THe Officers and Councell of the Army, be­ing discontented with the Votes passed in the Commons House upon a long and serious Debate (which continued all Munday, and Munday night last, till Tuesday morning about 9 of the clock) to this effect, That the Kings person was remo­ved out of the Isle of Wight by the Generals Command, with­out the knowledg or consent of the House. And, That the Kings answers to the Propositions of both Houses upon the Treaty, were a sufficient ground for the house to proceed to the settle­ment of a safe and wel-grounded Peace. On Wednesday, the sixth of this instant December, 1648. placed strong Guards of the Army (as well Horse as Foot) in the Palace yard, Westminster-hall, the Court of Requests, and in the stairs and Lobby leading to the Commons-house, where Col. Pride (who commanded the Guards that day) Sir Hardresse Waller, and other Officers, vio­lently seized upon divers Knights, Citizens, and Bur­gesses of the Commons house in the Parliament stairs and Lobby, as they were going to the House, to sit and discharge their duties there, and by plain force thrust and carried them prisoners into the Queens-Court, notwithstanding their open protestations of breach of Priviledg of Parliament, without having any warrant for such commitment but their Swords, or assigning any cause at all but their own arbitrary wills: and there kept them prisoners under a strong Guard, denying them liberty of access to the House, which [Page 4] they desired. Mr. Edward Stevens and Col. Birch being gotten into the House before their seizures, were cal­led to the door by feared Messages sent to them by the Officers, under other mens names, and there sei­zed on, and violently pulled out of the House, though they cryed out to the Speaker to take notice of the horrid force upon them; and so were haled thence into the Queens Court; Harry Martin the Horse stealer, though in actuall Rebellion against the House, and formerly ejected out of it, being in the mean time admitted to sit as a competent Member. The House being informed of this strange violence offered to their Members by those who professed themselves their Servants and Protectors, sent the Sergeant of the House to the Queens Court, to demand the Members there detained, and required their attendance in the House: Which Message, though delivered, was dis­obeyed, wherewith he acquainting the House: Thereupon the House sent the Serjeant forth with the Mace, to fetch away the imprisoned Members, but the Soldiers and Officers violently kept him back at the Door, and would not suffer him to execute their command. Hereupon the House resolved not to pro­ceed till these Members were restored; yet notwith­standing the Officers stil proceeded to seiz more Mem­bers, as they came to, or went from the House, carrying them all Prisoners to the Court aforesaid. About three of the clock in the afternoon, Hugh Peter with a sword by his side, like a boisterous Souldier came rushing in to see the Prisoners, and take a list of their names, by order from the Generall, as he alledged; where some of the Prisoners demanding of him, by what authority they were thus imprisoned and kept from their duty, he [Page 5] answered, By the power of the Sword; and returning thi­ther soon after, he released Sir Benjamin Ruddier and Mr. Nathaniel Fiennes (as he said) by the like power of the Sword.

Night drawing on, the Prisoners desired the Capt. who guarded them, to desire Col. Pride to speak with them, to the end they might know by what authori­ty, and for what cause they were thus detained by him, being Members. The proud Colonel returned this Answer, That he had other imployment for the present, that he could not wait upon them. Soon af­ter Hugh Peter and some other Officers acquainted them, that they should all be removed to Wallingford House, where they should have all fitting accommo­dations provided for them, and where the General and Lieut. Gen. would come and speak with them, and that Coaches were provided to carry them thi­ther: upon this assurance, the Prisoners went all from the Queens Court, to take coach at the Lords stairs; where Coaches attending them, in stead of being car­ryed to Wallingford House as was promised and ex­pected, they were stayed at the back-gate of Hell, (a common Victualling-house so called) and there thrust all into the common dining-Room, and after that translated into two upper Chambers. When it grew late, Sir Robert Pye and some six more were offered li­berty to go to their lodgings (being neer) upon their paroll, to appear before the General the next morning: who conceiving it inconsistent with the Priviledge of Par­liament, and a prejudice to their Cause, refused to give any other paroll, then to appear in the House the next morning; which being not accepted, they were all inforced to remain in Hell that night, most of [Page 6] them having no other beds to rest their heads on (though ancient and infirm, and Gentlemen of Ho­nour) but the floor of the Room, and Benches and Chairs: yet they patiently underwent this affront and duresse in Hell it self (culled out of purpose to put a meer signal brand of contempt and infamy upon them and the Parliament) reading and singing Psalms to God, spending most of the night in Discourses and walking, without taking one minutes rest or sleep. It was a very sad spectacle to see so many eminent and Honourable Members of Parliament so uncivilly and discourteously used by their domineering Servants, who exceeded all Regal and Prelatical Tyranny in former times; which afforded convenient lodgings and accommodations to their Prisoners. The Provost Marshal (under whose custody they were unworthily put as Malefactors) was so ashamed of this dishonora­ble usage, that after some conference concerning it, he repaired to the General to White-hall, to acquaint him with it, and receive his further Order.

