An. 18. Car. I. 1642. November. It may very juftly be inquired, What could occafion fuch an Abfence, at a Time when fo great a Number of Refolutions pafs'd, deeply affecting the Conftitution of this Kingdom?-A brief Recapitulation of fome Tranfactions in our laft Volume will fupply an Answer. It may be remembered that there was a Call of the House on the 16th of June laft; and, on that Occafion, a Refolution pafs'd, by a Majority of 147 Voices against 91, That none of the Abfentees fhould be admitted to take their Seats, till they had made their Excufe to a Committee appointed for that Purpose, and that Excufe reported and allowed of by the House. Moft of the Members then abfent, whofe Names are entered in the Commons Fournals of that Day, were with the King at York; and as they could have little Reason to expect That Excufe for their Abfence would be accepted by the House, it is very probable few of them ever returned. -Add to this, That After the King had iffued his Commiffion of Array many more Members left the Houfe, and went into their feveral Counties to put the fame into Execution: And others were fent, at the fame Time, by the Parliament to execute their Ordinance for the Militia; moft of the Deputy-Lieutenants being Members of the Houfe of Commons. When the Commons, on the eleventh Day of Auguft laft, voted, That they would support the Earl of Effex with their Lives and Fortunes, they also refolved, That every Member, then abfent, fhould declare himfelf at his next coming into the Houfe; which undoubtedly kept away many who had not Courage enough to make that Declaration; whilft fome others, of a more refolute Difpofition, loft their Lives, on both Sides of the Question, at the late Battle of Edge-Hill. Laftly, During the Months of August and September laft, near fifty Members had been expelled the House; and, though Writs were iffued out for fupplying their Places, it is hardly to be imagined that many new Elections could be made at a Time when the Orders 1642. Orders of the House of Commons were as little re- An. 18. Car. I. garded by the Sheriffs and returning Officers of fome Counties, as the King's Proclamations by others; and when a confiderable Part of the Kingdom was covered by two oppofite Armies. The Names of the Members fo expelled, with the Reasons of their Expulfion, and the Places they ferved for, may not be improper; as they tend to illuftrate many Paffages in the fucceeding Volumes of this Work. a MEMBERS expelled in the Month of Auguft, 1642. 4*Robert Hide, Serjeant at } New-Sarum. November. *Thomas Smith, Efq; Law, 5 *Sir Ralph Hopton, Knight} Wells. Bridgewater. Somersetshire. Penryn. Beaumaris. Saltash: *Robert Holborne, Efq; Michell. 8 *Sir John Pawlett, Kt. 9 10 John Griffith, Efq; II*Edward Hyde, Efq; *Sir William Penyman, } Richmond. Bart. * Edward Kirton, Efq; 12 *John Coventry, Efq; *Sir Edward Rodney, Kt. Milborn-Port. Evesham. Wells. 16 *Nicholas Weston, Efq; Stafford. - *Col. George Goring, Portfmouth. 20 *Sir John Packington, Bart. Aylesbury. *Sir H. Herbert, Knt. Bewdley. - *Samuel Sandys, Efq; Droitwitch. a For thofe Places diftinguished thus the Journals only take Notice of Writs being iffued for new Elections; and where we have not mentioned the Reasons for the Expulfion of the refpective Members, none are affigned by thofe Authorities. MEMBERS expelled in September, 1642. 2. Chriftopher Lewkener, Efq; Chichester. 6 Sir William Savile, Knt. } Old Sarum. Yorkshire. Pontefract. Thirske. The last nine for neglecting the Service of the Sir John Strangwayes, Knt. Weymouth. Sir Richard Lee Bart. of the Bath, 7 Sir Chrift. Hatton, Knt. Sir Robert Hatton, Knt. Salop. } Bishops-Cafile. Higham Ferrers. These four for executing the Commiffion of Array after it was declared illegal, and for not appearing on Summons. This Petition may be found in our Eleventh Volume, Sept. Thefe two for neglecting the Service of the For fending Forces into Sherborne Castle. 12 Richard Rogers, Efq; -Richard Herbert, Efq; Dorfetfhire. Montgomery. For putting the Commiffion of Array in Execu- 16* Tho. Chicheley, Efq; Cambridgeshire. Newport, Ile of 22 Lord Viscount Falkland, } 29 Knt. of the Bath. Sir Ralph Sydenham, Knt. Boffiney. We meet with no Expulfions of Members in October; but, on the 24th of that Month, one Gentleman was in very great Danger of lofing his Seat, if he had not instantly complied with the Terms required by the Houfe for his Continuance in it: For we find in the Journals of this Day, That the Vote for affifting the Earl of Effex, &c. being read to Sir John Evelyn, Member for Blechingley, and his Anfwer demanded, he defired. Time to confider of that Vote; upon which he was ordered to withdraw. Then the Houfe fell into Confideration of the Quality of his Offence; and finding, That if any Member might have Liberty, when a Question was propofed, to refuse giving any Answer, it would deftroy the Course and Proceedings of Parliament: It was thereupon refolved, That the faid Sir John. Evelyn fhall be fufpended from the House, disarmed by the Deputy-Lieutenants of Surrey, and committed Prisoner to the Tower during the Pleasure of that House,But Sir John Evelyn defiring to be heard before A 3 1642. November. An. 18. Car. I. before Judgment given; and, his Request being complied with, he declared himself in the Affirmative to the Vote concerning the Earl of Effex, and offered to lend 100 l. upon the Propofitions. The House accepted his Anfwer and his Offer, and immediately ordered, That the former Votes and Sentences fhould be revoked. Proceedings to Thus much may fuffice to give a View of the State of the Houfe of Commons during the last five Months: We fhall, now, proceed with the Bufinefs of Parliament. Both Houses had been bufy in making Orders for oppofing Sir Ralph Hopton's Armament, in the Weft of England, and the other in Wales, mentioned in Secretary Nicholas's Letter; which had been communicated to the Citizens of London at the Guildhall, by the Earl of Pembroke, on the 27th of the laft Month. These two new raifed Armies appeared fo formiwards a Peace. dable to the Parliament, that, in all Probability, it ftirred up the late Motion for fettling a Peace, and brought on the further Confideration of it this Day, November 2. The Refult of which was, That to prevent the further Effusion of Blood, and to settle the prefent Diftractions of the Kingdom, a Conference should be held, in which the following Letter fhould be communicated to the Commons, which the Committee of Safety had received from their Lord-General, in answer to one wrote to him on this Occafion. The Earl of Ef. Sex's Letter on that Occafion. My Lords and Gentlemen, Have received a Letter from you, that mentions an I humble Petition to be directed to his Majesty, to Jave the Effufion of more Blood. In the first Place, I ought to acknowledge the Favour of your defiring to hear from me, before you fend it. In the fecond Place, To declare that an happy Accommodation for the Advancement of Religion, the Flourishing of this Kingdom, with its antient Rights, the Saving the Effufion of |