fit to let their Persons go Whereupon the King sent and sealed up the Closets and Trunks of those five Members He made also a Proclamation against them for their apprehending and imprisonment as men guilty of high Treason This great breach of Parliament-Priviledge happened in a strange time to divert the Kingdom from relieving of Ireland and so the people every where complained and called to minde what they had heard by some of those poor Protestants who fled out of Ireland who reported that those Irish Rebels did confidently say It was for no purpose to sly for safety into England for that Kingdom would be as much distressed as theirs and that the King intended to forsake his Parliament in England and War against it which when he did they would come over having done their work in Ireland and help the King against the English Parliament Those things were sadly remembred On this occasion the Parliament voted that These things were an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament a great scandal to the King and his Government a seditious act manifestly tending to the subversion of the peace and an injury and dishonor to the said Members there being no legal Charge or accusation against them And that there could be no vindication of those Priviledges unless his Majesty would discover the Names of those who advised him to such unlawful courses They therefore desired him to satisfie their legal desire in that to let them know their informers which by two Statutes then in force upon such occasions the King is bound to do but he refused to grant their request Upon which they committed his Atturney Sir Edward Herbert having been examined about it but confessing nothing for breaking the Priviledges of Parliament in prefering the Articles c. The King the next day after this entering into the House of Commons went through the City of London where the Citizens in many places flocking about his Coach humbly entreated him to agree with his Parliament and not to break the Priviledges thereof To which purpose they afterwards presented him with a Petition beseeching him for poor Irelands sake to accord with his Parliament to allow them a Guard and do right to the accused Members with other things of that nature expressed at large in that Petition The people about that time discontented with the Kings actions and those obstructions which they found in all businesses of Parliament used to flock to Westminster in great throngs though unarmed by way of Petitioning and many times to utter rude speeches against some Lords whom they conceived to be evil advisers of the King which howsoever it were meant proved of ill consequence to the Common-wealth and did not so much move the King to be sensible of his grieving the people as arm him with an excuse for leaving the Parliament and City for fear of what might ensue upon such tumultuous concourse of men Upon this ground twelve Bishops at that time absenting themselves entred a Protestation against all Laws Votes and Orders as Null which in their absence should pass by reason that they durst not for fear of their lives come to perform their duties in the House having been rudely menaced and affronted Whereupon it was agreed both by the Lords and Commons that this Protestation of the Bishops was of dangerous Consequence and deeply entrenched upon the Priviledge and Being of Parliaments They were therefore accused of high Treason apprehended and committed prisoners to the Tower Thus was the Parliament daily troubled with ill work whereby the relief of Ireland was hindered but other particular hinderances of Irelands relief then fell out which we shall express briefly When the Parliament were considering of Forces to be sent out of Scotland being a short cut many things happened to divert or delay it There was a Bill for Pressing of Souldiers to that purpose depending in the House of Peers which the King took exceptions at as to the putting of it into that way being as he said a diminution of his Prerogative but because he desired Ireland might be relieved he was content that a Bill should pass for that time with a Salvo Jure both to King and people This speech offended the Parliament who declared in a Petition that the King by taking notice of the debate in the House of Lords concerning the Bill for pressing of Souldiers had broken the fundamental priviledge of Parliament which he ought not to do concerning any Bill till it be presented to him in due course of Parliament for every Member hath free liberty of speech in propounding or debating and the King ought not to be displeased at him for such opinions or propositions For this great breach of Priviledge they desired reparation and that the King would make known who they were by whose evil Counsel he had done it that they might receive condign punishment It was then also desired that an Army of Scots should be sent into Ireland first but the Scotish Commissioners answered That they had no Commission from their State to send over a less number thither than 10000. The House of Commons consented out of Zeal to the Cause and Voted the sending over of ten thousand Scots But the Lords would not yield