the people tired with expectation of such a cure do usually by degrees forget the sharpnesse of those diseases which before required it or else in the redressing of many and long disorders and to secure them for the future there being for the most part a necessity of laying heavy Taxes and draining of much Money from the people they grow extreamly sensible of that present smart feeling more paine by the Cure for a time then they did by the lingring disease before not considering that the causes of all which they now indure were precedent and their present suffering is for their future security It was the generall opinion of all Gentlemen at that time That a Parliament so much and long desired as this was after so great and constant a violation of the Lawes and Liberties of England in the Kings former Government could scarce in possibility ever grow into the dislike of the people or at least so great a part of the people as might be able which within one yeare was after seene to make a Warre against it and indanger the utter ruine and subversion of it But I have spoken before of some causes which might seeme strong enough to ingage a part of the people against the Parliament whose particular interests and livelihoods were neerely touched how farre any proceeding might distaste others who were uninterested in their private fortunes or callings I cannot tell any certaine reason But I remember within the compasse of a yeare after when this Civill Warre began to breake out over all the Kingdom and men in all companies began to vent their opinions in an argumentative way either opposing or defending the Parliament Cause and Treatises were printed on both sides Many Gentlemen who forsooke the Parliament were very bitter against it for the proceedings in Religion in countenancing or not suppressing the rudenesse of people in Churches which I related before acting those things which seemed to be against the Discipline of the English Church and might introduce all kindes of Sects and Schismes Neither did those of the Parliament side agree in opinions concerning that point some said it was wisely done of the Parliament not to proceed against any such persons for feare of losing a considerable party as is said before Others thought and said That by so doing they would lose a farre more considerable party of Gentlemen then could be gained of the other They also affirmed That Lawes and Liberties having been so much violated by the King if the Parliament had not so farre drawne Religion also into their cause it might have sped better for the Parliament frequently at that time in all their expressions whensoever they charged the corrupt Statesmen of injustice and Tyranny would put Popery or a suspition of it into the first place against them I remember when the Warre was begun among those little Treatises which were then published as many there were without any names to them I found one in which the case is thus expressed to recite the words of it Perchance saith he too much insisting upon Religion and taxing the King for affecting Popery hath by accident weakened the Parliament and brought Parties to the King It may seeme a great Paradox that the best and onely necessary of all things Religion being added into the scale of Lawes and Liberties should make the scale lighter then before Neither can it be true but by accident as thus The strange intercourse betwixt Rome and the English Court The Kings owne Letters to the Pope His favouring of Priests and such things though they may give a State just cause of susspition that their Religion is undermining Yet because it cannot be so absolutely proved to the sight of all the people that the King favoured Popery as that he violated the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome which latter was visible to all the former concerning Religion remaines in the peoples reason as a controverted question the King still protesting for Religion and the disputes about that amusing the People make them by degrees forget that crime of the Kings which was without controversie and evident the violation of Lawes and Liberties And more then so for some supposing that the Parliament unjustly taxed him in Religion did in time believe that he was not so guilty of the other as they would make him which I have heard some of late maintaine From whence may follow a strange conclusion That the Kings dealing so much with Rome to the disadvantage of the Protestant Religion should now turne to his owne advantage in a Protestant Kingdome And we may make this as paradoxicall a supposition That if the King had never done any thing prejudiciall to the Protestant Religion he would have found fewer Protestants this Parliament to take his part For then there being no dispute at all about Religion the crimes of his State mis-government had plainly and inexcusably appeared to all as we have seene that some of our former Kings for the like violation of Lawes and Liberties when there was but one Religion and therefore no dispute about it have been heavily censured in Parliament no man appearing in their justification And why should not a Parliament thinke that such things are cause enough to be stood upon and to justifie their quarrell before God as if the Almighty did not adhorre Injustice Oppression Tyranny and the like in any Kingdome unlesse the prâ—fession of Religion were also depraved Nay he abhorreth it more in that place where the purest profession of Religion is Besides that frequent naming of Religion as if it were the onely quarrell hath caused a great mistake of the question in some by reason of ignorance in others of subtilty whilest they wilfully mistake to abuse the Parliaments Cause writing whole Volumes in a wrong stated case as instead of disputing whether the Parliament of England lawfully assembled where the King virtually is may by Armes defend the Religion established by the same power together with the Lawes and Liberties of the Nation against Delinquents detaining with them the Kings seduced Person They make it the question Whether Subjects taken in a generall notion may make Warre against their King for Religions sake Such was the sense of many Gentlemen at that time which adhered to the Parliament But to proceed in the Narration The Parliament had been of late sensible of the losse of some from them and having detected divers Conspiracies and Machinations of dis-affected people against them and fearing more had in May last â—ramed a Protestation which was solemnly taken by all the Members of both Houses and sent thorow England to be taken by the people the forme of it was in these words I A.B. in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintaine and desend as farre as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovotions within this
to declare unto them in a Parliament which former Princes used to call upon lesse occasions but not revealing the proceedings of it to the Body of his Privy Councell acquainting onely some of them whom he thought fittest for his purpose as the King himselfe expresseth in two places of his owne Booke intituled A large Declaration concerning the late tumults in Scotland pag. 76. and page 126. in fine the Scots are declared Rebels and the King in Person with an English Army richly furnished is going to chastise them CHAP. V. The aversenesse of the English people from this Warre with Scotland The King advanceth to Yorke with his Army The preparation of the Scottish Covenanters A pacification is made and both Armies disbanded Another preparation for Warre with Scotland A Parliament called to begin in England on the 13. of April The Parliament of Scotland is broken off by command of the King to the Earle of Traquare NEver were the people of England so averse from any Warre as neither hating the Enemy against whom nor approving the cause for which they were engaged Their owne great sufferings made them easily believe that the Scots were innocent and wronged by the same hand by which themselves had beene oppressed and for the cause it was such wherein they could not desire a Victory supposing that the same Sword which subdued the Scots must destroy their owne Liberties and that the contrivers of this Warre were equall Enemies to both Nations Nor was this onely the thought of wisest Gentlemen but the common people in generall were sensible of the mutuall interest of both Kingdomes Those Courtiers who were in all things wholly complyant to the Kings will did also dislike this Warre with Scotland though not for the same reason which the forenamed did as not considering the cause or quarell but the disadvantage of the Warre it selfe Those disadvantages they used to vent in contemptuous expressions of the poverty of Scotland That nothing could be gotten from such wretched Enemies That the King were happy if with his Honour he might suffer it to be rid of that Kingdome and would be a great gainer by the losse of it The younger Courtiers were usually heard to wish Scotland under water or that the old Wall of SEVERUS the Emperour were now re-edified Those Courtiers that were of a graver discourse did likewise seeme to feare the consequence of this bâ—sinesse and I remember would daily mention the Story of CHARLES Duke of Burgundy his pressing of a Warre upon the Swissers and what PHILIP DE COMMINES relates about the Battell of Granson that the Duke lost to the value of three millions of Crownes all which he fondly ventured against so wretched a people that it is there expressed if all the Swissers had been taken Prisoners they would not be able to pay a Ransom to the value of the Spurres and Bridle-bits in his Campe And very frequent in their mouthes was that Verse Curandum in primis ne magna injuria fiat Fortibus miseris Juvenal Take heed of offering too great injuries To people stout and poore But the people of England though they abhorred the very thought of that unnaturall Warre yet glad they seemed to be that such an occasion happened which might in reason necessitate the King to call an English Parliament and so by accident redresse the many grievances of England Which might also prevent the feare of such Warres for the future and bring a just punishment upon those who were sound to be the Authors or assistors of this present disturbance But the King though resolved to pursue his designe of Warre rather then take the advice of a Parliament was content to want the aid of it and to seeke supplies of a lower condition Great sums of money he borrowed from the chiefe Nobility and required proportionable Loanes from all the Judges and Officers but specially the Clergy of all ranks were liberall in contribution to this War which was then called by many men Bellum Episcopale All Courtiâ—â—s as well extraordinary as ordinary were summoned to attend the King in Person with Horse and Armes in a proportion suitable to their rankes By whom and such voluntiers of the Gentry as came in to gaine His Majesties favour with old Souldiers that imbraced it as their profession a gallant Army was made up Yorke was appointed for the Rendezvouze and the Earle of ARUNDELL Commander in chiefe The King as it was well knowne had beene advertised by many and especially by the prosecuted Bishops who were fled out of Scotland that the Scottish Covenanters were in no sort able to resist him That scarce any English Army at all would be needfull to fight but onely to appeare and His Majesty would finde a party great enough in Scotland to do the worke And indeed much might have been done in that kinde if the Lords of the Covenant had not used a most dexterous and timely prevention which is as necesssry in a defensive as an offensive Warre For besides the feared incursion of the English upon their Borders and what invasion the Deputy of Ireland on the Westerne Coast might make together with the Earle of ANTRIM and his Forces from the Hebrides the Marquesse HUNTLEY in the North and Marquesse DUGLAS towards the Southerne parts with the Earle of HETH were to be feared and the Towne of Aberden to be secured before it could fortifie to receive the Kings Fleet. All which with timely care was undertaken and provided against by severall Lords as ARGILE for the West MONTROSSE for the North Colonell MONROE for the South The most considerable Forts in that Kingdome were taken in at the beginning without any blood or resistance and furnished by them with Ammunition as Edenburgh and Dun-Britain and the Haven of Leeth to secure Edenburgh suddenly fortified All Neuters or suspected persons they disarmed without tumult The Castle of Dalketh they scaled and tooke with all the warlike provision which had been brought into it by Marquesse HAMILTON the yeare before In that Castle they found the Kings Crowne Scepter and Sword which in great state and solemnity were carried from thence by the greatest Noblemen and layed up in Edenburgh Castle The Covenanting Lords at the same time published a long Remonstrance in answer to the Kings Proclamation against them the 27. of February and to satisfie the people of England concerning their proceedings and intents The Marquesse HAMILTON arrived at Forth with a Fleet in May and sent Letters to the Governour of Edenburgh to obey the Kings Commands and especially to publish in Edenburgh that Proclamation which had been by the King proclaimed at Yorke upon the 25â— of Aprill wherein among other things the Rents and Debts due to Covenanters from Tenants and others are forbidden to be paid to them The Governour desired the Marquesse to expect an answer till the Parliament sate which was to begin within few daies who returned answer to the Marquesse That they could not
