HoB_Extending the Medieval Tradition

Title An exact collection of all remonstrances, declarations, votes, orders, ordinances, proclamations, petitions, messages, answers, and other remarkable passages between the Kings most excellent Majesty, and his high court of Parliament beginning at ...

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Brief description This book is a relatively well-preserved example of an early English book published in the 1640s. The book title is printed within an ornamental border. There are a few pages with marks. The entire book seems rather worn, which is not surprising due to its age. The leaves have yellowed over time and have become very brittle. Mould spots are often visible while reading. Some liquid stains are apparent, and the edges of many leaves are damaged. This book provides a collection of valuable documents that record the activities of the English Parliament and King Charles I, and dialogues between King Charles I and the two Houses of the English Parliament from December 1641 to March 1643. Readers learn about the “Long Parliament”, laws in force during that period of time, conflicts and compromises between King Charles I and the Parliament, King Charles I’s failure in ruling England, and the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642. This book was printed and published during an unstable time period in which control by the king over the press and publishing was on the brink of collapse. In 1637 The Star Chamber issued a decree concerning printing. In the first half of the 17th century, the king was still investing in ongoing efforts to strengthen his authority. He continued to use the Royal Charter System to maintain control over the publishing industry in England. The censorship was so harsh that any publication with the potential to displease the King was prohibited. Free expression of ideas was curbed. However, during 1641-1642 the tension between the king and Parliament, and the weakened authority of the king gave the publishing world a little more leeway. A number of pamphlets, newsletters, and books were published, legally or illegally. On one hand, the Stationer’s Company hoped to benefit from the king’s control of the publishing field in order to protect its interests. But on the other hand, sometimes its intentions did not align well with the king’s. Also there were many internal conflicts within the Stationer’s Company. At the same time, the Protestant Reformation led to the creation of many different religious denominations and the desire for freedom of press. Works in favor of different religious opinions made the kingship more unstable. In this book readers feel the unrest of the era and the tension of the impending English Civil War. King Charles I was actually quite reluctant to summon the Parliament. He needed the Parliament only in order to help him raise money for military repression of the Irish riots. However, the Parliament, especially the House of Commons in which there were many bourgeois representatives, strove to limit the king’s authority. These members of Parliament included the famous leader, Oliver Cromwell, who led the Parliament to win the English Civil War. In November 1641 the Parliament approved the “Grand Remonstrance”. King Charles I was finally compelled to respond to it in December. and his response can be seen in this book. In January 1642, King Charles I took hundreds of soldiers with him to break into the House of Commons, seeking the arrest of “five members” who intended to impeach the Queen. However King Charles I failed. This book records the King’s speech, named “His Majesties Speech in the House of Commons”. Public opposition frightened King Charles I and as a result he fled London and retreated to Hampton Court. Some Royalist members also quit the Parliament. Later King Charles I assembled troops in Nottingham to crusade against the Parliament, which was followed by the outbreak of the English Civil War. By reading this book readers learn about British history during the time of King Charles I’s dominion, including his contentious relationship with the Parliament, and the beginnings of the English Civil War. So this book is of high historical value. In addition, as a publication printed in England in the early 17th century, this book is also of high value for preservation.

Physical description This book has existed for hundreds of years. - In some places in the book, including the table of contents, the months and years appear to be mislabeled. For example, the period of Jan.1642- Mar.1643 is divided into Jan.-Mar. 1641, April-Dec. 1642, and Jan.-Mar. 1642. - There are errors in pagination: pages 62-63, 225-226, and 731-732 are omitted; pages 763-772 are repeated. - This book uses typeface different from what we currently use. For example, the letter “s” was typed as “∫” if it was not the last letter of the word. - In some cases the articles are printed in “majuscules”, maybe to show a kind of solemnity and formality. The page numbers are placed in the middle of the top of the page margins. The first letter of the first word in each article is capitalized, oversized, black and bold, dropping into the third row. In a few cases, the initial has a very beautiful an elegant background pattern design. - Usually after the King’s proclamation there is information on the place and date of the distribution, followed by “God ∫ave the King”. - In many cases, at the end of the article there is the word “FINIS”, which means “The End”. - At the bottom right corner of each page, under the last word, the first word which appears on the following page is printed. - There are some mistakes in page numbering. For example, page numbers 440 and 441 are mistakenly printed as page numbers 400 and 401. - On the title page there is a steel impression mark from the “Library, College of New Jersey”. - Most pages have letters with or without numbers such as 2 or 3 in the middle of the bottom margin. It looks like it is a kind of numbering, however, I don’t know the exact usage.

