which under God must be the Preferver of three Kingdoms, and keep them Firm and Loyal to their King, Subject to his Crown, fave them from being turned into a Chaos of Diforder and Confufion, and made a Spectacle of Mifery and Defolation.

This Parliament, which is the laft Hope of the long Oppreffed, and in other Countries, even almost wholly deftroyed Proteftant Religion: This Parliament which is the only Means to continue us to be a Nation of free Men and not Slaves, to be Owners of any thing, that we may call our Wives, Children, our Eftates, nay, our Bodies our own; in a Word which muft ftand in the Gap to prevent an Inlet, an Inundation of all Mifery and Confufion.

My Lords, this Parliament they defire to deftroy, but I hope it will deftroy the Destroyers, and be a Wall of Fire to confume them, as it is a Wall of Brass to us, to defend King and Kingdom, us and all we have.

Your Lordships wifely fore-faw this Mischief,and as wifely have endeavoured to prevent it,by making your Orders, to keep your Members here, as that of the 9th of April, and feveral other Orders enjoyning them all to attend, thereby restraining them from repairing to York, where the Clouds were obferved to gather fo faft, and threaten a Storm, and fuch Preparations to be made against the Parliament, that it neceffitated both Houfes to pafs a Vote, That the King, seduced by wicked Counsel, intended to make War against the Parliament, and all who shall ferve and affist in in fuch Wars, are declared to be Traytors: Which Vote pafs'd the 20th of May; fo fetting a Mark upon that Place, and their Opinion concerning those who fhould at this time refort thither.

Yet now, in fuch a Conjuncture of Time, when the Kingdom had never more need of à Parliament, and the Parliament never more need of all the Help

and Affiftance, of the beft Endeavour and Advice of every Member, the Safety, and even Being of three Kingdoms depending upon it; after fuch Orders and Commands of your Lordships House to the contrary; fuch a Vote of both Houses, and exprefly against their Duty, being called thither by Writ under the Great Seal, which is the King's greatest and highest Command, and not controulable, nor to be difpenced with by any other Command from him whatsoever; and called to treat and confult de arduis Regni, the great urging and preffing Affairs of the Kingdom never more urgent, never more preffing; notwithstanding all this, thefe Lords, the Earls of Northampton, Devon fhire, Dover, Monmonth, and the Lords Rich, Ando ver, Grey, Coventry, and Capell, have left their Stations, withdrawn themfelves, and are gone to York, and being fummoned to appear by an Order of the 30th of May, inftead of Obedience, return a Refufal, by a flighting and fcornful Letter, which hath been fo adjudged, both by your Lordships and the Houfe of Commons.

My Lords, The Houfe of Commons hath likewife, upon the Confideration and Debate of this Bufinefs, finding it fo much to concern the Safety of the Kingdom, and the very Being of the Parliament, paffed this Vote,

That the departing of these nine Lords from the Parli ament, without Leave, after fuch time as both Honfes had declared, That the King, feduced by wicked Councel, intended to make War against the Parliament, and their Still continuing at York, notwithstanding their Summons and Commands, is a high Affront and Contempt of both Houfes. And that the faid Lords therein, did, as much as in them lay, that the Service of Parliament might be. deserted, and are justly suspected to promote a War against the Parliament.

And the Houfe in further Profecution of their

Du

Duty in this Particular, and in Pursuance of their Proteftation, which obliges them to endeavour to bring to condign Punishment, all fuch high Offenders against, not only the Priviledges, but the very Effence of Parliament, have fent me up to impeach these Lords, and defire that speedy and exemplary Juftice, may be done upon them.

And accordingly, I do here in the Name of the Knights, Citizens and Burgeffes of the Commons House affembled in Parliament,and in the Name of all the Com mons of England, Impeach Spencer, Earl of Nor thampton, William Earl of Devonshire, Henry Earl of Dover, Henty Earl of Monmouth, Charles Lord Howard of Charlton, Robert Lord Rich, Charles Lord Grey of Ruthen, Thomas Lord Coventry, and Arthur Lord Capell, for these high Crimes and Mifdemeanors following, viz.

