Thomas May Esq Aetatis Sua. 55. A BREVIARY OF THE HISTORY Of the Parliament Of ENGLAND Expressed in three PARTS 1. The Causes and Beginnings of the Civil War of England 2. A short mention of the Progress of that Civil War 3. A compendious Relation of the Original and Progress of the Second Civil War First written in Latine after done into English By Thomas May Esq The Second Edition LONDON Printed by J. Cottrel for Thomas Brewster at the three Bibles neer the West-end of Pauls 1655. The Causes and Beginnings OF The Civil War of England OF the Parliament of England and beginning of that sad War which for so many yeers raged within the bowels of a distressed Kingdom whosoever will write though never so briefly must of necessity premise somewhat touching the Causes according to the state of the affairs and times of assembling that Parliament And though the condition of Scotland and Ireland were during that time no whit happier which being subject to the same King were exposed to the same Calamity our discourse especially shall be of England as the noblest Kingdom and the Royal Seat from whence the distemper might first arise and be derived to the rest And wonderful it may seem how great the distemper of that Government was which ingendered so great a disease how great the malignity of that disease to which a Parliament was not sufficient Medicine Fourty yeers old was King Charles and fifteen yeers had he reigned when this Parliament was called so long had the Laws been violated more then under any King the Liberties of the people invaded and the authority of Parliament by which Laws and Liberties are supported trodden under foot which had by degrees much discontented the English Nation For the King within the first four yeers of his Reign had called three Parliaments and soon dissolved them all before they could any way benefit the Commonwealth or redress the least grievance of the People In the second he granted and signed the Petition of Right but suddenly breaking up that Parliament he acted the same things in violation of Laws which he had done before So that it was manifest that the Peoples Liberties by grant of that Petition were not fortified but utterly overthrown and it appeared neither Laws themselves could give protection nor the Kings Faith security to the People After the dissolution of the third Parliament men were forbidden by Proclamation to speak any more of Parliaments In this Interval the people at home were fleeced by Monopolies and many ways exacted upon by illegal Taxes abroad scarce any Negotiations were made but such as were destructive to Religion and the Commonwealth In the beginning of his Reign an unhappie and dishonorable Expedition was made against the Spaniard to surprise Cales another more sad then that against the French in the following yeer at the Isle of Rhee but that of all other was most destructive to the Protestant Religion that King Charles not long before that time had lent a strong Navie to the King of France by whose force the Protestants Ships through all France were vanquished and scattered and the miserable Town of Rochel subdued by Famine the worst of all Enemies The King in the mean time by many illegal ways raised money through England large sums of money were exacted throughout the whole Kingdom default of Knighthood under the shadow of an absolute Law Tunnage and Poundage were received without the ordinary course of Law and though they were taken under pretence of guarding the Seas yet that great Tax of Ship-money was set on foot under the same colour c. These things were accompanied with the enlargement of Forests contrary to Magna Charta the forcing of Coat and Conduct-money taking away the Arms of the Trained Bands in many Counties c. Nor was there any remedy left for no Courts of Judicature could give redress to the people for these Illegal sufferings whilst Judges were displaced by the King for not complying with his will and so awed that they durst not do their duties for to hold a Rod over them a clause was altered in their Patents By this time all thoughts of ever having a Parliament were quite banished so many Oppressions set on foot so many illegal actions done that the onely way to justifie all was to do that one greater To take away the means which was ordained to redress them the lawful Government of England by Parliaments Whilst the Kingdom was in this condition the serious and just men of England who were not interessed in these Oppressions could not but entertain sad thoughts of what mischief must needs follow so great an injustice But another sort of men especially Lords and Gentlemen by whom the pressures of Government were not much felt did nothing but applaud the happiness of England calling those ingrateful and factious spirits who complained of the breach of Laws and Liberties that the Kingdom abounded with wealth plenty and all kinde of elegancies more then ever and that it was the honour of a people that their Monarch should live splendidly and not be curbed at all in his Prerogative c. The Courtiers would begin to dispute against Parliaments in their ordinary discourse That they were too injurious to the Kings Prerogative some of the greatest States-men and Privie Councellors would ordinarily laugh at the ancient language of England when the word Liberty of the Subject was named Though the Kingdoms Liberties were thus oppressed yet Peace continued and England seemed happie in that tranquillity until the fatal Coal which afterwards was blown into so great a fire through the three Kingdoms began to be kindled in the yeer 1637. by a designe which the King had upon Scotland which was as pretended to make a Conformity of Church-Worship and Ecclesiastical Government between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland The dignity and pomp of Prelacie had been much of late promoted in England in pursuance whereof many temporal Offices and Honours were conferred upon persons Ecclesiastical many Ceremonies and Innovations brought into the Church and too neer approaches made in some points of Doctrine to the Romish Church and a great contempt thrown upon the other Reformed Churches in Europe Popery seemed to be much countenanced in the Court and by reason of the Queens great power with the King several Nuncio's from the Pope as Panzani Conn and Rosetti had been received with great honour in the Court of England The King had made great preparations for that work in Scotland and bestowed many temporal offices and dignities upon Bishops in that Kingdom In particular 11 of the Scotish Bishops being in all but 14 were made Privie Councellors But this displeased the Scots to whom Episcopacie it self was not acceptable and having been once thrown out of that Kingdom was not restored but by great endeavour and policie of King James A book of Lyturgie was sent by the King into Scotland in the year 1637. with an
