Franciscus Haraeus compiled Annals of the bloody and fierce Warres in the Netherlands when some of those Provinces fell from the obedience of Philip the second King of Spaine Which businesse he relates in such a way as must in probability lead a Reader to believe that the King and his Officers were altogether innocent and the people of those Countries the only causers of their own Calamity Meteranus wrote the History of those very times which who so reads must needs make a contrary censure concerning the occasion of that Warre The like discrepancy hath been found in Historians of all ages and Nations and therefore not to be much wondred at if it now happen But that which of all other is most likely to be differently related because informations will not agree in such a distance is concerning the actions of Warre and Souldiery and in the time of this Warre it is a thing of extreme difficulty I might say of impossibility for those of one Party to be truly informed of all the Councels or the very Performances and Actions of Commanders and Souldiers on the other side How much valour the English Nation on both sides have been guilty of in this unnaturall Warre the World must needs know in the generall fame But for particulars how much Worth Vertue and Courage some particular Lords Gentlemen and others have shewed unlesse both sides do write will never perfectly be known My residence hath bin during these Wars in the quarters and under the protection of the Parliament and whatsoever is briefly related of the Souldiery being toward the end of this Book is according to that light which I discerned there For whatsoever I have missed concerning the other Party I can make no other Apology then such as Meteranus whom I named before doth in the Preface to his History De Belguis tumultibus Whose words are thus Quòd plura de Reformatorum patriae defensorum quà m de Partis adversaere bus gestis exposuerìm mirum haudquaquam est quoniam plus Commercii familiaritatis mihi cum ipsis major indagandi opportunitas furt Si Pars adversaidem tali probitate praestiterit ediderit Posteritas gesta omnia legere liquido cognoscere magno cum fructu poterit In like manner may I averre that if in this discourse more particulars are set down concerning the actions of those men who defended the Parliament then of them that warred against it it was because my conversation gave me more light on that side to whom as I have indeavoured to give no more then what is due so I have cast no blemishes on the other nor bestowed any more characters then what the truth of Story must require If those that write on the other side will use the same candour there is no feare but that posterity may receive a full information concerning the unhappy distractions of these Kingdoms This I must adde that to inform the world of the right nature causes and growth of these Distractions it will require that the Discourse begin from precedent times which I shall indeavour to deduce down to the present with as much brevity as the necessity of unfolding truth can possibly admit Neither is it needful to begin the Story from times of any great distance or to mention the Government of our most ancient Princes but from that Prince fresh in the memory of some yet living who first established the Reformed Religion in this Kingdome and according to that 〈◊〉 a new interest in the State which was most behoofefull and requisite for her Successors to follow and much conducing besides the glory of Almighty God to their own Honour Power and Greatnesse THE CONTENTS BOOK I. CHAP. I. WHerein is a short mention of Queene Elizabeth King James and the beginning of King Charles his Reign His two first Parliaments Of the War with Spaine and France The death of the Duke of Buckingham And the third Parliament of King Charles 1 CHAP. II. A briefe Relation of some grievances of the Kingdome The various opinions of men concerning the present Government The condition of the Court and Clergy of England Some observations of a stranger concerning the Religion of the English people 15 CHAP. III. The condition of the Scottish State and Clergy when the new Booke of Lyturgy was sent unto them how it was received with some effects which followed The Kings Proclamation sent by the Earle of Traquare against which the Lords make a Protestation 27 CHAP. IV. The Scots enter into a Covenant The Marquesse Hamilton is sent thither from the King A Nationall Synod is granted to them but dissolved within few daies by the Marquesse as Commissioner from the King The King declares against the Covenanters and raises an Army to subdue them 38 CHAP. V. The 〈◊〉 of the English People from this Warre with Scotland 〈◊〉 King advanceth to Yorke with his Army The prepaâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the Scottish Covenanters A Pacification is made and 〈◊〉 Armies disbanded Another Preparation for Warre with â—â—â—â—land A Parliament called to begin in England on the 13 of 〈◊〉 The Parliament of Scotland is broken off by command of 〈◊〉 to the Earle of Traquare 46 CHAP. VI. The Parliament beginneth in England but is soone dissolved The Clergy continue their Convocation The Scots enter into England Some passages of the War A Parliament is called to begin on the third of November A Truce between the Armies for two Moneths 58 CHAP. VII The beginning of the English Parliament Grievances examined Sufferers relieved Delinquents questioned The Archbishop of Canterbury committed to the Tower The flight of Secretary WINDEBANKE and of the Lord Keeper FINCH 70 CHAP. VIII The Tryall and death of the Earle of Strafford Conspiracies detected during the agitation of it An Act for continuance of this present Parliament With a mention of that Grant of the Trienniall Parliament in February before 87 CHAP. IX Allowance of money from the English Parliament to the Scots The vast Charge of disbanding the two Armies The great Taxations for that purpose and the manner of Poll Money The people take a Protestation An Act for putting down the High Commission Court and Starre-Chamber with other occurrences of that time The Queene Mother departeth England The King goeth into Scotland 103 BOOK II. CHAP. I. A Standing Committee during the Recesse of both Houses of Parliament The Rebellion of the Irish and Massacre of the â—testants there Some indeavours of the English Parliament 〈◊〉 relief of that Kingdom 1 CHAP. II. The King returneth out of Scotland and is pompoushly entertained by the City of London The Remonstrance is published by the Parliament The King entreth into the House of Commons The 〈◊〉 of the 12. Bishops and how it was censured by the Lords and Commons Divers unhappy obstructions of the relief of Ireland 16 CHAP. III. The Queen passeth into Holland with her Daughter the Princesse Mary Difference between the King and Parliament concerning the Militia The
Doctrine many faire approaches made towards Rome as he that pleaseth to search may finde in the Books of Bishop LAUD MOUNTAGUE HELYN POCKLINGTON and the rest or in briefe collected by a Scottish Minister Master BAILY And as their friendship to Rome encreased so did their scorne to the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas whom instead of lending that reliefe and succour to them which God had enabled this rich Island to do they failed in their greatest extremities and in stead of harbours became rocks to split them Archbishop LAUD who was now growne into great favour with the King made use of it especially to adâ—vnce the pompe and temporall honour of the Clergy procuring the Lord Treasurers place for Doctor JUCKSON Bishop of London and indeavouring as the generall report went to fix the greatest temporall preferments upon others of that Coat insomuch as the people merrily when they saw that Treasurer with the other Bishops riding to Westminster called it the Church Triumphant Doctors and Parsons of Parishes were made every where Justices of Peace to the great grievance of the Country in civill affaires and depriving them of their spirituall edification The Archbishop by the same meanes which he used to preserve his Clergy from contempt exposed them to envy and as the wisest could then prophecy to a more then probability of losing all As we reade of some men who being fore-doomed by an Oracle to a bad fortune have runne into it by the same meanes they used to prevent it The like unhappy course did the Clergy then take to depresse Puritanisme which was to set up irreligion it selfe against it the worst weapon which they could have chosen to beat it downe which appeared especially in point of keeping the Lords day when not only books were written to shake the morality of it as that of Sunday no Sabbath but sports and pastims of jollity and lightnesse permitted to the Country people upon that day by publike Authority and the Warrant commanded to be read in Churches which in stead of producing the intended effect may credibly be thought to have been one motive to a stricter observance of that day in that part of the Kingdome which before had been well devoted And many men who had before been loose and carelesse began upon that occasion to enter into a more serious consideration of it and were ashamed to be invited by the authority of Church-men to that which themselves at the best could but have pardoned in themselves as a thing of infirmity The example of the Court where Playes were usually presented on Sundaies did not so much draw the Country to imitation as reflect with disadvantage upon the Court it selfe and sowre those other Court pastims and jollities which would have relished better without that in the eyes of all the people as things ever allowed to the delights of great Princes The countenancing of loosenesse and irreligion was no doubt a good preparative to the introducing of another Religion And the power of godlinesse being beaten downe Popery might more easily by degrees enter men quickly leave that of which they never took fast hold And though it were questionable whether the Bishops and great Clergy of England aimed at Popery it is too apparent such was the designe of Romish Agents and the English Clergy if they did not their owne worke did theirs A stranger of that Religion a Venetian Gentleman out of his owne observations in England will tell you how farre they were going in this kinde his words are THe Vniversities Bishops and Divines of England do daily imbrace Catholike opinions though they professe it not with open mouth for feare of the Puritans For example They hold that the Church of Rome is a true Church That the Pope is superiour to all Bishops That to him it appertaines to call generall Counsels That it is lawfull to pray for soules departed That Altars ought to be erected in summe they believe all that is taught by the Church but not by the Court of Rome The Archbishop of Canterbury was much against the Court of Rome though not against that Church in so high a kinde For the Doctrine of the Roman Church was no enemy to the pompe of Prelacy but the Doctrine of the Court of Rome would have swallowed up all under the Popes Supremacy and have made all greatnesse dependant upon him Which the Archbishop conceived would derogate too much from the King in Temporalls and therefore hardly to be accepted by the Court as it would from himselfe in Spiritualls and make his Metropoliticall power subordinate which he desired to hold absolute and independent within the Realme of England It is certaine that the Archbishop of Canterbury as an English Gentleman observes would often professe against those Tridentine Papists whom only he hated as Papists properly so called For at the Councell of Trent all matters concerning the Court of Rome which are of themselves but disputable were determined as points of faith to be believed upon paine of damnation But matters of faith indeed concerning the Church of Rome were left disputable and no Anathema annexed to them But that Venetian Gentleman whom before we cited declares in what state for matter of Religion England at that time stood and how divided namely into Papists Protestants and Puritans Papists are well knowne The Protestant party saith he consists of the King the Court Lords and Gentlemen with all that are raised by favour to any honour Besides almost all the Prelates and both the Vniversities What the Protestants are he farther declares viz. They hate Puritans more then they hate Papists That they easily combine with Papists to extirpate Puritans and are not so farre engaged to the Reformed Religion but that they can reduce themselves againe to the old practise of their fore-fathers That they are very opinionative in excluding the Popes Supremacy He speaks then concerning the Puritans and saies That they consist of some Bishops of almost all the Gentry and Communalty and therefore are far the most potent party And further declares what they are viz. They are such as received the Discipline of the French and Netherlanders and hold not the English Reformation to be so perfect as that which CALVIN instituted at Geneva That they hate Papists far more then they hate Protestants c. Thus farre of this strangers observation concerning England CHAP. III. The condition of the Scottish State and Clergy when the new Booke of Lyturgy was sent unto them how it was received with some effects which followed The Kings Proclamation sent by the Earle of TRAQUARE against which the Lords make a Protestation IN this condition stood the Kingdome of England about the yeare 1636. when the first coale was blowne which kindled since into so great a combustion as to deface and almost ruine three flourishing Kingdomes Neither was this coale blowne by the grieved party of England the Communalty and those religious men that prayed for Reformation but by
pounds and the rest of the Clergy according to their abilities proportionably to make up the summe Certaine it is it was not in any substantiall way advantagious to the King but onely to give them time and opportunity to taxe the Clergy in Money for supplying his Majesty in the Warre then on foot against the Scots The King must needs be driven to a great exigent at that time having so expensive a Warre in hand and wanting the assistance of Parliament The courses that were then taken by the King to supply that defect were partly the contribution of the Clergy to whom that Warre was lesse displeasing then to the Laity Collections were made among the Papists Writs of Ship-money were issued out againe in a greater proportion then before great Loanes were attempted to be drawne from the City of London to which purpose the names of the richest Citizens were by command returned to the Councell Boord But these waies being not sufficient some other were made use of which were of a nature more unusuall as the seizing of Bolloine in the Tower the Lord COTTINGTON also for the Kings use tooke up a great Commodity of Pepper at the Exchange to be sold againe at an under rate A consultation was also had of coyning 400000. l. of base Money upon allegation that Queen ELIZABETH had done the like for her Irish Warres but the King waved that upon reasons which the Merchants gave of the inconveniencies of it The Scots hearing of the breach of this English Parliament thought it high time to provide for their owne safety and being restrained in their Trade and impoverished by losse of Ships seized in divers parts resolve to enter England with a sword in one hand and a Petition in the other signifying in the meane time to the people of England in two large Remonstrances what their intentions were to that Nation and the reasons of their entrance which who so pleases may reade at large in their printed Booke When the King had notice of the Scots intentions a Fleet was forthwith sent to annoy the Maritime Coasts of Scotland and a Land Army to meet at Yorke where the Earle of STRAFFORD as President of the North commanded in Chief though the Earle of NORTHUMBERLAND at the time of raising the Army was named Generalissimo but for want of health could not be present A great Magazine of Ammunition had been sent to Hull Newcastle and Berwick the Castle of Edenburgh being kept by RIVEN a firme man to the Kings side But in the Expedition of the Kings Army towards the North it was a marvellous thing to observe in divers places the aversenesse of the Common Souldiers from this Warre Though Commanders and Gentlemen of great quality in pure obedience to the King seemed not at all to dispute the cause or consequence of this Warre the Common Souldiers would not be satisfied questioning in a mutinous manner Whether their Captaines were Papists or not and in many places were not appeased till they saw them receive the Sacrament laying violent hands on divers of their Commanders and killing some uttering in bold speeches their distaste of the Cause to the astonishment of many that common people should be sensible of publike Interest and Religion when Lords and Gentlemen seemed not to be By this backwardnesse of the English Common Souldiers it came to passe that the Warre proved not so sharpe and fatall to both Nations as it might otherwise have done Some blood was shed but very little first at Newburne a Towne five miles distant from Newcastle where part of the English Army encamped to intercept the passage of the Scots as they marched toward Newcastle But many of the English Souldiers forsooke their Commanders and â—led sooner then the use of that Nation is to do in Warre But the English Horse made good a fight and with great courage and resolution charged upon the Scots but all in vaine their number being too small In this Skirmish which happened upon the 28. of August the number of men slaine on both sides is not related either by the English or Scottish Relation but certaine it is that it was not great Three valiant and active Commanders of the English Army were taken Prisoners Colonell WILMOT Sir JOHN DIGBY and ONEALE the two latter being Papists and both Captaines of Horse This fight opened that rich Towne of Newcastle to the Scots and within few daies after they put a Garrison into Durham commanded by the Earle of Dumferling and taking that Fort of Newcastle upon Tine intercepted some Ships which were newly arrived there with Provision of Corne for the Kings Army Some blood was also shed about the same time when part of the English Garrison at Berwick hearing that some Ammunition was layed up in a little Towne of Scotland Dunsian made an attempt upon it but found it better fortified then was expected and were repelled with some slaughter from whence hearing that a greater power of Scots was making toward them under the command of the Lord HADINTON who unfortunately perished afterward blowne up with powder at Dunglasse they returned to Berwick The King during these Skirmishes had by Proclamation warned all the English Nobility with their followers and Forces to attend his Standard at Yorke against the Scots the 20. of September where whilest himselfe in Person resided he received an humble Petition from the Scots containing an expression of their loyalty to him and the innocence of their intentions toward England But their expressions were in such generall termes that the King returned answer to the Earle of LANURICK Secretary for Scotland Commanding them to specifie their demands more particularly Which whilest the Scots prepared to do it pleased God to open the hearts of many English Lords who considering and bewailing the great calamity and dishonour which England was then throwne into by these unhappy proceedings of the King framed an humble Letter subscribed by all their hands and sent it to His Majesty wherein they represent to him the miserable condition of the Kingdome and mischiefes attending that wicked Warre as the danger of his Person the waste of his Revenue the burden of his Subjects the rapines committed by that Army which he had raised wherein Papists and others ill-affected to Religion are armed in Commands who are not by the Lawes permitted to have Armes in their owne houses The great mischiefe which may fall upon the Kingdome if his intentions which are reported of bringing in Irish and forraigne Forces should take effect The urging of Ship-money The multitude of Monopolies and other Patents to the great and universall grievance of his people The great griefe of the Subjects for the long intermission of Parliaments for dissolving of the last and former dissolutions of such as have been called without any good effect For remedy whereof and for prevention of future dangers to his owne Royall Person and the whole State they humbly intreat his Majesty That he would be pleased
by the House of Commons guilty of High Treason for foure causes 1. Disobeying the House in refusall to speake at their command when he was Speaker in Parliament in the fourth yeare of King CHARLES 2. For threatning some Judges in the matter of Ship-money 3. For his illegall and cruell Judgements in the Forrest businesse when he was Lord Chiefe Justice of the Common Pleas. 4. For drawing that injurious Declaration after dissolution of the last Parliament Upon which a Charge was drawne up against him and carried up to the Lords upon the 14. of Ianuary three weeks after his flight by the Lord FAWKLAND who presented it with a very pithy and sharpe Oration against the man These two last Delinquents though men of eminent place in the Common-wealth as they did not long trouble the Parliament nor much retard the progresse of publike businesse preventing their Trialls by timely flight so can they take up no large roome in this Historicall Narration CHAP. VIII The Tryall and death of the Earle of Strafford Conspiracies detected during the agitation of it An Act for continuance of this present Parliament With a mention of that Grant of the Trienniall Parliament in February before BUt now a greater Actor is brought upon the Stage THOMAS Earle of Strafford Lieutenant of Ireland a man too great to be let escape no sooner accused but surprized and secured for a Tryall Which Tryall of his if we consider all things the high nature of the Charge against him the pompous circumstances and stately manner of the Triall it selfe the time that it lasted the pretiousnesse of that time so consumed and lastly of what moment and consequence the successe of it must prove I may safely say that no Subject in England and probably in Europe ever had the like So great it wasâ— that we can hardly call it the Triall of the Earle of Strafford onely the Kings affections toward his People and Parliament the future successe of this Parliament and the hopes of three Kingdoms depending on it were all tryed when Strafford was arraigned Many Subjects in Europe have played lowder parts upon the Theater of the world but none left it with greater noise nor was the matter of his accusation confined within one Realme three whole Kingdoms were his Accusers and eagerly sought in one death a recompence of all their sufferings That we may say of his case as CLAUDIAN of RUFFINUS Offensis Ruffinum divide terris Within ten daies after the Parliament began the Earle of Strafford newly returned from the North was sitting in the House of Lords when Master PYMME an ancient Gentleman of great experience in Parliamentary affaires and no lesse knowne fidelity to his Country came up to the Lords and in the name of all the Commons of England accused THOMAS Earle of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland of High Treason and desired their Lordships that he might be sequestred from Parliament and forthwith committed to Prison as also to let them know that the Commons within very few daies would resort to their Lordships with the particular Articles and grounds of this Accusation The Earle was required to withdraw and after a debate thereof called in was committed to safe custody to the Gentleman Usher And immediately after upon the 13. day of November a Serjeant at Armes was sent into Ireland for Sir GEORGE RATLIFFE a great Favourite of the Earles and one that under him had beene very active in the oppression of Ireland a man of subtle wit and knowledge of the Law as having before beene educated at the Innes of Court and taken the degree of Barrister Sir GEORGE accordingly upon the fourth of December came in and yeelded himselfe to the Speaker from whence he was committed to custody And foure daies after the Lords of Parliament sent the Earle of Strafford to the Tower with a strict command to the Lieutenant that he should keepe a close guard upon him Much time was interposed betweene the severall proceedings against this Earle of Strafford by reason of the multiplicity of weighty businesse which the Parliament then had But before the end of Ianuary a long Charge was read against him in the House of Commons and a Message not long after sent to the Lords to desire that he might be sequestred from all his places of Dignity and Honour in England and Ireland The Charge against him consisted of nine Articles which afterwards upon a further impeachment were extended to eight and twenty All those Articles are to be seene at large in the Records But for further satisfaction of the Reader I will give a briefe touch of the scope of them The first and second being much alike concerning his ruling of Ireland and those parts of England where his Authority lay in an Arbitrary way against the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome which Lawes he had indeavoured to subvert Thirdly his retaining part of the Kings Revenue without giving a legall account Fourthly The abusing of his Power to the increase and incouragement of Papists Fifthly That he maliciously had indeavoured to stir up Hostility betweene England and Scotland Sixthly That being Lieutenant Generall of the Northerne Army he had wilfully suffered the Scots to defeat the English at Newburne and take Newcastle that by such a losse and dishonour England might be ingaged in a Nationall and irreconcileable quarrell with the Scots Seventhly That to preserve himselfe from questioning he had laboured to subvert Parliaments and incense the King against them Eightly and lastly That these things were done during the time of his Authority as Deputy of Ireland and Lieutenant Generall of the Northerne Armies in England The Commons saving to themselves a liberty of further impeachment against the said Earle c. do require his legall answer to all The further impeachment consisting of 28. Articles was for the most part branched out of these and insisted upon in more particulars concerning his Tyranny in Ireland over divers persons contrary to Law Concerning which the Reader must be referred to the Records themselves as being too large to be here inserted The Earle of Strafford upon the 23. of February was brought before the Lords to give in his answer which he accordingly did the King himself being there present to heare it read It was very large and when it was done he was sent back to the Tower there to remaine till further Order A Committee being appointed to consider of that businesse upon the fourth of March following made report in the House That they would mannage and maintaine their Accusation of Treason against him and thought it not fit to reply to his Answer but call him to speedy triall Immediately upon which a Conference was had with the Lords concerning that Triall and some Circumstances which were thought fit to be used at it The Commissioners of Scotland had likewise a Charge against the Earle of Strafford concerning those injuries which as they conceived their Nation and Kingdome had suffered from him
