of all just power and that the Commons of England being the peoples Representative have the supream Authority and what they Enact has the force of a Law though the House of Lords do not consent thereto Upon these and several other new political principles they proceed to Try Judge Condemn and Execute the King before his own palace-gate at White-Hall Jan. 30. 1648. But having already published a Book called The Wars of England Scotland and Ireland wherein is an exact relation of the Kings Tryal with the Reasons he would have offered against the pretended Jurisdiction of their Court of Justice and his last speech at the time of his suffering I shall refer the Reader to that and wholly omit it here The fatal blow being given the remainder of the House of Commons and the Army made it evident that they were not only for cutting off the King but Kingship it self and thereupon the House Voted That Kingly Government is unnecessary burdensome and dangerous and that whereas several pretences might be made to the Crown that any person who should proclaim Charles Stewart Son of the late King or any other King of England should suffer as in case of High Treason And soon after the House of Lords was likewise Vored useless and dangerous at which the Lords were so highly Incensed that a Declaration was suddenly published in the Name of all the Peers and Barons of England against the proceedings of the Commons and in definance of all Votes Acts and Orders to the contrary Charles the second was proclaimed King in the Name of all the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of the Kingdom but they still proceed assuming new Ensigns of Soveraignty and cancelling the old causing all Writs Commissions c. to issue out under a new style and title that is The Keepers of the Liberties of England by the authority of parliament causing the old Great Seal to be broken and a new one made with this Inscription In the fifth year of freedom by Gods blessing restored And soon after they pulled down the Kings Arms in all places and his Statue at Guild Hall and the Royal Exchange A Council of State was constituted of forty and Bradshaw made president and the Council of Adjutators of the Army who had been so Instrumental in the late Revolutions was now dissolved who soon after petitioned the Lord Fairfax but those that subscribed it were by a Council of War Ordered to ride with their faâ—es to the Horses Tails before their Regiments with their crimes on their breasts to have their swords broken over their heads and to be cashier'd the army which much provoked their fellow souldiers so that a while after the Army Rendevouzing at Ware several Regiments in persuance of the former petition wherein they complain of erecting Illegal Courts of Justice and trying the free people of England by Martial Law with divers other grievances wore white colours in their Haâ—s to distinguish themselves among whom was Cromwels own Regiment of Horse who having notice of it ordered two other Regiments from remote Quarters to be there who knew nothing of the Intrigue and being all drawn up in Battalia Cromwel with a frowning countenance rides round and suddenly commands those two Regiments to surround a Regiment of Foot and then calls four men by their Names out of the body and with his own hands put them in custody of the Marshal instantly summoning a Council of War while their adherents secretly put their white colours in their pockets and were astonished at the action These four were tryed and found guilty but had the favour to cast lots for their lives whereby the two principal Mutineers escaped and the two ignorant fellows were shot to death upon the place in the view of the whole Army These now had the Name of Levellers given them and one Lockier was afterward shot to death for promoting a paper called The Ingagement and Agreement of the people c. in St. Pauls Church-yard and his Funeral was attended by above one thousand of the Lilburnian Faction all wearing black and Sea-green Ribbons the Army being now in a violent ferment and even ready to destroy one another which humour was cherished by John Lilburn not without incouragement from the Royal party who from their divisions hoped to reap advantage In persuance hereof Collonel Scroops Regiment of Horse dismissed their Officers at Salisbury and with colours flying marched to join Harrisons Iretons and Skippons Regiments who by the contrivance of the Agitators were all ingaged in the same designs This defection seeming of very dangerous consequence Gen. Fairfax and Cromwel with his own Regiment marched to Alton and had advice the Mutineers were gone to Abington after whom Cromwel made such haste that in one day he marched forty miles and having met with them he politickly proposed a Treaty before Harrisons Regiment should join them wherein all parties should receive satisfaction and that neither of them should keep at ten miles distance upon which the Levellers went to Burford and being opposed by the Souldiery at New-bridge to prevent Quarrels they went a little lower not doubting but they should all join upon Treaty and then put most of their Horses to