express Command that they should read it publikely in their Churches The Scots complained that a thing of so great concernment having not been allowed by their Church in a National Synod should be imposed upon them they complained likewise that it was not the same with the book of England but alterations were made some of them they confessed were for the better but more for the worse Lastly they affirmed that wheresoever that book varies from the English Lyturgie it approaches directly to the Romane Missal and all the parts of Popery are there But the King seemed to excuse those alterations in his great Declaration These are his words which were not satisfactory to the Scots We supposing that they might have taken some offence if We should have tendered them the English Service-book totidem verbis and that some factious spirits would have endeavoured to have misconstrued it as a badge of dependencie of that Church upon this of England which We had put upon them to the prejudice of their Laws and Liberties We held it fitter that a new Book should be composed by their own Bishops in substance not differing from that of England that so the Romane party might not upbraid us with any weighty or material differences in our Lyturgies and yet in some few insensible alterations differing from that it might truely and justly be reputed a Book of that Churches own composing and established by Our Royal authority as King of Scotland This Book of Lyturgie was read as the King commanded in the great Church at Edinburgh but not without a great uproar in which the Bishop that read it hardly escaped The Plebeians first stirred but presently after the Nobility and Ministers publikely avowed their detestation of that Book some therefore were sent to the King to intreat him that he would recal his command concerning it But the King was immoveable and sent another peremptory command for reading of the Book and that all people who came as Petitioners against it should depart from Edinburgh which did but increase the number of Petitioners who intreated the Councel once more to send to the King concerning it in the mean time they much accused their Bishops as the causers of this Innovation The King commanded his Councel to receive no more Petitions from them and sent the Earl of Traquare into Scotland with a Proclamation which was published at Sterlin wherein he declared That the Bishops were wrongfully accused about the Prayer-book that he himself was the Author of it and all done by his Command he condemned their proceedings as tumultuous and denounced the punishment of high-Treason to those who persisted Against this Proclamation the Lords of the Commission protested and so did the Ministers and others justifying their assembly to be lawful as tending to Gods glory the Kings honour and Liberty of the Nation Immediately after they entered into a Solemn Covenant for defence of their Religion and Liberties This Covenant was subscribed not onely by the Nobles but all sorts of men that their number within few months was many thousands the King enraged did by many Messengers condemn that Covenant the Scots defended it What was alleadged on both sides is more largely expressed in that book intituled Tumultus Scotici In June the Marquess Hamilton as Commissioner from the King came to Edinburgh who in vain dealt with the Covenanters to renounce their Covenant but published a Proclamation of the Kings wherein he forbears to press the reading of that Prayer-book upon them and resolved to call both a Parliament and Synod but the Covenanters in their Protestation declare that the Kings grants were not large enough to cure their present distempers and offer some particular Exceptions So great grew the differences and alterations upon several points that the Marquess Hamilton was enforced that yeer to make two journeys into England to the King and at last by the Kings command called a National Synod which accordingly began at Glasco Novemb. 1. but within seven days the Marquess dissolved that Synod alleadging for reasons that they had broken the Laws of a free Synod both in the maner of their Elections and in other businesses during their sitting But they protested against that dissolution and continued their Synod after that the Marquess was gone away and proceeded in such Laws and Decrees as they judged fit for the present State after which they dissolved the Synod and published a Declaration from Edinburgh to all sincere and good Christians in England concerning their innocencie and intentions The King after a sharp Proclamation against the Scots which he commanded to be read in all English Churches raised an Army to subdue them by force in which the Nobles and all Gentlemen his servants were commanded to attend him at York the first of April with Horse and Arms sutable to their degree the Earl of Arundel was made General and a rich and well-appointed Army at that time and place attended the King But the people of England in general abhorred that wicked War as a designe to enslave both Nations and loved the Scots as brethren persecuted by the same power which had long oppressed themselves they likewise hoped that such an occasion might necessitate the King to call a Parliament in England so long wanted there But the King while he could make any other shift how lowe soever and dishonourable would not endure to think of a Parliament The Covenanting Lords of Scotland published a Remonstrance in answer to the Kings Proclamation and wisely provided against all Invasions that might be made upon them on any side they seized the considerable Forts and disarmed all suspected persons without any great trouble electing Sir Alexander Lesly an old Souldier for their General to whom all the Noble men were content to give obedience at which time the King commanded the Parliament of Scotland to dissolve and his command was obeyed But the threatned War did not proceed it pleased God that by the happie mediation of some honest Lords of both Nations and upon a Conference granted that the Pacification was made and solemnly declared on the 18 of June 1639. and both Armies were disbanded within eight and fourty hours The King granted to the Scots a National Synod to begin upon the first of August following and a Parliament to begin on the 24 day of the same month so that both sides peaceably retreated home But when the King had been but a little time at London his heart was again estranged from the Scots and thoughts of peace He commanded by Proclamation that Paper which the Scots avowed to contain the true conditions of the Pacification to be disavowed and burnt by the hands of the Hangman and the honest people of both Nations began to fear another War The King about the beginning of December told the Lords of his Council that he intended to call a Parliament in England to begin in April following which being spread among the people made them almost amazed so
strange a thing was the name of a Parliament grown But rational men did not like it that it should be deferred so long and that preparations for a War with Scotland went on in the mean time They were likewise troubled that the Earl of Strafford Deputy of Ireland a man of deep policie but suspected honesty one whom the King then used as a bosom-Councellor was first to go into Ireland and call a Parliament in that Kingdom besides the King at that time had broken up the Parliament in Scotland which the Scots complained of the business of State depending as a great breach of their Liberties and against the Laws of that Kingdom Upon which they sent some Lords into England to intreat the King to grant them a redress of such Injuries as they had received since the Pacification which were That their Parliament was broken off before any business done That Edinburgh-Castle was Garisoned with far more Souldiers then were needful That Dun-Britain-Castle was Garisoned with English Souldiers That the Scots that traded in England and Ireland were enforced to take new Oaths contrary to their Covenant and altogether contrary to the Articles of Pacification The King imprisoned those Lords sending one of them the Earl of Lowden to the Tower and commanded a Charge of Treason to be drawn against him concerning a Letter which the Scotish Covenanters had written to the King of France for his assistance and Lowden had subscribed but the accusation was frivolous easily answered and came to nothing because those Letters were not sent at all and besides it was before the Pacification upon which an Oblivion of all things was agreed although the King at the beginning of the English Parliament produced that Letter against them as a ground of his second War for now on the thirteenth of April the Parliament of England was begun before which time the Earl of Strafford was returned out of Ireland where he had held a Parliament and gotten four Subsidies The King was very urgent with his Parliament to give money to enable him for a War against Scotland and pay that Army and Officers which he had already raised he demanded twelve Subsidies of them for which he promised to release Shipmoney he promised them that he would