31 Aug. * 4 Sept. * 6 Sept. * 11 Sept. Scob. Coll. p. 54. * 13 Sept. * 25 Sept. The solemn League and Covenant fram'd in Scotland taken by the Members at Westminster Archbishop Laud's life p. 510. * See the Remonstrance of the Army in order to the King's Trial dated at St. Albans 16 Nov. 1648. * Covenant with Narrative p. 12. * 21 Sept. Scob. Coll. p. 54. * 2 Oct. * 5 Oct. * 6 Oct. * 7 Oct. * 18 Oct. * 9 Oct. Scob. Coll. p. 57. * 18 Oct. * Articles of the Treaty at Edenborough for bringing in the Scots Army * 29 Nov. * 20 Nov. * 28 Nov. Scob. Coll. p. 59. * 13 Dec. * 25 Dec. Scob. Coll. p. 60. * 9 Jan. Scob. Coll. p. 60. * See the Letter to his Majesty from the Lord Chancelour and divers Lords of that Realm â—ated at Edenâ—â—rough 1 Julii 1643. wherein they promise not 〈◊〉 raise any â—orces without special warrant from the King * His Majesties Declaration to all his Subjects of Scotland â— Jan. 1643. The Scots second Invasion See the Supplication of the Noblemen Barrons Burgesses c. exhibited to the Marquess of Hamilton his Majesties Commissioner an 1638. Wherein by way of Explication of their National Covenant they acknowledge that the quietness and stability of their Religion and Kirk depends upon the safety of the King's Majesty as God's vice-gerent See the Supplication of the general Assembly at Edenborough 12 Aug. 1639. Whereby it appeareth that the whole Kingdom was sworn with their means and lives to stand to the defence of their dread Sovereign his person and authority in every cause which may concern his Majesties Honour with their friends and followers in quiet manner or in Arms as they shall be required by his Majesty See Act 5. of the second Parliament of King Charles concerning the ratification of the Covenant by which their universal Protestation and promise under a solemn Oath and Hand-writing upon fearful pains and execrations is apparent viz. to defend the King's person and authority with their goods bodies and lives against all Enemies within the Realm or without as they desire God to be a merciful defender to them in the day of their death and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. See the Petition presented to his Majesty Jan. 1642 manifesting the promise of the whole Clergy in their National Assembly to keep the people under their charge in obedience to his Majesty and to his Laws confessing it a duty well-beseeming the Preachers of the Gospel See the Petition of the Nobility Gentry Burroughs Ministers and Commons to the Lords of his Majesties Privy-Council of that Kingdom wherein they acknowledged his Majesties zeal for maintaining the true Religion and that to call in question the same after so many reiterated professions and asseverations could not be but an unchristian distrustfulness and in them the height of disloyalty and ingratitude confessing themselves bound in duty to God by whose great name they had sworn to defend and maintain the person greatness and authority of their dread Soveraign as God's Vicegerent to the utmost of their power with their means and lives in every cause which might concern his Honour professing themselves fully satisfied and perswaded of his Majesties royal zeal and resolution and that malice and detraction could not prevail to make the least impression in their loyal hearts of jealousy and distrust or their intending any thing to the prejudice of that Brotherly and blessed conjunction of the two Nations attesting God the searcher of all hearts of their dutiful intentions towards his Majesty their dread and native King strictly bound thereto by all the ties of Nature Christianity and Gratitude 22 Jan. 27 Jan. * Dated 30 Jan. 3 Martii 9 Martii * 22 Jan. Scob. Coll. p. 61. * 20 Febr. Scob. Coll. ut supra Anno 1643. a 26. March b 29. March c 3. April d 6. May. * 16. May. f 18. June g 22. June h 30. June i 1. July k 2. July l 5. July m 13. July n 24. July o 26. July p 2. Aug. q 5. Aug. r 10. Aug. †20. Aug. t 28. Aug. v 1. 3. Sept. x 4. Sept. y 6. Sept. z 17. Sept. a 20. Sept. b 6. Oct. c 4. Decem. d 9. Decem. * 12. Decem. f 21. Decem. g 25. Decem. h 28. Decem. i 25. Jan. k 13. Feb. l 18. Feb. m 21. Mar. n 21. Mar. o 23. March p 16. April q 26. April r 8. May. †21. May. t 5. June v 6. July x 30. July y 2. Aug. z 10. Septem a 16. Septem b 20. Octob. c 3. Jan. d 22. Jan. The Scots Invasion Anno 1644. * 26. March Scab coll p. 65. f 8. July Ibid. p. 73 g 2. July The Battle at Marston-moore h 13. July i 4. July The King's Message from Evesham k 1. Septemb. l 5. Septemb. from Tavestoke m 23. Nov. f 26. Nov. g 2. Decem. Scob. Coll. p. 75. h 9. Decem. The self-denying Ordinance The Book of Common Prayer Abolisht The Directory Establisht i 4. Jan. k 10. Jan. Arch. Bp. of Canterb. beheaded Treaty at Vxbridge l Impr. Oxon. 1645. m Ibid. p. 31. n Ibid. p. 144. 145. o 3. Apr. p 6. Apr. q 25. May r 27. May †28. May t 12 Iune u 20. June x 30. June y 3. July z 15. August * 1. Septem a 14. Sept. b 25. Octob. c 7. Novem. d 17. Nov. * 23 Febr. f 1. March g 29. March h 2. July i 23. July k 19. Octob. l 27. Octob. The second Battel of Newbery * 9. Decemb. The self-denying Ordinance m 31. Dec. n 31. Dec. o Heath's Chron. p. 68. p Ibid. 23. Decemb. q Ibid. p. 18. * cap. 8. r 1. Jan. See the King's observation thereon in his Eikâ—n Basilike cap. †10. Jan. Anno 1645. a 22. April b 31. May. c 25. March d 24. April * 22. May. f 23. May. g 26. May. h 1. June i 14. June k 18. June l 27. June m 28. June n 21. July o 23. July p 25. July q 31. July r 15. August †17. Aug. t 21. Aug. v 22. Sept. x 26. Sept. y 1. Oct. z 14. Oct. a 15. Octob. b 5. Nov. c 16. Nov. d 4. Decem. * 17. Decem. f 17. Jan. g 19. Jan. h 2. Feb. i 3. Feb. k 16. Feb. l 25. Feb. m 28. Feb. n 29. Feb. o 3. March p 14. March q 21. March p 23. Aug. Scob. Col. p. 97. Message from the King for peace q 5. Decem. r 15. Decem. †26. Decem. t 29. Decem. u 15. Jan. x 17. Jan. y 24. Jan. z 29. Jan. a 26. Feb. b 23. March c 22. Octob. Anno 1642. Anno 1646. d 7. Apr. * 8. Apr. f 13. April g 15. April h 25. April i 26. April d The King's Letter to the Marquess
