in the Morning with fifteen hundred of their best Horse under the Command of Montgomery and Stranghan and charged so furiously that they had almost Pierced the whole Army but in their return Okey met with them and forced them back to their Camp with as much Speed having lost an hundred men in the Action Whilst these things were doing in Scotland the Junto are Active at home in suppressing all Persons from appearing for the Scots Interest with all the Rigor imaginable and Doctor Levens a Doctor of the Civil Law being taken dispersing some Commissions from the King was tryed by their Court marshal Condemned to be hanged and Executed accordingly on the 13 th of July over against the Royal Exchange in London And further to shew their inveterate Spite to the Royal Family they cause the last Kings Statues to be broken to Pieces and caused to be written under the Nick where one stood in the Royal Exchange Exit Tyrannus Regum ultimus Anno Libertatis Angliae restitutae primo Annoque Domini 1648. Now also was discovered a design of a rising to be in Lancashire for the King in which were several of the Presbyterian Ministers in London and others upon which Mr. Cook of Grays-Inn Mr. Gibbons Mr. Potter Doctor Drake Jenkins and Love Presbyterian Ministers were taken and for which they were try'd by their murthering High Court of Justice and about the Latter end of July Gibbons Potter and that Incendiary Love were Executed wherein 't is remarkable that the Justice of God should so overtake this Person so as to bring him to the Block for he was beheaded who by his preaching against the late King broke off the Treaty at Uxbridge and was the occasion of bringing that Royal Martyr to suffer under the Ax. But whilst they were shedding Blood at London by their High Court of Justice Cromwell was letting it forth in Scotland with the Sword for on the 3 d. of September was the famous Battel of Dunbar which gain'd him so much Honour and established his greatness in the Army tho his Conduct in bringing his Army to those Streights they were in being forced by despair to fight did appear very ill on his side for Cromwell's Army very much wanting Provisions were so far advanced that they could not well return without Hazard and I suppose he engaged himself the more boldly for that he understood the differences in the Scotch Army between the Rigid Kirk Party and the other more moderate for the King hoping by his frequent Letters and Declarations of his pious Intentions towards the Presbyterians to bring most of them over to him or at least to make such division amongst them that he hoped to obtain an easie Victory Cromwell had advanced within a Mile and an half of Edenborow took a small Garrison and Man'd it with English but being still pressed with want of Provisions he draws off to Penkland Hills and thence to Dunbar thinking that way to ship his men for England the Fleet attending but the Scots perceiving the Advantage and that he was in a strait follow him close and were now in a manner sure of a Victory The Scots being about twenty four Thousand men and double the number of the English who were weary and Faint had they stayed and not put them into Despair no doubt they had obtained their Desires but fearing they should escape them they followed them within a Mile of Dunbar and drew up upon the Hills at the Foot of which lay Cromwell who now saw the streights into which he had brought himself having only a Neck of Land to encamp on whose breadth was not a Mile and an half the Sea being on both sides so that they were got into a perfect Pound and the Scots having possest all the Hills he was in some Amazement ship his men he could not without certain Loss Next morning the Scots drew down to the Foot of the Hills but there was a great Ditch between the Armies but at a Village called Copperspeith between Dunbar and Berwick there was a Passage over the Hills which it seems was strangely neglected by the Scots too sure of the Victory but Cromwell taking hold on the Advantage having with his field Pieces secured the Ditch sent away a good Party of Horse and Foot to possess it This gave the Scots an Alarm and now they saw their Error and that of necessity they must let the English pass home or fight them The Kirk Ministers being in the Councel of War were extreamly against letting Agag go as they called Cromwell for that God had given him into their Hands contrary to the Opinion of the more knowing Commanders But upon this there was a fierce Dispute at this Pass which the English with much Valour obtained and possessed themselves of The Canon on both sides playing against the Bodies the Battel began the English word was The Lord with us the Scotâ— was The Covenant The Scots first Charge put the Englisâ— Horse into a little Confusion but being stoutly secondeâ— by the Foot they Charg'd the Scots so home that they put them to the Rout which put their Foot into such Confusion and Disorder that the English gained a fulâ— and easie Victory following the pursuit for eight Miles and slew and took Prisoners of them as many or more than they were themselves there being four Thousand slain and nine Thousand taken Prisoners with all their Bag and Baggage ten Thousand Armes and all their Ammunition and with the loss of not above three hundred English The Colours and the Purse and great Seal of Scotland there taken were sent up to London where was no small rejoycing among the Rumpers for this Victory And the Colours ordered to be hung up in Westminster-Hall Some of the Scotch Ministers engaging were slain in this fight Cromwell it is said in his great Necessity and straits before the fight prayed to God and promised him That if he would be pleased at thiâ— time to deliver him he would in return of the Favour as soon as he came into England take away Tythes A pretty Vow to commit Sacriledge to obtain Mercy Upon this Loss Cromwell pursues his Victory and possesses himself of Leith and Edenborow which the Scots had quitted the King being retired to St. Johnstons where were assembled their Committee of States The Kirk Party began to lay their mis-fortunes upon the King and said God had disowned them for bringing him into Scotland And shewed so much insolence and ill behaviour to him that he was no longer able to brook it and therefore one morning taking Horse as if he had been going to Hunting he went privately towards the North but the Scots fearing lest he should joyn with the High-Landers and being somewhat humbled by Cromwell they sent after him Major General Montgomery to intreat him to return but with such a force as it was thought would perform it by Compulsion if he would not do it by Intreaty But the
King perswaded returns to St. Johnstons where the Committee of Estates being somewhat more Compliant thank Cromwell for that many of the Kings friends were admitted to him This made many dissatisfied Ministers withdraw themselves into the West as Guthery Gelaspy Rutherford and others where they put forth a Remonstrance against the Proceedings of the Assembly in the Admission of Malignants to Power and Employment and with these Ker Stranghan Laird Warreston Sr. John Cheisley Sr. James Stewart and others joyn in Confederacy These Broils made well for Cromwell who found small Opposition He took Ken Prisoner and Edenborow Castle was surrendred to him on the 24 th of December 1650. This very much troubled the Scots for after that Cromwell succeeded so well that he took in all the Forts on this side of Sterling In January the Scots Crown the King at Scoon the accustomed place for the Coronation of the Kings of Scotland which is not far from St. Johnstons with great Pomp and Solemnity In the mean time the Junto in England still sat and Voted Liberty of Conscience to all which was a most distasteful thing to the Presbyterians Also they fell to levying of Souldiers giving the Command to Harrison now made Major General a fâ—fth-Monarchy man most of these men being raised by those sort of men and the other Sectaries with which this Army swarmed and the Presbyterian Interest daily declined every where being called a most horrid Tyranny and worse than the Prelacy They also about this time formally receive Embassadors from Portugal and Spain who for Interest acknowledge their Power All they did besides was the constant Persecution of the Royal Party after their Tyrannical manner Collonel Eusebius Andrews a constant Loyalist and firm to