extremely respected at all the places he came at in the Low-Countreys as at Dunkirk Antwerp the Hague Leyden c. And having been for some time entertain'd by his Royal Sister where he had the honour of the Garter sent him from the King he departed to the Court of France being attended by Sir Marmaduke Langdale and Sir Richard Greenvile his Majesty himself the Duke of York Prince Rupert and others going two leagues out of Paris to meet him Towards the latter end of the year 1652. his Majestie 's hopes began to be something desperate concerning any considerable succour from France for that King in stead of uniting with the Prince's his subjects sent an Embassadour Mr. de Bordeanx Neufville to treat a Peace with England to which he was the rather induc'd for that Admiral Blake had not long before beaten and destroy'd the French ships under the Duke of Vendosme that were going to the relief of Dunkirk which defeat occasion'd the loss of that Town to the Spaniard Nor were his hopes likely to prove more successfull in the united Provinces for they were so weary of the War that they sent a Letter to England to cast about for an accommodation But before they effected any thing Cromwell finding his ambitious projects ripe being emboldned with former successes and backt with a strong Army on the 20. of April 1653. entred the Parliament House attended with some officers where he represented to them that their Dissolution was important to the publick good and welfare of the Nation with many reasons for it which none daring to oppose the Members departed the House To justify which Action He and his Council of Officers put forth a Declaration wherein it was pretended The Parliament was over-ruled by a corrupt Party who intended to perpetuate themselves deluding the Nation from time to time with hopes of a New Representative notwithstanding the Petitions of the Army and severall Counties That the Cause which God had so greatly blessed languisht in their hands and was in danger to be lost by their negligence of the publick and self-seeking with many more like crimes And thus fell this great Idol of the Nation this Parliamentum Infame which in a dozen yeares time had wrought more mischief to these Kingdomes then all the preceeding Parliaments had ever done good After this Cromwel with his Officers took the administration of Affairs into their own hands the Armies in Scotland and Ireland and the Fleet assenting to their proceedings But to gull the people a little longer and render Parliaments more contemptible to them Cromwel upon the 8. of Iune following sent out a summons in his own name to such persons as he pleas'd to meet at VVestminster on the 4. of Iuly Who accordingly appearing to the number of six score he impowred them by a writing under his Hand and Seal to be the Supreme Authority and Governours of the three Nations and that 40. of them should be a Quorum to dispatch business This Iunto of Sectaries and Officers of the Army going into the Parliament House in three dayes time gravely resolved that they would be called the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England and that their Chairman Mr. Rous should be called Speaker and that they would have a Sergeant at Armes and a Mace Thus they began ridiculously and continued in all their Actions for four moneths in which they voted down the High-Court of Chancery made a silly Act for Marriages Births and Burials confirmed the unjust Bill for Sale of the Estate of Sir Iohn Stowell Knight of the Bath ordered Sale of the remainder of the Royall Revenue made a tax for 6. moneths at 120000 l. per mensem struck fiercely at Tythes and Universities and then being partly weary and partly asham'd of themselves some of Oliver's faction by underhand appointment repaired to Cromwel and resigned their power into his Hands who at first seeming unwilling and excusing his inability was prevail'd with by importunity to accept it which he did with the Title of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland The rest of the Sectarian Convention who refus'd to break up the Parliament and doe as their fellowes had done Cromwel sent Souldiers to turn them out of the House which was accordingly done and the doors lockt against them Decemb. 2. 1653. And upon the 16. of the same moneth having by the advice of his Officers framed and published an Instrument of Government consisting of 42. Articles he sent for the Commissioners of the Great Seale the Major and Aldermen of London with the Iudges and the Officers of the Army and was by them solemnly installed in Westminster-Hall taking an Oath to rule according to his Instrument and the Lawes of the Land though nothing could be more repugnant to the Lawes then that Instrument In this last year notwithstanding the former offer of Accommodation severall encounters had been between the Ships of this Nation those of the United Provinces in which the Dutch suffer'd much so that the common people there were in a great consternation Two of the principal Battels were on the 3. of Iune and the 29. of Iuly In the former the English got a remarkable Victory though with the losse of one of their Generals Dean by a great shot taking above 1300. prisoners and 11. Ships of War besides 6. sunk In the latter being the greatest blow the Dutch ever received from us their Admiral Martin Harper van Trump one of the most expert and renowned Seamen in the world was slain with a Musket shot and 2000. men more 1000. Prisoners taken and 