unwarrantable Courses but he made his Escape by Water for that time and one of the most active of the People was seized and executed which served only to exasperate the rest Upon the near Approach of the English and Scots Army a considerable Party of each side encountred and the English contrary to their wonted Custom retired in Disorder not without Shame and some Loss Of such Force and Consequence is a Belief and full Perswasion of the Justice of an Undertaking tho managed by an Enemy in other respects inconsiderable The King startled at the Unsuccessfulness of his first Attempt upon the Petition of a considerable number of the well-affected Nobility requesting him that to avoid the Effusion of more Blood he would call an Assembly of the Nobility consented thereunto This Council accordingly met at York and advised the King to a Cessation of Arms and the Calling of a Parliament to compose Differences which to the great trouble of the Clergy and other Incendiaries he promised to do assuring the Scots of the Paiment of twenty thousand Pounds a Month to maintain their Army till the Pleasure of the Parliament should be known In order to which Writs were issued out for the Meeting of a Parliament on the 3 d of November 1640. The time prefix'd for their assembling being come they met accordingly and as they were very sensible that nothing but an absolute Necessity permitted their coming together so they resolved to improve this happy Opportunity to free the People from their Burdens and to punish the Authors of the late Disorders To this end they declared against Monopolies and expelled the Authors of them out of the House The Opinions of the Judges concerning Ship-Money they voted unjust and illegal fining and imprisoning those that had warranted the Lawfulness thereof And that the Offenders against the Publick might not escape they ordered the Sea-Ports to be diligently guarded and all Passengers to be strictly examined This being done they impeached the Lord Keeper Finch the Earl of Strafford and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury of High Treason in endeavouring to subvert the Laws and to erect an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Power They declared that they would pay the English and Scots Armies to the end of May 1641. and assist the Prince Palatine with Men and Money to recover his Country And now having the Charge of two Armies to pay and all Men suspecting they might be abruptly dissolved as had often hapned before and therefore refusing to credit them with such Sums as were necessary unless an Act might pass to secure their sitting till they should think fit to dissolve themselves by Act of Parliament the King gave his Assent to one drawn up and passed to that purpose Another Act likewise passed to assert that according to the antient Fundamental Laws of England a Parliament ought to be held every Year and directing that in case one was not called in three Years the Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seal should issue out Writs as is therein expressed and if he fail in his Duty he is declared guilty of High Treason and a certain number of Lords impowered to summon the said Parliament and is they should neglect so to do the Sheriffs and Constables are vested with the same Authority But if it should happen that all the forementioned Powers should be wanting in their Duty the People of England are thereby authorized to put the said Act in execution by meeting and electing Members to serve in Parliament tho not summoned by any Officers appointed to that end The Parliament then proceeded to correct the Abuses that had been introduced in the preceding Years Whereupon the Star-Chamber the High Commission Court the Court of Honour with some others were taken away by Act of Parliament and the Power of the Council-Table restrained The Commissioners of the Custom-House who had collected Customs contrary to Law were fined and such as had been imprisoned by any of the above-mentioned Arbitrary Courts were set at liberty A Protestation was also agreed upon by the Lords and Commons which they took and presented to others to take whereby all those that took it obliged themselves to defend and maintain the Power and Privileges of Parliament the Rights and Liberties of the People to use their utmost Endeavours to bring to condign Punishment all those who should by Force or otherwise do any thing to the contrary and to stand by and justify all such as should do any thing in prosecution of the said Protestation The Day prefix'd for the Earl of Strafford's Trial being come he was brought before the House of Peers where the Charge against him was managed by Members of the House of Commons appointed to that end The chief Heads of the Accusation were That he had governed the Kingdom of Ireland in an Arbitrary manner That he had retained the Revenues of the Crown without rendring a due Account of them That he had encouraged and promoted the Romish Religion That he had endeavoured to create Feuds and Quarrels between England and Scotland That he had laboured to render the Parliament suspected and odious to the King That he was the Author of that Advice That since the Parliament had denied to grant the King such Supplies as he demanded he was at liberty to raise them by such Means as he thought fit and that he had an Irish Army that would assist him to that end It being the Custom that a Lord High Steward should be made to preside at the Trial of a Peer that Honour was conferred upon the Earl of Arundel The King the Queen the House of Commons the Deputies of Scotland and Ireland with many other Persons of Quality of both Sexes were there present I remember the Earl of Strafford in his Defence objected against the Evidence of the Earl of Cork denying him to be a competent Witness because his Enemy To which George Lord Digby who was appointed one of the Managers of the Charge against him replied That if that Objection should be of any weight with the Court the Earl of Strafford had found out a certain way to secure himself from any sarther Prosecution Yet this Man who then spoke with so much Vigour soon after altered his Language and made a Speech to the House in his favour which he caused to be printed and also surreptitiously withdrew a Paper from the Committee containing the principal Evidence against the said Earl The Parliament resenting this Prevarication ordered his Speech to be burnt by the Hands of the Common Hangman The House of Commons having passed a Bill for the Condemnation of the Earl it was carried to the Lords for their Concurrence which they gave The King not satisfied therewith consulted with the Privy Council some Judges and four Bishops And all of them except one advise the throwing of Jonas over-board for the appeasing of the Storm Upon which the Earl of Arundel the Lord Privy Seal and two more were commissionated by
about threescore of the Commissioners set their Hands and Seals directing it to Col. Hacker Col. Hunks and Col. Phaier or either of them The Duke of Glocester and the Lady Elizabeth waited on the King the same day to take their leave of him An Extraordinary Ambassador from the United Provinces had his Audience in the Parliament his business was to intercede with them for the Life of the King and to preserve a fair Correspondence between England and the States The next day about eight in the Morning the King attended by a Guard was brought from St. James's through the Park to Whitehall where having drunk a Glass or two of red Wine and stayed about two hours in a private Room he was conducted to the Scaffold out of a Window of the Banqueting-house and having made a Speech and taken off his George he kneeled down at the Block and the Executioner persormed his Office The Body was ordered to be interred at Windsor The Duke of Lenox the Marquiss of Hertford the Earls of Southampton and Lindsey with some others having Leave from the Parliament attended it to the Grave A Report of the Proceedings of the High Court of Justice being made to the Parliament they declared That the Persons imployed in that important Service had discharged their Trust with Courage and Fidelity that the Parliament was well satisfied with the Account of their Proceedings ordering them to be engrossed and recorded amongst the Parliament-Rolls in order to transmit the Memory thereof to Posterity and resolved that the Commissioners of the Great Seal should issue a Certiorari to their Clerk to record those Proceedings in the Chancery and that the same should be sent