already made, the assistance of the clergy, and the arrears of such rents of his own revenue as his two Houses shall not have received before the concluding of the peace, His Majesty will undertake within the space of eighteen months the payment of £400,000 for the satisfaction of the army; and if those means shall not be sufficient, His Majesty intends to give way for the sale of forest lands for that purpose. This being the public debt which in His Majesty's judgment is first to be satisfied: and for other public debts already contracted upon Church lands or any other engagements, His Majesty will give his consent to such Act or Acts for raising of monies for payment thereof, as both Houses hereafter shall agree upon, so as they be equally laid; whereby his people, already too heavily burdened by these late distempers, may have no more pressures upon them than this absolute necessity requires.

And for the further securing all fears, His Majesty will consent that an Act of Parliament be passed for the disposing of the great offices of State, and naming of Privy Councillors for the whole term of his reign, by the two Houses of Parliament, their patents and commissions being taken from His Majesty, and after to return to the Crown, as is expressed in the articles of the militia. For the Court of Wards and Liveries, His Majesty very well knows the consequence of taking that away, by turning of all tenures into common socage, as well in point of revenue to the Crown, as in the protection of many of his subjects being infants s; nevertheless, if the continuance thereof seem grievous to his subjects, rather than he will fail on his part in giving satisfaction, he will consent to an Act for taking of it away, so as a full recompense be settled upon His Majesty and his successors in perpetuity; and that the arrears now due be reserved unto him towards the payment of the arrears of the army.

And that the memory of these late distractions may be wholly wiped away, His Majesty will consent to an Act of Parliament for the suppressing and making null all Oaths, Declarations and Proclamations against both or either House of Parliament, and of all indictments and other proceedings against any persons for adhering unto them; and His Majesty proposeth, as the best expedient to take away all seed of future differences, that there be an Act of Oblivion to extend to all his subjects.

As for Ireland, the cessation therein long since deter

mined; but for the future, all other things being fully agreed, His Majesty will give full satisfaction to his Houses concerning that kingdom.

And although His Majesty cannot consent in honour and justice to avoid all his own grants and acts passed under his Great Seal since the 22nd of May 1642, or to the confirming of all the grants and acts passed under that made by the two Houses, yet His Majesty is confident, that upon perusal of particulars, he shall give full satisfaction to his two Houses to what may be reasonably desired in that particular.

And now His Majesty conceives, that by these his offers, which he is ready to make good upon the settlement of a peace, he hath clearly manifested his intentions to give full security and satisfaction to all interests, for what can justly be desired in order to the future happiness of his people, and for the perfecting of these concessions, as also for such other things as may be proposed by the two Houses; and for such just and reasonable demands as His Majesty shall find necessary to propose on his part, he earnestly desires a personal treaty at London with his two Houses, in honour, freedom and safety; it being, in his judgment, the most proper, and indeed only means to a firm and settled peace, and impossible without it to reconcile former, or avoid future misunderstandings.

All these being by treaty perfected, His Majesty believes his two Houses will think it reasonable that the Proposals of the army concerning the succession of Parliaments, and their due elections, should be taken into consideration.

As for what concerns the kingdom of Scotland, His Majesty will very readily apply himself to give all reasonable satisfaction, when the desires of the two Houses of Parliament on their behalf, or of the Commissioners of that kingdom, or of both joined together, shall be made known unto him.

For the Speaker of the Lords House pro tempore, to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England, at Westminster, and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland.

CHARLES REX.

65. THE FOUR BILLS, WITH THE PROPOSITIONS

ACCOMPANYING THEM.

[Passed the House of Lords December 14, 1647. Old Parliamentary History, vi. 405. See Masson's Life of Milton, iii. 578.]

The Four Bills sent to the King in the Isle of Wight to be passed, together with the Propositions sent unto him at the same time, which, upon the passing of those Bills, were to be treated upon.

The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament have commanded us to present to your Majesty these Four Bills, which have passed the two Houses of Parliament.

I. Soit baillé aux Seigneurs,

A ceste Bille les Seigneurs sont assentuz.

