ON Munday the third of this instant month of January, his Majesty by War­rant under his own hand, Authorized Sergeant Frances, Sergeant at Armes, to come to the House of Commons, and there to demand Mr. Denzill Hollis, Sir Arthur Haslerigg, Mr. Pym, Mr. Hampden, and Mr. Strowd, whom in his Majesties name, he accused of High Treason.

The House of Commons returned this answere, that not only those five Gentlemen, but also every one of them would lay downe their lives and for­tunes at his Majesties feet, so he would be but plea­sed to accuse them in a legall way, and make known the cause of their Accusation.

The next day being Tuesday, his Majesty (unex­pectedly) came to the House of Commons attended with a multitude of persons Armed as aforesaid, and there in the SPEAKERS Chaire, demanded these five Persons, saying he expected yesterday o­bedience, [Page 2]and not an Answere: When his Majesty a long time together had cast his eyes round about the House, and could not discerne any of these five Members there, he was pleased to command Mr. Speaker to tell him if they were there, the Speaker falling upon his knees humbly beseeching his Maje­sty to excuse him, for he was servant to the House of Commons, and could neither see nor speake with­out their leave.

His Majestie discerning they were not in the House, graciously departed; but the bloody min­ded souldiers, some of whom stood neere the doore of the House of Commons, with their Pistols readie cockt, and their Swords erected in their hands, expecting when the word should have beene given with fearefull Oathes expressed themselves, that they lost that they came for, the persons were not there, they mist the opportunity of cutting their throats, and the throats of all those Parlia­ment men of the House of Commons that would not have suffered these five persons to have beene taken out of the House, his Majesties owne ser­vants carrying themselves civilly, and indeed igno­rant of the Trayterous designe.

As soone as these damme blades about the num­ber of 400. were gone, the House of Commons, full of griefe of heart to see the priviledges of Parlia­ment thus broken, adjourned in great discontent til Wednesday, the 5. of Januarie, at two of the clock, at which time they met, and concluded of an Order to adjourne the House till Tuseday, the 11. of Janu­ary, 1641. And in the meane time, appointed a Comittee of the House of Commons to sit in Lon­don, [Page 3]to consider of the safety of the King, Kingdome and Parliament, and of repairing of the priviledges of Parliament so highly broken.

Which meeting hath produced severall Orders and Declarations for maintaining the priviledges of Parliament, which are to be reported to the House, and there to have it's force.

But for the safety of the Kingdome and Citie, which they conceived to be in emminent danger; the Committee for Irish affaires of the House of Commons propounded the consideration thereof to the Committee of the Lords House for Irish af­faires, who sate likewise in London, who in re­gard the King had denyed both houses a Guard to protect them; and in regard such an hostill plot was intended, as was apparantly proved declared their opinion, that whereas the King and Parliament was in so great danger; that in that case the Sheriffes of London and Midlesex, ought to come with the Posse Commitatus, to the Parliament to de­fend the King and Parliament, to which opinion the Comittee of the House of Commons assented, which was communicated to the Lord Major, Al­dermen and Common Counsell of London, and they delivered their opinions herein, and expressed their forwardnesse hereunto.

This breach of priviledge of Parliament begot much discontent in the Parliament and people, and the more in regard by speciall command, the Arti­cles against Master Pym, and the rest was printed, and the same published by Sir William Killegrue and Sir William Flemyn, and delivered in his Majesties Name (as they fasely pretended) to the foure Innes [Page 4]of Court, to the end to make these persons the more odious to them and the Kingdome: And in regard the consequence of admitting this Accusation in this manner against these five persons, is a president to take away the whole House of Commons at a breath, under pretence of high Treason, if (as God forbid) an Accunsation of this nature should be hereafter; and considering that to this very day, (11. Januar. 1641.) no Articles of Impeachment is come into the House of Commons by the Kings Attourney or otherwise, or from the Lords House (if any be there against them) till which time that it come from thence by messengers of their owne (if their first depending) the House cannot legally take notice thereof: This, and ma­ny other reasons, made the House of Commons to insist upon it, besides the great merit of these per­sons, whom (as the house hath declared) though as deare as their lives unto them, they will deliver over unto a tryall, so as his Majestie will proceed against them in a legall way, either at the Kings Bench, or in Parliament, and produce any Subject in England that will stand to make good the Accu­sation, and in case they faile to make it good, that his Majectie will let them be forth-comming, and also to discover those wicked Counsells that have advised him to this course, that they may be brought to condigne punishment.

The City ond people in the adjacent parts are so much moved in this businesse, and fearing some sud­daine execution may be done upon the Parliament (both the House of Peeres, and House of Commons, and the Lords of the Privy Counsell, having decla­red [Page 5]that this Act of his Majesties without their ad­vice, and against the privilledges of Parliament) That they yesterday declared, that eight Compa­nies of the Trayned Bands, with 8. pieces of Ord­nance, and divers Horsemen mounted, shall Guard the Commitees of the House of Peeres, and Com­mons, from Grocers-hall in London to Westminster, And the Sea Captaines, Masters of Ships, and Mar­riners, with small Barges, and long Boates suffici­ently man'd and Armed with Murderers, Rablets, Faulchion and Minion, with Musquets and halfe-Pikes, to the number of 2000 persons have engaged themselves to Guard the Parliament by water. The Trayned Bands in Southwark have offered them­selves to secure all the other side of the water, and the Aprentices tendred their services to attend the Parliament to the number of ten thousand with Warlike weapons, but those the Parliament en­joyned to stay at home. And lastly, the Watermen tendred their Barges for more safety to carry the Parliament men by Water: All which to the great admiration of all the Beholders, put in execution this day: And that which is most considerable, 4000 Horsemen are come to the house of Cōmons this day, except some of them which lay at Vxbridg and places thereabouts, with a Petition in the name of the whole County of Buckingham, that Mr. Hampden their Knight of the Shire may receive his Tryall, and not lie under the name of high Treason, and cannot obtaine a legall way of Tryall, and that if he acquit himselfe (as no good men make doubt of) Justice in a high measure may be done upon the false informers of his Majesty, how neere or how [Page]a great soever; They being confident that it is but de­signe of the Popish party, to put an interruption in the proceedings of Parliament, that no reliefe may be sent to Ireland, but that more Protestant blood may be shed there, and that all Acts made this Parliament, may be avoyded under pretence of no free Parliament: And lastly to force a breach of this Parliament, by an un­timely adjournment, or fayle of meeting through fear of danger.