Content description As the title so clearly tells us, this book is “an exact collection all remonstrances, declarations, votes, orders, ordinances, proclamations, petitions, messages, answers, and other remarkable passages between the King’s most excellent Majesty, and his high court of Parliament beginning at his Majesties return from Scotland, being in December 1641, and continued until March the 21, 1643. Which were formerly published either by the Kings Majesties command or by order from one or both houses of Parliament. With a table wherein is most exactly digested all the fore-mentioned things according to their severall dates and dependencies.” The first document is “His Majesties Speech, to both Houses of Parliament, Decemb. 2, 1641”. And after the article said that the speech was “given at His Majesties Palace of Whitehall, the tenth day of December, in the seventeenth yeer of his Majesties Reign.” It is an important book which records communications and documents exchanged between the King Charles I and the British Parliament. There is a reflection of the increasing power of the British Parliament, which challenged the supremacy of the Crown. This book records the conflicts and concessions between the royalty and the Parliament after the Grand Remonstrance that happened in November 1641. It provides written evidence for historical and other relevant research, as well as contextual information for the coming English Civil War. It is a valuable primary source document for historical research and academic study in fields such as investigation into social and political tensions that lead to revolution, English history, and politics. It was read by members of the royal family, members in both Houses of Parliament, lords in the noble class, high-level Church officials, and other politically-involved people who were both literate and influential. This work was used to document work accomplished in the service of the British Majesties and the British Parliament; it also served as a useful record when users needed information about the activities of Parliament, royal proclamations, policies enacted, political development, parliamentary history, and other related matters in England during the 17th century. As a precious document from the 17th century, this book is very helpful in learning about rare early printed materials, studying the history of Western printing and publishing, and investigating the changing nature of political censorship. The King required the centralization of his monarch power, while the British Parliament required the strengthening of the voice of Parliament’s in the nation. This book shows the historical and social context of the England Civil War and describes the rise of the bourgeois.This book provided people with good materials to study England in fields such as history, revolution, international relationship, change of political systems, and so on. Other significant writings include: An ordinance from His Maiesty, and both houses of Parliament, for the ordering of the militia of the kingdome of England, and dominion of Wales. Also for setting the same in a posture of war, 10 Feb. 1642. With the answer of the House of commons, to the Kings Majesties last message, the seventh of Feb. 1641. in defence of the speech lately spoken by Mr. Pym. (Available at Houghton Library at Harvard University, the library at the University of Minnesota, the New York Public Library, and the Harvard Law School Library.) The argvments of Sir Richard Hutton knight, one of the judges of the Common Pleas, and Sir George Croke knight, one of the judges of the Kings Bench: together with the certificate of Sir John Denham knight, one of the barons of the Exchequer: upon a scire facias brought by the Kings Majesty, in the Court of Exchequer, against John Hampden esquire : as also the severall votes of the Commons and Peeres in Parliament, and the orders of the Lords for the vacating of the judgement given against the said Mr. Hampden, and the vacating of the severall rolls in each severall court, wherein the judges extrajudiciall opinions in the cases made touching ship-money, are entred. (Held in the Clark Library Rare Book Stacks at UCLA.) A perfect journall of the daily proceedings and transactions in that memorable Parliament: begun at Westminster, the third day of November, 1640. The J. volume. (Available from the UC Berkeley Libraries.) The King of France, his message to the Queene of England: presented to Her Majesty by Colonell Goring, at the Hague in Holland, in answer to her letter sent to the French King at Paris by the foresaid Colonell Goring: wherein is declared what forces are raising in Flanders, Artoys, Normandy, and S. Mallo, for the assistance of the malignant party against the Parliament in England (Available from the UC Riverside Libraries.) The Long Parliament as it acted in the yeare 1641, 1642, & 1643: being an exact account of all remarkable passages that was between the king’s most excellent majesty and the two houses of parliament...: also, the several rotes, resolves, &c. of the two houses: with such petitions as were presented to them either from the City of London or other counties in the kingdome. (Located in the Saint Mary’s University Patrick Power Library.) Some important events in the historical contextual background: - The Reformation; - Charles the First’s repeated dissolution and convocation of the British Parliament; - In 1628, the Parliament submitted the famous “Petition of Right”; - From 1629 to the summer of 1640 Parliament did not meet; - “The Long Parliament” lasted from November 1640 until April 1653; - In November 1641, Parliament presented “the Grand Remonstrance” to Charles the First; - The first English Civil War happened between 1642 to 1645; - The diminished royal power and the English Civil Wars dislodged the monopoly of the book trade and publication in England, and the centralized control of printing and publishing became weaker.

Contributor: Muyan Xia

Contribution date: Winter 2014