but sent down the Earl of Stanford and Lord Willoughby of Parham with four of the House of Commons as a Committee to assist Sir Iohn Hotham there voting that his Majesties declaring Sir Iohn Hotham Traitor was an high breach of the Privilege of Parliament against the Liberty of the Subject and Laws of the Land And now that by their feigned Fears and Jealousies with other subtile devices they had sufficiently amused the people and possess'd themselves of the Royal Navy Forts Ports and Magazine and within a few days following set forth a Declaration signifying their purpose to put in execution their Ordinance for the Militia they answered that Message from his Majesty of the 24 th of April touching Hotham with sundry foul aspersions taxing him with hearkning to wicked Counsels which had practised to put the Kingdom into a combustion and again justifying Sir Iohn Hotham expressed their intentions to settle the Militia according to their Ordinance for suppressing the wicked and malignant Party desiring his Majesties return to be near his Parliament And as the Citizens of London out of their ambition to be a free State were the first and cheif Instruments to set forward this grand work so in this of the Militia they gave example to all other parts of the Kingdom executing the same in Finsbury-feilds with twelve thousand men in Arms ordered by Serjeant Major General Skyppon the members of both Houses being present to give countenance thereto who thereupon voted that having shew'd so much obedience to the Ordinance of Parliament concerning the Militia they had done it according to the Laws of the land and that they should have the assistance of both Houses of Parliament against any that might oppose or molest them therein CHAP. XI ABout this time therefore the King discerning no small danger to his person by reason of these hostile preparations and Actions having not any Guard but with a thin retinue residing at York and withall observing that in most parts of the Kingdom the schismatical Party under colour of putting themselves into a Posture of Defence had provided Arms as also trained and exercised themselves contrary to the Laws of the land sent his Summons to the Gentry of Yorkshire to attend him at York Where being met he shew'd them divers reasons why he conceiv'd it fit to have a Guard for his own Person desiring their assistance therein Whereupon most of them yeilding cheerful obedience he signified to them by his Letters that he should take it well if they would personally attend him in such sort followed and provided as they should think fit for his better safety But before the knowledg thereof could possibly come to them at Westminster having some private advertisement of what was intended they publish'd a Declaration in the name of both Houses of Parliament setting forth That it was against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom that any of the Subjects thereof should be commanded to attend his Majesty at his pleasure excepting such as were bound thereto by special service And that if the Trained Bands or any other his Majesties Subject should upon any pretence be drawn together in a posture of war the Sherifs of such a County ought to raise the power thereof to suppress them And having forthwith voted that the Magazine of each respective Shire in the Realm of England and dominion of Wales should be presently put into the power of such Lord-Lieutenants of those Counties as the Parliament did confide in they publish'd a Declaration scandalizing his Majesties gracious Messages Answers and Declarations taxing him with breach of his word and promises as also with continued oppressions and violation of the Laws countenancing the Rebellion in Ireland and with intent to bring up his Northern-Army to awe the Parliament And having so done voted that the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make war against his Parliament who in all their Consultations and Actions had proposed no other end unto themselves but the care of his Kingdom and the performance of all duty and loyalty to his person Next that whensoever the King maketh war upon the Parliament it is a breach of the Trust reposed in him by his people contrary to his Oath and tending to the dissolution of this Government and that whosoever should serve or assist him in such wars were Traitors by the Fundamental Laws of this Realm the very same day sending down the Knights and Burgesses of Buckinghamshire by special Order to see their Ordinance for the Militia put in execution in that County And having proceeded thus far setting also forth another large Remonstrance in justification of all their practises in which they had this bold expression that now they had brought their work to such an height and degree of success that nothing seem'd to be left in their way able to hinder the full accomplishment of their desires unless God in his justice should send a grievous curse upon them within three days following they sent a Petition to the King in the name of both Houses which was delivered to him at York Wherein they boldly reproacht him with his many fair promises and pretences and desired him to disband his Guard it being a cause of great jealousie and danger to the whole Kingdom Otherwise they told him that they should employ their care and utmost power to secure the Parliament and to preserve the peace and quiet of the Realm And shortly after publish'd a third Remonstrance justifying their former Actions farther reproaching him in every thing and challenging the Obligations of his Oath upon that ungrammatical construction of quas vulgus digerit to pass all Bills which they should tender unto him About this time also removing the Magazine form Hull to the Tower of London The King therefore discerning what preparations they had made in every respect in order to the forming of a rebellious Army did by his Royal Proclamation bearing date the xxvijth of May expresly forbid all and every of his Subjects belonging to the Trained-Bands or Militia of this Kingdom to rise march muster or exercise by vertue of any Order or Ordinance of one or both Houses of Parliament without consent or warrant from himself upon pain of punishment according to the Laws And plainly discerning through these their subtile practices what advantages they made to themselves upon the smallest pretences as also by casting Scandals upon all his Actions he summon'd the Gentlemen and Free-holders of Yorkshire to come to Heyworth-Moore upon the third of Iune Where he declared unto them the reason of his reâ—siding at that time amongst them being driven away from Whiteâ—Hall by Tumults with his purpose to maintain the true Protestant Religion and Laws and that the Guard he there had for the safety of his Royal person consisting of the chief Gentry of that County and one Regiment of the Trained Bands could