An Act concerning the raising, settling and maintaining forces, by sea and land, within the kingdoms of England and Ireland and dominion of Wales, the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Be it enacted by the King's Majesty, and by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, and by the authority of the same, that the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England now assembled or hereafter to be assembled, shall, during the space of twenty years, from the Ist of November, 1647, arm, train and discipline, or cause to be armed, trained and disciplined, all the forces of the kingdoms of England and Ireland and the dominion of Wales, the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, already raised both for sea and land service; and shall appoint all commanders and officers for the said forces; and shall from time to time, during the said space of twenty years, raise, levy, arm, train and discipline, or cause to be raised, levied, armed, trained and disciplined any other forces for land and sea service, in the kingdoms, dominions and places aforesaid, as in their judgments they shall, from time to time, during the said space of twenty years, think fit and appoint; and shall, from time to time, appoint all commanders any officers for the said forces, or remove them as they shall see cause;

and shall likewise nominate, appoint, place or displace, as they shall see cause, all commanders and officers within the several garrisons, forts and places of strength, as shall be within the kingdoms of England, Ireland and dominion of Wales, the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; and that neither the King, his heirs or successors, nor any other but such as shall act by the authority or approbation of the said Lords and Commons, shall, during the said space of twenty years, exercise any of the powers aforesaid.

And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that monies be raised and levied for the maintenance and use of the said forces for land service, and of the navy and forces for sea service, in such sort and by such ways and means, as the said Lords and Commons shall, from time to time, during the said space of twenty years, think fit and appoint, and not otherwise; and that the said forces both for land and sea service, so raised or levied, or to be raised or levied; and also the Admiralty or navy shall, from time to time, during the said space of twenty years, be employed, managed, ordered, disposed or disbanded by the said Lords or Commons, in such sort, and by such ways and means, as they shall think fit and appoint, and not otherwise.

And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the said Lords and Commons, during the said space of twenty years, shall have power in such sort, and by such ways and means as they shall think fit and appoint, to suppress all forces raised without authority and consent of the said Lords and Commons, to the disturbance of the public peace of the kingdoms of England and Ireland and dominion of Wales, and the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or any of them; and also to suppress any foreign forces who shall invade, or endeavour to invade, the kingdoms of England and Ireland and dominion of Wales, and the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or any of them; and likewise to conjoin such forces of the kingdom of England with the forces of the kingdom of Scotland, as the said Lords and Commons shall, from time to time, during the said space of twenty years, judge fit and necessary to resist all foreign invasions, and to suppress any forces raised, or to be raised, against or within either of the said kingdoms, to the disturbance of the public peace of the said kingdoms, or any of them, by any authority under the

Great Seal, or other warrant whatsoever, without consent of the said Lords and Commons of the Parliament of England and the Parliament or the Estates of the Parliament of Scotland respectively and that no forces of either kingdoms shall go into or continue in the other kingdom without the advice and desire of the said Lords and Commons of the Parliament of England, and the Parliament of Scotland, or such as shall be by them respectively appointed for that purpose.

And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that after the expiration of the said twenty years, neither the King, his heirs or successors, or any person or persons, by colour or pretence of any commission, power, deputation or authority to be derived from the King, his heirs or successors, or any of them, shall raise, arm, train, discipline, employ, order, manage, disband or dispose of any of the forces, by sea and land, of the kingdoms of England and Ireland, the dominion of Wales, the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or any them: nor exercise any of the said powers or authorities before mentioned and expressed to be, during the said space of twenty years, in the said Lords and Commons: nor do any act or thing concerning the execution of the said powers or authorities, or any of them, without the consent of the said Lords and Commons first had and obtained.

And be it further also enacted, that after the expiration of the said twenty years, in all cases wherein the said Lords and Commons shall declare the safety of the kingdom to be concerned, and shall thereupon pass any Bill or Bills for the raising, arming, training, disciplining, employing, managing, ordering or disposing of the forces by sea or land, of the kingdoms of England and Ireland, the dominion of Wales, the isles of Guernsey and Jersey, and the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or any part of the said forces, or concerning the said Admiralty or navy, or concerning the levying of monies for the raising, maintenance, or use of the said forces for land service, or of the navy and forces for sea service, or any part of them, and if that the royal assent to such Bill or Bills shall not be given in the House of Peers, within such time after the passing thereof by both Houses of Parliament, as the said Houses shall judge fit and convenient, that then such Bill or Bills so passed by the said Lords and Commons as aforesaid, and to