A MESSAGE Sent from both Houses of Parliament to the Kings most excellent Majesty, the 16 of March 1641, Concerning speciall matters.
LONDON, Printed for Iohn Franke, and are to be sold at his shop next doore to the Kings head in Fleetstreet, 1642.
YOur Majesties most humble and faithfull Subjects, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament, having considered your Majesties Reply to their Answer, touching such persons as have beene licenced by your Majestie to passe into Ireland, doe most humbly beseech your Majestie to believe, that they shall always with thankfulnes and joy receive from your Majesty and satisfactory Answer to their just requests: And, as they hope, they shall finde in your Majesty a readinesse to rectifie those things, which have beene done to their prejudice, so will they bee carefull to remove all apprehensions of their Actions or Speeches, which may seeme to cast any dishonour upon your Majesty.
For your Majesties better satisfaction concerning the positive affirmation, that many of the chief Commanders now in the head of the Rebels (after the Ports were stopped by order of both houses) have been suffered to passe by your Majesties immediate warrant. May it please your Majesty to consider that herein they have affirmed nothing [Page 2]but what they had cause to believe was true, the grounds whereof they humbly present to your Majesty.
The first ground is this, that both Houses of Parliament, (having upon your Majesties commendation taken into their care the suppression of the Rebellion of Ireland) had reason to be especially watchfull over the Ports, because the Rebels abounding in numbers of men for the most part ignorant of the use of their Armes could by no means become dangerous or formidable to this Kingdome, but by the accesse of Souldiers and Commanders, wherewith they were like to be furnished either out of France or Planders, from both which places the passage into Ireland is speedy and easie through this Kingdome, and thereof they could not chuse but be very sensible of whatsoever gave liberty or opportunitie to such a passage, as of a very hurtfull and dangerous grievance, for prevention whereof they did upon the seventh of November agree upon an Order and restrain all passage into Ireland, but upon due and strict examination by such persons as were trusted to make those Licences.
A second ground that the other Licence granted to the Lord Delvin, and then acknowledged by your Majesties Answer, were such (both in regard of the persons to whom they were granted, and the extent of the words in which they were granted,) as were apt to produce such an effect as is mentioned in that positive Affirmation, that is, to [Page 3]open away for the passage of Papists and other dangerous persons to joyne with the Rebels, and to bee Heads and Commanders amongst them, which is thus proved.
The Warrant granted to Colonell Butler, (since the order of restraint by both Houses of Parliament) did extend to all Ports of England and Scotland, and did giue free passage to himselfe and to his Company, without any qualification of persons, or Limitation of Number, and this Colonell was himselfe a Papist, had a Brother in Rebellion, and Generall of the Rebels in Munster, was expected, and very much desired by those Rebels, who for a long time kept a Regiment to be commanded by him, as we have beene credibly informed.
The second was granted to a Sonne of the Lord Nettersfield, which Lord had foure sonnes in England since the Rebellion, one of which is settled in England, three others intended to passe into Ireland, and were all dangerous persons being Papists, bred in the Wars, in the service of the King of Spaine, and one of them lately become a Jesuit.
The third to the Lord Delvin extends to himselfe, and foure persons more unnamed, that one of those who should have past with him is taken to bee a Jesuite, and another who calls himselfe Ploncket, seems to be a man of some breeding and quality, and like to have beene serviceable to the Rebels, and to have done mischiefe, if he had gone over.
The fourth to Sir George Hamilton, and three more unnamed; This Gentleman is likewise a profest Papist, and may be doubted to be of the partie of the [Page 4]Rebels, one of that Name being mentioned in the instructions of Sempill the Jesuit, amongst divers other dangerous persons of the popish party in Scotland and Ireland, which instructions were found in a ship stayed in Cornwall, which was going into Ireland with divers Jesuits, souldiers, and others for the incouragement of the Rebels.
A third ground is this, That by vertue and Authority of these Licences, severall persons have passed over, which are now in Actuall Rebellion, and Joyned with the Rebels, and some have command amongst them which is thus proved.