The next morning (being Thursday) the Prisoners expecting the issue, he returned to them about 11 of the clock, and acquainted them, that it was the Gene­rals pleasure they should all wait forthwith upon him and his Councel of War at White-Hall, where he desi­red to conferr with them: whereupon, they were presently put into Coaches and carried to White Hall like Traytors or Felons, with strong Guards of Horse and Foot attending them, and there brought into the Kings Lodgings fasting, and tired out with watching the night before: where arriving about 12 of the clock, they expected a present Answer. But our new Grandees and great Councel of the Army took so [Page 7] much Royal State upon them, as to make them wait their leisure til it was night before they vouchsafed to send them any answer; at which time, disdaining to call the imprisoned Members in, or to honour them with their more them Lordly presence, they sent out 3 Officers to acquaint then with this dilatory answer, That other intervenient affairs of great concernment were now in agitation before the General and his Councel, so as they could not admit them to their pre­sence that night, as was expected; and that the Gene­ral and his Councel, for their better accommodation, had given order that they should be lodg'd at 2 Inns in the Strand, to wit, the Swan and the Kings Head, for that night, where they should receive from them the next morning some Propositions to be considered of. After which, the Provost Marshal taking the names of those who were to be lodged at the Kings Head, and a list of those who were to be conducted to the Swan, carried them all prisoners to the said Inns thorow the streets in the dirt on foot (except some 6 or 7 onely, who were lame and aged) with a Musketier attending upon every one of them in particular, and a strong Guard marching before, behinde, and on one side of them, like so many Traytors and capital Malefactors, to the great admiration and discontent of all persons wel affected to the Parliament, and joy & rejoycing to all Malignants, Papists, and Cavaliers, who, had they been conquerors of the Parliament, could not have used them with more rigour, scorn and disdain then these pious Saints and Grandees of the Army have done, before they have attainted them of any parti­cular crime or breach of trust; whereof the whole Kingdom can declare all or most of them innocent.

[Page 8] Being brought Prisoners to the said Inns, they had strong Guards set upon them, and a Sentinel at every chamber door all night. Thus do these new usurpers of a more then Regal and Tyrannical power, trample upon the Members of the House of Commons (their former Masters) as if they were no better then the dirt in the street; and to exasperate the cōmon souldiers a­gainst them, have slandered the imprisoned Members, to be the only detainers of their pay; when as none of them ever fingered one penny of their moneys: and if any Members be guilty of such a crime, it must be those who have most relation to the Army, and pro­fesse themselves their greatest friends.