afterwards redress the Kingdoms grievances but desired money in the first place to go on with his designed War It was answered by many Members of the House in several Speeches that redress of Grievances was the chiefe end of Parliaments and should go before Subsidies That the King asked a great summe of money for releasing of that which he had no title to hold but had taken illegally by power That the people had no reason to pay for a War which they desired not but abhorred a War not for their good but their own ruine that nothing was so just as to punish the contrivers of that wicked War But so strange was the obedience and complyance of that Parliament towards the King that although the money which he asked was against themselves yet they took the Subsidies into consideration but while they were debating the King whatsoever his reasons were whether he thought it a delay or not came into the House on the fifth of May and dissolved the Parliament The people were grieved in an extraordinary manner to see this Parliament so suddenly broken up and as much to see the King break his word so immmediately upon the dissolution of it for he protested in the House at that time that he would rule for the future as legally as if a Parliament were constantly sitting Yet nevertheless he imprisoned some Members the next day after Mr. Belosis Sir John Hotham and M. Crew he commanded the Lord Brookes his Study his Cabinet and pockets to be searched for Letters He Commanded the Convocation of Divines to continue their sitting an unexampled thing who by authority from him made Canons and imposed Oaths upon the people contrary to their Laws and Liberties The King to defray the charges of this War besides the Contribution of the Clergy and Papists issued out again Writs of Shipmoney in a greater proportion then before he seized the Bullion in the Tower and took up Commodities to be sold again at an under-rate and consulted about Coyning of brass-money but that went not forward But the War went on the Earl of Strafford commanding in chiefe the Earl of Northumberland not being in health who had been appointed General but the Scots had not been backward for having been debarred of their trade and lost their ships by seizure they entered into England with an Army expressing their intentions in writing to the English and bringing with them a Petition to the King But the King in this War found a greater want then that of Money which was the hearts of the Souldiers especially the common Souldiers who could not be easily brought to engage against the Scots as hating the Cause many of them mutinying against their Officers and Commanders which might be one cause that the War proved not so bloody and fatal as it was designed some Skirmishes but not very considerable happened at Newburn and at Dunsian not far from Barwick Thus proceeded this unhappie business until some English Peers Earls and Barons about twenty grieved at the dishonour which England suffered by the unhappie actions of the King made a Petition to him declaring in some part their former sufferings by illegal Government the dissolution of the last and other Parliaments the miserable condicion of the Kingdom at present the sad consequence of this wicked War desiring him to summon a Parliament within some convenient time where the Kingdoms Grievances may be redressed this War composed and the Authors of these wicked counsels punished Upon this Petition the King caused all the Lords to meet at York on the 24. of September And there told them his intention of calling a Parliament with all possible speed which was to begin on the 3. of November It was there also consulted and debated how to end this War upon fair termes and after some time spent between Lords chosen out of both Nations the matter was composed according to these Articles 1. A Truce or cessation of Arms was made for two moneths till the 16. of December 2. That 850. li. a day should be paid to the Scots during that Truce 3. That if it were not paid the Scots might force it from the Counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and Durham 4. That those Counties should be allowed the Scots for their Winter-quarters 5. No new preparations for War to be made 6. That private Injuries should not break the Truce so satisfaction were made upon complaint 7. That Merchants might freely traffique in either Kingdomes without letters of safe conduct but Souldiers without leave might not pass their limits Thus was the state of things altered and that VVar which was intended for an enslavement of both Nations became the bond of Concord between them and
were drawn up and read against them in the House of Commons for in December before when the debate had been concerning Ship-money and the offence of those Judges who had given their extrajudicial opinions for it was examined upon which the Lord Keeper Finch fled the thing was condemned as most illegal Three Judges had been honest Judge Crook Hutton and Baron Denham whose Arguments were very famous the other were examined by sixteen Members of the House of Commons who were appointed to present those particular Charges against every Judge who were Judge Bramston Baron Trever Baron Weston Baron Davenport and Judge Crawley for Judge Barclay was charged with high Treason Of this a certain Gent. spake as followeth The Root of most of our present mischiefs the ruine of all posterity do I hold to be that extrajudicial Judgment I cannot say but rather doom delivered by all the Judges under their hands out of Court yet recorded in all Courts to the subversion of all our Fundamental Lawes Liberties and Annihilation if not Confiscation of our Estates That in case of danger the King may impose upon his subjects that he is the sole Judge of the danger necessity and proportion which in brief is to take what when and where he will which though delivered in the time of a gracious merciful Prince who we hope will not wrest it beyond our abilities yet left to the interpretation of a succeeding Tyrant if ever this Nation be so fortunate to fall into the hands of such It is a Record wherein every man might read himself a slave that reads it having nothing he can call his own all prostitute to the will of another What to do in such a case we are not to seek for precedents our honorable Ancestors taught us in the just and exemplar punishments of chief Justice Tresilian and his Complices for giving their judgments out of Parliament against the established Laws of Parl. how tender they were of us how careful we ought to be to continue those Laws to preserve the Liberty of our Posterity Those Charges were now brought in about the beginning of August but little was afterwards done against any of them or almost any other offendor the King had designed a journey into Scotland and would go though the Houses earnestly entreated his stay for a while longer because the Kingdoms business required his presence the King alledged that the affairs of Scotland did necessarily require his presence and further told them that he would Pass any good Bill which they had for him before he went Which he accordingly did and signed a Commission for passing of Bills in his absence the Commissioners were the Lord-Keeper Littleton the Lord Privy-seal Earl of Manchester the Lord great Chamberlain Earl of Lindsey the Marquess of Harford Earl of Essex Earl of Bath Earl of Dorset The Earl of Essex also by a Bill which the King then signed was made General of all his forces on this side Trent with power to levy Arms in case of necessity But before the King went the Earl of Holland chosen both by him and the Parliament as General for that purpose was gone into the North to disband the English Army there The King departing from London the tenth of August made haste towards Scotland and passed by the Armies as they were disbanding Whether he did under-hand attempt any thing with the Scotish Army as a Scotish writer hath published to engage them against the Parliament of England with large promises of Spoil and