One Captaine Sutton, did by vertue and Authority of your Majesties Licence imbarque at White-haven, in the Coompany of Colonel Butler, and was driven backe by foule weather; Whereupon the Colonell stayed, and went to Chester, but that Captaine reimbarqued himselfe in the same Bottome, and passed into Ireland, where he went into Rebellion with the Lord Dunsany, and hath since obtained the place of a Colonell amongst the Rebels, as we are very credibly informed.
Two of the Sonnes of the Lord Nettersfield, one a Jesuite, and the other a Souldier, passed into Ireland in December last, both of them by vertue of your Majestes Warrant, as we have cause to beleeve, for that they went both together in one Ship, and the Licence acknowledged to be granted by your Warrant must needs be granted to one of them, seeing the other Brother, who lately endevoured to passe over, did produce no Licence, and upon his Examination [Page 5]doth absolutely deny that he had any.
A fourth ground (which we humbly offer to your Majesty) is this, That your Majesty cannot be assured that no other did passe upon your Licence, as your Majesty doth conceive, and are pleased to expresse in your Answer, and that we had great cause to beleeve that divers other had passed over by your Warrant, besides the persons afore-mentioned, and that for these reasons;
1. Because we received such a generall Information, that divers now in the head of the Rebels were passed by your Majesties Licence, which being true in part, and easie [...]o be effected, in regard of the Nature and extent of the Warrants, and probable to be attempted, in regard of the subtilty and vigilancie of that party, to make use of all advantages, seemed to deserve credit, which we should not have given to it, if it had beene a naked information without such circumstances.
2. Because wee had concurring Advertisements from Ireland and Chester, that divers Priests, Jesuites, and popish Commanders had passed ouer, and were landed there, and particularly some of Colonell Butlers Company, and that the Officers of the Ports had kept no Entrie of the names of these persons, or of the Warrants by which they were transported.
These we hope will be sufficient to perswade your Majesty to beleeve, that as we had some cause to give [Page 6]credit to the said Informations, so we had no intention to make any ill use of them to your Majesties dishonour, but did impute the blame to your Ministers, who might have beene more carefull to have informed your Majestie of the Quality of those persons named in your Licences, and so to have limited them, that they might not have extended to others, as they did, how many and dangerous soever.
And they pray your Majesty to rest assured, that they shall alwayes be tender of your Honour and reputation with your good Subjects, and for this cause have made this true Declaration of the full state of this matter, that they may thinke no otherwise of it then the truth, & in all things shall labour to establish a good understanding and confidence, betwixt your Majestie, and your people, which they heartily desire, and pray for, as the chiefest meanes of preserving the Honour, safetie, and prosperity of your Majestie, and your Kingdome.
To the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House in Parliament now assembled.
The humble (a) Petition of Iohn (b) Salvin in the County of Durham, Gent.
THat whereas the Inhabitants of severall Counties have by petition to this Honourable House made knowne theirs and the Kingdoms grievances, your Petitioner (though but a private member of the Commonwealth) suffering in like manner, most humbly addresseth himselfe to this Honourable Assembly, for that his private injuries are not onely to himselfe, but have relation to the publique, as by the sequele will appeare.
Your humble Petitioner having beene here at London nine moneths, foure in obedience to the (c) House of Peers, the other five about his most necessary and urgent occasions, is now in great want and penury, occasioned by some of his nearest friends and familiar acquaintance who are (d) Papists, and of the most dangerous of that sect in the County of Durham, yet through their wealth are countenanced in their unconscionable wayes by the Bishop of Durham his Officers, Doctor Cousins and others, (e) which Doctor Cousins had (and hath yet when hee resideth in the County) resort to Master George Collingwood of Dalden his house, a great Papist, and one of your Petitioners oppressors, [Page]and there had conference with his Priests, with whom he holdeth correspondence. And the Bishop not withstanding he knoweth the houses of (f) Dalden, Hebburne, Walworth, Thornley, Harbor house, and other places in the County, to be receptacles of Priests and Iesuits, Nurseries of Popery, and to be frequented by the Papists, in greater multitudes on their Saints dayes and Festivals, then divers Parish Churches in the County by the Protestants on the Lords day; yet never did nor yet doth take course (in these dangerous times) [...]o discover or suppresse them and in time of common danger did make (g) dep [...]ty Lieutenants of those, whose wives he knew to be profest P [...]pists, and their children so educated and brought up. Neither doth the Bishop wrong the County (onely) by his connivency and countenance to the P [...]pists, but by his oppressions in imposing and gathering heavy and injurious assessements concerning the Militia, and other affaires of the County, great profits arising thereby to his (h) Officers and Servants, and in the exercising of his Ius Regale, the (i) Inhabitants of the County feele his heavy and oppressive hand.
