the dores shut Cromwell sends a paper to the House of Commons requiring that the impeached Members and M. G. Brown might be secured and brought to justice and that the 90. odd Members that refus'd to vote against the Scotch Engagement and voted to recal the Votes for non-addresses and for a treaty might be suspended the House and that all faithful Members who were innocent of those Votes would acquit themselves by protestation from any such concurrence that there might be a distinction made between um The Paper was delivered in but they scorning to sta for an answer sent several guards to the House under the command of Pride Hewson and Hardres Waller and violently seized all those Members that they found two honest for their purposes The House being thus purged and brought to so small a number in so much that an Officer of the Army having secured some of the Members in the Lobby as they were going into the House the Speaker having not enough within to make up a House was forced to send to the said Officer to lend him his prisoners to make up a free Parliament in comes Cromwel out of the Countrey and brings Harry Martin that sanctified Members along with him to make up his numbers and to awe the City Garrisons Blackfriers and Pauls The secluded Members protest against their seclusion but the Cromwellian faction Vote their Protestation seditious scandalous and tending to destroy the visible and fundamental Government of the Kingdome Then like Cromwels good boyes they vote all the votes of the secluded Members for a personal treaty null and void and to try whether all were their trusty friends that voted for them Gourdon moved that a protestation be forthwith drawn up and that every Member set his hand to it in detestation of those repealed Votes which was drawn up afterwards and within a few daies after subscribed by The Lord Lisle Colonel Boswel Lord Grey Per. Pelham Colo. Iones Colonel Temple Colo. Ven. Sir Thomas Maleverer Sir Tho. Wroth Sir Io. Bourchier Col. Pet. Temple Tho. Chaloner Sir Gregory Norton Oldsworth Garland Sir Io. Danvers Dove Smith Frie Searle Nic. Love Io. Lisle Col. Rigby Holland Ludlow Greg. Clement Col. Purefoy Col. Stapely Dunch Cawley Downs Io. Carey Blackstone Scot. Hutchinson Mildmay Sir Iames Harrington Col. Harvey Penington Atkins Dan. Blackgrave Moor Millington Prideaux Roger Hill Denis Bond Col. Harrington Hodges Valentine The design being thus pritty well ripened the Counsel of War who managed the business in relation to the King ordered that all state and ceremony should be forborn the King and his attendants lessend which was done to mortifie him by degrees Now was it thought fit to have it moved in the House to proceed capitally against the King Cromwel after it was once proposed sinding it then his cue to speak stoop up and told them That if any mov'd this out of design he should think him the greatest Traytor in the World but since providence and necessity had cast them upon it he should pray to God to bless their Counsels though he were not provided on the suddain to give them Counsel The White Boys thus animated went on furiously and Scot with an unheard of impudence now dares to bring in the ordinance for tryal of the King it was read recommitted three several times and Commissioners names inserted consisting of divers Lords Commons Aldermen Citizens Countrey Gentlemen and Souldiers that the more persons of all sorts might be engaged in so damnable and treasonable a design and because this Ordinance and the proceedings thereupon had no foundation in Divinity Law nor Reason The Cromwellian Faction to give it a foundation and ground from the authority of their Votes declare that by the Lawes of the Land it is treason in the King to levy war against the Parliament and Kingdome of England This Vote together with the ordinance was carried up to the Lords by the Lords Grey of Groby The first debate was upon the Vote The Earl of Manchester told them That the Parliament of England by the fundamenttal lawes of England consisted of three Estates King Lords and Commons The King is the first and chiefest estate He calls and dissolves the House and confirms all their Acts and without him there can be no Parliament and therefore t is absurd to say The King can be a Traytor against the Parliament The Earl of Northumberland said That the greatest part of the people of England were not yet satisfied whether the King levied War first against the Houses or the Houses against him and therefore it was very unreasonable to declare Treason by an Ordinance when the matter of fact is not yet proved nor any Law extant to judge it by Whereupon the Lords cast off the debate and cast our the Ordinance Hereupon the Zealots of the House that is to say that Protestors were very angry at the Lords and therefore intend to rid their hands of them and the King both together and thereupon they presently passed a Vote should be impowred to act notwithstanding the Lords did not concurre with them and many of the most famous hot-spurs were so high as to insist that the Lords who