Court then a gracious Intimation that he accepted the tender of their loyall affections encouraging them to continue the same upon all occasions That he knew of no Fire-works in the hands of Papists For his going to the House of Commons that he intended no course of violence though that way had been justifiable for he was assured that no Priviledge of Parliament could extend to Treason which he knew would be proved against them upon cleer grounds and they in due time should be acquainted with it and that his proceedings against them should be according to the Lawes The King presently after his answering of that Petition sent another Message to the Parliament that for the present he would wave his proceedings against those five Members and returned a gentle Answer at that time to the Petitioners of Buckinghamshire who came to the number of about 2000 in behalf of their Knight Mr. HAMDEN a Gentleman much honored by them and by most of the whole Kingdom in which Petition they prayed that Mr. HAMDEN and the rest that lie under the burden of that accusation might enjoy the just priviledges of Parliament It was then grown a custom which proved accidentally very unhappie to the Kingdom however it were meant to come in great numbers to Westminster when they presented Peâ—itions to the Parliament though the people petitioning were unarmed and no just fear from them in the opinion of those who affected the Parliament yet those who thought themselves not well relliâ—hed by the people in general took occasion from thence either to fear indeed or at least to pretend fear alleadging that the Parliament was disturbed by such a numerous confluence of people and the freedom of the Houses in some degree infringed that some of the meaner sort were too apt to cast out rude words against such as they thought to be no good members of the Common-wealth of what degree soever they were From hence was occasion taken by some to justifie that Guard about White-hall and afterwards to excuse the Kings absenting himself from the Parliament And from this ground did the twelve Bishops about a week before this City-Petition frame their Petition and Protestation for so it was called to His Majestie and the Peers which was to this purpose They protested themselves to abominate all actions or opinions tending to Poperie or any Malignity against the State but were willing and ready to perform their duties in Parliament But whereas coming to perform that duty and service they have been rudely menaced affronted and put in fear of their lives by multitudes of people and can finde no redresse or protection upon complaint made they therefore humbly protest before His Majestie and the noble Peers that saving to themselves all their Rights and Interests of sitting and voting in that House at other times they dare not sit or vote in the House of Peers until His Majestie shall further secure them And because their fears are not vain but upon true grounds and objects they do in all duty and humility therefore protest before His Majestie and the Peers against all Laws Orders Votes Resolutions and Determinations as in themselves null and of none effect which in their absence since the 27 of this instant December 1641 have already passed as likewise against all such as shall hereafter passe during this their enforced absence from the said House Which Protestation they desired the King to command the Clerk of that House to record The Lords of Parliament immediately delivered by the mouth of the Lord Keeper at a Conference to the House of Commons That seeing this Protestation was of dangerous consequence and deeply entrenching upon the fundamental Priviledges and Being of Parliament therefore they thought fit to communicate it to the house of Commons The Commons thanked their Lordships for imparting it to them with so much affection and speed and for expressing their sense thereof and came to this resolution To accuse those twelve Bishops of high Treason Master GLYNN therefore was sent to the Lords who at their Bar in the name of all the Commons of England accused those twelve Prelates of high Treason for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and the very Being of Parliaments and to desire the Lords that they might be forthwith sequestred from Parliament and put into safe custodie and that their Lordships would appoint a speedie day for the Commons to charge them The Lords instantly sent the Black-Rod to finde out these Bishops and apprehend them so that by eight of the clock at night they were all taken and brought upon their knees to the Bar and ten of them committed to the Tower two of them in regard of their age were committed to the Black-Rod The twelve Bishops were these JO. Eborac THOMAS Duresme ROBERT Coven and Lichfield JOS. Norwich JO. Asaph GUIL Bath Wells GEO. Hereford ROB. Oxon. MATTH Ely GODFREY Gloucester JO. Peterborough MOR. Landaff Such work as this was daily made to the Parliament of England whereby not onely the relief of Ireland was wholly obstructed but all redresse of the grievances of England and settlement of the State there was so long retarded till both Kingdoms were at last involved in the same War and Confusion It was a strange thing that so barbarous and bloody a Rebellion should break out in Ireland without any the least suspicion or fear of such a Calamity without any cause given by the innocent English Protestants and surely it may seem as strange a thing if well considered that the revenge of so horrid and inhumane a Massacre should be thus hindered and indeed might be thought almost impossible unlesse the raising of the one and hindering the other proceeded from the same cause There was a great hope about the beginning of December that Ireland would speedily be relieved and Forces transported out of Scotland within a short time to that purpose considering what careful provisions the Parliament of England as is before related had made upon the first notice of it But at that time the King was returned from Scotland and in a Speech to the Parliament in which he conjured them to proceed in the businesse of relieving Ireland he likewise took notice of a Bill for pressing of Souldiers for Ireland depending in the House of Peers and declared his dislike of putting it in that way being as he said a great infringement and diminution of his Royal Prerogative telling them withal that he was little beholding to that man who began such a dispute concerning the bounds of his ancient and undoubted Prerogative But he offered at last that the Bill might passe with a Salvo jure both to King and People leaving such debates to a time that might better bear it This Speech of the King 's was much distasted by both Houses as a great breach of Parliament-priviledge insomuch as they framed a Petition to him wherein they expresse That the King by taking notice of the debate
Franciscus Haraeus compiled Annals of the bloody and fierce Warres in the Netherlands when some of those Provinces fell from the obedience of Philip the second King of Spaine Which businesse he relates in such a way as must in probability lead a Reader to believe that the King and his Officers were altogether innocent and the people of those Countries the only causers of their own Calamity Meteranus wrote the History of those very times which who so reads must needs make a contrary censure concerning the occasion of that Warre The like discrepancy hath been found in Historians of all ages and Nations and therefore not to be much wondred at if it now happen But that which of all other is most likely to be differently related because informations will not agree in such a distance is concerning the actions of Warre and Souldiery and in the time of this Warre it is a thing of extreme difficulty I might say of impossibility for those of one Party to be truly informed of all the Councels or the very Performances and Actions of Commanders and Souldiers on the other side How much valour the English Nation on both sides have been guilty of in this unnaturall Warre the World must needs know in the generall fame But for particulars how much Worth Vertue and Courage some particular Lords Gentlemen and others have shewed unlesse both sides do write will never perfectly be known My residence hath bin during these Wars in the quarters and under the protection of the Parliament and whatsoever is briefly related of the Souldiery being toward the end of this Book is according to that light which I discerned there For whatsoever I have missed concerning the other Party I can make no other Apology then such as Meteranus whom I named before doth in the Preface to his History De Belguis tumultibus Whose words are thus Quòd plura de Reformatorum patriae defensorum quà m de Partis adversaere bus gestis exposuerìm mirum haudquaquam est quoniam plus Commercii familiaritatis mihi cum ipsis major indagandi opportunitas furt Si Pars adversaidem tali probitate praestiterit ediderit Posteritas gesta omnia legere liquido cognoscere magno cum fructu poterit In like manner may I averre that if in this discourse more particulars are set down concerning the actions of those men who defended the Parliament then of them that warred against it it was because my conversation gave me more light on that side to whom as I have indeavoured to give no more then what is due so I have cast no blemishes on the other nor bestowed any more characters then what the truth of Story must require If those that write on the other side will use the same candour there is no feare but that posterity may receive a full information concerning the unhappy distractions of these Kingdoms This I must adde that to inform the world of the right nature causes and growth of these Distractions it will require that the Discourse begin from precedent times which I shall indeavour to deduce down to the present with as much brevity as the necessity of unfolding truth can possibly admit Neither is it needful to begin the Story from times of any great distance or to mention the Government of our most ancient Princes but from that Prince fresh in the memory of some yet living who first established the Reformed Religion in this Kingdome and according to that 〈◊〉 a new interest in the State which was most behoofefull and requisite for her Successors to follow and much conducing besides the glory of Almighty God to their own Honour Power and Greatnesse THE CONTENTS BOOK I. CHAP. I. WHerein is a short mention of Queene Elizabeth King James and the beginning of King Charles his Reign His two first Parliaments Of the War with Spaine and France The death of the Duke of Buckingham And the third Parliament of King Charles 1 CHAP. II. A briefe Relation of some grievances of the Kingdome The various opinions of men concerning the present Government The condition of the Court and Clergy of England Some observations of a stranger concerning the Religion of the English people 15 CHAP. III. The condition of the Scottish State and Clergy when the new Booke of Lyturgy was sent unto them how it was received with some effects which followed The Kings Proclamation sent by the Earle of Traquare against which the Lords make a Protestation 27 CHAP. IV. The Scots enter into a Covenant The Marquesse Hamilton is sent thither from the King A Nationall Synod is granted to them but dissolved within few daies by the Marquesse as Commissioner from the King The King declares against the Covenanters and raises an Army to subdue them 38 CHAP. V. The 〈◊〉 of the English People from this Warre with Scotland 〈◊〉 King advanceth to Yorke with his Army The prepaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the Scottish Covenanters A Pacification is made and 〈◊〉 Armies disbanded Another Preparation for Warre with â—â—â—â—land A Parliament called to begin in England on the 13 of 〈◊〉 The Parliament of Scotland is broken off by command of 〈◊〉 to the Earle of Traquare 46 CHAP. VI. The Parliament beginneth in England but is soone dissolved The Clergy continue their Convocation The Scots enter into England Some passages of the War A Parliament is called to begin on the third of November A Truce between the Armies for two Moneths 58 CHAP. VII The beginning of the English Parliament Grievances examined Sufferers relieved Delinquents questioned The Archbishop of Canterbury committed to the Tower The flight of Secretary WINDEBANKE and of the Lord Keeper FINCH 70 CHAP. VIII The Tryall and death of the Earle of Strafford Conspiracies detected during the agitation of it An Act for continuance of this present Parliament With a mention of that Grant of the Trienniall Parliament in February before 87 CHAP. IX Allowance of money from the English Parliament to the Scots The vast Charge of disbanding the two Armies The great Taxations for that purpose and the manner of Poll Money The people take a Protestation An Act for putting down the High Commission Court and Starre-Chamber with other occurrences of that time The Queene Mother departeth England The King goeth into Scotland 103 BOOK II. CHAP. I. A Standing Committee during the Recesse of both Houses of Parliament The Rebellion of the Irish and Massacre of the â—testants there Some indeavours of the English Parliament 〈◊〉 relief of that Kingdom 1 CHAP. II. The King returneth out of Scotland and is pompoushly entertained by the City of London The Remonstrance is published by the Parliament The King entreth into the House of Commons The 〈◊〉 of the 12. Bishops and how it was censured by the Lords and Commons Divers unhappy obstructions of the relief of Ireland 16 CHAP. III. The Queen passeth into Holland with her Daughter the Princesse Mary Difference between the King and Parliament concerning the Militia The