offering Jewels of great value in pawn for performance of it I leave as uncertain for the reader to judge by what afterwards fell out But if he did it was a matter of great falsehood having as yet declared no enmity against the English Parliament But what the Kings design was of going into Scotland was not understood in England The same Author saies it was to make sure those Noble men of that Kingdom whom he doubted of as not willing to serve his turn against England And true it is that about September Letters came from Scotland to the standing Committee at Westminster for the two Houses had rejourned themselves from the eighth of September till the twentieth of October and appointed a standing Committee of fifty Members during that time that a Treasonable Plot was discovered there against the lives of some of the greatest Peers in the Kingdom upon which the standing Committee fearing some mischief from the same spring placed strong guards in divers parts of the City of London However the mischiefs might fall out by chance or by design the Kings journey into Scotland was sure to hinder the English business and to retard the cure of all their Grievances which was little less then a plain destruction For after the tenth of August the day of his departure little was done in the Parliament until the recess On the 23 of October whilst the King remained in Scotland broke forth that cursed conspiracy of the Irish Rebels and the inhumane butchery of Protestants through the whole Island more tragical then any effect of a calamitous War in which was put in execution whatsoever could be imagined from the licentious cruelty of a barbarous people so long kept under the English yoke or whatever the dire dictates of superstition or wicked exhortations of Priests could infuse into them It was wonderful that so devilish a design could so long be kept close whereby 200000 Protestants in two months space were murdered and many by exquisite torments and many more despoiled of all their wordly fortunes This divelish design was to be put in execution on the 23 of October upon which day not only the Castle of Dublin the Kingdoms chief Magazine a storehouse of ten thousand Arms at that time but all other Forts and Magazines in that Kingdom were to be surprised and all the English or Protestants that joyned not with them to be murdered The seizure of Dublin Castle to which purpose many of the chief Rebels came to the City the day before was prevented by timely discovery of the Plot to the two Lords Justices by one Owen O Conally a Servant to Sir John Clotworthy which discovery was but the very night before that fatal day and the occasion of it very accidental or rather a strange providence of God by Mac-Mahons unadvised trusting this Owen with some relations concerning it at a Tavern Upon which discovery Mac-Mahon and the Lord Maguire were presently apprehended by the Lords Justices and many Conspirators of great note escaped that night out of Dublin So was Dublin saved that all Ireland might not be lost in one day But the horrid design was past prevention as to the general for the Conspirators were up at the day in all Counties round about and poor English Protestants arrived at Dublin every day robbed and spoiled of all they had relating how their houses were seized how Towns and Villages in all parts were fired and cruel outrages
committed The Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace taking those Arms which they found in Dublin and arming whom they could on a sudden to defend themselves dispatched Letters to the King in Scotland and the Earl of Leicester then chosen Deputy but staying in England Money was wanting and no supplies neerer then England Owen O Conally the first discoverer of the Plot brought the first Letters to London upon receipt of which they rewarded Owen with a gift of 500.l and an annuity of two hundred pounds per annum and presently both Houses of Parliament met at a Conference and the House of Commons forthwith resolved into a Committee to consider of Irelands relief and also to provide for the safety of England for distractions began then to appear in England the Parliament every day considered of Irelands relief and presently ordered supplies of money to be borrowed of the City of London Victuals and Ammunition for that purpose But all relief could be but slow in such a sudden disease For the Rebellion encreased and spread through all the Kingdom and many Papists and ill-affected fled from Dublin into the Country to joyn with the Rebels whilest the City in their rooms was daily filled with poor spoiled Protestants who came naked and famished thither many of them being past relief and there perished in the City It were an endless thing to relate the pitiful condition of those woful people and what sad stories they there told concerning the bloody rage of those inhumane Irish Rebels and several tortures by which the unhappy English were brought to their ends But the Lords of the Councel and Lords Justices in a short time with those Arms of Dublin had armed many well-affected Gentlemen and sent many active Commanders out of the City to defend places neer against the approach of the Rebels About the middle of November were in Arms Sir Charles Coot Sir Henry Tichburn the Lord Lambert Sir Thomas Lucas Capt. Armstrong Capt. Yarner and the Earl of Ormond came to Dublin with an hundred Horse well armed At which time the Parliament of England till greater sums could be raised sent them over as a present comfort twenty thousand pounds But it was a long time before they could send over any forces to the relief of that bleeding Kingdom the first was a Regiment Commanded by Sir Simon Harcourt who arrived on the last of December 1641. While Ireland was thus miserably distressed the King returned out of Scotland into England and was entertained by the City of London with most pompous solemnity the whole multitude of Citizens distinguished by their several Companies in such costly Equipage as never before was known with Horse and Arms met the King and guarded him through the whole City to his Palace at White-hall Some condemned that costly entertainment of the City at such a sad time others hoped it might gain the Kings dubious affection to his people but it wrought a contrary effect in the King who began now to think he could never lose the love of the City whatsoever he did and was flattered by some with a hope that the City would assist him in curbing of the Parliament it self he grew therefore more disdainful toward the Parliament and to endear the City invited divers of the chief to Hampton Court where he feasted them and Knighted some But the honest Citizens perceiving that no good use was made of their dutiful expressions toward the King but that some bad people did openly say that the City were weary of the Parliament and would joyn with the King against it they framed a Petition to the Parliament wherein the contrary is professed and that they would live and die with the Parliament for the good of the Common-wealth While the King remained at Hampton Court the House of Commons presented him with a Remonstrance wherein the Grievances of the Kingdom are expressed but no fault laid upon himself in plain words but a Malignant party as they call them and evil Counsellors Irelands calamities seemed to be quite forgotten or rather that those inhumane Rebels were countenanced every body wondring that the King would not proclaim them Rebels and some honest Lords advising the King to proclaim them speedily that a better course might be taken against them they desired him to wash off that foul stain from himself by proceeding severely against those wicked villains who reported every where that they had authority from him to seize upon the Holds of the English Protestants that they were the Queens Souldiers and rise to maintain the Kings Prerogative against the Puritan Parliament in England they therefore advised him by all means to purge himself of that crime then which a greater on earth