that after a little Pause and Expectation, the King arofe King Henry IV. from his Seat, and fpake to the Affembly thefe Words, or the very like in Effect, (m): receive his Re Affure myself, that fome at this prefent, and many here- Richard's Speech after, will account my Cafe lamentable; either that to the CommitI have deferved this Dejection, if it be just; or if it be tee appointed to wrongful, that I could not avoid it. Indeed I do confefs, fignation. that many Times I have fhew'd myself both less provident, and less painful for the Benefit of the Commonwealth, than I should, or might, or intended to do hereafter; and have in many Actions more respected the fatisfying of my own particular Humour, than either Fuftice to fome private Perfons, or the common Good of all; yet I did not at any Time either omit Duty or commit Grievance, upon natural Dulness, or fet Malice; but partly by Abufe of corrupt Counsellors, partly by Error of my youthful fudg ment. And now the Remembrance of theje Overfights, is fo unpleasant to no Man as to myself; and the rather becaufe I bave no Means left, either to recompence the Injuries which I have done, or to testify to the World my reformed Affections, which Experience and Stayedness of Years bad already corrected, and would daily have framed to more Perfection. But whether all the Imputations wherewith I am charged be true, either in Subftance, or in fuch Quality as they are laid, or whether being true, they be fo heinous, as to enforce thefe Extremities; or whether any other Prince, especially in the Heat of Youth, and in the Space of two and twenty Years, the Time of my unfortunate Reign, doth not fometimes, either for Advantage, or upon Difpleafure, in as deep Manner grieve fome particular Subject, I will not now examine: It helpeth not to use Defence, neither booteth it to make Complaint; there is no Place left for the one nor Pity for the other: And therefore I refer it to the Judgment of God, and your lefs diflemper'd Confiderations. 1 accufe no Man, I blame no Fortune, I complain of nothing; I have no Pleafure in fuch vain and needless Comforts, and if I lifted to have flood upon Terms, I know I have great Favourers Abroad; and fome Friends, I hope, at Home, who would have been ready, yea forward on my Behalf, to fet up a bloody and doubtful War: But I cfteem C 3 (H) Life of King Henry IV. P. 86. King Henry IV. not my Dignity at fo high a Price, as the Hazard of fo great Valour, the Spilling of fo much English Blood, and the Spoil and Waste of fo flourishing a Realm, as thereby might have been occafioned. Therefore that the Commonwealth may rather rife by my Fall, than Iftand by the Ruin thereof, I willingly yield to your Defires; and am here come to difpoffefs myself of all publick Authority and Title, and to make it free and lawful for you to create for your King, Henry Duke of Lancaster, my Coufin German, whom I know to be as worthy to take that Place, as I fee you willing to give it to him. King Henry crown'd. Sir John Dare- Speaker on the A Subfidy granted. There was no farther Bufiness done the first Day, but the reading of the above Record, before the Parliament; and the Monday following, being the Feaft of St Edward, King and Confeffor, was appointed for Henry's Coronation, which was performed, at Westminster, with the ufual Ceremonies. The next Day the Parliament met again, when the Commons prefented to the King Sir John Cheney, for their Speaker, whom the King accepted, and he made the ufual Proteftation, which was alfo, allowed. But the Day following the faid Sir John, with the Commons, came again before the King, and declared, that by reafon of a fudden Disorder he was unable to ferve, and that they had chofe Sir John Darewood in his Place; befeeching the King to allow the faid Sir John Darewood to be Speaker for the Commons. Which faid Knight, having made the usual Proteftation, was allowed as before. Then the Commons, with the Affent of the Bishops and Lords, and in order to provide for the Wars against Scotland, Defence of Calais and Ireland, and the Amendment of the State; alfo, in Hopes that their Requests fhould be granted, gave to the King for three Years the Subfidy on Wools, Skins, and Wool-fells; that is Fifty Shillings on every Sack from Denizens, and four Pounds from Aliens; alfo one Tenth and one Fif Act of Indem- teenth. nity for King The next Thing this Parliament went upon was to Henry's Adhe- pafs an Act of Indemnity to fcreen those who, during the late Troubles, had taken up Arms in Favour of the rents. King, then Duke of Lancaster; likewife to pafs an King Henry IV, Act for the repealing the whole Proceedings of the Parliament at Shrewsbury, 21. Richard II. and to confirm that Parliament which was held the 11th of the faid King, except the Effect of the Pardon granted by the faid Statute, of the 21ft of Richard II. which they ordained fhould ftand, notwithstanding the reft of it was repealed (m). Also it was enacted, That nothing, for the future, fhould be efteemed or adjudged to be Treafon, but what was ordained to be fo by the 25th of Edward III. and that all Blank Charters, whatfofoever, which the City of London, and