27. Ships of War sunk and fired Which losses quite broke the spirits of the Dutch who thereupon began seriously to think of peace This Summer also it pleased God to visit his Majesty with a Fever which held him for some time with violence so that the London Pamphlets publish'd it to be mortal But the Divine Providence intended better things to this Nation and about the latter end of August recovered him to perfect health After which he departed from the Court for some time to Chantilly not far distant from Paris for better aire being accompanied with Prince Rupert who after various fortunes at Sea and separation from his brother Prince Maurice by a Hericano who was never after heard off put in with his Ships at Nantes at Britany and resided with his Majesty for a long time at Paris in the Palace Royall This year the Lord Hopton who had commanded an Army for his late Majesty in the Rebellion of England dyed of a Fever after five dayes sicknesse at Bruges in Flanders a person of great learning piety temperance and valour In the beginning of the next year his Majestie 's hopes of doing any good upon the United States were absolutely extinguish'd He had us'd all possible means by the intercessions of his friends to avert them from reconcilement with England and to that purpose was very active upon
them comparing the old Tyrant to Moses and his Impe to Ioshua the Guides and conductors of Gods people out of Aegyptian thraldome The chosen Members assembled at VVestminster on Ian. 27. and so did the Other House Great debates were amongst them touching the recognition of the Government transacting with the Other House as Lords during which two Speakers successively dy'd till the young Protector being undermined by a Caball of Officers Fleetwood Desborough c. weakly yielded to the Dissolving of the Parliament on Friday April 22. shortly after which a Fast being solemniz'd the remainder of the Long Parliament who had been dissolved by Cromwel in April 20. 1653. were invited by Lambert to sit again which they did on the 7. of May excluding by violence such of their Fellow-members as they had before secluded in Decemb. 1648. though they were the greater number Richard was thereupon depriv'd of his Government so was his brother Harry in Ireland And now this old Iunto being advanc'd again and congratulated as other Governments had formerly been from Scotland Ireland and the Fleet begin to act like subtile Politicians And to the end the Army might be kept in obedience to them they made the Speaker of the House General cashir'd many Officers and caus'd new Commissions to be deliver'd by the Speaker in the House of Parliament to all the Commanders both of Land and Sea-Forces The affections of the people they did not much value so long as the Army would stand to them To gratifie whom they impos'd a whole years Tax at 35000. l. per mensem to be paid immediately After which about Iuly they pass'd an Act for settling the Militia of Counties in such hands as they pleased But Lambert and the other Officers who intended to have the whole guard of the Rump and aim'd at other designs not relishing this proceeding it was laid aside Nothing could have been more odious to the Nation then this re-establishment of the Rump-Parliament who taking these courses to secure the perpetuall continuance of their sitting and resolving never to encrease their number by admitting their fellow-members or new ones legally elected in their places awakened the spirits of most of the Gentry of the Nation to attempt something for their Countries liberty by restitution of the ancient Government A great inclination there was in most Counties to take up Armes and several Offers were made in divers places but none was so considerable as that in Cheshire Lancashire and the parts adjoyning under Sir George Booth Sir Thomas Middleton and other Gentlemen in those parts They declar'd for a full and free Parliament to be elected by the People Sir George Booth had taken Westchester and was reported to be very numerous Whereupon Lambert was sent out against him with an Army of six or seven thousand men and a train of Artillery moreover forces from all quarters were appointed to draw to him so that all meeting he had a very puissant Army The party under Sir George Booth had been in Armes a a good time before Lambert came against them in expectation that other Counties would have done the like but this hope failing upon Lambert's approach many of them withdrew from him The rest came to an encounter with Lambert at Northwich and were without much difficulty defeated The number of the slain was not many but the Prisoners were in great multitudes Sir George Booth himself was also within a few dayes after taken in a disguise in an Inne at Newport-Pagnel in Bedfordshire as he was coming up to London Persons of quality taken besides him were the Earle of Derby the Lord Kilmurrey Major General Ranulph Egerton Sir William Neile Sir Thomas Powel of Flintshire Col. Massey of Cheshire Major Peter Brook The Earle of Stamford and Sir Thomas Leventhorp were also imprison'd in other places with some hundreds of Gentlemen for designing to levy war against the Commonwealth The Rump overjoy'd with this successe presented Lambert with 1000. l. to buy him a jewel but he thought it more suitable to his designes to distribute it amongst his Army During these actions in England his Majesty privately withdrew from Bruxells together with the Duke of York it was imagin'd by many