could not be But so strangely were things carried that although the Rebellion brake out upon the twenty third of October the King did not proclaim them Rebels till the first of January and then gave a strict command that no more then forty Copies of that Proclamation should be Printed and that none of them should be published till his Majesties pleasure were further signified so that a few only could take notice of it which made all men extreamly wonder when they observed the late contrary proceedings against the Scots who were in a very quick and sharp manner proclaimed and those Proclamations forthwith dispersed with as much diligence as might be thorow all the Kingdom But before this Proclamation came out the Parliament being somewhat troubled with some speeches of which they had been informed as if a Plot were contrived against them desired the King to allow them a Guard for security of their persons and that the Earl of Essex then Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties Houshold might be Commander of it But the King denied them a Guard giving them many fair promises of his care for their safety and that he would command such a Guard to wait upon them as he would be responsible for to Almighty God Three days after the Proclamation against those Irish Rebels being the fourth of January the King attended with about three hundred Armed Gentlemen came to Westminster and entring in Person into the House of Commons and seating himself in the Speakers Chair demanded five Members of that House to be delivered to him Mr. Hollis Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr. Pym Mr. Hamden and Mr. Strode Those five Members had by command of the House upon information of the Kings intent absented themselves Which the King finding went away after a short Speech delivered concerning them That he intended a fair Trial against them and that he was and would be as careful to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament as ever any King of England was He had the day before demanded them by his Atturney Sir Edward Herbert a Member of the House of Commons pretending a Charge of high Treason against them and with them against the Lord Mandevile a Member of the House of Lords But the Parliament did not think
at last though too much time were lost was contented to admit of that Article as the Parliament had done But that way which the Parliament thought most powerful to Reduce Ireland was by adventuring for proportions of Land there to be shared amongst the English Adventurers according to those sums of money which they would disburse or subscribe That so whosoever in person or purse helped towards the conquest of those bloody Rebels might be recompensed if the Work were done Propositions were framed in Parliament to that purpose The King confirmed these Propositions though at first he laughed at them and was heard to say That they were like to him who sold the Bears skin before the Bear was killed At last an Act was made enabling the Parliament with power to carry on that War until Ireland should be declared wholly subdued and that no Peace or Cessation of Arms should be ever made with the Rebels unless both Houses of Parliament consented to it The King then offered to go in person over into Ireland But the Parliament thought it was not fit to hazard the Kings person in such an expedition The King was then at Hampton Court distasted at the City and pretending the reasons of his absence to be fear of Tumults for besides what was before spoken of the numbers which flocked to Petition at Westminster the King was advertised That the day after he retired to Hampton which was about a week after his going to the House of Commons divers Citizens with Boats and Guns in them brought the five Members to Westminster with many promises not to forsake the Parliament From thence upon the twentieth of January the King sent a Message to the Parliament desiring them that seeing particular grievances were so many as that it would be tedious to present them by themselves they would digest them into one Body that so a clear Judgement might be made upon them And then they should see how ready he would be to equal or exceed the greatest examples of most indulgent Princes in their Acts of Grace and Favor to the People The Parliament gave him thanks and resolved speedily to consider of it but desired the King in the mean time to give them a sure ground of security while they discharged their Trust by putting the Tower with other principal Forts and the whole Militia of the Kingdom into such hands as the Parliament might trust and recommend to him The King refused to grant that Petition alleaging that he would reserve to himself the disposal of all those places as a principal and inseparable Flower of his Crown nevertheless he promised to entrust none but faithful Persons in any of those places Many reasons were shewed on both sides and many Petitions and Answers passed they still pressing for this Grant of the Militia and the King still denying it The King then residing at Hampton Court had found out a new way to weaken the Parliament in their number by sending for some who were his Servants to leave their sitting in the House to attend him Especially he aimed at the Earl of Essex his Lord Chamberlain and the Earl of Holland Groom of the Stool both whom he sent for but they chose rather to obey his Parliament-Writ than his private Command and continued sitting For which he sent a Messenger to demand the Staffe of the one and the Key of the other being the Ensigns of their Offices which they willingly resigned The Lord George Digby about that time had written a Letter to the Queen from Midleborough in Zealand whither he had fled from England when the Lords in Parliament had sent for him upon some Misdemeanors and if he appeared not in twenty days had proclaimed him Traytor in which he intimates That if the King will declare himself and retire to a safe place he should be able to wait upon him from thence as well as from any part of England over and above the service which he might do for him there in the mean time This Letter was intercepted and brought to the Parliament whereby they began to understand that the King had some design in hand against them which they more plainly afterwards discerned The King and Queen about the middle of February with their eldest Daughter Mary Princess of Orange went to Canterbury From which place while some of the Members of both Houses went between London and that City upon divers businesses the King signed the Bill for taking away Bishops Votes in Parliament From Canterbury they went to Dover from whence the Queen passed into Holland under pretext of keeping her Daughter company to her Husband But she carried with her the Crown-Jewels of England and pawned them there whereby she bought Arms for that War which ensued and was it seems then designed by the King against the Parliament After her departure the King taking the Prince and Duke of York with him went to Theobalds there he received a Petition from the Parliament on the first of March one thousand six hundred forty one wherein they desired him to Grant the Militia to abide neer London and not to carry the Prince away All which he denied and went immediately to New-Market There he was presented with a Declaration drawn by both Houses The Earls of Pembrook and Holland with some Commoners carried it In which they repeat the old Grievances his wicked War against Scotland the Irish Rebellion raised here by many presumptions his attempt of engaging the English Army against the Parliament his entring the House of Commons with the like and that his fear to reside neer London is without ground and pretended for nothing but to perplex the Common-wealth to hinder the relief of Ireland and encourage the ill-affected party in this Kingdom to which the King Answered with great indignation and afterwards answered it by a long Declaration of his own endeavoring to clear himself of some things and extenuate or excuse others accusing them for coining to themselves needless Fears and Jealousies and so these Commissioners departed from Theobalds while the Parliament suffered him without any real hinderance to the Peoples great griefs he passed to the City of York The Parliament in the mean time sit and Vote only against the Kings evil Counsel and make three Votes 1. That the Kings absence so far remote from his Parliament is not only an obstruction but may be a destruction to the Affairs in Ireland 2. That when the Lord and Commons in Parliament shall declare what the Law of the Land is to have this not only questioned and controverted but contradicted and a command that it should not be obeyed is an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament 3. That they which advised the King to absent himself from the Parliament are enemies to the peace of this Kingdom and justly to be suspected as favorers of the Rebellion in Ireland From York the King sent a Message to the Parliament on the eighth of April 1642. that he would
