Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/594

120 proces, according to the customes and Lawes of this Realme, should suffer paine of death, as in cases of high treason: as in the said Act amongst many other articles, clauses, and provisions, is more at large mentioned and specified.'

'II. And also in the said Parliament holden at Westminster by prorogation on the third day of November, in the sixe and twentieth yeere of your most noble reigne, an other Act was made for declacration and ratification of the said oath, which divers of your subjects then had taken, and all your subjects after that were bounde to take for due observation of the said act of the said succession, as by the same Act amongst other things is also specified and expressed: and albeit most dread Soseraigne Lord, and that the faide Actes were then made, as it was then thought by your Maiestie, Nobles and Commons upon a pure perfect and cleere foundation, thinking the said mariage then had betweene your highnesse and the said Ladie Anne in their consciences to have beene pure, sincere, perfect and good, and so was reputed, accepted, and taken in the Realme, till now of late, that God of his infinit goodnesse (from whom no secret things can be hid) hath caused to be brought to light evident and open knowledge, aswell certaine, just, true, and lawful impediments unknowen at the making of the said Acts, & since that time confessed by the said Anne, before the most reverend father in God Thomas Arch Bishop of Canterbury, metropolitane and primat of all England sitting judicially for the same: by the which plainely appeareth, that the said mariage betweene your grace and the said Ladie Anne was never good nor consonant to the Lawes, but utterly voyde and of none effect: by reason whereof your highnesse was and is lawfully divorsed and separated from the bonds of the said mariage in the life of the said Ladie Anne: and this notwithstanding most gratious Soveraigne Lord the Ladie Elizabeth your daughter, being borne under the said unlawfull mariage, by vertue and authoritie of the Act of your succession above remembred, for lacke of heires males of your bodie, should immediately succeede as your lawfull heire in the most royall estate of your imperiall Crowne of this Realm, against all honour, equitie, reason, and good conscience, if remedie should not be provided for the same: and over this most dread Soveraigne Lord, albeit that your Maiestie not knowing of any unlawfull impediments, entred into the bonds of the said unlawfull mariage, and advanced the same Ladie Anne to the honour of the soveraigne estate of the Queene of this Realme: yet neverthelesse she inflamed with pride and carnall desires of her body, putting appart the dread of God and excellent benefits received of your highnes, confederated her selfe with George Bullen late Lord Rochford her naturall brother, Henry Norreis Esquier, Francis Weston Knight, William Brereton Esquier, Gentleman of your Privie-chamber, and Marke Smeten Grome of your said Privie-chamber, and so being confederate, she and they most traiterously committed and perpetrated divers detestable and abhominable treasons, to the most fearefull perill and danger of the detraction of your most royall person, and to the utter losse, disherison and desolation of this Realme, if God of his goodnesse had not in due time brought their said treasons to light: for the which being plainely and manifestly prooved, they were convict, and atteinted by the due course and order of your common lawes of this Realme, and have fullered according to their merits, as by the records thereof more at large may appeare.

'III.¶ And albeit most gratious and most dread Soseraigne Lord, divers and sundry honorable just, true and reasonable Clauses be conteined and expressed in the said Act, made for the establilhment of your succession, which be very necessary and profitable for the commonwealth of this Realme: yet neverthelesse because certaine articles & clauses conteined in the same, concerning the ratification of your said unlawful mariage, between your highnesse and the said Lady Anne, and the limitation of your succession to the issues of your body had by the said Lady Anne, and the oath expressed and mentioned in both the Acts above remembred, for the defending and mainteining the whole effects and contents of the said Act, which clauses and articles be now become of late so dshonorable, and so far distant from the due course of your common Lawes of your Realme, and also so much against good reason, equitie, and good conscience, that they cannot be susteined nor tollerated to continue and indure without great perill of division hereafter to bee had, by occasion of the same amongst us your said most humble, loving and obedient subiects and our posterities:' It may therefore please yoyr highnesse of your most excellent and accustomable goodnesse, and for the entire love, favour and hartie affection, that your majestie hath alwayes borne, and besreth the Commonwealth of this your Realme, and for the conseruation of the good peace, unitie, and rest of us your most bounden and obedient subiects, and of our said posterities, that it may be enacted by the authority of this present Parliament, that the said two Acts and enery of them, and all clauses, articles and provisions theiein conteined, from the first day of this present Parliament, shall bee repealed, adnulled, and made frustrate and of none effect.

IV. Provided alway that the said repeale and adnullation of the said Act, which was made for the establishment of your succession, shall not bee taken, expounded nor understood, to discharge any pervon or persons, which have done or committed any offences of treason or misprision of treason, contrary to the same Act, or any part thereof at any time afore the first day of this present Parliament: but that such offences of treason and misprision of treason, done and committed by any person or persons, contrary to the same Act, afore the first day of this pressent Parliament, shall bee and remaine in the seme degree and qutlitie, to be pumished by authoritie of the same Act, as if the same Act had not beene repealed: the repeals and adnullation of the same Act by authoritie of this present Parliament in any wise notwithstanding.: 'Neverthelesse the Kings most, royall Maiestie, most graciously considering, that divers and many of his most loving and obedient subjects now lately afore the beginning of this present Parliament, have spoken, done, practised, procured, and attempted, aswell by word, writing, and printing, as by exteriour Actee;, not onely against the saide unlawfull mariage, solemnized betweene his highnesse and the said Ladie Anne, and to the prejudice, slander, disturbance, and derogation thereof, but also to the perill, slander and disherishon of the Ladie Elizabeth the Kings daughter iilegitimat borne 'under