to the other Courts at Westminster and to the Custos Rotulorum of each County Judg Jenkins Sir John Stowel and divers other Persons who were Prisoners and had carried themselves very insolently now finding the Parliament to be in earnest began to come to a better Temper Colonel Middleton who was also a Prisoner at Newcastle upon Parole ran away to Scotland and being required to return answered That his Life was dearer to him than his Honour Sir Marmaduke Langdale made his escape also and Sir Lewis Dives through a House of Office in Whitehall The Lord Capel got out of the Tower but being discovered by a Waterman as he crossed the Thames he was seized in a House at Lambeth Duke Hamilton also escaped out of Windsor-Castle and came to Southwark where knocking at the Door of an Inn he was seized by a Souldier who knew him and was passing by that way whereupon he was committed to the Tower The House of Lords becoming now the Subject of the Consideration and Debate of the Parliament Lieutenant General Cromwell appeared for them having already had a close Correspondence with many of them and it may be presuming he might have farther use of them in those Designs he had resolved to carry on but they not meeting in their House at the time to which they had adjourned much facilitated their Removal so that the Question being put Whether the House of Commons should take Advice of the House of Lords in the Exercise of the Legislative Power it was carried in the Negative and thereupon resolved That the House of Peers was useless and dangerous and ought to be abolished and an Act was soon after passed to that effect After this they proceeded to declare That the Office of a King in this Nation is unnecessary burdensome and dangerous to the Liberty Safety and publick Interest of the People and therefore ought to be abolioshed and that they will settle the Government of the Nation in the way of a Commonwealth To this end they ordered a Declaration to be published whereby it was declared Treason for any Person to endeavour to promote Charles Stuart to be King of England or any other single Person to be chief Governour thereof They also ordered the Great Seal and other Seals which had the Image of the late King on them to be defaced and appointed new ones to be made with the Stamp of the House of Commons on one side accompanied with this Inscription The Great Seal of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England On the other side was engraven the Cross and the Harp being the Arms of England and Ireland with this Inscription God with us Ordering all Writs formerly running in the King's Name to be issued out in the Name of the Keepers of the Liberty of England A High Court of Justice was constituted by Act of Parliament for the trying of Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland the Lord Goring the Lord Capel and Sir John Owen Duke Hamilton pleaded that he entred into England as an Enemy being of another Nation and born before the Act of Union and consequently not to be tried by the Laws of this besides he had surrendred himself upon Conditions The rest of the Lords pleaded Articles also and so did Sir John Owen But that Allegation appeared to be of no weight by the Testimony of the General in relation to the Lords Goring and Capel and by the Evidence of Col. Wayte touching Duke Hamilton the like being affirmed by other Witnesses against the Earl of Holland and Sir John Owen for if there had been any Promise made to any of them either implicitely or by word of Mouth it could only extend to protect them from the Military not the Civil Sword And as to the Plea for Duke Hamilton that he was born before the two Nations were united it was answered that they tried him not as Duke Hamilton but as Earl of Cambridg in which Capacity he had sate as a Peer of England and therefore a Subject thereof So that upon full Evidence they were all sentenced by the Court to have their Heads struck off for High Treason in levying War against the Parliament of England Earnest Solicitations and Petitions were made for them to the Parliament but they thought not fit to reprieve the Duke the Earl of Holland or the Lord Capel Touching the Lord Goring the House was equally divided and the Speaker having upon such Occasions the determining Voice gave it for his Reprieve Commissary General Ireton observing no Motion consider that he was a Commoner and therefore more properly to have been tried in another way by a Jury whereupon the House reprieved him also The other three were executed a day or two after in the New Palace-Yard before Westminster-Hall in pursuance of a Warrant signed by the Court to that purpose the Parliament refusing to hearken to the Earl of Denbigh who proposed on the behalf of Duke Hamilton his Brother-in-law to give them a Blank signed by the said Duke to answer faithfully to such Questions as should be there inserted The Parliament having resolved to constitute a Council of State the better to carry on the executive part of the Government authorized five of their Members to agree upon the Number and Persons of such as they
with the Clearness of my Proceeding and no less of my Abilities to discharge the Trust reposed in me and to perform the Duties of my Employments of which he was pleased to say I had given sufficient Demonstration as well as of a constant and hearty Affection to the Publick Interest In conclusion the Debate concerning the Lord Broghill was brought to this Question Whether he should be wholly laid aside or whether something should be done in order to content him for the present by conferring upon him some Office of Profit and the Title of a General Officer The latter was agreed upon and he declared Lieutenant General of the Ordinance in Ireland The Commissioners having settled Affairs as well as they could and finding the Deputy to be employed in making all necessary Preparations for the ensuing Service took that Opportunity to go to regulate Affairs at Dublin where after they had dispatched the Publick Business in which they spent about a Week and provided Houses to receive their Families when they should arrive from England they returned to Kilkenny The Enemy who had a Party of Horse in those Parts had designed to surprize them in their way to Dublin and again in their Return to us but finding them attended by a strong Guard they durst not venture to attempt it The Enemies Forces being retreated into Connaught which Province was covered by the Shannon and keeping strong Guards upon the Bridges and Fords of that River the Reduction of Limerick could not well be expected till we had blocked them up on both sides In order to which it was resolved that Sir Charles Coote who had with him between four and five thousand Horse and Foot should march into Connaught by the way of Ballyshannon a Passage on the side of Ulster not far distant from the Sea and Commissary General Reynolds was sent with his Regiment of Horse to his Assistance Col. Axtell and some others about this time going for England were taken by a Pirate belonging to Scilly whither they were all carried Prisoners The Irish who were many in the Island against whom Col. Axtell had been very active and who had heard of the Charge lately exhibited against him pressed hard for the taking away his Life But upon consideration of the Preparations making by the Parliament to send a Fleet with Souldiers to reduce that Island it was not thought convenient to attempt any thing against him tho they had a strong Inclination to it for fear of an exemplary Retaliation In the mean time the Parliament sent a Fleet with some Land-Forces to reduce the Isle of Jersey with the Castle which was kept by Sir Philip Carteret for Prince Charles Col. Haines who commanded them met with some Opposition at his landing but having brought his Men ashore the Island generally submitted to the Parliament The Castle having made some Resistance was soon after surrendred also The Affairs of the Commonwealth being thus successful and their Authority acknowledged by the Applications of Agents and Ambassadors from Foreign Nations to them it was resolved to send some Ministers abroad to entertain a good Correspondence with our Neighbours and to preserve the Interests of the Subjects of this Nation in those Parts To that effect the Lord Chief Justice St. Johns was dispatched with the Character of Ambassador Extraordinary to the States of the United Netherlands with whom Mr. Walter Strickland our Resident there was joined in Commission and to prevent such another Attempt