But the substance of that Charge was implyed in these Articles before specified which the Parliament of England had exhibited against him Upon the 22. of March 1640. that remarkable Tryall of the Earle of STRAFFORD began Westminster Hall was the place chosen where Scaffolds were raised on both sides nine degrees in height whereof seven were appointed for the Members of the House of Commons to sit on who were all there in a Committee The two upper degrees of the Scaffold were appointed for the Commissioners of Scotland and the Lords of Ireland who were then come over In the midst on a lower ascent sate the Peeres of England the Earle of Arundell being Lord high Steward and the Earle of Lindsey Lord High Constable The Throne was placed for the King But the King comming thither which he did every day of the tryall sate private with the Queene and other Ladies in a close Gallery made of purpose to heare the proceedings and tooke notes himselfe in writing of them The Earle of Strafford answered daily at the Barre whilest the whole House of Commons having put themselves into a Committee had liberty to charge him every man as he saw occasion But though many of them did sometimes speake yet the accusasations were chiefly managed by two expert Lawyers Master GLYNNE and Master MAYNARD both Members of the House Many foule misdemeanours committed both in Ireland and England were daily proved against him But that ward which the Earle being an eloquent man especially lay at was to keepe off the blow of High Treason whatsoever misdemeanours should be layed upon him of which some he denied others he excused and extenuated with great subtilty contending to make one thing good That misdemeanours though never so many and so great could not by being put together make one Treason unlesse some one of them had been Treason in its owne nature Every day the first weeke from Munday to Saturday without intermission the Earle was brought from the Tower to Westminster Hall and arraigned many houres together and the successe of every daies tryall was the greatest discourse or dispute in all companies For by this time the people began to be a little divided in opinions The Clergy in generall were so much fallen into love and admiration of this Earle that the Archbishop of Canterbury was almost quite forgotten by them The Courtiers cryed him up and the Ladies whose voices will carry much with some parts of the State were exceedingly on his side It seemed a very pleasant object to see so many Semproniaes all the chiefe Court Ladies filling the Galleries at the Tryall with penne inke and paper in their hands noting the passages and discoursing upon the grounds of Law and State They were all of his side whether moved by pitty proper to their Sex or by ambition of being thought able to judge of the parts of the Prisoner But so great was the favour and love which they openly expressed to him that some could not but thinke of that Verse Non formosus erat sed erat facundus Ulysses Eâ—â—amen aequoreas torsit amore Deas Vlysses though not beautifull the love Of Goddesses by eloquence could move But his Triall in this manner lasted with few daies intermission from the 22. of March till the midst of Aprill following the Earle having personally answered â—iâ—teene daies After all this long Triall the House of Commons â—ell into debate about a Bill of Attainder against the Earle of Strafford and voted him guilty of high Treason in divers particulars of that Accusation in which they had proceeded against him and in more particular he was voted guilty of High Treason for his opinion given before the King at a secret Councell which was discovered by some notes of Sir HENRY VANE who was also a Privy Councellor and present at that time in which notes it was found that the Earle of Strafford had said to the King That he had an Army in Ireland which his Majesty might imploy to reduce this Kingdome to obedience These notes Sir HENRY VANE eldest Sonne to the before named Sir HENRY had found as he alleadged to the House in his Fathers Cabinet and produced before the House without his Fathers knowledge who seemed extreme angry with his Sonne for it This is related the more at large because it was the first occasion that was open and visible whereby so eminent a Member as the Lord GEORGE DIGBY was lost from the House of Commons as will afterward appeare For that Vote was opposed by the Lord DIGBY and some others Neverthelesse a Committee was appointed to draw up the Bill of Attainder which was accordingly done and read in the House of Commons on the 21 day of April when the Earle was againe voted guilty of High Treason which was carried by farre the greater part for on the other side were but nine and fifty of whom the Lord DIGBY was one who made to that purpose a very elegant though much displeasing Speech in the House Of which more hereafter That Bill of Attainder was sent up to the Lords where after the reading of it a great division was in that House and many of the Lords much opposed it But Master St. JOHN the Kings Solicitour and a Member of the House of Commons was appointed within few daies after to make good the Bill by Law and give the Lords satisfaction which was accordingly done upon the 29. of April in Westminster Hall where the Earle of Strafford was present at the Barre and the King and Queene seated in their usuall places Master St. JOHN opened the Branches of the Bill and in a Discourse of two houres made it good by precedent Statutes and the like to the satisfaction of almost all that heard him But the King was not satisfied in conscience as he declared to both Houses two daies after to condemne him of High Treason and told them No feares or respects whatsoever should make him alter that resolution founded upon his conscience But confessed that his misdemeanors were so great he held him unfit to serve him in any Office whatsoever with other expressions of that kinde The Kings Speech was somewhat displeasing to the Houses but the City were out of patience and within foure daies after came to Westminster about five thousand of them crying for Justice against the Earle of Strafford and following the Lords complaining that they were undone and trading decayed for want of due execution of Justice The Lords gave them good words and promised them to acquaint the King with it But the next day they appeared againe with the same complaint Their feares being more aggravated by reason of reports that attempts were made to get the Earle out of Prison upon which occasion some Lords were sent to keepe the Tower and assist the Lieutenant there But the King was hard to be removed from his resolution although the Judges in the meane time had delivered their opinions in the House of Lords
making way for the utter subversion of it 1. Force is gathered together at York under pretence of a Guard for His Majesties Person to make an opposition against the Parliament and by strong hand to support and protect Delinquents so as no Order of Parliament can be obeyed but on the other side is slighted and scorned to make the Parliament of no reputation to be but Imago Parliamenti a meer shadow without substance without efficacie 2. To send out in His Majesties name and as Declarations and Messages from him bitter invectives against the Parliament to perplex it and engage it in expence of time to answer them and besides cunningly to insinuate and infuse into the people by false colours and glosses a disopinion and dislike of the Parliament and if it be possible to stir up their spirits to rise against it to destroy it and in it all other Parliaments to the ruine of themselves their wives and children 3. The third Plot is The Members are drawn away and perswaded to forsake their duty and attendance here and go down to York thereby to blemish the actions of both Houses as done by a few and an inconsiderable number and rather a Party then a Parliament and perhaps to raise and set up an anti-Parliament there My Lords this is now the great Designe whereby they hope by little and little the Parliament shall even bleed to death and moulder to nothing the members dropping away one after another a desperate and dangerous practice and as your Lordships well observed when you were pleased to communicate the businesse to us an effect of the evil Counsels now prevailing and tending to the dissolution of the Parliament of this Parliament which under God must be the preserver of three Kingdoms and keep them firm and loyal to their King subject to his Crown save them from being turned into a Chaos of disorder and confusion and made a dismal spectacle of misery and desolarion this Parliament which is the last hope of the long-oppressed and in other Countries even almost wholly-destroyed Protestant Religion this Parliment which is the onely means to continue us to be a Nation of freedom and not of slaves to be owners of any thing in a word which must stand in the Gap to prevent an in-let and inundation of all misery and confusion My Lords this Parliament they desire to destroy but I hope it will destroy the destroyers and be a wall of Fire to consume them as it is a wall of Brasse to us to defend King and Kingdom us and all we have Your Lordships wisely foresaw this Mischief and as wisely have endeavoured to prevent it by making your Orders to keep your Members here as that of the ninth of April and several other Orders enjoyning them all to attend thereby restraining them from repairing to York where the Clouds were observed to gather so fast threatning a storm and such preparations to be made against the Parliament that it necessitated both Houses to passe a Vote That the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make War against the Parliament and all who shall serve and assist in such Wars are declared to be Traitours which Vote passed the 20 of May so setting a mark upon that place and their opinion concerning those who should at this time resort thither Yet now in such a conjuncture of time when the Kingdom had never more need of a Parliament and the Parliament never more need of all the help and assistance of the best endeavour and advice of every Member the Safety and even Being of three Kingdoms depending on it after such Orders and Commands of your Lordships House to the contrary such a Vote of both Houses and expressely against their Duty being called thither by Writ under the Great Seal which is the King 's greatest and highest Command and not controllable nor to be dispensed with by any other Command from him whatsoever and called to treat and consult de arduis Regni the great urging and pressing affairs of the Kingdom never more urgent never more pressing notwithstanding all this these Lords the Earls of Northampton Devonshire Dover Monmouth the Lords HOWARD of Charlton RICH GREY COVENTRY and CAPEL have left their stations withdrawn themselves and are gone to Yorkâ— and being â—ummoned to appear by an Order of the 30 of May in stead of obedience return râ—fusal by a slighting and scornful Letter which hath been so adjudged both by your Lordships and the House of Commons My Lords the â—ouse of Commons hath likewise upon the consideration and debate of this businesse finding it so much to concern the safety of the Kingdom and the very Being of the Parliament passed this Vote That the Departing of these nine Lords from the Parliament without leave after such a time as both Houses had declared That the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make War against the Parliament and their still continuing at York notwithstanding their Summons and Command is an high Affront and Contempt of both Houses and that the said Lords did as much as in them lay that the service of Parliament might be deserted and are justly suspected to promote a War against the Parliament The House in further prosecution of their duty in this Particular and in pursuance of their Protestation which obliges them to endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such high offenders against not onely the Priviledges but the very Essence of Parliament have sent me up to impeach these Lords and desire that speedy and exemplary Justice may be done upon them And accordingly I do here in the name of the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House assembled in Parliament and in the name of all the Commons of England Impeach SPENCER Earl of Northampton WILLIAM Earl of Devonshire HENRY Earl of Dover HENRY Earl of Monmouth CHARLES Lord HOWARD of Charleton ROBERT Lord RICH CHARLES Lord GREY of Ruthen THOMAS Lord COVENTRY and ARTHUR Lord CAPEL for these high Crimes and Misdemeanours following viz. For that contrary to their duty they being Peers of the Realm and summoned by Writ to attend the Parliament and contrary to an Order of the House of Peers of the ninth of April last and several other Orders requiring the attendance of the Members of that House and after a Vote past in both Houses the twentieth of May last That the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make War against the Parliament and that whosoever served or assisted him in that War was adjudged a Traitour did notwithstanding afterwards in the same month of May contemptuously having notice of the said Votes and Orders withdraw themselves from the said House of Peers and repair to the City of York where the preparations of the said War were and yet are in contrivance and agitation they knowing of such preparations and being by an Order of the thirtieth of May duely summoned by the House of Peers to make their appearance before that
Security of Your Subjects and Dominions You will be pleased to grant and accept these their humble Desires and Propositions as the most necessary effectual Means through God's blessing of removing those Iealousies and Differences which have unhappily fallen betwixt You and Your People and procuring both Your Majestie and Them a constant course of Honour Peace and Happinesse The Propositions 1. That the Lords and others of Your Majesties Privie Councel and such great Officers and Ministers of State either at home or beyond the Seas may be put from Your Privie Councel and from those Offices and Employments excepting such as shall be approved of by both Houses of Parliament And that the Persons put into the Places and Employment of those that are removed may be approved of by both Houses of Parliament And that Privie Counsellors shall take an Oath for the due execution of their places in such form as shall be agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament 2. That the great Affairs of the Kingdom may not be concluded or transacted by the advice of private men or by any unknown or unsworn Counsellors but that such matters as concern the Publike and are proper for the high Court of Parliament which is Your Majesties great and supreme Councel may be debated resolved and transacted onely in Parliament and not elsewhere and such as shall presume to do any thing to the contrary shall be reserved to the censure and judgement of Parliament And such other matters of State as are proper for Your Majesties Privie Councel shall be debated and concluded by such of the Nobility and others as shall from time to time be chosen for that place by approbation of both Houses of Parliament And that no publike Act concerning the Affairs of the Kingdom which are proper for Your Privie Councel may be esteemed of any validity as proceeding from the Royal Authority unlesse it be done by the Advice and Consent of the major part of Your Councel attested under their hands And that Your Councel may be limited to a certain number not exceeding twenty five nor under fifteen And if any Councellours place happen to be void in the interval of Parliament it shall not be supplied without the assent of the major part of the Councel which voice shall be confirmed at the next sitting of Parliament or else to be void 3. That the Lord high Steward of England Lord high Constable Lord Chancellour or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal Lord Treasurer Lord Privie Seal Earl Marshal Lord Admiral Warden of the Cinque-Ports chief Governour of Ireland Chancellour of the Exchequer Master of the Wards Secretaries of State two Chief Justices and Chief Baron may always be chosen with the approbation of both Houses of Parliament and in the intervals of Parliaments by assent of the major part of the Councel in such manner as is before exprest in the choice of Counsellours 4. That he or they unto whom the Government and Education of the King's Children shall be committed shall be approved of by both houses of Parliament and in the intervals of Parliament by the assent of the major part of the Councel in such manner as is before exprest in the choice of Counsellours And that all such Servants as are now about them against whom both Houses shall have any just exceptions shall be removed 5. That no Marriage shall be concluded or treated for any of the King's Children with any forraign Prince or other person whatsoever abroad or at home without the consent of Parliament under the Penalty of a Praemunire unto such as shall be concluded or treat any Marriage as aforesaid And that the said Penalty shall not be pardoned or dispensed with but by the consent of both houses of Parliament 6. That the Laws in force against Jesuites Priests and Popish Recusants be strictly put in execution without any Toleration or Dispensation to the contrary And that some more effectual course may be enacted by Authority of Parliament to disable them from making any disturbance in the State or eluding the Law by Trusts on otherwise 7. That the Votes of Popish Lords in the house of Peers may be taken away so long as they continue Papists And that Your Majestie will consent to such a Bill as shall be drawn for the education of the children of Papists by Protestants in the Protestant Religion 8. That Your Majestie will be pleased to consent that such a Reformation be made of the Church-Government and Liturgie as both Houses of Parliament shall advise wherein they intend to have Consultations with Divines as is expressed in their Declaration to that purpose And that Your Majestie will contribute Your best assistance to them for the raising of a sufficient Maintenance for preaching Ministers thorow the Kingdom And that Your Majestie will be pleased to give Your Consent to Laws for the taking away of Innovations and Superstition and of Pluralities and against scandalous Ministers 9. That Your Majestie will be pleased to rest satisfied with that course that the Lords and Commons have appointed for ordering of the Militia until the same shall be further setled by a Bill And that Your Majestie will recal Your Declarations and Proclamations against the Ordinance made by the Lords and Commons concerning it 10. That such Members of either Houses of Parliament as have during this present Parliament been put out of any Place and Office may either be restored to that Place and Office or otherwise have satisfaction for the same upon the Petition of that House whereof he or they are members 11. That all Privie Councellours and Judges may take an Oath the Form whereof to be agreed on and setled by Act of Parliament for the maintaining of the Petition of Right and of certain Statutes made by this Parliament which shall be mentioned by both Houses of Parliament And that an enquiry of all the breaches and violations of those Laws may be given in charge by the Justices of the Kings Bench every Term and by the Judges of Assize in their Circuits and Justices of the Peace at the Sessions to be presented and punished according to Law 12. That all the Judges and all the Officers placed by approbation of both houses of Parliament may hold their places quam diu bene se gesserint 13. That the Justice of Parliament may passe upon all Delinquents whether they be within the Kingdom or fled out of it And that all persons cited by either House of Parliament may appear and abide the censure of Parliament 14. That the general Pardon offered by Your Majestie may be granted with such Exceptions as shall be advised by both Houses of Parliament 15. That the Forts and Castles of this Kingdom may be put under the Command and Custodie of such persons as Your Majestie shall appoint with the approbation of Your Parliament and in the intervals of Parliament with approbation of the major part of the Councel in such manner as is before expressed in