that they were come concealed into England in expectation of the event or at least lay upon the Sea-coasts ready to have transported some forces in a Fleet which rode upon the Coast of Flanders in case matters had succeeded prosperously But not long after the suppression of the Cheshire Insurrection they appeared again at Bruxells from whence his Majesty dispatcht an Embassadour to attend with certain Proposals at the Interview of Cardinal Mazarini for the French King and Don Lewis de Haro for the Spanish who met upon the confines to treat a Peace between the two Crowns and a Marriage between the King of France and the Infanta of Spain The Embassadour was entertain'd by the two grand Ministers with very high testimonies of honour and respect and promised to have his Master's Interest taken into consideration assoon as the concernments of their own would permit But in England the pretended Parliament fell eagerly to their old beloved Trade of Sequestration and determin'd to exercise the utmost of severity upon the actors in the late Insurrection And no doubt they they would have prosecuted their intentions had not Providence diverted their malice by a breach which fell out between them and the principal Officers of the Army Lambert whose ambition instigated to him to be so active in the late change of Government and so popular in the management of his late expedition together with other grand Officers thought the Parliament so oblig'd to them for restoring them to Power and preserving them in it that they conceiv'd none of their demands ought to be denyed Whereupon at their return to London a Petition was presented to the House by Desborough for a General The Iunto remembring how their former General had serv'd them not only denied this request but vacated the Commissions of Lambert Desborough and 7. others and voted the supreme command of the Army into the hands of seven Commissioners whereof two or three were Army-men the others Members of Parliament Lambert and his Companions were so incensed herewith that upon the 11. of Octob. Forces were drawn out on either side at VVestminster those for the Iunto commanded by Haselrig Morley and others those for the Army by Lambert himself Desborough Berry and other Colonels and had not the Council of State interpos'd they had charg'd one another Neverthelesse the Army-party prevail'd and turn'd the Rump out of doors Oct. 13. Which being done the great Officers being assembled in Council at Wallingford-house dispos'd of commands among themselves Fleetwood was made General Lambert Lieutenant General Desborough General of the Horse and that they might satisfy Gen. Monck too who govern'd Scotland they made him Major General of the Foot As for civil Affairs they erected a Committee of
should appoint As if it were unfit for his Majesty to be master of his own Purse while they were in expectation of his Arrival the Committee of Estates and Parliament consulted about forming of an Army for his service as they pretended and an Act was pass'd for training every fourth man capable to bear Armes throughout the Kingdom raising 16000. Foot and 6000. Horse in which the Earle of Leven was made General of the Foot Holborn Major General David Lesley Lieutenant General of the Horse and Montgomery Major General the supreme Command being reserv'd for his Majesty Who arriving at Edenburgh was entertain'd with many complements and congratulations and on the 15 of Iuly solemnly proclaimed King at the Crosse and should have been Crown'd in the ensuing moneth had not certain obstacles caus'd the deferring of that ceremony He had not been long there but the Estates and Parliament begin to busie themselves afresh about modelling his Retinue and clearing his Houshold of such Malignants as they term'd them as were in his Service excluding them also from all imployment both about his Person and in the Army As for himself he had a strong Guard continually about him to attend him and observe his motions The English pretended Parliament had all this while sufficient intelligence of the Scots proceedings with his Majesty in the Treaty of Breda together with their engagement to assist him in the recovery of his Rights in England and this by the perfidiousnesse treachery of some of the Fourth Faction I mention'd in the Parliament of Scotland And therefore by the sollicitation of these Traytors and partly out of policy to prevent an invasion by making one whereby the Enemies Country would become the Seat of the War they prepar'd an Army against Scotland and sent for Cromwel out of Ireland on whom they confer'd the Command of Capt. General of all their Forces in the room of the Lord Fairfax who gave up his Commission abhorring to be longer a servant to such horrid designes as they had formerly put him upon About this time one Ascham whom the Iunto had sent Agent into Spaine was assassinated at Madrid together with his Interpreter Senior Riba by a combination of six or seven men at Madrid who after the fact took Sanctuary Dorislaus another Agent of the Upstart Republick had the same fate also though more deservedly about a year before in Holland It hapned also during the Treaty was on foot between his Majesty and his Scottish Subjects that Prince Rupert's Fleet having for a long time been protected by the King of Portugal was utterly destroy'd upon that coast by Blake the English Admiral On the 28. of Iune Cromwel got all things in readiness for a War advanc'd towards Scotland in the head of 