as had been made upon our former Agent forty Gentlemen were appointed to attend him for his Security and Honour ten thousand Pounds being delivered to the Lord Ambassador's Steward for the Expence of the Embassy Yet this great Equipage was not sufficient to prevent a publick Affront which was offered him by Prince Edward one of the Palatine Family as he was passing the Streets But the Prince immediately retiring to some Place out of the Jurisdiction of the States secured himself from any Prosecution tho they pretended upon the Complaint of our Ambassadors that they were ready to do them what Right they could The Negotiation of our Ministers which was designed to procure a nearer Conjunction and Coalition between the two States proved also ineffectual the Province of Holland being not so much inclined to consent to it as was expected and Frizeland with most of the rest of the Provinces entirely against it presuming that such a Conjunction as was demanded would be no less than rendring those Countries a Province to England So that our Ambassadors having used all possible means to succeed in their Business and finding the Dutch unwilling to conclude with us whilst the King had an Army in the Field returned to England without effecting any thing but the Expence of a great Sum of Money This Disappointment sat so heavy upon the haughty Spirit of the Lord Chief Justice St. Johns that he reported these Transactions with the highest Aggravations against the States and thereby was a principal Instrument to prevail with the Council of State to move the Parliament to pass an Act prohibiting foreign Ships from bringing any Merchandizes into England except such as should be of the Growth or Manufacture of that Country to which the said Ships did belong This Law tho just in it self and very advantageous to the English Nation was so highly resented by the Dutch who had for a long time driven the Trade of Europe by the great Number of their Ships that it soon proved to be the Ball of Contention between the two Nations During these Transactions the Deputy of Ireland labouring with all diligence to carry on the Publick Service ordered the Army to rendezvouz at Cashil from whence he marched by the way of Nenagh to that part of the River Shannon which lies over against Killalo where the Earl of Castle-haven lay with about two thousand Horse and Foot disposed along the side of the River and defended by Breast-works cast up for their Security resolving to endeavour to obstruct our Passage into Connaught The Deputy as if he had intended to divert the Course of the River set the Souldiers and Pioneers at work to take the Ground lower on our side that the Water venting it self into the Passage the River might become fordable which so alarmed the Enemy that they drew out most of their Men to oppose us Whilst they were thus amused the Deputy taking me with him and a Guard of Horse marched privately by the side of the Shannon in order to find a convenient place to pass that River The ways were almost impassable by reason of the Bogs tho Col. Reeves and others who commanded in those Parts had repaired them with Hurdles as well as they could Being advanced about half way from Killalo to Castle-Conel we found a place that answered our Desires where a Bridg had formerly been with an old Castle still standing at the foot of it on the other side of the River We took only a short
William Cawley gave his single Negative On the 13 th of April 1646. Exeter was delivered to ours upon Articles by which all such as were in the Town and Garison were admitted to compound for their Estates paying two Years Value for the same Barnstable Dunstar-Castle and Michael's-Mount in Cornwall were also surrendred in the last of which Places the Marquiss of Hamilton was Prisoner by the King's Order and restored to his Liberty upon the Surrender of it which Favour he acknowledged to the Members of the House of Commons attending in Person at their door to that end The most considerable Body of Men remaining in the Field for the King was commanded by Sir Jacob Ashley who being on his March towards Oxford was attacked by Col. Morgan and Sir William Brereton at Stow in the Woald where after a sharp Dispute on both sides Sir Jacob Ashley's Forces were entirely defeated many of them killed and wounded and himself taken Prisoner During his Confinement he was heard to say That now they had no hopes to prevail but by our Divisions Which deserves the more Reflection because he being well acquainted with the King 's Secrets was not ignorant that many amongst us who at the beginning appeared most forward to engage themselves and to invite others to the War against the King finding themselves disappointed of those Preferments which they expected or out of some particular Disgusts taken had made Conditions with the King not only for their Indemnity but for Places and Advancements under him endcavouring by a Treaty or rather by Treachery to betray what had cost so much Blood to obtain These Men to strengthen their Interest applied themselves to the Presbyterian Party who jealous of the Increase of Sectaries of which the Army was reported chiefly to consist readily joined with them By which Conjunction most of the new elected Members were either Men of a neutral Spirit and willing to have Peace upon any Terms or such who tho they had engaged against the King yet finding things tending to a Composition with him resolved to have the Benefit of it and his Favour tho with the Guilt of all the Blood that had been shed in the War upon their Heads in not requiring Satisfaction for the same nor endeavouring to prevent the like for the future designing at the most only to punish some inferiour Instruments whilst the Capital Offender should not only go free but his Authority be still acknowledged and adored and so the Nation more enslaved than ever to a Power which tho it destroys the People by Thousands must be accountable to none but God for so doing whom some Persons as it is apparent by their Usage of Mankind either think not to be or not at all superiour to them Another sort of Men there was amongst us who having acquired Estates in the Service of the Parliament now adhered to the King's Party for the preserving of what they had got who together with such as had been discharged from their Employments by the Reform of the Army or envied their Success combined together against the Commonwealth This Party was encouraged and supported upon all occasions by the Scots and the City of London The first of them tho they began the War and tho their Assembly of Ministers had declared the King guilty of the Blood of Thousands of his best Subjects their Covenant engaging them in the preservation of his Person so far only as might consist with the Laws of the Land and Liberty of the Subject yet having had many good Opportunities in England and hoping for more supposing it to be in their Power to awe the King to whatsoever they should think fit they were contented to swallow that Ocean of Blood that had been shed pressing the Parliament by their Commissioners to conclude upon such Terms with the King as shewed them rather Advocates than such as had been Enemies to him The latter having had their Treasure much exhausted by the War and their Trade long interrupted besides the Influence the Scots had upon them by the means of their Ministers the Common Council being also debauched by Serjeant Glyn and others of that Party in the House of Commons it was not so much to be wondred at if they earnestly solicited for a speedy Determination of the Difference by a Treaty The King also perceiving Judgment to be given against him by that Power to which both Parties had made their solemn Appeal thought it advisable to make use of the Foxes Skin and for a time to lay aside that of the Lion sending Messages to the Parliament to desire of them a safe Conduct for his coming to London in Honour Freedom and Safety there personally to treat with the Two Houses about the means of settling a firm and lasting Peace the Scots in the mean time repeating their Instances with the Parliament to enter into the Consideration of the Articles of Religion contained in the Covenant to give a speedy Peace to his Majesty to pay them near two hundred thousand Pounds which they pretended to be due to them for their Arrcars and to make a just Estimate of the Losses they had sustained by Sea and Land since the beginning of the War for want of such Supplies as were promised them which they computed at more than the former