"Tower. At the back of this is a desk for "Strafford's four Secretaries, who carried his

papers, and affifted him in writing and read

ing. At their fide is a void for witneffes to "stand; and behind them a long desk at the "wall of the room for Strafford's Counsel at

Law, fome five or fix able Lawyers, who were "not permitted to dispute in matters of fact, "but questions of right, if any should be inci❝dent.

"This is the order of the House Below on "the floor, the fame that is used daily in the

cr

Higher Houfe. Upon the two fides of the "House, eaft and weft, there arose a stage of "eleven ranks of forms, the highest almost "touching the roof. Every one of these forms "went from one end of the room to the other, ❝ and contained about forty men; the two high"eft were divided from the rest by a rail; and a

rail at every end cut off fome feats. The "Gentlemen of the Lower House fat within the "rails, others without. All the doors were kept very straitly with guards. We always behoved

to be there a little after five in the morning. "Lord Willoughby Earl of Lindfay, Lord "Chamberlain of England, (Pembroke is Cham"berlain of the Court,) ordered the House with હરે great difficulty; James Maxwell, Black Rod,

།

"was Great Ufher; a number of other fervants, "Gentlemen and Knights, affifted; by favour

66

we got place within the rail among the Com

mons. The House was full daily before seven. "About eight the Earl of Strafford came in "his barge from the Tower, attended with the "Lieutenant and a guard of mufqueteers and "halberdeers. The Lords in their robes were "fet about eight. The King was ufually half "an hour before them. He came not into his "throne, for that would have marred the action; "for it is the order of England, when the King

appears he speaks what he will, but no other speaks in his prefence. At the back of the "throne were two rooms on the two fides: in the

ઃઃ

one, Duke de Vanden, Duke de Valler, and "other French Nobles fat; in the other, the

૬૮

King, Queen, Princess Mary, the Prince "Elector, and fome Court Ladies. The tirlies "that made them to be fecret the King brake "down with his own hands, fo that they fat in "the eyes of all, but little more regarded than "if they had been abfent; for the Lords fat all "covered. Thofe of the Lower Houfe, and all "other, except the French Noblemen, fat dif"covered when the Lords came, not elfe. A

number of Ladies were in the boxes above "the rails, for which they paid much money. "It was daily the most glorious Affembly the

"Ifle could afford; yet the gravity not such as I "expected; oft great clamour without about the "doors. In the interval, while Strafford was "making ready for anfwers, the Lords got al

66

66

ways to their feet, walked and chatted: the "Lower Housemen too loud chatting. After ten, much public eating, not only of confec❝tions, but of flesh and bread, bottles of beer "and wine going thick from mouth to mouth " without cups, and all this in the King's eye; yea, many but turned their backs and let water go through the forms they fat on. There was no outgoing to return; and oft the fitting was "till two, three, or four o'clock at night.

TUESDAY THE THIRTEENTH,

"The feventeenth feffion.All being fet as before, Strafford made a fpeech large two "hours and a half, went through all the articles "but these three, which imported ftatute-treafon, "the fifteenth, twenty-first, twenty-feventh, and "others which were alledged, as he spake, for "conftructive and confequential treason. First, "the articles bearing his words, then these "which had his counfels and deeds. To all he repeated not new, but the best of his former "anfwers; and in the end, after some lashness "and fagging, he made fuch a pathetic oration "for an half hour, as ever comedian did upon "a stage.

23

a ftage. The matter and expreffion was ex"ceeding brave; doubtlefs if he had grace or "civil goodness, he is a moft eloquent man. "The fpeech you have it here in print. One

paffage made it moft fpoken of; his breaking "off in weeping and filence when he spoke of "his firft wife. Some took it for a true defect " in his memory; others, and for the most part, "for a notable part of his rhetoric; fome, that "true grief, and remorse at that remembrance, "had ftopt his mouth; for they fay that his first lady, the Earl of Clare's fifter, being with

child, and finding one of his whore's letters, "brought it to him, and chiding him therefore, "he ftruck her on the breaft, whereof fhortly "fhe died."

Principal Baillie's account of the apprehenfion of Lord Strafford is very curious:-"All things go here as we could wifh. The Lieutenant "of Ireland (Lord Strafford) came but on Monday to town, late; on Tuesday rested; and "on Wednesday came to Parliament; but ere night he was caged. Intolerable pride and oppreffion call to Heaven for vengeance. The "Lower Houfe closed their doors; the Speaker kept the keys till his accufation was con«cluded. Thereafter Mr. Pym went up with a "number at his back to the Higher Houfe, and,

"in a pretty short speech, did in the name of the "Commons of all England accufe Thomas Lord "Strafford of high treafon, and required his

perfon to be arrested till probation might be "made: fo Mr. Pym and his back were removed. "The Lords began to confult on that strange "and unpremeditated motion. The word goes "in hafte to the Lord Lieutenant, where he "was with the King: with speed he comes to "the House of Peers, and calls rudely at the "door. James Maxwell, Keeper of the Black Rod, opens. His Lordfhip, with a proud

glooming countenance, makes towards his "place at the board head, but at once many "bid him void the Houfe. So he is forced in "confufion to go to the door till he is called. "After confultation he ftands, but is told to kneel, and on his knees to hear the fentence.

Being on his knees, he is delivered to the "Black Rod to be prifoner till he is cleared of "the crimes he is charged with. He offered to

fpeak, but was commanded to be gone with"out a word. In the outer room, James Max"well required of him, as prisoner, to deliver "him his fword. When he had got it, with a "loud voice he told his man to carry the Lord "Lieutenant's fword. This done, he makes through a number of people towards his coach, all gazing, no man capping to him, "before

6.6

Z 4