11000. Foot and 5000. Horse And approaching to the Borders sent the Scots a Declaration from the ptetended Parliament of England and another from himself to justifie these proceedings The Scots seem'd much surpris'd at this invasion without warning given and therefore send to expostulate the Cause of it in a paper to Haslerig then Governour of New-Castle in another to Cromwel and a third to the Iunto in which they urg'd the Solemn League and Covenant and the former Union between the two Nations But it was answer'd by a Declaration 1. That the Scots contrary to their agreement had once already invaded England under D. Hamilton and were now ready for a second invasion so that the English were advanc'd against them onely by way of prevention 2. That they had made a Peace with the Common Enemy promised him assistance to regain the other Kingdomes he pretended to 3. They had resolved to impose their form of Religion upon the English Nation These were the grounds the English alledg'd for their proceedings Accordingly Cromwel marches into Scotland taking all the Garrisons that lay in his way till he came to Muscleborough a place famous for a signall defeat given the Scots in the Reign of Edward the 6. there he is set upon by Maj. Gen. Montgomery and Col. Straughan but the assailants were put to the worst After which the two main Armies having for some time moved at a small distance one from another the Scots declined engaging till they got the English at a great disadvantage at Dunbar who by the difficulties of the place were so distress'd for provision that they began to think of an escape by Sea and would without doubt have taken that course had not the Scots confidence of Victory induc'd them to set upon them contrary to the great prudent maximes of War viz. To make a bridg for a flying Enemy not to drive an enemy Army to the utmost of despair The event of this engagement was that the Scots in stead of an assured Victory received a totall overthrow 3000. of them being slain in the field amongst whom was the Laird of Libberton Col. Lumsden about 8000. with Sir Iames Lumsden Lieut. Gen. of the Foot made prisoners 200. Colours part of those that were afterwards hung up in Westminster-Hall 15000. armes and 30. pieces of Ordnance taken The King in the mean time was withdrawn to St. Iohnston's being so sensible of the Scots unfaithfulnesse that he apprehended as much danger from them as from the Enemie Here he received the news of this losse which was followed with a greater that of the excellent Princesse his Sister Elizabeth who dyed on the eight of Sept. 1650. at Carisbook Castle in the Isle of VVight a Lady of incomparable goodness piety and who deserved to have been born in a better Age and in a lesse Barbarous Nation The execrable murther of her Royall Father hastned her death whither the same Villaines at the helme of the State contributed any thing towards it though reported I will not affirme Onely I know they were enemies enough to that family base enough to attempt as great a crime It is recorded by some that the decease of this Illustrious Princesse afflicted his Majesty more then the losse of the Army at Dunbar and perhaps he had reason since himself seem'd least concern'd in this the Forces having been raised and order'd wholly by the States and Kirk's command and for their interest About this time also dyed the renowned Prince of Orange to the great grief of the King leaving his Princesse great with her first child of which she was safely deliver'd four dayes after being a Son his Father's Successour About this time Col. Eusebius Andrewes having been found with a Commission from his Majesty was condemned by a High-Court of Justice and beheaded on Tower-Hill Immediately after this notable Victory Cromwel made himself master of Edinburgh and of Leith onely the Castle of Edinburgh held out for a good while after The King being unable to bear the imperiousness and hard impositions of the Estates and Kirk extorting a Declaration from him to condemn his own proceedings and those of his best affected party banishing
the arrival of Monsieur Boreel their Embassadour to negotiate a League with France to promote the conclusion of it but they had so deeply tasted of the English valour in the Sea war were so impatiently desirous of peace and Trade that all he could gain of them in the end was a Letter of complemental civility And accordingly applications being made to the new pretended Protectour by two Dutch Embassadours the Lords Newport and Yongstall a Peace was concluded between the two States the Articles of which were proclaimed in London April 26. 1654. Nor were his Majestie 's solicitations for a Peace between France and Spain more successefull though he prosecuted it with his utmost ardour as judging it the most important expedient whereby he might obtain assistance from these two Potent Monarchs and other Princes also together with the Pope himself interpos'd for a Reconciliation For the politick reasons of Cardinal Mazarine who knew the peace of the Kingdome of France depended on his removal out of it induc'd him to venture the fortune of war rather then be sacrific'd though deservedly to the tranquillity of that Kingdome And having taken this resolution he judg'd it also his interest in the next place to make a sure friend of the new Protector of England who being an Usurper too he conceiv'd would be more willing to join interests To which purpose all considerations of Honour Generosity yea