â—henceforth they should not be oppressed with any violence And that when they had thus at few words declared the cause of their enterprize they would then command their Neighbours to arm and come unto them immediately and help them If not then would they threaten to come upon them with all their force But having gotten the power and Arms into their hands they committed divers horrid outrages insomuch as Luther exhorted all men that they would come to destroy them as wicked Theeves and parricides in like case as they would come to quench a common fire having most shamefully broken their faith to their Princes taken other mens goods by force and cloak all this abomination and wickedness with the cover of Christianity which saith he is the vilest and unworthiest thing that can be imagined In Suevia and Franconia about forty thousand Pesants took Arms rob'd a great part of the Nobility plunder'd many Towns and Castles Muncer being their chief Captain so that the Princes of the Empire Albert Count of Mansfeild Iohn Duke of Saxony and his Cousen George Philip the Lantgrave of Hesse and Henry Duke of Brunswick were necessitated to raise what power they could and having offered them pardon upon submission and delivering up their principal Leaders which was refused marcht against them But Muncer preparing for Battel encouraged his followers crying out to them to take their weapons and fight stoutly against their Enemies singing * a Song whereby they call'd for help of the Holy Ghost The success of which Battel was that the Rebels at the first onset were soon put in disorder and above five thousand slain on the place and that Muncer fled and hid himself but being found and brought to the Princes was with his fellow Phifer beheaded at Mulhuse And about the year 1535 Iohn of Leyden a Taylor by trade and of this Tribe preaching the Doctrine of Rebaptization so much infected the inferior sort of people by the means of private Conventicles that his followers grew numerous and exercised violence against those that were not of their Sect. At last robbing their adversaries and gathering together in great Troops they possest themselves of the strongest part of the City of Munster declaring that all such as were not rebaptized ought to be accounted Pagans and Infidels and to be killed His Companions were Rosman and Cnipperdoling who gathered together to that City great numbers of the base sort of people and seeing their strength chose new Senators of their own Sect making Cnipperdoling the chief who taught that the People might put down their Magistrate And albeit that the Apostles had no commandment to usurp any jurisdiction yet such as were their Ministers of the Church ought to take upon them the right of the Sword and by force to establish a new Common-wealth Hereupon they spoil'd the Suburbs and burnt the Churches so that the Bishop of Munster who was Lord of the City and forced out beseiged them the neighbour Princes giving assistance which seige continuing long the famine grew to be such as that the beseiged miserably perished in great numbers and at length the beseigers forcing their entrance by assault slew many took the Ring-leaders and having put them to death hang'd their Bodies in several Cages of Iron on the highest Towers of that City Thus far Sleidan It is not unworthy observation that divers of these German Phanatiques to the end they might at that time be the better known to those of their own Sect did cut their hair round as Petrus Crinitus an Author of good credit in his Book de Bello Rusticano Tom. 3. pag. 209. averreth From which example there is no doubt but that these of ours took their pattern whence they were generally called Roundheads Concerning these men the testimony likewise of Mr. Iohn Calvin may I presume be here not unfitly produced as well for other respects as for that he lived in that time Olim Fanatici homines saith he ut sibi applauderent in sua inscitia jactabant Davidis exemplo spernandas esse omnes literas sicut hodie Anabaptistae non alio praetextu se pro spiritualibus venditant nisi quod omnis scientiae sint expertes Brainsick men in times past would take example from David to despise all learning as now our Anabaptists who only hold themselves inspired with gifts because they are ignorant of all literature And he addeth Cum sub specie studii perfectionis imperfectionem nullam tolerare possumus aut in corpore aut in membris Ecclesiae tunc Diabolum nos tumescere superbia hypocrist seducere moneamur Whereas under the colour of a desire of perfection we can tolerate no imperfection either in the body or the members of the Church then may we be admonished that it is the Devil which pusseth us up with pride and seduceth us with hypocrisy And in another place he further saith Quia nulla specie illustriori seduci possunt miseri Christiani c. Because silly Christians who with a zeal to follow God cannot by any more notable shew be seduced then when the word of God is pretended the Anabaptists against whom we write have that evermore in their mouths and always talk of it There is an undoubted Tradition that upon the suppressing of this pernicious Sect in Germany many of them fled into the Netherlands and that thence â—â—70 Ships laden with some got into Scotland where they first propagated their mischievous Principles Which within a short time spreading hither have not a little endangered the utter ruine of Church and State For that they soon after arrived here to a considerable increase it may very well be concluded from what the same person hath expressed in an Epistle of his written to Edward Duke of Somerset then Protector to King Edward the sixth in these words Amplissime domine Audio esse duo seditiosorum genera c. Sir I hear there are two sorts of seditious men among you who lift up the head against the King and state of the Kingdom the one are a sort of Giddy-headed men who promote their sedition under the name of the Gospel The other are so hardned in the superstitions of Antichrist that they cannot endure a revulsion of them and both these must be restrained by the revenging Sword which the Lord hath put into your hand since they rise up not only against the King but against God himself who hath placed the King in his Royal Throne and made you Protector of his person and his Royal Majesty CHAP. II. ANd as this evil Generation became at that time first transplanted hither upon the dissipating of those German Sectaries so had it shortly afterwards much furtherance in its growth from some persons of more able parts and of no mean quality who having embraced the Reformation here in the time of King Edward the sixth to avoid the storm in Queen Mary's Reign fled beyond Sea where