grass they being in all above nine hundred consisting of twelve Troops entire of the best in the Army and leaving a guard of about sixty men some of their companions who were brought over to Cromwel giving Intelligence of their posture Coll. Reynolds about midnight rusht into their Quarters they â—â—ttâ—e expecting such rough treatment and seizing the Guards took the greatest part of the rest either asleep or drinking together with nine hundred Horse and four hundred prisoners whereof Thompson and two more only were Executed Cornet Don declaring such sorrow that he was reprieved at the place of Execution which their fellows beheld from the Leads of the Church and were told That every tenth man of them should die but Cromwel proposed the pardoning of them which was agreed to and they sent to their own Houses This proved the utter suppression of that Faction and rendred the Army wholly at the devotion of Cromwel About this time another illegal High Court of Justice was erected wherein Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland Lord Capel and Lord Goring were brought to their Trial the three first were condemned and beheaded at the Palace-yard in Westâ—minster and a proclamation was published declaring the Kingdom of England to be a free State and Alderman Reynoldson was commanded to proclaim it in the City which he refusing was committed to the Tower and a new Lord Mayor was chosen by a â—ommon Hall who attended with several other Aldermen of the same temper readily proclaimed the Edicts of this new Republick in several places in the City England being thus subjected to the power of the House of Commons and the Army and Scotland not yet ripe for Invasion and the Nation full of Souldiers who having for so long a time led
another place and soon after most of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland were taken at a place called Ellet in that Kingdom where they were assembled to propagate the Royal cause namely Old General Lesley Earl Marshal Earl of Crawford the Lords Keith Ogilby Burgoiny Huntley Ley with many Knights Gentlemen and Ministers which soon after were ship'd and sent for England Such was the sudden change of the condition of the Scots and the King that he who a few days before was proclaimed King of Great Britain had now neither Camp nor Garrison to retire to five hundred pounds sterling being offered to discover him so that after travelling in disguise and through many dangers about England he at length found an opportunity to imbark at Shoreham in Sussex for Newhaven in France where he arrived Octob. 2. following Of the great number of prisoners taken none of Quality suffered but the Earl of Derby who was beheaded at Bolton in Lancashire and Sir Tim. Fetherstone Others of less note suffered at Chester Shrewsbury and other places Nor did many of the Royalists themselves expect any better fortune in this expedition than what happened as appears by Duke Hamiltons Letter to Sir William Crofts taken among other papers a few days before the fight to this purpose We are all laughing at the ridiculousness of our condition who having quit Scotland being scarce able to maintain it yet we grasp at all and nothing but all will satisfie us or to lose all I confess I cannot tell whether our hopes or fears are greatest but we have one stout argument and that is despair for we must now either shortly fight or dye All the Rogues have left us I will not say whether for fear or disloyalty but all now with His Majesty are such as will not dispute his commands So that we see this undertaking was not the product of deliberate counsel but of necessity and desperation This battel put a period to the Kings hopes of getting the Government by Arms and on the other hand secured to Cromwel all his former Conquests the influence whereof though acted in England was great in Scotland for their principal Nobility and souldiery being cut off they were no longer able to bear up but were soon reduced to the obedience of England And Cromwel giving an account to the Parliament of this great success he concludes his Letter by telling them That this was a crowning Victory which was afterward thought to proceed from the foresight of his future Greatness This fight happened Sept. 3. 1651. that very day twelve-month wherein the Scots received that fatal blow at Dunbar afore-mentioned After the battel Cromwel staâ—d no longer than to see the Walls of Worcester levelled to the ground and the Ditches filled up with earth to discover his aversion to the Inhabitants for receiving his Enemies into it and Sept. 12. came to London being met at Acton by the Parliament and their Speaker the Lord Mayor of London Aldermen and Recorder and hundreds of others to whom Steel the City Recorder made a Congratulatory Oration extolling all his Victories and Exploits with the highest flights of Rhetorick and applying to him the words of Psalm 149 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishments upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgment written this honour have all the Saints praise ye the Lord. After which he was conducted in triumph to his House near White-hall great number of Scotch prisoners coming after him through Tuthill-fields to Westminster as Trophies of his Victories and the Colours taken there with those at Dunbar Westminster Preston were hung up in Westminster-Hall After a short repose General Cromwel and Lieutenant General Lambert went to take their places in Parliament where they were entertained by the Speaker with a second Congratulatory Oration magnifying their courage and gallantry and acknowledging the great obligation which the people of England were under toward them The same day the Lord Mayor feasted the General and his Officers where mutual returns of kindness passed between them to the satisfaction of both parties Oct. 14. 