would not give their concurrence to the Votes and Ordinance should be impeached for favouring the grand Delinquent Having thrown by the Lords they proceed to make themselves to have the shew of a legall power by passing these three Votes 1. That the people that is to say their own Faction are the original of all just power under God 2. That the Commons of England being chosen by and representing the people are the supreme Power of this Nation 3. That whatsoever is enacted by Law by the House of Commons assembled in Parliament hath the force of a Law This was Cromwels Chain-shot whereby he swept a King and Lords putting all the Liberties of this Nation under his own and the power of fifty or sixty of his own covetous Saints By their former contrivances having now brought themselves to such a height of power and that power to a boldnesse that durst go so farre there was a necessity for them now to proceed and therefore the next thing they did was to passe the Ordinance for tryall of the King which was carried on without one negative voice There was one rub in the way that they could not use his own Great Seal against him and a new one was long a making But after consultation they agreed upon a new way for what need ceremonies when men are resolved upon the substance They therefore proceed without any Commission under Seal upon the Ordinance and every Commissioners set his own hand and seal to the publick instrument of their transactions At the same time great endeavours are made to stop the mouths of the Ministers giving them threatning admonitions not to preach against the actings of the Parliament and the Army and the Councill of Warr finding it difficult to stop the Ministers mouths did
not to be found and that he was a Malignant and had attempted to set the King at liberty To which it was replyed That a Committee could be named to examine the business concerning the Foot-boy that struck Sir H. Mildmay though no man knew where to find the Foot-boy that it was strange there should be such a difference between beating a Subject and killing a King that though Mr. Osborn were a Malignant yet unless he were also a Nullifidian convicted of perjury his oath was valid and good But Scot stood up and said That this pressing to examine this business was but to draw C. Hammond to Town that the King might the easier make an escape and Sir IOhn Evelin of Wilts alledged That this was an invention of Mr. Osborn to bring the King to Town with freedom honour and safety And though other motions were made for the said Committee yet either Mr. Scowen or Skippon stood up and offered to divert the business by new matter concerning the Army which bears all business down before it and so the business was buried in silence for that time Afterwards the Lords propounded that he might have forty dayes allowed him which was with much ado granted He comes and avouches it and one Doucet further affirm'd a design of Rolfe's to pistoll the King Rolfe presents himself at the Commons Barr with a Letter from Hammond who denies the design and pleads Rolfe's cause for him Rolfe denyed it at the Barr with a very trembling voice yet afterwards hid out of the way Hammond was neither sent for nor questioned Thus was this business quite husht up which onely serv'd to shew what the Gentlemen at Westminster solely aimed at and indeed their rancour was now at that height against the King that Skippon thought it just cause of complaint that some persons had printed a Book called A motive to loyall Subjects to endeavour the preservation of his Majesties person Many Petitions now also come for a Personall Treaty and among the rest the Surrey men petition for a Personal Treaty But Scot standing up in the House argued That it was a design to ruine the Godly That he was of opinion that there could be no time seasonable for a Personall Treaty or a Peace with so perfidious a Pince but that it would be alwayes either too soon or too late that he that draws his sword against the King must throw away the scabbord that all peace with him would prove the spoil of the Godly Thus by him and by the assistance of the Worthies Ven Miles Corbet Hill and Harvey Cromwell had his design in part for that the Petition had no success The King was now a prisoner in the Isle of Wight when Cromwell had overthrown Duke Hamilton at Preston and there by cut off the greatest hopes which the King had of being releived The Victory was great and swelled the Grandees that were then sitting at Westminster to such a height of pride of whom the chief were Thom. Scot Cornelius Holland and Sir Harry Mildmay that though before there were fair hopes of a Personall Treaty now began to shew an utter disdain and malice against it and to threaten and insult over all that had petitioned for it abroad or spoken for it in the House But the wise sort or rather the more crafty to do mischief knowing how weary the people were of their Texes and the Army and how covetous to purchase peace though at the price of a new warr and further considering that the Scots were not