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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

Newsletters 1 - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 3 [1899]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1899). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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Newsletters1

f. 8.Itt is nott soe strange as true, that the Parliament was this day about setling the Nation in another way of Governement, vizte. by King, Lords, and Commons, and there are two for one for itt. The souldjery are against it in the Howse [and] without doores; they mutter, but I am of opinion it will passe, because it limitts the King to mention1 the lawes, liberties, and properties of the people, and not to levy monies but by consent in Parliament, which a Protectour doth not in all things soe comply with. To set downe the arguments pro and con would bee too large, onely this I presume, they are soe highly incensed against the arbetrary actings of the Majour Generall that they are greedy of any powers that will be ruled and limited by lawe. Both sides are for Monarchy, but the one is for a Fifth Monarchy, the other for a single Monarchy; and if you ask my opinion, and if I must have one of these, give mee the latter with lawes, then the other without lawes, for they act arbitrarily, and on principles of necessity, which is an evill councellor among good men.

J. R.

London, February 26, 165.—

f. 9.Munday2 Alderman Pack of London presented a bill for making his Highnesse King, and impowering him to make choice of his successor, and for setling the future Governement in 3 estates, vizt. King, 70 persons (to be chosen by his Highnes, and to have much of the power of the late House of Peeres), and Commons. Much debate there was wether the said bill should bee read. The House were devided thereupon, and carried by 120 voyces that it should be then read, which done the House adjorned the further consideracion thereof till Tuesday. Publicque notice is taken that all the Majour Generalls voted against it, and most of the officers of the army now in towne talke openly of their dislike of it. Tuesday was taken up upon the debate of this single question, vizt. whether the said bill should be debated in partes, or in the whole as it now lies pen’d, and upon the question it was resolved that the House to morrow morning resume the consideracion thereof in parte. Wensday produced a long debate whether the said bill should bee considered of in a Grand Committee or in a House, and it was carried for the latter. The House adjorned themselves till Saturday, appointing Friday for a day of Humiliacion to seeke the dirrecions of God in this greate busines. This day the officers of the army mett (as they doe weekely) at Whitehall where the busines of Kingshipp was debated, and hearing the Majour Generalls were met at the Lord Desborough’s lodgings sent a Comittee to acquaint them with the feares and jelousies that lay upon them in relation to the Protectour’s alteracion of his title, and to desire the knowlidge of the truth of things. The Majour Generall hereupon invited them to come thether, where the Lord Lambert opened the substance of the bill for Kingshipp, and that done towld them, altho’ they were Members of Parliament, yet they were fellow members of the army with them, and therefore their conjunction in Councell now as nessisary as ever; hee invited them to moderacion and patience in this weighty busines, and to waite upon the eye of Providence therein. After severall officers had particularly delivered their judgements in dislicke of the thing, the meting brooke upp. The same day his Highnes sent cautionary letters to all the Melitia troops, wherein notice was taken of Charles Stuart’s preparacions abroad, and of his intencion to land an army this Spring, requiring their readines and care to oppose them, and promising a reward for there service.

G. M.

February 28, 165.—

f. 12.Yesterday Mr. Galeaspey and Mr. Nye preached in the Parliament House before the Members. The first was bitter, the 2d more moderate against King-shippe. When the duty of the day was over att Whitehall, his Highnesse made a large speech to many officers of the army then present; wherin hee tooke notice that hee knew nothing of the Bill for King-shippe till the day before that Colonel Mills acquainted him therwith, that hee might have bin King longe since if hee had delighted to weare a feather in his hatt, that those vaine titles hee was never taken with, yett thought itt convenient that a check should bee putt uppon the unlimitted power of this Parliament (which hee never was free to call, nor willing to agree to the Instrument of Governement made by 8 of the Major Generalls), for that by the same law and reason they punished Naylor they might punish an Independent or Anabaptist, wherby the interest of the godly people of the 3 nations could nott bee secure as the Governement is now establish’t, the Instrument for which hee hath long desired might bee altered, desiring that any 10 of them with some other freinds would meete with him, and debate thinges for their satisfaction.1 This day the House pas’t a previous vote, vizt., that the passing of any parte of the Bill for Kingshippe should nott bee binding unlesse the whole was assented unto.

G. M.

[1 ]Undated, written about February 23 or February 24, and probably from John Rushworth. Pack presented his paper to the House on February 23.

[1 ]Maintain (?)

[2 ]February 23.

[1 ]The speech is given in a letter printed in Burton’s Diary, i. 382.