to summon a Parliament within some short and convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great grievances which the people lye under may be taken away and the Authors and Counsellors of them may be brought to legall tryall and condigne punishment And that this War may be composed without blood in such manner as may conduce to the honour and safety of his Majesty the comfort of the people and uniting of both Kingdomes against the Common Enemy of the Reformed Religion Subscribed by almost twenty Earles and Barons The King receiving this Message from the Peeres of England by his Proclamation ordained a day which was upon 24. of September for all the Lords to meet at Yorke to whom he declared that of his owne free accord he had determined to call a Parliament in England to begin as soone as possibly could be allowing the usuall time for issuing out of Writs which was upon the third of November ensuing 1640. But he desired first to consult with them what answer to returne to the Scots demands and how with his honour he might deale with them who had so boldly invaded England And to make them understand the whole state of the businesse he commanded the Earle of TRAQUARE who had beene his Commissioner there to relate all occurrences since the beginning He desired likewise their advice how his Army might be payed before supplies of Parliament could come After many debates and different opinions in point of honour and convenience it was at last agreed by the greater part of Peeres and so conluded that sixteene Lords should be chosen to treat with the Scots and agree upon what Conditions they thought fit Eight Earles were named BEDFORD ESSEX HARTFORT SALISBURY WARWICK HOLLAND BRISTOLL and BARKSHIRE as likewise eight Barons WHARTON PAGET KIMâ—OLTON BROOKE PAWLET HOWARD SAVILE and DUNSMORE The Scots were required to send as many with full Commission to whom Letters of safe Conduct in the amplest manner were granted When the matter came to debate the Earle of Bristoll for the most part was Prolocutour to the English and the Earle of LOWDEN to the Scots After many demands on both sides and expostulations upon sleighter matters which were easily reconciled there was one point which seemed too hard a case in the eyes of the English Peeres that the Scottish Army should be payed by the English whilest their owne Army was in great distresse by reason of Arreares But in conclusion those honest Lords who understood the condition of that unhappy Warre were content upon any termes to make an end of it and in conclusion an agreement was made upon these termes 1. A Truce or Cessation of Armes for two Moneths till the 16. of December 2. That 850. l. a day should be paid to the Scots during that Truce 3. That if it were not payed the Scots might force it from the Counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and Durham 4. That those Counties should be allowed the Scots for their winter Quarters 5. No new preparations for Warre to be made 6. That private injuries should not breake the Truce so satisfaction were made upon complaint 7. That Merchants might freely traffique in either Kingdome without Letters of safe Conduct but Souldiers without leave might not passe their limits Upon such termes was this unnaturall Warre although the Armies could not as yet be disbanded brought to a Cessation and both Nations rested in assured confidence that a peace must needs follow since the whole matter was now to be debated in the English Parliament which was to begin about a fortnight after for it was likely that a Parliament should put a period to that Warre which could never have been begun but for want of a Parliament They were also confident that that freedome which the fundamentall Lawes and Constitutions of the Kingdome of England allow to Parliaments could not be denyed to this though to many others it had long been as being that Parliament to which the King was necessitated and the onely way which was now left him to tread after so many deviations unfortunately tried and upon which the people had set up their utmost hope whom it seemed not safe after so long suffering to provoke any further In what a desperate condition the Kingdome of England was at that time what necessity there was of a present cure with how much difficulty that cure was to be wrought and with what warinesse and wisdome it concerned both King and people to play their parts a judicious Reader may partly conjecture by the former passages already related But further to enlighten the Reader for in this plaine Relation I shall be sparing to use any descants of my owne I will referre him to Speeches which at the beginning of this Parliament were made by judicious Gentlemen and those of greatest moderation labouring as much as they could possibly to spare the King and touch tenderly upon his Honour which I shall mention anon According to the reason of the Parliament and Kingdome went along the sence of Courtiers themselves as was expressed in an ingenuous Treatise found in the privy Chamber concerning the condition in which the King and Kingdome of England were in when this so much expected Parliament was to begin CHAP. VII The beginning of the English Parliament Grievances examined Sufferers relieved Delinquents questioned The Archbishop of Canterbury committed to the Tower The flight of Secretary WINDEBANKE and of the Lord Keeper FINCH ON the third of November 1640. the Parliament began where the King expressed himselfe very well in a Speech gracious and acceptable to both Houses who did not expect from him any such acknowledgement of former errours as might seeme too low for the Majestie of his Person but onely desired to gaine his affection for the future Very pleasing to them all was that gracious expression that He did now cleerly and freely put himselfe upon the love and affections of his English Subjects desiring them to consider the best way for the Safety and Security of the Kingdome of England and in order to it for satisfaction of their just grievances wherein he would so heartily concur that the world might see his intentions were to make it a glorious and flourishing Kingdome In which businesse he did freely and willingly leave it to them where to beginne He desired also that all Jealousies and Suspitions might be layed aside by them which he promised to doe on his part And withall to give some reasonable colour to his former Warre whether to excuse or justifie the Proceedings of it hee seemed as yet much distasted with the boldnesse of the Scots who had entred England with an Army against his will calling them by the name of Rebels and that it concerned the honour of him and England to drive them out againe And in his second Speech two daies after I told you said he that the Rebels must be put out of this Kingdome it is true I must needs call them so so
neere yet some have strongly and subtilly laboured a divorse which hath been the very bane of both King and Kingdome When foundations are shaken it is high time to looke to the building he hath no heart no head no soule that is not moved in his whole man to looke upon the distresses the miseries of the Common-wealth that is not forward in all that he is and hath to redresse them in a right way The King likewise is reduced to great straights wherein it were undutifulnesse beyond inhumanity to take advantage of him Let us rather make it an advantage for him to do him best service when he hath most need not to seeke our owne good but in him and with him else we shall commit the same crimes our selves which we must condemne in others His Majesty hath cleerely and freely put himself into the hands of this Parliament and I presume there is not a man in this House but feeles himself advanced in this high Trust but if he prosper no better in our hands then he hath done in theirs who have hitherto had the handling of his affaires we shall for ever make our selves unworthy of so gracious a confidence I have often thought and said That it must be some great extremity that would recover and rectifie this State and when that extremity did come it would be a great hazard whether it might prove a remedy or ruine We are now Master Speaker upon that verticall turning point and therefore it is no time to palliate to foment our owne undoing Let us set upon the remedy we must first know the disease But to discover the diseases of the State is according to some to traduce the Government yet others are of opinion That this is the halfe way to the Cure His Majesty is wiser then they that have advised him and therefore he cannot but see and feele their subverting destructive Counsels which speak lowder then I can speak of them for they ring a dolefull deadly knell over the whole Kingdome His Majesty best knowes who they are For us let the matters bolt out the men their actions discover them They are men that talk largely of the Kings Service yet have done none but their owne and that is too evident They speak highly of the Kings power but they have made it a miserable power that produceth nothing but weaknesse both to the King and Kingdome They have exhausted the Kings Revenue to the bottome nay through the bottome and beyond They have spent vast sums of money wastfully fruitlesly dangerously so that more money without other Councels will be but a swift undoing They have alwaies peremptorily pursued one obstinate pernicious course first they bring things to an extremity then they make that extremity of their owne making the reason of their next action seven times worse then the former and there we are at this instant They have almost spoiled the best instituted Government in the world for Soveraignty in a King Liberty to the Subject the proportionable temper of both which makes the happiest State for power for riches for duration They have unmannerly and slubbringly cast all their projects all their machinations upon the King which no wise or good Minister of State ever did but would still take all harsh distastefull things upon themselves to cleare to sweeten their Master They have not suffered His Majesty to appeare unto his people in his owne native goodnesse They have ecclipsed him by their interpositions Although grosse condense bodies may obscure and hinder the Sun from shining out yet he is still the same in his owne splendour And when they are removed all creatures under him are directed by his light comforted by his Beames But they have framed a superstitious seeming Maxime of State for their owne turne That if a King will suffer men to be torne from him he shall never have any good service done him When the plaine truth is That this is the surest way to preserve a King from having ill servants about him and the Divine truth likewise is Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shall be established Master Speaker Now we see what the sores are in generall and when more particulars shall appeare let us be very carefull to draw out the cores of them not to skin them over with a slight suppurating festring cure least they breake out againe into a greater mischiefe Consider of it consult and speake your minds It hath heretofore been boasted That the King should never call a Parliament till he had no need of his people These were words of division and Malignity The King must alwaies according to his occasions have use of the peoples power hearts hands purses The people will alwaies have need of the Kings Clemency Iustice Protection And this reciprocation is the strongest the sweetest union It hath been said too of late That a Parliament will take away more from the King then they will give him It may well be said That those things which will fall away of themselves will enable the Subject to give him more then can be taken any way else Projects and Monopolies are but leaking Conduit-Pipes The Exchequer it selfe at the fullest is but a Cisterne and now a broken one Frequent Parliaments onely are the fountaines and I do not doubt but in this Parliament as we shall be free in our advices so shall we be the more free of our purses that His Majesty may experimentally finde the reall difference of better Councels the true solid grounds of raising and establishing his Greatnesse never to be brought againe by Gods blessing to such dangerous such desperate perplexities Master Speaker I confesse I have now gone in a way much against my nature and somewhat against my custome heretofore used in this place But the deplorable dismall condition both of Church and State have so farre wrought upon my judgement as it hath convinâ—ed my disposition yet am I not vir sanguinum I love no mans ruine I thank God I neither hate any mans person nor envy any mans fortune onely I am zealous of a thorow Reformation in a time that exacts that extorts it Which I humbly beseech this House may be done with as much lenity as much moderation as the publike safety of the King and Kingdome can possibly admit In so great a concurrence of businesse and weighty affaires concerning the safety and the very being of three Kingdomes as farre as the Parliament had leisure to consider and redresse the damages or other injuries of particular persons Their first care was to vindicate distressed Ministers who had been imprisoned or deprived by the Bishops and all others who in the Cause of Religion had been persecuted by them Many of those Ministers within few weeks after the beginning of the Parliament were released from durance and restored to their Charges with damages from their oppressours Many Doctors and other Divines that had been most busie in promoting the late Church
concerning the Earle of Strafford and the Lords had voted him guilty of High Treason upon the â—iâ—teenth Article for leavying of money in Ireland by force of Armes and upon the nineteenth for imposing an Oath upon the Subjects in Ireland That they should not protest against any of the Kings Commands The King at last wearied with these complaints called a Privy Councell at White-Hall where he spent a great part of the day calling also the Judges to deliver their opinions before him concerning the Earle of Strafford and sent for foure Bishops to resolve him upon scruple of conscience After which he granted a Commission to the Earle of Arundell the Lord Privy Seale and the two Lord Chamberlaines to signe that Bill for the execution of the Earle of Strafford three daies after being Wednesday the 12. of May 1641. which was accordingly done upon the Scaffold on Tower Hill This was the unfortunate end of that Earle of Strafford whose character and actions have beene in some manner before described Of whom we may truly say That as his life and Councells had been of great moment and concernment in the State before so did his death and Tryall by unhappy accidents prove to be The divisions and disturbances which his life could make were not greater then those that his death occasioned APPIANUS observes of SYLLA the Dictator That as his living power had rob'd the Romane Senate of their freedome so did his very Funerall Where so many of his old Souldiers and Hacsters followed the solemnity that the Senators who were present durst not with freedome expresse their thoughts of him but were inforced to flatter him dead as well as living How farre the Earle of Strafford did in his life time divide the Kings affections from his People and Parliaments which was part of his Charge I cannot surely tell But certaine it is That his Tryall and death which has made me insist the longer upon it did make such a division in that kinde as being unhappily nourished by degrees afterward has almost ruined the three Kingdomes The length of his Tryall whilest two Armies at an heavy expence were to be paid and other businesse at a great stand did divide some impatient people at least in some degree from the Parliament The manner of his condemnation divided the Parliament in it selfe and the eager pressing of his death did discover or cause a sad division of the King from his Parliament Nine and fifty Members of the House of Commons dissented in Vote from the rest upon the Bill of Attainder Upon which some indiscreet persons for so I must needs esteeme them though it was never knowne who they were or by whose notice it was done the next day set up a paper upon the Exchange with the names of those nine and fifty and a Title over it The names of those men who to save a Traytor