"After our verie heartie comendacions according to his majesty's pleasure signified to this Board by your letter of the 12th of August, touching the suppressing of a scandalous comedie acted by the king's players, wee have called before us some of the principall Actors and demaunded of them by what lycence and authoritie they have presumed to act the same, in answer whereunto they produced a booke being an orriginall and perfect coppie thereof (as they affirmed) seene and allowed by Sir Henry Herbert, Knight, Master of the Revells, under his owne hand and subscribed in the last page of the said booke. We demaunding further whether there were no other partes or passages represented on the stage, then those expressely contained in the booke, they confidentlie protested they added or varied from the same nothing at all. The Poett they tell us is one Midleton, who shifting out of the way and not attending the Board with the rest as was expected, wee have given warrant to a messinger for the apprehending of him. To those that were before us, we gave a round and sharpe reprooffe, making them sensible of his Majesty's high displeasure herein, giving them strict charge and commaund that they presume not to act the said commedie any more, nor that they suffer any other play or enterlude whatsoever to be acted by them or any of their company untill his Majesty's pleasure be further knowne. Wee have caused them likewise to enter into bond for their attendance upon the Board whensoever they shalbe called; as for our certifieing to his Majestie (as was intimated by your letter) what passages in the said comedie we should finde to be offensive and scandalous, wee have thought it our duties for his Majesty's clearer informacion to send herewithall the booke it self, subscribed as aforesaid by the Master of the Revells, that so either your self or some other whom his Majestie shall appoint to peruse the same, may see the passages themselves out of the orriginall, and call Sir Henry Herbert before you to know a reason of his lycenceing thereof, who (as we are given to understand) is now attending at court. So having done as much as we conceived agreable with our duties in conformitie to his Majestie's royall commaundementes and that which we hope shall give him full satisfaction, we shall continue our humble praiers to Almightie God for his health and safetie, and bid yow verie heartilie farewell. From Whitehall the 21st of August, 1624.
Your assured verie loving freindes,
G. Cant.
Th. Grandisone.
Arundell and Surrey.
Arthure Chichester.
Geo. Calvert."[39]
53.
Appello Cæsarem. A just Appeale from two unjust Informers. By Richard Mountagu. London. 1625.
For writing this book, Mr. Richard Mountagu, Canon of Windsor, Fellow of Eton, Rector of Stamford Rivers, and Chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty was brought to the bar of the House of Commons on July 7th, 1625, and articles were exhibited against him, but proceedings were dropped.[40] On January 17th, 1628, the book was called in and suppressed by a proclamation of which the following is a copy:—
A proclamation for the suppressing of a booke intituled Appello Cæsarem, or An Appeale to Cæsar.
"Whereas Wee out of our care to conserve and maintaine the church committed to our charge in the unity of true religion and the bond of peace, and not to suffer unnecessary disputes, which may trouble the quiet both of Church and State, have lately caused the Articles of Religion to bee reprinted, as a rule for avoyding of diversities of opinion, and for the establishing of consent in true religion; we, continuing our desire to compasse this wished effect, and considering that the booke written by Richard Montague, now Bishop of Chichester, then but Batchelor of Divinitie, intituled (Appello Cæsarem or An Appeale to Cæsar) and published in the yeere (1625), was the first cause of those disputes and differences which have sithence much troubled the quiet of the church, have thought it fitting to take away the occasion by calling in the said booke; and therfore we doe hereby will and straightly command all and singular persons whatsoever, who have or shall have any of them in their hands or custodie, that upon paine of our high displeasure and the consequence thereof, they doe deliver the same presently upon this publication to the Lord Bishop of the diocesse, or his chancellor, if it bee out of the Universities, or if it be in either of the two Universities, to the Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor there, whom wee straightly command to suppresse the same; hoping thereby, that men will no more trouble themselves with these unnecessary questions, the first occasion being taken away. But if wee shall bee deceived in this our expectation, and that by reading, preaching, or making bookes, either pro or contra, concerning these differences, men begin anew to dispute, wee shall take such order with them and those bookes, that they shall wish they had never thought upon these needlesse controversies.