make question of doing it. Hitherto you have gone on in that which concerns yourselves to amend, and yet those things that merely concerns the strength of this Kingdom, neither for the State nor my own particular. This I mention, not to reproach you but to show you the state of things as they are, you have taken the Government all in pieces, and I may say, it is almost off the hinges. A skilful Watchmaker to make clean his watch, he will take it a sunder, and when it is put together, it will go the better, so that he leave not forth not one pin in it. Now as I have done all this on my part, you know what to do on your parts, and I hope you shall see clearly that I have performed really what I expressed to you at the beginning of this Parliament, of the great trust I have of your affections to me, and this is the great expression of trust, that before you do any thing for me, that I do put such a confidence in you. His Majesty's Speech to both the Houses of Parliament, February 3. 1640. HAving taken into my serious consideration, the late Remonstrance made unto me by the House of Parliament, I give you this answer. That I take in good part your care of the true Religion establish▪ d in this Kingdom, from which I will never departed, as also for the tenderness of my safety, and security of this State and Government: It is against ●y mind, that Popery or Superstition should any way increase within this Kingdom, and will restrain the same by putting the Laws into execution. I am resolved to provide against the jesuits and Papists, by setting forth a Proclamation with ●ll speed, commanding them to departed the Kingdom within one month, which if they fail, or shall return, they shall be proceeded against according to the Law●s Concerning Rosettie: I give you to understand, that the Queen hath always assured me, that to her knowledge he hath no Commission, but only to entertain a personal correspondence, between her and the Pope, in things requisite for the exercise of her Religion, which is warranted to her by the Articles of Marriage, which give her a full Liberty of Conscience; yet I have persuaded, that since the misunderstanding of the persons condition gives offence, she will within a convenient time remove him. Moreover, I will take a special care to rest●ne my Subjects from resorting to Mass at Denmark house, Saint James, and the Chapel of Ambassadors. Lastly, concerning John Goodman the Priest, I will let you know the reason why I reprived him, that as I am informed, neither Queen Elizabeth, nor my Father did ever avow, that any Priest in their times was executed merely for Religion, which to me seems to be this particular case, yet seeing that I am pressed by both Houses, to give way to his, because I will avoid the inconveniency of giving so great discontent to my People, as I conceive this Mercy may Produce, therefore I do remit this Particular Cause to both the Houses: But I desire them to take into their Consideration, the inconveniences (as I conceive) may upon this occasion fall upon my Subjects and other Protestants abroad, especially since it may seem to other States to be a severity, which Surprise having thus represented, I think myself discharged from all ill consequence that may ensue upon the execution of this Person. His Majesty's Letter to the Lords on the behalf of the Earl of Strafford, sent by the PRINCE. My Lords, I Did yesterday satisfy the Justice of the Kingdom by passing of the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford; but mercy being as inherent, and inseparable to a King as justice.. I desire at this time in some measure to show, that likewise by suffering that unfortunate man to fulfil the natural course of his life in a close imprisonment; yet so, that if ever he make the least offer to escape, or offer directly, or indirectly to meddle in any sort of Public business; especially with me, either by Message, or Letter, it shall cost him his life without further Process. This, if it may be done without the discontentment of if People, will be an unspeakable contentment to me. To which end, as in the first place, I by this Letter do earnestly desire your approbation, and to endear it the more, have chosen him to carry it, that of all your House is most dear to me. So I desire that by a conference, you will endeavour to give the House of Commons contentment: Likewise assuring you, that the excuse of mercy is no more pleasing to me, then to see both Houses of Parliament consent for my sake, that I should moderate the severity of the Law, in so important a case. I will not say that your complying with me, in this my intended mercy, shall make me more willing, but certainly 'twill make me more cheerful in granting your just grievances. But if no less than his life can satisfy m● People, I must say fiat justitia. Thus again recommending the consideration of my intentions to you, I rest. Whitehall the 11. of May, 1641. Your unalterable and affectionate friend. CHARLES, R. If he must die, it were charity to Reprieve him till Saturday. May 11. 1641. THis Letter all written with the Kings own hand, the Peers this day received in Parliament, delivered by the hand of the Prince. It was twice read in the House, and after serious and sad consideration, the House resolved presently to send 12. of the Peers Messengers to the King; humbly to signify, that neither of the two intentions expressed in the Letter, could with duty in them, or without danger to himself, his dearest Consort, the Queen, and all the young Princes their Children, possibly be advised: With all which being done accordingly, and the reasons showed to his Majesty, He suffered no more words to come from them, but oft of the fullness of his heart to the observance of justice, and for the contentment of his people, told them, that what he intended by his Letter was with an (if) if it may be done without discontentment of his people; if that cannot be, I say again the same that I writ, fiat justitia. My other intention proceeding out of charity for a few day's respite, was upon certain information that His Estate was so distracted, that it necessarily required some few days for settlement thereof. Whereunto the Lords answered, their purpose was to be Suitors to his Majesty for favour to be showed to his innocent Children; and it himself had made any provision for them, that the same might hold. This was well liking to his Majesty, who thereupon departed from the Lords; at His Majesty's parting they offered up into his hand the Letter itself which he had sent; but He was pleased to say, my Lords, what I have written to you, I 〈◊〉 content it be Registered by you in your House. In it you may see my mind, I hope you will use it to my honour. This, upon return of the Lords from the King, was presently reported to the House by the Lord Privy Seal, and ordered, that these Lines should go out with the King's Letter, if any Copy of the Letter were dispersed. FINIS.