the interest of his King being by Profession a Councellor of Grays-Inn having been underhand Contriving some Insurrection in the behalf of the King was betray'd by some of his Confederates and taken at Gravesend and after sixteen Weeks being Prisoner in the Tower and several times examined he was brought to his Tryal before their bloody High Court of Justice Bradshaw sitting as President Where he admirably pleaded his Cause but the Attorney General Prideaux over-ruled all and told him the Court was not to take notice of his Law Cases but of his Confession and tho he had Acted no Treason yet he had an Affection for Treason and therefore deserved Death An excellent Mark of the Liberty of the Subject under Usurpers And upon this learned distinction the Bloody Court proceeded to Sentence against him that he should be Beheaded Thus the Will of Usurpers is become Law This Heroick Gentleman suffered accordingly on the 22 d. of August 1650 on Tower-Hill where he dyed with much Constancy Magnanimity and Christianity In October following one Benson involved in the same Design with Collonel Andrews was tryed and Condemned by the aforesaid Tyrannical Court and on the 7 th was Executed being Hanged for his Loyalty At the same time was an Insurrection in Northfolk which being suppressed many suffered for the same in several places In March following the Grandees at Wâ—stminster by the same Arbitrary Power after the Turkish Precedent put to Death the Loyal Sr. Henry Hide before the Exchange It was Crime enough that he was a Royalist and Brother to the afterwards Earl of Clarendon then with the King But his pretended Crime was That he had been an Agent from the King after the Death of his Royal Father to the grand Signior He was bred a Merchant and had a repute amongst the Turkish Company and was by them made their Consul at Morea and this Gentleman the King sent to the Port in order to some private concerns and not for the Confiscation of the Merchants Estates as the people were made to believe but he being there the Visiere was privately tampered with who betray'd him and sent him to England a Prisoner in the Ships thence bound for Smiâ—na in one of which he was brought to London and Committed to the Tower convented before the aforesaid Court by whose Power he was Condemned and Beheaded as aforesaid on the 4 th of March 1650. And now their Hands were in all went to Pot that came in their way the April following Captain Brown Bushell was the next Criminal they Murthered for his Loyalty he had long lain under restraint in the Tower and almost starved for want of Sustinance and at last being put into their Bloody Roll of such as were to be Tryed he was called to their Bar and Condemned But his Wife solicited very hard for a Reprieve which at last hey promised her with which joyful News she repaired to her Husband Comforting themselves together till four a Clock in the Afternoon but had no sooner left him with those flattering Hopes but the Warrant came for his present Execution they finding it seems that he was too well beloved by the Seamen and wree in Fear of him and so about six of the Clock at Night they put him to Death on the Ground under the Scaffold on Tower-Hill which he suffered with much Resolution In the mean time Cromwell was very watchful and Diligent and endeavoured all he could tho not with any success to engage the Scots Army which was drawn up at Sterling where the King was with them But the King having a Design to pass into England waved engaging with as much Care as the other flush'd with Victory and Success sought it who was come within sight of the Scotch Army In Lancashire several expected his coming and were ready to rise upon his approach tho disappointed by the Rumps Vigilancy Cromwell for want of Provisions was forced to remove and attempted to get over to Fife side It was about this time that several rude fits of an Ague shook him so shrewdly that there was an equal engagement of Hopes and Fears on the side of either party of his marching into another world Doctor Write and Dr. Bates two eminent Physicians being sent from London to administer Physick to him being brought very low But at last by the help of these Doctors who had the charge of him by the Junto's order he recovered to the sorrow of the Royal Party At last the English under Collonel Overton with about fifteen or sixteen thousand Foot and four Troopâ— of Horse with much difficulty forced their Landing Cromwell drawing up close to the Scots at the same time with all his Forces with an intention to fall upon their Rere if they should attempt to beat them out of Fife Yet the Scots sent four thousand Horse and Foot under Sir John Brown which Cromwell having notice of sent over Lambert and Okey with two Regiments of Horse and Foot and engaging with him defeated him took him with many others prisoners having slain about two thousand of the Scots This gave the English firm footing in Fife and they easily took in several places on that side the Frith And now the King was necessitated to
ship This was the fourth Engagement The maintaining of this War against the potent Dutch gained such Reputation to these English States as they were called that the French by the Advice of Mazereen sent Monsieur Bourdeaux as an Agent from the French King to acknowledge them This Action of the French gave great distaste to all the King of England's Friends but this Peace with England preserved the Cardinal being in some danger from the Princes of France And now to maintain this War the Junto lay a heavy Tax upon the People of 120000 l. a Month. Monk and Dean being come out of Scotland are joyned with Blake and the Fleet equipping with all Expedition which the Dutch States hearing of sent away to Van-Tromp who was at Sea Conducting home three hundred sail of Merchant men with seventy six men of War and Commanded him to Block up the Thames to hinder the English Fleet from coming forth but to their great Amazement the English got their Ships to Sea and joyning those at Ports-mouth made up eighty sail and over against Portland lay half Seas over expecting the Dutch On the 18 th of February they discry'd them and about eight in the Morning the fight began Blake and Dean who were in the Tryumph with twelve Ships more encounter'd the Gross of the Dutch Fleet but was relieved at last by Lawson who performed his part exceeding Well The Ship in which General Monk was being a slow Sailor could not so soon come up to engage as he would have had it but he had a great share in the Fight and lost many men aboard her This Fight lasted three days and the Triumph wherein two of the Generals were received seven hundred Cannon shot in their Hâ—ll The next day being Saturday and the nineteenth of Feb. 1652. assoon as the English could overtake the Dutch they engaged them again in the Afternoon which was fought with much fury Tromp still endeavouring to save his Merchant Men fought retreating putting them before him but spite of his teeth he lost many of them which were picked up by the English with some of his Men of War The third day in the Morning being the twentieth the fight was again renewed and continued very fierce till four in the Afternoon but the Wind being cross to the English Van Tromp got at last to Callais Sands and so tyded it home The Dutch lost in the three days Fight eleven Men of War and thirteen Merchants Ships and had killed about fifteen hundred Men. The English lost but one Ship but had not many less slain than the Enemy This was the fifth Engagement in which the English got much the better About this time they erected their High Court of Justice in Ireland by which many of the Irish suffered among the rest the noted Rebel Sir Phelim Oneal was hanged at Dublin The year 1652 being worn out and the Dutch being by their several losses humbled the King's Party crushed and impoverished now the Tax for the maintenance of the Dutch War coming in and filling the Treasury 120000 pounds every month the State owned by the French and himself caressed privately by Mazareen with whom he had secret intelligence but what was more the arbitrary Junto perfectly hated by the People he thought it now a convenient time to step into the Throne and to usurp the supreme â—ower and Authority and to take the Government into his own hands To this end he holds several Consults with the Officers of the Army and much fasting and praying there was among them