His Majesties DECLARATION To all His Loving Subjects, June the Second, 1680.
LONDON, Printed by John Bill, Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1680.
WE cannot but take notice of the great Industry and Malice wherewith some Men of a Seditious and Restless Spirit, do spread abroad a most false and scandalous Report of a Marriage or Contract of Marriage supposed to be had and made between Us and one Mrs Walters, alias Barlow, now deceased, Mother of the present Duke of Monmouth, aiming thereby to fill the minds of Our Loving Subjects with Doubts and Fears, and if possible, to divide them into Parties and Factions, and as much as in them lies, to bring into Question the clear undoubted Right of Our True and Lawful Heirs and Successors to the Crown. We have therefore thought Our Self obliged to let Our Loving Subjects see what steps We (out of Our Care of them and their Posterity) have already made, in order to obviate the ill Consequences that so dangerous and malicious a Report may have in future times upon the Peace of Our Kingdoms.
In January last was Twelvemonth, We made a Declaration written with Our own Hand in these Words following;
THere being a false and malicious Report industriously spread abroad by some, who are neither Friends to [Page 4]Me or the Duke of Monmouth, as if I should have been either Contracted or Married to his Mother; and though I am most confident that this idle Story cannot have any effect in this Age, yet I thought it My Duty in relation to the true Succession of this Crown, and that future Ages may not have any pretence to give Disturbance upon that score, or any other of this nature, to Declare, as I do here Declare in the presence of Almighty God, That I never was Married, nor gave any Contract to any Woman whatsoever, but to My Wife Queen Catherine, to whom I am now Married.
And this Declaration I make in the presence of
- W. Cant.
- H. Finch. C.
- H. Coventry.
- J. Williamson.
TO strengthen which Declaration, We did in March following, (which was March last was Twelve-month) make a more publick Declaration in Our Privy Council, written likewise with Our own Hand; and having caused a true Transcript thereof to be Entred in Our Council Books, We Signed it, and caused the Lords of Our Privy Council then attending us in Council, to subscribe the same likewise, and We Ordered the Original to be kept in the Council Chest, where it now remains. The Entry whereof in the Council Book, is in these words following;
Present • The Kings most Excellent Majesty , • Lord Chancellor , • Lord Treasurer , • Duke of Lauderdale , • Marquess of Worcester , • Earl of Ossory , • Lord Chamberlain , • Earl of Sunderland , • Earl of Clarendon , • Earl of Essex , • Earl of Bathe , • Earl of Craven , • Earl of Aylesbury , • Lord Bishop of London , • Lord Bishop of Durham , • Lord Maynard , and • Mr. Vice-Chamberlain.
HIs Majesty was this day pleased to Command, That the Declaration hereafter following be entred in the Council Book, It being all Written and Signed by His Majesties own Hand, in a Paper which His Majesty this day delivered at the Boord, to be kept in the Council Chest. Viz.
FOr the avoiding of any Dispute which may happen in time to come, concerning the Succession of the Crown, I do here Declare in the presence of Almighty God, That I never gave nor made any Contract of Marriage, nor was Married to any Woman whatsoever, but to My present Wife Queen Catherine now living.
His Majesty Commanded us who were present at the Making and Signing this Declaration, to Attest the same,
- Finch C.
- Danby
- Lauderdale
- Worcester
- Ossory
- Arlington
- Sunderland
- Clarendon
- Essex
- Bathe
- Craven
- Aylesbury
- H. London
- N. Durham
- W. Maynard
- G. Carteret.
IN April last We found the same Rumour not onely revived again, but also improved with New Additions, To wit, It was given out, That there was a Writing yet extant, and lately produced before several Persons, whereby the said Marriage, or a Contract at least (for the Report was various) would appear, and that there are several Lords and others yet living, who were pretended to have been present at the said Marriage. We knew full well that it was impossible that any thing of this should be true, (there being nothing more groundless and false then that there was any such Marriage or Contract between Us and the said Mrs Walters, alias Barlow) yet We proceeded to call before Us, and caused to be Interrogated in Council, such Lords and other Persons, as the common Rumour did surmise to have been present at the pretended Marriage, or to know something of it, or of the said Writing. And though it appeared to all Our Council, upon the hearing of the said Lords and other Persons severally Interrogated, and upon their denying to have been present at any such Marriage, or to know any thing of it, or [Page 8]of any such Writing, That the raising and spreading of such a Report, so incoherent in the several parts of it, was the effect of deep Malice in some few, and of loose and idle Discourse in others; Yet We think it requisite at this time, to make Our Declarations above recited more publick; and to Order the same (as We do hereby with the Advice of Our Privy Council) to be forthwith Printed and Published. And We do again upon this Occasion call Almighty God to Witness, and Declare upon the Faith of a Christian, and the Word of a King, that there was never any Marriage, or Contract of Marriage had or made between Us and the said Mrs Walters, alias Barlow, the Duke of Monmouths Mother, nor between Us and any Woman whatsoever, Our Royal Consort Queen Catherine, that now is, only excepted.
And We do hereby strictly require and command all Our Subjects whatsoever, that they presume not to utter or publish any thing contrary to the tenor of this Our Declaration, at their Peril, and upon pain of being proceeded against according to the utmost Severity and Rigor of the Law.
Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the second day of June, in the Two and thirteith Year of Our Reign.