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venience to the father, and the son; who were too wise to believe, that those circumstances would add any thing to the credit of the former single testimony: neither was there ever after any mention of it in public, to move the judgment of those, who were concerned to be satisfied in what they were to do : and therefore some, who observed the stratagems used by that party to compass their own private ends, believed that this occasion was taken to publish those results, only to give the lord Cottington notice in what danger he was, that so he might wisely quit his mastership of the wards to the lord Say; who expected it, and might be able, by that obligation, to protect him from farther prosecution: and so that they meant to sacrifice the reputation of the secretary to the ambition of the lord Say. But without doubt (though this last consideration was very powerful with them) the true reason of the communication of this passage was, that they found it would be impossible to conceal their having received the principal information from the secretary, for their whole prosecution; by reason some of the committee, who were intrusted to prepare the charge against the earl of Strafford, and consequently were privy to that secret, were fallen from them; at least from their ends; and therefore they thought fit to publish this history of their intelligence, that it might be rather imputed to the conscience and curiosity of the son, than to the malice and perjury of the father.

The bill of attainder in few days passed the house of commons; though some lawyers, of great and known learning, declared,

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"ground or colour in law, to judge him guilty of high treason:" and the lord Digby (who had been, from the beginning, of that committee for the prosecution, and had much more prejudice than kindness to the earl) in a very pathetical speech declared, that he could not give his con"sent to the bill; not only, for that he was unsatisfied in the matter of law, but, for that he was more unsatisfied in the matter of fact; those "words, upon which the impeachment was principally grounded, being so far from being proved by two witnesses, that he could not acknowledge "it to be by one; since he could not admit sir Harry Vane to be a competent witness, who being first examined, denied that the earl spake "those words; and upon his second examination, "remembered some; and at his third the rest of "the words:" and thereupon related many circumstances, and made many sharp observations upon what had passed; which none but one of the committee could have done for which he was presently after questioned in the house; but made his defence so well, and so much to the disadvantage of those who were concerned, that from that time they prosecuted him with an implacable rage and uncharitableness upon all occasions. The bill passed with only fifty-nine dissenting voices, there being near two hundred in the house; and was immediately sent up to the lords, with this addition, "that the commons would be ready the next day in Westminster-hall, to give their lordships "satisfaction in the matter of law, upon what had passed at the trial."

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The earl was then again brought to the bar; the

lords sitting as before, in their robes; and the commons as they had done; amongst them, Mr. Saint-John, (whom his majesty had made his solicitor general since the beginning of parliament,) from his place, argued for the space of near an hour the matter of law. Of the argument itself I shall say little, it being in print, and in many hands; I shall only remember two notable propositions, which are sufficient characters of the person and the time. Lest what had been said on the earl's behalf, in point of law, and upon the want of proof, should have made any impression in their lordships, he averred, "That, in that way of bill, pri"vate satisfaction to each man's conscience was "sufficient, although no evidence had been given "in at all:” and as to the pressing the law, he said, It was true, we give law to hares and deer, "because they be beasts of chase; but it was never "accounted either cruelty, or foul play, to knock "foxes and wolves on the head as they can be found, "because they be beasts of prey." In a word, the law and the humanity were alike; the one being more fallacious, and the other more barbarous, than in any age had been vented in such an auditory.

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The same day, as a better argument to the lords speedily to pass the bill, the nine and fifty members of the house of commons, who (as is said before) had dissented from that act, had their names written in pieces of parchment or paper, under this superscription, STRAFFORDIANS, or enemies to their country; and those papers fixed upon posts, and other the most visible places about the city; which was as great and destructive a violation of the privileges and freedom of parliament, as

can be imagined: yet, being complained of in the house, not the least countenance was given to the complaint, or the least care taken for the discovery.

The persons, who had still the conduct of the designs, began to find, that their friends abroad (of whose help they had still great need, for the getting petitions to be brought to the house; and for all tumultuous appearances in the city; and negociations with the common council) were not at all satisfied with them, for their want of zeal in the matter of religion; and, though they had branded as many of the bishops, and others of the prelatical party, as had come in their way; and received all petitions against the church with encouragement: yet, that there was nothing done, or visibly in projection to be done, towards lessening their jurisdiction; or indulging any of that liberty to their weak brethren, which they had from the beginning expected from them. And then, the discourse of their ambition, and hopes of preferment at court, was grown public, and raised much jealousy of them.

But the truth is, they who had made in their hearts the most destructive vows against the church, never durst communicate their bloody wishes to their best friends, whose authority gave them their greatest credit. For besides that their own clergy, whose hands they produced in great numbers to complaints against the innovations, which had (as) they said) been introduced; and against the ceremonies, which had been in constant practice since the reformation, as well as before; were far from being of one mind in the matter or manner of what they wished should be altered; as appeared when

ever they appeared before the house, or a committee, when any of them were asked questions they did not expect; there was less consent amongst their lay-friends, in ecclesiastical affairs, than amongst the other.

The earl of Bedford had no desire that there should be any alteration in the government of the church; and had always lived towards my lord of Canterbury himself with all respect and reverence, and frequently visited and dined with him; subscribed liberally to the repair of St. Paul's church, and seconded all pious undertakings: though, it is true, he did not discountenance notoriously those of the clergy who were unconformable.

The earl of Essex was rather displeased with the person of the archbishop, and some other bishops, than indevoted to the function; and towards some of them he had great reverence and kindness, as bishop Moreton, bishop Hall, and some other of the less formal and more popular prelates: and he was as much devoted as any man to the Book of Common Prayer, and obliged all his servants to be constantly present with him at it; his household chaplain being always a most conformable man, and a good scholar.

In truth, in the house of peers there were only at that time taken notice of, the lords Say and Brooke, and they believed to be positive enemies to the whole fabric of the church, and to desire a dissolution of that government; the earl of Warwick himself having never discovered any aversion to episcopacy, and much professed the contrary.

In the house of commons, though of the chief leaders, Nathaniel Fiennes, and young sir Harry

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