Thursday morning the Officers and Army guard­ing the House in the same manner as on Wednesday, some of their Officers standing at the Commons door with a List of Parliament mens names in their hands, demanded every Members name as he came to the door to enter the House, and those whose names were in their List, they forcibly excluded the House, and turned down the stairs, though they earnestly pres­sed for entrance: and some of them acquainted the Speaker by Letter with the high affront and breach of Priviledge; but could finde no redresse, the Offi­cers admitting onely such who were not in the List: About 40 Members were thus forcibly excluded, but not imprisoned; onely Mr. Gewen was seised upon by one of Col. Hewsons Officers, carried prisoner to the Queens Court, and from thence to White-hall to the rest of the imprisoned Members, who were there attending upon the General and his Councel: This day the Great Conqueror Lieut. Gen. Cromwel enter­ed the Commons House, and received thanks for his [Page 9] great services, which had been more Honourable for him to re­ceive in a full and free House, then in an empty and forced; the House (by reason of the restrained and excluded Members, with others driven away by this horrid violence) being not above 80. in Number, having formerly resolved not to proceed till their Members were restored, and the force upon them removed; af­ter some debate and opposition, the House was divided upon this Question, whether they should now proceed or not? which was carryed in the affirmative, 50. voting in the affirmative, and 28. or 30. in the negative, that they should not; who presently left the House, most of them resolving to come no more till the House and Members were righted; this done, to abuse and mock as well God as men, they appointed Friday for a so­lemne Humiliation, to be kept in that House, not to expiate the Armies open violation of their Priviledges, force and breach of Faith, both to God and the Parliament, which had been com­mendable, but to procure a blessing on the forcible and unparlia­mentall proceedings, for the subversion of Monarchy, Religion, Lawes, Liberties, and three Kingdomes in a moment: dethro­ning and beheading the King, and desinheriting his Posterity, and introducing a popular Anarchy and Tyranny under the power of a perfidious Army, worse then any slavery under the great Turk: The Lord humble them in good earnest for these crying sins and treasons, and either convert their hearts, or confound all their treasonable destructive devices of this kind, which will ren­der them infamous to the present and all future Generations, and bring them unto speedy ruine, notwithstanding all their present usurped power. It is beleived by divers understanding men of great experience, that the Jesuits have laid this plot, and fomented these distempers in the Army, by the Agitators, some of them being Jesuits, others Anabaptists, leavened with Jesuiticall principles; who over-reach the honest-minded and plain-hear­ted Christians in the Army by their speciall pretences of Justice, and speedy setling of the Common-Weale, but in such a way as will bring all to suddain confusion, and make our three King­domes a prey to the Popish party; and our forraign Popish ene­mies, who will make Bonefires of joy in Italy, Spain, France, Ire­land, and other forraign parts for this unparaleld force upon [Page 10] the Houses, and the designes of the Army now in prosecution.

Friday morning the imprisoned Members expected a Message from the Generall and his Councell, according to promise; but they received none, such is their dilatorinesse and fidelity in point of promise, onely one came with a message from the Generall to Sir Robert Harley to this effect, that he might go home to his house, and continue there, so as he would give his word not to oppose the present actings and proceedings of the House or Army, varying in his expressions; at which Sir Robert desired time to advise with his fellow prisoners, being a matter which equally concerned them; the like offer was since made to Sir John Merrick, by which it is apparent, that all these prisoners crime is onely the discharge of their duty, in opposing the pre­sent designes and actions of the Army, to subvert the fundamen­tall Lawes, Liberties and Government of the Kingdome, and the ancient forme of Parliaments; for which treason Strafford & Canterbury lost their heads by judgment of this very Parliament.

By all these passages, compared with the Armies late Re­monstrance and Declaration, it is most perspicuous to all the Kingdome,

1. That the Officers and Army have offered far greater vio­lence to the Priviledges, Houses, and Members of Parliament, and acted more towards the dissolution of this present, and sub­version of all future Parliaments, then ever the King or his Ca­valiers, the Gunpowder traytors, Germyn or Percy did; or the Reformadoes and London Apprentices did, whom yet the Offi­cers and Army declared against, and prosecuted as Traytors, though they neither imprisoned nor kept back any Member from the Houses.

2. That they have violated their Covenants, Oaths, Trusts, and solemne ingagements to the Parliament, City, Country and Kingdome, in as high or higher degree as ever the King and his evill Counsellors did, in invading the priviledges, forcing the Houses, imprisoning the Members of Parliament, and indeavou­ring by open force to subvert the fundamentall Government, Lawes, Liberties and Customes of the Realme, and the Ancient frame and being of Parliaments, for defence of all which they were raised, and covenanted to fight for and maintain.

