Constitutional History of England, Henry VII to George II. Volume 2 of 3Hallam, Henry
History
Constitutional History of England, Henry VII to George II. Volume 2 of 3
Hallam, Henry
Constitutional history -- Great Britain
"The lieutenant of Ireland came but on Monday to town late, on Tuesday
rested, on Wednesday came to parliament, but ere night he was caged.
Intolerable pride and oppression cries to Heaven for a vengeance. The
lower house closed their doors; the speaker kept the keys till his
accusation was concluded. Thereafter Mr. Pym went up, with a number at
his back, to the higher house; and, in a pretty short speech, did, in
the name of the lower house, and in the name of the commons of all
England, accuse Thomas Earl of Strafford, lord lieutenant of Ireland,
of high treason; and required his person to be arrested till probation
might be heard; so Mr. Pym and his back were removed. The Lords began
to consult on that strange and unexpected motion. The word goes in
haste to the lord lieutenant, where he was with the king; with speed
he comes to the house; he calls rudely at the door; James Maxwell,
keeper of the black rod, opens: his lordship, with a proud glooming
countenance, makes towards his place at the board head: but at once
many bid him void the house; so he is forced, in confusion, to go to
the door till he was called. After consultation, being called in, he
stands, but is commanded to kneel, and on his knees to hear the
sentence. Being on his knees, he is delivered to the keeper of the
black rod, to be prisoner till he was cleared of these crimes the
House of Commons had charged him with. He offered to speak, but was
commanded to be gone without a word. In the outer room, James Maxwell
required him, as prisoner, to deliver his sword. When he had got it,
he cries with a loud voice, for his man to carry my lord lieutenant's
sword. This done, he makes through a number of people towards his
coach; all gazing, no man capping to him, before whom, that morning,
the greatest of England would have stood discovered, all crying, 'What
is the matter?' He said, 'A small matter, I warrant you.' They
replied, 'Yes, indeed, high treason is a small matter.' Coming to the
place where he expected his coach, it was not there; so he behoved to
return that same way, through a world of gazing people. When at last
he had found his coach, and was entering, James Maxwell told him,
'Your lordship is my prisoner, and must go in my coach;' so he behoved
to do."--P. 217.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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