of affinity chariry set aside by the Cardinals means instructions were sent over to Monsieur de Bordeaux Neufville who had layen here a long time before but had done little by reason of the unsettledness of the Government to treat a League and Confederacy with the pretended Protector Whether the Cardinal had any particular malice towards the King of England as some affirme I cannot determine but this ha's been apparent in all his actions That he will not stick to promote his own ambitious interest by the ruine of that or any other whatsoever being a greater Politician then to stickle at such rules as the sense of Honour goodnesse or justice it self may lay in the way of his proceedings This his Majesty sufficiently understood and foresaw that by naturall consequence the Union of the English Mahomet and this Ecclesiastical Politician would produce his Exclusion out of France Wherefore he thought it more honourable to depart that Kingdome voluntarily then stay till he were dismiss'd by Articles and accordingly on the 1. Iuly 1654. took leave of the King and Queen of France and of his Royall Mother with the French Grandees from whom he receiv'd such dissembling language as that ceremonious Nation uses on all occasions He went first to Chatillon a House belonging to the Prince of Conde being accompanied with his Illustrious Brother the Duke of York and his Cousins the Princes Palatines Rupert and Edward having made some stay here his Royall Brother returned to Paris and from thence to the Army with the Title of Lieutenant General under Marshall de Turenne who then lay with his Forces besieging the Archduke and the Prince of Conde with a numerous Spanish Army in their Trenches before Arras Prince Rupert also here kist his Majestie 's Hand and departed to Heydelberg to his Brother's Court and from thence to that of the Emperour and prince Edward went to Bourbon From Chatillon about the latter end of the same moneth his Majesty went to Cambray and from thence passing through Liege to the Spaw In the mean time Cromwel playes the Tyrant in England at a high rate and on Feb. 18. he sent 11. persons of quality to the Tower for a conspiracy against his Highnesse's person but having no evidence against them besides his own guilty feares which suggested to him that most men wanted the power rather then the will to dispatch him out of his Usurped dignity they were soon after set at liberty The first Act of himself and Council was to repeal the engagement made by the Infamous Parliament against a Single Person which was done by an Ordinance Ian. 19. next the style of publick writings was alter'd from The Keepers c. to Oliver Lord Protector c. Then an Ordinance was pass'd by his Highness and Council declaring Offences of Treason which were made of three sorts 1. Attempting any thing against Cromwel and his Government 2. Corresponding with or promoting the right of his Majesty 3. Declaring that any Parliament was at present in being or had any continuance c. So we see it came about that owning of the Commonwealth interest as they call'd it was now as great an offence as malignancy Moreover to gratify Sectaries he made an Ordinance to eject scandalous Ministers by which many worthy Ministers were deprived of their livings in several Counties and to shew the more exquisite malice such ejected were not to be admitted ever after to any Ecclesiastical preferment nor to teach schole or officiate as Chaplains in the Houses of persons of quality He also set up an Inquisition for approbation of Ministers by whom ignorant Fanaticks were prefer'd before grave and learned Divines the Commission running in termes that they should have especiall regard to such as were indue'd with gifts and graces though they wanted humane learning Of these Inquisitors were Rob. Tichburne Hu. Peters Ph. Nye Th. Goodwin St. Marshal Pet. Sterry Syd Simpson and others of the like stamp And that he might according to the course of Tyrants establish his power in blood by deterring all that lov'd their Country from attempting its deliverance and removing some of those he judg'd loyall and valiant enough to do it upon the 20. of May a Plot was discover'd for which severall persons of quality were apprehended as Sir Gilbert Gerrard and Col. Iohn Gerrard Humphry Bagaley Secretary to the late Earle of Derby Sidney Fotherby Somerset FoxEsq rs Mr. Tuder an Apothecary and Mr. Vowel a Schoolmaster there were also committed to the Tower the Earle of Oxford Maj. Baily Col. Ashburnham and amongst others Sir Richard Willis For the Tryall of these Conspirators a High Court of Iustice was erected by an Ordinance of Cromwel's Iune 13 of which Iohn Lisle was President and Steel Tichburne Sir Will. Roberts and some twenty more right qualifi'd for any murder it pleas'd the Protector to put them upon Commissioners Of the Gentlemen committed onely three were tryed Iune 30. Mr. Gerard Mr. Vowel and Mr. Fox who were adjudged within the new-made Ordinance and guilty of Treason though by no Law of the Land Glyn Prideaux and Ellis like good Instruments of a Tyrant urging the Protectors will for Law Yet the latter of them was repriev'd and the two former suffer'd death with much resolution and courage Mr. Gerard being beheaded on Tower-Hill and Mr. Vowell hanged at Charing Crosse Iuly 10. Scotland was not yet so absolutely subdued but that there appear'd some still in Armes for his Majesty in the Highlands The Earles of Seaforth Athol Glencarne Kinoole the young Marquis of