Beschreibung:

CHARLES I, King of England (1625-1649)]. Two manuscripts (contemporary copies in 17th-century hands) of Remonstrances addressed to Charles I by the House of Commons concerning the Duke of Buckingham, the first ('To the King's most Excellent Majesty Most gracious Soveraigne'), n.d. [14 June 1626], 9 pages, folio , annotated in a different hand on verso of last leaf ('Address from the House of Commons to King Charles ye 1st touching the D. of Buck.'), (outer bifolium splitting in folds, a few words lost on last page, slightly browned); the second ('Most dread Soveraigne'), n.d. [17 June 1628], 22 pages, folio , including at the end a list of shipping lost over the previous 3 years, annotation in a different hand on verso of last leaf ('Address touching the D.of Buckingham tempo Ca. I'), blanks, stitched at centre folds to vellum guard (slightly browned). The two great expressions of Parliamentary anger against the 'the exorbitant power and frequent misdoinge of the saide Duke', the chief object of public hatred and mistrust: 'We found the most pressing and comprehensive mischieffes and greavance that wee suffered was foundamentally seated in the vast power and enormous ambitions of the said Duke ... his strange pluralitie of office (all gotten by ambition and some for money, expressly against the lawes of this your Realme), his breach of trust in not regarding the seas, his huge injustice in the Admiralty: his extortion, his delivery over of the shippes of this Kingdome into the hands of a forraine Prince: his procuring the compulsary buying of honors for his owne gaine and an unexampled exhaustion of the ressources and treasure of this Kingdome'(14.6.1626). 'One reason amongst many of this decay of Trade and Ships and Marriners is the not guarding of the Narrow Seas ... the town of Dunkirk so continuallie beate, robbe and spoile your subjects that we can assure your Majesty if some effectuall remedie be not forthwith provided the whole trade of this Kingdom, the shipping, Mariners, and all belonging thereunto will be utterly lost and consumed. The principal Cause of which Evills and Dangers we conceave to be the excessive power of the Duke of Buckingham and the abuse of that power' (17.6.1628). George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), perhaps the greatest royal favourite in English history, was even before the death of James I effectively the ruler of England, engaging in disastrous enterprises at enormous expense. The failed expedition to Cadiz to capture Spanish treasure-ships, the offence given to the French, the heavy losses in the expedition to relieve the Huguenots at La Rochelle, the running down of the navy, and within the country the advancement of his friends, the multiplying of offices for himself, the advancement of Catholic sympathisers, are cited in the petitions and all combined to make him the focal point of hatred and mistrust. The Remonstrance of June 1626 was never delivered. A delegation requested the King to appoint the Speaker to deliver it in the presence of the Commons but Charles instead dissolved Parliament on June 15th and ordered the destruction of all copies of it. The Remonstrance of June 1628, in which Buckingham was for the first time openly named, dwells particularly upon the 'generall feare ... of some secret working or combination to introduce into your kingdome innovation and changes of our religion, more precious to us than our lives and what ever this world cann afford'. The concluding pages protest vehemently against the loss of trade and ships. Despite Charles's unwavering protection, Buckingham was assassinated two months later, by John Felton. (2)