go in person over to Ireland against those bloody Rebels and therefore intended to raise by his Commission neer Westchester a Guard for his Person when he should come into Ireland of 2000 Foot and 200 Horse whom he would arm from his Magazine at Hull But the Parliament suspecting as well by my Lord Digby his intercepted Letter as by other presumptions That the Kings chief end of going Northward was to seize the Magazine of Hull and arm himself from thence against them sent a Petition to him for leave to remove that Magazine to the Tower of London and accordingly had sent Sir John Hotham thither who prevented the King and kept out the Earl of Newcastle whom the King had sent thither also for the same purpose at which action of theirs the King was much moved On the three and twentieth day of April 1642. the King attended by some Noblemen Gentlemen and Souldiers came at the Wals of Hull and demanded entrance but the Gates were shut and Sir John Hotham appeared upon the Wall and kneeling there entreated the King not to command that which he without breach of Trust could not obey in conclusion the King not getting entrance proclaimed Hotham Traytor and sent a complaining Message to the Parliament concerning that affront The Parliament labored to appease him but justified Hothams act and Declared That proclaiming Sir John Hotham Traytor without due process of Law was against the Liberty of the Subject and Laws of the Land Upon this business of Hull passed in 〈◊〉 short time many Declarations on both sides with Arguments drawn from the Statutes and Laws of England and many commands contrary to each other the Parliament authorizing Sir John Hotham to issue out Warrants to the Constables and other Officers to come with Arms to the defence of Hull and the King on the other side forbiding any such Warrants or Training without authority under his hand The King while the Parliament let him alone in the North daily Summoned the Gentry of those Counties to attend him at York and daily gained some to his party whose proceedings there in every particular are too tedious for this Relation but his frequent Orations to them were in substance That he was in danger of the Parliament and desired a Guard for his person and when the King made Proclamation for all Gentlemen and others to attend him in Arms as a Guard the Parliament at London only declared That such Arming of men to the disturbance of the Kingdoms peace was against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdoms Thus did Proclamations and Declarations for a long time encounter each other But nothing made the Kingdom fear a War until that great defection of Parliament Members who left their Seats and went to the King at York Which happened about the end of April and continued a great part of May following in which space a great number of the Lords some sent for by the King others for their own discontents fears or ambition quitted their Seats in Parliament and went to him one after another The Lords that left the Parliament were these Duke of Richmond Marquess Hartford the Earls of Lindsey Cumberland Huntington Bath Southampton Dorset Northampton Devonshire Bristol Westmerland Barkshire Monmoth Rivers Newcastle Dover Carnarvan Newport the Lords Matrevers Willoughby of Eresby Rich Howard of Charleton Newark Paget Chandois Falconbridge Paulet Lovelace Savil Coventry Mohun Dunsmore Seymour Gray of Ruthen Capel Within that time also many of the House of Commons did so far break their Trust as to forsake their Seats in Parliament and go to the King This Revolt of so many Members of both Houses was generally looked upon as a thing of most sad consequence and likely to produce no effects but lamentable and wicked as to nourish and encrease the Kings dis-affection to Parliaments to encourage his distance from it and attempts against it to secure the Irish Rebels to subvert the dignity of that high Court and make the King by this diminution of their number as he did in his following Declarations call them a Faction a pretended Parliament and such like names The Parliament continued still Petitioning the King and on the twentieth of May sent to entreat him that he would Disband his Forces and rely for his security as his Predecessors had done upon the Laws and Affections of his people contenting himself with his ordinary Guards declaring that else they held themselves bound in duty to God and the trust reposed in them by the people and by the fundamental Laws to employ their utmost care and power for securing the Parliament and preserving the Kingdoms Peace Upon which these Votes were made in Parliament That it appears that the King seduced by wicked Councel intends to make a War against the Parliament who in all their consultations and actions have proposed no other end to themselves but the care of his Kingdoms and the performance of all duty and loyaltie to his person It was likewise Resolved upon the Question That Whensoever the King maketh War upon the Parliament it is a breach of the Trust reposed in him by his people contrary to his Oath and tending to the dissolution of this Government As also That whosoever shall serve or assist him in such Wars are Traitors by the fundamental Laws of this Kingdom and have been so adjudged in two Acts of Parliament II Richard 2 and 1 Henry 4 and that such Persons ought to suffer as Traitors But those Lords who had forsaken the Parliament continued still with the King in the North wherefore the Parliament by an Order of the thirtieth of May Summoned nine of them who first had gone away to appear at Westminster viz. The Earls of Northampton Devonshire Dover and Monmoth the Lords Howard of Charleton Rich Grey of Ruthen Covenâ—ry and Capel But they refused to come away returning an Answer in writing which the Parliament judged to be a slighting and scornful Letter upon which a Vote was passed against them in the House of Commons and presented on the 15 of June to the Lords by Master Hollis with an Oration concerning the importance of the business Upon the impeachment of the nine Lords the House of Peers about a month after being in their Robes entred into debate of the said impeachment and after divers Speeches made setting forth the greatness of their offence they were Censured 1 Never to sit more as Members of that House 2 To be incapable of the Benefit or Priviledge of Parliament 3 To suffer imprisonment during their pleasure After which Censure it was concluded That the said Lords should be demanded in the behalf of both Houses of Parliament to submit to the said Censure After this another wound was given to the Parliament encouraging the King in his Designs the Great Seal of England was carried away from the Parliament at London to the King at York by the Lord Keeper Littleton a man that had continued some time after the rest were gone