Seventeen Counties befides, had been forced to feal and give to King Richard, fhould be utterly void. The Archbishop of Canterbury moved the House for their Confent to addrefs the King, that he would please to create Henry, his eldeft Son, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chefter. Upon which the King, fitting in his Royal Seat, in full Parliament, put a Coronet on the Head of the faid Henry, his eldeft Son, a Ring of Gold on his Finger, and gave him a Golden Rod in his Hand, and kiffed him; alfo, by a Charter then given him, he was created Prince of Wales (n), &c. His Uncle, the Duke of York, put the Robes on the young Prince, and afterwards brought him to the Seat affigned, for that Principality, in Parliament. It was, alfo, then enacted by all the Eftates, that the faid Prince fhould fucceed his Father in the Realm of England; and they all promised to accept and obey him accordingly (0). The next Day, being Thursday, the Archbishop of Canterbury moved, in the Upper Houfe, that the Lords fhould in no wife difclofe any Thing that fhould then be put to them; which being promised by all, the Earl of Northumberland put this important Queftion to the Houfe, What they would advise was fit to be done with (m) Statutes at Large, Anno 1. & 2. Hen. IV. Walfingham, p. 361. () This Charter is extant in Rymer's Feed. Anglia, Tom. VIII. p. 91. It is only for the Dutchy of Cornwall, wherein all the Lands, Heredi Ge. belonging to it, are expreffed. The next Inftrument is for the Principality of Wales. taments, (0) The Prince was ju then twelve Years old, Holling fhead's Chren, P. 511. Motion as to the That King Henry IV. with Richard the late King, in order to his Keeping in Safe Cuftody for the King would have his Life fav'd? To which all the Lords, whofe Names are here underDifpofal of the written, being feverally examined, anfwered, late King's Per- it seemed adviseable to them, that he fhould be put under a safe and secret Guard, and in fuch a Place where no Concourfe of People might refort to him; and that he be guarded by trufty and fufficient-Perfons, and that no Perfon who had been familiar with him, fhould be about his Perfon, and that it • fhould be done in the most fecret Manner, that can ⚫ be devised.' fon. The Peers pre fent at that Que ftion. The Names of the Lords, who being asked, Affented to the Question, are these following (p) ; The Archbishop of Can terbury. Archbishop of York. Bishop of Lincoln. Bishop of Norwich. Bishop of Rochefter. The Prince. Duke of York. Earl of Arundel. Earl of Warwick. Earl of Stafford. Earl of Northumberland. Lord Grey of Ruthin. Lord Bardolfe. Lord Fitz-Walters. Abbot of Bury. Lord Scales. (p) Sir Robert Cotton only mentions, that the Names of fuch Bishops, Lords, and Knights, as affented to the Imprisonment of King Richard, next follow on the Record; but we have fupplied that Defect from a Manufcript. The Reader may oblerve, upon comparing this with the foregoing Lift, that most of the Lords who compos'd the laft Ministry, were abfent on this Occafion. See before, p. 4. Lord Camois. Sir Henry Piercy. Lord de Bergavenney. King Henry IV. Baron of Greystock. Baron of Hilton. Sir Thomas Erpingham, Chamberlain. Sir Matthew Gowin. It is obfervable, that the Bishop of Carlisle is not in this Lift, and, indeed there is great Reafon for it; he being the only Man, either in the Prelacy or Laity, that had the Courage to oppofe this Ufurpation at that Time. Sir John Hayward (q) has given us a Speech made by this Bishop, on the Occafion, when the last Question was put in the Houfe of Lords. We fhall not conteft the Genuineness of it; fo much is certain, that this honeft Man fuffered greatly for his Loyalty to the depofed Prince; being deprived of his Dignity, put under a long Imprisonment, and, had it not been for his Order which was then held too facred, must have died the Death of a Traitor. If it be objected, that it was now too late to make Speeches, when the new King was actually crown'd, the aforefaid Author has in fome Measure accounted for that, in remarking, 'That this Prelate was a Man both learned and wife, and always used both Liberty and Conftancy in a good Caufe; that in his fecret Judgment he never gave Allowance to thefe Proceedings, yet he diffembled his Diflike until he might, to fome Purpose, declare it; therefore, now, adds he, being in a Place 'to be heard of all, and, by Order of the House to be interrupted by none, he rose up with a bold and refolute Spirit, and uttered his Mind as followeth (r). THIS (q) Life of King Henry IV. Lond. 1630. P. 101. (r) The Name of this Bishop of Carlisle was Thomas Merks, alias, of Newmarket, alias Sumeftre. He had been confecrated An. 1397, was deprived in 1399, but lived several Years after. LE NEVE'S Fafti Ecclefiæ Anglicanæ, P. 334. Walfingham fays, He was made by the Pope Titular Bishop of Samos. Sir Walter Raleigh writes, that he was the only honeft Man in this Parliament, who fcorned his Life and Fortune, in Respect to his Sovereign's Right and his own Allegiance. Prerogative of Parliaments, P. 85. This Bifhop attended Richard in his Expedition to Ireland. See Vol. I. p. 509. Rapin |