Earl of Stamford Master DENZIL HOLLIS Master HAMDEN Sir PHILIP STAPLETON Sir WILLIAM WALLER Sir SAMUEL LUKE Sir HENRY CHOLMLY Master GRANTHAM Master WHITLOCK with divers others The Earl of Bedford within two days after that the Earl of Essex was chosen Generalissimo was voted to be General of the Horse CHAP. VI. A brief Relation of the condition of divers Counties in England when the Parliaments Ordinance for the Militia and the Kings Commission of Array were put in execution With a mention of some Lords and others who were actors on either side The Lord Maior of London committed to the Tower and sentenced by the Parliament A mention of some Declarations Messages and Answers that passed between the King and the two Houses of Parliament DUring the time that this Army was raising for the Parliament to be conducted by his Excellency in person the King with small strength as yet was removing from place to place to gather Forces and draw people to his side Of whose proceedings and by what degrees he encreased in power I shall speak hereafter in a continued Series to avoid confusion in the Story But in the mean time the Parliaments Ordinance of Militia and the King's Commission of Array were justling together almost in every County the greatest of the English Nobility on both sides appearing personally to seize upon those places which were deputed to them either by the King or by the Parliament No Ordinances from the One or Proclamations from the Other could now give any further stop to this general and spreading Mischief God was not pleased that one Chimney should contain this Civil fire but small sparks of it were daily kindling in every part of the Land Let it not therefore seem amisse if in the first place I make a brief Relation into what posture every particular County or most of them had endeavoured to put themselves during that time which was since the twelfth of Iuly when the first apparant denouncing of War began and the General was elected in Parliament till the three and twentieth of October when it broke out into a fierce and cruel Battel But let not the Reader expect any full or perfect Narration of this which would take up too great a time and prove as tedious as unnecessary The onely reason why I have entered into it is to inform the Reader what Lords and Gentlemen did first appear in action on either side in those particular Counties that in the progresse of the Story he may be better acquainted with those names whose Actions proved of so high concernment in the future War Nor can any perfect Judgement be made of the affections or condition of any one County in this brief Narration of so short a time for scarce was there any City or Shire but endured in processe of time many Changes and became altered from their first condition either by unconstancy of affections or else enforced to take a new side as they were threatned by approaching Armies of either party when the War grew to a greater height In some Counties there was no strugling at all one side wholly prevailing and the Peoples affections bending the same way as it appeared in Lincolnshire at the first which was the first account given to the Parliament of their Militia and where some circumstances are of that note as to make it justly deserve a more particular recital then other places when the Lord WILLOUGHBY of Parham went down thither being chosen by the Parliament Lord Lieutenant of that County This young Lord being come to Lincoln expresseth to the Parliament what cheerful and hearty obedience he found from the Captains and Officers of the Trained Bands and in how good a posture they were beyond all expectation considering the unhappinesse of the Plague being then in the Town which hindered the appearance of some but that was fully supplied by a Company of Voluntiers equal in number and goodnesse of Arms to the Trained Bands Yet that Change which I spake of before did afterwards sadly appear in this County which was afterwards as much divided in it self as any part of England and by that means a most unhappie seat of War often gained and regained by either side Lincolnshire was then very forward for the Lord WILLOUGHBY however afterward he found some resistance from the Earl of Lindsey who sided with the King as he wrote up to the Parliament and sent also to them the King's Letter and his own Answer Which are both fit to be inserted into the Story being the first of that kinde and much unfolding the nature of the businesse The King's Letter to the Lord WILLOUHBY of Parham CHARLES REX Right Trusty and Welbeloved We greet you well Whereas We understand that you have begun to assemble train and muster the Trained Bands of Our County of Lincoln under pretence of an Ordinance of Parliament whereto We have not given Our consent which is not onely contrary to the Law but to Our Command and Pleasure signified by Our Proclamation sent to Our high Sheriff of that Our County Wherefore that you may not hereafter plead ignorance of such Our Prohibition We do by these Our Letters command and charge you upon your Allegiance to desist and forbear to raise train exercise or assemble together any part of the Trained Bands of Our County either by your self or by any others employed under you or by warrant from you And because you may for what you have already done concerning the Militia of that Our County plead that you had not so particular a Command We shall passe by what you have already done therein so as presently upon your receipt hereof you shall desist and give over medling any further with any thing concerning the Militia of that Our County But if you shall not presently desist and forbear medling therewith We are resolved to call you to a strict account for your disobedience therein after so many particular and legal Commands given you upon your Allegiance to the contrary and shall esteem and proceed against you as a disturber of the Peace of the Kingdom Given at Our Court at York the fourth of Iune 1642. To Our Right Trusty and Welbeloved the Lord WILLOUGHBY of Parham The Lord WILLOUGHBY of Parham his Letter in Answer to His Majestie SIR As there can be nothing of greater unhappinesse to me then to receive a Command from Your Majestie whereunto my endeavours cannot give so ready an obedience as my affections so I must confesse the difficulty at this time not a little how to expresse that Duty which I owe to Your Majesties late Commands and not falsifie that Trust reposed in me by Your high Court of Parliament through whose particular directions I am now come into this County to settle the Militia according to the Ordinance of Parliament which by the Votes of my Lord LITTLETON and others in the House of Peers better versed in the Laws then my self passed as a legal thing and
them an Answer part of which was in this manner This just and faithful resolution of theirs to the publike good the Lords and Commons do not onely approve but commend assuring them that as their endeavours have been for the Peace and Happinesse of the King and Kingdom so they will persist in discharge of the great and publike Trust which lies upon them to go thorow all difficulties which may oppose the publike Peace and Welfare of this Kingdom and will upon all occasions be ready to expresse particularly to those persons that respect which is due to persons from whom they have received so great assurance of affection and fidelity In Kent there was cheerful obedience without any open opposition shewed to the Ordinance of the Militia as it appeared by their Petition and Proclamation and more by their real and constant actions True it is that some Gentlemen of that County were not much affected to the Parliaments Cause who did accordingly frame a displeasing Petition to the Houses and brought it up to London accompanied with many Gentlemen of that County but the Parliament having notice of it sent Officers and disarmed those Gentlemen who brought the Petition before they passed over London-bridge and the two which presented it to the House of Commons Sir WILLIAM BUTLER and M. RICHARD LOVELACE were both committed Those in Kent who favoured the King's party and Commission of Array were not a number considerable enough to bring that County into any combustion the Gentlemen which adhered to the Parliament used so great a care and industry in setling the Militia in disarming those few but great Papists among them in raising Arms and taxing themselves at high rates for the serâ—vice of the Parliament that they not onely preserved their own County in quiet but gave great assistance to the Parliament-Armies in other places as will appear in the sequel of this Story The Eastern end of Sussex it being a long and narrow County lying for many miles upon the Sea stood firm to the Parliament and were very industrious in setling of the Militia by which means they were so happie as to preserve themselves in peace and quâ—eâ—nesse But the Western part of that County by means of many revolted Members of the Parliament inhabitants there together with their Allies and friends was at the first in some distraction though it continued not very long Surrey and Middlesex by fortune of their situation could not but side with and by consequence be protected by the Parliament The Eastern Counties Suffolk Norfolk and Cambridgeshire once the Kingdom of the East-Angles were happily kept from the beginning without any great combustion though it were certain that many of the chief Gentry in those Counties bended in their affections to the King's Commission of Array but they were not a part strong enough to engage their Countries in a War For the Free holders and Yeomen in general adhered to the Parliament and those Gentlemen who attempted to raise men or draw Forces together or provide Arms for the King were soon curbed and all their endeavours crushed at the beginning by those of the other side especially by the great wisdom and indefatigable industry of Master OLIVER CRUMWEL a Member of the House of Commons who had taken a Commission for Colonel of Horse from the Parliament of whose particular actions there will be high occasion to discourse hereafter The County of Southampton began at the first to be divided and continued so being long and variously perplexed with the changing fortunes of either side Colonel GORING eldest son to the Lord GORING who had been the yeer before a means to detect that Conspiracie of bringing the Northern Army against the Parliament of which already hath been spoken and by that grown into some Trust with the Parliament of which he was a Member was sent down to Portsmouth to keep that place for them and three thousand pounds allowed him for the charges of Fortification He receiving that money from the Parliament broke his Trust and kept the Place for the King against them with what successe shall hereafter be declared But immediately after his revolt the Earl of Portland Governour of the Isle of Wight a man suspected by the Parliament was committed to custody in London for security of his person lest he should comply with Colonel GORING and command that Island for the King's party The Government of Wight was then committed to the Earl of Pâ—mbrook a man of whose fidelity the Parliament doubted not Though the Southern and Eastern parts of England enjoyed some shew of rest the Counties more remote from London toward the North and West could not at all partake of that happinesse In Lancashire the Lord STRANGE son to the Earl of Derby who was made Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire and Cheshire by the King seeking to put the Commission of Array in execution found great resistance from the Parliamentary Gentlemen Sir THOMAS STANLEY Master HOLLAND Master HOLCRAFT Master EGERTON Master BOOTH as also Master ASHTON and Master MOOR both Members of the House of Commons by whom within the space of few months he was quite driven out of the County and that Shire wholly ruled by the Parliament though it abounded more with Papists then any other The Lord STRANGE upon the fifteenth day of Iuly had made an attempt to gain Manchester and by those Gentlemen was repulsed where one man was slain which was the first blood shed in these Civil Wars But this Lord was not at all fortunate in service against the Parliament who not long after returned again with a great Force consisting of three thousand men to the Town of Manchester where after he had sharply besieged it for the space of two whole weeks he was at last quite beaten with the losse of many of his men In Cheshire also the other County of which he was made Lieutenant by the King his fortune was no better where he was resisted by Sir WILLIAM BRERETON and other Gentlemen and hindered from seizing the Magazine of that County as he intended Nor could the Earl of Rivers whom the King had put into the Commission of Array being a Papist assist him sufficiently to make good that County for the King but that the Papists were all disarmed there by those Protestant Gentlemen that adhered to the Parliament Further North the Countries were more full of variance The Earl of Newcastle with a strong Garison kept for the King the Town of Newcastle And the Earl of Cumberland made Lord-Lieutenant of York-shire by the King was active in putting the Commission of Array in execution but resisted they were by the Lord FAIRFAX and others of the Parliamentary Gentlemen But this businesse of the North shall now be passed over deserving a larger Story hereafter when time shall require to speak of the Earl of Newcastle's greatnesse and the various fortunes of the Lord FAIRFAX and his son Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX In Derbyshire where many great Lords
furnish by way of Loan unto the Committee of Lords and Commons for the defence of the Kingdom the sum of one hundred thousand pounds for the supply of the publike necessity for defence of the King Parliament and Kingdom upon the publike Faith to be repayed duely and carefully within so short a time that it shall not be diverted from that purpose for which it was intended or any way frustrate the Acts already made in the behalf of that Adventure During the time of these Paper-conflicts the King in person had often removed and visited many places To the Gentry of Leicestershire he made a Speech on the 20 of Iuly after his usual manner with Protestations of his great love to the people and care of the Kingdom And from thence removing Northward on the fourth of August he made a Speech after the same manner to the Gentry of York-shire from whence he returned back to Nottingham and there set up his Standard Royal. Very few people resorted to it Nor had the King at this time a considerable strength to guard his Person if any attempts had been to have seized upon him From Nottingham on the 25 of August the King sent a Message to the Parliament by the Earls of Southampton and Dorset and Sir JOHN CULPEPER one of the Members of the House of Commons who had deserted the Parliament and went to the King at York having not long before been made by him Chancellour of the Exchequer The King's Message to both Houses of Parliament from Nottingham Aug. 25. 1642. We have with unspeakable grief of heart long beheld the Distractions of this Our Kingdom Our very Soul is full of Anguish until We may finde some Remedy to prevent the Miseries which are ready to overwhelm this whole Nation by a Civil War And though all Our endeavours tending to the composing of those unhappie Differences betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament though pursued by Vs with all Zeal and Sincerity have been hitherto without that Successe we hoped for yet such is Our constant and earnest care to preserve the publike Peace that We shall not be discouraged from using any Expedient which by the blessing of the God of mercy may lay a firm foundation of Peace and Happinesse to all Our good Subjects To this end observing that many Mistakes have arisen by the Messages Petitions and Answers betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament which haply may be prevented by some other way of Treaty wherein the matters in difference may be more clearly understood and more freely transacted We have thought fit to propound to you That some fit persons may be by you enabled to treat with the like number to be authorized by Vs in such a manner and with such freedom of Debate as may best tend to that happie Conclusion which all good men desire The Peace of the Kingdom Wherein as We promise in the word of a King all safety and encouragement to such as shall be sent unto Vs if you shall chuse the place where We are for the Treaty which we wholly leave to you presuming the like care of the safety of those We shall employ if you shall name another place So We assure you and all Our good Subjects that to the best of Our understanding nothing shall be therein wanting on our part which may advance the true Protestant Religion oppose Popery and Superstition secure the Law of the Land upon which is built as well Our just Prerogative as the Propriety and Liberty of the Subject confirm all just Power and Priviledges of Parliament and render Vs and Our people truely happie by a true understanding betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament Bring with you as firm resolutions to do your duty and let all Our People joyn with Vs in Our prayers to Almighty God for his blessing upon this Work If this Proposition shall be rejected by you We have done Our duty so amply that God will absolve Vs from the guilt of any of that blood which must be spilt And what opinion soever other men may have of Our Power We assure you nothing but Our Christian and pious care to prevent the effusion of blood hath begot this motion Our provision of Men Arms and Money being such as may secure Vs from further violence till it please God to open the eyes of Our People The Answer of the Lords and Commons to the King's Message of the 25 of August 1642. May it please Your Majestie The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled having received Your Majesties Message of the 25 of August do with much grief resent the dangerous and distracted state of this Kingdom which we have by all means endeavoured to prevent both by our several Advices and Petitions to Your Majestie which have been not onely without successe but there hath followed that which no evil Counsel in former times hath produced or any age hath seen Those several Proclamations and Declarations against both the Houses of Parliament whereby their Actions are declared Treasonable and their Persons Traitours and thereupon Your Majestie hath set up Your Standard against them whereby you have put the two Houses of Parliament and in them this whole Kingdom out of Your Protection So that until Your Majestie shall recal those Proclamations and Declarations whereby the Earl of Essex and both Houses of Parliament their adherents and assistants and all such as have obeyed and executed their Commands and Directions according to their duties are declared Traitors or otherwise Delinquents and until the Standard set up in pursuance of the said Proclamations be taken down Your Majestie hath put us into such a condition that whilst we so remain we cannot by the Fundamental Priviledges of Parliament the publike Trust reposed in us or with the general good and safety of this Kingdom give Your Majestie any other Answer to this Message Within few days after the King sent Instructions under his Privie Signet to his Commissioners of Array for the several Counties of England and Wales as to Marquesse Hartford whom the King had made Lieutetenant-General of all the Western Counties as is before expressed to the Earl of Cumberland Lord-Lieutenant of York-shire and the Lord STRANGE Lieutenant for Lancashire and Cheshire in which Instructions he commands them to pursue the Earl of Essex whom he again calls Rebel and Traitour Immediately after the King sent a Reply to that Answer of the Parliament to his last Message of the 25 of August which being short that the Reader may the more truely inform himself of the nature of this strange division I shall wholly insert in the very words We will not repeat what means We have used to prevent the dangerous and distracted estate of the Kingdom nor how those means have been interpreted because being desirous to avoid effusion of blood We are willing to decline all memory of former Bitternesse that might make Our offer of a Treaty lesse readily accepted We never
King goeth toward York and is followed with a Petition from the Lords and Commons to Theobalds and another Declaration to Newmarket The King is denyed entrance into Hull by Sir John Hotham 38 CHAP. IV. Many Members of both Houses leave the Parliament and repaire to the King Nine of the Lords who first went away are impeached by the Commons and censured by the Peers The Great Seal is carried away from London to York Some Votes of Parliament concerning the Kings Proceedings A Petition with nineteen Propositions sent from the Parliament to the King 58 CHAP. V. An Order for bringing in of Plate and Money into Guild-Hall The Kings Declaration to the Lords about him Their Profession and Protestation to him The King layeth Siege to Hull but raiseth it again The Earl of Warwick taketh possession of the Navy as Lord Admirall The Earl of Essex is voted in Parliament to be Lord Generall of all their Forces 83 CHAP. VI. A brief Relation of the condition of divers Counties in England when the Parliaments Ordinance for the Militia and the Kings Commission of Array were put in execution With a mention of some Lords and otherswho were actors on either side The Lord Mayor of London committed to the Tower and sentenced by the Parliament A mention of some Declarations Messages and Answers that passed between the King and the two Houses of Parliament 99 BOOK III. CHAP. I. PRince Rupert and Prince Maurice arrive in England The Earl of Essex taking leave of the Parliament goeth to his Command The King increaseth in strength at Shrewsbury A Skirmish at Worcester The great Battell of Keynton is fought 1 CHAP. II. The Parliament send to the King concerning an Accommodation A fight at Brainford Another Treaty with the King begun and broken of Reading besieged by the Lord Generall Essex and surrendred to him A Conspiracy to betray Bristoll A treacherous Plot against the Parliament and City of London discovered and prevented 29 CHAP. III. Matters of State trans-acted in Parliament touching the Assembly of Divines The making of a new Great Seale Impeaching the Queen of High Treason and other things The Lord Generall Essex after some Marches returneth to quarter his wasted and sick Army about Kingston The Kings Forces Masters of the West The Earl of Newcastle his greatnesse in the North. Some mention of the Earle of Cumberland and the Lord FAIRFAX 47 CHAP. IV. Some Actions of Sir Thomas Fairfax in the North. The Queen lands in England The revolt of Sir Hugh Cholmley and the two Hothams The state of this Warre in the Westerne parts The condition of the Associated Counties A short relation of Sir William Waller his Actions of Colonell Cromwell Sir William Brereton and Sir John Gell. 63 CHAP. V. The death of the Lord Brooke and of the Earle of Northampton A short mention of some Actions in divers Counties The low condition of the Parliament at that time The Siege of Gloucester 85 CHAP. VI. The Expedition of the Lord Generall Essex for reliefe of Gloucester The great Battell of Newbury described 101 THE HISTORY OF THE PARLIAMENT OF England CHAP. I. Wherein is a short mention of Queene ELIZABETH King JAMES and the beginning of King CHARLES his Reigne his two first Parliaments Of the Warre with Spaine and France The death of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM And the third Parliament of King CHARLES QUeene ELIZABETH of glorious Memory together with that great Stock of Wealth and Honour which her prudent and just Government had brought to the English Nation had enriched them besides with a greater Treasure which we may justly account the cause of all the rest Religion reformed from Popish Superstition That Reformation engaged the Queene in a new Interest of State to side with the Protestants against those Potent Monarchs of the other Religion which seemed at the beginning as much danger and disadvantage to her as it proved in conclusion security and Honour so impossible it is for any disadvantage to prevaile over them that helpe the Lord against the Mighty That Storme from France which so much threatned the weake beginnings of her Reigne was suddenly blowne over by the death of HENRY the second and some few Moneths after of his Sonne FRANCIS who had married the Queene of Scotland the danger which remained greatest was from Spaine where PHILIP the second then reigned a Prince not greater in Dominion Treasure and Armies then deeply engaged against the Protestant Religion by the instigation and assistance of the Jesuites an Order which in the Age before had beene highly counrenanced by Pope PAUL the third in opposition to the Gospell-Doctrine that then began to spread apace in Germany and other parts The whole Order of Iesuites as endeavouring to set up one Temporall Kingdome of Christendome suitable to the Papall Hierarchy applyed their service altogether to the Monarchy of Spaine as being then far the greatest in Europe and fittest for their purpose by the late uniting of so many Kingdomes and Dutchies under the person of CHARLES the Emperour who by a fortunate birthright inherited together with Casule and Arragon and all the great Acquisitions of his Grandfather FERDINAND in Italy and the West Indies the rich and usefull patrimony of his Father PHILIP Burgundy and the Netherlands all these he had left intirely to his Sonne PHILIP who to so large a Territory had made that strong addition of the Kingdome of Portugall and might seeme an Enemy too mighty for England and all the Protestants of Europe to oppose But Queene ELIZABETH had woven the interest of her own State so inseparably into the cause of Religion it selfe that it was hard to overthrow one without the ruine of the other And God who had given her so much grace and courage as to rely wholly upon him did with that Almighty hand not onely hold her up from sinking but lift her above the heads of all her enemies By what degrees and means she atchieved the great Actions of her reigne and brought so much prosperity to her Nation it is not the scope of this discourse to relate at large for her History is not the worke in hand but only in briefe to declare that before her death she was the happy instrument of God to promote the Protestant Religion in all parts She curbed the Spanish greatnesse by supporting France from ruine to give some balance to the other as she preserved Scotland from being swallowed up by the French before She protected the Hollanders against him vanquished his Armies both by Land and Sea with many other such things as might seeme too much to be the atchievements of one Reigne And last of all she reduced Ireland wholly to obedience notwithstanding all the subtill machinations of Spain and open assistance given in Armes to her Irish Rebels All which she accomplished by the justice and prudence of her government by making the right use of her Subjects hearts hands and Purses in a Parliamentary way as also securing