That though the Bishop knew your Petitioner and his children to suffer in his estate, and for (k) Religion sake most unjustly, yet your Petitioners mother and uncle being rich Papists, found his favour, although the Bishop exprest himselfe upon the hearing of their most unnaturall dealing against your Petitioner and his children▪ that his mother and uncle did not deserve to have at their death Christian buriall.
That your Petitioners life and liberty through inexpressive griefe, penury, and want, [...]re in danger, (l) his rents and present maintenance wrongfully detained, your Petitioners mother and uncle withholding from him besides 120. pounds per annum, and hath damnified your Petitioner [Page]3000. pounds and more, and doe (m) endeavour to get all his lands at a great undervalue, whereby your Petitioner and his children suffer under the extremity of want and necessity, because he will not condiscend to their cunning and undoing practices.
That although his complaints may seeme strange to this Honourable House, being of a Nephew against an Uncle, a Sonne against a Mother, yet their (n) strange usage of your Petitioner and his children, will plead your Petitioners just excuse to your Honours, as he fully can make appeare.
Your Petitioner therefore most humbly prayeth, for that he suffereth the said injuries and oppressions by the malignant party supported as aforesaid, and hath represented to your Honours nothing but what by his duty and the late Protestation hee ought to doe in the behalfe of the Church, King, and Common-wealth: That this Honourable and grave Assembly will bee pleased to regulate the said dangerous enormities, by suppressing the aforesaid (o) places and receptacles, which hitherto the Bishop and his Officers have conniv'd at, and concealed, being places (as now the times are) knowne to be dangerous for entertaining Priests and Iesuits, and their confederates, to have often meetings, and more now then before. And that the Bishop and his Officers may make restitution of the moneyes they have illegally levyed and taken, to the oppression of the whole County; and that your Petitioner may have such reliefe against his Uncle and Mother, as from your great wisdomes and charities his crying necessi [...]ies may seeme to plead for redresse; whereof he humbly waiteth, never ce [...]sing to pray for prosperity on your consultations, &c.
To the Honourable the HOUSE of Commons now in Parliament assembled.
The humble Petition of Iohn Salvin, Gent.
THat in obedience to the agreement made by the Lords Comm ssioners at R [...]ppon in the County of Yorke, your Petitioner did contribute with the Inhabitants of the County of Durham 21. pounds, 10. shillings for his proper part towards the maintenance of our brethren the Scots, during their abode there, which is part of the 26000. pounds that this Parliament was pleased to undertake the payment of, in November last.
That your Petitioner prefer'd his humble Petition to this Honourable House for a reimbursement of those moneys which he dutifully disbursed for the Republique, upon which Petition your Petitioner receiving this answer from some of the members of this Honourable House, that it would open a gap (if condiscended unto) to others to sue for the like satisfaction, which according to the present necessity, the publique engagement could not afford. To which exceptions your Petitioner in all humility, and under your Honours favour, conceiveth these satisfactory reasons in his behalfe.
[Page] 1. That the County in generall, having sent up Sir William Lambton, Sir Thomas Riddell, Sir George Vane, Knights, and Thomas Davison Esquire, in December, to petition this Honourable Assembly in their behalfe, for repayment of the 26000. pounds, the publique necessities not affording it, rests contented.