Sum. The Parliament for divers Reasons thought it not convenient to comply with the King's Propositions and in answer to the Scots demanded of them an exact Account of what was due to them requiring them to withdraw their Garisons from such Places as they possessed in England Some Differences they had also with the Scots Commissioners concerning the Exclusion of the King from having any thing to do with the Militia and touching the Scots intermedling with the Government of England about the Education of the King's Children the disbanding of Armies and an Act of Oblivion in which Matters the Parliament of England would not permit the Scots to interpose and therefore their Commissioners acquainted them that they had not Power to consent to any Demands of that nature whereupon the Deputies of Scotland applied themselves to the Two Houses demanding that they would enlarge the Powers of their Commissioners to that end But there being found in these Demands of the Scots some Expressions highly reflecting upon the Parliament the Two Houses declared them to be injurious and scandalous and ordered them to be burnt by the Hands of the Common Hangman After which they commanded the Army to besiege Oxford who in order to that Design blocked up Farringdon Wallingford and Woodstock but before they could form the Siege of Oxford the King escaped from thence on the 27 th of April 1646. of which notice being given to the Parliament by Col. Rainsborough who lay before Woodstock they suspecting that he designed to come to London to raise a Party against them published an Ordinance declaring That whosoever should harbour or conceal the King's Person should be proceeded
England and the Common Council of the City of London presented a Petition to the Parliament by the hands of Col. Titchborn to that effect but some of the Commonwealths-men desired that before they consented to that Method it might be resolved what Government to establish fearing a Design in the Army to set up some one of themselves in his room others endeavoured to perswade them that the execution of Justice ought to be their first Work in respect of their Duty to God and the People that the failure therein had been already the occasion of a second War which was justly to be charged on the Parliament for neglecting that Duty that those who were truly Commonwealths-men ought to be of that Opinion as the most probable means to attain their Desires in the establishment of an equal and just Government and that the Officers of the Army who were chiefly to be suspected could not be guilty of so much Impudence and Folly to erect an Arbitrary Power in any one of themselves after they had in so publick a manner declared their Detestation of it in another In order to the accomplishment of the important Work which the House of Commons had now before them they voted That by the Fundamental Laws of the Land it is Treason for the King of England for the time being to levy War against the Parliament and Kingdom To which the Lords not concurring they passed it the next day without their Consent and the day after declared That the People are under God the Original of all just Power That the House of Commons being chosen by and representing the People are the Supreme Power in the Nation That whatsoever is enacted or declared for Law by the Commons in Parliament hath the Force of a Law and the People are concluded thereby tho the Consent of King or Peers be not had thereto This Obstruction being removed several Petitions were brought to the Parliament for so the House of Commons now stiled themselves from the City of London Borough of Southwark and most of the Counties in England requesting that the King might be brought to Justice in order to which they passed an Act authorizing the Persons therein named or any thirty of them to proceed to the Arraignment Condemnation or Acquittal of the King with full Power in case of Condemnation to proceed to Sentence and to cause the said Sentence to be put in Execution This High Court of Justice met on the 8 th of January 1648 in the Painted Chamber to the number of about fourscore consisting chiefly of Members of Parliament Officers of the Army and Gentlemen of the Country where they chose Serjeant Aske Serjeant Steel and Dr. Dorrislaus to be their Counsel Mr. John Coke of Grays-Inn to be their Solicitor and Mr. Andrew Broughton their Secretary and sent out a Precept under their Hands and Seals for proclaiming the Court to be held in Westminster-Hall on the tenth of the said Month which was performed accordingly by Serjeant Dendy attended by a Party of Horse in Cheapside before the old Exchange and in Westminster-Hall On the the tenth they chose Serjeant Bradshaw to be their President with Mr. Lisle and Mr. Say to be his Assistants and a Charge of High Treason being drawn up against the King the Court appointed a convenient Place to be prepared at the upper end of Westminster-Hall for his Publick Trial directing it to be covered with Scarlet Cloth and ordered twenty Halberdiers to attend the President and thirty the King All things being thus prepared for the Trial the King was conducted from Windsor to St. James's from whence on the 20 th of January he was brought to the Bar of the High Court of Justice where the President acquainted the King with the Causes of his being brought to that Place For that He contrary to the Trust reposed in him by the People to see the Laws put in execution for their Good had made use of his Power to subvert those Laws and to set up his Will and Pleasure as a Law over them that in order to effect that Design he had endeavoured the Suppression of Parliaments the best Defence of the Peoples Liberties That he had levied War against the Parliament and People of England wherein great numbers of the good People had been slain of which Blood the Parliament presuming him guilty had appointed this High Court of Justice for the Trial of him for the same Then turning to Mr. Broughton Clerk of the Court he commanded him to read the Charge against the King who as the Clerk was reading the Charge interrupted him saying I am not intrusted by the People they are mine by Inheritance demanding by what Authority they brought him thither The President answered that they derived their Authority from an Act made by the Commons of England assembled in Parliament The King said the Commons could not give an Oath that they were no Court and therefore could make no Act for the Trial of any Man much less of him their Soveraign It was replied that the Commons assembled in Parliament could acknowledg no other Soveraign but God for that upon his and the Peoples Appeal to the Sword for the Decision of their respective Pretensions Judgment had been given for the People who conceiving it to be their Duty not to bear the Sword in vain had appointed the Court to make Inquisition for the Blood that had been shed in that Dispute Whereupon the President being moved by Mr. Solicitor Coke in the Name and on the Behalf of the good People of England commanded the Clerk of the Court to proceed in the reading of the Charge against him which being done the King was required to give his Anser to it and to plead guilty or not guilty The King demurred to the Jurisdiction of the Court affirming that no Man nor Body of Men had Power to call him to an account being not intrusted by Man and therefore accountable only to God for his Actions entring upon a large Discourse of his being in Treaty with the Parliament's Commissioners at the Isle of Wight and his being taken from thence he knew not how when he thought he was come to a Conclusion with them This Discourse seeming not to the purpose the President told him that as to his Plea of not being accountable to Man seeing God by his Providence had over-ruled it the Court had resolved to do so also and that if he would give no other Answer that which he had given should be registred and they would proceed as if he had confessed the Charge In order to which the President commanded his Answer to be entred directing Serjeant Dendy who attended the Court to withdraw the Prisoner which as he was doing many Persons cried out in the Hall Justice Justice The King being withdrawn the Court adjourned into the Painted Chamber to consider what farther was fit to be done and being desirous to prevent all Objections tending to accuse them