an extraordinary Work being to be done Cromwell cajol'd them all Lambert was deceiv'd in his hopes of succeeding Oliver which he had made him to believe he intended Harrison was for pulling these old Representatives out of their Seats to make way for the Rule of the Saints Cromwell knew how to please them all that he might by them work his ends All the Party Harrison could make among the Congregations of Feak Rogers Simson and the rest of that Gang were for Cromwell and all impatient to have the Parliament outed and to help forward there came forth dayly from the Army Petitions Addresses Remonstrances and such like Papers for putting an end to this Parliament But notwithstanding all the specious pretences for the putting an end to this Parliament many of the Officers very well perceived the drift of Cromwell and what all would end in viz. his getting the Monarchy into his own hands which troubled them much and some of them made open protests against it for they that could not endure the Rule of a single person in their Lawful Prince could much less endure to be tyrannized over by the arbitrary power of their equal The chief of them that opposed his design were Collonel Venables Scout-Master-General Downing Major Streater and others Streater went about to give his Reasons to the contrary telling them that Cromwell design'd to set up himself and that it was a betraying of their most glorious Cause for which so much Blood had been spilt but Harrison interrupted him and told him that he was assured the General did not seek himself in it and did it to make way for the Rule of Jesus that he might have the Scepter To whom Streater replyed That unless Christ came very suddenly he would come too late For this opposition Cromwell looks on him as his mortal Enemy and claps him up into the Gate-House The Junto was very sensible of these Actings but knew not which way to prevent them yet they did what they could to make these Officers understand the inconveniences that would happen by a sudden dissolving them and that it would be the only way to preserve the Nation to fill up the House with new elected Members which would please the people and their Acts would be received with greater Authority But the Army answered them they were grown so carnal and corrupt that the people of God could expect no good from them and that they would take care that the supreme Government of the Land should be placed in the hands of such as truly feared God and were of approved integrity These Debates between the Parliament and the Army spun out some time at the Junto went about cunningly to secure themselves by preparing an Act for the filling up their House wherein such speed was made that it was near passing the House Cromwell being nettled resolves to stay no longer and to his Council of Officers he shewed That if they should let the people to chuse new Representatives it was a tempting of God who would save them by the hands of a few as in former times and that five or six godly upright men might do more in one day than the Parliament had done or would do in a hundred Upon this he takes with him Lambert Harrison and about eight more Officers of the Army and on the three and twentieth day of April 1653 he enters the House and there after a short
Hand and into the hands of his own Creatures of the Councel of State altogether ruled by him and therefore it may be wondred at that he did not immediately seize the Crown and set himself in the Throne which he now aspired to But things were not yet ripe and the subtil Fox found such a Levelling party in the Army which he saw must first be Crushed who would never indure it for they were for dividing and sharing all as a Land subdued by them among themselves and for owning no Authority but the Saints who were themselves These begin to rip up the Miscarriages of the Parliament and Cromwell to make them the more Odious puts them upon all Things he believed would make them so to the People and Army One of which was the new Erection of their most Tyrannical Court of Justice for the Tryal of some of the Lords and others whom they had still imprisoned for their Loyalty The first was Duke Hamilton who had invaded England as you have heard with him they at first deal gently hoping to have screw'd out of him the Names of some Eminent men in England that they thought might have invited him in But he either not able or willing in that point to give them Satisfaction and finding the Scots and Argile's party to hate him and to desire his Head he was Condemned tho he pleaded he had Quarter given him by Lambert upon Articles and would have given a hundred Thousand pound to save his Life After him was also tryed and Condemned the Earl of Holland and that most Noble and Heroick Peer the Lord Capel who had escaped out of the Tower but was retaken by means of a perfidious Water-man ever after hated for it He pleaded Articles of surrender but that was denyed him then he pleaded to be tryed at Common-Law put them in mind of Magna Charâ—a Petition of right and of the Fundamental Laws of the Land and that of right he ought to be tryed by his Peers urging them to shew a President of any such Tryal by an Arbitrary Court of Justice as they called it He talk'd to deaf Statues for he was too gallant a Man and too Active and Loyal to be permitted to Live On the 9 th of March these three Lords Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland and this Noble Lord much lamented were put to Death on a Scaffold in the Pallace-yard in Westminster by severing their Heads from their Bodies It is remarkable that this Lord dyed with much Courage and Christianity being nothing daunted at Death The Earl of Norwich and Sr. John Owen were pardoned by Vote of the House the Earl of Norwich having his Life by the casting Voyce of Lenthal the Speaker only Thus they proceed dipping their hands in Blood growing thereby more Odious to the People and about this time the Scots begin to stir and made a Protest against the Actions of the Parliament of England and on the third of February proclaim the King by the name of Charles the second at Edenborough by Lyon King at Arms. The Scotch Commissioners who had been long here were called home and at their departure they left an Expostulary Declaration putting the Junto in mind of all their Vows and Oaths in maintenance of the Kings Rights and defence of his Person and upbraided them with their shameful Abjuration and Infringment of them by their late horrid Proceedings This paper they Vote Scandalous and Seditious imprison the Messâ—nger who brought it and sending after the Commissioners secure them till the Parliament in Scotland send to justifie the Action and require their Commissioners being imprisoned Contrary to the Law of Nations upon which they were permitted to depart into Scotland and thus Jealousies of a breach began Troublesome John Lilburn an Active Leveller began now to stir delivering a Petition in the Names of many Thousand well affected c. with a Book intituled Englands new Chains discovered in which they find fault with many things done by this Junto and especially the Councel of State and with the erecting an high Court of Justice and altering the Fundamental Laws of the Land for Tryals by Juries Complain of the Excise and of several other things And after this another called a second Part of Englands new Chains which shewed the Hypocrisie and Perfidiousness of the Grandees of the Army and the Councel of State in Cheating all Interests King Parliament People Soldiers City Agitators Levellers c. Upon the back of this comes forth another Book called the Hunting of the Fox which spake against the Army and Councel of State set up by Cromwell and Ireton to erect a new Tyranny worse than the thirty Tyrants at Athens the Star-Chamber the High Commission or house of Lords c. These coming forth one upon the Neck of another shewed the troublesome Spirit that began to ferment in the Army which was now to be Purged as well as the Parliament had been or else Cromwell found he should not be able to work them to his ends And now he had an opportunity offerr'd him for Ireland being in a manner wholly lost excepting Dublin then besieged eleven Regiments were ordered by the Rump to be Transported for its relief by which means Cromwell hoped to purge out this Turgent humour of the Army But some of these bold Petitioners were seized and tryed by a Councel of War of