would betray their Country They that were thus posted up supposing it to be done or caused by some of their House were much provoked at it many of them growing by degrees dis-affected to the Parliament not all for there were among those dissenting Gentlemen very wise and learned men and upon that unhappy distraction that fell out about a yeere after forsooke the Parliament Upon the same Bill of Attainder the Lord DIGBY made his foresaid Speech which by a Command from the House for he had printed it was to be burnt by the Hangman which was the visible cause of his deserting the Parliament and proving so great an Actor against it as shall hereafter be declared The worst consequence of all was that the Kings heart did upon this occasion appeare to be quite alienated from the Parliament For to prevent the Earle of Straffords death an escape for him out of the Tower was contrived To further which and to curbe the Parliament in other things by force of Armes a great conspiracy was entred into by many Gentlemen of ranke and quality The designe of this conspiracy had many Branches as shall appeare in the Narration The persons of chiefest note in it were Master HENRY PERCY brother to the Earle of Northumberland Master HENRY JERMIN the great Favourite of the Queene to whom he was Master of the horse Master GORING eldest Sonne to the Lord GORING Master WILMOT eldest Sonne to the Lord WILMOT Colonell ASHBURNHAM Captaine POLLARD Sir JOHN SUCKLING ONEALE an Irish man and a Papist with divers others of a more inferiour ranke such as were privy but to some part of the designe For it seemes their Counsells were divided and they not all guilty of the same things as by their severall Examinations upon Oath appeared But that which grieved the hearts of honest men and made them almost despaire of that happinesse which was before hoped for by this Parliament was That they discovered the King himself to be privy to this conspiracy against them which was plainly testified by Colonell Gorings examination as likewise by a Letter Written by Master PERCY to his Brother the Earle of Northumberland where he names the Kings discourses with him and the desire which the King had to joyne such as he thought fit with them The Conspirators had taken an Oath of secrecy among themselves The Report made in Parliament from Committees after the Examination of severall Gentlemen concerning this conspiracy discovered many branches of their designe One was concerning the Tower of London That Soulders should have been put into it For sir JOHN SUCâ—LING and some others of the Conspirators under pretence of raising Forces for the Portugall had gathered men in London who were to possesse themselves of the Tower The Lieutenant Sir WILLIAM BALFORE was commanded by the King himselfe to admit those Souldiers into the Tower But he perceiving that it was a Plot to let the Earle of Strafford escape disobeyed that Command of the Kings as appeared by his Examination In which is likewise specified that the Earle offered 2000. l. in Marriage with his daughter to the Laeutenants Sonne if he would consent to the Earles escape Another branch and that the chiefe of this designe was to bring up the English Army which was in the North as yet undisbanded and to engage it against the Parliament to awe the Houses in diverâ— things concerning the Kings Prerogative and maintaining Episcopacy as Master PERCY signified in the forementioned Letter To joyne with these Forces and strengthen the Plot a French Army was to be landed at Porismouth and that Towne for the same purpose was to be put into Master JERMINS hands The Irish Army consisting of eight thousand almost all Papists when the Earle of Strafford had escaped out of the Tower was to be brought over under his conduct and engaged in the same Service All these things were confessed upon severall Examinations The Parliament were most grieved to finde the King â—o â—arre in it and then re-called to minde how His Majesty on the 28. of Aprill before had told the Houses That
so far break that trust which was râ—posed in them as to 〈◊〉 â—ake their â—ears in Parliament some of them as was râ—poâ—ted invited by Letters from the King and others of their own accord At the revolt of so many members from the Parliament the Kingdom in general began to fear and all that loved the Nations Peace were in an high measure dismayed among whom nothing was to be heard in all meetings and discourses but sad presages of misery to the Kingdom if Almighty God did not in a miraculous way prevent it They concluded that no other way could have been â—ound out to endanger the overthrow of that Parliament which many open attempts and secret conspiracies could not doâ— That as the ruine of England could not in probability be wrought but by it self so the Parliament could not be broken a Prologue to the other but by her own Members and that sentence verified Perditio tua ex te Though the opinions of men differed concerning the censure of those Members while some condemned others in some degree excused them according as affection and private interests did lead them yet concerning the Effects which that Revolt in all probability must produce all rational men concurred in opinion that nothing but Calamity and Ruine could flow from it What else said they can this Revolt do but nourish and increase the King's disaffection to the Parliament What but encourage his distance from it and attempts against it What but secure the Irish Rebels and endanger the losse of that Kingdom cherish Papists obstruct Justice and give impunity to all Delinquents Nothing else had power to undermine and shake the dignity and reverence belonging to that high Court whilst not onely the People by that diminution of their number were perswaded to esteem of it as an imperfect Parliament but the King might take that advantage of it which proved true in his succeeding Declarations and Writings what he never did before as to call them a Faction or pretended Parliament and such like In censuring those Lords and Commons who deserted the Parliament the People as was said before did much differ Some considering how great the number was that many of them were of whole estates of good reputation and able parts began to to think or at least to say that the Parliament was not free enough that those Members which was also their own excuse were curbed by a prevalent faction in the Houses and over-awed by tumults from the City of London Upon that occasion they called to minde in what manner the names of nine and fifty Members of the House of Commons had been posted up at the Exchange for dissenting from the rest about condemning of the Earl of Strafford besides what menacing speeches had been given by rude people to some Lords whom they thought ill-affected Others answered that although such things had been rashly and foolishly done by some unadvised persons yet it could not be feared that any tumults from the Citie would ever violate a Parliament sitting and that the tumultuous appearance of such multitudes from the Citie was rather intended for encouragement and security of the Parliament against such invasions as might be made upon them to aw their just freedom and treacherous Conspiracies which by report were made against them by people disaffected to that high Court which that Plot of bringing the Army against them formerly and late resorts of armed persons about White-hall gave them cause to fear That no fears of danger could be pretended from the House it self against any Member but such as that Member was bound to undergo and suffer rather then betray so great a trust of the people That it was to be presumed no Member of Parliament who was well-affected to his Country could suffer any thing from the house it self whose ends and counsels must needs be supposed to tend to the publike good or else our Ancestours who constituted that Frame of Government were much deceived That it was very improbable the Liberty of Subjects should be violated by that Court which is the onely defence and conserver of it and without which it had always suffered from Princes yea such Princes as were not very wicked They alleadged that it was very dishonourable for those Lords being the greater number to pretend fear for deserting the Parliament for if it were upon a true dislike of any proceedings there they were enow to haved stayed and perchance have cured those inconveniences and too many to have suffered in a good Cause though Honour would command one man alone lawfully called to it to maintain a truth with any hazard On the other side they were too many to flee to encourage the King against his Parliament and thereby soment that dissention which could produce no good effect It was alleadged by many men that some of those Lords were Noble-men of honourable and vertuous repute Though that were not denied nor could any certain signe from the former dâ—meanours of the Lords in general arise to distinguish who were likely to adhere to the Parliament and who to desert it for they were deceived on both sides in some particulars yet certainly it was averred that those Lords whom the people had most especially trusted in as true Patriots proved to be part of those who continued in the House and those whom the people in general distasted or distrusted happened to be among those who upon this occasion forsook the Parliament It was likewise frequently spoken that those Members of the House of Commons who deserted it were men generally of as able parts as any that continued there It was no wonder replied others but very probable that they were such men and such as had or thought they had good parts enough to be looked upon by a Prince for those men though we should esteem them all of equal honesty were likeliest to fall off There is a difference between Wisdom and good Parts such as we count Eloquence Wit polite Learning and the like and that Wisdom which is least adorned with such dresses as these is usually at such times most safe in it self and freest from being corrupted as that Beauty is which is set off with the least witchery of Attire for that Beauty which is curiously decked as it is most subject to be tempted by others so it is most apt to be proud of it self and by consequence to betray it self to such a temptation as is great enough So it hath been often seen in this case as was observed by an old Parliament-man that those Gentlemen of fine parts when other men of a plainer wisedom have had the honour in a constant way to do excellent service for the Common-wealth have been won from their Countrey 's cause as soon as Majestie hath at all vouchsafed to tempt them or that perchance their opinion of themselves hath made them meet or seek such a temptation Besides that danger of invitation from a King it hath been too often known
that men of such parts or that think so of themselves have been apter to take pet and grow angry when any Speech of theirs hath not received that honour which they expected or any other affront hath been offered to them and what such an anger may make proud and ambitious spirits to do even against their own Country and the dictates of their Conscience and Reason the world hath been taught by many examples some of high consequence and very remarkable such as CORIOLANUS the Romane and JULIAN the Spanish General which for the eminence of the persons and extraordinary effects which they wrought in the world must needs fall into Record when the actions of mean and private men are buried in oblivion Besides there are many whose Callings make them capable of easier and greater gratifications from the King then other men as Lawyers and Divines who will therefore be apt to lean that way where the preferment lies Such discourses were frequent in all companies at that time for different affections did at all meetings beget such argumentative language What sense and apprehension the Parliament had of so many Members forsaking their station shall appear anon by a Vote passed in the House of Commons and presented to the Lords by Master DENZIL HOLLLS after some intervening passages have been related Whilst the King encouraged and strengthened by this great accession of reputation to his side pursued his designe of raising Forces in the North the Parliament after that they had on the twentieth of May petiâ—ioned the King to disband such Forces and rely for his security as his Predecessours had done upon the Laws and affections of his People contenting himself with his usual and ordinary Guards declared that otherwise they held themselves bound in duty towards God and the Trust reposed in them by the People and by the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom to employ their care and utmost power to secure the Parliament and preserve the Kingdom 's Peace and immediately it was voted in Parliament and resolved upon the Question That it appears that the King seduced by wicked Counsel intends to make War against the Parliament who in all their consultations and actions have proposed no other end unto themselves but the care of his Kingdoms and the performance of all duty and loyaltie to his Person It was likewise resolved upon the Question 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 As also That whosoever shall serve or assist him in such Wars are Traitours by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom and have been so adjudged in two Acts of Parliament 11 RICH. 2. and 1 HEN. 4 and that such persons ought to suffer as Traitours But those Lords who had forsaken the Parliament continuing still with the King in the Northern parts the Parliament by an Order of the 30 of May summoned nine of them who first had gone away to appear at Westminster viz. the Earls of Northampton Devonshire Dover and Monmouth the Lords HOWARD of Charleton RICH GREY of Ruthen COVENTRY and CAPEL but they utterly refused to come away returning an Answer in writing which the Parliament judged to be a slighting and scornful Letter Upon which a Vote was passed against them in the house of Commons and presented on the 15 of Iune to the Lords by Master HOLLIS with an Oration of his own concerning the importance of the businesse the greatest part of which Speech being here inserted may give light to the Reader concerning the condition of the Kingdom at that time and the judgement of the Houses upon it His Speech began thus My Lords By command of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the house of Commons I come hither to your Lordships in behalf of the Parliament or rather in behalf of the whole Kingdom