Certaine observations of both houses of Parliament. Concerning two letters, the one from the Lord Digby, to the Queenes Maiesty, the other from Mr. Thomas Eliot, at York, to the Lord Digby in Holland. Also a note of such armes, as were sent for by his Maiesty, out of Amsterdam, under his owne hand. Together with diverse passages of the Marquesse Harford, and M. Strowd, at the general assises in the county of Somerset.

Obſervations upon the enſuing LETTERS.

THe Lords and Commons have commanded theſe enſuing Letters and Notes to be Printed, The Copy of a Letter written by the Lord Digby to the Queene, the tenth of March laſt, of his owne hand-writing: An originall Letter written to the Lord Digby, by Maſter Thomas Elliot, from Yorke the 27. of May laſt, two notes of Armes, the one of which is partly His Majeſtie owne hand, both found among my Lord Digbies papers: In the Letter of the Lord Digby to the Queene, it may be obſerved, how he diſcovers his venemous heart to this Kingdome, in that malicious cenſure, that we area Countrey unworthy of her; unworthy indeed to be ſo often deſigned to ruine and deſtruction, to be undermined and circumvented by ſo many plots and deviliſh projects of Jeſuites and Prieſts, and other the moſt factious and Malignant ſpirits i • Chriſtendome; by which we had been often ruired and deſtroyed, if God wonderfull Mercy had not preſerved us: And we call his divine Maj ſty to witneſſe, that we have never done any thing agai • ſt the perſonal ſafety or Honor of her Majeſty, onely we have deſired to be ſecured from ſuch plots, from ſuch miſchievous Engines, that they might not have the favor of the Court, and ſuch a powerfull influence, upon his Majeſties Councells, as they have had to the extre • me hazard not onely of the Civill Libertie and Peace of the Kingdome; but of that which we hold much dearer then theſe, yea then the very being of this Nation, our Religion whereupon depends the honour of Almighty God and ſalvation of our ſoules: Let this Lord, who was long amongſt us, and knew the Grounds of our proceedings and moſt ſecret conſultations, produce any thing (if he can) of undutifulneſſe, or diſrepect to her Majeſty, expreſt or intended by us.

Another diſcovery in the Letter is this, that this Lord conf • ſſe • h that he writ to his Majeſty with the hardin ſſe which he thought his • ff • ires a • d • omplexion required, what this was may well be perceived in a Letter from himſelfe to the Queen, h • r • to • o • e Prin • ed by our direction; his affaires in the judge • ent of this Lord requir d, •• a • he ſhould withdraw himſel • e from his Parliament, betake him • elfe to ſome place of ſtreng h, ſuch was the Counſ • ll he then ga • e him, an • how w • ll it hath bin followed every ma • may p rc ive, but what his Majeſties complexion requir • d, that may ſeeme a g • e • ter miſterie, and yet this may be c • ll • ct • d out of that Letter, that his M • jeſtie in the apprehenſ on of this Lord, was too • nc i • able to an Accommodation with his Parliament, which in a kind of ſco • ne in that Letter is called the eaſie or the ſafe way, this com • lexion ſo beſ • eming a good Prince, requir • d ſuch a hardy and vehement provocation to wrath and warre again • t his Subjects, as this L • rd preſumed to expreſſe in that Letter, and beſides his Tr • a • hery • o the Kingd • me, we may herein obſerve a great degree of i • ſ • lence and contempt towards • his M • j • ſty, that hee ſhould da • e in a Letter to the Queen to tax his M • jeſties complexion, with ſo much as mi • dneſſe towards his people, muſt ne • ds be requir • d ſuch hardy and bold C • unſell.

I • M • ſt • r Elliots Letter it may be firſt obſerved, that w • ilſt his M j • ſty conteſts with his Parliament for ſome qu • ſtionable Pr • r • gatives, concerning the Common-wealth, his owne ſerva • ts doe re • lly deprive him of an undoubted Prerogative, of being the ſoveraigne diſpoſer of favours and preferments in his owne Family, which this Gentleman doth expreſſe in that reſolution, never to have any place about his Maj • ſty, but by the Q • eene, and may be further obſerved what theſe deſperate C • unſells about the K ng are moſt affraid of, and what they thi • k moſt hurtfull to themſelvs, that his M • jeſty ſhould be in • l ned to an accommodation with his people; by this they fear to be undone that is, to looſe that prey, the eſtates of the Parliament-men, and other good Subjects, which they have already devoured in their owne fancies, and that they expect to bee p • eſerved from this undoing by the Queenes interpoſing.

By theſe two n • tes may be obſerved, that at the time whileſt ſo many Declarations were publiſhed in his Majeſties Name, w • th ſo • emne Proteſtations of his Majeſties Intentions of rayſing onely a Guard for his owne Perſon, all ſorts of proviſion for an Army, were made beyond the Se • s, and this poor K •• gd • me d • ſigned to the miſery and confuſion of Warre, and under the diſguiſe of defending the Proteſtant profeſſion, an Army to be r • yſed in the Intention of theſe wicked Counſellors, for the ſuppreſſing and deſtruction of the Proteſtant Religion.