those licentious extravagances which unto that age and foâ—tune are not only incident but almost thought excusable But some men suspended their hopes as doubting what to finde of a Prince so much and so long reserved for he had never declared himselfe of any Faction or scarse interposed in any State affaires though some things had been managed in his fathers Reigne with much detriment to his owne present and future fortunes Yet that by the people in generall was well censured as an effect of his piety and obedience to the King his father and happy presages gathered from it That so good an obeyer would prove a just Ruler They wondered also to see him suddenly linked in such an intire friendship with the Duke of BUCKINGHAM for extraordinary Favourites do usually eclipse and much depresse the Heire apparent of a Crowne or else they are conceived so to do and upon that reason hated and ruined by the succeeding Prince in which kinde all ancient and moderne Stories are full of examples In the beginning of King CHARLES his Reigne a Parliament was called and adjourned to Oxford the plague raging extremely at London where the Duke of BUCKINGHAM was highly questioned but by the King not without the griefe and sad presage of many people that private affections would too much prevaile in him against the publike he was protected against the Parliament which for that onely purpose was dissolved after two Subsidies had been given and before the Kingdome received reliefe in any one grievance as is expressed in the first and generall Remonstrance of this present Parliament where many other unhappy passages of those times are briefly touched as that the King immediately after the dissolution of that Parliament contrived a Warre against Spaine in which the designe was unhappily laid and contrary to the advice which at that time had been given by wise men who perswaded him to invade the West Indies a way no doubt farre more easie and hopefull for England to prevaile against Spaine then any other instead of that the King with great expence of Treasure raised an Army and Fleet to assault Cales the Duke of BUCKINGHAM bearing the Title both of Admirall and Generall though he went not himselfe in person but the matter was so ordered that the expedition proved altogether successelesse and as dishonourable as expensive They complained likewise of another designe which indeed was much lamented by the people of England in generall about that time put in practice a thing destructive to the highest interest of the Nation the maintenance of Protestant Religion a Fleet of English Ships were set forth and delivered over to the French by whose strength all the Sea forces of Rochell were scattered and destroyed a losse to them irrecoverable and the first step to their ruine Neither was this loane of Ships from England for such was the peoples complaint and suspition against those who at that time stood at the Helme supposed to proceed so much from friendship to the State of France as from designe against Religion for immediately upon it the King by what advice the people understood not made a breach with France by taking their Ships to a great value without making any recompence to the English whose Goods were thereupon imbarr'd and confiscate in that Kingdome In revenge of this a brave Army was raised in England and commanded by the Duke of BUCKINGHAM in person who landing at the Isle of Rhea was at the first encounter victorious against the French but after few Moneths stay there the matter was so unhappily carried the Generall being unexperienced in Warlike affaires that the French prevailed and gave a great defeat where many gallant Gentlemen lost their lives and the Nation much of their ancient Honour From thence proceeded another step to the ruine of Rochell the sick and wounded English were sent into that City and relieved by the besieged Rochellers out of that little provision which they then had upon faithfull promise of supplies from England in the same kinde The provisions of Rochell were little enough for their owne reliefe at that time if we consider what ability the French King had to continue that siege when to the proper wealth and greatnesse of his Crowne was added that reputation and strength which his late successe against all the other Protestant Garrisons in France had brought The besieged Rochellers not doubting at all of the due and necessary supply of Victuall from England sent their Ships thither for that purpose but those Ships whose returne with bread was so earnestly expected were stayed in England by an Imbargo and so long stayed till that unhappy Towne was enforced to yeeld by famine the sharpest of all Enemies But in the meane time whilest these Ships with Victuall were detained a great Army was raised in England for reliefe of Rochell but too great was the delay of those preparations till time was past and that Army in the end disbanded by the sad death of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM their Generall who was stabbed at Portsmouth by a private Gentleman JOHN FELTON This FELTON was a Souldier of a low stature and no promising aspect of disposition serious and melancholly but religious in the whole course of his life and conversation which last I do not mention out of purpose to countenance his unlawfull act as supposing him to have had as some did then talke any inspiration or calling of God to it His confessions to his friends both publike and private were That he had often secret motions to that purpose which he had resisted and prayed against and had almost overcome untill he was at last confirmed in it by reading the late dissolved Parliaments Remonstrance against the Duke That then his conscience told him it was just and laudable to be the executioner of that man whom the highest Court of Judicature the representative body of the Kingdome had condemned as a Traytor But let Posterity censure it as they please certain it is that FELTON did much repent him of the unlawfulnesse of the fact out of no feare of death or punishment here for he wished his hand cut off before the execution which his Jugdes could not doome by the Lawes of England The King had not long before broken off another Parliament called in the second yeare of his Reigne in which the Petition of Right was granted to the great rejoycing of the people But it proved immediately to be no reliefe at all to them for the Parliament presently dissolved the King acted over the same things which formerly he had done and that grant instead of fortifying the Kingdomes Liberty made it appeare to be more defencelesse then before that Lawes themselves were no barre against the Kings will The Parliament in hope of gracious Acts had declared an intent to give his Majesty five Subsidies the full proportion of which five Subsidies was after the dissolution of that Parliament exacted by Commission of Loane from the people and those
the other side who had oppressed them No commotion at all was raised from the oppressed party though it consisted of the body of the Nation and therefore strong enough to have vindicated themselves would they have risen in illegall tumults The Land was yet quiet and that storme which the people had feared before the death of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM was not in so long a time fallen upon England although the causes in Government which made them feare it had continued at the height ever since They onely wished for a Parliament but durst not hope it unlesse some strange accident not yet discovered by them might necessitate such a cure The Commons therefore But in Scotland it was once quite ruined and by degrees built up againe not without many difficulties not without great reluctancy of the Peeres Gentry and most of the Ministers not without extraordinary interposition of Regall Authority and great art used by two Kings in managing the businesse and raising it to that height in which then it stood as you may reade at large in some late Writers of that Kingdome Neither were the Peeres and Gentry of that Kingdome so impatient of this new yoakeâ— onely out of zeale to preservation of Religion in purity though that no doubt were their greatest reason that Church having been ever much addicted to the Reformation of Geneva And those other Churches as it appeared by their great unwillingnesse to receive those few Ceremonies of the English Church at their Synod of Perth but as loath also to suffer any diminution of their Temporall Liberties which could not be avoided in admittance of Episcopall Jurisdiction and was manifested in that Kingdome by divers examples of rigorous proceedings which some Bishops used against Gentlemen of quality by way of Fines and Imprisonments and the like which particulars are too large to be here inserted in this Narration In the yeare 1637. a Booke of Lyturgy was composed and sent out of England which they complained of because it was not before allowed by their Church in a Nationall Synod as was fit for a businesse of so great import with an expresse command from the King that they should reverently receive it and publikely reade it in their Churches beginning on Easter day and so forward against which time the Privy Councell of Scotland had commanded that every Parish should buy two at the least of them That Service-Booke was the same with the Common-Prayer Booke of England excepting some few alterations of which some as they observed were alterations for the better but others for the worse For the better they esteemed that so many Chapters of the Apocrypha were not appointed to be read as in the English Prayer Booke and where the English retained the old vulgar Latine Translation especially in the Psalmes that Booke followed the last Translation commonly called that of King JAMES Those alterations for the worse were divers observed by the Scots especially in the Lords Supper of which some were these The expresse command for situation of the Altar so called to the Easterne Wall together with many postures of the Minister whilest he officiated expressed in their exceptions but especially this that in the consecrating prayer those words which in the English Common-Prayer Booke are directly against Transubstantiation were quite left out in that Booke and instead of them such other words as in plaine sense agreed with the Roman Masse Booke As for example Heare us O most mercifull Father and of thy Omnipotent goodnesse grant so to blesse and sanctifie by thy Word and Spirit these creatures of bread and wine that they may be to us the body and blood of thy beloved Sonne Many other alterations the Scots have observed and expressed in their writings and in one word affirmed that wheresoever that Booke varies from the English Lyturgy it approaches directly to the Roman Missall and offered to prove that all the materiall parts of the Masse Booke are seminally there It was thought by many that if the Booke without any alteration at all had been sent into Scotland though the Scots perhaps would not have received it they would not have taken it in so evill part And it might have been construed onely as a brotherly invitation to the same service which England used But what the reasons were of those alterations I finde no where expressed but onely where the King in his Declaration concerning that businesse is pleased to say thus WE supposing that they might have taken some offence if we should have tendred them the English Service-Booke totidem verbis and that some factious spirits would have endeavoured to have misconstrued it as a badge of dependance of that Church upon this of England which we had put upon them to the prejudice of their Lawes and Liberties We held it fitter that a new Booke should be composed by their owne Bishops in substance not differing from this of England that so the Roman Party might not upbraid us with any weighty or materiall differences in our Lyturgyes and yet in some few insensible alterations differing from it that it might truly and justly be reputed a Booke of that Churches owne composing and established by Our Royall Authority as King of SCOTLAND These were the Kings expressions which as it seemed were not satisfactory to the Scots in that point For they were as is before specified not well affected to their owne Bishops whose power and jurisdiction over them was rather enforced then consented to Neither did they suppose that a conformity in Church-Worship had it been such as their consciences could well have imbraced had beene any badge of their dependancy upon England as being a people not conquered but united in an equall freedome under the same King Besides they could not relish it well that the Archbishop of Canterbury and other English Bishops who in many points of Ceremony and Worship which they accounted things tolerable did make as neere approaches to the Church of Rome as possibly they could for no other reason as they professe in their writings then that they laboured to bring union into the Christian Church if it were possible should now invite the Church of Scotland whom they accounted more puritanicall then themselves to union by a quite contrary way as in stead of framing their Service neerer to the Scottish profession and Discipline to urge them to a Lyturgy more popish then their owne So that it seemed for unity they were content to meet Rome rather then Scotland To returne to the Narration The Service-Booke according to the Kings command was offered to the Church of Scotland and the Councell there and published by Proclamation a day for the reading of it in all Churches appointed which was the Easter day following 1637. But then upon some considerations and further triall of mens minds as the King declares the first reading of it was put off untill the 23. of Iuly next ensuing to the end that the Lords of the Session
The effect of that Protestation was for we cannot here insert it at large That the Service Booke was full of Superstition and Idolatry and ought not to be obtruded upon them without consent of a Nationall Synod which in such cases should judge That it was unjust to deny them liberty to accuse the Bishops being guilty of high crimes of which till they were cleered they did reject the Bishops as Judges or Governours of them They protested also against the High Commission Court and justified their owne meetings and superscriptions to Petitions as being to defend the glory of God the Kings Honour and Liberties of the Realme This Protestation was read in the Market place at Sterlin and the Copy hung up in publike CHAP. IV. The Scots enter into a Covenant The Marquesse HAMILTON is sent thither from the King A Nationall Synod is granted to them but dissolved within few daies by the Marquesse as Commissioner from the King The King declares against the Covenanters and raises an Army to subdue them FRom Sterlin the Commissioners resorted to Edenburgh whither many from all parts met to consult of the present businesse and concluded there to renew solemnly among them that Covenant which was commonly called The lesser confession of the Church of Scotland or The confession of the Kings family which was made and sealed under King JAMES his hand in the yeare 1580. afterwards confirmed by all the Estates of the Kingdome and Decree of the Nationall Synod 1581. Which Confession was againe subscribed by all sorts of persons in Scotland 1590. by authority of Councell and Nationall Synod and a Covenant added to it for defence of true Religion and the Kings Majesty which Covenant the aforesaid Lords Citizens and Pastours in the yeare 1638. did renew and tooke another according to the present occasion The Covenant it selfe expressed at large in the Records of that Kingdome consisted of three principall parts The first was a re-taking word for word of that old Covenant 1580. confirmed by Royall Authority and two Nationall Synods for defence of the purity of Religion and the Kings Person and Rights against the Church of Rome The second part contained an enumeration of all the Acts of Parliament made in Scotland in defence of the reformed Religion both in Doctrine and Discipline against Popery The third was an application of that old Covenant to the present state of things where as in that all Popery so in this all innovations in those Bookes of Lyturgy unlawfully obtruded upon them are abjured and a preservation of the Kings Person and Authority as likewise a mutuall defence of each other in this Covenant are sworne unto Against this Covenant the King much displeased made these foure principall objections First By what authority they entred into this Covenant or presumed to exact any Oath from their fellow Subjects Secondly if they had power to command the new taking of this Oath yet what power had they to interpret it to their present occasion it being a received Maxime That no lesse authority can interpret a Law then that which made it or the Judges appointed by that Authority to give sentence upon it Thirdly What power they had to adde any thing to it and interpose a new Covenant of mutuall assistance to each other against any other power that should oppose them none excepted And fourthly That all Leagues of Subjects among themselves without the privity and approbation of the King are declared to be seditious by two Parliaments in Scotland one of the tenth Parliament of JAMES the sixth Act the twelfth and the other the fifteenth Act of the ninth Parliament of Queene MARY What answer the Covenanters made to these objections and what arguments the King used to enforce the contrary are largely expressed in many writings being such indeed as not onely then but since in the sad calamities of England have been discoursed of in whole volumes containing all that can be said concerning the true Rights and Priviledges of Princes and People The Covenant notwithstanding was generally subscribed by all there present at Edenburgh in February 1638. and Copies of it sent abroad to those who were absent and so fast subscribed by them also that before the end of Aprill he was scarce accounted one of the Reformed Religion that had not subscribed to this Covenant And the Church and State were divided into two names of Covenanters and Non-Covenanters the Non-Covenanters consisting â—irst of Papists whose number was thought small in Scotland scarce exceeding six hundred Secondly some Statesmen in Office and favour at that time Thirdly someâ— who though they were of the Reformed Religion were greatly affected to the Ceremonies of England and Booke of Common-Prayer Many Bishops at that time came from thence to the Court of England and three Lords of the Councell of Scotland whom the King had sent for to advise about the affaires of that Kingdome where after many debates what course to take whether of reducing the Covenanters by Armes or using more gentle meanes The King at last sent the Marquesse HAMILTON together with those three Lords into Scotland The Marquesse arrived at Dulketh and within few daies entred Edenburgh in Iune being met and conducted into the City by a great multitude of all ranks in which number were seven hundred Pastors of Churches The Marquesse by the Kings Command dealt with the Covenanters to renounce their Covenant or else told them there was no hope to obtaine a Nationall Synod which they so much desired for setling of the Church which they affirmed could not be done without manifest perjury and profanation of Gods Name But when nothing was agreed upon they besought the Marquesse at his returne into England to present their humble desire to the King But before his departure in Iuly he published the Kings Proclamation wherein his Majesty protests to defend the Protestant Religion and that he would no more presse upon them the Booke of Canons or Service Booke but by lawfull Mediums That he would rectifie the High Commission and was resolved to take a speedy opportunity of calling both a Parliament and Synod When the Proclamation was ended the Covenanters read their Protestation of which the heads were That they never questioned his Majesties sincerity in the Protestant Religion That these grants of his were not large enough to cure the present distempers for he doth not utterly abolish that Service-Booke nor the High Commission being both obtruded against all Law upon them That their meetings are not to be condemned in opprobrious words being lawfull and such as they would not forsake untill the purity of Religion and peace might be fully setled by a free and Nationall Synod The Marquesse went into England to returne at a prefixed day the twelfth of August In the meane time the Scots keepe a solemne Fast and the Covenanters not hoping from the King so quick a call of a Nationall Synod as the present malady required published a writing wherein
in that obey his Command for many reasons expressed at large in their Commentaries In the meane time the King commanded the Parliament to dissolve which immediately obeyed And being threatned with Warre on every side elected Sir ALEXANDER LESLEY an experienced Commander in the German Warres to be their great Generall to whom all the greatest Earles and Lords of the Covenant swore obedience in all warlike Commands taking an Oath of him for performance of his duty and immediately betooke themselves every man to his charge throughout all parts of the Kingdome according as they were commanded by LESLEY Whilest the Armies on both sides advanced forward and no decision of this difference seemed with reason to be hoped for but such as the stroke of Warre must allow The Scottish Covenanters did neverthelesse continue their first course of petitioning the King and by many addresses to him protested their loyalty to his Crowne and Person and did not omit by Letters and Messages to solicite as Advocates those English Noblemen whom they esteemed best and truest Patriots as the Earles of ESSEX PEMBROOKE and HOLLAND as supposing that this Warre was not approved of by any that were firme to the Cause of Religion and Liberties of both Kingdomes for so themselves expresse it The Earle of DUMFERLING having free passage about that time to the English Army assured his fellow-Covenanters that those Noble fore-named Earles and almost all the English Nobility were much averse from this Warre and â—avourers of their suit to the King Which did so much encourage the Covenanters to continue their humble Petitions to the King and God being pleased to give his blessing that after some few Messages to and fro the King was pleased to give leave that six of them should come and personally treat at the Earle of ARUNDELL his Tent upon the tenth of Iune with some of the English Nobility at which Discourses some few daies after the King himselfe vouchsafed to be present At last after many humble expressions of the Covenanters and some expostulations of the King with them by the happy mediation of wise and noble Councellors a Pacification was solemnly made upon such Articles as gave full satisfaction to all parties save onely that the Scottish Covenanters were not pleased with some expressions which the King had used in the Preface to the Pacificatory Edict as calling their late Synod Pseudo Synodus Glasquensis and aspersing their proceedings in Armes with such Epithites as tumultuous illegall and rebellious Which notwithstanding at the humble suit of them the King was pleased to moderate to expunge some of those harsh phrases as likewise to explaine more cleerely other ambiguous sentences to take away all suspitions from peoples hearts the Copies of which were delivered to divers of the English Nobility who had taken faithfull paines in procuring that happy peace that if any doubts should afterwards happen their judgements might be taken concerning the intention of the writing The King also declared for satisfaction of the Scots That though his expressions at some places might seeme harsh yet his meaning to them was never the worse That care must be taken of his owne reputation in forraigne parts and that litigation about words was vaine when the matter was cleere and their suit wholly granted The King granted them a free Nationall Synod to be holden upon the sixth of August following and a Parliament to begin upon the 20. day of the same Moneth to confirme and ratifie what the Synod should decree which the Scots thankfully receive esteeming that to be the onely proper and efficatious way to settle a firme peace both in Church and State They were also joyfull that the King had promised to be there himselfe in person but that hope afterwards failed them for the King excused himselfe affirming that urgent and weighty affaires at London as he was certified by Letters from his Queen and Councell required his presence there but that he would send a Deputy thither with full power to make good whatsoever he had promised which was the Earle of TRAQUARE This Pacification to the great joy of good men was solemnly concluded on the 18. of Iune 1639. and both Armies within eight and forty houres to be disbanded which was accordingly done and both the English and Scots returned home praising God who without any effusion of blood had compounded this difference and prevented a Warre so wickedly designed But that joy lasted not long for the Earle of TRAQUARE the Kings Commissioner could not agree with the Scottish Parliament the Scots complaining that nothing was seriously performed which the King had promised at the Pacification as shall more appeare afterward But however it were within a little time after that the King had been at London that Paper which the Scots avowed to containe the true Conditions of that Pacification was by the King disavowed and commanded by Proclamation to be burned by the hands of the hangman though the Contents of that Paper were not named at all in the Proclamation nor the people of England acquainted with any of them Which put the English in great feare that the former Councells of divisions yet prevailed in the Court especially discerning a shew of preparation for Warre againe But leaving the Scots at their Parliament a while In the meane time the Lord WENTWORTH Deputy of Ireland arrived in England and was received by the King with great expressions of grace and favour dignified with a higher Title and created Earle of Strafford Great was the expectation of all the English what might be the effect of his coming over great was the opinion which men in generall had conceived of his ability and parts looking at him as the onely hinge upon which the State was now likely to turne But very different and various were the conjectures of Gentlemen at that time in their ordinary discourses for I will relate the truth what use this great Statesman would make of his ability and favour Some as they wished did seeme to hope when they considered his first right Principles that whatsoever he had acted since his greatnesse was but to ingratiate himselfe perfectly with the King that so at last by his wisdome and favour he might happily prevaile both upon the Kings judgement and affection and carry him from those evill Councells which he had long beene nurtured in to such waies as should render him most honourable and happy That the Earle was so wise as to understand what most became a wise man and would make greatnesse beloved and permanent But others durst not hope so much from him when they considered his Government in Ireland and the ambition of the man They feared that neither his vertue was great enough to venture his owne fortunes by opposing any evill Councells about the King nor his favour great enough to prevaile in over-ruling That he was sent for onely to compleat that bad worke which others of lesse braine then he had begun Which he would