labouring with much distraction many fears great apprehensions of evil and mischief intended against it and now hatching and preparing by that malignant party which thirsts after the destruction of Religion Laws and Liberty all which are folded up cherished and preserved in the careful bosome of the Parliament It hath ever been the policie of evil Counsellors who are the greatest enemies we have in the world or can have to strike at Parliaments keep off Parliaments break Parliaments or divide Parliaments by making Factions casting in Diversions and Obstructions to hinder and interrupt the proceedings of Parliament all against the Parliament Your Lordships have had experience of this Truth this Parliament a succession of designes upon it First to aw it and take away the freedom of it by the terrour of an Army then to bring Force against it actually to assault it and with the Sword to cut in sunder this onely Band which ties and knits up King and People the People among themselves and the whole frame of this Government in one firm and I hope indissoluble knot of Peace and Unity God diverted those designes did blowe upon them presently another is set upon which was To obstruct and hinder our proceedings that in the mean time the flame of Rebellion might consume the Kingdom of Ireland and distempers distractions and jealousies be somented here at home to tear out the bowels of this Kingdom the Parliament being disabled from helping it by occasion of so many diversions so much businesse cut out unto it many obstructions and difficulties especially that great one from whence all the rest receive countenance and support his Majestie 's absenting himself not concurring with us and so withdrawing both his presence and influence by which means such remedies could not be applied as were necessary and what was done was done with infinite trouble to the Parliament and excessive charge to the Subject double treble what otherwise would have served the turn So the Subject is grieved and oppressed with charge and the blame of all is laid upon the Parliament and the Parliament unjustly said to be the cause of all these Evils which the authors of them had made so great and so confirmed and secured by the frequent interruptions of the Parliament that they could not suddenly nor easily be suppressed or removed Well by God's infinite blessing the Parliament was in a fair possibility to wade thorow this likewise and though the Night had been black and stormy some Day began to appear miraculously our Armies have prospered in Ireland and God be praised the malevolent practices of these Vipers at home as they appeared were in some sort mastered and the Parliament began to act and operate towards the setling of the great Affairs both of Church and State and providing for the defence and safety of this Kingdom against either forraign Invasion or any striving of the disaffected party among themselves Then three ways are together assayed for the weakning and invalidating the proceeding and power of the Parliament and
gone down to take possession of the Navie and therefore called a Councel of War acquainting them all both with the Ordinance of Parliament and the King's Letters But the Earl himself was swayed in conscience to give obedience rather to the Ordinance of Parliament and the reason of it himself gives in a Letter directed to a Lord of the House When I considered saith he the great care which I have seen in the Parliaments of this Kingdom for the good and safety both of King and Kingdom and every man's particular in them and that they are the great Councel by whose authority the Kings of England have ever spoken to their Subjects I was resolved to continue in this employment until I shall be revoked by that Authority that hath intrusted me with it Most of the Captains took up unanimously the same resolution that the Earl did excepting five which were the Râ—â—â—-Admiral Captain FOGGE Captain BAILY Captain Sâ—INGSBY and Captain WAKE who alleadged that they had the King's Command to obey Sir JOHN PENINGTON whom he had appointed Admiral in stead of the Earl of Northumberland These five had gotten together round to make defence against the Earl but he came to Archor about them and having begiâ—â— them summoned them again upon which three of them came in and submitted two onely Captain Sâ—INGSBY and Captain WAKE stood out The Earl let 〈◊〉 a Gun over them and turned up the Glasse upon them sending his Boat and most of the Boats in the 〈◊〉 to let them know their danger if they came not within that space But so peremptory was their answer that the Masters and Sailors grew impatient and although they had no Arms assaulted them seized upon those Captains being armed with their Pistols and swords strook their Yards and Top-masts and brought them to the Faâ—l Thus by the wonderful courage of these unarmed men the businesse was ended without eâ—â—usion of any blood when the Earl was ready to give fire upon them Within few days after another addition of strength was brought to the Earl of Warwick by an accident A great and strong ship of the King 's called The Lion putting to Sea from Holland and bound for Newcastle being much distressed with soul weather was driven into the Downs Captain FOXE who commanded that ship saluted the Earl of Warwick who presently acquainted the Captain with the Ordinance of Parliament whereby his Lordship had commanded of those ships requiring his submission thereunto The Captain at first refused to yeeld obedience to the Ordinance and thereupon was presently clapt in hold but all his Officers in the ship submitted themselves and strook their Sails and Top-yards in token of obedience to the said Ordinance This ship was very considerable carrying two and fourty great Pieces of brasse Ordnance besides a little Vessel laden with Gun-powder of a great value was taken also together with this ship The Earl was informed by some of her men that young Prince RUPERT and Prince MAURICE with divers other Commanders intended to have come from Holland in this ship the Lion But after three days and three nights storm at Sea those two Princes in a sick and weak condition landed again in Holland The King hearing of the surprisal of the Lion sent a Messenger to the Earl of Warwick to demand her again with all the goods therein and that she should be brought to Scarborough But the Earl returned an Answer to this effect that the Parliament had intrusted him with the Care of the Fleet and that that ship was a part thereof therefore he humbly besought his Majestie to pardon him for without their consent he might not part with her and that he knew of no goods within her belonging to his Majestie But leaving the Earl of Warwick to his Sea-employments it is time to return to those warlike Levies and Preparations which were made by Land for now the fatal time was come when those long and tedious Paper-conflicts of Declarations Petitions and Proclamations were turned into actual and bloody Wars and the Pens seconded by drawn swords On the twelfth of Iuly 1642 the Parliament voted that an Army should be raised for the safety of the King's Person and defence of the Parliament for so they called it desiring to joyn together what seemed to be at so great a distance and enmity The Earl of Essex was by a great and unanimous consent of both Houses chosen General of that Army and of all Forces raised for the Parliament with whom they protested to live and die in that Cause The Earl of Essex was a Gentleman of a noble and most untainted reputation of undoubted loyalty to his Country and Prince having always what course soever the Court steered served in an honourable way the right Interest of the English Nation and the Protestant Religion and to that end had formerly engaged himself in the Palatine War and service of the Netherland United Provinces insomuch as at this time when they sought a Lord to undertake the high charge of commanding in chief there seemed to be no choice at all but we may say of this Election as PATERCULUS did of another Non quaerendus erat quem eligerent sed eligendus qui eminebat The Parliament at that time were very able to raise Forces and arm them well by reason of the great masse of Money and Plate which to that purpose was heaped up in Guild-hall and daily increased by the free Contribution of those that were well-affected to the Parliament Cause where not onely the wealthiest Citizens and Gentlemen who were neer-dwellers brought in their large bags and goblets but the poorer sort like that widow in the Gospel presented their mites also insomuch that it was a common Jeer of men disaffected to the Cause to call it the Thimble and Bodk in-Army The Earl of Essex was very careful and industrious in raising of his Army in which he desired to have as great a Body of Horse as could conveniently be gotten by reason that he conceived his chief work was to seek out the King's Forces and prevent their spoiling of the Country and disarming several Counties to furnish themselves And indeed his Forces considering the long Peace of England and unreadinesse of Arms were not onely raised but well armed in a short time Many of the Lords who then sate in the House of Peers besides those Lords who went into divers Counties to settle the Militia and therefore raised Forces for safety of those several Places listed themselves in the Lord General 's Army and took Commissions as Colonels the Lord ROBERTS the Lord SAINT-JOHN eldest son to the Earl of Bullenbrook the Lord of Rochford eldest son to the Earl of Dover and many Gentlemen of the House of Commons of greatest tank and quality there took Commissions for Horse and Foot-service in that Army of whom these were some Sir JOHN MERRICK who was made Serjeant-Major-General of that Army the Lord GREY of Grooby son to the
they came back on the left hand of their Enemies Sir PHILIP STAPLETON with his Horse gave them a terrible Charge which they were not long able to indure but finding a gap in an hedge got from him upon the Spurre as fast as they could to the rest of their broken Troops and so at last joyned with their Foot that stood by the Ordinance And now on both sides the Horse were gathered to their own Foot and so stood together both Horse and Foot one against another till it was night The Parliament Army being wholly possessed of the ground which their Enemies had chosen to fight upon stood upon it all night and in the morning returned to a warmer place neere Keynton where they had quartered the night before for they were much pinched with cold and the whole Army in extreme want of Victuals The Kings Army had withdrawne to the top of the hill for their more security where they made great fires all the night long About nine of the clock the next morning the Parliament Army drew out againe into Battalia and so stood about three houres untill the other Army was quite gone from the hill and then they withdrew themselves into their Quarter towards Keynton and to their other Brigado Artillery and Ammunition which being commanded by Colonell HAMBDEN and Colonell GRANTHAM as aforesaid was now come to Keynton and lodged there The King had drawne out his Horse upon the further side of the hill where he stayed till toward night whilest his Foot were retiring behinde the Hill and marching away A little before night his Horse also withdrew themselves and about an houre after the Parliament Horse marched quite away and went with the rest of the Army to Warwick to refresh themselves That going to Warwick was thought by a noble Gentleman of the Parliament side to be ill designed For saith he had the Army instead of going to Warwick marched toward Banbury we should have found more Victuals and had in probability dispersed all the Foot of the Kings Army taken his Canons and Carriages and sent his Horse farther off whereas now because we did not follow them though they quitted the field whereon they fought and left their Quarter before us yet they began soone after to question who had the day Howsoever it were true it is that the King no lesse then the Parliament pretended to be victorious in that Battell and so farre ascribed the Victory to his owne side that a Prayer of thanksgiving to God was made at Oxford for it A thanksgiving was also on the Parliament side for the Victory of that day And it is certaine that there were many markes of Victory on both Armies Colours and Canon were taken on both sides without any great difference of the number of them And though in Speeches made afterwards by either Party and Bookes printed there is no consent at all concerning the number of men slain but so great a discrepancy as it is almost a shame to insert into an History yet surely by the best account there were more slaine on the Kings side then on the other Those of quality that were lost on both Parties were of the Kings the Earle of Lindsey Lord Generall of his Army the Lord AUBIGNY brother to the Duke of Lenox Sir EDWARD VARNEY Standard-Bearer Colonell Sir EDMUND MONROY a Scottish Gentleman and Colonell LUNSFORD his Brother with other Gentlemen and Commanders besides Common Souldiers whose number as is before said would not be agreed upon yet I have heard that the Country people thereabouts by burying of the naked bodies found the number to be about six thousand that fell on both sides besides those which died afterwards of their wounds There were taken Prisoners of the Kings side the Lord WILLOUGHBY Sonne and Heire to the Earle of Lindsey Colonell VAVASOR Colonell LUNSFORD Sir EDWARD STRADLING with others of lesse note a George the Badge of a Knight of the Garter was found in the field by a Common Souldier besides that which the Lord Generall Lindsey wore and had about his neck when he was slaine and bought of him by a Captaine which was sent up to the Parliament there viewed and restored againe to the Captaine On the Parliament side were slaine onely these of marke and quality the Lord St. JOHN eldest Sonne to the Earle of BULLENBROOKE Colonell CHARLES ESSEX and Lieutenant Colonell RAMSEY and none of any great note taken Prisoners The Battell was fought with great courage on both sides both by the Generals and other Commanders besides some particular Regiments of Souldiers who were observed to performe their parts with great courage and bravery such as Colonell HOLLIS his Regiment of Redcoats and others too many to be all named in a short Discourse It could not but fall into the observation of many men that the yeare before upon the same day of the Moneth namely the 23. of October that this famous Battell of Keynton was fought the bloody Rebellion of the Irish broke out with that inhumane Massacre of the English Protestants in that Kingdom where the English by their owne losse and bleeding were sadly put in minde that they had too long deferred the revenge of their butchered Brethren in Ireland It was likewise observed by many men of the Parliament side who seemed to make no question but that the Victory was on their side as a further blessing of God to the Protestant Cause that on the very same day that this Battell was wonne in England the Sweads obtained a very great and notable Victory against the Imperialists and those of the Roman Religion in Germany But the King supposing himselfe victorious at Keyntonâ—ield â—ield immediately published a Declaration To all his loving Subjects for so it is stiled after his Victory against the Rebels Wherein though the expostulation be very bitter yet he indeavoureth that it should not seeme to be made against the Parliament it selfe but against some of them whom he termeth malignant malicious with such like Epithites as have laboured to lay aspersions upon him of things whereof he professeth himselfe altogether innocent Those aspersions he makes of two sorts the first is concerning his favouring of Popery and imploying Papists in his Army the second of raising that Army against the Parliament Both which he labours to wipe off with a recrimination against the Parliament For the first after a great Protestation of the truth of his Religion and his past present and future care for the better establishing of it in his Dominions with the extirpation of Popery though he cannot but acknowledge that some eminent men of that Religion are armed in his Service which he thinks excusable in so gteat a necessity and danger as he was in yet he tells the Parliament That in their Army there are more Papists Commanders and others then in his For the second That he leavyed his Army against the Parliament He seemeth to hope That none of his good Subjects will beleeve
