A DECLARATION OF William Lenthall, Esquire; SPEAKER OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS. SHOWING The Grounds and Reasons which moved him to absent himself from attending the service of the House on Friday the 30th of July, 1647.  
LONDON; Printed by M. S. for George Whittington. 1647.   

A DECLARATION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE House of COMMONS: Of the Grounds, and Reasons, which moved him to absent himself, from attending the service of the HOUSE on Friday the 30. of July, 1647.  
ALthough it may happily be contrary to the expectation of some, that I attend not the Service of the House of Commons, at this time, as I have constantly done, for almost seven year's last passed, and yet can it not be reasonably expected by any, that well consider the violence offered to both the Houses of Parliament, and to myself in particular on Monday; In so much that I can safely take it upon my conscience, and so I doubt not, may all the Members of both Houses also, that they sat in continual fear of their lives, and by terror thereof were compelled to pass such Votes, as it pleased an unruly multitude to force upon them, which, as I did then openly declare in the House, so I cannot but believe that they are void, and null, being extorted by force, and violence, and in that manner that they were, and I cannot any longer dispense with myself, to be an Instrument in passing such Votes, or to give any colour, or shadow of Parliamentary Authority unto them, which are not the Votes of the representative body of the Kingdom, but of a tumultuous multitude, as those must needs be accounted, that seemed to pass the House on monday last, and which shall pass hereafter, until better provision be made, for the safe and free sitting of the Houses of Parliament, there being no effectual course taken by the City, since the last adjournment of the Houses, to prevent the like tumults for the future; no, nor so much as a Declaration from them, to show their dislike thereof. But on the contrary, it is generally voiced in the Town, there will be a fare greater confluence of Apprentices, Reformadoes, and others, on Friday, at the Parliament doors, and particularly, notice was given to me, that after they had made the House Vote what they pleased, they would destroy me, I had likewise information given me, that there would be a great number of Apprentices; of a contrary opinion, and affections to the other, about the Parliament doors on Friday morning, which I foresaw, must of necessity cause a great combustion, and in probability occasion much blood shed, the preventing of which mischiefs, together with the consideration aforesaid, have weighed more with me then any thing which may concern my partiticular, and especially having served the House faithfully & diligently, for the space of very near seven years in a free & Parliamentary way of proceed; that I might not now be made a servant to such a multitude, to transfer upon them the colour of Parliamentary authority, there with all to abuse and deceive the minds, and to destroy the Lives, Liberties, and estates of the people of this Kingdom; and having taken a Solemn Protestation and Covenant, in my place and calling to maintain the Privileges of Parliament, and the Rites and Liberties of the Subjects: I would not now satisfy myself, but by absenting myself at this time, rather than by my presence to give any shadow, or countenance, of the authority of Parliament, to such apparent violations thereof; Neither can the omission of a circumstance, or some formality in the adjournment of the House (when through force and violence it cannot meet and sit in any sort as a Parliament) be any prejudice to the future meeting, and proceed thereof, when it may meet and sit again as a free Parliament; It being well known, that nothing can dissolve this Parliament, but an Act of Parliament.  
When a Company of Apprentices, Reformadoes, and others, shall call the Ordinances of Parliament pretended Ordinances, shall lock the doors of the Houses upon them, shall swear not to let them out till they had passed what they pleased concerning the Militia of London, and other things (though the Houses had immediately before voted otherwise) shall threaten the Houses in case they did not instantly satisfy their demands, shall knock, without, and hollow continually at the Parliament doors that the members could not be heard speak or debate, and after that the House of Commons had passed a Vote concerning the Militia of London, and that the Speaker by the voice had judged the major part to be for the negative, shall not suffer the House to be divided, but in a threatening way require those that gave their Votes against them, to consent to them, if they would, when after the House was adjourned, they shall by main force thrust bacl the Speaker again into the House, and force the Members in their presence and sight (divers of them thrusting into the House) to vote what they demanded; when they shall justle, pull, and hale the Speaker all the way he went down to his Coach, and force him to avoid their violence to betake himself to the next Coach he could get into for refuge, when they shall breathe forth such bloody threats against the Members as they came forth of the House, and since against me in particular at the next meeting of the House, (as I am credibly informed) and when there is no appearance, but that they will continue to do as formerly they have done, or far worse on Friday, I could not in discharge of my Trust, Protestation, and Covenant, sit in the Chair of the House of Commons, whilst it shall be in such a condition. But so soon as it may sit again in freedom, and safety, I shall be ready to attend the service thereof: but till then, as I have upon the forementioned grounds fully satisfied my own conscience, so I doubt not but I shall give the whole Kingdom (whose interest is most concerned in it) ample satisfaction in the necessity of my absence.  
William Lenthall, Speaker.