which Barksted was President in which they were Cashiered the Army their Swords ordered to be broken over their Heads and to Ride with their Faces to the Horses Tails with Papers of their Crimes pinned to their Breasts at the head of the Regiments which Sentence was executed accordingly to the great Exasperation of the Army And not long afâ—er several Regiments began to Mutiny and to wear White Colours for distinction in their Hats which might have proved fatal to Cromwell's designs had he not with an undaunted Boldness at that time appearing in Person overawed them and causing two of them to be shot to Death before their Faces But this could not purge out the Humour which 〈◊〉 increasing two more of the Levelling Tribe were 〈◊〉 one of which was named Lockyer a Trooper shot in St. Paul's Church-yard but buried in great State by the 〈◊〉 Faction wearing green and black Ribbons in â—â—â—ir Hats And now the peoples Eyes daily began 〈◊〉 be opened finding what Keepers of Englands Liberties they had got The Regiments ordered to march at Salisbury make an Eruption alledging that this was a Trick to divide the Army and that they were not Mereenaries but took up Arms upon a righteous Principle of Government and therefore would not divide upon which several Regiments revolt and Collonel Scroop's laid aside their Officers and with Colours flying march'd to joyn Harrison's Regiment and Ireton's and Skippon's who had confederated But Fairfax and Cromwell by hasty marches with the whole Army follow them who at Burford in Oxford-shire made up about five Thousand Horse and Foot
follow his design in marching for England and whilst Cromwell went about to set upon S. Johnston's that he might make himself Master of the Pass at Sterlin which he took after a days siege the King marches for England from Sterlin by the way of Carlile with about sixteen thousand complete This News gave Cromwell an allarm and immediately he dispatches a Messenger with Letters to his Masters in England to inform them of it and to comfort them believing they would entertain no pleasant thoughts thereat giving them an account of his successes and that they should have confidence in God and should improve the best they could what Forces they had in readiness and should raise more and not be afraid for the Enemy was heart-smitten and were in a desperate condition with such like stuff In the mean time he orders Major General Harrison and Collonel Rich who were on the Borders to attend the motion of the King's Army until he were able to come up to them with his Forces The Parliament notwithstanding his canting Leâ—ters began to be jealous of him and spoke big words against him which came to his ears and which he remembred afterwards to their cost In the mean time Lambert with about three thousand Horse and Dragoons is speeded after the King and presently after Cromwell himself follows the same day the King enters England which was on the sixth of August having departed from Sterlin the last of July On his entring into England he was proclaimed as he went and pardon offered to all sorts of persons excepting Cromwell Bradshaw Cook and some others the most immediate Murtherers of his Father At the same time a Party in North-Wales began to rise to joyn with the Earl of Darby but were broken and disappointed The King with his wearied Men on the two and twentieth of August comes to Worcester being beset before and behind by the new raised Forces Cromwell Lambert and Harrison The Militia of London and of several Counties flock to Worcester so that by that time Cromwell was come up to them they had formed an Army of forty thousand men or more The Earl of Darby brought to the King two hundred and fifty foot and sixty Horse and having raised about twelve hundred more in Lancashire and those parts he was engaged by Lilburn and routed and several persons of Quality taken By this time Cromwell had close begirt Worcester and the King's Party beheld themselves in a very bad condition hemm'd in on all sides with numerous Foes and now too late saw their error of not marching directly to London which was dreaded by the Junto and which was earnestly desired and expected by the Londoners who wanted only a fuller security of shewing their inclinations for the King being over-awed and hindered through fear from declaring But God did not see it good that the King should be brought to the Throne by any other hand than that of Peace and by his own Subjects of England intending to shew him a more immediate care of his miraculous providence in his preservation and that he might not be subject to the Presbyterians for their assistance nor beholden to them for his Crown he was resolved to bring him in after a more glorious manner Nothwithstanding the great disadvantages the Scots were in they were resolved with much courage to sell their lives as dear as they could and that the English should not find it an easie purchase The first considerable Engagement was at Upton Bridge on Fleetwood's side who was Lieutenant General of the Army where Lambert with five hundred Horse and Dragoons beat Collonel Massy who endeavoured to maintain it But the fatal day was on the third of September auspicious to Cromwell the last year in his fight at Dunbar It is not my design to draw you the Scheme of the Battel intending only in these Papers to shew more particularly things of another nature this Action has been sufficiently made known therefore I shall only very briefly mention it The Scots to give them their due and the little handful of English that were with them fought bravely and shewed great courage and resolution disputing every Field with their numerous Enemies and coming to the But-end of their Muskets and Push of Pike with them covering the Field where they stood with their Bodies The King in person charged in one of the Sallies from the Town shewing extraordinary Valour Conduct and Courage in which Charge Duke Hamilton Brother to the Duke that was beheaded was shot and died suddenly after of his Wound But towards the Evening the English charging most furiously with Cromwell in the head of them enter'd with the retreating Scots into the Town and possessed themselves of the Fort Royal Then it was the King with the Duke of Buckingham the Earl of Derby and some others and about sixty Horse fled being narrowly miss'd by Cobbet but the Foot falling to plunder the Town which they did with great barbarity kept out the Horse for fear they should share with them which favoured his Majesties Escape who got that night to White-Ladies where he was disguised and all the rest departing several ways he was committed to the fidelity of the Pendrills being in the disguise of a Wood-Cutter with a Bill in his hand and for some time lay hid in the Celebrated Oak in Boscobâ—l Wood thence conveyed to Mr. Whitegrave's at Mosely whence as a Servant to Mrs. Jane Lane he went to Bristol but missing a passage there after many signal Marks of God's Providence in his miraculous Escape at least fifty several persons having been made privy to it he at last with the Lord Wilmâ—t embarked at Brightemsted in Suffex and was carried over by one Tetersell Master of the Vessel who afterwards was a Captain of one of his Majesties Frigats and got safe to Diep in France to the great joy of all his Friends The Scots lost in this Battel about two thousand slain upon the place and in the pursuit and about eight thousand Prisoners very few of the Scots got back to Scotland being known by their Tongue and pick'd up in their return by the Country most of the Nobility and chiefest Commanders were taken and carried Prisoners to London with all their Ensigns many of the chiefest Prisoners of the Nobility were kept in Windsor-Castle till the King's Restoration the Colours were hanged up in Westminster-Hall and several of the common Soldiers sold to Merchants and sent away as Slaves to the Barbadoes and other Plantations Comwell himself in great triumph passes to London being met at Acton by the Speaker and Members of the Junto the Lord Mayor of London and Steel their Recorder who in a flattering Speech applauded his great Atchievments applying to him the words of the Psalmist To bind their kings in chains and their nobles in fetters of iron And now the way to the ambitioned Throne seem'd open few Obstacles remaining except the Junto themselves which he had made so
