The House generally inclined to such a Declaration; which was accordingly resolved to be set about.
‘But next day, Wednesday, we had a Message from his Majesty by the Speaker, That as the Session was positively to end in a week, we should husband the time, and despatch our old businesses without entertaining new!’— —Intending nevertheless ‘to pursue our Declaration, we had, yesterday, Thursday morning, a new Message brought us, which I have here enclosed. Which requiring us Not to cast or lay any aspersion upon any Minister of his Majesty, the House was much affected thereby.’ Did they not in former times proceed by fining and committing John of Gaunt, the King’s own son; had they not, in very late times, meddled with and sentenced the Lord Chancellor Bacon and others? What are we arriving at!—
‘Sir Robert Philips of Somersetshire spake, and mingled his words with weeping. Mr. Pym did the like. Sir Edward Cook’ (old Coke upon Lyttleton), ‘overcome with passion, seeing the desolation likely to ensue, was forced to sit down when he began to speak, by the abundance of tears.’ Oh, Mr, Chamberlain of the Court of Wards, was the like ever witnessed? ‘Yea, the Speaker in his speech could not refrain from weeping and shedding of tears. Besides a great many whose grief made them dumb. But others bore up in that storm, and encouraged the rest.’ We resolved ourselves into a Committee, to have freer scope for speech; and called Mr. Whitby to the chair.
The Speaker, always in close communication with his Majesty, craves leave from us, with much humility, to withdraw ‘for half an hour’; which, though we knew well whither he was going, was readily granted him. It is ordered, ‘No other man leave the House upon pain of going to the Tower.’ And now the speaking commences, ‘freer and frequenter,’ being in Committee, and old Sir Edward Coke tries it again.
‘Sir Edward Cook told us, “He now saw God had not accepted of our humble and moderate carriages and fair pro-