[Page 11] That they have usurped a far greater and more dangerous ar­bitrary and tyrannicall power, over both Houses of Parliament, and their Members, and over the persons and estates of their fel­low-Subjects, then ever the King, or the worst of his Counsellors did, and that under the feigned pretences of present necessity, and common safety, of which they make themselves the only supreme Iudges, not the Parliament, as the King did in the case of Ship-mo­ney: and therefore they must either justifie or acquit the King & his party from all those charges & objections against him in their late Remonstrance, for which they presse the Houses in point of justice, both to depose and execute him as a Traitor to the Com­mon-wealth, or els incur the self-same crime and guilt, and sub­ject themselves to the same judgment and execution, which they desire to be inflicted upon Him and His.

• M. Wheeler.
• M. Lane.
• Sir Samuel Luke.
• Sir Thomas Soame.
• Sir Benjamin Raddierd.
• Sir Richard Anslow.
• Sir Robert Pye.
• Sir Anthony Irby.
• M. Clement Walker.
• M. William Prynne.
• M. Bunkley.
• Major Generall Massey.
• Sir Walter Erle.
• M. Greene.
• Colonell Birch.
• M. Boughton.
• Colonell Leigh.
• M. Henry Pe [...]ham.
• M. Drake.
• Sir William Waller.
• Sir John Merrick.
• Sir Martin Lister.
• Sir Robert Harley.
• Col. Ed. Harley.
• M. Swinfen.
• M. Crew.
• M. Ed. Stephens.
• M. Buller.
• Sir Gilbert Gerrard.
• M. Gerrard,
• M. Nath. Fines.
• Sir Simon d' Ewes.
• Sir William Lewes.
• Sir Iohn Clotworthy.
• Lord Wenman.
• Colonell William Strode.
• Commissary Copley.
• M. Vaughan of Exeter.
• Sir Harbottle Grimstone.
• M. Prisley.
• M. Gewen seized upon Thurs­day.
• Sir Henry Cholmley seized at his lodging, and sent priso­ner to the Crowne.

[Page 14] By this Letter it is apparent,

That the Jesuited Papists in France are in such opposi­tion to our King for his compliance with his Houses of Parliament to settle the Kingdome, and extirpate Masse and Popery, that they are not to be reconciled to him; and therefore indeavour to depose and bring him to executi­on, and disinherit his posterity.

That their hopes to effect this their designe against, and execute this their revenge upon the King, are now upon the Army, to whom they wish all prosperity.

That they foment, and prosecute with their prayers and advice, the Armies new Modell for setling of a Repre­sentative in Parliament, of purpose to dissolve this present Parliament, (which hath acted so much against them and their Popish Religion, and is now giving it its finall and fatall blow, if they and the King shall close) and to sub­vert all Parliaments for the future, for feare of falling into the like danger by them.

That Independents, and friends of the Army have a far better opinion of Roman Catholikes, then English Prote­stants; as being better principled to make members of a free Commonwealth then they: And therefore are more likely to favour, and close with Roman Catholikes, then English Protestants, in carrying on their new designes, expressed in their late Remonstrance.

That the Jesuites and Roman Catholikes are extremely di­stasted with Regall hereditary power throughout the world, the onely obstacle to their designes, in subverting the Pro­testant Religion, and making all Kingdoms meere vassalls to the Pope and Sea of Rome; and therefore the Officers and Army in prosecuting their Remonstrance, and new intended Representative, and subverting Regall heredita­ry power, do most apparently carry on nought else but [Page 15] the very Jesuites and Roman Catholikes Interests and de­signes, and accomplish their desires, either wittingly or willingly, as acting by their principles, if not counsells, and aiming at their very ends; which is high time for all wise and well-affected Protestants both in the Ar­my, Parliament and City, and our three Kingdoms, most seriously to consider and prevent the imminent ruine and destruction even of our Reformed Religion it self, and our hereditary Monarchy, the present and all succeeding Par­liaments; our Lives, Liberties and Kingdomes, all now drawing to their fatall period, by the heady violence, tre­chery and disobedience of that very Army, which hath been raised, cried up, and trusted upon too much, as their onely Saviours, for which God in justice may now make them their principall and sudden destroyers, unlesse both they and we repent.