CHAPTER XII-THE PURITAN REBELLION By ROBERT 76. The Impeachment of Strafford (1640– BAILLIE (1599-1663), a learned Scottish Presbyterian divine. Baillie was a member of the historic general assembly at Glasgow in 1638, which heralded the revolt of Scotland against Laud's ecclesiastical policy. In 1640 he was sent to London by the covenanting lords to draw up an accu sation against the archbishop. Later he was one of the Scottish com the famous Westminster assembly. A 1641) LL things here goes as our hearts could wish. The Lieutenant of Ireland came bot on Monday to toun late ; on Tuesday rested; on Wednesday came to Parliament; bot ere night, he was caged. Intollerable pryde and oppression cryes to Heaven for a vengeance. The Lower House closed their doores; the Speaker keeped the keyes till his accusation was concluded. Thereafter, Mr. Pym went up, with a number at his back, to the Higher House and, in a prettie short speech, did, in name of the Lower House, and in name of the Commons of all England, accuse Thomas Earle of Strafford, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland of high treasone and required his person to be arreisted till probatione might be heard. So Pym and his back were removed; the Lords began to consult on that strange and unexpected motion. The word goes in haste to the Lord Lieutenant, where he was with the King; with speed he comes to the House; he calls rudelie missioners in at the doore. James Maxwell keeper of the Black-Rod, opens; his Lordship, with a proud glouming countenance, makes towards his place at the boord-head: bot at once manie bids him void the house, so he is forced in confusion, to goe to doore till he was called. After consultaand opposed tion, being called in, he stands, bot is commanded to the execution kneell and, on his knees to hear the sentence. Being on his knees, he is delyvered to the keeper of the Black-Rod, He was not in sympathy with the Independents, of Charles I. At the time cipal of the he was prin are a valu able record to be prisoner till he was cleared of these crymes the House of his death of Commons did charge him with. He offered to speak, bot was commanded to be gone without a word. In the outer roome James Maxwell required him, as prisoner, to deliver his sword; when he had gotten it, he cryes, with a loud voyce, for his man to carrie my Lord Lieutenant's sword. This done, he makes through a number of people towards his coatch, all gazeing, no man capping to him, before whom that morning the greatest of England would have stood discovered: all crying, What is the matter? He said, A small matter I warrand yow! They replyed, Yes indeed, high treason is a small matter! Westminster Hall is a roome as long as broad if not more than the outer house of the High Church of Glasgow, supponing the pillars wer removed. In the midst of it was erected a stage like to that prepared for the Assemblie of Glasgow, but much more large, taking up the breadth of the whole House from wall to wall, and of the length more than a thrid part. At the north end was set a throne for the King, and a chayre for the Prince; before it lay a large wooll-seck, covered with green, for my Lord Steward, the Earle of Arundaill; beneath it lay two other secks for my Lord Keeper and the Judges, with the rest of the Chancerie, all in their red robes. Beneath this a little table for four or fyve Clerks of the Parliament in their black gouns; round about these some furmes covered with green freese, whereupon the Earles and Lords did sitt in their red robes, of that same fashion, lyned with the same whyte ermin skinnes, as yow see the robes of our Lords when they ryde in Parliament; the Lords on their right sleeve having two barres of whyte skinnes, the Viscounts two and ane half, the Earles three, the Marquess of Wincester three and ane half. England hath no more Marquesses: and he bot one late upstart of creature of Queen Elizabeth's. Hamilton of the time. The Long Parliament met November 3, and by the 6th the tack upon formal at Strafford had begun. Strafford came at once to London in obedience to the king's summons, but he knew his danger. He wrote to his secretary, "I am tomorrow to London with more dangers beset, I believe, than ever any man went with out of Yorkshire; yet my heart is good, and I find nothing cold in me. November II he appeared in the House of Lords. Strafford's trial opened March 22. See Old South Leaflets, No. 61. This was according to the law of the time. Right, i.e. law. goes here bot among the Earles, and that a late one. Dukes, they have none in Parliament: York, Richmond, and Buckinghame are but boyes; Lennox goeth among the late Earles. Behinde the formes where the Lords sitt, there is a barr covered with green at the one end standeth the Committee of eight or ten gentlemen, appoynted by the House of Commons to pursue; at the midst there is a little dask, where the prisoner Strafford stands and sitts as he pleaseth, together with his keeper, Sir William Balfour the Lieutenant of the Tower. At the back of this is a dask, for Strafford's four