NOTES OF PROCEEDINGS IN THE LONG PARLIAMENT, TEMP. CHARLES I. PRINTED FROM ORIGINAL PENCIL MEMORANDA TAKEN IN THE HOUSE BY SIR RALPH VERNEY, KNIGHT, MEMBER FOR THE BOROUGH OF AYLESBURY, AND NOW IN THE POSSESSION OF SIR HARRY VERNEY, BART. PRINTED FOR THE CAMDEN SOCIETY, BY JOHN BOWYER NICHOLS AND SON, PARLIAMENT STREET. M.DCCC.XLV. COUNCIL OF THE CAMDEN SOCIETY, FOR THE YEAR 1844. President, THE RIGHT HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE, F.S.A. THOMAS AMYOT, ESQ. F.R.S., Treas. S.A. Director. JOHN PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ. F.S.A. THE LORD ALBERT CONYNGHAM, K.C.H., F.S.A. SIR HENRY ELLIS, K.H., F.R.S., Sec. S.A. HENRY HALLAM, ESQ. M.A., F.R.S., V.P.S.A. THE REV. JOSEPH HUNTER, F.S.A. SIR FREDERIC MADDEN, K.H., F.R.S., F.S.A. THOMAS JOSEPH PETTIGREW, ESQ. F.R.S., F.S.A. THOMAS STAPLETON, ESQ. F.S.A. WILLIAM J. THOMS, ESQ. F.S.A., Secretary. ALBERT WAY, ESQ. M.A., DIR. S.A. THOMAS WRIGHT, ESQ. M.A., F.S.A. The COUNCIL of the CAMDEN SOCIETY desire it to be understood that they are not answerable for any opinions or observations that may appear in the Society's publications; the Editors of the several Works being alone responsible for the same. INTRODUCTION. THE wonderful events which took place in England in 1640 and the two succeeding years, were brought about by the instrumentality of men whose motives and characters are most inadequately understood. By what reasoning they justified, or by what necessity excused, the overturning of the ancient government of their country, we can but very imperfectly tell. A cloud of error and misstatement was thrown over their actions by the triumphant writers of the restored dynasty, who used their pens in the same spirit as they had wielded their swords, and took revenge upon their ancient rivals by representations of their conduct, which, if they could be believed, would make it a subject of amazement, how men so foolish and so wicked could ever have been even partially successful. But history has its periods of restitution. Truth, like Nature, will reappear, however forcibly expelled, and when the time for its appearance draws nigh, some heralds of its approach, some fragments and relics of the actual monuments of the past, will |
