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whereby all his majesty's other dominions have been linked in one. For the preventing therefore of such evils growing upon us in this kingdom, we have, for the preservation of his majesty's honour, and our own liberties, thought fit to take into our hands, for his majesty's use and service, such forts and other places of strength, as coming into the possession of others, might prove disadvantageous, and tend to the utter undoing of the kingdom; and we do hereby declare, that herein we harbour not the least thought of disloyalty towards his majesty, or purpose any hurt to his highness's subjects, in their possessions, goods, or liberty; only we desire, that your lordships will be pleased to make remonstrances to his majesty for us, of all our grievances and just fears, that they may be removed, and such a course settled by the advice of the parliament of Ireland, whereby the liberty of our consciences may be secured unto us, and we eased of other burdens in civil government. As for the mischiefs and inconveniencies, that have already happened, through the disorder of the common sort of people, against the English inhabitants, or others, we with the nobility and gentlemen, and such others of the several counties of this kingdom, are most willing and ready to use our and their best endeavours in causing restitution and satisfaction to be made, as in part we have already done.

An answer hereunto is most humbly desired, with such present expedition as may, by your lordships, be thought most convenient, for avoiding the inconvenience of the barbarousness and incivility of the commonalty, who have committed many outrages, without any order, consenting, or privity of ours. All which we leave to your lordships' wisdom, and shall humbly pray, &c.

No. XXIII.

THE PROTESTATION OF THE

COMMONS AGAINST THE PREAMBLE IN FAVOUR OF THE EARL OF STRAFFORD....P. 108.

WHEREAS an act for the granting of four entire subsidies to his most excellent majesty, by the temporalty of this kingdom was enacted in the first session of this present parlia ment, in the preamble of which act the ensuing branch or clause was inserted, viz. "And particularly in providing and placing "over us so just, wise, vigilant, and profitable a governor, as

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"the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Wentworth, Knight, Earl "of Strafford, Lord Lieutenant of this your said kingdom of "Ireland, president of your majesty's council established in the "north parts of your said kingdom of England, and one of your majesty's most honourable privy council of the same king"dom, who by his great care and travail of body and mind, sin"cere and upright administration of justice, without partiality, "increase of your majesty's revenue without the least hurt or grievance to any your well-disposed and loving subjects, and "our great comforts and security, by the large and ample bene"fits which we have received, and hope to receive by his majesty's commission of grace for remedy of defective titles, "procured hither by his lordship from your sacred majesty, his "lordship's great care and pains in restauration of the church, "the reinforcement of your army within this kingdom, and or"dering the same with such singular and good discipline as that "it is now become a great comfort, stay and security to this your whole kingdom, which before had an army, rather in name than in substance, his supports of your majesty's wholesome laws here established, his encouragement and counte"nance to your judges, and other good officers, ministers, and 66 dispensers of the laws, in the due and sincere administration "of justice, his necessary and just strictness for the execution "thereof, his due punishment of the contemners of the same, "and his care to relieve and redress the poor and oppressed: "for this your tender care over us, shewed by the deputing and "supporting of so good a governor, we your faithful subjects, " acknowledge ourselves more bound, than we can with tongue "or pen express." The knights, citizens, and burgesses in parliament assembled, do hereby declare and protest, that Thomas Earl of Strafford, lord lieutenant general, and general governor of this kingdom, before such time as the said act (being formerly transmitted into England, and returned from thence) was read or known in parliament, and before him the lord Dillon, of Kilkenny-west, and Christopher Wandsford, Esq. then lords justices of this kingdom, did in several speeches, declare and signify unto both houses of parliament, his majesty's urgent and great occasions, and the near and approaching danger, that this realm was suddenly to be invaded by the Scots; whereupon, and before the said act was read or known, as aforesaid, four intire subsidies were freely, chearfully, and unanimously granted in parliament, and thereupon, and not before the said act was read and made known in the House of Commons, and that their natural and fervent zeal and devotion to his majesty's service, and the fears of the said declared imminent danger, and the inconveniencies which they suspected might ensue, if they had