secretars, who carries his papers and assists him in writing and reading; at their side is a voyd for witnesses to stand; and behinde them a long dask at the wall of the room for Strafford's counsell-at-law, some five or six able lawers, who were [not] permitted to disputt in matters of fact, bot questions of right, if any should be incident. This is the order of the House below on the floore; the same that is used dailie in the Higher House. Upon the two sides of the House, east and west, there arose a stage of elevin ranks of formes, the highest touching almost the roof; everie one of these formes went from the one end of the roome to the other, and contained about fortie men; the two highest were divided from the rest by a raill, and a raill cutted off at everie end some seatts. The gentlemen of the Lower House did sitt within the raile, others without. All the doores were keeped verie straitlie with guards; we alwayes behooved to be there a little after five in the morning. My Lord Willoughbie, Earle of Lindesay, Lord Chamberland of England, (Pembroke is Chamberland of the Court,) ordered the House, with great difficultie. James Maxwell, Black-Rod, was great usher; a number of other servant gentlemen and knights assisted. By favour we got place within the raile, among the Commons. The House was full dailie before seven; against eight the Earle of Strafford came in his barge from the Tower, acompanied with the Lieutenant and a guard of musqueteers and halberders. The Lords, in their robes, were sett about eight; the King was usuallie halfe ane howre before them: he came not into his throne, for that would have marred the action; for it is the order of England, that when the King appears, he speaks what he will, bot no other speaks in his presence. At the back of the throne was two roomes on the two sydes; in the one did Duke de Vanden, Duke de Vallet, and other French nobles sitt; in the other, the King, the Queen, Princesse Mary, the Prince Elector, and some Court ladies; the tirlies, that made them to be secret, the I.e. lattice. King brake doun with his own hands; so they satt in the eye of all, bot little more regarded than if they had been absent; for the Lords satt all covered; these of the Lower House, and all other except the French noblemen, satt discovered when the Lords came, not else. A number of ladies wes in boxes, above the railes, for which they payed much money. It was dailie the most glorious Assemblie the Isle could afford; yet the gravitie not such as I expected; oft great clamour without about the doores; in the intervalles, while Strafford was making readie for answers, the Lords gott alwayes to their feet, walked and clattered; the Lower House men too loud clattering; Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals (Bannatyne Club, Edinburgh, 1841), I, 272, 273, 314–316. 77. Strafford, Charles I and Strafford (1641) By CHARLES against Straf- The misfortune that is fallen upon you by the strange mistaking and conjuncture of these times, being such, that I must lay by the thought of employing you hereafter in my affairs; yet I cannot satisfy myself in honour or con- Commons science without assuring you (now in the midst of your troubles), that upon the word of a king you shall not suffer in life, honour, or fortune. This is but justice, and therefore a very mean reward from a master to so faithful and able a servant as you have showed yourself to be; yet it is as much as I conceive the present times will permit, though none shall hinder me from being, Your constant, faithful friend, Whitehall, April 23, 1641. CHARLES R. much a ques- The Earl of Strafforde's Letters and Despatches (edited by W. Knowles, London, 1739) II, 416. tion whether On the oth agreed to the bill of attainder. When Straf- what Charles your trust in This letter to the Lords by the Prince of Wales in person. My lords, I did yesterday satisfy the justice of the kingdom, by passing of the bill of attainder against the earl of Strafford; but mercy being as inherent and inseparable to a king as justice, I desire at this time in some measure, to show that likewise, by suffering that unfortunate man to fulfil the natural course of his life in a close imprisonment, yet so that, if ever he make the least offer to escape, or offer, directly or indirectly, to meddle with any sort of public business, especially with me, either by message or letter, it shall cost him his life, without further press. This, if it may be done without the discontent of my people, will be an unspeakable comfort to me; to which end, as in the first place, I by this letter do earnestly desire your approbation; and to endear it the more, have chosen him to carry, that of all your house is most dear to me; so I do desire, that by a conference you will endeavour to give the House of Commons contentment; likewise assuring you, that the exercise is no more pleasing to me than to see both Houses of Parliament consent, for my sake, that I should moderate the severity of the law in so important a case. I will not say, that your complying with me in this my pre |