extraordinary Guards but according to Law in case of actual Rebellion or Invasion 17. That it will please your Majesty to confirm your Leagues with the United Provinces and other Princes of the Protestant Religion that you may be the more capable to defend it against Popish Attempts which will bring much Reputation to your Majesty and encourage your Subjects to endeavour in a Parliamentary way to re-establish your Sifter and her Children and other Princes oppressed for the same Cause 18. That it will please your Majesty to clear by an Act of Parliament the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members of the House of Commons so that future Parliaments may be secured against the Consequence of such ill Examples 19. That it will please your Majesty of your Grace to pass an Act That the Peers created hereafter shall have no Place nor Voice in Parliament at least unless they are admitted thereunto by the Parliament These humble Requests being granted unto us by your Majesty we shall endeavour as we ought to regulate the Revenue of your Majesty and to increase it more and more in such sort that it shall support the Dignity Royal with Honour and Abundance beyond whatever the Subjects of this Kingdom have allowed to their Kings your Majesty's Predecessors We will put also the Town of Hull into such Hands as your Majesty shall please with the Approbation of the Parliament and will give a good Account of the Munitions of War and of the Magazine And to conclude we shall chearfully do our Endeavours to give unto your Majesty Testimony of our Affection Duty and Faithfulness to preserve and maintain your Royal Honour the Greatness and Safety of your Majesty and of your Posterity These Propositions were delivered to the King by the Commissioners of the Parliament but without Success he being resolved to steer another Course presuming he might obtain as good Terms as these if reduced to the last Extremity and that if his Arms succeeded according to his Hopes his Will might pass for a Law pursuant to the Opinion of those who thought no way so likely to render his Authority absolute as the making of a War upon his People And now the Fire began to break out in the West Sir John Stawell and others drawing a Party together in Somersetshire for the King where Captain Preston and others opposed them and about Martials Elm on PoldenHill some of those who declared for the Parliament were killed Whereupon the Parliament ordered some Horse to be raised which they sent down under the Command of the Earl of Bedford to protect their Friends in those Parts By which means the Enemy being forced to quit the Field betook themselves to the Castle of Sherburn in Dorsetshire which after a short Siege was surrendred to the Parliament Portsmouth was also secured for the Parliament by the young Lord Goring then Governour thereof but he afterwards declaring for the King it was besieged and reduced by their Forces and the Government of it entrusted to Sir William Lewis The King having set up his Standard at Nottingham the 24 th of August 1642. the Parliament thought themselves obliged to make some Preparations to defend themselves having discovered that he had sent abroad to procure what Assistance he could against his People particularly applying himself to the King of Denmark acquainting him that the two Houses to make their Work sure against him were endeavouring to prove Queen Ann a Whore and thereby illegitimate all her Issue earnestly pressing him in vindication of his injured Sister as well as in consideration of his own relation to him to send him Succours This Letter was intercepted and brought to the Parliament who by a Declaration protested that no such thing had ever entred into their Thoughts The King also endeavoured under pretence of Law to take away the Lives of Dr. Bastwick and Captain Robert Ludlow for acting in obedience to the Commands of the Parliament and had proceeded to their Execution had not the Parliament by a Message sent to Judg Heath and delivered to him on the Bench threatned a Retaliation by executing two for one in case they went on which put a stop to that Design The Parliament having passed the following Votes 1. That the King seduced by evil Counsel intends to levy War against the Parliament 2. That when the King doth levy War against the Parliament he breaks his Trust and doth that which tends to the Dissolution of the Parliament 3. That whosoever shall assist him in such a War are Traitors and shall be proceeded against accordingly prepared for the raising of an Army and published several Declarations inviting the good People of England to assist them with their Prayers Persons and Purses to carry on this War which they were necessitated to enter into for the Defence of the Religion Laws Liberties and Parliament of England The Protestation taken by both Houses and by them proposed to the People to stand by each other in their just and necessary Undertaking was readily and chearfully taken by many in London and elsewhere and divers hundreds on Horseback from the Counties of Buckingham Hartford and Essex came up with their several Petitions acknowledging the Care and Faithfulness of the Parliament in the discharge of their Trust and promising to stand by them in the carrying on of what they had declared for Declarations were also set forth by the two Houses encouraging the People to provide Horses and Arms and to bring in Plate and Money for their necessary Defence engaging the Credit of the Publick for the Reimbursement of what should be so advanced Which Contributions arising to the Value of a great Sum they declared their Intentions of raising a certain Number of Horse and Foot with a proportionable Train of Artillery and voted the Earl of Essex to be their General whom the King to take him off from the Publick Interest had lately made Chamberlain of his Houshold Upon the same account he had also preferred the Lord Say to be Master of the Court of Wards and Mr. Oliver St. Johns to be his Solicitor General But this could not corrupt the Earl of Essex nor hinder him from discharging vigorously that Trust which the Parliament had reposed in him Divers of the Lords and Commons engaged their Lives with him and under him Of the Lords the Earl of Bedford who was General of the Horse the Lord Peterborough the Lord Willoughby of Parham the Lord Denbigh the Lord St. John the Lord Rochford and of the Commons Mr. Hampden and Mr. Hollis who raised Regiments Sir Philip Stapylton who commanded the Earl of Essex's Guard and Mr. Oliver Cromwell who commanded a Troop of Horse and divers others The Earl of Northumberland who was High Admiral staid with the Parliament The Earl of Warwick whom they made Vice-Admiral kept the greatest part of the Fleet in obedience to them Things being brought to this Extremity the Nation was driven to a necessity of Arming in
of Haste or Surprize they resolved to convene him before them publickly twice more after which if he persisted in his Demurrer to the Jurisdiction of the Court then to give Judgment against him And that nothing might be wanting in case he should resolve to plead they appointed Witnesses to be examined to every Article of the Charge At the King 's second Appearance before the Court which was on the 22 d of January he carried himself in the same manner as before whereupon his Refusal being again entred and he withdrawn the Court adjourned to the Painted Chamber On the twenty third of January the King was brought a third time before the Commissioners where refusing to plead as he had done before his Refusal was entered and Witnesses examined publickly to prove the Charge of his levying War against the Parliament After which Solicitor General Coke demanded of the Court that they would proceed to the pronouncing of Sentence against the Prisoner at the Bar whereupon the Court adjourned into the Painted Chamber and upon serious consideration declared the King to be a Tyrant Traitor Murderer and a publick Enemy to the Commonwealth that his Condemnation extend unto Death by severing his Head from his Body and that a Sentence grounded upon those Votes be prepared which being agreed upon the King should be ordered on the next day following to receive it The Sentence being engrossed was read on the 27 th of January and thereupon the Court resolved that the same should be the Sentence which should be read and published in Westminster-Hall the same Day that the President should not permit the King to speak after the Sentence pronounced that he should openly declare it to be the Sense and Judgment of the Court and that the Commissioners should signify their Consent by standing up In the Afternoon the King was brought to the Bar and desired that