1651. Collonel Hayn with two Regiments of foot and two Troops of Horse were shipp'd at Weymouth for reducing the Isle of Jersey in eighty Vessels under the command of General Blake who came to St. Owens Bay where the ships running aground the men leapt out some to the middle others up to the neck in water and ran ashoar the enemy playing hard upon them with great and small shot and gave a hot charge with their Horse yet after half an hours dispute they fled and left behind them twelve cannon and some colours After which the English marched further into the Island within sight of Elizabeth Castle under which was a Fort called St. Albans Tower where were fourteen Guns which upon summons was delivered and so was Orgueil castle and soon after Elizabeth castle upon very good terms to the Garrison and Governour Sir George Cartaret because of its great strength The Isle of Man was likewise reduced in a short time with the castles of Peele and Rushen both very strong and almost impregnable as well as Cornet castle in the Isle of Guernsey if the besieged had had resolution to defend them About this time died Admiral Popham and Henry Ireton Son-in-law to Oliver Cromwel at Lymerick which Kingdom in a little while after was wholly subdued and brought under the obedience of the Government of England The Parliament now passed two or three considerable Acts one for Incorporating Scotland into one Common-wealth with England another of Oblivion and free pardon a third to determine the Session of this Parliament on Nov. 3. 1654. a fourth for the increase of shipping and incouragement of Navigation wherein was enacted That no Goods or Commodities of the growth or manufacture of any places in Asia Africa America or Europe should be imported into England Ireland or any of the Territories thereof but only in English ships under the penalty of forfeiting the Goods and Ships And that no Goods whatsoever shall be brought in unless they be ship'd from the places of their growth and manufacture only Also that no Fish or Oyl made of Fish or Whale-bone shall be imported but only such as shall be caught in Vessels belonging to the English Lastly that no kinds of salted fish from Feb. 1. 1653. shall be exported in any other save English Vessels with several other exceptions and provisoes in reference to East-India Goods and of commodities from Turky Spain and Portugal This last Act was very grateful to the Merchants and Seamen but did extreamly surprize and disturb the Holl inders as judging it would cause a vast diminution in their Trade which with so much advantage they had long driven to the loss and detriment of the English Nation who
possible to perswade them That it should be no Question but be absolutely carried in the affirmative This was as rigorously opposed by the majority of the House and among the rest a Gentleman who had all along stron ly opposed Monarchy as disagreeable to his Interest stood up and said The parliament cannot but discern the snares that are laid to intrap the priviledges of the people and for my own part as God has maâ—e me Instrumental in cutting down Tyranny in one person so now I cannot endure to see the Nations liberties shackled by another whose Right to the Government can be measured out no otherwise than by the length of his Sword which was the only thing that emboldened him to command his Commanders Many others seconded this motion confirming what he had said and directly against a single person These debates and divisions upon the protectors Instrument which continued eight days successively did much disturb him fearing they would produce irreconcileable differences and therefore to remedy it in time and put the parliament into a milder temper he goes from White-Hall to Westminster and sending for the members then sitting into the painted chamber he thus addresses them Gentlemen The God of Heaven knows what grief and sorrow of heart it is to me to find you falling into heats and divisions but I would have you take notice of this That the same Government made me protector which made you a parliament and that as you are intrusted with some things so am I with others and that in the Government there are certain Fundamentals which cannot be altered As 1. That the Government should be in a single person and a parliament 2. That parliament should not be perpetual 3. That the militia should not be trusted into one hand or power but so that the parliament should have a check