part of my draught of Arbitrary Government under the Power and Tyranny of that noâ—orious Usurper Oliver I shall now proceed to the second Act of this Tragical Usurpation and expose to your view the Tyrannick Usurpation of Oliver Cromwell who now as General of the Armies of England Scotland and Ireland had the full and sole Authority Power and Government of the Three Nations in his hands Yet this would not serve his turn he must have some splendid Title and Royal Ensigns to shew he reigned not by the Power of the Sword which would render him odious to the People though in effect it was the same thing But there is much in State and Ceremony especially where lawful right is not to give a lustre and the name of King with the Ornament of a Crown is the thing ambitioned or some thing like it is to be had if the other could not be obtained But this is not yet to be reach'd he must proceed methodically and like the Tyrant Richard the Third intreated much to accept of what he greatly desired The first thing Oliver does after he had thrust the Rump-Parliament out of doors was to put forth a Declaration of the Reasons for Dissolving the Long Parliament who had designed to perpetuate themselves desiring all good people to seek God for him that he might not doe any thing to dishonour his Name and that they should peaceably follow their Vocations as when the Parliament was sitting and that all Judges Sheriffs Justices of the Peace Mayors Bayliffs and other Civil Officers and Publick Ministers whatsoever should proceed in their Offices and Places and that the Writs should run in the same stile as before of the Keepers of the Liberty of England And then out of his Chief Officers of the Army and his Confidents he Creates a Council of State who were to manage all affairs till a Parliament could be called Thus the Laws and Liberties of the People and the whole Civil State and Government of England depended upon the Sword and the Arbitrary Will and Pleasure of a General and some few of his Military Officers These men to ingratiate themselves with the people lessen the Monthly Tax from 120000 l. to 90000 l. a Month and to keep fair with the Presbyterian who yet kept up their form of Church-worship and the most of one publick perswasion they prohibited all disturbances in the Church which was then frequent and the Phanaticks Licentiousness in the Army which swarmed with Anabaptists Ranters Quakers Seekers and other strange new Lights and who were set a madding after the possession of the remaining Revenue of Church-Lands Tythes Glebe Impropriations often addressing to that purpose as no remains of Dagon might be left Oliver at this time also was Courted by the French Ambassador Burdoe in the behalf of his Master lest he should favour his Rebels and which he gave him assurance he would not doe and though solicited on the other side he would not favour Enemies to Monarchy â—â—ready looking upon himself to be a Monarch The Dutch thought now to take the advantage of these Divisions in England and very early got their Fleet to Sea but no great Commotion following thereupon at home they had leasure to look after their Sea-affairs and getting forth the Fleet under Blake Monk and Dean on the second of June 1653 they meet the Dutch on the Coasts of Flanders Commanded by Van Tromp in chief and under him the two Eversons de Wit and Ruytier all stout expert and able Sea-men Pen was Vice-Admiral of our Fleet and Lawson Rear-Admiral The Dutch had One hundred and four Men of War Twelve Galliots and Nine Fire-Ships the English had One hundred Ships of all sorts Monk and Dean were in one Ship the Fight begun about Eleven of the Clock at Noon and the first Broad-side from the Enemy carried away General Dean being shot in two by a Cannon Bullet close by Monk's side who flinging a Cloak over his body bid the Soldiers to mind their business and unconcerned apply'd himself to the Battel continued with much fury on both sides as long as they had light The next morning Monk finding himself near the Dutch they again furiously engaged each other and Monk pressed so hard upon them that he sunk six of their best Ships and two others were blown up and eleven Ships taken and One thousand three hundred and fifty Prisoners and had not the Dutch got upon the Flats near Calais and Dunkirk where our great Ships could not come at them most of their Fleet had been ruined or taken The English had not one Ship lost or disabled and excepting General Dean but one Captain lost and about One hundred and fifty Men and few hurt General Blake came not in till towards the end of the Fight with Eighteen fresh Ships This was the sixth Engagement with the Dutch in this Wâ—â— The English Fleet â—â—e before the Texel and the Vly and now let the Dutch see they were Conquerors which so humbled them that they sent away a Vessel with a white Flag for England with a Messenger to prepare way for two Ambassadors to Treat of Peace however that they might make it on easier terms they prepare with all speed they can to recruit their Fleet and on the Twenty-ninth of July following in the morning the English discry them again with One hundred and twenty five Sail of Ships divided into four Squadrons under Tromp Everson Ruyteâ— and Wit Wittens The English Fleet consisted of Onâ— hundred and six Ships under the Command of Monk in chief for Blake was sick Pen Vice-Admiral and Lawson Rear-Admiral the Battel began by six in the morning and continued till night parted them and the next morning again both fell to it with that bloody fury that they made the most cruel Fight that ever was Orders being given neither to give nor take quarter Everson's Ship was sunk and he taken and the famous Van Tromp shot with a Musket-bullet and slain on the poop of his Ship whereby his men were so daunted that hoisting out all the Sail they could they made away to the Texel The English bought this Victory dear having lost Four hundred Men and Eight Captains and Seven hundred wounded with Five Commanders yet lost but one Ship On the Dutch side was lost besides their Admiral Tromp Thirty-three Ships or more out of which the English saved swiming in the Sea Twelve hundred Men and Five Captains Monk returning victorious with their Prisoners to Solebay where he stayed not long e're he returned to ply upon the Dutch Coasts and to disturb their Trade and to let them see the English were their Conquerors This was the seventh and last Engagement in this â—ar For now the Dutch having enough of iâ— made a Peace with Cromwell which he migâ—â— have had almost upon any terms had he not been so greedy of setting himself up in the Throne beginning also to grow jealous of the great Actions of
blast so dishonest an attempt I shall not determine but Englishmen never received such a foil and by so few enemies since they wore the name for having lost near a thousand Men by an handful of Spaniards Negro's and Molatto's they were fain to retreat and losing all hopes of getting the Spanish Gold most shamefully return to their Ships and that they might be said to doe something they set upon Jamaica and take it and which we have kept ever since Venables after his return was frowned upon by Oliver and for a while sent to the Tower but afterwards was released The Hopes of this Gold had made Oliver King it very much being served with much State and Ceremony He had his Halberdeers in garded grey Coats over whom Strickland was Captain His Lord Chamberlain who was Sir Gilbert Pickering Two Masters of Requests Mr. Bacon and Mr. Sadler and the Master of his Horse his Son Cleypool and all other Officers of Honour both to his own Person and his Wives who very finically acted the Princess White-Hall and Hampton-Court he had saved from sale for his own convenience The baffle at St. Domingo and the loss of his hopes of his Gold made him now project some other ways to fill his Cofers to maintain his Greatness his merry devil left him and he began daily to grow more austere and tyrannical being full of fears and jealousies as he had reason for he had not only the Royal party against him whom he kept under with much cruelty but the Commonwealths-men of his own party and the Fifth-Monarchy-men countenanced by Harison were highly displeased with him and began to Conspire against him He therefore lays Harison and Rich aside and not long after he Committed them with Carew and Courtney into several remote Castles Overton was seized in Scotland with Bramstone Holmes and other Officers