to summon a Parliament within some short and convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great grievances which the people lye under may be taken away and the Authors and Counsellors of them may be brought to legall tryall and condigne punishment And that this War may be composed without blood in such manner as may conduce to the honour and safety of his Majesty the comfort of the people and uniting of both Kingdomes against the Common Enemy of the Reformed Religion Subscribed by almost twenty Earles and Barons The King receiving this Message from the Peeres of England by his Proclamation ordained a day which was upon 24. of September for all the Lords to meet at Yorke to whom he declared that of his owne free accord he had determined to call a Parliament in England to begin as soone as possibly could be allowing the usuall time for issuing out of Writs which was upon the third of November ensuing 1640. But he desired first to consult with them what answer to returne to the Scots demands and how with his honour he might deale with them who had so boldly invaded England And to make them understand the whole state of the businesse he commanded the Earle of TRAQUARE who had beene his Commissioner there to relate all occurrences since the beginning He desired likewise their advice how his Army might be payed before supplies of Parliament could come After many debates and different opinions in point of honour and convenience it was at last agreed by the greater part of Peeres and so conluded that sixteene Lords should be chosen to treat with the Scots and agree upon what Conditions they thought fit Eight Earles were named BEDFORD ESSEX HARTFORT SALISBURY WARWICK HOLLAND BRISTOLL and BARKSHIRE as likewise eight Barons WHARTON PAGET KIMâ—OLTON BROOKE PAWLET HOWARD SAVILE and DUNSMORE The Scots were required to send as many with full Commission to whom Letters of safe Conduct in the amplest manner were granted When the matter came to debate the Earle of Bristoll for the most part was Prolocutour to the English and the Earle of LOWDEN to the Scots After many demands on both sides and expostulations upon sleighter matters which were easily reconciled there was one point which seemed too hard a case in the eyes of the English Peeres that the Scottish Army should be payed by the English whilest their owne Army was in great distresse by reason of Arreares But in conclusion those honest Lords who understood the condition of that unhappy Warre were content upon any termes to make an end of it and in conclusion an agreement was made upon these termes 1. A Truce or Cessation of Armes for two Moneths till the 16. of December 2. That 850. l. a day should be paid to the Scots during that Truce 3. That if it were not payed the Scots might force it from the Counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and Durham 4. That those Counties should be allowed the Scots for their winter Quarters 5. No new preparations for Warre to be made 6. That private injuries should not breake the Truce so satisfaction were made upon complaint 7. That Merchants might freely traffique in either Kingdome without Letters of safe Conduct but Souldiers without leave might not passe their limits Upon such termes was this unnaturall Warre although the Armies could not as yet be disbanded brought to a Cessation and both Nations rested in assured confidence that a peace must needs follow since the whole matter was now to be debated in the English Parliament which was to begin about a fortnight after for it was likely that a Parliament should put a period to that Warre which could never have been begun but for want of a Parliament They were also confident that that freedome which the fundamentall Lawes and Constitutions of the Kingdome of England allow to Parliaments could not be denyed to this though to many others it had long been as being that Parliament to which the King was necessitated and the onely way which was now left him to tread after so many deviations unfortunately tried and upon which the people had set up their utmost hope whom it seemed not safe after so long suffering to provoke any further In what a desperate condition the Kingdome of England was at that time what necessity there was of a present cure with how much difficulty that cure was to be wrought and with what warinesse and wisdome it concerned both King and people to play their parts a judicious Reader may partly conjecture by the former passages already related But further to enlighten the Reader for in this plaine Relation I shall be sparing to use any descants of my owne I will referre him to Speeches which at the beginning of this Parliament were made by judicious Gentlemen and those of greatest moderation labouring as much as they could possibly to spare the King and touch tenderly upon his Honour which I shall mention anon According to the reason of the Parliament and Kingdome went along the sence of Courtiers themselves as was expressed in an ingenuous Treatise found in the privy Chamber concerning the condition in which the King and Kingdome of England were in when this so much expected Parliament was to begin CHAP. VII The beginning of the English Parliament Grievances examined Sufferers relieved Delinquents questioned The Archbishop of Canterbury committed to the Tower The flight of Secretary WINDEBANKE and of the Lord Keeper FINCH ON the third of November 1640. the Parliament began where the King expressed himselfe very well in a Speech gracious and acceptable to both Houses who did not expect from him any such acknowledgement of former errours as might seeme too low for the Majestie of his Person but onely desired to gaine his affection for the future Very pleasing to them all was that gracious expression that He did now cleerly and freely put himselfe upon the love and affections of his English Subjects desiring them to consider the best way for the Safety and Security of the Kingdome of England and in order to it for satisfaction of their just grievances wherein he would so heartily concur that the world might see his intentions were to make it a glorious and flourishing Kingdome In which businesse he did freely and willingly leave it to them where to beginne He desired also that all Jealousies and Suspitions might be layed aside by them which he promised to doe on his part And withall to give some reasonable colour to his former Warre whether to excuse or justifie the Proceedings of it hee seemed as yet much distasted with the boldnesse of the Scots who had entred England with an Army against his will calling them by the name of Rebels and that it concerned the honour of him and England to drive them out againe And in his second Speech two daies after I told you said he that the Rebels must be put out of this Kingdome it is true I must needs call them so so
he could not allow of the disbanding of the Irish Army for divers reasons best knowne to himselfe The Conspiracy being in some part detected PERCY JERMYN and SUCKLING fled the day before they should have been examined being the sixth of May and passed into France where SUCKLING not long after dyed But afterwards upon the reading of a Letter in the House upon the 14. of Iune sent by Master PERCY out of France to his Brother the Earle of Northumberland WILMOT ASHBURNNAM and POLLARD three Members of the House of Commons mentioned in that Letter as privy to this Conspiracy were commanded to withdraw and then called in severally examined and committed WILMOT to the Tower ASHBURNHAM to the Kings Bench and POLLARD to the Gate-House from whence they were not long after released upon Bayle as being found guilty not in so high a degree as others were GORING upon his Examination dealt so cleerly with them and so farre purged himselfe from evill intentions that he was not at all committed by the Parliament ONEALE who proved most guilty of that part of the Conspiracy for bringing up the English Army against the Parliament was presently after apprehended and committed to the Tower whence it was generally thought he would be brought to Tryall for his life and suffer but he made an escape The Parliament considering what great disturbance they began to finde in setling the State what conspiracies had been on foot and doubtfull of the Kings sincere affection towards them considering also what great disbursements of money were to be made for payment of two Armies and other charges for setling the State to which purpose money was to be borrowed upon the Publike Faith by a joint consent of both Houâ—â— moved the King to signe a Bill for continuance of this present Parliament That it should never be dissolved till both Houses did consent and agree that publike grievances were fully redrest A Bill was drawne up to that purpose and the King the same day that he signed the Bill for execution of the Earle of Strafford being the 10. of May 1641. signed that also for continuance of the present Parliament But in this place it is sit to insert what had past before in this kinde The King upon the 15. of February before had signed a Bill presented to him by both Houses for a Parliament to be held in England every third yeare That the Lord Keeper and Chancellor of the Dutchy for the time being should be sworne to issue forth the Writs and upon default to lose their places The same day in the afternoone there was a Conference betweene the two Houses to returne the King thankes upon which it was concluded that the whole House should go to the King to White-Hall and that the Lord Keeper in the name of both Houses should returne their thankfulnesse to his Majesty which was accordingly done Expressions of joy by Order from the Parliament were that night made about London with ringing of Bells making of Bonesires with such usuall things It is observable in the course of Histories how much Kings in such limited Monarchies as that of England do in time by degrees gaine upon the peoples Rights and Priviledges That those things which by constitution of the Government the people may challenge as due from the Prince having been long forborne become at last to be esteemed such Acts of extraordinary grace as that the Prince is highly thanked for granting of them Such was the case of this Trienniall Parliament as both Houses afterward when the unhappy division began and the King upbraided them with this favour could plainly answer That it was not so much as by Law they might require there being two Statutes then in force for a Parliament once a yeere The King himselfe also at the time when he granted that Trienniall Parliament could not forbeare to tell them That he put an obligation upon them in doing it which they had scarse deserved For hitherto said he to speake freely I have had no great incouragement to grant it if I should looke to the outward face of your actions or proceedings and not to the inward intentions of your hearts I might make question of doing it But that Grant which the King since passed upon the tenth of May for continuance of the present Parliament not onely afterward by himselfe was much upbraided to them but by many Gentlemen who were not well affected to their Parliament and all the Faction of Prelaticall Clergy in their ordinary discourse was censured a greater grace then was fit for the King to grant To such men their discourses and writings afterward when the great distraction happened and the Warre was breaking out the Parliament in many of their Declarations answered That though there were in it some seeming restraint of the Regall Power in dissolving Parliaments yet really it was no taking that Power from the Crowne but sus-spending the execution of it for this time and occasion only Which was so necessary for the Publike Peace that without it they could not have undertaken any of those great Charges but must have left both the Armies to disorder and confusion and the whole Kingdome to blood and ruine For to pay the Armies and defray other necessary charges money was to be borrowed upon the Publike Faith which had been nothing worth if that Parliament could have been dissolved at the Kings pleasure And where it was objected That no King ever granted the like before they answered It was evident that no King before ever made so great a necessity for a Parliament to require it And besides that in the constitution of Englands Government it was never the meaning of the Law-givers that the King should dissolve any Parliament whilest the great Affaires of the Kingdome were depending and though the King had used to do so it was neverthelesse unlawfull The Scots in their Remonstrance 1640. told the King That he had broken their Lawes in dissolving the Parliament there against the consent of their House And it is very well understood by those that are skilfull in Lawes of both Nations that English Parliaments have originally the same freedome It was neverthelesse probably then thought by all that the King would not have assented to that Act if at that time the freshnesse of those fore-mentioned grievances in the peoples hearts and the present discovery of that odious Treason of bringing an Army against the Parliament had not made it unsafe for him to deny That opinion was more confirmed by the following Actions since time and the unconstancy of some Lords and Gentlemen had raised him a Party When that knot which by Law he could not againe untie he indeavoâ—â—â—â— to cut a sunder by the Sword as was afterwards observed in the Parliaments Declarations CHAP. IX Allowance of money from the English Parliament to the Scots The vast Charge of disbanding the two Armies The great Taxations for that purpose and the manner of Poll money The
aforementioned of so long intermixed cohabitation and friendly Relations betwixt them Both these were the causes which afterward encreased the Massacre of the English who when the fire brake out implored the friendship of their Irish neighbors Landlords or Tenants committing into their hands and protection their treasure wives and children with all that was dear unto them in hope that former friendship might prevail But they generally either betrayed them into the power of other Rebels or perfidiously and cruelly murdered them with their own hands which extreme falshood and cruelty in the Irish was thought to be much encreased by the charmings of their Priests who told them That it was a mortall sin to protect or releive any of the English That intermixture of the Nations did also at this sad time make the English lesse able to defend themselves then if they had lived singly by parties of their own For where the English were able to make any head or stand upon their guard though in such an amazement and suddain surprisal they defended themselves beyond beleif till the Irish principled by their Preists offered them fair Quarter with assurance of lives and goods safe conduct and free passage to what places they pleased confirming such covenants with deep oathes and protestations and sometimes their hands and Seales But when they had the deceived English in their power the Souldiers spoiled stripped and murdered them at their pleasure So were many served as at Armagh by Sir PHELIM ONEALE and his Brother at Belterbert by PHILIP ORELLEY at Longford Tullough and other Castles in the County of Fermanagh by other of those Rebels But if the English who stood to defend their private houses and so were the more easily cut off could have deserted their habitations at the first rising and joyned themselves into bodies they might happily have made a better resistance Whilest these inhumane cruelties and Massacres were acting in miserable Ireland and daily spreading themselves in every part of that Kingdom many Counties in several Provinces declaring themselves and following the barbarous example of those in Vlster the sad newes was brought to the Parliament of England The first Letters which before were mentioned sent from the Lords Justices upon the 25 of October were carried and delivered at London on the last day of that month by OWEN Ô CONALLY the happy discoverer of the first Plot with a full information of all particulars within his knowledge which by the Lords who were first acquainted with it was delivered at a Conference to the House of Commons who presently ordered That the House forthwith should be resolved into a Committe to consider the matter offered concerning the Rebellion in Ireland as likewise to provide for the safety of England By which Committee it was agreed that 50000 pound should presently be provided and that the Loane of it should be entreated from the City of London upon Publick security 2 That a Select Committee of both Houses be named to consider the affairs of Ireland 3 That OWEN Ô CONALLY who discovered this great Treason should have 500 pound presently paid him and 200 pound per annum Pension till Provision in Land of a greater value be made for him 4 That Papists of quality be secured in their severall Counties within England 5 That no persons whatsoever except those who are Merchants shall be admitted to go over into Ireland without Certificate from the Committee of both Houses appointed for the affairs of Ireland These things were reported to both Houses and willingly assented too within two dayes after the discovery first made unto them of that Rebellion And notwithstanding those present distractions in England which began then to appear part of every day during that November was allotted to the consideration of Ireland Within four dayes after the beginning of which month they ordered many particulars of great import for the releif of it consisting of supplies of Money Magazines of Victuals Ammunition of all sorts courses to be taken for raising Forces for the occasions of that Kingdom and shipping for guard of their Sea coasts as more particularly appeareth in the records of Parliament Whilst the English Parliament were thus ordering the affaires of bleeding Ireland other Letters from the Lords Justices bearing date the fifth of November were brought and communicated to both Houses Who in earnest zeal to the promotion of that businesse voted two hundred thousand pounds to be raised for suppressing the Irish Rebellion securing England and payment of the Publick debts For which the City of London must of necessity be made use of collections through the Kingdom being too slow for such an urgency And to encourage the City in it an Order was made to secure them for monies formerly lent and to allow them the full Interest of eight per cent for altogether Whilest the English Parliament were thus busied about the releif of Ireland the horrid Rebellion with a swift motion run throughout that unhappy Kingdom many Counties daily joyning with them and divers Lords and Gentlemen who for many daies had lived unsuspected in Dublin went into the Country to side with the Rebels and act their parts in those inhumane outrages the Lords Justices and Privy Counsell were enough troubled to secure Dublin to victuall the Castle and prepare defence against those dangers which threatned the City and were made much more by the feares of spoyled people resorting thither But the care of the Privy Councell extended further notwithstanding the troubles there then to the City of Dublin and having a Magazine of Armes within the Castle resolved so to dispose of them as that resistance might be made against the Rebels in other parts Some Armes were happily disposed to such Gentlemen Sir HENRY TIâ—HBORNE Sir CHARLES COOTE and others of whom more hereafter as to their lasting honor did excellent service But another part were worse then losse those which were distributed to the Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale who afterwards declared themselves for the Rebels and used the Arms to the destruction of those who put them into their hands That English Pale is a large circuit of Land possessed at the first conquest of Ireland by the English and ever since inhabited by them containing divers Counties as Dublin Meth Lowth Kildare c. The Lords of the Councel thought fit to trust those Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale both with Commissions and Armes though many of them professed Papists hoping that this great confidence would work so far upon their hearts if any truth or loyalty were left there as to keep them at least from joyning with the Enemy but if they were honest would enable them to oppose the threatning incursions of the Northren Rebels This great Trust the Councell were more encouraged to repose in these perfidious Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale because themselves had appeared at Dublin of their own accords professing truth and loyalty with deep and solemne Protestations and that