he might be permitted to make one Proposition before they proceeded to Sentence which he earnestly pressing as that which he thought would tend to the reconciling of all Parties and to the Peace of the three Kingdoms they permitted him to offer it The effect of which was that he might meet the two Houses in the Painted Chamber to whom he doubted not to offer that which should satisfy and secure all Interests designing as I have been since informed to propose his own Resignation and the admission of his Son to the Throne upon such Terms as should have been agreed upon This Motion being new and unexpected to the Court who were not willing to deny or grant any thing without serious Deliberation they withdrew to consider of it into the Inner Court of Wards and being satisfied upon debate that nothing but loss of time would be the consequence of it they returned into the Court with a Negative to his Demand telling him that they met there as a Court of Justice commissionated by the Parliament of whose Authority they were fully satisfied that by their Commission they were not authorized to receive any Proposals from him but to proceed to the Trial of him that in order thereto his Charge had been read to him to which if he would have pleaded the Counsel for the Commonwealth were ready to have proved it against him that he had thrice demurred to the Jurisdiction of the Court which Demurrer the Court had overruled and registred ordering to proceed against him as if he had confessed the Charge and that if he had any Proposition to make it was proper for him to address it to the Parliament and not to them Then the Presideut enlarged upon the horrid Nature of those Crimes of which he had been accused and was now convicted declaring that the only just Power of Kings was derived from the Consent of the People That whereas the People had intrusted him to see their Laws put in Execution he had endeavoured throughout the whole Course of his Reign to subvert those good Laws and to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government in the room of them That to cut off all hopes of redress he had attempted from the beginning of his Reign either wholly to destroy Parliaments or to render them only subservient to his own corrupt Designs That tho he had consented the publick Necessities so requiring that this Parliament should not be dissolved but by an Act of themselves he had levied War against them that he might not only dissolve them but by the Terrour of his Power for ever discourage such Assemblies from doing their Duty That in this War many thousands of the good People of England had lost their Lives That in obedience to what God commanded and the Nation expected the Parliament had appointed this Court to make Inquisition for this Blood and to try him for the same That his Charge had been read to him and he required to give an Answer to it which he having thrice refused to do he acquainted him that the Court had resolved to pronounce Sentence against him and thereupon commanded the Clerk to read it which he did being to this effect That the King for the Crimes contained in the Charge should be carried back to the Place from whence he came and thence to the Place of Execution where his Head should be severed from his Body which Sentence being read the Commissioners testified their unanimous Assent by their standing up The King would have spoken something before he was withdrawn but being accounted dead in Law immediately after Sentence pronounced it was not permitted The Court withdrew also and agreed that the Sentence should be put in Execution on the Tuesday following which would be the 30 th of January 1648. The King having refused such Ministers as the Court appointed to attend him desired that Dr. Juxton late Bishop of London might be permitted to come to him which being granted and Adjutant General Allen sent to acquaint the Doctor with the King's Condition and Desires he being altogether unprepared for such a Work broke out into these Expressions God save me what a Trick is this that I should have no more Warning and I have nothing ready but recollecting himself a little he put on his Scarf and his other Furniture and went with him to the King where having read the Common Prayer and one of his old Sermons he administred the Sacrament to him not forgetting to use the Words of the Confession set down in the Liturgy inviting all those that truly repent to make their Confession before the Congregation then gathered together tho there was none present but the King and himself The High Court of Justice appointed a Committee to inspect the Parts about Whitehall for a convenient place for the Execution of the King who having made their Report it was agreed that a Scaffold should be erected to that purpose near the Banqueting-House and order given to cover it with black The same day being the 29 th of January they signed a Warrant for his Execution to which
hundred Men on shore commanded by Captain Morrice to attack a Quarter of the Enemies that lay by the Harbour which they executed Successfully by taking the Fort and about forty Prisoners with four Pieces of Cannon which they nailed up and returned on board again At this time the Virginia Fleet arriving at the Barbadoes it was thought fit to send a third Summons to the Lord Willoughby but finding that neither this nor the Declaration sent to them by the Commissioners of Parliament to the same purpose produced any effect Sir George Ayscue landed seven hundred Men from his own and the Virginia Fleet giving the Command of them to the same Captain Morrice who fell upon thirteen hundred of the Enemies Foot and three Troops of their Horse and beat them from their Works killing many of their Men and taking about a hundred Prisoners with all their Guns The Loss on our side was inconsiderable few of ours being killed upon the place and not above thirty wounded Yet these Successes were not sufficient to accomplish the Work there being above five thousand Horse and Foot in the Island and our Virginia Fleet preparing to depart for want of Provisions In this conjuncture Colonel Muddiford who commanded a Regiment in the Island by the means of a Friend that he had in our Fleet made his Terms and declared for the Parliament Many of his Friends following his Example did the like and in conjunction with him encamped under the protection of our Fleet. Upon this the most part of the Island were inclined to join us but the Lord Willoughby prevented them by placing Guards on all the Avenues to our Camp and designed to charge our Men with his Body of Horse wherein he was much superior to them had not a Cannon-Ball that was fired at random beat open the door of a Room where he and his Council of War were sitting which taking off the Head of the Sentinel who was placed at the door so alarmed them all that he changed his design and retreated to a Place two Miles distant from the Harbour Our Party consisting of two thousand Foot and one hundred Horse advancing towards him he desired to treat which being accepted Colonel Muddiford Colonel Collyton Mr. Searl and Captain Pack were appointed Commissioners by Sir George Ayscue and by the Lord Willoughby Sir Richard Pierce Mr. Charles Pym Colonel Ellis and Major Byham By these it was concluded that the Islands of Barbadoes Mevis Antego and St. Christophers should be surrendered to the Parliament of England That the Lord Willoughby Colonel Walrond and some others should be restored to their Estates and that the Inhabitants of the said Isles should be maintained in the quiet enjoyment of what they possessed on condition to do nothing to the prejudice of the Commonwealth This News being brought to Virginia they submitted also where one Mr. George Ludlow a Relation of mine served the Parliament in the like manner as Col. Muddiford had done at the Barbadoes The Parliament of England being desirous after all these Successes to convince even their Enemies that their principal design was to procure the happiness and prosperity of all that were under their Government sent Commissioners to Scotland to treat concerning an Union of that Nation with England in one Common-wealth directing them to take care till that could be effected that Obedience should be given to the Authority of the Parliament of the Common wealth of England The Commissioners appointed to this end on the part of the Parliament were Sir Henry Vane the Chief Justice St. Johns Mr. Fenwick Major Salloway Major General Lambert Colonel Titchborn Major General Dean and Colonel Monk