who were cashiered fined and good security taken for their good behaviour Overton was sent to the Tower and his Regiment given to Col. Morgan Okey's Regiment also was taken from him and given to another Joyce had the confidence to upbraid his Highness to his face but escaped unpunished Cromwell saying he was a Mad-man About this time he began to interest himself for the Protestants abroad and to be their Protector The Protestant Subjects of the Duke of Savoy in the Vallies of Piedmont having been cruelly treated by that Prince for their Religion Cromwell sends to make application in their behalf but his Messengers being slighted he caused Contributions for their relief to be made throughout England and Viner and Pack were made Treasurers for the Money by which means a considerable summ was Collected but what share they had of it is not known The Spanish War now Commenced apace Cromwell resolving not to hearken to Peace nor to the restitution of three Ships he had taken of the King of Spain's before he had declared War pretending them Hambourgers and Confiscating them being laden with pieces of Eight to the sum of Four hundred thousand pounds Sterling which was minted in the Tower though the Spanish Ambassador Alâ—nso de Cardenas protested against it and did all he could to hinder the injustice which was returned on our Merchants by that Kings seizing on their effects in Spain and by the loss of 1500 English Ships great and small taken from us in this War as appeared afterwards according to the report made in Richard's Parliament This sum of money being spent he had with his Privadoes thought of another way of recruit which like their Usurpation was the most Barbarous and Arbitrary as ever was heard of See now what was become of the Liberties of English men when he following the Example of the Grand Seignior set over the Land a company of Bashaws with the same power under a new title of Major-Generals He had Canton'd England and Wales into 11 Provinces joyning the Counties together for the convenience of this Turkish sway over every one of which he appointed a Governour or Bashaw called by him a Major-General The Names of these Tyrannick Princes were Kelsy Goff Desborow Fleetwood Skippon Whaly Butler Berry Worsley Lambert and Barkstead who was also Lieutenant of the Tower These in their respective Principalities lived like petty Princes or Bashawes domineering and lording it over both Nobility and Gentry and according to the Command and Order of their Grand Seignior Oliver Cromwell which was then esteemed Law all the poor Cavaliers that is all such who had served in the Wars for King Charles the first and also all those that had declared themselves for his Son King Charles the second our now Sovereign were by these Bashaws to be decimated that is the tenth part of their Estates were to be taken from them besides banish'd from London and within 20 miles of the same disarm'd and prohibited to be Elected into any Parliament And as for the Clergy they were turned out of their Livings and kept from all other way of livelihood unless they would work with their hands so that many were ready to starve for they were prohibited any Cure or to be Chaplains to any or to keep School The power of these Decimators was great and boundless Oppressing Robbing Spoyling and Decimating whom they pleased according to their own Arbitrary Will for none durst say Why do you thus They kept a Roll of all persons within their Precincts and if they suspected any to favour the King he was called to account by these Military-Lords and Caution taken by them to keep them from acting against the State binding them to reveal all Plots that should come to their knowledge and made them engage the like for their servants They also hindred them from their disports and prohibited all Horse-races Cock-fighting Bull-baiting or any thing that should cause a Concourse of People and those who refused were presently imprisoned and decimated so that the free people of England were become as absolute Slaves as those living under the Turkish Government where none can call any thing his own By this means the Usurper easily informed himself of the value of all the Estates in England and of the behaviour and affection of every Person of Quality throughout the Kingdom Such vast Powers were given to these Major-Generals that there was nothing they might not doe and indeed did not doe they using it to the full And for this purpose these Major-Generals had an office in Fleetstreet in London as other Courts had where their Recognances were enter'd and all other concerns and dependances belonging to them recorded or register'd Of some they took yearly the 10 th penny of others they took a sum of money for Composition usually at three years purchase which many were willing to pay who had money rather than to be continually troubled with them And now the year 1656 Commencing which by the Instrument was a Parliamentary-year in July Oliver issues out his Writs for his second Parliament to sit on the 17 th of September
Sceptre-bearers That the Sword was not only a Military but a Civil Sword a Sword rather of defence than of offence to defend himself and his people Upon which he would presume to write this Motto Ego sum Domini Protectoris ad protegendum Populum Meum I am the Lord Protectors to protect my People This being ended he gave the Protector his Oath on the Bible and Mr. Manton made a Prayer wherein he recommended the Protector the Parliament the Army and Government to God which done the Trumpets sounded and the Heraulds proclaimed him Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging After which he returned in great State the Lord Sherrard and the Lord Roberts his eldest Son carrying his Train The Pageantry being finished the House having done like good Boys have leave to play for returning to their House they adjourn themselves to the 20 th of January following Being thus setled in his Dignity he began to live more splendidly and like a King having a very full Court and after a Monarchical Manner all his Officers of State Steel was made Chief Baron and Lambert Warden of the Cinque-Ports but that would not satisfie him for he was not a little disgusted that Cromwell had power given him to nominate his Successor and he now plainly perceived his Intentions of setling the Succession in his Children for which he now resolves if he can to ruine him with the Army But Cromwell is vigilant and had on the 19 th of April at a certain house in Shoreditch taken several of the Champions of the Fifth-Monarchy men among whom was one Venner a Preaching Wine-Cooper Ashton Gowler Hopkins and Gray their Scribe these were to have risen and with them was taken a considerable quantity of Arms and their Standard with a Lyon-Couchant Guiles in a Field Argent with this Motto Who shall rouse him The late Vice-Admiral Lawson and Major Danvers were secured As also Major Wildman who was taken at Marlborow drawing up a Declaration against him and clapt up in order to his Tryal And hearing of private Subscriptions to Petitions and Addresses to the Parliament carrying on in the Army against Kingship he peremptorily sent to them to desist upon their peril and so over-aw'd and dasht them that they durst not go on with their attempt There was no body now very considerable of their own party that could give him any disturbance but Lambert and to secure himself against him he followed the example Lambert had set him before in securing himself against the Rump Parliament and caused all the Army by his Privado's Regiment after Regiment to subscribe Addresses Congratulating his legal Authority and declaring their readiness to stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes This year on the 20 th of April 1657 that great action of General Blake was performed against the Spaniards at Santa Cruze in the Island of Tenarif where he burnt their whole West-India Ships being 16 in number notwithstanding they were barracado'd in the Haven and defended by a Castle well fortified and 7 Forts and got forth of their Haven without any loss for which considerable service the Protectâ—r and Parliament ordered him a Jewel of 500 l. and gratuities to the other Officers and Soldiers But this Valiant and Renowned Seaman did not long out-live this his memorable exploit dying at Sea as he was entring the sound of Plymouth Never any Seaman performed so many Actions redounding