newly chosen, had not taken the oaths of alleageance, supremeacy,
and the oath for the City before the Aldermen of each respective
Ward as was usuall, then was there produced a written paper,
in the form of an order of Parliament, giving dispensation, for
these men to sic & act protempore without taking the said oaths &c.
but for that is was not signed under the clerks hand, it was conceived
not to be sufficiently Authentick as to all purposes. Yetne-vertheleffe
they joyned in councells with the Lord Mayor and Aldermen
as a Court of advice (but not as a Common-councell) expecting
the confirmation of the order of the house about the formality
of their fitting, and Alderman Bunch is gone beyond
Sea.
The house of Lords looked upon the Ordinance for bringing the
King to tryall, as a matter of very great consequence, and might
require sometime to search presidents, which that they might do
without interruption, they adjourned their house untill tomorrow
sevennight.
The Commons hearing this, and being sully satisfied on themselves
resolved to proceed without the Lords, and with some alterations
past the whole buisinesse as to the point of tryall, The place
where, time when, and proofs, are next to be insisted on
Thersday.
The Generall councell of the Army gave reasons to the commons
concerning their securing, and secluding of the Members of
Parliament (which Mr, Pryx sayth are above 200 in number) and
for your better satisfaction for so much as I shall make use of in
this kind, I shall give you in the Officer; own words, vizt.
First, for those Members who are yet detained in custody, they
are either such who have beene formerly impeached, and (in part),
judged by the house for treason, or other high crimes, and never acquitted;
and against whom we can and very shortly shall produce
new matter of no lesse crime: or else such who have appealed most
active and united in Councells with them, against whom also we
are preparing, and shall shortly give matters of particular impeachment.
Secondly, For those others who have beene withheld by the Guard
from comming into the house, as nothing but such necessity, as a,