This Proposition of Union was chearfully accepted by the most iudicious amongst the Scots who well understood how great a condescension it was in the Parliament of England to permit a People they had conquered to have a part in the Legislative Power The States-General being highly displeased with the late Act of Navigation passed by the Parliament which they accounted to be a great obstruction to their Trade resolved to leave no means unattempted to procure it to be repealed To this end they sent three Ambassadors to England who pretending a desire to finish the Treaty begun formerly between the Two States requested that things might be as they were at the time of our Ambassador's departure from Holland designing thereby that the Act lately passed for the Encouragement of our Seamen should be suspended and all such Merchandizes restored as had been seized from the Dutch by virtue of the said Act. The Parliament refusing to consent to this Proposal the States-General gave Orders for the equipping a considerable Fleet consisting of about a hundred Ships of War giving notice to the Parliament by their Ambassadors of these Preparations and assuring them that they were not design'd to offend the English Nation with whom they desired to maintain a friendly Correspondence and that they were provided to no other end than to protect their own Subjects in their Trade and Navigation But the Parliament being unwilling to rely upon the Promises of those who by their past and present Actions had manifested little Friendship to us resolved to make what Preparations they could to defend themselves This Alarm awakened us to a diligent performance of our duty in Ireland fearing that the Hollanders might transport some foreign Forces by their Fleet to the Assistance of the Irish who were not only still numerous in the Field but had also divers Places of Strength to retreat to Our Suspicions were farther increased by the Advices we received of a Treaty on foot between the Duke of Lorain and Theobald Viscount Taff with other Irish to bring the Forces of that Duke into Ireland against us in order to extirpate all Hereticks out of that Nation to re-establish the Romish Religion in all Parts of it and to restore the Irish to their Possessions all which being performed he should deliver up the Authority to the King of Great Britain and assist him against his Rebellious Subjects in England That all Ireland should be ingaged for his Re-imbursement That Galway Limerick Athenree Athlone Waterford and the Fort of Duncannon should be put into his hands as Cautionary Places with other things of the same nature The Report of this Agreement being spread amongst the Irish encouraged them to make all possible Opposition against us in expectation of the promised Succours The Commissioners of the Parliament on the other hand laboured with all diligence to dispose their Affairs in the best manner they could for the Publick Service in order to which they sent to the several Commanders of our Army to excite them to the discharge of their Duty making provision of Arms Ammunition Clothes Tents and all things necessary to the carrying on the War in the ensuing Spring A general Meeting of Officers was also appointed to be held at Kilkenay to consult about the best Method of employing our Arms against the
Year 1648 or had appeared in Arms since under the King of Scots in order to subvert the present Government excepting those who since the Battel of Dunbar had abandoned the said King of Scots and by their Merits and Services had rendred themselves worthy of Favour That all such who are not comprehended under the said Qualifications and shall concur with them in their just Enterprize shall receive the Benefit of their Protection and enjoy their Liberties and Goods equally with the free People of England In pursuance of this Declaration of the Parliament their Commissioners in Scotland published another wherein they discharge from Confiscation all Merchants and Tradesmen who possess not in Lands or Goods above the Value of five hundred Pounds and are not Prisoners of War Souldiers of Fortune Moss Troopers or such as have killed or committed Outrages against the English Souldiers contrary to the Laws and Customs of War They also emitted a Proclamation abolishing in the name of the Parliament all manner of Authority and Jurisdiction derived from any other Power but that of the Commonwealth of England as well in Scotland as in all the Isles belonging to it After this they summoned the Counties Cities and Boroughs to agree to the Incorporation before mentioned of which eighteen of one and thirty Counties and twenty four of fifty six Cities and Boroughs consented to send their Deputies to the Parliament of England most of the rest excusing themselves for want of Money to defray the Expences of their Representatives This Business being accomplished and an Act passed for the Incorporation of England and Scotland into one Commonwealth the Parliament were prevailed with by the Importunities of some of their own Members and in particular of General Cromwell that so he might fortify himself by the Addition of new Friends for the carrying on his Designs to pass an Act of General Pardon and Amnesty whereby tho it had thirty eight several Exceptions many Persons who deserved to pay towards the Reimbursement of the Publick no less than those who had been already fined escaped the Punishment due to their Misdemeanours and the Commonwealth was defrauded of great Sums of Money by which means they were rendred unable to discharge many just Debts owing to such as had served them with Diligence and Fidelity In Ireland the Rebels were so pressed by our Forces in all Parts that they began to think it necessary to treat about Conditions of Submission and many of them obtained Liberty to be transported into foreign Service wherein the Commissioners of Parliament assisted them with Ships so that the Irish Officers were in many Places deserted by their own Souldiers Col. Fitzpatrick was the first who submitted on condition to be transported with his Regiment into the Service of the King of Spain which was a great blow to the Irish Confederacy who were very desirous to treat in conjunction hoping to obtain more favourable Terms in consideration of their Numbers insomuch that they published Declarations against him and the Irish Clergy excommunicated him and all those who joined with him Notwithstanding which Col. Odowyer Commander in Chief of the Irish in the Counties of Waterford and Tipperary followed his Example and proposed a Treaty to Col. Zanchey who having received Instructions from the Commissioners concluded an Agreement with him the principal Articles whereof were to this effect That the Arms and Horses belonging to the Brigade of Col. Edmund Odowyer shall be delivered up at a certain price That he and his Party shall enjoy their personal Estates and such a proportion of their real Estates as others under their Qualification shall be permitted to do That the Benefit of the Articles shall not extend to such as had murdered any of the English or had been engaged in the Rebellion during the first Year or to any Romish Priests or to those who had been of the first General Assembly those also who had taken away the Life of any of ours after Quarter given and those who had deserted us and joined themselves to the Enemy were excepted out of the Treaty All others to have Liberty to live in our Quarters or to transport themselves into the Service of any foreign State in Friendship with the Commonwealth of England Whilst the Ambassadors from Holland were in Treaty with the Commissioners appointed by the Parliament to that end the Dutch Fleet consisting of forty three Ships of War commanded by the Heer Van Tromp came into the Downs Major Bourn having with him a Squadron of eight Men of War perceiving two of the Dutch Ships making sail towards him sent to them to demand the Reason of their Approach and an Answer being returned that they had a Message to deliver from Admiral Van Tromp to the English Commander of that Squadron they were permitted to come up to that purpose The Captains of the two Dutch Ships after they had saluted Major Bourn by striking the Flag went on board him and acquainted him that they were sent by their Admiral to let him know that riding with his Fleet near Dunkirk he had lost many Cables and Anchors by bad Weather and was now brought by a North Wind more Southward than he designed of which he thought himself obliged to give him notice to prevent