WHereas a Paper containing many falshoods, and tending much to the dishonour of His Majesties late proceedings in the pacifi­cation given to His Subjects of Scotland, hath been dispersed in divers parts of this Kingdome, whereupon an Act of Councell hath been made in these words ensuing:

On Sunday the fourth day of August, one thousand six hun­dred thirty and nine, His Majesty being in Councell, was pleased to acquaint the Lords with a Paper which he had seen at Barwick, entituled, Some conditions of His Majesties treaty with His Subjects of Scotland are set down here for remembrance. Which Paper being in most parts full of falshood, dishonour, and scandall to His Majesties proceedings in the late pacification given, of His Princely grace and good­nesse to His Subjects of Scotland, hath been very frequently spread here in England, and ad­vowed by some in Scotland to have been approved and allowed as truth, by some of those Lords of England who attended His Majesty, and were present at the Pacification in the Camp: Whereupon the Paper having been read, and His Majesty commanding those Eng­lish Lords to declare their knowledge therein, the Earle Marshall first begun to put His Majesty in remembrance that some few dayes after the Pacification was concluded, some of the Scottish Lords coming to the Lord Chamberlains Tent, sent to speak with him and the Earle of Holland, and offered them a certain Paper, which they pretended to have been collected for the help of their memories, and not otherwise, nor to be published: but the said English Lords very dutifully and discreetly refused to accept that or any such Paper, but referred themselves totally to the Pacification in writing; And the said Earle Marshall further declared, that now upon the reading, he for his part held the said Paper for the most part false and scandalous, and no way agreeable to what His Majestie expressed at the Pacification.

Next the Lord Chamberlain declared, that he being ready to take Horse, and a number of his friends about him taking their leave, the Lord Loudun pressed him with much im­portunity to receive a Paper, which he took, not knowing what it contained; But at night when he came to his lodging, doubting it might be some such Paper as had been formerly offered, and was refused, took it without reading it, and sealed it up, and so kept it untill he presented it to his Majestie at Whitehall; professing that till that time he had never read any [Page] [Page]one word of it, nor seen any other Copy thereof: Which Paper being that which had been di­vulged, was the very same which his Majestie commanded to be read at the Board.

The Earle of Salisbury likewise desired to justifie himself of a particular scandall laid upon him, that he had received and brought Copies of this Paper from the North, Which he decla­red, could not be, because he was come away from the Campe before that Paper had been of­fered, and that he had never seen that nor any copy thereof, before his Majesties return to Theobalds.

After this the Lord Chamberlain, the Earls of Salisbury, Holland, and Barkshire, concurred with the Earle Marshall, that the contents of that Paper were for the most part notoriously scandalous, and false, and contrary to what his Majestie clearly expressed at the Pacification.

His Majestie likewise declared, that before his coming from Barwick, he shewed a Copy of this scandalous Paper to the Earle of Lynsey, the Earle of Holland, Master Treasurer, and Master Secretary Coke, who fully concurred in the aforesaid opinion with the other Lords: All which Lords, and particularly the Earle of Holland, advowed the falsnesse thereof to the faces of those Scottish Lords, who were beleeved to be the divulgers of it, the Lords of the Councell of Scotland being there likewise present.

All which considered, the whole Board unanimously became humble petitioners to his Majestie, that this false and scandalous Paper might be publikely burnt by the Hangman; and that his Majesties pleasure might be published by Proclamation, that no person or per­sons hereafter, of what degree or condition soever, presume to keep any Copy thereof, but that within ten dayes after the said Proclamation published, every such person and persons shal deliver to the next Iustice of Peace adjoyning to his or their dwelling, all and every Copy and Copies thereof, the same to be by the said Iustice of peace immediately sent or brought to one of his Majesties principall Secretaries, upon perill of incurring the uttermost of such punishments and penalties as by the Laws of this Realme are to be inflicted upon those that keep such scandalous and seditious Papers. All which was accordingly ordered and com­manded to be entred into the Councell-Book, as an Act of State.

His Majestie therefore by the advice of his Privy Councell, doth hereby publish the said Act of State unto all his loving Subjects, to the end that being forewarned they may avoid the dangers which may ensue by the retaining or concealing any Copy or Transcript of the said Paper. Hereby requiring and straightly charging and commanding all and all manner of persons whomsoever, that they presume not to keep any Copie of the same Paper, but that within ten dayes after the publishing of this Proclamation they do deliver all and every Co­pie and Copies thereof, or of any part of the matter or writing therein contained, unto such persons, and according as in the said Act of State is directed; and fully observe the whole Contents of the said Act according to the tenour thereof, upon such pains and penalties as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme may be inflicted upon them for such their con­tempts and misdemeanours: His Majestie hereby pardoning and remitting unto such per­sons as have formerly had any Copie of the said Paper in their custody, and shall deliver the same according to the direction of this Proclamation, all their offences for their former de­taining thereof.

Given at His Majesties Palace of Westminster the eleventh day of August, 1639. and in the fifteenth yeer of His Majesties Reign.