wholly reduc'd that the people were not yet quieted in many parts of England and finding the Prince with a considerable Fleet at Sea ready to raise new tempests at Land thought it better to dally on the Treaty till Oliver had quite finish'd his Northern Expedition and were marched nearer London and that all things were quiet in England and then to break off the Treaty and purge the House of those that sought to agree with the King under pretence of being the Kings corrupt Party Therefore to blind the peoples eyes it was debated in the House whether a Treaty should be had with the King upon the Propositions of Hampton-Court the question being put the Yeas and Noes were even fifty seven to fifty seven insomuch that the Speakers voice was put to turn the scales who though at this time he foreman of Oliver's shop gives his voice in the affirmative following then his conscience against his interest andmy Lord Say openly in the House of Lords said God forbid that any man should take advantage of this victory to break off the Treaty However Cromwell having got a full conquest over his enemies marches for London upon his design though the Parliament forbid his approach And to shew his contempt of them he prints a Declaration accusing them of lightness breach of trust inconstancy and indiscretion and threatning presently to advance towards Westminster to do what God should enable them The same night he came to Hide-Park corner The next thing he did was to take possession of White-hall for his Quarters He brought to town with him four Regiments of Foot and six of Horse which he quartered in the Mews by his own order The next news frequent in the Town was that of the Kings being seized in his bed-chamber and hurried away prisoner to Hurst Castle a Block-house in the Isle of Wight standing out a mile and a half in the Sea so noisome that the Guards could not endure to be there long without often shifting their quarters This insolent action satisfied onely the Independent and Monarchicall party but the others who were yet more numerous seeing so hainous a fact committed against the life of the King and the faith and honour of the Parliament resolve once more to try their power whereupon it was moved that it might be declared That his Majesty was remov'd by the Generals Warrant without the consent or privity of the House The Army Members to slop this argue that the word Declare would be construed a declaring against the Generall and Army and that the word Consent argued a disagreement in opinion and practise between the Parliament and the House as if the Houses dissented from it hereupon it was barely voted without the privity of the House Nevertheless the other Members proceed to the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses whether they were satisfactions or no which after a long and tedious debate was carried in the affirmative and to keep a good correspondence with the Army a Committee of six Members was appointed to confer with the Generall and his Officers but could receive no other answer from them then this that the way to correspond was to comply with the Armies Remonstrance And now the Saints militant being inraged that the House had recovered so much courage and honesty to vote according to their consciences after some proud conference between Pride Hewson and other Officers and the Speaker in Westminster-Hall with
proceedings must be either new or old if old shew it if new tell what Authority warranted by the Fundamental Laws of the Land hath made it and when But how the House of Commons can erect a Court of Judicature which was never one it self as is well known to all Lawyers I leave God and the world to judge And it were full as strange that they should pretend to make Laws without King or Lords House to any that have heard speak of the Laws of England And admitting but not granting that the people of Englands Commission could grant your pretended power I see nothing you can shew for that for certainly you never asked the question of the tenth man of the Kingdom and in this way you manifestly wrong even the poorest Ploughman if you demand not his free consent nor can you pretend any colour for this your pretended Commission without the consent at least of the major part of every man in England of whatsoever quality or condition which I am sure you never went about to seek so farre are you from having it Thus you see I speak not for my own right alone as I am your King but also for the true Liberty of all my Subjects which consists not in sharing the power of Government but in living under such laws such a Government as may give them the best assurance of their lives and the propriety of their goods And for the House of Commons that the major part of them are detain'd or deterr'd from sitting so as if I had no other this were sufficient for me to protest against the lawfulness of your pretended Court. Besides all this the peace of the Kingdome is not the least in my thoughts and what hopes of settlement are there so long as power rules without Law changing the whole