any Misunderstanding Major Bourn told them he was willing to believe what was said and that the Truth of it would best appear by their speedy Retreat With this Answer the two Captains returned to their Fleet which coming within Cannon-shot of Dover-Castle with their Sails up and Flag at the Top-mast not saluting the Fort according to Custom the Garison was constrained to fire three Guns at the Hollanders to put them in mind of their Duty But their Admiral made no Answer and still keeping up his Flag lay in the Road till the next day about Noon at which time he weighed Anchor and set sail towards Calais The rest of the English Fleet consisting only of thirteen Men of War commanded by General Blake who had been upon the Coast of Sussex returning into the Downs soon after the Departure of the Dutch was joined by Major Bourn and those eight Ships he had with him But Admiral Van Tromp being obliged to take care of some rich Merchant Ships bound home to Holland from the Straits returned towards the Downs and being come within Cannon-shot of our Fleet without striking their Flag General Blake commanded three several Guns one after the other to be fired at him Whereupon he answered with one Gun which shot through the English Flag and followed it with a whole Broad-side setting up a red Standard on his Topmast as a Signal to the whole Fleet to prepare to fight The Engagement began about four in the Afternoon and lasted till nine at Night with great Loss to the Enemy and little Damage on our side tho their Fleet was double our Number We took two of their Men of War in the Fight one of which was brought away
and the other being very much shatter'd sunk down as our Men were carrying her off The Council of State having received an Account of this Action made their Report of it to the Parliament who passed a Vote for the justification of General Blake and resolving to have Satisfaction for this Assault placed a Guard upon the Dutch Ambassadors at their Lodgings in Chelsey and sent General Cromwell and Mr. Denis Bond a Member of Parliament down to the Fleet with Assurances that nothing should be wanting for their Encouragement The Event of this Undertaking not answering the Expectations of the Hollanders serving only to provoke the English Nation and to publish their own Dishonour they endeavoured to make the World as well as the Parliament believe that the Quarrel was begun by General Blake or at least that what had been done was not by their Orders and therefore desired that the Treaty might go on and that the Prisoners taken in the late Fight might be restored To this end they sent over the Heer Paw of Heemsted to carry on the Treaty in conjunction with the Ambassadors they had sent before into England This Minister was received with all the usual Demonstrations of Honour and being admitted to Audience pressed for an Accommodation of all Differences and a Cessation of all Acts of Hostility between the two Nations assuring the Parliament that his Masters had given Orders to their Ships to strike to the English Flag in the same manner as had been practised in former times But being demanded to shew his Powers he produced nothing save Letters of Credence and Passports referring himself to the other Ambassadors in that Point with whom he made some General Propositions to the Parliament and desired them to declare their Demands By these Proceedings of the Dutch the Parliament perceiving that this Difference was not like to be decided by a Treaty contented themselves to require Satisfaction for the Injuries received and Assurance that nothing of that nature should be attempted for the future which if the Ambassadors would consent to they declared themselves ready to proceed in the Treaty and to grant a Cessation of Arms. But so little were they disposed to give the Satisfaction demanded that they made no farther mention of the Cessation which they had so earnestly pressed and having taken their Audience of Leave they broke off the Treaty abruptly and returned home In Ireland tho the Number of those that submitted on condition to be transported into foreign Service was so great that they became a great Burden to us before we could procure Shipping for their Transportation and tho the Enemy had received several Defeats by our Forces during the Winter wherein many of them had been killed and taken yet they continued to make Incursions into our Quarters carrying away Cattel and other Booty and having lately seized upon the Horses belonging to two Troops of Dragoons they were so encouraged that Sir Walter Dungan Commissary General of the Enemies Horse and Capt. Scurlock a forward Officer and one who had done us much Mischief with five hundred Foot and two hundred and fifty Horse marched into Wexford with a Design to plunder that County Lieutenant Colonel Throgmorton who commanded in those Parts having informed us of their March we sent two Troops of Horse to his Assistance who with them and about four hundred Foot charged the Enemy upon their Return and after some Dispute routed them killing two hundred of them upon the Place and many more with divers Officers in the Pursuit besides several of the Irish taken Prisoners with the Loss of about twenty killed and a hundred wounded on our side The Booty which the Enemy had gotten consisting chiefly in five hundred Cows was all recovered The Season of Action advancing the Commissioners of Parliament went to Kilkenny as well to confer with the Officers from all Parts of Ireland as to make the necessary Preparations for the ensuing Service of which the Earl of Westmeath who commanded the Enemies Forces in Leinster having notice sent to desire a safe Conduct for Commissioners to be named by them to treat with us at Kilkenny on their behalf which being granted they appointed Commissary General Dungan Lewis Viscount of Glanmaliere Sir Robert Talbot Sir Richard Barnwel Col. Walter Bagnol Col. Lewis Moor and Col. Thomas Tyrrell to be their Commissioners And on our part Commissary General Reynolds Col. Hewetson Col. Lawrence Col. Axtel Adjutant General Allen Major Henry Owen and Mr. James Standish Deputy-Treasurer of the Army were commissionated to treat and conclude with them in conformity to such Instructions as they received from a General Council and after several days Conference the Commissioners on each part came to an Agreement upon Terms that were the same in substance with those formerly granted to Col. Edmund Odonryer and his Party with liberty left for the Lord Muskerry Major General Taaf and other Commanders of the Irish in the Provinces of Mâ—nster Connaught and Vlster yet in Arms to come in and accept of the same Conditions within a limited time The Articles were approved by the Earl of Westmeath on the behalf of the Irish and on the part of the Commonwealth of England by Me as Commander in chief of their Forces in Ireland In the mean time the Committee appointed by the Parliament for the Reformation of the Law in England made a considerable progress in that matter Judges were also sent into Scotland for the Administration of Justice there which they performed to the great satisfaction of that People The Parliament also appointed a Committee to consider of means to set at work all the Poor throughout the Nation and to make Provision for such as were not able to work that there might be no Beggar in England In Scotland our Forces having reduced the Castle of Dunotter which was the last Garison of that Nation that held out against the Parliament of England it was resolved to make four considerable Forts one at Inverness another at Leith a third at Ayre and a fourth at St. Johnstoâ—n and because the Enemy being entirely beaten out of the Field was retired to the mountainous Parts which to that time had been accounted inaccessible by the English it was agreed to endeavour to clear those Places of them also being perswaded that where any went before others might follow after To this end our Men were divided into three Parties the first consisted of Colonel Overcon's Regiment of Foot and a Regiment of Horse commanded by Major Blackmore The second of Colonel Hacker's Regiment of Horse and one of Foot commanded by Colonel Lilburn and the third was composed of the Regiment of Horse of Major General Dean and of a Regiment of Foot belonging to Lieutenant General Monk Each of these having a Party of Dragoons to attend them rendezvouzed at Loughaber and from thence fell separately into the Enemy's Quarters where they killed many of them and burned their Provisions pursuing them so