The consequences of this small incident were destined to prove of large moment. The earliest mention we have of it occurs in a letter written by the Archbishop of York—himself a Privy Councillor—to Sir Henry VANE, in November, 1629: ‘The Vice-Chancellor,’ says Archbishop HARSNET, ‘was sent to Sir Robert COTTON to seal up his library, and to bring himself before the Lords of the Council.’ [Sidenote: _Domest. Corresp._, Charles I, vol. cli, § 24. (R. H.)] In the words that follow the Archbishop is evidently speaking from what he had been told, not from his personal knowledge. ‘There was found,’ he proceeds to say, ‘in his custody a pestilential tractate which he had fostered as a child, containing a project how a Prince may make himself an absolute tyrant. [Sidenote: _Ib._] _This pernicious device he had communicated to divers Lords._’ CHARLES was presently in intense excitement about the matter. Its next stage cannot be better or more briefly told, than in the words which the King himself addressed to his assembled Councillors—in unusual array, for they were twenty-one in number—and afterwards caused to be entered upon the Council Book: [Sidenote: 1629. 15 Nov.] ‘This day His Majestie, sitting in Counsell, was pleased to imparte to the whole Boarde the cause for which the [Sidenote: [_Council Register_, vol. v, p. 495.]] Erles of CLARE, SOMERSET, and BEDFORDE, Sir Robert COTTON, and sundry other persons of inferior qualitie, had bene lately restrained and examined by a speciall Committee appointed by him for that purpose, which cause was this:— ‘His Majestie declared that there came to his handes, by meere accedent, the coppie of a certain “_Discourse_” or “_The Proposicion_” (which was then, by his commandement, read at the Boarde), pretended to be written “for His Majesties service,” and bearing this title—”_The Proposicion for Your Majestie’s Service conteineth twoe partes: [Sidenote: PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SIR ROBERT COTTON IN THE PRIVY COUNCIL.] The one to secure your Estate, and to bridle the impertinencie of Parlements; the other to encrease Your Majestie’s Revenue much more then it is_.” ‘Now the meanes propounded in this Discourse for the effecting thereof are such as are fitter to be practised in a Turkish State then amongst Christians, being contrarie to the justice and mildnesse of His Majestie’s Government, and the synceritie of his intentions, and therefore cannot be otherwise taken then for a most scandalous invention, proceding from a pernitious dessein, both against His Majestie and the State, which, notwithstanding, the aforesaid persons had not onely read—and concealed the same from His Majestie and his Counsell—but also communicated and divulged it to others.