give no just cause of fears to the people But whilst he was thus zealous to satisfy his good Subjects of his real Intentions the Members at Westminister now confident of their own power sent down a Petition with Nineteen Propositions to his Majesty By which they demanded no less in effect than to yield up all his Regal power into their Hands Unto which he soon after returned a full and clear Answer by the Marquess of Hertford and Earl of Southampton To second which Propositions within four days ensuing they set forth a bold Declaration against his Proclamation of the xxvijth of May affirming it to be void in Law and in opposition thereto requiring all Officers to muster levy rise march and exercise according to their Ordinance assuring them for so doing of protection by both Houses of Parliament And within few days after sent out an Order in the name likewise of both Houses with Proposals for the bringing in of Money and Plate as also for providing Horse Horse-men and Arms in pursuance of their solemn vow and Protestation for suppressing the Traiterous attempts as they call'd them of those wicked and malignant Counsellers who sought to engage the King in a war against his Parliament and likewise with Instructions for the Deputy-Lieutenants to proceed therein themselves making Subscriptions accordingly the very same day Nor were the Lecturing-Preachers and other of that strain less active every where in this desperate and afterwards bloudy Scene the cheif of which throughout all England were then got into London Westminster and the Suburbs of both it being very well known both bâ— their public Sermons and sediticus Pamphlets what endeavours they sedulously used to stir up all persons able of Body to take up Arms and others to give aid with their Purses towards the advancing that Glorious work as they call'd it And for the better quickning the Members of Parliament therein they forthwith repaired to each man's particular House or Lodgings in and about those Cities to excite and animate them thereto as some of those Members have since acknowledged the drift and design of those Pulpiteers therein being the alteration of Church-government and inriching themselves with the lands and possessions of the Bishops and their Cathedrals as is very well known Whose Rebellious documents had such success that the Houses of Parliamen sent down divers of their most active Members to execute their Ordinance for the Militia in the Counties of Leicester Lincolne Essex Kent c. Who infused into the people strange fears and apprehensions of very great dangers to the end that they might be the better prepared to rise in the ensuing Rebellion But to return to the Propositions for bringing in of Horse Money and Plate Of this so soon as the King had notice he dispatch'd a Letter to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Sheriffs of London intimating to them that if they should give or lend any money or provide or raise any Horse or Arms under pretence of a Guard for both Houses grounded upon those scandalous votes by which they had presumed to declare his intention to levy war against his Parliament he should look upon it as the raising of force against himself and to be done in malice and contempt of his authority But this came too late for the Londoners were so forward in their compliance with these Propositions that the very same day they brought in great sums of Money for which by a special Order they had public Thanks returned Which sums if we may credit one of their own Party did with their Plate Rings c. in London Middlesex and Essex amount to above Eleven millions of pounds besides vast sums from the rest of the Counties and otherwise So that all the effect his Majesties Letter produced was only an Order in the name of both Houses that the Deputy-Lieutenants throughout the Kingdom should tender Propositions to the several Counties for raising of Horse for the service of the King and Parliament and soon after that a Declaration of both Houses was issued out whereby they justifyed their raising of Forces alleadging the same to be for maintenance of the Protestant Religion the King's Authority and Person in his Royal dignity the free course of Justice the Laws of the Land priviledge of Parliament c. forbidding any Officers whatsoever to spread that Paper for so they stiled his Majesties Letter justifying their Votes that the King intended to levy war against his Parliament intimating that neither his Majesties commands nor threats could withdraw or deter such as were well affected to the public from contributing Money Horse and Plate And so indeed it proved for as they had deluded the people large proportions were daily brough in the County of Essex contributing twenty seven thousand pounds and upwards and eight hundred Horse Hertfordshire eight thousand pounds and three hundred Horse c. as appears by the calculation thereof made upon the twentieth of August ensuing The King therefore taking into consideration these their violent practises and that they had set up Lieutenants and Deputy-Lieutenants in all Counties declaring his Commissions of Lieutenancy illegal upon mature deliberation and advice about this time issued out Commissions of Array into all parts of the Realm which course had been anciently used by his Royal Progenitors for prevention of Invasions or suppressing of any Insurrections and approved by divers Statutes and thereupon set forth a Proclamation informing all his loving Subjects of the lawfulness and use of them commanding their obedience thereunto Which Commissions the Earl of Derby in Lancashire the Earl of Huntingdon and Mr. Henry Hastings his Son afterwards Lord Loughborough in Leicestershire with others in those Counties to whom they were directed did first put in execution But hereupon the Members at Westminster published a large Declaration in the name of both Houses representing those Commissions of Array to be contrary to the Laws of the Land destructive to the Liberty and Property of the Subject yea so full of danger and inconvenience that it would bring an heavier yoke of bondage upon them than any that had been taken away that Parliament Their sactious Emissaries employ'd in sundry parts of the Realm perswading the people that those Commissions were to reduce the Estates of all the Yeomanry of England to ten pounds a year and to enslave them beyond expression And lest those who were thus seduced by these their subtil illusions should receive any satisfaction from his Majesties gracious Declarations whereby the uprightness of his Actions and candor of his Intentions might appear they sent out Orders strictly to prohibit the publishing of them promising Protection from the Parliament to those who should refuse so to do Moreover because the King out of his great sense of those imminent dangers which daily more and more threatned his safety desired a