upon the protector and the protector on the parliament 4. That in matters of Religion there ought to be Liberty of Conscience and that persecution in the Church was not to be Tolerated The rest of the things in the Government are examinable and alterable as the state of affairs do require and for my own part my heart is even over-whelmed with grief to fee that any of you should endeavour to overthrow what is settled contrary to the Trust received from the people and which cannot but bring very great inconveniency upon your selves and the Nation This was the substance of his perswasions but doubting that this would not sufficiently bring them over to his Interests he contrived a Recognition and acknowledgment which was to be signed by every member before he should be admitted to sit in the House as followeth I do hereby promise and ingage to be true and faithful to the Lord Protector of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland and shall nor according to the tenor of the Indenture whereby I am returned to serve in parliament propose or give any consent to alter the Government as it is settled in one person and a parliament This was subscribed by several of the members tho' the greater number at first refused especially those of the late long parliament so that of 400 there appeared only 200 but afterward were made up 300 who fell afresh upon the same disputes and run over all the Articles of the Instrument of Government resolving to have the Judgment of the whole House upon them in one entire Bill and so present it thereby to waste time and hinder the Protector from having money which he much wanted so that after five months dilatory proceedings and that they had not yet settled him in the Government the time being expired wherein the Instrument gave him leave without losing one day nay scarce an hour he dissolved the parliament This dissolution incouraged the most opposite parties to conspire against the Protector that is the fifth Monarchy men and Royalists the first expected King Jesus or the erecting of a fifth Kingdom the second longed for the Restoration of King Charles and the Protectors Favourites desired King Oliver and every party manifested their impatience but none of them could attain their wishes and when Oliver might afterwards yet he thought it not safe The protector was not ignorant of their designs and resolved first to deal with the weakest for finding this Millionary principle spread in the Army he discarded Major General Harrison and coll Rich and after sent them with coll Carew and Courtney prisoners to remote Castles and General Monk had order to seize Major General Overton and Major Bramston Holmes and other Officers and cashier them Overton was sent up prisoner to the Tower and his Regiment given to coll Morgan coll Okeys Regiment was given to the Lord Howâ—â—d Cornet now collonel Joyce was likewise dismâ—st having reproach'd Cromwel to his face with his services And thus the danger from the Army was quickly suppress'd But the design of the Royalists or Cavaliers would have been more formidable had not the whole contrivance thereof been discovered to the Protector by one Manning who was with King Charles in Germany and a Spy upon all his actions so that Cromwel knew the rise and progress and first appearance of those Arms against him without being surprized though all the Gentlemen of that party in England were one way or other ingaged or at least privy to iâ—â— but the seizing the principal of them throughout the Kingdom a little before the execution much frusâ—â—â—ted the probable effects of that Insurrection The L. Mayor was sent for and acquainted with it and 〈◊〉 militia settled Skippon being made Major-Generâ—â— All Horse Races forbidden and several dissolâ—â—â—â—â—â—sons were seized upon suspicion Counter ploes 〈◊〉 used all sorts of Ammunition being sent down â—â—â—veral Gentlemens Houses with Letters without Nâ—â—â—â— and the Gentlemen for not discovering them sâ—â—â—â—â— Yet notwithstanding all these discouragements 〈◊〉 Western Association thought themselves ingaged in honour to rise upon the day appointed and which they had signified to K. Charles who was come from Colen to the Sea coasts in order to have passed over to his friends with the first opportunity accordingly March 11. 1654. a party of 200 under Sir Joseph Wagstaff coll Penruddock and Grove march'd into Salisbury where the Judges Rolls and Nichols were sitting at the Assize and seized all their Horses declaring the cause of their appearance without further injury or taking any money which lay in Serjeant Maynard and other Lawyers chambers promising to return and break their fasts with the Judges provisions which they did and increased their number to four hundred the whole City being well affected to them Thence they marched to Blanford where coll Penruddock himself proclaimed the King in the Market-place and so marched Westward Captain Butler with two Troops of Cromwels Horse following at a distance in their Rere to give them opportunity of increasing but by the Protectors taking up so many before very few came in and many deserted when they saw no hopes