they were most forward and ready to concur with their Lordships in that service But so great an affliction was to fall upon unhappy Ireland that all those Lords that were Papists after they had received Commissions and Armes notwithstanding all their deep vowes did most perfidiously soon after desert their houses and openly declare themselves in actuall Rebellion such as were Viscount MONGANNET GORMANSTON and COSTELOE DILLON BIRNE BELLER TALBOT and many others The Condition of Dublin was more lamentable every day then other and not so much afflicted were they with feares and dangers which threatned themselves as that extream sorrow which compassion must needs work in them toward all the suffering English which resorted thither Dublin was the Sanctuary of all the despoiled Protestants and by that meanes the sad stage upon which all horror was represented and what mischeifes soever were acted in other parts were there discovered and lamented Their eyes were sad witnesses of the Rebels cruelty in those despoiled English which daily resorted to the City but their eares much more afflicted with relation of those horrid tortures which had been used to those who died in other parts Their eyes could not but extremly suffer from such wretched Spectacles as daily from all parts presented themselves People of all conditions and qualities of every age and Sex spoiled and stripped with no coverings but ragges or twisted straw to hide their privities some wounded almost to death others frozen with cold some tired with travell and so surbated that they came creeping on their knees others famished beyond all releif And besides the miseries of their bodies their minds tortured with the losse of all their fortunes and sad remembrance of their husbands wives or children most barbarously murdered before their faces In this most lamentable plight with wasted bodies and distracted mindes did they arrive at Dublin some to be releived some entombed which was more then their murdered friends could obtaine from the Rebels insomuch as they appeared like walking ghosts in every street and all the Barnes Stables and out-houses were filled with them where they soon died after they had recovered the City in so great numbers that all the Church-yards of Dublin could not contain them but the Lords were enforced to take in large peeces of ground on both sides of the River to set apart for burying places But that part of this wofull Tragedy which was presented to their eyes was the least and but the shadow of that other which was related to their eares of which the Readers and all posterity may share the sorrow Many hundreds of those which had escaped under their oathes lawfully taken upon examination and recorded with all particulars as may be seen at large in the Records delivered to the Councell what horrid Massacres the bloudy villains had made of men women and children and what cruell inventions they had to torture those whom they murdered scarce to be equalized by any the most black and balefull story of any age Many thousands of them at severall places too many to be here inserted after all despites exercised upon them living put to the worst of deaths some burned on set purpose others drowned for sport and pastime and if they swam kept from landing with poles or shot and murdered in the water many were buried quick and some set into the earth breast-high and there left to famish But most barbarous as appears in very many examinations was that cruelty which was shewed to great bellied women whom the villaines were not content to murder but ripped up their bellies and many times took delight to see the Hogges eate the abortive Infants But I am loath to dwell upon so sad a narration The greatest part of these inhumane cruelties were acted by the Irish upon the poor unarmed Brittaines before any provocation given unto them and the bloud of so many thousand innocent persons sacrificed to their meer malice as many afterwards were sacrificed to their revenge as whensoever the Irish received any blow from English Forces the English Protestants that lived among them were murdered in great numbers By this time the Lords of the Councell had armed as many as they were able and given Commissions for raising of severall Regiments which were put into the hands for the most part of gallant men as their actions after testified to the world Sir CHARLES COOTE an active and valiant man who was also made Governor of Dublin with great speed made up his Regiment out of the poor robbed and stripped English which had fled to Dublin Sir HENRY TICHBORNE a worthy Commander was dispatched away with a Regiment of Foot to keep Tredagh from the approaching Rebels The Lord LAMBERT also Sir THOMAS LUCAS Captain ARMESTRONG Captain YARNER with others raised by Commissions souldiers there This was done about the middle of November at which time also the Earle of Ormond with his well armed Troop of Horse came to Dublin where within few dayes after he was by a Commission sent from the Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant of Ireland as likewise by the Kings approbation from Scotland signified in a Letter made Lieutenant Generall of all the Forces there For the Earl of Lecister at that time was not enabled so far with necessaries for the service of Ireland as to repair thither in person The Earl also sent over to the Lords at Dublin together with an Order of the Lords and Commons of the Parliament in England comfortable Letters in this time of distresse to let them know that the King had referred the whole businesse of Ireland to the Parliament of England who had undertaken the charge and management of the War had declared a speedy and vigorous assistance had designed for their present supplies the summe of 50000 pound and taken order for all further provisions necessary But that they might not be altogether destitute of reall comfort the Parliament of England sent them over at the same time Twenty thousand pound which arrived most seasonably at Dublin their treasure beginning utterly to fail for paying those new Companies which they had raised About the end of November the Lords Justices and Councell of Ireland considering the miserable desolations brought upon that whole Kingdom and what miseries were further threatned Commanded by Proclamation a Publike and religious Fast to be weekly observed upon Friday in the City of Dublin to implore the mercy and assistance of Almighty God and divert his heavy indignation from them CHAP. II. The King returneth out of Scotland and is pompously entertained by the City of London The Remonstrance is published by the Parliament The King entereth into the House of Commons The Protestation of the twelve Bishops and how it was censured by the Lords and Commons Divers unhappy obstructions of the releif of Ireland BUT to leave Ireland strugling against her sad and wofull calamities and returne again to the Affairs of England at that same time about the end of November 1641
Court then a gracious Intimation that he accepted the tender of their loyall affections encouraging them to continue the same upon all occasions That he knew of no Fire-works in the hands of Papists For his going to the House of Commons that he intended no course of violence though that way had been justifiable for he was assured that no Priviledge of Parliament could extend to Treason which he knew would be proved against them upon cleer grounds and they in due time should be acquainted with it and that his proceedings against them should be according to the Lawes The King presently after his answering of that Petition sent another Message to the Parliament that for the present he would wave his proceedings against those five Members and returned a gentle Answer at that time to the Petitioners of Buckinghamshire who came to the number of about 2000 in behalf of their Knight Mr. HAMDEN a Gentleman much honored by them and by most of the whole Kingdom in which Petition they prayed that Mr. HAMDEN and the rest that lie under the burden of that accusation might enjoy the just priviledges of Parliament It was then grown a custom which proved accidentally very unhappie to the Kingdom however it were meant to come in great numbers to Westminster when they presented Peâ—itions to the Parliament though the people petitioning were unarmed and no just fear from them in the opinion of those who affected the Parliament yet those who thought themselves not well relliâ—hed by the people in general took occasion from thence either to fear indeed or at least to pretend fear alleadging that the Parliament was disturbed by such a numerous confluence of people and the freedom of the Houses in some degree infringed that some of the meaner sort were too apt to cast out rude words against such as they thought to be no good members of the Common-wealth of what degree soever they were From hence was occasion taken by some to justifie that Guard about White-hall and afterwards to excuse the Kings absenting himself from the Parliament And from this ground did the twelve Bishops about a week before this City-Petition frame their Petition and Protestation for so it was called to His Majestie and the Peers which was to this purpose They protested themselves to abominate all actions or opinions tending to Poperie or any Malignity against the State but were willing and ready to perform their duties in Parliament But whereas coming to perform that duty and service they have been rudely menaced affronted and put in fear of their lives by multitudes of people and can finde no redresse or protection upon complaint made they therefore humbly protest before His Majestie and the noble Peers that saving to themselves all their Rights and Interests of sitting and voting in that House at other times they dare not sit or vote in the House of Peers until His Majestie shall further secure them And because their fears are not vain but upon true grounds and objects they do in all duty and humility therefore protest before His Majestie and the Peers against all Laws Orders Votes Resolutions and Determinations as in themselves null and of none effect which in their absence since the 27 of this instant December 1641 have already passed as likewise against all such as shall hereafter passe during this their enforced absence from the said House Which Protestation they desired the King to command the Clerk of that House to record The Lords of Parliament immediately delivered by the mouth of the Lord Keeper at a Conference to the House of Commons That seeing this Protestation was of dangerous consequence and deeply entrenching upon the fundamental Priviledges and Being of Parliament therefore they thought fit to communicate it to the house of Commons The Commons thanked their Lordships for imparting it to them with so much affection and speed and for expressing their sense thereof and came to this resolution To accuse those twelve Bishops of high Treason Master GLYNN therefore was sent to the Lords who at their Bar in the name of all the Commons of England accused those twelve Prelates of high Treason for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and the very Being of Parliaments and to desire the Lords that they might be forthwith sequestred from Parliament and put into safe custodie and that their Lordships would appoint a speedie day for the Commons to charge them The Lords instantly sent the Black-Rod to finde out these Bishops and apprehend them so that by eight of the clock at night they were all taken and brought upon their knees to the Bar and ten of them committed to the Tower two of them in regard of their age were committed to the Black-Rod The twelve Bishops were these JO. Eborac THOMAS Duresme ROBERT Coven and Lichfield JOS. Norwich JO. Asaph GUIL Bath Wells GEO. Hereford ROB. Oxon. MATTH Ely GODFREY Gloucester JO. Peterborough MOR. Landaff Such work as this was daily made to the Parliament of England whereby not onely the relief of Ireland was wholly obstructed but all redresse of the grievances of England and settlement of the State there was so long retarded till both Kingdoms were at last involved in the same War and Confusion It was a strange thing that so barbarous and bloody a Rebellion should break out in Ireland without any the least suspicion or fear of such a Calamity without any cause given by the innocent English Protestants and surely it may seem as strange a thing if well considered that the revenge of so horrid and inhumane a Massacre should be thus hindered and indeed might be thought almost impossible unlesse the raising of the one and hindering the other proceeded from the same cause There was a great hope about the beginning of December that Ireland would speedily be relieved and Forces transported out of Scotland within a short time to that purpose considering what careful provisions the Parliament of England as is before related had made upon the first notice of it But at that time the King was returned from Scotland and in a Speech to the Parliament in which he conjured them to proceed in the businesse of relieving Ireland he likewise took notice of a Bill for pressing of Souldiers for Ireland depending in the House of Peers and declared his dislike of putting it in that way being as he said a great infringement and diminution of his Royal Prerogative telling them withal that he was little beholding to that man who began such a dispute concerning the bounds of his ancient and undoubted Prerogative But he offered at last that the Bill might passe with a Salvo jure both to King and People leaving such debates to a time that might better bear it This Speech of the King 's was much distasted by both Houses as a great breach of Parliament-priviledge insomuch as they framed a Petition to him wherein they expresse That the King by taking notice of the debate
in the House of Lords concerning a Bill for pressing of Souldiers had broken the fundamental Priviledge of Parliament which is that he ought not to take notice of any matter in agitation or debate in either House but by their information and agreement and that he ought not to propound any condition or limitation to a Bill in debate and preparation or to manifest his approbation or dislike of the same until it be presented to his Majestie in due course of Parliament and that every particular Member of either House hath free liberty of speech to propound or debate matters according to Order of Parliament and that the King ought not to conceive displeasure against him for such opinions or propositions They intreated likewise a reparation for that great breach of Priviledge and for prevention of the like that the King would make known who they were by whose mis-information and evil counsel he had done it that they might receive conding punishment This businesse took up some time and was one unhappie impediment to the sudden relief of Ireland notwithstanding the high necessities of that Kingdom and the affections of England in general to it and so heavily went on all preparations that it was long before the House of Commons could finde means to enable the Lord Lieutenant to send over so much as one Regiment for defence of the Castle and City of Dublin which was commanded by a worthy Gentleman Sir SIMON HARCOUT who being designed Governour of the City of Dublin was sent away by Order of Parliament with his Regiment and landed there on the last day of December 1641 to the great comfort of that City being much distressed and terrified by the neer approach of the Irish Rebels Another obstruction of the relief of Ireland happened about three weeks after when the Scots delivered eight Propositions to the English Parliament touching the sending over of Two thousand five hundred Scots which were then in readinesse into the north of Ireland Both Houses of Parliament consented to all the Propositions but the King excepted against one of them being the third which was That the Scots desired to have the keeping of the Town and Castle of Carricksergus with power to remain there or enlarge their Quarters at discretion and if any Regiments or Troops in that Province should joyn with them that they receive Orders from the chief Commander of the Scotish Forces Against this Article the King took exceptions and desired the Houses to take it again into consideration as a thing of importance which he doubted might be prejudicial to England But if the House desired it should be so himself would speak with the Scotish Commissioners to see what satisfaction he could give them therein The Scots told his Majestie that since it was agreed â—pon by both Houses of Parliament and that the strength of his Majesties argument was That Article implied too great a Trust for Auxiliary Forces they were in good hope that his Majestie being their native King would not shew lesse trust in them then their neighbour-Nation had freely done Upon which the King at last was content to admit the Article and the advice of his Parliament This fatal obstruction of Ireland's relief did but second another immediately before For at the first the Commissioners of Scotland had not power given them from the State there to treat for sending over a lesse number then ten thousand men which the Lords were unwilling to yeeld to But that obstacle seemed to be removed by the zealous affection of the House of Commons who according to those Instructions of the State of Scotland to their Commissioners voted the sending over of ten thoâ—sand Scots But the House of Lords after long debate would not yeeld unto it unlesse the House of Commons would give assurance that ten thousand English might be as speedily sent over which the Commons as much desired and promised their endeavour in it but that the English then could not be so soon raised much lesse transported as the Scots every man understood There was no other reason given that ever I understood but onely That it was dishonorable for England that Ireland should be reduced by the Scots and this was the discourse of Papists and other persons disaffected to the Cause among the people every where Though it were much wondered at by all good Protestants that so nice a point of Honour should be stood upon when their Religion and Cause lay bleeding in Ireland after so sad and deplorable a kinde which began to deject the spirits of the poor Protestants in Ireland and make them suspect some secret workings under-hand against the good affections expressed by the House of Commons and those Lords who were well-affected to the State for they by the greater number were over-voted so many Popish and ill-affected Lords besides four and twenty Bishops for the Bishops voices in Parliament were not then taken away sitting in that House It was then also generally talked and much complained of among the well-affected people that the King had been so backward in proclaiming those barbarous Irish Rebels and not onely talked among the people but alleadged by the Parliament it self in their own Declaration afterward when the breach between King and Parliament grew greater as a signe that those inhumane Rebels had been countenanced by the Court of England in that the Proclamation whereby they were declared Traitors was so long with held as till the first of January though the Rebellion broke forth in October before and then no more then fourty Copies were appointed to be printed with a special command from His Majestie not to exceed that number and that none of them should be published till the Kings pleasure were further signified as by the Warrant appears a true copie whereof was printed so that a few onely could take notice of it And this say they was made more observable by the late contrary proceedings against the Scots who were in a very quick and sharp manner proclaimed and those Proclamations forthwith dispersed with as much diligence as might he thorow all the Kingdom and ordered to be read in every Church accompanied with publike Prayers and Execrations That Declaration of the Lords and Commons in which this is expressed concerning the Kings slowe proclaiming of the Irish Rebels was published when the King was gone to York at which he was much distasted in many particulars and returned Answer to them Among others because that of Ireland seemed to lie heavie upon his reputation it is just that the Reader should see the King 's own Answer to that point that he may the more fairly judge which shall be therefore inserted in the very words of the Kings Declaration To countenance those unhandsome expressions whereby usually they have implied Our connivence at or want of zeal against the Rebellion of Ireland so odious to to all good men they have found a new way of exprobation That the Proclamation against those bloodie
rellished by the King as appeared by his Answer But the thing was of so great consequence that one Answer could not suffice Many reiterated Petitions were presented and many Answers returned upon this subject which are extant upon Record where the King often promiseth to be careful that no hands but those who are very faithful to the Common-wealth shall be by him entrusted with any part of the Militia but the nomination of any persons to those places he will reserve to himself it being a principal and inseparable flower of his Crown vested in him and derived to him from his Ancestors by the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom The Parliament on the other side affirming that nothing could enable them to suppresse the Rebellion in Ireland and secure themselves but the instant granting of that humble Petition which they hoped the King would not absolutely deny That it was their duty to him and the Common-wealth to represent unto him whatsoever they found so absolutely necessary for the preservation of both which the Laws both of God and man enjoyn them to see it put in execution During the debate of this businesse and before any absolute conclusion was made of it the King took a journey to Canterbury upon what reasons shall be anon declared It was before related that the King after his entring into the House of Commons to surprise the five Members had stayed a week at White-hall and then retired to Hampton-Court the next day after divers Citizens with a great shew of Boats and Guns in them brought the five Members to Westminster with many expressions that they would not forsake them who sare to defend their Religion Laws and Liberties The King now resident at Hampton-Court seemed extremely distasted at the Citie and pretended the reasons of his absence from Parliament to be fear for his Person by reason of Tumults that might be raised but true it is after this time he never could be brought neer the Citie or Parliament either in body or minde Within few days after the King had been at Hampton-Court he sent for divers of his servants who were then Members of the Parliament to leave the House and give their attendance upon his Person But two the chief of them ROBERT Earl of Essex lately made Lord Chamberlain of this Houshold and HENRY Earl of Holland Groom of the Stool chose rather to obey his Writ whereby they were called to assist in Parliament about the highest affairs of England then to obey this private Command of his to come and attend at Hampton-Court alleadging in excuse that their attendance in Parliament was truer service to him as King then any other could be For this the King presently after sent a Messenger to demand the Staff of the one and the Key of the other being the Ensignes of their Offices which they willingly resigned to the Messengers hands From Hampton-Court about the midst of February the King and Queen went to Canterbury and so to Dover with the Princesse MARY their eldest daughter married not a yeer before to WILLIAM son to the Prince of Orange The Queen her self passed from thence into Holland under pretext of keeping her daughter company to her husband the Lady was then about ten yeers of age which was not at all hindered by the Parliament But the Queen carried with her all or the greatest part of the Crown-Jewels of England which immediately she pawned in Holland and with that money bought Arms and Ammunition for that sad War which ensued not long after between the King and the Parliament of England The King's stay at Canterbury and Dover was not long nor the places so remote but that some businesse might passe though with great trouble of those Lords and others Members of the House of Commons who posted between upon all occasions The greatest thing which was done in that time was that the King at Canterbury signed the Bill for taking away Bishops Votes in Parliament When the Queen and her daughter had taken Sail the King came back to Greenwich whither he sent for the Prince and Duke of York to come to him and attend him in his journey to the City of York which was the place which he intended to reside at and to that purpose immediately went on his way as far as Theobalds to which place he was followed with a Petition from both Houses presented to him upon the first of March 1641. The substance of it was to intreat his Majestie that be would at last be pleased to grant their necessary Petition concerning the Militia of England which if he did refuse in these times of distraction they must be enforced and did resolve to dispose of it for the safety of the Kingdom in such manner as had been propounded to his Majestie They likewise intreated him to continue his abode neer London and his Parliament and not to take his son the Prince out of those parts and in conclusion desired his Majestie to be informed by them his great Councel that by the Laws of England the power of raising ordering and disposing of the Militia within any Citie Town or other place cannot be granted to any Corporation by Charter or otherwise without the authority and consent of Parliament The King denied to give any other Answer concerning the Militia then what he had before done That he conceived himself not safe in any place neer London and that he would take such a care of the Prince his son as should justifie him to God as a Father and to his Dominions as a King The Parliament upon occasion of that short Answer of the King to their Petition voted presently that that Answer was a flat Denial and that all was truth which they had averred in their Petition concerning the danger of his removal so far from the Parliament and likewise carrying of his son away It was likewise ordered by the Lords and Commons that the Earl of Northumberland Lord Admiral should give speedie directions for all the Ships belonging to the Navie Royal to be speedily rigged and fitted for the service of the Common-wealth A Declaration was drawn then by both Houses and presented to the King at Newmarket upon the ninth of March by the Earls of Pembroke and Holland with some Members of the House of Commons wherein were represented to him some of the old Grievances expressed in the first Remonstrance at his return out of Scotland as That the designe of altering Religion had been carried on by those of greatest authority about him for divers yeers That the War against Scotland was procured in order to that designe That the Rebellion in Ireland was contrived here in England out of many presumptions gathered from several examinations there They speak likewise of his attempt for bringing his Army against the Parliament of which before mention was made of his Warrants granted contrary to promise for transportation of JERMYN DIGBY and other Delinquents of that great breach of Parliament-Priviledge in
