Commonwealth of England
Volume of acts issued under the Second Protectorate Parliament
£2,142
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 8 February 2023 at 10:00 GMT
Description
London: Henry Hills and John Field, 1657. 28 works in 1 volume, folio, modern calf, each work with woodcut coat of arms of the Commonwealth to title-page, text variously in black or roman letter, evenly browned, occasional tide-marks in fore margins, continuation pagination added in a contemporary in brown ink, contents comprising (ESTC numbers in square brackets):
1) The Humble Petition and Advice, presented unto His Highness the Lord Protector, by the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses assembled at the Parliament begun and held at Westminster the 17th Day of September 1656. [R213592];
2) An Act for the Security of His Highnes the Lord Protector his Person, and Continuance of the Nation in Peace and Safety. [R236728];
3) An Act for the Exportation of Several Commodities of the Breed, Growth and Manufacture of this Commonwealth. [R231507: 7 UK copies];
4) An Act for Renouncing and Disanulling the Pretended Title of Charls Stuart, etc. Retaining final blank B2. [R29990];
5) An Act for the Taking Away the Court of Wards and Liveries. [R29993];
6) An Act and Declaration touching several Acts and Ordinances made since the Twentieth of April 1653. Retaining final blank F2 [R231502: 9 copies world-wide];
7) Instructions agreed upon in Parliament, for Commissioners, for Surveying the Forest of Sherwood ... Needwood ... Kingswood ... Ashdown, or Lancaster Great Park; and Endfield Chase. [R176116: 9 copies world-wide];
8) An Act for the Better Observation of the Lords-Day. [R211032];
9) An Act for Discovering, Convicting and Repressing of Popish Recusants. [R504607: 4 copies world-wide];
10) An Act for the Preventing of the Multiplicity of Buildings in and about the Suburbs of London, and within Ten Miles thereof. Retaining final blank G2 [R176090: 9 UK copies];
11) An Additional Act for the Better Improvement and Advancing the Receipts of the Excise and New-Impost. [R206320];
12) An Act for Continuing and Establishing the Subiside of Tunnage and Poundage, and for Reviving an Act for the Better Packing of Butter, and Redress of Abuses therein. Retaining final blank E2 [R21719];
13) An Act for the Improvement of the Revenue of the Customs and Excize [caption-title]. 4 pp. [R13781];
14) An Act for Limiting and Setling the Prices for Wines. [2] 2 pp. [R504608: 4 copies world-wide];
15) An Act giving Licence for Transporting Fish in Foreign Bottoms. 3 pp. [R176093: 8 UK copies];
16) An Act for an Assessment at the Rate of Five and Thirty Thousand Pounds by the Moneth upon England [...] for a Temporary Supply towards the Maintenance of the Armies and Navies of this Commonwealth. Retaining final blank H2 [R211052: 11 copies world-wide];
17) An Act for an Assessment upon England, at the Rate of Sixty Thousand Pounds by the Moneth, for Three Moneths. [R228084: 11 copies world-wide];
18) An Act for the Three Moneths Assessment in Ireland, for the Maintenance of the Spanish War [caption-title]. Pp. 73 [i.e. 75]-77 [R228104: 14 copies world-wide];
19) An Act for Raising of Fifteen Thousand Pounds Sterling in Scotland. [R210619: 8 copies world-wide];
20) An Act for Indempnifying of such Persons as have acted for the Service of the Publique. [R27220];
21) An Act for the Better Suppressing of Theft upon the Borders and Upon the Borders of England and Scotland, and for Discovery of High-way Men and Other Felons. [R30671];
22) An Act for Punishing of such Persons as live as High Rates, and have no Visible Estate, Profession or Calling Answerable thereunto [caption-title]. 4 pp. [R236034: 10 copies world-wide];
23) An Act for Quiet Enjoying of Sequestred Parsonages and Vicaridges by the Present Incumbent [caption-title]. 4 pp. [R479541: 4 copies world-wide];
24) An Act for the Taking Away of Purveyance, and Compositions for Purveyance. [2] 2 pp. [R211048];
25) An Act against Vagrants, and Wandring, Idle, Dissolute Persons [caption-title]. 3 pp. [R478218: 6 copies world-wide]
26) An Act for the Confirming and Setling of Lands and Estates in Ireland. [R35547];
27) An Act for the Attainder of the Rebels in Ireland. Retaining final blank G2, marginal worming and damp-staining. [R211309];
28) An Act for the Adjournment of this Present Parliament. [R36648]
Footnote
Note: The Second Protectorate Parliament met on 17th September 1656 with the urgent business of raising money for an expensive war against Spain. In the eighteen months up to that point, 'Cromwell was preoccupied with two matters above all. One—in the wake of the series of abortive royalist risings in late February and early March—was national security, and the introduction of the major-generals; the other was foreign policy. This was the period during which Cromwell was most active in the council. He took a close personal interest both in the efforts of the major-generals to encourage "a reformation of manners" and in persuading a sceptical council to back the amphibious expedition against the Spanish West Indies' (ODNB).
Provenance: The Millmore English Civil War Collection.