Mr Elliots Letter to the Lord Digby. My Lo • d,

YOu have ever been ſo willing to oblig • , that I cannot diſp • ire of your favour in a buſineſſe wherein I am much concerned; the King was pleaſed to imploy me • o London to my Lord Keeper for the S • ales, which though after two houres conſideration he refuſed, yet being reſolved not to be denyed, my importunity at laſt prevailed, which ſervice the King hath declared was ſo great, that he hath promiſed a reward equall to it; it may be the King expects I ſhould move him for ſome place, which J ſhall not doe, being reſolved never to have any but by the Queen, being already ſo Infinitly obliged to her for her favours, that I confeſſe I would owe my being only to her; nor ſhall I ever value that life I hold, but as a dept, which I ſhall ever pay to her commands; the favour which I deſire from your Lordſhip, is, that you will ingage the Queen • to write to the King, that he would make me a Groom of his Bed-chamber, which ſince I know tis ſo abſolutely in her power to doe, I ſhall never thinke of an other way, for which favour neither her Maieſty nor your Lordſhip ſhall ever find a more reall ſervant for our affaires they are now in ſo good a condition, that if we are not undone by harking to an Accomodation, there is nothing elſe can hurt us, which I feare the King is too much inclined to but I hope what he ſhall receive from the Queene, will make him ſo reſolved, that nothing but a ſatisfaction equall to the injuries he hath receiv • d, will make him quit the advantage he now hath, which I doe not doubt will be the m • anes of bringing y • ur Lordſhip quickly hither, where you ſhall finde none more ready to obey your Commands,

Then your moſt faithfull and humble ſervant, Thomas Ellyot: Yorke the 27. of May

The Lord DIOBIES Letter to the Queenes Maj ſty. Hague, March • 0. 1642. Madam,

IT is the firſt Contentm • nt that I have been capable of this long time, That Your Majeſty is ſafely arrived in HOLLAND, Withdrawne from a Countrey ſo unworthy of you.

I ſh • uld have waited the firſt upon you, both to have rendred my duty according to my precedence of obligation above others, and to have enform • d your M • jeſtie the timelieſt, of the ſtate of this pl • ce, whither you are comming, both in point of affections and intereſts, but that th • re ſhe about ſuch reports that the Parliament hath deſired your Majeſty not to admit me to your preſence, as I dare not preſume into it without particular permiſſion. The ground of their malevolence towards mee in this particular, i • ſaid to b • , upon ſome Letters, which they have preſumed to open, directed unto your M • jeſty from me, which I profeſſe I cannot apprehen • , for I am certaine, that I have not written to your Maieſtie the leaſt word that can be wreſted to an ill ſence, by my greateſt enemies, having not ſo much as mentioned any buſineſſe to your Majeſty ſince I left E • gland. To the King I confeſſe I wrote once with that hardineſſe which I thought hi • affai • es and complexion • equ • red, but that letter was ſent • y ſo ſaf • hands, an I cannot apprehend the miſcarrying of it. However Mad •• , if my miſfortune be ſo great, as that I muſt be deprived of the ſole comfort of my li • e of waiting on Your Maieſty, and following your fortunes, I • eſe • ch you, let my doome be ſo ſignified unto mee, as that I may retire with the leaſt ſhame, that well may be, to bewaile my unhappineſſe, which yet will be ſupportable, if I may be but aſſured that inwardly that generous and Princely heart preſerves me the place of

(Madam) Your Maieſties m • ſt faithfull and m ſt affectionate humble ſerva ••

True Newes out of Somerſet-ſhire. SIR,

I Thought good for the ſatisfaction of Friends in London to ſignifie that we have bin in the County of Somerſet, full of Feare • : but the cloud (God bethanked, was ſoone blown over.

The Marqueſſe Harford ca • e on the 25 of Iuly, at the Aſſiſes to Bath; with • ivers others to execute the Comiſſion of Array, where met him dive • s of our Co • n y. The • nd •• hav ng recei • ed a Letter from His Majeſty to forward the Commiſſion, and to give it in cha • ge, but be declined that as alſo t • e C • mmands of the Houſe, for declaring it Ill gall, ſo in his Charge he ſayled betwixt wind and water, very po • i • iquely.

On Thurſday following (having received little incouragement at B •• h) the Commiſſioners got to Wells, with the Cavaliers, in the interim a • B •• h, the Conſtables of ſome 21 Hundreds Petitioned t • e Iudge to Declar • his opinion concerning the Commiſſion, which with ſome reluctancy, being ſoundly put to it, he concluded to be Illegall; and according to a branch of the ſaid Petition, he appointed the Vot • s oft H ••• e • to be read in open Court, touching the ſ • id Commiſſion.

On Fryday the Marqueſſe ſent for the Sheriffe from his attendance on the Iudge to Wells to require his counſell and Aſſiſtance (being ioyned in commiſſion with them (for the Array) who returned the Marqueſſe this Anſwer, that he had received commands from the Parliament not to joyne but further to ſuppreſſe ſuch their proceedings, whoſe commands he was reſolve • to obey, and further ſent him the Conſtables petition, with the Iudges anſwer, whi • h with the unanimous conſent of the C ••• y, to refuſe (except ſome diſcontented Spirits) will coole their fu • th • r goi • g on t • erein divers of the Coun • y have petitioned h • m to de • art • ut of their co • ſts. And • ne Ma • er Str • w • a Gentleman of con • a t fidel • ty to Ki • g a • d Parliament, who in execution of the Militia, and meeting with th • Marqueſſe Hartford, in the execution of the A • •• y ſhewed ſuch courage, with a few againſt his many Horſ • , which the • ou t • y people, ſe • ing with admiration, got up their ſpirits, and ſo beſti • e • themſelv • s, th • t in ſhort time, they had tre •••• e the Marqueſſe pow r, wh • r • u • on he left the place: It was certaine, that if the Commiſſion had taken • ff ct, the King would hav • be • n ſhortly in our parts, and it was intended to • he made the Aceldama, you may communicate this for Truth.

FINIS.