effect of that verball Skirmish which immediately followed the great and bloody Battell of Keynton CHAP. II. The Parliament send to the King concerning an Accommodation A fight at Branford Another Treaty with the King begun and broken off Reading besieged by the Lord Generall ESSEX and surrendred to him A Conspiracy to betray Bristoll A treacherous Plot against the Parliament and City of London discovered and prevented AT the famous Battell of Edgehill the great cause of English Liberty with a vast expence of blood and Treasure was tryed but not decided which did therefore prove unhappy even to that side which seemed victorious the Parliament Army For though the Kings Forces were much broken by it yet his strength grew accidentally greater and more formidable then before to whom it proved a kinde of victory not to be easily or totally overthrowne For the greatest Gentlemen of divers Counties began then to consider of the King as one that in possibility might prove a Conquerour against the Parliament and many of them who before as Neuters had stood at gaze in hope that one quick blow might cleare the doubt and save them the danger of declaring themselves came now in and readily adhered to that side where there seemed to be least feares and greatest hopes which was the Kings Party for on the Parliament side the incouragements were onely publike and nothing promised but the free injoyment of their native Liberty no particular honours preferments or Estates of Enemies and on the other side no such totall ruine could be threatned from a victorious Parliament being a body as it were of themselves as from an incensed Prince and such hungry followers as usually go along with Princes in those waies And how much private interest will oversway publike nations Books of History rather then Philosophy will truly informe you for concerning humane actions and dispositions there is nothing under the Sunne which is absolutely new Looke upon the Discourse of one Historian in that subject DION CASSIUS a Writer of as little bias in the opinion of all Criticks as any among the Antients when he relates the last Warre about Roman Liberty after which as himselfe speaks that People never againe looked back toward it Which was the Warre of BRUTUS and CASSIUS against CAESAR and ANTONY Etsi ante hanc pugnam civilibus bellis c. Although saith DION before this War they had many Civill Wars yet in others they fought who should oppresse the Roman Liberty in this War one side fought to vindicate Liberty the other to bring in Tyranny yet the side of Tyranny prevailed and drew most to it Of what quality they were the same Historian speaks also The Armies of BRUTUS and CASSIUS that stood for Liberty consisted of the lower sort of people and Ex subditis Romanorum the other that stood for Tyranny consisted saith he Ex Romanis Nobilibus Fortibus BRUTUS and CASSIUS two chiefe Souldiers before the Battell making Orations incouraged them to fight for their ancient freedome and Roman Laws CAESAR and ANTONY promised to their Souldiers the Estates of their Enemies Et imperium in omnes Gentiles suos and power to rule over their owne Countrymen which proved it seemes better Oratory then the other and more perswasive BRUTUS and CASSIUS delayed the Battell as loath to waste so much blood if by any other stratagem they might have subdued because they were saith DION good men and pittyed their Countrymen loving the safety and striving for the Liberty even of those men who fought against them to overthrow that Liberty Yet that delay proved ill and many Noblemen in that time forsooke them and turned to the other side whither their private hopes or feares led them Whether the parrallel will in some measure fit this occasion or not I leave it to the Reader and returne to the Narration The Earle of Essex the next day after Keynton Battell marched with his Army toward Warwick to which Towne he arrived safe disposing of the Prisoners Waggons and Ordnance which he had taken into that Castle with resolution after some short refreshment of his men there to march neerer to the King But the King returned toward Oxford seizing by the way upon Banbury from whence he tooke 1500. Armes and turned out the Parliament Souldiers that were quartered there His Army consisting especially of Horse was divided into severall Bodyes and Prince RUPERT with part of it visited the Towns neere adjacent as Abingdon Henley and other places from whence he returned with great booty Within few daies he made a neerer approach toward London but with a flying Army resting in no place sometimes as farre as Stanes and Egham which made the City of London carefull to provide for their safety against sudden incursions and send Forces to possesse and fortifie Windsor Castle In the meane time to secure London and free those parts from greater feares the Earle of Essex had marched with his Army neerer to that City and on the seventh day of November came himselfe to Westminster his Army being billitted about Acton and other neere places and was welcomed by both Houses of Parliament who presented him with a gift of 5000 l. as an acknowledgement of their thanks in behalfe of the Kingdome for his care paines and valour in the actions already passed But before the Earle of Essex departed from London another bloody tragedy was acted and the scene no farther then Brainford about eight miles distance the King himselfe being there or not farre off in Person The manner and occasion of it shall be in briefe related The Parliament expressing great griefe for this unnaturall Warre and bloodshed that this indangered Kingdome might be saved from ruine and the better meanes made to recover Ireland had agreed upon a Petition for Accommodation to be presented to the King then at Colebrooke by the Earles of Northumberland and Pembrooke with foure Commons the Lord WAINMAN Master PERPOINT Sir JOHN EVELIN and Sir JOHN IPSLEY Sir PETER KILLIGREW was sent before to procure a safe Conduct But the King refused to admit of Sir JOHN EVELYN because he was one whom himselfe had named Traytor the day before Which exception of the Kings was extremely distasted by the Parliament yet so great was their desire of Accommodation that although this excepting of Sir JOHN EVELIN were voted by them a breach of Priviledge and a flat denyall from the King the Petition was sent by the five forenamed Lords and Gentlemen Sir JOHN EVELIN being very willing to be left out The King being then at Colebrooke fifteene miles distant seemed to receive the Petition with great willingnesse and returned them a faire Answer calling God to witnesse in many Protestations that he was tenderly compassionate of his bleeding people and more desirous of nothing then a speedy peace to which purpose he was most willing at any place where he should reside not farre from London to receive such Propositions of Peace as they should send
it long before the Lords upon reasons shewed concurred with the House of Commons who about the beginning of Iuly presented to the Lords at a Conference the Votes Which had before passed in their House together with the reasons for making of a new Great Seale The Votes were these Resolved upon the Question June 14. 26. 1. THat the Great Seale of England ought to attend the Parliament 2. That the absence of it hath been a cause of great mischiefe to the Common-wealth 3. That a remedy ought to be provided for these mischiefs 4. That the proper remedy is by making a new Great Sale The reasons which they gave were divided into two branches The first declaring those mischiefes which were occasioned by conveying away the Great Seale from the Parliament The second expressing those inconveniences and mischiefes which proceeded from the want of the Great Seale with them The reasons of the first kinde were thus 1. It was secretly and unlawfully carried away by the Lord Keeper contrary to the duty of his place who ought himselfe to have attended the Parliament and not to have departed without leave nor should have been suffered to convey away the Great Seale if his intentions had been discovered 2. It hath been since taken away from him and put into the hands of other dangerous and ill-affected persons so as the Lord Keeper being sent unto by the Parliament for the sealing of some Writs returned answer That he could not Seale the same because he had not the Seale in his keeping 3. Those who have had the managing thereof have imployed it to the hurt and destruction of the Kingdome many waies as by making new Sheriffes in an unusuall and unlawfull manner to be as so many Generals or Commanders of Forces raised against the Parliament by issuing out illegall Commissions of Array with other unlawfull Commissions for the same purpose By sending sorth Proclamations against both Houses of Parliament and severall Members thereof proclaiming them Traytors against the Priviledges of Parliament and Laws of the Land By sealing Commission of Oyer and Terminer to proceed against them and other of His Majesties good Subjects adhering to the Parliament as Traytors By sending Commissions into Ireland to treat a peace with the Rebels there contrary to an Act of Parliament made this Session Besides divers other dangerous Acts passed under it since it was secretly conveyed away from the Parliament whereby great calamities and mischiefes have ensued to the prejudice of the Kingdome Mischiefes arising through want of the Great Seale 1. The Termes have been adjourned the course of Justice obstructed 2. No originall Writs can be sued forth without going to Oxford which none who holds with the Parliament can do without perill of his life or Liberty 3. Proclamations in Parliament cannot issue out for bringing in Delinquents impeached of High Treason or other crimes under paine of forfeiting their Estates according to the ancient course 4. No Writs of Errour can be brought in Parliament to reverse erroneous judgements nor Writs of Election sued out for chusing new Members upon death or removall of any whereby the number of the Members is much lessened and the Houses in time like to be dissolved if speedy supply be not had contrary to the very Act for continuance of this Parliament 5. Every other Court of Justice hath a peculiar Seale and the Parliament the Supreme Court of England hath no other but the Great Seale of England which being kept away from it hath now no Seale at all and therefore a new Seale ought to be made 6. This Seale is Clavis Regni and therefore ought to be resident with the Parliament which is the representative Body of the whole Kingdome whilest it continues sitting the King as well as the Kingdom being alwaies legally present in it during the Session thereof The Lords upon these reasons concurred with the House of Commons and order was given that a new Great Seale should forthwith be made which was accordingly done It should seeme the King was not well pleased with this action of the Parliament as appeared by what was done at Oxford above a yeare after when the King assembled together the Lords which were with him and all those Gentlemen that had been Members of the House of Commons and had deserted the Parliament at Westminster whom the King called his Parliament at Oxford and propounded many things for them to debate upon amongst which it was taken into debate and resolved upon the Question by that Assembly at Oxford That this very action which they stile counterfeiting the Great Seale was Treason and the whole Parliament at Westminster eo facto guilty of High Treason But this was passed at Oxford long after of which occasion may be to speak further hereafter But at the time when the Parliament made their new Great Seale the people stood at gaze and many wondered what might be the consequence of so unusuall a thing Some that wholly adhered to the Parliament and liked well that an action so convenient and usefull to the present state was done by them looked notwithstanding upon it as a sad marke of the Kingdomes distraction and a signe how irreconcileable the difference might grow betweene the Parliament and the Kings Person For the legality or justnesse of making of the Seale there was little dispute or argument among those who were not disaffected to the Parliament and though there were no direct or plaine precedent for it for the case of a Kings being personally in Warre against the Parliament sitting was never before yet by comparison with other times when the necessities of State have required such a thing it was not onely allowed but thought requisite I do not know of any thing written against it by any Lawyers or other of the Kings Party but Master PRYNNE a learned Lawyer and great Antiquary of the Parliament side hath written a copious discourse in justification of it both by arguments of reason and many neere-resembling precedents of former times called The opening of the Great Seale of England which is extant to be read by any that would be satisfied what power from time to time Parliaments have challenged and been allowed over that Seale both in making of it in the infancy or absence of Princes and disposing of it in the dotage or wilfulnesse of others But before this businesse was fully concluded another thing which seemed as great a signe how wide the rent was growne fell into debate in the House of Commons Some time was spent in consultation about it and much arguing on both sides The matter was about charging the Queene of High Treason To that purpose many Articles of an high nature were drawne up against her some of them were That she had pawned the Crowne Jewels in Holland That she had raised the Rebellion in Ireland That she had indeavoured to raise a Party in Scotland against the Parliament That she had gone in the head of
