And that the ensuing clauses in the said Article, viz. 'We desire that it may by your Highness' consent be ordained, that forty-one Commissioners be appointed by Act of Parliament, who, or five, or more of them, shall be authorised to examine and try whether the members to be elected for the House of Commons in future Parliaments be capable to sit, according to the qualifications mentioned in this Petition and Advice; and in case they find them not qualified accordingly, then to suspend them from sitting until the House of Commons shall, upon hearing their particular cases, admit them to sit; which Commissioners are to stand so authorised for that end, until the House of Commons in any future Parliament shall nominate the like number of other Commissioners in their places; and those other Commissioners so to be nominated in any future Parliament, to have the same power and authority. That the said Commissioners shall certify in writing to the House of Commons, on the first day of their meeting, the cause and grounds of their suspensions of any person so to be elected as aforesaid; that the accusation shall be upon oath of the informant, or of some other person. That a copy of the accusation shall be left by the party accusing, in writing under his hand, with the party accused, or, in his absence, at his house in the county, city or town for which he shall be chosen, if he have any such house, or if not, with the Sheriff of the county, if he be chosen for a county, or with the Chief Magistrate of the city or borough for which he is chosen ;' shall not be put in execution or made use of, but shall be void, frustrate, null, and of none effect, and shall be so construed and taken to all intents and purposes whatsoever, anything contained in the said Petition and Advice to the contrary notwithstanding.

In the fifth Article.

That the nomination of the persons to supply the place of such members of the other House as shall die or be removed, shall be by your Highness and your successors.

In the seventh Article.

That the monies directed to be for the supply of the sea and land forces, be issued by advice of the Council; and that the Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury shall give an account of all the said money to every Parliament.

That the Officers of State and Judges, in the ninth Article

of the said Petition and Advice mentioned, shall be chosen in the intervals of Parliament, by the consent of the Council, to be afterwards approved by Parliament.

That your Highness will be pleased, according to the usage of former Chief Magistrates in these nations, and for the better satisfaction of the people thereof, to take an oath in the form ensuing:

'I do in the presence, and by the name of God Almighty, promise and swear, that to the uttermost of my power I will uphold and maintain the true reformed Protestant Christian religion, in the purity thereof, as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, to the uttermost of my power and understanding, and encourage the profession and professors of the same; and that to the uttermost of my power I will endeavour, as Chief Magistrate of these three nations, the maintenance and preservation of the peace and safety, and of the just rights and privileges of the people thereof; and shall in all things according to my best knowledge and power, govern the people of these nations according to law.'

That your Highness' successors do, before they take upon them the government of these nations, take an oath in the form aforesaid.

That all such persons who now are, or shall hereafter be of the Privy Council of your Highness or successors, before they, or either of them do act as Councillors, shall respectively take an oath before persons to be authorised by your Highness and successors for that purpose, in the form following:

'I, A. B., do in the presence, and by the name of God Almighty, promise and swear, that to the uttermost of my power, in my place, I will uphold and maintain the true reformed Protestant Christian religion, in the purity thereof, as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and encourage the profession and professors of the same; and that I will be true and faithful to his Highness the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland and the dominions thereto belonging, as Chief Magistrate thereof; and shall not contrive, design or attempt any thing against the person or lawful authority of his said Highness, and shall keep secret all matters that shall be treated of in Council, and put under secrecy, and not reveal them but by command or consent of his Highness, the Parliament or the Council, and shall in all things

faithfully perform the trust committed to me as a Councillor, according to the best of my understanding, in order to the good government, peace and welfare of these nations.'

That the same oath be taken by the members of your Highness' Council of Scotland and Ireland.

That every person who now is, or hereafter shall be, a member of either House of Parliament, before he sit in Parliament, shall, from and after the 1st day of July, 1657, take an oath before persons to be authorised and appointed by your Highness and successors for that purpose, in the form following:

'I, A. B., do in the presence, and by the name of God Almighty, promise and swear, that to the uttermost of my power, in my place, I will uphold and maintain the true reformed Protestant Christian religion, in the purity thereof, as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and encourage the profession and professors of the same; and that I will be true and faithful to the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the dominions and territories thereunto belonging, as Chief Magistrate thereof, and shall not contrive, design or attempt anything against the person or lawful authority of the Lord Protector, and shall endeavour as much as in me lies, as a member of Parliament, the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people.'

