Wednesday, 10 June, 1657.
Privilege.
MR. Thomas Gorges acquaints the House, That he
hath received, from some Justices of the Peace in
the County of Somerset, several Examinations concerning
Words spoken by one John Browne, of Ilchester, against
the Dignity of the Parliament, and several Members
thereof: Which Examinations were read; being as
followeth;
The Examination of James Portnill, taken upon Oath
this 29th of May 1657, before Robert Hunt, and
John Cary, Esquires, Justices of the Peace for the
County aforesaid, at Castle-Carye.
JAMES Portnill, of Ilchester in the said County,
Mercer, upon Oath, saith, That, being at the House of
Valentine Dawe, in Ilchester in the County aforesaid; and
talking with Mr. John Browne, of the said Town, thro'
the Window of the said House, the Casement being open;
on Tuesday the 12th Instant; the said John Browne, upon
some Discourse between them concerning Kingship, and
this Examinant then saying, That it was the Pleasure of
the Parliament to propose or offer such a Thing unto the
Protector; the said Browne replied, "The Parliament!
A Den of Thieves, Rogues, and Robbers," or Words to
that Effect; And that the said Browne did, at the same
time, use very reproachful Language of particular Members of the Parliament; to wit, of the Lord Chief-Justice
Glyn, Sir Thomas Wroth, Colonel Jephson, and the Lord
Broghill; saying these Words, "Glynn, Wroth, Jephson,
and Broghill, are Knaves and Fools;" or Words to that
Purpose: And then said, "Glyn hath been arraigned for
High Treason."
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Robert Hunt.
John Carye. |
James Portnill. |
The Examination of Valentine Dawe, of Ilchester in the
said County, Taylor; taken upon Oath at Castle Carye,
this 29th Day of May 1657, before Robert Hunt, and
John Carye, Esquires, Justices, &c.
THIS Examinant, upon his Oath, saith, That, about
the 12th Day of May last, one Mr. John Browne, of
Ilchester in the County aforesaid; came to the House of
this Examinant, in Ilchester aforesaid; and the Casement
of the Window being open, looked into the Room where
this Examinant was at Work with one Wm. Marters;
and one James Portnill, of the said Town, coming then
into the Room, where this Examinant was at Work, there
was a Discourse between the said Browne and Portnyll,
concerning the Ministers, the Army, and Parliament: And
there being some Speeches concerning the Parliament's
Proposals about Kingship, the said Browne said, "That
the Protector was a wiser Man than to be gulled or guided
by Rogues, Knaves, and Fools:" But whether the said
Browne spake the said Words relating to the Parliament,
or Army, or Ministers, he cannot tell. And the said
Browne speaking of Sir Thomas Wroth, said, "He was
pulled or thrown out of the Parliament." And saith, That
the said Browne then spake Words concerning the Lord
Chief-Justice Glyn, Colonel . . . Jephson; but, being
then at his Work, he (this Examinant) did not take any
particular Notice of the Words.
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Robert Hunt.
John Carye. |
Valentine Dawe. |
The Examination of Wm. Masters, of Ilchester in the said
County; taken at Compton-Pancefoot this 30th of May,
before Robert Hunt Esquire, one of the Justices assigned to keep the Peace of the County aforesaid.
THIS Examinant, upon his Oath, saith, That, being
at the House of Valentine Dawe, in Ilchester aforesaid, on
Tuesday the 12th of May instant, there then happened a
Discourse between John Browne of Ilchester, and James
Portnill of the same Place, concerning the Proposition of
the Parliament to the Lord Protector, in relation to Kingship; the said Browne then told Pertnill, "That the Lord
Protector was wiser than to be ruled by a Company of
Knaves and Fools;" And said, "That they were a Den
of Rogues and Thieves:" And then used very reproachful
Words concerning the Lord Chief-Justice Glyn, Sir
Thomas Wroth, and Colonel Jephson: And used these
Words also, "Such Fellows as Glyn, Wroth, and Jephson,
they would have a King; but my Lord Protector will not
be ruled by Knaves and Fools:" And repeated these or
the like Words often: Whereupon this Examiannt said,
Mr. Browne, these are high Words that you have spoken:
I would not speak them for all that I am worth:" And,
the next Morning, this Examinant heard the said Browne
use the same Words again; and said to this Examinant,
"Will. do you go tell them of it:" And the said Browne
said, "That Sir Thomas Wroth had been kicked out of
the Parliament home once already;" and, "That Colonel
Jephson had run about the Country with a Company of
Rogues at his Arse."
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Robert Hunt. |
The Mark of William + Masters. |
Resolved, That John Browne, of Ilchester, be sent for
as a Delinquent.
Assessment for Scotland.
Resolved, That a Bill for an Assessment for Three
Years, for Scotland, be brought in: And that Sir James
Mackdowell, the Earl of Twedale, and Mr. Smyth, do
bring in the same.
Assessment for Ireland.
Resolved, That a Bill be brought in for the Three
Years Assessment for Ireland: And that Major Aston,
and Major Morgan, do bring in the same:
Assessment.
A Bill for an Assessment for Three Years, to commence
from the 24th Day of June 1657, * * * * was this
Day read the Second Time.
Resolved, That the first Debate shall be touching the
Proportioning of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in this
Assessment.
The Question being put, That the Rate for Ireland, in
the Monthly Assessments for Three Years, shall be Ten
thousand Pounds by the Month;
The House was divided.
The Yeas went forth.
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Mr. Barrington, |
Tellers for the Yeas: |
71. |
| Mr. Harvey, |
With the Yeas, |
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Colonel Cooper, |
Tellers for the Noes: |
51. |
| Colonel Zanchye, |
With the Noes, |
So it was Resolved, That the Rate for Ireland, in the
Monthly Assessment for Three Years, shall be Ten
thousand Pounds by the Month.
Ordered, That this Debate be adjourned till Two of the
Clock.
Wednesday, 10th of June, 1657. Afternoon.
Assessment.
RESOLVED, That the Rate for Scotland, in the
Monthly Assessment for Three Years, shall be Six
thousand Pounds by the Month.
Resolved, That the Rate for England, in the Monthly
Assessment for Three Years, shall be Four-and-thirty
thousand Pounds by the Month.
The Question being put, That the Rates and Proportions of the Monthly Assessments shall stand and continue
in this Bill, as formerly they were;
The House was divided.
The Yeas went forth.
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Lord Lambert, |
Tellers for the Yeas: |
48. |
| Major-Gen. Lilburne, |
With the Yeas, |
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Sir Richard Lucy, |
Tellers for the Noes: |
61. |
| Mr. Puller, |
With the Noes, |
So it passed with the Negative.
Resolved, That the Debate upon this Bill shall be
adjourned till Friday Morning, Eight of Clock.