much scorn hissing and reviling the language and reason of them But divers of the Gentry and greatest part of the Free-holders began with sorrow to consider that this division of the King from his great Councel could produce nothing but misery to the Kingdom and dishonour to himself and therefore they humbly answered his Propositions concerning a Guard Thaâ— they were willing to do any service or expose their lives to any hazard for the safety of his Majesties Royal Person yet they thought themselves unworthy to advise him in a thing of so high consequence but humbly beseeched him to impart the grounds of his fears and jealousies to his high Court of Parliament of whose loyal care and affections to the King's honour and safetie and prosperitie of the whole Kingdom they were most confident And in behalf of the four fore-mentioned Members of Parliament lately employed to attend your Majestie said they from both Houses being all Gentlemen of quality and estate in the County we humbly crave your Majesties leave to expresse our confidence in their unstained loyalty to your Majestie so far as that you may securely admit their attendance to negotiate their employments until they shall be recalled by the Parliament And we do all engage our selves for their fidelity as being most assured that your Royal Person shall be secure in the General loyalty of your Subjects in this County without any extraordinary Guard The King was presented also the next day with a Petition from many thousands who termed themselves peaceably-affected Subjects in the County of York in which expressing their loyaltie and affection to him they speak thus We are confident that no so absolute and hearty observance of your Majesties just commands can be demonstrated as when you shall in Parliament declare them If they be divided which God forbid our hearts even tremble to consider the danger and diminution of the honour and safety of your Self and Kingdom since it is clear to every understanding that it is not a divided part of one or several Counties can afford that honour and safety to your Majestie as the whole Kingdom Which you may command no ground of fear or danger remaining if a good confidence were begot betwixt your Majestie and the Parliament whose grave and loyal Counsels are as we humbly conceive the visible way under God to put a speedie end to the troubles in Ireland and establish your Throne in Righteousnesse And lastly we humbly supplicate that we may represent our unfitnesse to become Iudges betwixt your Majestie and Parliament in any thing or dispute the Authority of either which we humbly conceive do fortifie each other c. The king was not well satisfied or pleased with this Petition but persisted still in his former way of raising Forces under the name of a Guard whilst the Parliament were voting to maintain those Gentlemen their Committee in the North in such things as they have done and shall further do in obedience to their commands for preservation of the Kingdom 's Peace as also to maintain their Ordinance concerning the Militia and to issue out Commissions into all parts of the Kingdom and appoint certain days for all the Trained Bands to be exercised in each County according to that Ordinance and that some Members might be sent into the several Counties to see the Ordinance performed and the Magazines of those several Counties in England and Wales to be forthwith put into the power of the Lord Lieutenants of the said Counties being such as were entrusted by the Parliament And whereas the King had made Proclamation for all the Gentlemen and others of that County to attend him in Arms as a Guard the Parliament three days after declared that it was against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom that any of the Subjects thereof should be commanded by the King to attend him at his pleasure but such as are bound thereto by special service and that whosoever upon pretence of his command shall take Arms and gather together with others in a warlike manner to the terrour of the King's people shall be esteemed disturbers of the publike peace and that the Sheriffs of those Counties where such raising or drawing of armed men should be should immediately raise the power of the Countie to suppresse them and keep the King's Peace according to Law So different and directly contrary at this time were the Commands of the King and Parliament in all things that the Lords in Parliament having been informed that the King was resolved to adjourn the next Term from Westminster to York and had given command to the Lord Keeper to issue Proclamations and Writs to that purpose voted that such a removal of the Term while the Parliament sate was illegal and ordered that the Lord Keeper should not issue any Writs or seal any Proclamation tending to that end CHAP. IIII. Many Members of both Houses leave the Parliament and repair to the King Nine of the Lords who first went away are impeached by the Commons and censured by the Peers The Great Seal is carried away from London to York Some Votes of Parliament concerning the King's proceedings A Petition with nineteen Propositions sent from the Parliament to the King THe King proceeded in his earnest endeavour of raising Forces as a Guard for his Person which in some measure he had effected by many fair expressions of love and grace to the people of those Northern Counties and serious Protestations of the clearnesse of his intent from any violation of Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom or making War against the Parliament But the Kingdom was not much affrighted with any Forces which the King could so raise nor could any other attempt of his in the Northern parts make the people fear a Civil War until they saw that great defection of the Parliament Members which began before the end of April and continued for the greatest part of that May for at that time did the Lords one after another and sometimes by numbers abandon the Parliament sitting and go to the King at York insomuch that in a very short space those Lords became the greater number and their departure began therefore to seem lesse strange then the constant sitting of the rest The Lords who left the Parliament were these the Duke of Richmond Marquesse Hartford the Earls of Lindsey Cumberland Huntingdon Bath Southampton Dorset Salisbury although Salisbury within few days after repenting himself made a secret escape from York to London and joyned himsâ—lf It again to the Parliament with whom he continued constant ever after Northampton Devonshire Bristol Westmerland Barkeshire Monmouth Rivers Newcastle Dover Carnarvan Newport the Lords MATREVERS WILLOUGHBY of Eresby RICH HOWARD of Charleton NEWAâ—K PAGET CHANDOYS FAWCONBRIDGE PAWLET LOVELAâ—E SAVILE COVENTRY MOHUN DUNSMORE SEYMOUR GREY of Ruthen CAPEL Within the same compasse of time many of the house of Commons though no great number in respect of those who continued in that house did likewise
House upon the eighth day of June last past they refused to appear and returned a scornful Answer by a Letter under their hands directed to the Speaker of the Lords House and remaining there upon Record For which Crimes and Misdemeanours to the interruption of the proceedings of Parliament and great Affairs of the Kingdom and tending to the dissolution of the Parliament and disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom I am commanded in the name of the said Commons to demand of your Lordships that the said Lords may be forthwith put to their Answer and receive speedy and exemplary punishment according to their demerits The Commons saving to themselves liberty at all times hereafter to exhibite any other or further Impeachment or Accusation against the said Lords or any of them Upon this Impeachment of the nine Lords the House of Peers about a month after being in their Robes entred into debate of the said Impeachment and after divers Speeches made by some Lords setting forth the greatnesse of their Offence they were censured 1. Never to sit more as Members of that House 2. That they should be utterly uncapable of any benefit or priviledges of Parliament 3. That they should suffer Imprisonment during their pleasure After which Censure it was concluded that the said Lords should be demanded in the behalf of both Houses of Parliament to submit to the said Censure About that time when the Members of both Houses of Parliament did daily forsake their station and repair to the King at York another accident fell out which gave a great wound to the Parliament and much encouragement to the King in his designes which was the carrying away of the Great Seal of England from London to York EDWARD Lord LITTLETON on whom the King when the Lord Keeper FINCH fled out of England as is before related had conferred the keeping of the Great Seal he being before Lord chief Justice of the Common-Pleas and created a Baron of the Realm had continued for some space of time after the rest were gone to York firm to the Parliament in all appearance and upon all occasions voted according to the sense of those that seemed the best affected that way and among other things gave his Vote for setling the Militia by Ordinance of Parliament insomuch that there seemed no doubt at all to be made of his constancy till at the last before the end of the month of Iune a young Gentleman one Master Thomas Eliot Groom of the Privie Chamber to the King was sent closely from York to him who being admitted by the Lord Keeper into his private Chamber when none else were by so handled the matter whether by perswasions threats or promises or whatsoever that after three hours time he got the great Seal into his hands and rid post with it away to the King at York The Lord Keeper Lâ—TTLETON after serious consideration with himself what he had done or rather suffered and not being able to answer it to the Parliament the next day early in the morning rode after it himself and went to the King Great was the complaint at London against him for that action nor did the King ever shew him any great regard afterwards The reason which the Lord Keeper LITTLETON gave for parting so with the great Seal to some friends of his who went after him to York was this That the King when he made him Lord Keeper gave him an Oath in private which he took That whensoever the King should send to him for the great Seal he should forthwith deliver it This Oath as he averred to his friends his conscience would by no means suffer him to dispense withal he onely repented though now too late that he had accepted the Office upon those terms The Parliament to prevent so sad a War sent out two Orders one to all Sheriffsâ— Justices and other Officers within 150 miles of the City of York that they should take special care to make stay of all Arms and Ammunition carrying towards York until they have given notice thereof to the Lords and Commons and received their further direction and to that purpose to keep strict Watches within their several limits to search for and seize all such Arms and apprehend the persons going with the same The other was to the Sheriff of Lancashire and other adjacent Counties to suppresse the raising and coming together of any Souldiers Horse or Foot by any Warrant from the King without the advice of the Lords and Commons in Parliament as likewise to declare all that should execute any such Warrant from the King disturbers of the peace of the Kingdom and to command the Trained Bands to be assistant to the Sheriffs in that service These Orders of the Parliament were immediately answered by a Proclamation from the King forbidding all his Subjects belonging to the Trained Bands or Militia of this Kingdom to rise march muster or exercise by vertue of any Order or Ordinance of one or both Houses of Parliament without Consent or Warrant from his Majestie The Parliament notwithstanding proceed in setling the Militia of the Kingdom having made on the second of Iune an Order for those revolted members to return to their duty again before the 16 of that month under the forfeiture of an hundred pound to be disposed to the Wars in Ireland besides undergoing such punishment as the Houses should think fit and had by this time at many places began to settle the said Militia Upon the same second of Iune also the Lords and Commons sent a Petition to the King with nineteen Propositions which the King received with great indignation as appeared in his Answer to them both in general and in divers Particulars concerning those Propositions as esteeming himself injured in restraint of his Power and Prerogative The Petition and Propositions were as followeth The humble Petition and Advice of both Houses of Parliament with Nineteen Propositions and the Conclusion sent unto His Majestie the second of Iune 1642. YOur Majesties most humble and faithful Subjects the Lords and Commons in Parliament having nothing in their thoughts and desires more precious and of higher esteem next to the honour and immediate Service of God then the just and faithful performance of their duty to Your Majestie and this Kingdom And being very sensible of the great distractions and distempers and of the imminent dangers and calamities which those distractions and distempers are like to bring upon Your Majestie and Your Subjects all which have proceeded from the subtil informations mischievous practices add evil counsels of men disaffected to Gods true Religion Your Majesties Honour and Safety and the publike Peace and Prosperity of Your People after a serious observation of the causes of those Mischiefs Do in alâ— humility and sincerity present to Your Majesty their most dutiful Petition and Advice that out of Your Princely Wisdom for the establishing Your Own Honour and Safety and gracious tendernesse of the Welfare and
gone down to take possession of the Navie and therefore called a Councel of War acquainting them all both with the Ordinance of Parliament and the King's Letters But the Earl himself was swayed in conscience to give obedience rather to the Ordinance of Parliament and the reason of it himself gives in a Letter directed to a Lord of the House When I considered saith he the great care which I have seen in the Parliaments of this Kingdom for the good and safety both of King and Kingdom and every man's particular in them and that they are the great Councel by whose authority the Kings of England have ever spoken to their Subjects I was resolved to continue in this employment until I shall be revoked by that Authority that hath intrusted me with it Most of the Captains took up unanimously the same resolution that the Earl did excepting five which were the Râ—â—â—-Admiral Captain FOGGE Captain BAILY Captain Sâ—INGSBY and Captain WAKE who alleadged that they had the King's Command to obey Sir JOHN PENINGTON whom he had appointed Admiral in stead of the Earl of Northumberland These five had gotten together round to make defence against the Earl but he came to Archor about them and having begiâ—â— them summoned them again upon which three of them came in and submitted two onely Captain Sâ—INGSBY and Captain WAKE stood out The Earl let 〈◊〉 a Gun over them and turned up the Glasse upon them sending his Boat and most of the Boats in the 〈◊〉 to let them know their danger if they came not within that space But so peremptory was their answer that the Masters and Sailors grew impatient and although they had no Arms assaulted them seized upon those Captains being armed with their Pistols and swords strook their Yards and Top-masts and brought them to the Faâ—l Thus by the wonderful courage of these unarmed men the businesse was ended without eâ—â—usion of any blood when the Earl was ready to give fire upon them Within few days after another addition of strength was brought to the Earl of Warwick by an accident A great and strong ship of the King 's called The Lion putting to Sea from Holland and bound for Newcastle being much distressed with soul weather was driven into the Downs Captain FOXE who commanded that ship saluted the Earl of Warwick who presently acquainted the Captain with the Ordinance of Parliament whereby his Lordship had commanded of those ships requiring his submission thereunto The Captain at first refused to yeeld obedience to the Ordinance and thereupon was presently clapt in hold but all his Officers in the ship submitted themselves and strook their Sails and Top-yards in token of obedience to the said Ordinance This ship was very considerable carrying two and fourty great Pieces of brasse Ordnance besides a little Vessel laden with Gun-powder of a great value was taken also together with this ship The Earl was informed by some of her men that young Prince RUPERT and Prince MAURICE with divers other Commanders intended to have come from Holland in this ship the Lion But after three days and three nights storm at Sea those two Princes in a sick and weak condition landed again in Holland The King hearing of the surprisal of the Lion sent a Messenger to the Earl of Warwick to demand her again with all the goods therein and that she should be brought to Scarborough But the Earl returned an Answer to this effect that the Parliament had intrusted him with the Care of the Fleet and that that ship was a part thereof therefore he humbly besought his Majestie to pardon him for without their consent he might not part with her and that he knew of no goods within her belonging to his Majestie But leaving the Earl of Warwick to his Sea-employments it is time to return to those warlike Levies and Preparations which were made by Land for now the fatal time was come when those long and tedious Paper-conflicts of Declarations Petitions and Proclamations were turned into actual and bloody Wars and the Pens seconded by drawn swords On the twelfth of Iuly 1642 the Parliament voted that an Army should be raised for the safety of the King's Person and defence of the Parliament for so they called it desiring to joyn together what seemed to be at so great a distance and enmity The Earl of Essex was by a great and unanimous consent of both Houses chosen General of that Army and of all Forces raised for the Parliament with whom they protested to live and die in that Cause The Earl of Essex was a Gentleman of a noble and most untainted reputation of undoubted loyalty to his Country and Prince having always what course soever the Court steered served in an honourable way the right Interest of the English Nation and the Protestant Religion and to that end had formerly engaged himself in the Palatine War and service of the Netherland United Provinces insomuch as at this time when they sought a Lord to undertake the high charge of commanding in chief there seemed to be no choice at all but we may say of this Election as PATERCULUS did of another Non quaerendus erat quem eligerent sed eligendus qui eminebat The Parliament at that time were very able to raise Forces and arm them well by reason of the great masse of Money and Plate which to that purpose was heaped up in Guild-hall and daily increased by the free Contribution of those that were well-affected to the Parliament Cause where not onely the wealthiest Citizens and Gentlemen who were neer-dwellers brought in their large bags and goblets but the poorer sort like that widow in the Gospel presented their mites also insomuch that it was a common Jeer of men disaffected to the Cause to call it the Thimble and Bodk in-Army The Earl of Essex was very careful and industrious in raising of his Army in which he desired to have as great a Body of Horse as could conveniently be gotten by reason that he conceived his chief work was to seek out the King's Forces and prevent their spoiling of the Country and disarming several Counties to furnish themselves And indeed his Forces considering the long Peace of England and unreadinesse of Arms were not onely raised but well armed in a short time Many of the Lords who then sate in the House of Peers besides those Lords who went into divers Counties to settle the Militia and therefore raised Forces for safety of those several Places listed themselves in the Lord General 's Army and took Commissions as Colonels the Lord ROBERTS the Lord SAINT-JOHN eldest son to the Earl of Bullenbrook the Lord of Rochford eldest son to the Earl of Dover and many Gentlemen of the House of Commons of greatest tank and quality there took Commissions for Horse and Foot-service in that Army of whom these were some Sir JOHN MERRICK who was made Serjeant-Major-General of that Army the Lord GREY of Grooby son to the