by no means consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy not in the second place would he suffer the Militia to be taken out of his hands which he conceived to be a cheif flower of his Crown Yet he was contented that for three yeares it should be governed by twenty equally chosen out of both sides Lastly to the prosecution of a War against the Irish he could not consent having made a cessation of Arms with them which in Honour he could not break Thus nothing at all being done toward peace the War must decide it The Parliament hasten the modelling of their new Army The Earls of Essex Warwick Manchester and Denbigh freely and voluntarily lay down their Commissions The new modelled Army of the Parliament consisted of twenty one thousand namely fourteen thousand foot six thousand Horse and one thousand Dragoneers Sir Thomas Fairfax was made General Philip Skippon an excellent souldier was made Major General Colonels of the Foot Regiments were Holborn Fortescue Barclay Craford Ingolesby Mountain Pickering Rainsborough Welden Aldridge of Horse Regiments Sir Michael Levesâ—y Sheffield Middleton Sidney Graves Vermuden Whaley Fleetwood Rossiter Py. The King on the other side had great Forces under divers Commanders to whom he distributed several Provinces the Princes Rupert and Maurice with numerous forces possessed some of the Northern parts of the Kingdom others were held by the Earl of Derby and Sir Marmaduke Langdale Sir John Biron and Gerard held Wales and some adjacent Counties The West was wholly possessed by three Armies of his under the several Commands of Sir Ralph Hopton Sir Richard Greenvile and Colonel Goring All these three though Generals by themselves yet served under the name of Charles Prince of Wales as their supreme General But the King not content with so great a force of English Souldiers was more earnest than before to get over the Irish Papists with whom he had before committed the business to Ormund to make an absolute peace but when the King perceived that those Irish made too high demands and that nothing was effected by Ormund toward the peace in so many Treaties and so long a time he thought of another way which was to the Lord Herbert of Ragland Son to Worcester whom he had created Earl of Glamorgan a zealous Papist and therefore most acceptable to those Irish Rebels the King gave full power by his Letters to make a peace with and indulge to the Irish whatsoever should seem needful It seemed strange to all men when these things were brought to light which was before the end of that year that such a business should be carried on and yet concealed from the Lord Digby Secretary for Ireland and Ormund the Lord Lieutenant to whom the whole matter of that peace had been before committed But the King when he saw it too hard a thing otherwise to make such a peace as would bring a certainty of assistance from them that he might throw all that Envy upon Glamorgan impowred him unknown to the rest for so the Rebels sweetened with large promises unknown to Ormund might the better admit of conditions just in shew and openly excusable and the King might draw from Ireland such Souldiers as would more firmly adhere to his side and he might trust as being the greatest haters of English Protestants and despairing of pardon against the Parliament of England He therefore gave Letters of authority to Glamorgan in these words CHARLES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To our Trusty and Well beloved Cousin Edward Earl of Glamorgan Greeting Being confident of your wisdom and fidelity We do by these Letters as if under â—ur great Seal grant unto you full power and authority to Treat and conclude with the confeâ—erate Roman Catholikes of Ireland and to inâ—ulge to them all those things which necessity â—â—all require and which we cannot so commodiâ—â—sly do by our Lieutenant nor our Self publick-â—own at present Therefore We command that 〈◊〉 do this business with as much secresie as can 〈◊〉 whatsoever you shall think fit to be promâ—â—â—â— in my name that do I attest upon the word of a King and a Christian to grant to those Confederate Catholikes who by their assistance have abundantly shewed their zeal to us and our Cause Given at Oxford under our Royal Seal the twelfth day of March and twentieth year of our Raign Nor into England onely did he endeavour to bring those Irish but into Scotland which he effected to the great damage of that unhappy Kingdom by Montross about the beginning of the year 1644. when the Scottish Covenanters came into England to assist the Parliament Montross went to Oxford to the King to offer his service against the Covenanters in Scotland The King to fit him for that purpose created him a Marquess and gave him his Commission to be Lord Governour of Scotland and General of all his forces the King then also sent for the Earl of Antrim to participate with Montross his Councels who entering into a confederacy with him before the King engaged himself there that he would send to Montross the next April into Arguile where the passage is short into Ireland ten thousand Irish This promise at the appointed time Aâ—trim performed in part but was very deficient in the number of Souldiers for instead of ten thousand he sent scarce twelve hundred Irish into Scotland under the conduct of Macdonald Montross notwithstanding with these men with the addition of his Atholians made up a sufficient theeving Army and making sudden excursions he fell into the neighbouring Countries wasting all robbing houses and burning up the Corn where he came insomuch as that the State had need of great Armies to restrain his violence whilst the craggy Mountains of Atholia and rough woody places there gave safe retreat to his Highlanders and Irish In this manner did Montross for the space almost of two years lie within the bowels of his Country like a pestilent disease such were his retreats and so great his boldness in excursions that no less an Army than twelve thousand was thought sufficient to defend the Provinces against him But Montross was tossed with various turns of Fortune The first Summer after his arrival in Scotland he gave the Earl of Arguile a great blow through the negligence of his men where fifteen hundred were slain and taken by Montross whereupon the Parliament of Scotland raised an Army of ten thousand against him and the same parliament condemned Montross with some other Lords to be a Traitor and Enemy to his Country Montross afterwards received a great overthrow from Hurry and was enforced to fly to his craggy retreats and shortly after he was again beaten by Hurry near to Dundee and absolutely forced to hide himself in his old receptacles from whence notwithstanding on a sudden as shall be shewed anon he shewed himself and from a contemptible estate grown justly formidable he overwhelmed Scotland
in any thing for what I would have you do I have already written to your mother to whom I would have you obedient in all things except Religion about which I know she will not trouble you and go no whither without her or my Command write often to me God bless you Your loving Father C. R. This Letter was intercepted going from Newcastte to Jersey in a small Vessel and read in Parliament to their great grief Soon after the surrender of Oxford followed the end of this fierce War for Worcester Wallingford Pendennis and Ragland yeilded also to the Conquerors Peace now seemed to be restored to England but they had no security for the Parliament having vanquished the common Enemy were grievously troubled with Factions among themselves and divided under the unhappy names of Presbyterians and Independents nor was it onely in those things which concerned Church-government but in the transaction of almost all other businesses they debate fiercely and were divided in their Votes The same difference namely of Presbyterian and Independent troubled not onely the Parliament House but the City the Country and some of the Camps seeming a thing that threatned danger and the Parliament feared that Massey's forces which had deserved very well of the Common-wealth being quartered about the Devizes might under that name make a Mutiny