4 Jan 164/3 (Wed) – delayed report from Tuesday 3 Jan || The last thing fitting for the Kingdome to take notice of in this weeks intelligence¹ is, of a Pamphlet, entituled, A Complaint to both Houses of Parliament, &c.² published in Print by scattering them in the streets, in Westminster-hall, Pauls Churchyard, & Westminster Abbey, which is stuffed with insufferable language, full of falsities, and of bitternesse and railing against the Parliament, and desires the people to take up Arms to destroy the Parliament, calling the Parliament a Corporation of Projectors. In some places of that Pamphlet are these expressions, That the people about London and Westminster are resolved to put their resolutions in practice, that the things (mentioned in the pamphlet) may be suddenly done, and this Parliament dissolved, for they are resolved to defend themselves by Arms, and make use of what is next. And concludes with a desire to the people of all the Counties of England to assist them with life and fortune against the proceedings of the Parliament.
The thing observable upon the publishing of this Pamphlet is the secret way of divulging it on Saturday, the last of December, and of the publique disposing of it from one Malignant to another, then the Apprentices of the Malignants in the City setting up Bills on Sunday the day after, upon Posts, desiring their fellowes to meet on Munday morning in Coven Garden, where this dangerous Pamphlet was much applauded by them, at last they agreed for this time to come in a civill manner to the Lords with a Petition, which they did accordingly, being in number about 1000 their expectation was of 20000. (but they failed) and offered no affront; onely in their returne they laid hold of the Lord Say in his Coach, and demanded of his Lordship to deliver unto them their masters that were in prison, or they would fetch them out and break open the prison doors: And it is most certaine the designe is by the malignants of the City and suburbs, Prisoners out, and they they will get Commanders sufficient to instruct them in their resolved way of taking up Arms against the Parl.
One notorious falshood (among the rest) in that Pamphlet is in these words, That God he thanked our Papists and Jesuits pull in their heads, &c. By this any man may perceive the impudency of the Author, for who are so much in request at Court as the Papists? Is there no one Army of Papists already raised in the North by the great Seale of England?³ Is there not a Commission under the great Seale of England likewise granted to the Marquesse of Worcester to raise an Army, to whom all the Papists of the West are to flock? Doe the Papists then pull in their heads, when they are so impudent to being ove a Catholique Standard to be carryed in the head of the Northern popish Army? Doth the papists pull in their heads, when the Lo: Goring (more puffed up with vanity than Religion) is gone into France to raise Catholique Souldiers there to guard her Majesty over into England?
This pamphlet is condemned to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman, and that enquiry be made of the names of all the Malignants that have published this pamphlet: And for the present some Stationers that published the same, are committed to prison to be made examples of for divulging such a libellous, false, and infamous Booke. || Richard Collings – The Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer (P)
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¹ Collings’ paper ran from Tuesday to Tuesday
² A Royalist pamphlet; the full and correct title was A complaint to the House of Commons, And Resolution taken up by the free Protestant Subjects of the cities of London and Westminster and the Counties adjacent. It was originally published at York and Oxford in 1642.
³ Referring to the army raised by the Earl of Newcastle. The repeated Parliamentarian claims that it was a “Catholic” army were based on the King’s encouraging Newcastle to accept both Protestants and Catholics into its ranks.
Reporting the English Civil War
Catholicism, petitions, religion
Collings condemns “libellous, false, and infamous” Royalist pamphlet
In ECW editor's comment, London on January 4 at 8:10 pm4 Jan 164/3 (Wed) – delayed report from Tuesday 3 Jan || The last thing fitting for the Kingdome to take notice of in this weeks intelligence¹ is, of a Pamphlet, entituled, A Complaint to both Houses of Parliament, &c.² published in Print by scattering them in the streets, in Westminster-hall, Pauls Churchyard, & Westminster Abbey, which is stuffed with insufferable language, full of falsities, and of bitternesse and railing against the Parliament, and desires the people to take up Arms to destroy the Parliament, calling the Parliament a Corporation of Projectors. In some places of that Pamphlet are these expressions, That the people about London and Westminster are resolved to put their resolutions in practice, that the things (mentioned in the pamphlet) may be suddenly done, and this Parliament dissolved, for they are resolved to defend themselves by Arms, and make use of what is next. And concludes with a desire to the people of all the Counties of England to assist them with life and fortune against the proceedings of the Parliament.
The thing observable upon the publishing of this Pamphlet is the secret way of divulging it on Saturday, the last of December, and of the publique disposing of it from one Malignant to another, then the Apprentices of the Malignants in the City setting up Bills on Sunday the day after, upon Posts, desiring their fellowes to meet on Munday morning in Coven Garden, where this dangerous Pamphlet was much applauded by them, at last they agreed for this time to come in a civill manner to the Lords with a Petition, which they did accordingly, being in number about 1000 their expectation was of 20000. (but they failed) and offered no affront; onely in their returne they laid hold of the Lord Say in his Coach, and demanded of his Lordship to deliver unto them their masters that were in prison, or they would fetch them out and break open the prison doors: And it is most certaine the designe is by the malignants of the City and suburbs, Prisoners out, and they they will get Commanders sufficient to instruct them in their resolved way of taking up Arms against the Parl.
One notorious falshood (among the rest) in that Pamphlet is in these words, That God he thanked our Papists and Jesuits pull in their heads, &c. By this any man may perceive the impudency of the Author, for who are so much in request at Court as the Papists? Is there no one Army of Papists already raised in the North by the great Seale of England?³ Is there not a Commission under the great Seale of England likewise granted to the Marquesse of Worcester to raise an Army, to whom all the Papists of the West are to flock? Doe the Papists then pull in their heads, when they are so impudent to being ove a Catholique Standard to be carryed in the head of the Northern popish Army? Doth the papists pull in their heads, when the Lo: Goring (more puffed up with vanity than Religion) is gone into France to raise Catholique Souldiers there to guard her Majesty over into England?
This pamphlet is condemned to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman, and that enquiry be made of the names of all the Malignants that have published this pamphlet: And for the present some Stationers that published the same, are committed to prison to be made examples of for divulging such a libellous, false, and infamous Booke. || Richard Collings – The Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer (P)
——
¹ Collings’ paper ran from Tuesday to Tuesday
² A Royalist pamphlet; the full and correct title was A complaint to the House of Commons, And Resolution taken up by the free Protestant Subjects of the cities of London and Westminster and the Counties adjacent. It was originally published at York and Oxford in 1642.
³ Referring to the army raised by the Earl of Newcastle. The repeated Parliamentarian claims that it was a “Catholic” army were based on the King’s encouraging Newcastle to accept both Protestants and Catholics into its ranks.
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