his Oath in execution of his Office for proclaiming divers illegal Proclamations and contemning the Orders of Parliament This Impeachment was forthwith sent up and read in the Lords House Upon the reading of which it was ordered that he should be sent to the Tower from thence to be brought to a legal Trial upon his Impeachment Many days during the space of a whole month was this Lord Maior brought from the Tower to Westminster to attend the Lords of Parliament and many times returned back without being heard by reason of so great a multiplicity of Businesses as the Houses were then in At last after some hearings he was brought on the twelfth of August to the House of Lords to receive his Censure The effect whereof was that he should be put from his Majorality never bear Office in the City or Common-wealth be uncapable of all Honour or Dignity to be conferred on him by the King and stand committed prisoner to the Tower during the pleasure of both Houses During the time of these contentions between the Ordinance of the Militia and Commission of Array which is briefly touched by it self it will not be amisse to return to the King's proceedings in his own Person by what degrees he came to encrease in strength and what contestations happened betwixt Himself and the Parliament wherein that which concerned the Pen shall be first briefly touched and then his other actions But those Declarations Petitions and Proclamations which upon all occasions were then published are too many and too long to be recited in a Story in the Records and printed Books of Ordinances they may be read I shall onely mention some of the chief and excerp the most material contents of them The Parliament about the end of Iuly had petitioned the King to forbear all preparations of War and remove his Garisons To which he gave Answer and upbraided them with their preparations of War for appointing the Earl of Essex to be their General and the Earl of Warwick Admiral In that Answer he descants at large upon particulars commanding his said Answer and their Petition to be read in all Churches To which the Parliament reply as they had done before that they cannot lay down Arms nor rejourn the Parliament to any other place as he would have them unlesse he leave off those Warlike preparations and comply with that Councel to which onely he ought to adhere by the Constitution of this Government They likewise command the Petition Answer and Reply to be read in all Churches But things proceeding still higher the King being returned to the City of York from thence sent forth a Proclamation to suppresse as he there stileth it the present Rebellion under command of ROBERT Earl of Essex offering withal free pardon to him and all such as shall within six days after the date thereof being the ninth of August lay down their Arms. In which Proclamation also he commanded the Marquesse Hartford to raise speedily what Forces he could within all those Counties whereof he had made him Lieutenant-General in the Commission of Array of which before was spoken and to march against destroy or apprehend the said Earl of Essex The Parliament upon this Proclamation make a Declaration wherein they briefly recount all the King 's former proceedings against them and the Kingdom All which they attribute after their usual manner to his wicked Councel and promise still to make him great and happie if he will return to his great Councel But the next day after his former Proclamation the King continuing still at York sent forth another declaring that no Papist should serve him in his Army and that his Souldiers should commit no rapine upon the people And within two days after that he published a Discourse called A Declaration to all his loving Subjects concerning the proceedings of this present Parliament This Declaration was of a great length containing fifty pages in a large Quarto In which was comprised a kinde of History touching all former passages betwixt himself and them from the beginning of these divisions which is to be read in the printed Book of Parliament-Ordinances Toward the end of that Declaration he protesteth a wonderful love to Parliaments and to the peace and happinesse of the Kingdom but he requires that some persons as disturbers of the publike peace may be delivered into the hands of Justice to be tried by their Peers naming the Lord of Kymbolton and those five Members of the House of Commons whom before he came to surprise in that House Master HOLLIS Sir ARTHUR HASLERIG M. PYM M. HAMBDEN and M. STRODE as likewise M. HENRY MARTIN and Sir HENRY LUDLOW two Members also of the House of Commons for speaking some bold Speeches in that House He also desires to have delivered up to him Alderman PENINGTON who succeeded in the Majorality to the fore-named Sir KICHARD GURNEY and Captain VENN one of the City-Captains those two last he accuses of bringing tumults from the City to terrifie the Parliament at Westminster Another desire of the King 's is that Inditements of high Treason upon the Statute of the 23 yeer of King EDWARD the third may be drawn against the Earls of Essex Warwick and Stamford the Lord BROOK Sir JOHN HOTHAM and Serjeant-Major-General SKIPPON an expert and religious Souldier a man of high action in the succeeding War whom the City had employed in exercising of their Militia as likewise against all those who shall hereafter exercise the Militia by vertue of the Ordinance of Parliament The Pen was very quick upon all occasions and the King the next day after the publication of this long fore-mentioned Declaration sent a Message to the Parliament upbraiding both Houses with an Order which they had then made for the borrowing of an hundred thousand pounds out of that money which the Adventurers had raised for reducing of Ireland and subduing the Rebels there affirming that out of his Princely care and piety toward distressed Ireland he cannot but take notice of it commanding them immediately to retract that mischievous and unjust Order for so he calls it as they would answer the contrary to Almighty God himself and those that have trusted them Wherein he expecteth their speedie Answer and Obedience and the rather that he may thereby be secured that such part of the four hundred thousand pounds as is or shall be collected from his good Subjects of England by vertue of the late Act of Parliament whereby the same is granted may not likewise under false pretences be diverted from the proper use to which it was intended and misemployed to the disturbance of the Kingdoms peace in a War against him The Lords and Commons in Parliament make Answer to this Message expressing what caution there was in the very Order which upon that very occasion was printed for speedie repayment of that Sum and disposing of it to the right use But first they tell the King that this very Message of
were the opinion of many not to send any Answer at all to them yet at last to shew respect to the King entred into a further debate about treating with him concerning the Propositions on both sides and concerning the Cessation of Arms or disbanding with such limitations and restrictions touching the order of treating as would perchance seeme too tedious to be here related and on the 20. of March the Earle of Northumberland Sir JOHN HOLLAND Sir WILLIAM ARMINE Master PERPOINT and Master WHITLOCK the Lord SAY should have been one but the King excepted against him as formely against Sir JOHN EVELIN upon the same ground which though the Parliament tooke ill at the first yet they proceeded in the businesse were sent to Oxford as Treaters upon those Propositions In vaine was this Treaty so high the demands were judged to be on both sides that there seemed no possibility of ever meeting where the fault lay I judge not but the Parliament after many Messages betweene London and Oxford at last sent for their Commissioners home againe who returned to London upon the 17. of April upon which the Lord Generall immediately advanced with his Army as aforesaid to besiege Reading Reading was not able to hold out long but the Lord Generall was loath to storme it for feare of destroying so many innocent people as remained in the Towne which compassion of his was well approved of by the Parliament therefore upon composition it was rendred within sixteene daies to his Excellency by the Deputy Governour Colonell FIELDING for the Governour Sir ARTHUR ASTON was before wounded by an accident and could not performe the Office The Termes were easie for they all marched out with bagge and baggage This siege had not at all advantaged the Parliament if another businesse had not fallen out during that short siege which may also be thought a reason why the Towne was so soone rendred A good Body of the Kings Forces both Horse and Foot the King himselfe in Person not farre from them came to relieve Reading assaulting one Quarter of the Parliament Army at Causum Bridge within a mile of the Towne and were beaten back with great slaughter which fell especially upon Gentlemen of quality of whom the King at that incounter lost a considerable number but how many they were or their particular names I finde not mentioned The gaining of Reading might seeme an addition of strength to the Parliament side it proved otherwise Nothing was gotten but a bare Towne which had been happier had it been onely so The Towne was infected and caused afterwards a great mortality in the Parliament Army The Souldiers besides were discontented that being already much behinde in pay they were not suffered to plunder or make any benefit of their victory For the Parliament before Reading was delivered up had approved of the Conditions and promised to the Lord Generals Souldiers to forbeare plundering twelve shillings a man besides their pay But neither of these were then performed money began already to be wanting and the great Magazine of Treasure in Guild-Hall quite consumed While they stayed there expecting money the sicknesse and mortality daily increased and the Lord Generall by advice of his Councell of War intended to march thence for better ayre But such a generall mutiny was raised for want of Mone that his Excellency though with much courage and just severity he began to suppresse it was advised by his Councell of Warre to desist for feare of a generall defection till money might come from the City Notwithstanding upon this discontent in the Army whilest his Excellency removed to Causum House to avoid the infection many of the Souldiers disbanded and went away Then began a tide of misfortune to flow in upon the Parliament side and their strength almost in every place to decrease at one time for during the time of these six moâ—eths since the Battell of Keynton untill this present distresse of the Lord Generals Army about Causum which was about the beginning of May the Warre had gone on with great sury and heat almost thorow every part of England the particulars of which shall hereafter be related by themselves to avoid confusion in the Story The Lord Generall had at that time intelligence that Sir RALPH HOPTON had given a great defeat to the Parliament Forces of Devonshire and that Prince MAURICE and Marquesse HARTFORD were designed that way to possesse themselves wholly of the West Leaving therefore the Lord Generall a while I shall proceed to speak of some things which happened at other places in that Moneth of May. The Kings Armies were then in faire possibility of gaining the whole West and seemed of strength enough to archieve it by open Warre without the assistance of secret treacheries and conspiracies which notwithstanding were then in agitation though they proved not successefull against the Parliament but destructive to the contrivers As at Bristoll a place of great import and much desired by the Kings Forces when the plot of betraying that City to Prince RUPERT was set on foot which I here relate as falling out about the beginning of May 1643. The City of Bristoll was then in the Parliaments protection and governed by Colonell NATHANIEL FIENNES second Sonne to the Viscount SAY and SEALE though many of the Inhabitants there as appeared by this designe were dis-affected to the Parliaments side This designe was very bloody and many of that City had perished in it had not the Conspirators been discovered and apprehended a Little before they were to put it in execution ROBERT YEOMANS late Sheriffe of Bristoll WILLIAM YEOMANS his brother GEORGE BOURCHIER and EDWARD DACRES were the chiefe managers of this Designe who with many others of that opinion had secretly provided themselves of Armes intending to kill the Centinels by night and possesse the maine Guard with other particulars to be found in the Records of their examinations and proofes against them whereby to master the greatest part of the other side within the Towne to kill the Mayor and many others that were knowne to stand affected to the Parliament and by that meanes to betray the City to the Kings Forces In expectation of which act Prince RUPERT with other Commanders and about 4000 Horse and 2000 Foot stayed upon Durdam Downes about two miles from the City But the Plot was discovered the Conspirators apprehended and brought to triall by a Councell of Warre where the foure forenamed were condemned and two of them hanged at Bristoll namely ROBERT YEOMANS and GEORGE BOURCHIER although great meanes had been made to save them and Colonell FIENNES to that purpose had been threatned from Oxford by Generall RIVEN created by the King Earle of Forth in a Letter unto him which being of great consequence for the cleare understanding of this War and the nature of it I thought fit to insert here together with the Answer thereunto PATRICK Earle of Forth Lord ETTERICK and Lord Lieutenant of all His Majesties
a Popish Army in England For not long before this time the Queene with Armes and Ammunition from the Low-Countries and Commanders of Warre from thence had landed in the North of England been entertained there by the Earle of Newcastle and by him and others with strong Forces conveyed to the King at Oxford whereof more particulars will be related hereafter Divers other Articles were framed against the Queene upon which within few Moneths after she was impeached of High Treason by the House of Commons and the Impeachment carried up by Master PYMME to the House of Peeres where it stuck for many moneths but was afterward passed there also and may be further discoursed of in the due time It had been likewise before Ordered by both Houses and was now accordingly put in execution that the King and Queenes Revenue comming into the Exchequer should be detained and imployed to the Publike Service of the Common-wealth a Committee was chosen of Lords and Commons to dispose of it to the best uses Divers necessary charges of the State were defrayed by it and among others which seemed a kinde of just retalliation many Members of both Houses of Parliament whose whole Estates had been seized upon by the Kings Armies were in some measure relieved at London out of his Revenue and thereby enabled to subsist in that Publike Service to which they had beene called But so exceeding great by this time were the charges growne for supportation of so spreading a Warre that no Contributions nor Taxes whatsoever were thought sufficient unlesse an Excize were imposed upon Commodities according to the way of the Netherlanders such as Beere Wine Tobacco and Meat which was taken into consideration by both Houses and this Summer agreed upon But the Excize was layed with much gentlenesse especially upon all Victuals of most common and necessary use insomuch that it was little felt either by the rich or poore people and yet amounted monethly to a very considerable summe though the Kings Quarters were then the greatest part of England for the City of London was within the Parliament Quarters To returne againe to the Lord Generall ESSEX His Excellency in May 1643. having as aforesaid received intelligence of the defeat given to the Parliament Army in the West and in what condition things there stood not being able with his owne Forces to give them reliefe sent order to Sir WILLIAM WALLER whose actions shall be anon mentioned in a Series by themselves to march thither in assistance of the Devonshire Forces and writ his Command to the Governour of Bristoll to aid him with such Horse and Foot as he could conveniently spare out of his Garrison But things could not at that time be put in execution according to his desires and before Sir WILLIAM WALLER could get farre into the West Prince MAURICE Marquesse HARTFORD and Sir RALPH HOPTON were joyned all together The Lord Generall since it was much desired by the City of London from whom the supplies of money were to come that he should move with his whole Army towards Oxford was content though somewhat against his judgement to proceed in that Designe and marched with the maine Body to Thame to meet there with the Forces sent from the associated Counties to his assistance from whence as a person whose care and Command extended over the whole Kingdome which was now overspread with a generall Warre and wasted by many Armies at once he granted a Commission by direction of the Parliament to the Lord FIELDING now Earle of Denbigh by the late death of his Father who was slaine in a Skirmish fighting against the Parliament to be Generall of foure Counties Shropshire Worcester Stafford and Warwick-shire to leavy Forces there and conduct them into any part of the Kingdome against the Kings Power according to directions from the Parliament or Lord Generall He granted also at the same time another Commission in the like manner to Sir THOMAS MIDDLETON to raise Forces as Generall of all North Wales At Thame the hand of God in an extreme increase of sicknesse hundreds in a day desperately ill did visite the Lord Generals Army and by strange unseasonablenesse of weather and great raine continuing fourteene daies the place being upon a flat moist and clayie ground made it impossible for him to advance from that Quarter In which time the Army was by sicknesse and departure of most of the Auxiliary Forces brought to a number utterly unable to attempt the former designe without certaine ruine the situation of Oxford upon the River of Thames considered for the Lord Generall conceived it impossible as himselfe expressed to block up the Towne without a double number to what he then had But when the raine ceased and the waters were so much abated as to make the waies passable intelligence was brought that Prince RUPERT had drawne out his Horse and Foot toward Buckingham with his Canon also and had called in the Country making open profession before them that he would give Battell to the Generall The Generall marched with some speed toward Buckingham to fight with him When he came within two miles of that Towne he found the case farre otherwise and had intelligence that the Prince had quitted Buckingham in a kinde of disorderly manner that the night before he had horsed his Foot and marched away leaving some of his Provisions behinde him The Lord Generall understood well that it was not possible for him with his Traine of Artillery and Foot Companies to follow the Enemy to any advantage For if he had been at that time strong enough in Horse his desire was to have hindered Prince RUPERT from joyning with the Queene who then was marching with a good Convoy of Horse from the Northerne parts of England where she had arrived from the Netherlands toward Oxford But being not able to follow that designe he desisted from his march to Buckingham sending into the Town a Party of his Horse to quarter there that night and to bring away that Provision which the Enemy had left there He himselfe with the rest of his Army marched to great Brickhill a place most convenient to lye betweene the Enemy and London to defend the Associated Counties to assist or joyne with the Forces of the Lord GRAY of Grooby Sir JOHN MELDRUM and Colonell CROMWELL to whom he had before written that if they could possibly they should fight with the Queens Forces and stop her passage to the King But it seemed that the businesse could not be done that the Queene and Prince RUPERT were suffered to joyne together with all their Forces Sir WILLIAM WALLER had beene long victorious in the West yet now the Parliaments fortune almost in every place began to faile and intelligence was brought to the Lord Generall that Sir WILLIAM having almost gained the whole West and besieging Sir RALPH HOPTON in the Devizes a Towne of Devonshire was on a sudden by unexpected Forces from Oxford under the conduct of
ESSEX his Army was so much wasted by sicknesse and other distresses that he could not at all straiten Oxford nor hinder any Forces from issuing thence under the conduct of the Lord VVILMOT was utterly defeated scattered and ruined as was before mentioned He himselfe for security at the present retired into the City of Bristoll from whence within few daies he rode accompanied with some Gentlemen toward London and was there received with great affection and many promises of their best indeavour to set him forth with another Army The Kings Forces seemed now to have done the greatest part of their worke being in a manner sole Masters of the VVest and most Northerne Counties of England and having ruined the Lord FAIRFAX and Sir WILLIAM WALLERS Armies Yet in all Counties the fortune was not alike in many places those Gentlemen which adhered to the Parliament were able not onely to guard themselves but get ground upon their enemies though those actions were for the most part performed in skirmishes between small parties in preserving their owne strengths or taking Townes from the other side such as had been in Cheshire Lancashire Staffordshire Derby Leicester Notingham and other places which I shall briefly touch anon after I have related in how contrary a condition to the North and West which had beene the seat of a fierce warre and a prey to the greatest and most potent Armies of either side and how much happier then those other Counties which had beene alwayes molested with Alarms and Skirmishes and suffered by pillaging on both Parties the Easterne Counties of England had remained all the foregoing VVinter and continued so during the whole progresse of this bloody VVarre which were the Counties of Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge Essex Hartford Huntingdon c. who never were made the seat of any part of this civill VVarre These parts of the Kingdome had joyned themselves in an Association by Authority of Parliament with power to defened each other and leavy Forces against all enemies to that cause this great happinesse of peace and quiet that they enjoyed may be supposed to flow from the unanimity of their affections which carried them all the same way and true it is that there was as much unanimity of opinion and affection in those Counties among the people in generall as was to be found in any part of England but it was especially among the common people for a great and considerable number of the Gentry and those of highest ranke among them were dis-affected to the Parliament and were not sparing in their utmost indeavours to promote the Kings Cause and assist his Force against it which might have throwne those Countries if not wholly carried them to the other side into as much distraction and sad calamity as any other part of the Land had felt nor could that Association have been possibly made if those Gentlemen had not been curbed and suppressed by that timely care which the Parliament tooke and more particularly by the successfull services of one Gentleman Master OLIVER CROMWEL of Huntington a Member of the House of Commons whose wisdome valour and vigilancy was no lesse availeable in this important businesse then remarkable afterwards in the highest services and greatest battels of the whole Warre Of this mans Actions because it pleased God to raise him afterward into the greatest commands and prosper in so high a measure all his undertakings that he became within few yeares one of the chiefe props on which the Parliament leaned and greatest scourges of the other sid let it not seeme amisse if I discourse in a continued Serâ—es during those Moneths that intervened the Battell of Keynton and that low ebbe of the Parliament which preceded the siege of Gloucester The first Action that CROMWELL undertooke was to secure the Towne of Cambridge for the Parliament about the middle of January Universities were of all places most apt to adhere to the Kings party esteeming Parliaments and especially this the greatest depressors of that Ecclesiasticall Dignity in hope of which they are there nurtured Upon which reason they were packing up a large quantity of the Plate that belonged to all the Coledges to send it away to the King which would have made a considerable summe This was foreseene by CROMWELL who by a Commission from the Parliament and Lord Generall Essex had raised a Troope of Horse and came downe into that Country with authority to raise more Forces as occasion served he came to Cambridge soone enough to seize upon that plate which was going to Oxford but before his arrivall there he performed by the way another service Sir THOMAS CONESBY lately made High Sheriffe of Hartfordshire had received a Proclamation from the King to proclaime the Earle of Essex and all his adherents Traytors and was then at St. Albons upon a Market day proclaiming of the same CROMWELL with his Troope seized upon him and sent him up to the Parliament Not long after he collected in convenient time the Forces of that County and invited the neighbour Counties of Essex Suffolke and Norfolke to their assistance against an invasion of the Lord CAPELL who should have been seconded by Prince RUPERT also to invade that place and hinder the Association which had been done if that timely prevention had not been used This made them forbeare their intended invasion and retire to other parts About the beginning of March CROMWELL having raised a Regiment of Horse consisting of 1000. marched into Suffolke with much celerity upon intelligence of a great and considerable confederacy held among those Gentlemen which adhered to the Kings Party at a Towne in that County called Lowerstost a place of great consequence He surprized them unawares gained the Towne with small difficulty and no shot at all In which he tooke Prisoners Sir THOMAS BARKER and his Brother Sir JOHN PETTUS Master THOMAS KNEVET two of the CATLINES Captaine HAMMOND Master COREY Master TURRILL Master PRESTON and about 20. others of quality and substance In that Towne he gained good store of Ammunition Saddles Pistols Powder Shot and severall Engines for Warre enough to have served a considerable Force And certaine it was that if CROMWELL had not surprized them in that nick of time it had proved a matter of great danger to the County for within one day after as many more Knights and Gentlemen that were listed before had met at the same place This was a timely service to the Parliament and a great discouragement to all that Party in Suffolke and Norfolke which adhered to the Kings side But when the Spring grew furâ—her on and it was seasonable to make longer Marches about the beginning of Aprill CROMWELL having well setled the businesses of those Associated Counties for the Parliaments use and not confining his care and services within those parts onely raised a greater Force of such as came freely and heartily in to him with whom he marched along towards Lincolneshire with purpose to assist those of