That your Highness would be pleased in convenient time, before the next meeting of this Parliament, to cause several summons in due form of law, to be issued forth to such persons as your Highness shall think fit (being qualified according to the humble Petition and Advice of the Parliament, whereto your Highness hath consented), to sit and serve as members in the other House of Parliament; by which summons the said persons shall be respectively commanded to be, and personally to appear at a certain place and time, to be appointed by your Highness, to give their advice and assistance, and to do such things concerning the great and weighty affairs of this Commonwealth, as to the other House of Parliament doth appertain by the said humble Petition and Advice.

That the persons so summoned and assembled together, shall be, and are hereby declared to be, the other House of Parliament; and shall, and may without further approbation of this House, from such time of their meeting, proceed to do and perform all such matters and things as the other

House of Parliament ought to do and perform, and shall and may have and exercise all such privileges, powers and authorities as the other House of Parliament ought, by the aforesaid humble Petition and Advice to have and exercise; the said humble Petition and Advice, or anything therein contained to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.

Which Petition being presented the 26th day of June, 1657, his Highness' answer thereunto was read by the Clerk of the Parliament in these words,

The Lord Protector doth consent.

93. THE WRIT SUMMONING RICHARD CROMWELL TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS OF THE PROTECTORATE.

[December 10, 1657. Old Parliamentary History, xxi. 166.]

Oliver, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the dominions and territories thereunto belonging: to our trusty and beloved son, Lord Richard Cromwell, greeting.

Whereas, by the advice and assent of our Council, for certain great and weighty affairs concerning us and the state and defence of the said Commonwealth, we ordained our present Parliament to be held at our city of Westminster, the 17th day of September, in the year of our Lord 1656, and there to consult and advise with the knights, citizens and burgesses of our said Commonwealth; which Parliament was then and there held, and continued until the 26th day of June last past, and then adjourned until the 20th day of January now next coming; therefore we command and firmly enjoin you, that, considering the difficulty of the said affairs and imminent dangers, all excuses being set aside, you be personally present at Westminster aforesaid, the said 20th day of January next coming, there to treat, confer, and give your advice with us, and with the great men and nobles in and concerning the affairs aforesaid; and this, as you love our honour and safety, and the defence of the Commonwealth aforesaid, you shall in no wise omit.

Witness ourself at Westminster, the 10th day of
December, 1657.

94. THE DECLARATION OF BREDA.

[April 4, 1660. Old Parliamentary History, xxii. 238. See Masson's Life of Milton, v. 697.]

Charles R.

Charles, by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all our loving subjects, of what degree or quality soever, greeting.

If the general distraction and confusion which is spread over the whole kingdom, doth not awaken all men to a desire and longing that those wounds which have so many years together been kept bleeding, may be bound up, all we can say will be to no purpose; however, after this long silence, we have thought it our duty to declare how much we desire to contribute thereunto; and that as we can never give over the hope, in good time, to obtain the possession of that right which God and nature hath made our due, so we do make it our daily suit to the Divine Providence, that He will, in compassion to us and our subjects, after so long misery and sufferings, remit and put us into a quiet and peaceable possession of that our right, with as little blood and damage to our people as is possible; nor do we desire more to enjoy what is ours, than that all our subjects may enjoy what by law is theirs, by a full and entire administration of justice throughout the land, and by extending our mercy where it is wanted and deserved.

And to the end that the fear of punishment may not engage any, conscious to themselves of what is past, to a perseverance in guilt for the future, by opposing the quiet and happiness of their country, in the restoration of King, Peers and people to their just, ancient and fundamental rights, we do, by these presents, declare, that we do grant a free and general pardon, which we are ready, upon demand, to pass under our Great Seal of England, to all our subjects, of what degree or quality soever, who, within forty days after the publishing hereof, shall lay hold upon this our grace and favour, and shall, by any public act, declare their doing so, and that they return to the loyalty and obedience of good subjects; excepting only such persons as shall hereafter be excepted by Parliament, those only to be excepted. Let all our subjects, how faulty soever, rely upon the word of a King, solemnly given by this present declaration, that no crime whatsoever, committed