unto it unless the House of Commons would give assurance that ten thousand English should be sent over as speedily which was impossible to be done And no other reason given for this Opposition but that it was dishonorable for England that Ireland should be reduced by the Scots and that the Scots would make too great an advantage by it But this reason was not thought by honest men of weight enough to hinder so good a work when the cause of Religion and the deplorable estate of so many thousand poor Christians groaned for assistance A third Obstruction of Irelands Relief was thus Two thousand five hundred Scots were in readiness to be transported into the North of Ireland Concerning the condition of their going the Commissioners of Scotland delivered to the English Parliament eight Propositions Both Houses consented to all the Propositions but the King excepted against one of those Propositions which was the third in order That the Scots would have the keeping of the Town and Castle of Carrickfergus with power to remain there or enlarge their Quarters at discretion and if any Regiments or Troops in that Province should joyn with them that they receive Orders from the chief Commanders of the Scotish Forces This Article the King said that he doubted might be to the damage of England and therefore would have the Parliament think upon it again Nevertheless if they would have it so he would confer with the Scotish Commissioners about it The Scots answered the King That they were sorry that his Majesty being their native King should shew less trust in them then their neighbor Nation had freely done and should think that Article too much for them which both Houses of Parliament were pleased with The King
in a miserable calamity While the King persisted in these courses the Kirk of Scotland from the Synod at Edinburgh sent Letters to him containing a serious admonition which because the admonition of a National Church may seem a thing of some moment shall be set down verbatim the Preface onely omitted because long though very humble THE troubles of our hearts are enlarged and our fears encreased in your Majesties behalf perceiving that your Peoples patience is above measure tempted is like a Cart pressed down with Sheaves and ready to break while as besides many former designs and endeavours to bring desolation and destruction upon us which were and we trust all of that kind shall be by the marvellous and merciful providence of God discovered and disappointed our Countrey is now infested the bloud of divers of our brethren spilt and other acts of most barbarous and horrid cruelty exercised by the cursed crew of the Irish Rebels and their complices in this Kingdom under the conduct of such as have Commission and Warrant from your Majesty and unless we prove unfaithful both to God and your Majesty we cannot conceal another danger which is infinitely greater than your Peoples displeasure Therefore we the servants of the most high God and your Majesties most loyal Subjects in the humility and grief of our hearts fall down before your Throne and in the name of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ who shall judge the World in Righteousness both great and small and in the name of this whole Nationall Kirk which we represent we make bold to warn your Majesty freely that the guilt which cleaveth fast to your Majesty and to your Throne is such as whatsoever flattering Preachers or unfaithful Counsellors may say to the contrary if not timely repented cannot but involve your self and your posterity under the wrath of the ever living God for your being guilty of the shedding of the bloud of many thousands of your Majesties best subjects for your permitting the Mass and other Idolatry both in your own Family in your Dominions for your authorizing by the book of sports the prophanation of the Lords day for your not punishing of publike scandals and much prophaneness in and about your Court for the shutting of your ears from the humble and just desires of your faithful subjects for your complying too much with the popish party many wayes and namely by concluding the cessation of Armes in Ireland and your embracing the councels of those who have not set God nor your good before their eyes for your resisting and opposing this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God your own honour and happiness and the peace and safety of your Kingdomes and for what other causes your Majesty is most conscious and may best judge and search your own conscience nor would we have mentioned any particulars if they had not been publike and known For all which it is high time for your Majesty to fall down at the foot-stool of the King of glory to acknowledge your offences to repent timely to make your peace with God through Jesus Christ whose bloud is able to wash away your great sins and to be no longer unwilling that the Son of God reign over you and your Kingdoms in his pure Ordinances of Church-government and Worship They conclude with a profession and protestation of their constancy in so just a cause against any opposition whatsoever This admonition of the generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland