Proclamations, and proceedings in parliament', 1603-10. English, seventeenth century

This is neither a complete collection of proclamations, nor a full record of proceedings in the early parliaments of James I's reign. It includes transcripts of several Acts of parliament (eg, pp. 545, 581) and extracts from other works, e.g. Coke's Reports (inter alia pp. 653, 657, 673, 777, 785, 789, 797). Sources are usually supplied in marginal notes, particularly later in the volume. The first item (p. 7) is a widely circulated account of Elizabeth's decline and death (Mark Nicholls, Investigating Gunpowder Plot (Manchester, 1991), pp. 112-13). The proclamation of James I (p. 13) is printed in Strype, i, 1. Proclamations all in Larkin and Hughes, Stuart Royal proclamations. In general, these are unadorned transcripts from the proclamations, acts, journals of both Houses and other identified sources, but occasionally a personal note intrudes. Thus in the middle of the King's speech to parliament on 9 Nov. 1605, after the Gunpowder plot, there appears (p. 446) 'The Journall booke hath noe more of the kings speech, the residue whereof as alsoe some other proceedings of the house seemeth by negligence of Sir Thomas Smith then Clerk of the Parliament to have been omitted for noe further entrance is there of the said speech etc'. This passage is cancelled, and the speech continues.