ARTICLES Drawn up By the now Iohn Earle of Bristoll and pre­sented to the Parliament, against George late Duke of Buckingham, in the yeare 1626. containing these particulars following.

Concerning the death of King Iames, on which Articles the Parliament was dissolved &c.

1 Declaring a secret Plot to draw his Majesty into Spaine, that hee might be instructed in the Roman Religion.

2 Shewing who were the principall confederates and contrivers of the said Plot, and that his Majesty went accordingly.

3 What hopes were given to the Spaniard of his Majesties conver­sion to the Romish Religion and what correspondency was held with the Pope concerning the same.

4 Shewing what Letters were written to the Pope, and how hee were stiled the Holy Father, &c.

5 That the Pope sent a Bull concerning the Kings conversion.

6 Shewing what was the ruine of the Palsgrave.

7 Shewing the great miscarriages of the whole affaires concerning Spaine, and King Iames his Resolution thereupon.

Printed at London, for I. A. 1642.

Articles of the Earle of Bristoll, whereby he chargeth the Duke of Buckingham. Dated primo Maij Anno. 1626.

THat the Duke of Buckingham did se­cretly combine and conspire with the Conde de Gondomar Ambassadour for the King of Spaine, before his the said Ambassadors last returne into Spaine 1622. to carry his now Majesty then Prince into Spaine, to the end that he might be informed and instructed in the Roman Religion, and thereby have perverted the Prince, and subverted the true Religion esta­blished in England, from which misery this King­dome next under Gods mercies, hath by the wise, Religious and constant carriage of his Ma­jesty bin almost miraculously delivered, conside­ring the many bold and subtle attempts of the said Duke in that kind.

2 That M. Porter was acquainted with it, and sent into Spain, & such Messages at his return fra­med as might serve for a ground to set on foot this conspiracy, which was done accordingly, and thereby the King and Prince highly abused, and [Page 2] their consents thereby first gotten to the said journey, that is to say, after the returne of the said M. Porter, which was about the end of De­cember or beginning of Ianuary, 1622. where­as the said Duke had plotted it many moneths before.

3 That the Duke at his arrivall in Spaine nourished the Spanish Ministers, not onely in the beleif of his own, being popishly affected, but did (both by absenting himselfe from all exercises of Religion constantly used in the Earle of Bristolls house, and frequented by all the Prote­stant English, and by conforming himselfe to please the Spaniards in diverse rites of their Re­ligion, even so far as to kneele and adore their Sacraments from time to time) give the Span [...] ­ards hope of the Prince his conversion, which he endeavoured to procure by all meanes possible, and thereby caused the Spanish Ministers to propound far worse Questions for Religion than they had been formerly by the Earle of Bristoll, and sir Walter Asten setled and signed under their Majesties Hands, with a clause in the King of Spaine his Answer of the twelfth of December, Anno 1622. That they held the Articles agreed [Page 5] upon sufficient, and such as ought to induce the Pope to the granting of the dispensation.

4. That the Duke of Buckingham having se­verall times in the presence of the Ea: of Bristoll moved and pressed his late Majesty at the in­stance of the Conde de Gondomar to write a letter unto the Pope, and to that purpose having once brought a letter ready drawn, wherwith the Ea: of Bristoll by his Majesty being made acquainted did so strongly oppose the writing of any such letter, that during the abode of the sayd Earl in England, the sayd Duke could not attain it, yet not long after the sayd Earle was gone, hee pro­cured such a letter to bee written from his late Majesty unto the Pope, and to have him stiled Sanctissimus Poter.

5. That the Pope being informed of the Duke of Buckingham his inclination and intention, in point of Religion, sent unto the sayd Duke a particular Bull in parchment for to perswade and encourage him in the pervertion of his Majesty then Prince.

6. That the Duke's behaviour in Spaine was such, that he thereby so incensed the K. of Spain and his Ministers that they would admit of no [Page 6] reconciliation nor further dealing with them, whereupon the Duke seeing that the match would now be to his disadvantage, he endeavou­red to break it, not for any service to the King­dome, nor dislike of the match it selfe, nor for that he found (as since he hath pretended) that the Spanyards did not really intend the same match, but out of his particular ends and indig­nation.

7. After that he intended to crosse the marri­age, he put in practise diverse undue courses, as namely making uses of the letters of his Majesty then Prince, to his owne ends, and not to what they were intended, as likewise concealing things of high importance from his late Majesty, and thereby overthrew his Majesties purposes, and advanced his own ends.

8. That the D. of Buckingham as hee had with his skill and artifices formerly abused their Maje­sties, so to the same end hee afterwards abused both Houses of Parliament, by finister relations of the carriage of affaires, as shall be made apeare almost in every particular that hee spake to the sayd Houses.

9. As for his scandall given by his personall be­haviour, [Page 7] as also the imploying of his power with the King of Spayn for the procuring of favours and Offices which hee bestowed upon base and unworthy persons for the recompence and hire of his lusts, these things as neither fit for the Earl of Bristoll to speake, nor indeed for the house to hear, hee leaveth to your Lordships wisedomes, how far you will be pleased to have them exami­ned, it hath indeed been great infamy and disho­nour to this Nation, that a person of the Dukes quality and imployment a privy Counsellor, an Ambassadour eminent in his Majesties favour, solely trusted with the Prince, should leave be­hind him in a Forreign Court so much scandal as he did by his ill behaviour.

10. That the Duke of Buckingham hath been in great part the cause of the ruine and misfortune of the Palsgrave and his estate, in asmuch as those affairs had relation unto this Kingdome.

11. That the Duke of Buckingham in his relati­on to both Houses of Parliament wronged the Earl of Bristoll in point of his honour by many si­nister aspersions which he hath layd upon him, and in the point of his liberty by many undue courses through his power and practises.

[Page 8]12. That the Earl of Bristoll did reveale to [...] late Majesty both by words and letter in what sort the Duke had deceived him, and abused his trust, and that the King by severall wayes sent him word that hee should rest assured that hee would heare him, but that hee should leave it to him to take his owne time, and thereupon few days before his sicknesse hee sent the Earle [...] that he would hear him against the Duke, as well as he had heard the Duke against him, which the Duke heard, and not long after, his blessed Ma­jesty sickned and dyed, having in the interim [...] much vexed and pressed by the said Duke.

FINIS.

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