was sent first to the Scottish Commissioners at London and by them delivered to the Kings Secretary but Ecclesiastical admonition in the heat of War little availed When the Spring began the War with great heat and courage on both sides was renewed Generall Essex had laid down his Commission and Sir Thomas Fairfax went to Windsor to his new-modelled Army a new Army indeed made up of some remainders of the old ones and other raised forces in the Countries an Army seeming no way glorious either in the dignity of Commanders or antiquity of Souldiers never hardly did any Army go forth to War with less confidence of their own side or more contempt of their enemies and did more bravely deceive both and shew how far it was possible for humane conjectures to erre For in their following action and successes they proved such as would too much pose antiquity among all the Camps of their famed Heroes to find a parallel to this Army He that will seriously weigh their atchievements in the following year against potent and gallant Enemies and consider the greatness of things the number of Victories how many battels were woon how many Towns and Garrisons were taken he can hardly think them the work of one year or fit to be called one War But whosoever considers this must take heed that he do not attribute too much to them but give it wholly to Almighty God whose providence over this Army as it did afterwards miraculously appear so it might in some measure be hoped for at the first considering the behaviour and discipline of those Souldiers For the usual vices of Camps were here restrained the discipline was strict no theft no wantonness no oaths nor any prophane words could escape without the severest castigation by which it was brought to pass that in this Camp as in a well ordered City passage was safe and commerce free The first expedition of General Fairfax as it was ordered by the Committee of both Kingdomes was into the West to releive Taunton a Town that had long with incredible manhood and constancy under Blake their Governour endured a sharp siege by Sir Richard Greenvile and seemed to emulate though with more happiness the fidelity of old Sagunthum but this work was not done by the General himself but Colonel Welden who was sent thither with seven thousand of the new Army Fairfax himself was recalled by the Committee of both Kingdoms to go upon other action But because the King had sent for Prince Rupert from Wales to come to Oxford that he might joyn forces and march into the field General Fairfax before he went from Windsor sent Cromwell with a party of Horse to hinder the Kings designs who marching speedily from Windsor with great felicity vanquished a part of the Kings forces at Islip-bridge taking divers of the Commanders prisoners the remainder of that party flying into Bletchington House were there besieged and yeilded to Cromwell with the same success at Bampton-bush he took Vaughan and Littleton and defeated their forces The King when Prince Rupert and Maurice were come to him with their forces designed his march toward the East to take possession of the Isle of Ely which he hoped would be betrayed to him by some of his party there Cromwell and Major General Brown the Governor of Abington were commanded to follow the King but soon recalled as too weak in forces to encounter the King and to assist General Fairfax in besieging of Oxford
we confess they are higher than we if our wish might have gone would have made them but seeing that no other way is left to cure the Kingdoms wounds and consolidate the ruptures between your Majesty and the Parliament We do in all humility and loyalty advise your Majesty that out of your gratious goodness you would assent to them as being the onely remedy left to procure a firm and happy peace from whence also many happinesses will accrue to you c. But neither this Oration of Londen nor all the endeavours of both Parliaments could after the Kings mind yet did not the Commissioners give over their hopes but persisted in intreating so that many moneths were spent in this business and the time consumed till the midst of Winter in which space they could not perswade the King to hear any Ministers of the Synod preach before him being constant onely to his own Chaplains Upon which they began to endeavour that amity might be preserved between the two Nations and that the two Kingdoms things standing as they did might be peaceably setled without the King Therefore after some debate between the Parliament of England and the Commissioners of Scotland they at the last agreed upon the aforesaid sum namely that two hundred thousand pounds should be forthwith paid to the Scots which mony being told out was by General Fairfax with part of his Forces conveyed out of London who afterwards committed the business to Major General Skippon He with six Regiments marched away in the midst of Winter and in January came to Newcastle upon Tine with the mony The Scots when they had received their mony according to the compact delivered up the English Garrisons Berwick Carlisle and Newcastle into the Parliaments hands and marched quietly home into