to the Glory of the English Nation as he did and it was his only misfortune that he serv'd not a lawfull Prince And now the 20 th of January being come at which time the Parliament was to re-assemble they met accordingly but they now were quite another thing than what they were before for according to the Clause in the Petition and Advice That the persons legally Chosen should not be secluded but by the consent of the House those Members that Cromwell had before kept out by force were now re-admitted though against his mind who presently gave him a disturbance Then according to their new Model there was the other House for as yet they did not dare to call it a House of Lords which consisted of his chiefest Favourites of the Army-Officers and others and many pick'd out of the House of Commons some of them being of the excluded Commonwealths-men whom he hoped to draw to his party by this obligation about half a score likewise of the old Nobility were nominated thinking to draw them in but they refused to come The Houses being thus altered in their Constitution quickly let Cromwell see he was deceived in his hopes for Hazelrig and others disdaining his proffer'd Baronage took their seats in the Commons House where they thought they should doe more good and by which means the Commonwealths-men grew so high that the other House was not taken notice of but fell to questioning all their fellows had done during their Seclusion and had the Messages of the other House in contempt and derision And now the Humble Petition and Advice was like to be overthrown The news of their proceedings so inraged the mind of Oliver seeing his great Hopes of being King so suddenly dasht that contrary to the advice of his Council he goes to them and for haste takes an Hackney-Coach and entring into the other House and standing under a Canopy of State he sends for the Commons to come to him who being come with much eagerness made them a long Speech which being remarkable I shall recite some few heads That the Lord was his witness his desires of carrying on the affairs of the Nation were for the ends of Mercy Truth Righteousness and Peace which he desired might be improved That there was not a Man or Woman treading upon English Ground could say that he sought the place of Protector but he thought the Nations happy therein But that he was Petitioned thereunto by them who had the Legislative Power to take up a burthen too heavy for any creature therefore did look they should make it good to him That he could say in the presence of God before whom they were all but poor creeping Ants upon the Earth he had rather have kept sheep than undertook such a place of Government as that was That he had told them he would not undertake it unless he might have men that should go between him and the House of Commons to prevent tumultuary spirits which was granted and he had named another House and that it was not Titles or Lords that they valued but a Christian and English Interest who would be a ballance to them and themselves and of their own rank and quality whilst they loved England and Religion That he thought he had been doing his duty and that they would be satisfied but if they were too high and too low they would not be satisfied That God knew he had taken an Oath upon condition expressed in the Government and thought he had been upon a sure
and perceiving them might not in the same age at least run into the like nor pull the like fatal consequences upon their heads as Usurpation and Arbitrary Rule and Tyranny either in many or in one which God avert and send peace and tranquility in our dayes But yet the Memory of this Man is adored by many to this day and he is the Idol of some who will yet speak great things of him though without reason and putting our decay of trade upon the present ill management of affairs when indeed it is but the consequence of our Civil Wars and the great expence of Money drained away from the Royalists the vast sums raised on the people by Taxes Assessments and Excise which coming into the Soldiers pockets they set it going into motion which with the vast sums raised on the sale of the Kings Queens Princes Bishops and Delinquents Lands made a flood of money for the present and nothing of want then appeared which was the effect rather of the Tyrant's rapacity than good management for when this glut began to fall again into the private sinks of rich men who lived by the use of money and others who had any great sums fallen to their shares fearing the iniquities of the times and knowing no man could promise himself to be long master of his own especially money where the Will of the Tyrant was Law and whom to disoblige was fatal they remitted vast sums for their security into the bank in Holland making them rich by trading with our money whilst we sat contented with 3 l. per cent for to be secure so that our trade fell and in some time after a scarcity of money appeared which such who only look on the present time and considered not truly the reason attributed to the ill management of the present Governour or of those who sat at the Helm And therefore we may say that the low ebb of Trade in our time had its beginning in Oliver's time And we may likewise consider that in his short Usurpation which was but four years and nine months there was shewn so much Tyranny Oppression and Injustice as excepting the time of the Rumps sitting was not to be parallell'd in any of the Kings since the Conquest Besides in his latter dayes when his fears began to render him cruel he valued neither honesty or honour when they stood in the way of his Ambition and therefore to me 't is a wonder for what it was they admired this Man and must be caused either by partiality or ignorance As for his Politicks his Peace with France and his War with Spain was certainly against the Interest of England in lessning the latter and making the former too great for Christendom and loosing the ballance which England ought carefully to keep between those two Monarchs And then his impolitick Peace with the Dutch on so easie terms when brought with great expence of English Blood and Treasure to that extremity that England mought have had what terms they would so that the whole world thought him infatuated in losing so great an opportunity of doing good to this Nation Then there is nothing more certain that all the Persecution that hath since hapned in France of that King's Protestant Subjects was the effects of his joyning in a League with France at that time by which means that King humbled Spain and made way for his Conquests in Flanders since atchieved and inabled him to subdue all Factions at home which were then arising and brought him into a condition to need none of them being grown since the scourge and terrour of Christendom His shamefull defeat at Hispaniola with the loss of 1500 Merchants Ships to the Spaniard in that War as was made appear to Richard's Parliament and in his spending such vast sums of money and yet leaving a vast debt upon the Kingdom as appeared by the Accounts brought into Richard's Assembly may stand in ballance against his Victories and shew that he was not always successfull and that he had not managed his affairs with that frugality and wisedom as some have thought he did when as by his own accounts it appeared notwithstanding the great incomes he had and the many Parliamentary supplies he had contracted a debt of no less than 1900000 l. As for his Tyranny and Oppression 't is needless to mention it that may be seen throughout this History Yet I cannot but instance here that injustice of his to John Lilburn who had been tryed for his Life by the Long Parliament and acquitted and by them discharged yet because Oliver knew him a dangerous man and one that might give him a trouble caused him to be tryed a second time and though then also cleared by the Law yet according to his own Arbitrary Will against Law and with all injustice and cruelty imaginable kept him close Prisoner so long that he was almost consumed by sickness that he turned him out only to dye Again What greater injustice could there be than that shown to Mr. Cony who being a Prisoner at Cromwell's Suit and being brought to the King 's or upper Bench-bar as they call'd it by an Habeas Corpus causes his Counsel to be violently taken from the Bar and sent to the Tower for no other reason than the Pleading his Clients Cause such an Act of