of that Diocess of Coventry and Litchfield In order whereunto when he had march'd within half a mile of Litchfield he drew up his Army and there devoutly pray'd a blessing upon his intended work withall earnestly desiring that God would by some special Token manifest unto them his approbation of that their design which being done he went on and planted his great Guns against the South-East Gate of the Close himself standing in a Window of a little House near thereto to direct the Gunners in their purposed Battery but it so hapned that there being two persons placed in the Battlements of the chiefest Steeple to make shot with long fouling Guns at the Cannoniers upon a sudden accident which occasioned the Souldiers to give a shout this Lord coming to the door compleatly harnessed with Plate-Armour cap a pe was suddenly shot into one of his Eyes but the strength of the Bullet so much abated by the glance thereof on a piece of timber which supported a Pentiss over the Door that it only lodg'd in his Brains Whereupon he suddenly fell down dead Nor is it less notable that this accident fell out upon the second day of March which is the Festival of that sometime famous Bishop St. Chad to whose memory Offa King of the Mercians first erected this stately Church and devoutly dedicated it The next thing whereof I shall take notice is that on the nineteenth day of the same month of March was that feirce Skirmish at Hopton-Heath in the same County of Stafford where the right loyal and valiant Spenser Earl of Northampton encountring Sir William Brereton and Sir Iohn Gell though he had the better of the day being unhappily fallen from his Horse amongst Coney-Burrows was barbarously murthered CHAP. XV. AS to this year's Actions considering that money is the Sinews of war the first thing of note in order to the gaining thereof which the Members at Westminster did was the sequestring of Delinquents i. e. the Royalists estates And finding the poor Country-people very weary of the war and apt to run away having also had so much experience of the Cities forwardness in all things tending to their service to the intent that upon any sudden occasion they might draw out considerable numbers thence they passed an Ordinance that the Committee for the Militia of London and the Suburbs should raise new Regiments of Voluntiers for the better security thereof So likewise for the better support of two other of their Generals viz. Sir William Waller and Sir Arthur Haselrig they passed an Ordinance for engaging the Public Faith to such as should lend either Horse Men or Money unto them in that service But by this time the private Discontents and repinings which these large Exactions caused beginning to make the great Masters in this Tragic Scene to doubt a revolt in the people considering how frequently the King by sundry gracious Proclamations of pardon and all other good means had woed them To carry on the work therefore the more smoothly they were constrained after the example of their Brethren the Scots to make an Engagement by a solemn Oath for continuing their assistance therein And in this as the Citizens of London who in all other occasions had been their principal Instruments did readily tender their service by Sir Henry Mildmay who reported to the House that they would lend the fourty thousand pounds demanded for now they were borrowing again provided that the Holy League and Covenant before spoken of might be made and imposed upon the whole Kingdom And rather than their Blessed Cause as they call'd it should suffer it was moved by the Sub-Committee at Sadler's Hall in Breadstreet that all persons who were willing to promote their own Safety should spare one meal weekly towards the provision of Horse and Arms for the new rais'd Auxiliaries about London Also because they found some slackness in the people to bring in money upon the Propositions they appointed Committees in the several Counties to tax such for their fifth and twentieth part as had not contributed or lent accordingly and passed another Ordinance for taking Horses for the service of the Parliament It is not unworthy of note that this thrifty contrivance for sparing one meal a week was the usher to that then formidable Imposition called Excise never before heard of by many thousands in this Kingdom which the trivers at Westminster durst not shew the people till they were sufficiently tamed under the yoke of other Exactions knowing full well how displeasing it would be to them Nay so fearful were they themselves after they had form'd their first Army lest the people should apprehend any suspicion thereof which might then have endangered a Revolt that when it was but whispered by some what they foresaw would happen they made an Order in their House of Commons for punishing such Malignant persons as had cast aspersions upon that House that they intended to assess any man's Pewter and lay Excise upon that and other Commodities But now that they saw the people by degrees so patiently submit to many other burdens they began to debate in their House of Commons how fit and necessary it would be for them to impose Excise upon Wine Beer Tobacco and such petty Commodities Whereupon Mr. Pym by his Letter to Sir Iohn Hotham signifyed that they had proceeded in the Excise to many particulars and intended to go on farther but that it would be necessary to use the people to it by little and little And because this Ordinance before-mention'd for taking Horses for the service of the Parliament should not pinch upon their friends they passed another by which they appointed certain persons to levy such Horses for the service of the Parliament but with special direction that the Horses taken from the well affected should be valued and repaiment secured upon the Public faith Having thus laid such a sure foundation for the support of more Forces they then sent out a Declaration to their Lord Lieutenants and Deputy-Lieutenants of Kent Canterbury and the Cinqueports that they should associate and raise an Army of a thousand Foot-Voluntiers and one or more Troops of Horse and to appoint a Major General and give Battel to any Forces not raised by authority of both Houses But the Oath formerly mentioned by Sir Henry Mildmay being by this time framed was now thought fit to be set on foot as of high concernment to oblige all those that were well affected and for the better discovery of other well-wishers to the Cause a work therefore of this high consequence being not fit to be brought into the world naked they had a Committee who made report of a treacherous Conspiracy discovered upon the last day of May being the Fast-day viz. of a pretended design to destroy the Parliament and well affected party of the Kingdom to subject Religion