the Lord WILMOT totally routed and forced into Bristoll The Lord Generall intending at the first report of this newes to have marched himselfe for relieving of the West upon more particular information that Sir WILLIAM WALLERS Forces were so farre broken that no assistance at all could be given by them was inforced to desist from that enterprize considering also that his owne Army was shrunke through the continuall increase of violent sicknesse want of pay clothing and other necessaries to a most unconsiderable number he resolved to proceed no further nor to ingage that weake Army to the ruine of it selfe and danger of the Kingdome especially since the Forces of the Associated Counties could not with safety be commanded so farre from home He therefore returned toward London quartering that poore remainder of an Army at Kingston upon Thames and other places neere adjacent In this distressed condition I must a while leave that great Generall untill some few weekes time shall recruit his power and enable him to make that famous and honourable expedition to the reliefe of Gloucester So great at this time were the successes which in all parts crowned the Kings Armies that they seemed to possesse an absolute Victory and the Parliament in probability quite ruined on one side the Lord Generals Army mouldered away by long sicknesse and other wants the long successefull Sir WILLIAM WALLER quite broken in the West and about the same time the Lord FAIRFAX and his Sonne Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX though reserved by divine Providence for a transcendent height of honour in the future with all the Gentlemen almost which served the Parliament in those Northerne parts being defeated by the Earle of Newcastle and the Lord FAIRFAX with his Sonne driven into the Towne of Hull On the other side the Kings Armies were full and strong Sir RALPH HOPTON whom for his valour and industry the King had honoured with the Title of a Baron was possessed of a gallant Army in the West and seemed to want nothing so much as a considerable Enemy the Kings other Forces were free to chuse what stage they pleased to act their parts upon Prince RUPERT was sent to besiege Bristoll where Colonell NATHANIEL FIENNES second Sonne to the Viscount SAY was Governour which City in this low ebbe of the Parliament could not long hold out but was soone delivered â—o the Prince a place of as much concernment as any in the Kingdome Prince MAURICE with another Army came to besiege the City of Excester into which the Earle of Stamford was retreated after his defeat at Stretton in Cornwall a Nobleman who had long strugled with various successe and in sharpe encounters against Sir RALPH HOPTON and other Commanders of the Kings side in those Westerne Counties ruined at last by the treacherous revolt of some who had taken the same cause with him at the first This City was likewise after a long siege for want of supplies delivered upon Articles to the Prince that besieged it But the great cloud which not onely overshadowed the Parliament in the North but threatned to powre out stormes upon parts farre remote was the Earle of Newcastle with his mighty Army who was growne formidable to the Associated Counties and many other places of the Kingdome His Army was at that time the greatest of any in England which he maintained in brave equipage by large Contributions inforced from the Country and seemed of strength enough not onely to master any opposition of English Forces but to serve as a Bulwarke against the greatest Army which the Kingdome of Scotland could be able to send in aid of the English Parliament For the Parliament had then sent into Scotland for the brotherly assistance of that Kingdom and agreed upon entring into a Covenant with them for defence of Religion and the common Liberty of both Nations It pleased the Divine Providence whose workings are many times beyond the reach of humane conjectures that this strong Army before the entrance of the Scots found an Enemy in England worthy of their feare and were by the personall valour and successefull conduct of Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX who seemed lately in a low condition so farre broken together with other defeats given to parts of it sent abroad that the passage for the Scots into England was much facilitated as shall hereafter appeare in more particular But it is worthy consideration and therefore cannot but deserve a mention with what unwearied constancy and wondrous magnanimity the two FAIRFAXES Father and Sonne did labour to preserve those Northerne parts for the Parliament especially observing what great Enemies they dealt withall how many unexpected disadvantages happened to them and accessions of power to their Foes at severall times which though it cannot be here related with full circumstances or particulars yet may be touched in a generall way The Lord FAIRFAX ever since that there was any appearance of this unhappy Warre and that the Kings Commission of Array began to justle with the Parliaments Ordinance of Militia had been very industrious in raising strength and joyned himselfe most unanimously in that cause with Sir JOHN HOTHAM and his Sonne Master JOHN HOTHAM a Member also of the House of Commons and a Gentleman not onely active but prosperous whilest he continued faithfull to that side which he had chosen And since the Warre broke out into action the Lord FAIRFAX either singly by himselfe or some times joyned with Master HOTHAM had taken and fortified many Townes and Forts for the Parliament and made many sharpe and fierce encounters against potent Enemies The Earle of Cumberland who was first made Lord Lieutenant of Yorkeshire by the King was not able to suppresse them nor scarce maintaine the Warre against that power which they had raised Maugre whose Forces they tooke and fortified Cawood Castle and the Towne of Selby in the Moneth of October 1642. and surprised presently after the Towne of Leedes where part of the Earles Forces were quartered of whom they tooke divers Prisoners Knights and Gentlemen of good quality one of which was Sir GEORGE DETHERICK together with his whole Troope The Earle of Cumberland himselfe within few daies after was driven into the City of Yorke and there besieged and summoned by the Lord FAIRFAX and Master HOTHAM which happened about the same time that the famous Battell between the King and the Lord Generall Essex was fought at Keynton But the Earle of Newcastle with a greater force entred into Yorke whilest the Lord FAIRFAX and Captaine HOTHAM lay not farre off who notwithstanding his great strength when he marched out of Yorke was encountered by them at Tadcaster upon the 7. of December the Fight or severall Skirmishes continuing about five houres in which the Parliament Forces did so well take their advantages that they slew as was reported to the Parliament 200 of the Earles men with the losse of eight Souldiers of their owne of whom Captaine LISTER was one whose death was much lamented in the
Country being esteemed a brave and religious man After severall Skirmishes the Parliament Army had the fortune to make a faire retreat to Cawood Castle and Selby and leave all to the Earle whose Forces were reported to be about eight thousand Horse and Foot the Lord FAIRFAX and Captaine HOTHAM having not above 2100. Foot and seven Troops of Horse their number had bin greater if Sir HUGH CHOLMELY and Colonell BAINTON with their Regiments of Foot and two Troops of Horse who were expected had accordingly come in to them The Earle of Newcastle was now growne not only master of the field there but formidable to all the adjacent Counties who did therefore implore aid from the Parliament The Parliament upon that occasion hastened the Association of those Counties which lay neerer to them that they might be the more able to supply their remoter friends The Kings side received then an addition of strength in the North by the landing of Colonell GORING at Newcastle with 200. Commanders from Holland and other Provisions for the Warre The Earle of Newcastle marching from Tadcaster surprised Leedes in which Towne he tooke many Gentlemen Prisoners and forced them to ransome themselves at high rates whereby he was further enabled to pay his great Army Then also he gave Commissions to Papists in that Country to arme themselves in the Kings Service which he justified by writings published upon that occasion and at the same time proclaimed the Lord FAIRFAX Traytor The Lord FAIRFAX notwithstanding marched with such Forces as he had gotten together and proved successefull in divers attempts against severall parts of the Earle of Newcastles Forces one of them happening at Sherburne between Tadcaster and Doncaster and another at Bradford against a party of the Earle of Newcastles Army under the conduct of Colonell GORING Colonell EVERS Sir WILLIAM SAVILE and Sir JOHN GOTHERICK who came with a good strength of Horse and Dragoneers to surprize on a sudden that Towne of Bradford but were by Forces timely sent to the reliefe of it forced to retire with some losse which though it were not a Victory against Colonell GORING and the rest may notwithstanding be termed a successefull Action in being able to repell an Enemy too potent for them in all probability CHAP. IV. Some Actions of Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX in the North. The Queene lands in England The revolt of Sir HUGH CHOLMELY and the two HOTHAMS The state of this Warre in the Westerne parts The condition of the Associated Counties A short relation of Sir WILLIAM WALLER his Actions of Colonell CROMWELL Sir WILLIAM BRERETON and Sir JOHN GELL GReat were the atchievements of Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX in that moneth of Ianuary and the following February for no season of the yeare nor stormes of winter could quench the rage of this Civill Fire Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX on the 23. of Ianuary 1642. marched from Bradford six miles distant from Loedes with six Troops of Horse and three Companies of Dragoones under the command of Sir HENRY FOULIS Baronet his Lieutenant Generall of his Horse and neere 1000. Musqueteers with 2000. Clubmen under the Command of Sir WILLIAM FAIRFAX Colonell and Lieutenant Generall of the Foot When Sir THOMAS approached the Town of Leeds he dispatched a Trumpeter to Sir WILLIAM SAVILE Commander in chiefe there under the Earle of Newcastle requiring the Towne to be delivered to him for the King and Parliament But receiving a resolute and seeming-scornefull answer from Sir WILLIAM SAVILE he drew neerer and prepared to make an Assault though there were great strength in the Towne namely 1500 Foot and 500. Horse and Dragoones with two Brasse Sakers Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX drew out five Companies of his most expert Souldiers whom he disposed of at a fit side of the Town under the command of Major FORBES Captaines BRIGGS LEE FRANKE and PALMER Sir WILLIAM FAIRFAX at the head of his Regiment and the face of the Enemy stormed the Town with great skill and courage whilest Major FORBES did the like in his place and Sir THOMAS himselfe every where encouraging and teaching valour by his owne example brought on his men so that after two houres of hot fight though the besieged behaved themselves well the Towne was entred by Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX Sir WILLIAM FAIRFAX and Sir HENRY FOWLES on one side and Major FORBES with his fellow Captaines on the other They toooke within the Towne their two Brasse Sakers with good store of Armes and Ammunition foure Colours and 500. Prisoners among whom were six Commanders The Common Souldiers upon taking of an Oath never to fight in this cause against the King and Parliament were set at liberty and suffered to depart but without their Arms. There were slaine about forty men of which number the besieged lost the greater halfe Serjeant Major BEAMONT indeavouring in the flight to save his life by crossing the River so lost it being drowned therein and Sir WILLIAM SAVILE himselfe crossing in flight the same River hardly escaped the same fate Publike thanksgiving to Almighty God was given at London for this Victory Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX with his victorious Forces immediately marched to another Quarter of the Earle of Newcastles Army at Wakefield from whence the chiefe Commander Sir GEORGE WENTWORTH sled and left it to him Not long after he marched to Tadcaster at whose approach the Earles Forces though a considerable number fled away and forsooke their Workes From that time scarce any one fortnight of all the following Spring passed without some remarkable addition of strength to the Kings side in those Northerne parts In February Generall KING a Scottish Commander of great experience in Military affaires came out of Holland landed at Newcastle joyned himselfe with the Earle of Newcastle and passed to Yorke with 6000. Armes In the same Moneth also the Queene landing from Holland neere to Sunderland with great Provision of Armes and Ammunition and many Commanders of note in her Retinew was convoyed by the Earle of Newcastle to the City of Yorke The Earle of Montrosse about the same time a young Lord of great esteeme in Scotland who before in the Scottish Warre as is there mentioned had shewed himselfe one of the most active and zealous Covenanters of that Nation forsooke his Party there and with the Lord OGLESBY fled out of Scotland with 120. Horse to the Queene at Yorke Upon which both those Lords were proclaimed at Edenburgh Traytors to their King and Country for that contrary to their Covenant they stole out of Scotland to assist the Popish Army for so they called that of the Earle of Newcastles against the Parliament of England Another great wound to the Parliament not long after was the revolt of Sir HUGH CHOLMELY a Member of the House of Commons and one that had carried a good esteeme among them who had before as is already mentioned been imployed by the Parliament as a Commissioner in the North together with the Lord FAIRFAX and Sir PHILIP STAPLETON and was