violence as cannot be parallell'd in all the History of England Yet this blessed man is admired As for his ingratitude that appeared to Sir Henry Vain who above all persons in the world was the cause of his advancement and had long espoused his Interest yet he studied to destroy him both in his Life and Estate because he would not adhere to his perjury and falseness And because Vain opposed him he imprison'd him and would have proceeded farther against him In Richard's Assembly upon the complaint of several Prisoners kept close in the Tower many being sent away most inhumanely and sold for Slaves beyond Seas the Lieutenant being sent for and demanded by what Authority he had kept those in his custody so long Prisoners he produced a Paper written all with Oliver's own hand in which were these words Sir I pray you seize such and such persons and all others whom you shall judge dangerous men doe it quickly and you shall have a Warrant for it after you have done Upon which Richard's Assembly Voted this Commitment of the Complainants to be illegal unjust and Tyrannical as no doubt it was This was a spice of his Justice whereby any man was rendred obnoxious not only to himself but to the malice or spleen of his Lieutenant though he were never so innocent And at this rate he might take up and imprison whom he pleased and no man was in safety and that by the chief Governour 's Warrant who by Law can Commit no man by his own Warrant And this too without any cause shewn why or wherefore And the same men Voted that those banish'd or sent away were unjustly
being thus encouraged by his actions nine of the old Council of State get privatly together viz Scot Morley Reignalds Wollop Nevill Hazlerig Walton Cooper and Berners who send a letter to Monk assuring him that his service was highly acknowledged by them in asserting their Liberties and also was extreamly well resented by all the sober and uninterested persons in the nation that love a Common Wealth assureing him they would adhere to him and stand and fall with him and that they would assist him with all their might for the removeing of the force was put upon them by the English Armie thIt they might sit in freedom praiseing his wisdom and conduct and the like This was no small incouragement to the Officers in Scotland for they might rationally conclude that their party was increased in England or else that they would not have so openly acted This before-mentioned Council of State framed a Commission wherein they constituted General Monk absolute Commander in Cheif of the Armies in England and Scotland dated 24 of November sealed with their seal and given to Clarges to send by a safe messenger to Monk And now General Monk upon Lamberts advance into Northumberland ordered a considerable part of his forces towards Berwick and then caused an Assembly of the Nobles and Gentry to convene at Edenburg to whom he made these proposals That he having a call from God and man to march into England they would therefore during his absence preserve and secure the peace of that Nation That they would supply him with some mony for his undertakeing which he engaged upon his honor should be to their satisfaction and that if any troubles should arise they would assist him in the suppressing thereof That they would advance and raise what mony they could for his entreprise before hand To these they returned answer by their chair-man the Earl of Glencarn that they were not in a condition to engage for preserving the peace of the Country in his absence because they wanted Armes Yet they would endeavour it with all faithfullness That they thought it not prudent to engage themselves in a war which if unsuccessfull would be their ruin or if prosperous they knew not what advantage should thereby accrew to them But to shew their good opinion of his fair intendment they were content to levy monies and to advance a year's Tax before-hand Hereupon the General impowred the Lords and Gentry to arme themselves and some of them he privately satisfied with his design and thankfully accepted the year's Tax But yet to win time he holds a second Treaty with Lambert's Commissioners at Newcastle upon Tine where he still insisted with a seeming zealousness upon the readmission of the Rumpers And this produced its wished effects For whilst Lambert trifles away his time unprofitably Monk posts himself at Cold-stream a notable pass upon the Tweed where he kept his head Quarters and being winter where Lambert could not without danger come to disturb him And on the other side Hazlerig Morly and Walton get into Portsmouth where they prevail with the Governour Col. Nathaniel Whetham and the Garison with the Town to declare for he Junto against the Safety men and Armie Officers and no Contribution could be gotten from the Country who armed themselvs with the late Act of the Rumpers before their exclusion by Lambert and the Counties every where bodly meet to draw Remonstrances but especially the City was so highly incensed that the Lord Mayor Allen was hardly able to restrain them from flying to armes which so perplexed him that not knowing whom to please and fearing bad effects if he should displease either he went to Wallingford House to represent the postures of affairs to the Gang to try if he could persuade them to reason But he was affronted all along as he past in his coach in the streets by the Common people who called him a deserter and told him he was not like Sir William Walworth in the time of King Richard the second which was a notable evidence of the inclination of the Generality In the mean time that we may see and be astonished at the impudence of these men or monsters called the Safety men they had ordered a Committee whom we nominated before as mad as themselves to sit at White-Hall to find out a new Government whose wits being not so accute as their swords were quickly confounded in the building of thir Babel Sometimes they would have a Senate and another time they were for Consâ—rvators which should be much like the Rumping Custodes to keep the Liberties from the people But at last to please the Nation this Mounthain brought forth its Mouse a Vote viz That a convention which they stiled a Parliament qualified according to their humors and elected by persons so qualified should be called and appoynted to sit in or before February next But in the first place 7 fundamental principles are agreed upon by the Walâ—ingssordians which must needs be as unalterable as the Laws of the Medes and Persians These are 1 That no Kingship shall be exercised in these Nations 2 That no single Person shall exercise the Office of Cheif Magistrate here 3 That an Armie be continued maintained and conducted so as it may secure that is imprison the peace of these Nations and by no means be disbanded nor the conduct thereof altered but by the consent of such Conservators as should be appoynted 4 That no imposition may be upon the consciences of any but the Cavaliers 5 That there be no House of Peers 6 That the legislative and executive power be distinct and not in the same hands 7 That the Assemblies of Parliament shall be elected by the people of this Common Wealth duly qualified But these Gimcraks would not satisfie at all But the Treaty still being in hand they were lulled into a security and began after the old manner of the Rumpers to share among themselvs the Cheifest Offices and places of Trust and proffit and to his end Fleetwood Desborow Sydenham Saloway Holland Clerk and Blakwell or any two of them are appointed Commissioners of the Treasurie and to manage the publique revenue with power as large as they could wish or desire But being disturbed with the peoples drawing up of several Petitions and getting Subscriptions issue forth a Proclamation against all such petitioning and call their petitions undue and dangerous papers and prohibit all persons to subscribe any such papers and if offered to suppress them and to cause all persons so endeavouring to get subscriptions to be apprehended upon account of being enemies and disturbers of the peace Thus you see these very men who had set examples of this nature so frequently by geting Subscriptions to Petitions and Remonstrances to the Autority then in Being could not endure it now it twarted their humors and interest and what in themselvs they indulg'd and pleaded for as their right they will abhor and will punish in others Mind therefore