silenc'd yet by reason of his zeal to God's Glory as they term'd it that is to say his activeness against Episcopacie he was exempted from the Rigour of that sentence Moreover as they took care to disable those of the Clergy which were Orthodox and Loyal from preaching any more so to encourage all others who were for their turn though not at all qualified with learning they gave liberty to every bold and schismatical Mechanick to preach under the notion of Gifted-men To which purpose an Ordinance was brought in to the House and read for approving of such illiterate persons to be Ministers And that Episcopal Government might never return again they passed an Ordinance for the sale of all the Lands belonging to the Bishops with special instructions therein for the Contractors and Surveyors Amongst which Instructions it is not the least observable that for the better encouraging of Purchasers they should sell them at ten years purchase Nay such was their care to make this sacrilegious work as plausible to the people as might be that besides the extraordinary pay their Surveyors of those Lands had viz. 20 s. a day and five shillings a day to every Boy that did but carry the end of the measuring-Chain they gave special directions that the Gentry and other popular-men residing in those parts where such Lands lay should be feasted by the Surveyors which feasts amounted to no small charge saying Wee must pay well and hang well About this time also there was a Committee appointed to inquire into the Value of all Church-livings in order to the planting of an able Ministry as they gave out whereas in truth it was to discover which were the best and fattest Beneficies to the end that the principal Champions for the Cause might make choice of those for themselves whereof some had three a piece and some four as is very well known it being aparent that where any small Benefice was there the Church-dores were shut up The more to justify which practice of theirs I could name an Assembly man who being told by an Eminent person that a certain Church in the West of England had no Incumbent askt what the yearly value of the Benefice did amount unto and he answering sifty pounds per annum the Assembly man reply'd if it be no better worth no Godly-man will accept of it But notwithstanding all this the advancement of the Scepter of Iesus Christ that is to say the establishing the Presbyterean-Government by a Law went but slowly on insomuch as the Covenanting Brethren in London who were dayly agitated with the zealous breath of the Presbyterean Bellows from the Pulpits and otherwise growing hot for the Scotch Discipline busyed themselves not a little in getting Hands to a Petition for prosecuting the ends of the Covenant and that Presbyterie might be established And for the better speed of that blessed work the latter part of their new Confession of Faith being brought in by the Assembly of Divines and read in the House of Commons it was Ordered that marginal notes should be forthwith added thereto to prove every Article by Scripture and that the Assembly should also bring in their Answers to the Quaeres of the House concerning the Ius divinum of Presbyterie CHAP. XXII BUT oh the fates Now that after all this formal combining and Covenanting with the precious Brethren of Scotland Horse Arms Jewels Plate and Money in no small proportion so frankly offered up to this Dagon of Presbyterie and a numerous Army poured in from that Nation to help the Lord against the mighty so many dreadfull battels fought so much English-bloud lamentably spilt and such a vast Treasure spent and all to advance the Scepter of Iesus Christ nay the top stone of this glorious building ready to be laid on Now I say the perfect compleating of this great and glorious work was so near that the main Fabrick should begin to totter specially by the unhappy assaults of their own Godly party and at last to tumble down what could be more deplorable yet so it hapned I must therefore here begin to change my note and as I have Historically manifested whence that sacred Impe of Presbytery originally sprung How 't was first transplanted hither what a luxuriant growth in short time it had and what glorious fruit it produced So shall I now briefly shew how and by what means it fell to decay and how that prodigious Monster of Independencie creeping up by the body thereof at length did much overtop it and triumphing for a while at last produced no less direfull effects than what that old stock of Presbyterie always did even the barbarous destruction of our late gracious King of ever blessed memory in his Royal person after he had been most inhumanly persecuted despoiled of his Kingly authority and most shamefully made Prisoner by those devout Covenanters ¶ That Ambition and Avarice were most assuredly the primary causes which incited this Saint-like Generation to act such horrid things as no age hath formerly seen and to carry on these their foul designs under the specious veile of Religion the Laws of the Land and Liberty of the subject hath been already fully manifested Having therefore by this subtil stratagem got the sword and consequently the wealth of the Realm into their power I now come to observe how through the admirable justice of Almighty God upon these grand Hypocrites which first kindled the flames of Civil war amongst us the same power and wealth was by the like ravenous brood now called Independents which sprung forth of their own pharisaical loyns soon torn and wrested out of their greedy Jaws upon the like principles and what use they made of it By what hath been already said 't is sufficiently manifest how and to what end the establishment of the Scottish Discipline was first and principally aymed at by the Presbyterean party here but the severity thereof being at length discerned by some through a cleerer Light the new Reformers thought it most proper not onely to represent to the People the true face thereof in its proper shape but to hold forth unto them an absolute freedome from the merciless phangs and teeth of that cruel beast under the notion of Christian-Liberty whereby every man might exercise himself in the pretended service of God according to what form or order he list as Independent from any that could call him to account which pleasing Doctrine being not a little gratefull to the vulgar soon obtain'd so fair an entertainment especially amongst the souldiery as that not onely the generallity of the Army and many of the Garisons cheerfully embraced it but most of the people through out all parts of the Realm right willingly inclin'd thereto The Presbyterean-Hedge being therefore thus troden down no wonder was it that like scattered Flocks multitudes were gathered up by other Shepherds into new Congregations Anabaptists Millenaries or fifth Monarchy-men Quakers c.