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then excepted against the said part of the preamble concerning the Earl of Strafford, and expected a new transmission, as a statute of force here in such cases doth require, did occasion and enforce their silence, and not then speaking or protesting against the said part of the preamble which was cautiously and surreptitiously, as to this house, for so much thereof as concerns the said Earl of Strafford only, inserted in the said preamble, and of purpose to prevent and anticipate the just and universal complaints of his majesty's most faithful, dutiful, and loving subjects of this kingdom; and that the said part of the preamble was contrived, penned, and inserted as aforesaid fraudulently, without the privity of the house, either by the said Earl of Strafford himself, or by some other person or persons advisers, procurers, and actors of, and in the manifold and general grievances and oppressions of this his majesty's kingdom, by the direction and privity of the said earl. And the said knights, citizens, burgesses assembled, as aforesaid, do further declare and make this their protestation, that this kingdom, at such time as the said Earl of Strafford first obtained the government thereof, was in a flourishing, wealthy, and happy estate, and that, since the said Earl of Strafford's government, he the said Earl of Strafford, his advisers, councellors, and ministers, have altered the face of the government of the said kingdom, by the introducing of a new, unlawful, arbitrary, and tyrannical government, by the determination of all or most causes upon paper petitions, and other unjust and unwarrantable proceedings and actions, to the particular profit of himself and his ministers, tending to the great impoverishment and destruction of his majesty's said subjects, in their lands, goods, lives, and just liberties, and to the subversion of the former laudable, mild, and legal government, for many ages past, settled and established in this kingdom by his most excellent majesty, and his royal progenitors and predecessors, kings and queens of England and Ireland, and that the said Earl of Strafford, and his councellors, advisers, and ministers aforesaid, by, and by occasion of the said innovations and new form of unjust government, have, beyond all measure and moderation, advanced and enriched themselves, by extortions, oppressions, and all sorts of injustice, to the ge neral grief, discontent, and destruction of his majesty's said faithful people of this kingdom. And the said knights, citizens, and burgesses, do further declare and protest, and have a settled, firm, and immoveable faith and belief, that his most excellent majesty, in his pious intention and inclination to his said people did place, constitute, and continue the said Earl of Strafford in the said government, to the intent and purpose, that the said Earl should carry and demean himself a just, upright, and equal governor of the said kingdom, according to the laws and

statutes of force in this kingdom, and in no other sort or manner; and that the said Earl of Strafford, his councellors, advisers, actors, and ministers aforesaid, did manage the most weighty affairs of this kingdom, during the time of the said earl his said government, directly contrary to his said majesty's pious intentions. And the knights, citizens, and burgesses, do further protest and declare, that as for and concerning so much of the preamble of the said act, as doth concern his most excellent majesty alone, and likewise the body of the said act, for granting of the said subsidies, that they are now as glad and chearful for to have passed and granted the same, as in or by the said act, or in or by their former declarations, they have expressed, and will, unto all honourable and necessary occasions of his majesty, in parliament contribute their best endeavours and assistance.

And the said knights, citizens, and burgesses, do hereby authorize and require their committee, now attending his majesty, for to present unto his majesty this their protestation, and proofs thereof, by particular instances, if the same be required and necessary; and likewise to present unto his majesty their humble request, that an act may pass in this present parliament, for the revoking, vacating, and taking from the records of parliament, the before recited part of the preamble, concerning the said Earl of Strafford and his government, and likewise to become most humble suitors to his most excellent majesty, that neither the said Earl of Strafford, nor any of his said advisers, councellors, or ministers, as persons, who in all things served their own turns, and deceived his majesty, and who are most hateful and insupportable to his said people, may have any thing to do in councelling, advising, or acting with, or concerning the govern ment of this kingdom, or the affairs thereof; and that the contrivers, advisers, and actors of the said part of the preamble concerning the said Earl of Strafford and his government, the same being surreptitiously, as to this house, inserted, as aforesaid, may be discovered, impeached, and punished for the same, and other their offences and misdemeanors according to the justice and course of parliament.

No. XXIV.

HIS MAJESTY'S LETTER TOUCHING THE GRACES....P. 109.

CHARLES REX.

RIGHT trusty and well beloved councellors, we greet you well. Whereas humble suit hath been made unto us by the committees of the lords and commons, in parliament assembled in that our kingdom of Ireland, among other particulars, for the obtaining of the benefit of certain instructions and gracés, by us promised, in the fourth year of our reign, to our subjects of that kingdom; which they allege they have not hitherto fully enjoyed, according to our gracious intention; and their said suit, for enjoying the said graces, being by us taken into serious consideration, after great deliberation, and the advice of our privy council thereupon heard, we have thought fit, by these our letters, to declare, that all and every of our subjects of that our kingdom shall, from henceforth, enjoy the benefit of the said graces, according to the true intention thereof. And it is our royal will and pleasure, that the same be now settled, as may most conduce to the future security of our said subjects, estates, and the good of that our kingdom. And to the end, that our princely promise passed unto them, in the parts thereof herein expressed, may the more speedily be performed, we thereby will and require you, that forthwith several bills be transmitted from you, our justices and our council there, for securing unto our said subjects in parliament, such particu lars, as in these our letters are contained, &c,

No. XXV.

THE ORDERS OF THE LORDS AND COMMONS OF THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT TO THE LORDS JUSTICES OF IRELAND....PAGE

118.

THE lords and commons in this present parliament, being advertised of the dangerous conspiracy and rebellion in Ireland, by the treacherous and wicked instigation of Romish priests, for the bloody massacre and destruction of all Protestants living

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