frame of that Government under which this Kingdome hath flourished for many hundred years and believe it the Commons of England will not thank you for this change for they will remember how happy they have been of late years under the reign of Queen Elizabeth the King my Father and my self untill the beginning of these unhappy troubles and will have cause to doubt that they shall never be so happy under any new These were the Reasons which the King intended to have delivered before sentence but they were utterly rejected by those who knew it was not their business to hear reason in a Court that was erected contrary to reason and therefore they hasten to give judgement which was brief That the King for sundry Crimes and Misdemeanours which he was never guilty of should be put to death During the intervall between his Sentence and Execution the House ordered upon moton that Doctor Iuxon Bishop of London should be permitted to be private with the King in his chamber to preach and administer the Sacrament and other spiritual comforts to him But nevertheless the Masters of the Councill of Warr appointed Iohn Goodwin of Coleman-street the Balaam of the Army to be Superintendent both over the Bishop and the King so that they could hardly speak a word together without being over-heard by the long schismaticall eares of black-mouth'd Iohn And besides all this the Guard of Souldiers that was kept within his chamber what with talking what with clinking the pots and opening and shutting the dores and taking Tobacco a thing very offensive to the Kings nature they kept him waking thereby distempering and amazing him with want of sleep that they might the more easily bring him to their termes Upon the twenty eighth of Ianuary being the last Sabbath the King kept in this life some of the Grandees of the Parliament and Army tender'd to the King a paper book with promise of life and some shadow of regality if he subscrib'd it It contained many particulars destructive to the fundamentall Government Religion Laws and property of the People one among the rest was this That the King should pass an Act of Parliament for keeping on foot the Militia of this Army during the pleasure of the Grandees who should be trusted with that Militia with power to recruit from time to time and continue them to the number of forty thousand Horse and Foot under the same Generall and Officers with power notwithstanding in the Councill of Warr to chuse new Officers and Generals from time to time as occasion shall happen and they think fit and to settle a very great Tax upon the people by a Land rate for an established pay for the Army to be levied and collected by the Army themselves and a Court-Martiall of an exorbitant extent and latitude But his Majesty having read some of the Propositions threw them aside telling them He would rather become a Sacrifice for his People then betray their Lives Laws Liberties and Estates together with the Church and Common-wealth and the honour of his Crown to so intolerable a bondage of an armed faction Saturday night and Sunday night the King lay in White-hall so neer the place appointed for the separation of his soul and body that he might hear every stroak the workmen gave upon the scaffold where they wrought all night this was a new device to mortifie him but it would not doe Tuesday the thirtieth of Ianuary was the day appointed for the Kings death His Majesty coming upon the scaffold shewed all the while an extraordinary magnanimity and Christian patience He had his head severed from his body at one stroke the Schismaticks showting presently after His Executioners though then concealed are now found to be Ioyce that bloody instrument of Cromwell's designes and Peters who lay not with a Butchers Wife so long to be ignorant of her Trade And therefore the Parliament have now sent for them to receive the condign punishment of their villany This is the relation of his Majesties Tryall by a mix'd Court of Justice erected by fifty or sixty confederate Members after all the rest of the Members above two hundred and fifty had been violently secluded secured and frighted And thus this noble Prince a Person sanctified by many afflictions after he had escaped Pistoll Poyson and pestilent Air could not escape the malice of Cromwell nor the impudence of Cook Bradshaw Steele Aske Doristaus Thus was the Shepheard smitten and the Sheep were scattered But Heaven not willing longer to endure the wickedness of such insolent Tyrants nor to see the innocent longer in affliction hath been pleased at length to restore the King to his Throne putting his Enemies to shame and confusion and herein we must admire the justice of the Parliament to whom the King unwilling to be Judge in his own cause hath referred himself What they have done their Acts declare The last week they excepted eleven of the grand Delinquents from mercy M. G. Harrison Mr. Say Mr. Scot. Coll. Berkstead M. Lisle Cornel. Holland Iones Cook Broughton Sar. Dandy M. Hulit After this in further prosecution of their intentions to bring these