the least to the contrary and imparted to him the substance of what had then passed betwixt them Whereupon the King framing his Answer to those Proposals from the Parliament so brought to him as abovesaid sent it by the same person to Cromwell and Ireton to be perused with liberty to add or alter what they should think fit Which being done by them and returned to His Majesty he wrote it a new and sent it to Westminster But see now the horrid perfidiousness of Cromwell and Ireton No sooner was this candid and gracious Answer from the King Imparted to the House of Commons but that both of them appeared with the highest in their bitter invectives against it The News whereof being forthwith brought to the King he call'd for the person who had been so lately with Cromwell and acquainting him therewith sent him back to Cromwell to require a reason thereof Whose answer was that what he had then said in the House of Commons was to sound the depth of those virulent humours wherewith the Presbytereans whom he knew to be no friends to the King were possess'd with all But after that time he never came more to His Majesty That person therefore whom the King had so imployed to Cromwell observing thus much made it his chief business to find out the Councils and designs of the principal Officers of the Army at Putney and discerning at length how dangerous they were in reference to His Majesty gave him private Advertisement thereof to the end he might consider which way best to preserve himself Whereupon resolving to get privately from Hampton-Court to the City of London the same person so imploy'd as abovesaid undertook to find him out a secure lodging there and accordingly leaving him did provide such a one His Majesty determining that so soon as he should get safe thither to let him have knowledge thereof And now at length being fully sensible of what he had so long feared which was that notwithstanding his own clear and candid dealing with them in all respects and that he did so far rely upon them that he had strictly prohibited all those of his faithful subjects who had served in his Armys that they should not joyn with the Scots in case they should raise any forces in order to his pretended restoration as Cromwell seem'd to suspect that they might though nothing less would have been the effects thereof considering they stuck so close to their solemn League and Covenant he was to expect no better than destruction and ruine to himself and his posterity and absolute slavery to all his good Subjects he caused a Boat to be privately brought to the River-side and upon the eleventh of November about the beginning of the night went alone from the Privy-lodgings through a Door where no Guard stood into the Park and so crossing the Thames landed at Ditton where Sir Iohn Berkley afterwards Lord Berkley Mr. Iohn Ashburnham and Colonel William Legg sometime Groomes of his Bedchamber were placed with Horses But so it hapned that when the King was got on Shore and had stay'd some time for them Mr. Ashburnham diswaded him from going to London and led him into Hantshire where His Majesty demanding of him to what place he intended to conduct him he answered into the Isle of Wight whereof Colonel Hamond was then Governour in whom Mr. Ashburnham had no little confidence To which His Majesty replyed that he would not adventure himself thither unless he might have sufficient assurance under the Governour 's hand for his security from any danger and thereupon sent Mr. Ashburnham and Sir Iohn Berkley into the Isle to treat with Hamond to that purpose staying himself at Lichfield house belonging to the Earl of Southampton with Colonel Legg till they returned strictly charging them that they should not let Hamond know where he was unless he would give him full assurance under his Hand for his freedome and return thence when he pleased But instead of observing these His Majestie 's directions they came back and brought Hamond with them And being come to Lichfield went to the King then in his Bed-chamber leaving Hamond below telling His Majesty what they had done whereat the King being not a little amazed askt them if they had a promise under Hamond's hand for his security and they replying No but thâ—â— he would approve himself a man of Honour He plainly told them that they had betray'd him or words to that purpose concluding then that he was no better than his prisoner Which sharp resentment of his condition 〈…〉 them so neer that they offer'd to kill Hamond 〈◊〉 take some other course for His Majestie 's safety But to this their vain proposal the King did utterly refuse to assent rather choosing to yeild up himself a Sacrifice as he afterwards was made to those bloud-thirsty-men who had resolved his destruction and subversion of the Government than to be guilty of assenting to take away the life of that one Rebel in cold bloud And putting himself thereupon into the hands of that unworthy person was by him kept in no better condition than a prisoner untill he was by his consent taken away by the direction of Cromwell and the rest of those bloudy Regicides who brought him to the Block as we shall see anon But I return At his departure from Hampton-Court he left in his withdrawing-room a Letter directed to the Commissioners which attended him there to be communicated to both Houses of Parliament the effect whereof was to tell them that he had with great patience endured a tedious restraint which he did willingly undergo whilst he had any hopes that it might conduce to the peace of the Kingdoms but then finding by too certain proofs that this his continued patience would not onely turn to his personal ruin but be of much more prejudice than furtherance of the publick good he did conceive that he was bound as well by natural as political obligations to seek his safety by retiring himself for some time from the publick view both of his friends and enemies challenging the judgment of all indifferent men if he had not just cause to free himself from the hands of those who did change their Principles with their condition earnestly urging that all just Interests viz. Presbyterean Independent Army and Scots might be heard together with himself with Honour Freedom and Safety and then that he would instantly break through that cloud of retirement and shew himself to be really Pater patriae In this Letter of his Majestie 's who unparallel'd Sufferings had raised his Observations to an higher pitch than some who have been much magnified for their Wisedom did ever reach it is to be noted that he saw he had just cause to free himself from the Hands of those who did change their principles with their condition Now lest this his expression should be thought to have reference meerly to the Independents in whose power he then
