THE JOURNAL OF THE House of COMMONS.
An Exact, large and very perfect Journal of the Passages of the
House of Commons in the Parliament holden at Westminster, Anno
28 Reginæ Eliz. Anno Domini 1586. which began there on Saturday the 29th Day of October (after two several Prorogations
thereof) and there continued until it was at length Dissolved on
Thursday the 23th Day of March, Anno 29 Reginæ ejusdem.
The passages of this Journal of the
House of Commons are fully replenished with excellent and rare matter both in respect of the business of
Mary Queen of Scots handled in
the first meeting, and of the publick dangers
threatned against her Majesties person and Realms
discussed in the second meeting of this Parliament; in which also there wanted not the passing of divers good and wholesome Laws, and
the discussing of many emergent disputes touching the private affairs of the said House: all
which are in themselves very useful and worthy
of observation.
Although the Parliament had been summoned
to have begun upon Saturday the 15th day of
October in Anno 28 Reginæ Eliz. yet it held not,
but was on the said day further Prorogued unto
Thursday the 27th day of the same Month, upon
which said day it was lastly Prorogued unto
Saturday the 29th day of the same next ensuing.
On which said 29th day of October the Parliament held accordingly, although her Majesty came not in person, but appointed by her
Letters Patents under the Great Seal, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Burleigh Lord
Treasurer, and the Earl of Darby Lord Steward,
or any two of them, her Delegates or Commissioners in her Majesties name and stead to begin
this said Parliament, and the same further to
hold, continue, Adjourn or Prorogue as to them
should seem sitting and needful.
The Lords therefore being set, the Knights,
Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons had notice thereof, and thereupon repaired unto the Upper House, and as many as could
conveniently being let in, Sir Thomas Bromley
Knight Lord Chancellor shewed that the Queens
Majesty was with-held by some very great and
important occasions, so that she could not be
there personally present at this time, but yet had
appointed some other Honourable personages
there present to supply her place, and in her
name to begin the said Parliament. And then
the same Letters Patents were read. After which
the foresaid three Commissioners leaving their
places went to a Seat prepared for them on the
right side of the Chair of State, who being so
placed the Lord Chancellor did Lastly declare,
that the meer cause for which this Parliament
had been so suddenly called at this time, was
upon the discoveries of the late most great and
horrible Treasons plotted for the taking away of
her Majesties Life, and the subversion of true Religion, and that one great offender therein did
yet remain, touching whose punishment her Majesty did crave their faithful advice; and therefore wished those of the House of Commons
to make present choice of some one amongst
them to be their Speaker, and to present him
unto the Lords Lieutenants or Lords Commissioners as soon as conveniently they might.
Whereupon the Knights, Citizens, Barons and
Burgesses of the House of Commons repairing
to their said House did there elect and chuse John
Puckering Serjeant at Law their Prolocutor (who
had been Speaker also the last Parliament.)
Nota, That there is not any one word of all
this before set down in the Original JournalBook of the House of Commons de annis istis
28° & 29° Reginæ Eliz. which is very defective
not only here but in some other places thereof:
but that which is before set down is for the most
part gathered out of the Original Journal-Book
of the Upper House, and only perfected in some
places in matter of form, and yet the Titles of
the aforesaid three daies are set down in three
blank Pages.
On Monday the 31th day of October her Majesties Person was again represented by those
aforesaid three Lords Commissioners constituted
by her Majesties Letters Patents on Saturday the
29th day of this instant October foregoing.
These being set in the Upper House with divers other Lords in their Parliamentary Robes,
the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses of the House
of Commons had notice thereof and repaired
thither with John Puckering Serjeant at Law their
Speaker, who was according to the usual course
presented unto the said Lords Commissioners,
and by them admitted; who answered to these
his three Petitions of course made in the name of
the House of Commons for liberty of Access,
for freedom of Speech, and freedom from Arrests and Suits, and lastly for Pardon for himself, that the said House of Commons and himself should enjoy and use all such priviledges and
freedoms as had in the like case been enjoyed by
any others in the times of her Majesties most
noble Progenitors. Whereupon the said Knights,
Citizens and Burgesses with their Speaker departed to their own House.
Nota, That there is not any word of all this
presentment of the Speaker in the Original Journal-Book of the House of Commons, but only
the very Title of the day is thus set down in a
blank Page thereof Lunæ xxxj. Octobris 1586.
and the whole matter ensuing by the great negligence of Mr Fulk Onslow at this time Clerk of
the House of Commons is wholly omitted, which
also happened in the setting down of the three
foregoing days of this Journal, upon the two
first of which the Parliament had been further
Prorogued, and upon the third received its
beginning: in all which the Titles only of
the days are set down in the upper part of
three several blank Pages (as is beforesaid) with
intention doutless at first to have inserted the
passages of each day; and therefore it is the
more strange that it was never perfected, and
argueth the greater neglect, because the said Mr
Onslow did live many years in the place of Clerk
of the House of Commons after the Dissolution
of this Parliament, by which means, if these
foregoing day had not been supplied out of the
Original Journal-Book of the Upper House,
this other Journal of the House of Commons had
remained very imperfect and unuseful.
And yet at the end of the aforesaid blank Page
or bottom thereof, in which the Title of this
present Monday the 31th day of October is inserted, there followeth the reading of one Bill,
which is usually done after the Knights, Citizens
and Burgesses of the House of Commons do return from the Upper House with their Speaker
newly admitted upon their presentment of him;
which said Bill read at this time upon their return
is entred in manner and form following, viz.
The Bill touching Inrollments the first reading.