2. That none of the Contributors of that County have occasion in that deplorable way to presse upon your Honours for reliefe, as your Petitioner hath. First, for that he is necessarily to be here in towne about his urgent affaires. Secondly, for that hee hath two daughters in London, the one newly come out of Ireland, in want, and out of service, the other very weak and infirme, spitting blood, and not able to make service, both of them with your Petitioner like to perish for want of sustenance.
3. That in the stories of all Commonwealths, their benefactors have been found to have, if not reward, yet (in time of distresse) reliefe; wherefore your Petitioner doth humbly implore the Honourable House of Commons to take pitty of him, and to repay your Petitioner in this his time of great need (for reliefe of him and his poore children) the moneyes hee (in duty) layd downe for the Common-good.
And he and they shall daily pray, &c.
(a) Discovering, in the practises of the Bishop of Durham, the hypocrisie and tyranny of the Prelates.
(b) Discovering in his private sufferings the present dangers and grievances of the County and the Kingdome.
(c) As a witnesse between Mr. Smart and Doctor Cousins, for which by the procurement of the Doctor and his Popish adherents this Petitioner is highly maligned of his friends, with whom they being Papists, the Doctor sideth.
(d) Rebecca Salvin his mother, George Collingwood his uncle, Lancelot Holby: This George Collingwood is a very dangerous Papist, in great favour with the Bishop, an agent for the Benedictines, and their Monasteries, and was a collectour in our County for those monies the Papists, by way of benevolence, gave the Queene, towards the maintenance of the wars against the Scots. This Lancelot Holby is a dangerous Papist, in favour with the Bishop and his officers, and a Factour and Agent for the Iesuits and their Colledges beyond the seas, and doth sue in their behalfe for monies &c.
(e) Doctor Cousins viewing the Altar at Dalden, being demanded by Mr. Collingwood what he thought thereof, made answer that if he had an auditory that did understand latine he would say Masse unto them, for he holdeth the Romans missall, and the new Service booke intended for Scotland, not to differ either in practise of Ceremony, or point of Doctrine. And Mr. Maxton a Prebend of the Church of Durham tooke a comparison from a paire of bandstrings, saying, there was no more difference betwixt the Service booke intended for Scotland, and the booke of Common praier, then if one paire of the strings should be but a haire breadth longer then the other.
(f) Dalden and Hebborne are places neare and adjoining to the sea, from whence are exported and imported Priests Iesuits, Students, monies, bookes, or what be advantagious to the Papists.
(g) Sir William Blaxton deceased. Gerard Salvin Esq living.
(h) To Sir William Darcy at one time sixty pound; to Mr. William Mallory one forty pound, and other monyes since; much monies to Mr. Thomas Laton, and William Friseul.
(i) Rowland Place of Dinsdale Esq N. Cooke of Redmarshall. The poore of Medridge.
(k) The petitioners mother being a Papist, presently after his fathers death, took him from Saint Julians a Protestant Schoole in Harfordshire, and sent him beyond the seas to be brought up in popery, to which, being very young, hee was by farre words soone wonne, but having since discovered the falsehood and treachery of that religion, is become a true and sincere Protestant, and hath converted all his children whom he so educateth, for which his mother denieth him and them that maintenance that should come from naturall and loving parents.
(l) By his tenant conspiring with his Papist friends, who labour to buy his lands at a great undervalue, knowing the petitioner to be at a very low eb & not able for the present to help himselfe under an unjust pretence, to have a lease to be made to him by the petitioner for his life, will come to no account, nor let him have his lands.
(m) Assisted by Edward Wright the Counsellor at Law, who with them and the priest of Dalden, hath had meetings to that purpose, the petitioners mother and uncle having wonne Edward Wright by great fees and large gifts: my uncle holding this maxime never to faile. viz. That a man with money enough may prevaile, let his sute be never so unjust, and may moreover wade through felony, murther and the like treason only excepted, in some of which he hath had successe for himselfe and others.
(n) Knowne to the whole County, for which they are accounted monstruous.
(o) Where Lancelot Holby, as I am credibly informed, holdeth suspicious and dangerous meetings.