as when the truth which is but one shall appear to the simple Multitude no less variable than contrary to it self the Faith of Men will soon after dye away by degrees and all Religion be held in Scorn and Contempt CHAP. XLIV FOR the Laws of the Land with the Liberty and Property of the Subject because the first ought to be a Defence to the latter let us see what these great pretended Champions for both did for their Preservation Or rather how manifestly they violated them all by their unjust Practises Was it not for Execution of his Majesties Legal Writ grounded upon the Statute for Suppressing of Tumults that Justice Long was Committed to the Tower And were not Commands laid upon the Judges of the King's Bench that they should not grant any Habeas Corpus the Antient Remedy for the Peoples Security for such as the Members had Committed to Prison by their own Authority And did not Mr. Rigby a beloved Member move twice that those Lords and Gentlemen which were Prisoners for no cause but being Malignants as they term'd them should be sold as Slaves to Argiere or sent to the new Plantations in the West-Indies because he had Contracted with two Merchants for that purpose Though Mr. Pym himself had in a Speech in that Parliament acknowledged it against the Rules of Iustice that any Man should be Imprison'd upon a General Charge when no Particulars were proved against him As these things were most evident so was their Order against Publishing the King's Proclamation contrary to Acts of Parliament then in Force Likewise their Barbarous murther of his Majesties Messenger for bringing a Legal Writ to the Sheriffs of London to that purpose As also Collonel Nathaniel Fienes his causing the King's Proclamation concerning Marriners to be burnt in the open Market-place at Bristol by the Common Hangman he being then Governour there and Imprisoning the Earl of Bristol and Justice Malet for having an hand in the Kentish-Petition And notwithstanding the Statute in force against Loanes and Benevolences grounded upon the Petition of Right and that on Magna Charta which the Lord Say Mr. Pym and Mr. Hampden once held so Sacred that being asked upon occasion in King Iames his time why they would not then Contribute to the King's Necessities by way of Loan They Answered that they could be content to lend as well as others but that they feared to draw upon themselves that Curse in Magna-Charta which should be read twice every Year against the Infringers thereof Nevertheless did not these men Commit Mr. Fountain the Lawyer and divers others which refused to lend Money for advancement of their Rebellion And by a special Order sent those Loyal Citizens Sir George Whitmore Alderman Gurney Mr. Gardner and others to several Remote Prisons viz. Yarmouth Colchester Norwich c. for not submitting to their Lawless and Rigorous Tax of the twentieth part for the support of their Rebellious Forces And give power to their Officers to break open Trunks to search for Money and Plate and to seize the same for that purpose Mr. Strode one of the five Members in Justification of these heavy Oppressions saying that it was no more than they had right to do And that every Man in England had trusted his whole Estate to be disposed of as the Members of both Houses should think convenient For if the Members of both Houses quoth he think fitting to seize the Estate of every Man in England all the whole Kingdom is bound to submit to them And was not their Licentious Boldness such that Mr. Pym a single Member during a recess of both Houses by an Order under his own hand did dispence with the Act of Parliament 1. Eliz. for Uniformity of Common-Prayer And when upon a motion of the House that certain Gaolers should be tryed by Marshal Law by reason of some Prisoners escape and that it was opposed by divers Lawyers as an illegal course the Gaolers being answerable by the Law for the same was it not Replyed that they were not to be tyed to any Forms of Law those being to be laid by at such times as this when Necessity is the Rule by which they must guide their Actions What Misery have many Reverend and Orthodox Divines and others suffered by long Imprisonment some sent on Ship-board and kept under the Deck lying many days upon the hard Boards for no other Offence than their firm Loyalty to the King and Constancy in the true Protestant Religion Establish't by Law His Majesties Servant coming only to them on a Message for Peace being likewise so long Imprisoned that he dyed therein with hard Usage How partially Indulgent have they been to those of their own Rebellious Tribe is evident from sundry Instances as that of Mr. Gryffith one of their Members who was made a Captain of Horse with Silver Trumpets and extraordinary Bravery though he had Ravish't the Lady Sidley and was by her Accused for so doing Mr. Lenthall their Speaker having also six Thousand Pounds given him of that Money which had been raised by Act of Parliament for publick Service Having therefore thus trampled down the Laws and made seizure of the Kings Forts Towns Navy and Magazine whereby he was devested of all Power to protect his good Subjects no marvel that they deprived him of all other Authority declaring his nomination of Sheriffs Illegal and authorizing his Deputy Lieutenants and Trained-Bands to Suppress and Apprehend such Sheriffs Levying Money for Horse and Plate as also the twentieth part and a vast Weekly Tax by Distresses and Imprisonment to say nothing of Sequestrations and Plunders Add hereunto the Hanging of those Loyal Persons Mr. Yeomans and Mr. Bourchier at Bustol Likewise Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Chaloner at London And that the Oppressed People might take no benefit of the Law an Order and Declaration was set forth by Authority of both Houses that the Judges of Assize should forbear to go their Circuits as they would answer their Contempt to the Parliament Moreover to let the Reins of all Government loose they discharged all Apprentices from their Masters Service as would serve in their Rebellious Armies Compelling divers against their Parents good will Nor is it less observable that though by their own Fundamentals they had declared that the Subject was not to be forced unto the Wars against his will except it were by the consent of the King and the Estates in Parliament there being an Act in that Parliament passed also to that purpose Nevertheless they frequently pressed great numbers of Men to serve them in their Rebellious Armies And by a special Ordinance gave Power to any three of the Militia of London to raise and send out Men as also to Fine Imprison and Execute Martial-Law By the like Authority it was that they raised vast Sums upon Merchandize under the name of Tunnage