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

Letter to General Monck - 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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Letter to General Monck

April 14, 1659.—

f. 79b.This day Mr. Grove came to the other House attended with above 60 of the House of Commons to deliver to our House the declaration about the faste; our Speaker with the most part of the House went downe to the Barr uncovered, and received from them the message, which was delivered in these tearmes, that the Knights, Cittizens and Burgesses had sent to this House the declaration, and desired their concurrence therin; they attended in the laubbey [of] the House, their answer which was, that they would send it with messengers of their owne, which was theirafter given to them by our Speaker standing and uncovered, to convince them of the House their civilitie towards them,2 wheras they have in their committee been upon severall debates anent what title to give to the other House and such like formallytyes. We are to fall on debate of the declaration tomorrow, which I apprehend shall cost a great debate. We have also made ready a draught of a proclamation for sending the new come over officers, and other Malignants that had been in armes, twenty miles from London, and intends to communicate it to them, that his Highness may be desired by both Houses to emitt it. The report of the treaty going on between France and Spaine may necessitate us to leave off many idle debates, and come to more substanciall correspondence. The army had their fast yesterday in my Lord Fleetwood’s. The bill anent the excise was brought in to indure only dureing this Parliament, which will breed a great debate, for it must either cutt short the army, or prolong the Parliament very longe. Their is a vile paper called a Seasonable Speach spread to make Members of our House odious.

A. J.1

[2 ]Ibid. ii. 60, ed. 1894.

[1 ]This was written by a member of the Second Chamber who had some connection with the Government of Scotland, probably by Archibald Johnston, of Warriston. The use of the word ‘anent’ seems to prove the author was a Scot. The ‘speech’ against the House of Lords referred to is that reprinted in Morgan’s Phœnix Britannicus, where it is attributed to Sir A. A. Cooper. It is also reprinted in the Somers Tracts, vi. 466, and in Christie’s Life of Shaftesbury, vol. i. appendix iv. There is no good ground for attributing it to Cooper. The full title of it is A Seasonable Speech made by a worthy Member of Parliament in the House of Commons, concerning the other House, March, 1659.