Scotland they delivered also the King to the English Commissioners to be carried into the South Who was received with great respect and honour by the Earls of Pembrook and Denbigh and the rest of the Parliament Commissionerâ— and by them waited on with great observance and an honourable guard to his Palaâ—â— of Holmby in Northampton-shire Thâ—â—â— things were done in the Moneth of February at which time the Earl of Stanford Mr. Gâ—â—win and Mr. Ashhurst of the House of Commons were sent Commissioners by the Parliament into Scotland that at Edenburgh thâ—â— might treat with the Scottish Parliament about the Common Affairs Though the Kings party which had fougâ—â— against their Parliament and Liberties wâ—â—â— absolutely subdued yet a quiet liberty 〈◊〉 security could not be suddenly obtained the victory For the Civil War being ended dissention more than Civil arose among the Conquerors which seemed therefore more sad to all good men because it was between those who before had with most united affections and desires thrown their lives and Fortunes into the hazard against a common Enemy whom the same cause the same fervour of reforming Religion and restoring liberty and the same prayers had linked together in the nearest bond of conscience By this division under the names of Presbyterian and Independent still encreasing the minds of men began beyond all measure to be embittered against each other one side complained that the Covenant was broken the other that it was not rightly enterpreted by them nor so as that it could any way be a vindication of the cause undertaken or the publike Safety on both sides were men of great reputation Yet did they not at first so far dissent but that both sides seemed forward to vindicate the Common cause against the Kings party called Malignants It must be a longer time that must by degrees so far work upon the consciences of that side which seemed weakest as to make them cleave to the Malignants for a prop. The Malignants were ready to joyn with either side that they might ruine both They themselves though disarmed being now the greatest number especially by reason of the unconstancy of many men either upon particular grievances or the burden of Taxations A great number of the Citizens of London not of the meaÌ„est but highest rank had revolted from their former principles insomuch as that City all the Kings Garrisons being by Fairfax his bloudless Victories emptied thither became to be of that condition as that the Parliament without the Armies help could not safely sit there These dissentions of Presbyterian and Independent because the motives and intentions of men are not enough known our purpose is to touch with more brevity than the actions of open War and plain hostility though they also are here shortly mentioned It were a work of too much length and difficulty to recite how many Calumnies were raised by the other faction against the Army before so much admired as maintainers of the Independent faction How divers Petitions were drawn up and sub-scriptions eagerly sought in the County of Essex against this Army which was then quartered about Walden in the moneth of April And in the Parliament it self it was so far and in that manner debated concerning disbanding of that Army that they being now taught to value their own merits conceived themselves much injured and in the moneth of May presented a Petition to their General In which they desire to be satisfied not onely for their due pay as Souldiers but in things concerning belonging to them as free born sons of the Nation the publike liberties which they had fought for Of which Petition great complaint was made by those of the other Faction These and some other Alterations wrought at last so far as that the Souldiers about the beginning of June upon what design or what jealousies I leave to Judge took away the King from Helmby out of the Parliament-Commissioners hands and carried him along with them in the Army So that his person was to be in some Town or Palace neer to their Quarter When this was known it was ordered by both Houses of Parliament and their order sent to the General 1. That the King should reside at Richmond 2. That he should be attended by the same persons that he was at Holmby 3. That Rossiters Regiment should guard him But the next day from the General and his Councel of Officers was brought to the Parliament an Impeachment against eleven Members of the House of Commons viz. honoured names many of them Hollis Stapleton Waller Glyn Massey Maynard Lewis Clotworthy Long Harley and Nichols Wherein divers things were objected concerning hindering the Releif of Ireland obstructing Justice and acting somewhat against the Army and the Laws of England The Impeached Members declared themselves ready to answer to any crime that could be objected against them But another request came from the Army that those Impeached Members untill they had brought in their answer might be secluded from their Seats in Parliament This at the first was not granted as a thing judged to be too high and too much against the priviledge of Parliament But when the Army iterated their desire those accused Members