For that, contrary to their Duty, they being Peers of the Realm, and fummoned by Writ to attend the Parliament, and contrary to an Order of the House of Peers, of the 9th of April last, and several other Orders, requi ring the Attendance of the Members of that Houfe, and after a Vote pass'd in both Houses the 20th of May last, That the King, seduced by wicked Counsel, intended to make War against the Parliament, and that whosoever ferved or affifted him in that War, was adjudged a Traytor; did, notwithstanding, afterwards in the fame Month of May, contemptuously, having Notice of the faid Votes and Orders, withdraw themfelves from the faid Houfe of Peers, and repair to the City of York, where the Prepa rations of the faid War were, and yet are in Contrivance and Agitation, they knowing of fuch Preparations: And being by an Order of the 30th of May, duly fummoned. by the House of Peers to make their Appearance before that House un the 8th Day of June last past, they refused to appear, and returned a scornful Answer by a LetteŸ under their Hands, directed to the Speaker of the Lords Houfe, and remaining there upon Record.

Dd a

For

1

2

For which Crimes and Misdemeanors,to the Interruption of the Proceedings of Parliament, and great Affairs of the Kingdom, and tending to the Diffolution of the Parliament, and Disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom, I am commanded, in the Name of the faid Commons, to demand of your Lordships, That the faid Lords may be forthwith put to their Anfwer, and receive speedy and exemplary Punishment, according to their Demerits.

The Commons, faving to themselves liberty at all times hereafter to exhibit any other or further Impeachment or Accufation against the faid Lords, or any of them.

Mr. Pym's Speech at a Conference of both Hou fes, against Evil Counsellors, and the Justice, Reasonableneß and Neceffity of changing them. 1642.

Hat thefe Inftructions, as your Lordfhips may Tperceive, confifted of fix Articles; of the firft five he fhould have no cause to speak much, because they could afford no Matter of Doubt, wherefore he only recited them thus:

The first contained a friendly Apprehenfion of the Kindness of our Brethren in the Parliament of Scotland, in their ready Offer to afflift this Kingdom against the Rebels of Ireland.

The fecond was only a Declaration of our Willingness to accept that Offer.

The third, a Narrative of our Proceedings and Preparations for that War.

The fourth, a particular Defire of 1000 Men from the Scots, to be speedily fent into the North Parts of Ireland.

The fifth, a publick Undertaking and Ingagement to make Satisfaction for the Charges of those Men.

The fixth was to prefent to his most excellent

Ma

Majesty an humble Petition, That he would be pleased to change thofe Councels which hath been To mischievous to the State, and of fo much Danger and Mifery to his Majefty and his Subjects, and to imploy in his great Affairs fuch Counsellors and Minifters as might be approved by his great Coun cel the Parliament; this (he faid) had been refolved by the House of Commons with good Deliberation, and might perchance admit fome Objection, wherefore he was commanded to speak fomewhat to fhew the Justice, the Reasonablenefs, the Neceffity of it therein, wherein (he faid) he would pro ceed by these Steps.

The firft was this, That the Dangers and Miferies which come to a State by evil Councels, are of the most pernicious and deftructive Nature of all others: The Comparison betwixt a Natural Body and a Politick Body is ufual; they refemble in nothing more than in this.

Death, and Sicknefs, and Danger, have divers Ways of Approach to natural Bodies, fometimes by outward Violence, fometimes by Intemperance in Diet, Exercife or Unwholesomeness of the Air. The firft may be prevented by Warinefs, by Courage, by Affistance.

The fecond fort are more easily cured, the Caufe being known.

But there is a third fort of Difeafes proceeding from the Defects of fome more noble and vital Parts, the Heart, the Brain, the Liver, these are harder to be cured, the Caufe being not fo easily discovered, nor the Remedy fo debility applied, efpecially because they weaken and deliberate Nature in those prime Powers and Offices, which, fhould actuate and difpofe the Medium to the procuring of Health.

The Dangers by Wars, and the Attempt of open Enemies, may be compared to the first fort, Dd 3

and