AN ORDINANCE OR PROCLAMATION BY THE Prince of ORANGE and States OF Holland, In Her Majesties behalf, and at Her request.
Wherein is expresly commanded, that no Fugitive or Delinquent fled from the Parliament in England, shall presume to come within ten miles of Her Maiesties Court, upon perill of their apprehension, and being sent over into England to answer their accusers.
Whereuuto is added the maner of scituation and setling of Her Majesties Court at the Hage, the great and most sumptuous entertainment of the Lady Elizabeth towards Her, with many other things of worthy note.
London, Printed for Andrew C. and Marmaduke B. 1641.
An Ordinance.
UPon Her Maiesties going over into Holland with the Princesse Mary, to visite the most noble Prince of Orange, in congratulation of those many and Honourable favours, conferred upon this Kingdom, during his residence in England; Divers Delinquents that were fled from the English Parliament, upon accusation of their iniustice in the State, and abuse of the trust reposed in them, and imposed upon them, for the administring of equity to the Subiects, made their repeal into Holland: Whereof the Lord Finch, formerly Lord Keeper of the great Seal of E [...]g [...]and, Secretary Windebank, chief Secretary o [...] State to His Maiesty, and the Lord Digby, with divers others. All of which humbly desired and emplored Her Maiesties Favour towards them, for to entertain them into Her Court; as those which would apply themselves in all obsequious duty to repair their lost credit in England, by their good humble and diligent endeavours towards Her Maiesty: which Petition of theirs, Her Maiesty taking into serious and mature deliberation, considering with Her self what an ill aspersion it might iustly cast upon Her, if she [Page 4] should so much forget Her self if she should encertain those into favour, who were formerly disfavourd for their misdeamenours by her Parliament, she forthwith requested the Prince of Orange who likewise moved the states therein for the publishing of a speedie severe and authorised Ordinance or Proclamation therein to command the absence of all delinquents to the Parliament in England from her Majesties Court, which was accordingly effected; The contents whereof follow.
The Proclamation or Ordinance by the Prince of Orange and the States of Holland to command absence of Dilinquents from Her Majesties Court.
WHereas we have connected and knit our selves in the boundes of Amity and a most filiall and reciprocall friendship with our most Royall Father the King of England and his most Honourable Parliament now conjoyned for removeall of grievances in the said kingdome we are bound in all due respect, and more especially, by the mutuall dutie I owe his most sacred Majestie, not to harbour or detaine any enemies to that state or his Royall person in this kingdome, whereas therefore there are certain [Page 5] pernicious and ill meaning persons here found with us, who have been and still are Delinquents to the said houses of Parliament, who have boldly undertaken to intereede by Petition to Her Majesty, to be entertained into her Majesties service at her Court now holden at the Hage, it being contrary to the respect she hath and doth continually owe to her Majestie, and that honourable assembly, as also so farre from her most reall intentions, as she hath requested us, to shew thus much by Proclamation and Ordinance unto them as shall be contained in these ensuing particulars.
1. That her Majestie doth not, nor will not by any meanes accept, no nor so much as countenance their proffered service towards her untill such time as shall have satisfied the just and condigne censure of of the Parliament by clearing themselves of these misdemeanors whereof they are accused by that honourahle assembly.
2. That She hath not, nor cannot ascribe unto Her self, the power of acceptance of any one into Her Maiesties service, without His Maiesties leave, licence, and condiscent.
3. That for these Reasons abovenamed, to shew Her due obeisance to His Maiesty, and love to the Parliament; She commands that none of the Delinquents to the said Parliament, whatsover shall presume to intrude himself within the circute of ten miles of Her Court.
We therefore out of the love we bear unto that illustrious King our Father, His Queen our [Page 6] Mother, and their famous Parliament our friends, Do declare that if any of the Delinquents to the said Parliament should transgresse this Her Maiesties command ratified by us, by their coming within the aforementioned bounds, they be forthwith apprehended for breach of our commands, contrary to our Proclamation, and sent into England, to receive such censure as they have deserved.
Given under our hands at Delph this seventh of March. 1461.
The manner of Her Majesties Court now setled at the Hage in Holland.
HEr Majestie at Her landing at Flushing, took Her journey immediately towards the Hage, passing through Dorte, Middleborough, and divers other Town [...]: in their way there was the Lady Elizabeth, and divers of Her Carroches to give Her the more honourable entertainment. Thus with great solemnity was she transported to the Hage, where she took up a station for Her Court, at a place called the new Pallace, in the Starre Street, with the Lady Elizabeth; the Prince of Orange to shew his most obsequious respect, gave especiall order for a most acurate guard of his [Page 7] best and most able men, to begirt the town for Her Majesties safety: There be infinites of the Dutch, that daily resort thither to view Her Majesties most royall Person; and nothing seems so welcome as Her Majesties presence amongst them▪ The eyes of both nobility and communalty waiting with much fervency and advency of affection, to take a view of those perfections by, and through which this Kingdom of England hath been blessed by the famous issue of such royall stock, and posterity. For the which our Land before Her, longtime mourned, and which since hath been gratiously multiplyed by the blessing of God through the branches, proceeding from this Royall Vine.