Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/315

 2* S. N 16., AI-KIL 19. '56.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

307

tional paragraphs, however, of much interest, re- lating to the seven bishops, which are not con- tained in the MS. used by Gutch, are supplied at the end of a copy existing in the Bodl. MS. Kawl. A. 289., f. 129 b. They are as follows :

" His Majestie does more particularly expect and re- quire, that both in your charges and other discourses you use your utmost endeavours to satisfye all persons that the late proceedings against the Bishops was not in the least intended upon the account of their religion, his Majestie being full}- resolv'd to maintaine all his gratious promises to all his subjects of the Church of England, which he has made in his said declaration ; but because they did, by a seditious petition offer'd to his Majestie, question his royall authority for granting liberty of con- science to all other his lo. subjects in the free exercise of their religion, which his Majestie is fully resolv'd to maintaine, as well as his royall prerogative, upon which the same is founded. And doubts not to prevaile to establish the same by a law at the next meeting of his

Earliament, notwithstanding all the opposition that either as or shall be made to prevent a work that is so much for the publick good, and common advantage of all his kingdomes.

" Lastly. His Majestie expects that you doe, with all diligence, inquire into and with all severity punish all riotts, routs, and unlawfull assemblies, either by pretence of bonfires or otherwise, that have happen'd within your severall circuites by reason of the late proceedings against the Bishops, or upon any pretences which have been so apparently contrived and acted in affront and contempt both to the King's royall authority and against the knowne laws of the kingdome. And that you take care that when you returne from your respective circuites, that you give his Majestie a particular and exact account both of the offenders, and of the punishments that you have inflicted upon them suitable to their demeritts ; so that his Majestie thereby may be fully satisfyed of your iiitire zeal for his service."

W. D. MACRAY.

The Convocation of Ireland, and " the glorious, pious, and immortal" $-c. The following curious message from the Upper House of the Convocation of the Church of Ireland to the Lower, and the reply of the latter, is certainly worth preserving in your " Macaulay Illustrations." It occurred in 1710.

" A Message from the Upper House to the Lower, concern- ing a Scandalous Health. " The Prolocutor.

" Whereas we have heard that some persons have pre- sumed to drink a health, as they call it, to this effect, viz.: 'Plague, Pestilence, and Famine, Battle, Murder, and Sudden Death, to all Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and all Congregations committed to their charge, who shall refuse to drink to the glorious memory of King William ; ' which words we think to be very un- christian, depraving the Liturgy of the Established Church, and highly reflecting upon all the Archbishops, Bishops, and Clergy of this kingdom, and their Congre- gations ; as if they had not a due honour for the glorious memory of King William, (sic)

" We have therefore thought it fit to communicate thus much to you of the Lower House, and withal to desire and charge you that, as we are very sure none of you Avill ever be guilty of drinking any such healths yourselves,

so you would in your several cures to the utmost of your power use your endeavours to discourage and prevent the drinking any health in so scandalous a manner.

" The Answer of the Lower House. " May it please your Graces and Lordships,

" I am commanded by the Lower House of Convocation to return their humble thanks to your Graces and Lord- ships for the seasonable discouragement you have given to the great abuse thrown upon the Clergy and the Liturgy of the Church, by the scandalous and unchristian health, as some call it, mentioned by your Lordships in your late message to us.

" We have heard, and many of us both before and since your Lordships' intimation, have received full assurance that the said health has been publicly and frequently drunk ; and we have always heard of it with horror and detestation.

" We are humbly of opinion that persons may have a due honour for the late glorious King William, and a due sense of the many and great benefits which this king- dom, under GOD'S Providence, has received by him, with- out expressing it by drinking to his memory in so profane and wicked a manner. And we are further of opinion that such an irreligious practice tends really to dishonour the memory of so glorious a prince.

" We assure your Lordships, that as we have never been guilty of drinking any such healths ourselves, so in obedience to your Lordships' commands, we will in our several cures, to the utmost of our power, use our endea- vours to discourage and prevent it in others.

" And that these our endeavours may prove the more effectual, we will not only inform them what great dis- honour such a scandalous practice brings upon religion, but also that it is, as we apprehend, directly against the Statute of Uniformity, 1 Eliz., prohibiting under severe penalties all persons from declaring or speaking anything in derogation, depraving, or despising the Liturgy of the Church.

" JOHN STEAKNE, Prolocutor." A Reply to a Vindication of a Letter in a Pamphlet called Partiality Detected, Dublin, 1710, pp. Ill, 112.

This certainly was not very solemn business to lay before a national synod. We must only hope that when the Convocation of the Church of Ire- land meets again, it will have some questions of greater moment laid before it than even the most correct way of drinking "the glorious, pious, and immortal memory," &c.

WILLIAM FRASER, B.C.L.

Alton, Staffordshire.

EARLY ENGLISH WRITERS ON COMMERCIAL AND POLITICAL ECONOMY.

In "N. & Q." (1 st S. xi. 224.) I had occasion to mention Thomas Mun's England's Treasure by Forraign Trade. I have now to communicate a Note on the same author's previous work, A Dis- course of Trade from England unto the East Indies.

Mr. M c Culloch, in several of his works, has referred to the second edition of Mun's discourse, published in 1621, but has at the same time ex- pressed himself (though generally in an inquiring