ESSEX his Army was so much wasted by sicknesse and other distresses that he could not at all straiten Oxford nor hinder any Forces from issuing thence under the conduct of the Lord VVILMOT was utterly defeated scattered and ruined as was before mentioned He himselfe for security at the present retired into the City of Bristoll from whence within few daies he rode accompanied with some Gentlemen toward London and was there received with great affection and many promises of their best indeavour to set him forth with another Army The Kings Forces seemed now to have done the greatest part of their worke being in a manner sole Masters of the VVest and most Northerne Counties of England and having ruined the Lord FAIRFAX and Sir WILLIAM WALLERS Armies Yet in all Counties the fortune was not alike in many places those Gentlemen which adhered to the Parliament were able not onely to guard themselves but get ground upon their enemies though those actions were for the most part performed in skirmishes between small parties in preserving their owne strengths or taking Townes from the other side such as had been in Cheshire Lancashire Staffordshire Derby Leicester Notingham and other places which I shall briefly touch anon after I have related in how contrary a condition to the North and West which had beene the seat of a fierce warre and a prey to the greatest and most potent Armies of either side and how much happier then those other Counties which had beene alwayes molested with Alarms and Skirmishes and suffered by pillaging on both Parties the Easterne Counties of England had remained all the foregoing VVinter and continued so during the whole progresse of this bloody VVarre which were the Counties of Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge Essex Hartford Huntingdon c. who never were made the seat of any part of this civill VVarre These parts of the Kingdome had joyned themselves in an Association by Authority of Parliament with power to defened each other and leavy Forces against all enemies to that cause this great happinesse of peace and quiet that they enjoyed may be supposed to flow from the unanimity of their affections which carried them all the same way and true it is that there was as much unanimity of opinion and affection in those Counties among the people in generall as was to be found in any part of England but it was especially among the common people for a great and considerable number of the Gentry and those of highest ranke among them were dis-affected to the Parliament and were not sparing in their utmost indeavours to promote the Kings Cause and assist his Force against it which might have throwne those Countries if not wholly carried them to the other side into as much distraction and sad calamity as any other part of the Land had felt nor could that Association have been possibly made if those Gentlemen had not been curbed and suppressed by that timely care which the Parliament tooke and more particularly by the successfull services of one Gentleman Master OLIVER CROMWEL of Huntington a Member of the House of Commons whose wisdome valour and vigilancy was no lesse availeable in this important businesse then remarkable afterwards in the highest services and greatest battels of the whole Warre Of this mans Actions because it pleased God to raise him afterward into the greatest commands and prosper in so high a measure all his undertakings that he became within few yeares one of the chiefe props on which the Parliament leaned and greatest scourges of the other sid let it not seeme amisse if I discourse in a continued Serâ—es during those Moneths that intervened the Battell of Keynton and that low ebbe of the Parliament which preceded the siege of Gloucester The first Action that CROMWELL undertooke was to secure the Towne of Cambridge for the Parliament about the middle of January Universities were of all places most apt to adhere to the Kings party esteeming Parliaments and especially this the greatest depressors of that Ecclesiasticall Dignity in hope of which they are there nurtured Upon which reason they were packing up a large quantity of the Plate that belonged to all the Coledges to send it away to the King which would have made a considerable summe This was foreseene by CROMWELL who by a Commission from the Parliament and Lord Generall Essex had raised a Troope of Horse and came downe into that Country with authority to raise more Forces as occasion served he came to Cambridge soone enough to seize upon that plate which was going to Oxford but before his arrivall there he performed by the way another service Sir THOMAS CONESBY lately made High Sheriffe of Hartfordshire had received a Proclamation from the King to proclaime the Earle of Essex and all his adherents Traytors and was then at St. Albons upon a Market day proclaiming of the same CROMWELL with his Troope seized upon him and sent him up to the Parliament Not long after he collected in convenient time the Forces of that County and invited the neighbour Counties of Essex Suffolke and Norfolke to their assistance against an invasion of the Lord CAPELL who should have been seconded by Prince RUPERT also to invade that place and hinder the Association which had been done if that timely prevention had not been used This made them forbeare their intended invasion and retire to other parts About the beginning of March CROMWELL having raised a Regiment of Horse consisting of 1000. marched into Suffolke with much celerity upon intelligence of a great and considerable confederacy held among those Gentlemen which adhered to the Kings Party at a Towne in that County called Lowerstost a place of great consequence He surprized them unawares gained the Towne with small difficulty and no shot at all In which he tooke Prisoners Sir THOMAS BARKER and his Brother Sir JOHN PETTUS Master THOMAS KNEVET two of the CATLINES Captaine HAMMOND Master COREY Master TURRILL Master PRESTON and about 20. others of quality and substance In that Towne he gained good store of Ammunition Saddles Pistols Powder Shot and severall Engines for Warre enough to have served a considerable Force And certaine it was that if CROMWELL had not surprized them in that nick of time it had proved a matter of great danger to the County for within one day after as many more Knights and Gentlemen that were listed before had met at the same place This was a timely service to the Parliament and a great discouragement to all that Party in Suffolke and Norfolke which adhered to the Kings side But when the Spring grew furâ—her on and it was seasonable to make longer Marches about the beginning of Aprill CROMWELL having well setled the businesses of those Associated Counties for the Parliaments use and not confining his care and services within those parts onely raised a greater Force of such as came freely and heartily in to him with whom he marched along towards Lincolneshire with purpose to assist those of
Garrison of Winchester and that of Basing-House the dwelling place of Marquesse Winchester were there predominant and at their pleasure forced Contribution from the adjacent Country Wales was almost wholly at the Kings dispose except very few places which with much difficulty preserved themselves for the Parliament and some Gentlemen who with much hazard continued their fidelity to that side such as Colonell GLYNN Colonell MITTEN and LAUGHERNE with other private Gentlemen But indeed the Parliament was then in a low ebbe and before the end of that Iuly 1643. they had no Forces at all to keep the Field their maine Armies as is before touched being quite ruined and no hope in appearance left but to preserve a while those Forts and Townes which they then possessed nor could they long hope to preserve them unlesse the fortune of the field should change Thus seemed the Parliament to be quite sunke beyond any hope of recovery and was so believed by many men The King was possessed of all the Westerne Countries from the farthest part of Cornwall and from thence Northward as farre as the Borders of Scotland His Armies were full and flourishing free to march whither they pleased and enough to be divided for severall exploits one part was sent to take in Exeâ—er where the Earle of Stamford was shut up not able long to hold the place The King in Person with a gallant Army designed his March towards Gloucester the onely considerable Towne in those parts which the Parliament held What the Kings Party conceived then of the other side was expressed in many Writings one in the nature of a jeering Epigram was made at Oxford which I thought fit to insert because of the particular expressions of the Parliaments low Condition The thing is written in an odde manner and the names of the Parliament Commanders FAIRFAX and WALLER expressed by a rebus way of Latine as likewise those of the Kings side Marquesse of Hartford and Earle of Newcastle I leave it to the Reader without either Translation or Comment EXtincta Castro Fax pulchra novo est Nec Nautae postea nec militi Sit nota Pharos Auster disparem Hand tulit casum Murus cui addita est Canina littera mersa est suis Cum turmis nuper Leporis vado Euri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bristonia Leporinos horrescens vortices Anglica Claudii timet pares Vrbs casus Herois Teutonici Myrmidones astant magno cum Duce Pacata Thule est nec Noto timor Popello aut Regi Nihil relictum est Britanicum domare Caesarem Ni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preces Gregis Haec Sphinges raptim Oedipo suo Iulii 20. 1643. London was then altogether unfortified no Works were raised nor could they if their Enemies then Masters of the field had come upon them have opposed any Walls but such as old SPARTA used for their Guard the hearts of couragious Citizens But at that time London began her large intrenchment which incompassed not onely the City but the whole Suburbs on every side containing about twelve miles in circuit That great worke was by many hands compleated in a short time it being then a custome every day to go out by thousands to digge all Professions Trades and Occupations taking their turnes and not onely inferiour Tradesmen but Gentlemen of the best quality Knights and Ladies themselves for the incouragement of others resorted daily to the Workes not as spectators but assistors in it carrying themselves Spades Mattoks and other instruments of digging so that it became a pleasing sight at London to see them going out in such order and numbers with Drums beating before them and put life into the drooping people being taken for an happy Omen that in so low a condition they seemed not to despaire But bootlesse in probability had that labour proved and not timely enough to save London if the King had marched thither instead of Gloucester But that storme of Fortune was strong enough to shake off divers of the loose leaves that seemed to grow on the Parliament side and unsettle the resolutions of such as were not enough rooted in that Cause which they had chosen For divers men of great quality and Members of both Houses some Lords and many of the Commons did at that time desert the Parliament and fly to Oxford Whose names though the Lords were named who first deserted it are here spared because this-latter revolt must needs carry the face of a crime as being no matter of opinion or conscience by which the first justified themselves but proceeding in all probability from weaknesse and feare for their private fortunes They therefore lost much of their esteeme on both sides becomming like a foile to set off the constancy of those few Members who durst yet continue there and remaine firme to their first Principle 〈◊〉 publike Interest wading thorow more difficultie and dangers then any former Parliament had been enforced to do But in the Parliament it selfe there appeared no show of despaire as they observed who were then witnesses of their proceedings and the City of London expressed much forwardnesse and alacrity in recruiting the Lord Generall Essex both with their persons and purses besides their great indeavour to raise another Army for Sir WILLIAM WALLER to be as a Reserve to the other upon the great occasion then in hand The Earle of Manchester to his lasting Honour chose that very time to begin his Martiall imployment and raising Forces thorow the Easterne Associated Counties of which he was then made Generall by the Parliament those Counties having been before prepared for that Association by the wisdom and activity of the forementioned Colonell CROMWELL performed that yeare and the next great services for the Parliament While the Parliament and City of London were thus busied in recruiting their decayed Armies Gloucester began to be made the chiefe Seene on which this Civill Tragedy was acted and place of great concernment in the Kingdome where the first turne of Fortune grew The City of Gloucester was then governed by Colonell EDWARD MASSEY a man of excellent skill to defend it of such a courage as no threats of a powerfull Enemy could shake and such a fidelity as no promises of a King could overcome This MASSEY was brought to Gloucester by the Earle of Stamford under whom he had served as Lieutenant Colonell and by deputation from that Earle had for many Moneths governed that City Now there was no more expectation of the Earls returne thither and therefore MASSEY as the fittest man by consent both of Citizens and Souldiers was appointed Governour and made a Colonell by Commission from the Generall The surrender of Bristoll to the Kings Forces which was more sudden then could be feared and for which afterward the Governour Master FIENNES was questioned and condemned by a Councell of Warre must needs strike a great terrour and sad amazement into Gloucester which now seemed to stand forlorne and without hope of any rescue in