wherefore Generall Fairfax was sent from Oxford into the West to disband the War being ended those forces of Massey being two thousand five hundred horse which thing was quietly done within eight dayes and all those Souldiers with ready obedience left their Colours although they were not fully paid at that time for which Massey as for other things was much commended in being careful by advising his souldiers that this business without any difficulty should be so ended The War being now quite finished Fairfax the Victorious Preserver of the English Parliament returned to London about the midst of November All good men longed to see that great Souldier whom they could not but admire by whose valour they were delivered from the worst of evils and were now in expectation of an happy peace The next day after he came to London That he might see the gratitude of the Parliament the House of Peers sent their Speaker Manchester whom the Earls of Northumberland Pembrook and many other Nobles accompanied who congratulated his return and gave him great thanks for his most faithful and happy services to the Common-wealth When the Lords were gone Lenthal the Speaker of the House of Commons with almost 300. Members of that House came to congratulate the General to whom Lenthal made a speech wherein he discoursed of the greatness of his actions extolling them by examples of the most great and famous Heroes of ancient times You said he noble General shall all posterity admire and honour and the people of England since they can give you no thanks equal to your merits do freely confess themselves for ever indebted to you as the happy instrument of God and finisher of our Wars with incredible suceess To which the modest Fairfax made a short reply Acknowledging himself unworthy of so great an honour and giving most humble thanks to the Parliament accounting it his greatest happiness in this world to be made by God instrumental for the good of his Country But the General staid not long at London being presently after sent to carry the money for the Scots into the North of which we shall speak afterwards in the mean time we will return to the King and Scots On the sixth of May 1646. long before the surrender of Oxford when the Parliament of England understood that the King was with the Scots when the Scots also had disobeyed their Orders which were That they should detain the King at Southwel and that Ashburnham with the rest of his followers should be sent to London of which the Scots obeyed neither letting Ashburnham and the rest escape and carrying the King into the North the Parliament after a long debate of both Houses at last Voted That the person of the King should be disposed of by the authority of both Houses of the Parliament of England But the Scots excusing themselves and defying to deliver up the King a great dissention hapned between the two Nations which did much animate the Royalists and seemed dangerous to the two Kingdoms Many complaints were made upon this occasion and many sharp invective Writings on both sides for the space of divers moneths The Scots alleaged that he was no less King of Scotland than of England and that therefore their Kingdom had some right to the disposing of him the English affirmed that his person was to be disposed by the authority of that Kingdom in which he then was but that they set forth as a very strange thing that a Scottish Army paid by the Parliament of England and which by the Compact of both Kingdoms was to be governed by Commissioners of both Kingdoms upon the place should notwithstanding receive the King of England without the consent or knowledge of the English Commissioners and carry him away to Newcastle a Town of England and there keep him without the consent of the Parliament of England In the midst of these great dissentions which notwithstanding the prudence of some men did so well moderate whilest the common enemy and factious spirits sought to aggravate them that they proved not pernitious to the Kingdoms the main business and things necessary for the Common good were unanimously and friendly transacted by the two Nations and among other things concerning the sending of propositions to the King for a firm and well grounded peace it was debated and at last agreed that nineteen Propositions so many therewere should be sent to Newcastle to the King which because they are long and fully recited in a larger History I will not relate in this Epitome These Propositions were sent away to the King upon the fifteenth day of July one thousand six hundred forty six and presented to his hands at Newcastle by the Commissioners of both Houses of Parliament namely the Earl of Pembrooke Earl of Denbigh and the Lord Mountague of the Peers and six of the House of Commons the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland being present and consenting to them And that the King might conceive himself dealt withal like a King not a vanquished man and a captive this preface by the consent of Parliaments of both Kingdoms was set before the Propositions May it please your Majesty WE the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England in the name and on the behalf of the Kingdom of England and Ireland and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland in the name and on the behalf of the Kingdom of Scotland do humbly present unto your Majesty the humble desires and propositions for a safe and well grounded Peace agreed upon by the Parliaments of both Kingdomes respectively unto which we do pray your Majesties assent and
advice to him concerning the Propositions of Parliament or other business The Parliament were displeased at this thing neither would the Army long suffer it considering that the King had not yet in any thing at all given satisfaction to the Parliament Whereupon those Lords being told of it after two daies stay at Hampton Court returned to their own houses On the seventh day of September Propositions agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament the Commissioners of the Kingdom of Scotland concurring also were sent to the King at Hampton Court To which they did humbly beseech his Majesty that he would give his answer within six dayes The Commissioners appointed for this business of the Parliament of England were the Earl of Pembrook Lord Mountague Sir James Harrington Sir John Cook Sir John Holland and Major General Brown For the Kindom of Scotland the Earl of Louderdale Sir Charls Erskins The King although he denied as before to grant the Propositions wrote notwithstanding an Answer to the Parliament in which he sayes That to some things he can assent namely about establishing Presbytery for 3 years about granting the Militia as it was before offered to him But in the other things he must altogether dissent He affirms that he could rather hearken to the Proposals of the Army for the Army had lately published some proposals in the manner of the Parliament Propositions about setling the peace of the Kingdom and desired the Parliament that they would consider of those Proposals The Parliament not yet deterred by these often denials of the King fell upon debate about making Propositions to him again When the Commissioners of Scotland residing at London after that Louden and Lanerick who came newly out of Scotland had talked privately with the King at Hampton Court sent Letters to the Parliament in which they require that the King may come to London and then personally treat with the parliament about the things controverted those very Scots who not long before both in their Orations and Letters Denied it to be just or convenient for the Common-wealth that the King before he had given satisfaction and security to the People should be admitted to London or to any Personal Treaty with the Parliament Those very Scots who denyed to receive the King into Scotland for fear he might raise commotions in their Country would now have him brought to London a City filled with Malignants and fit for any Tumults in which the Parliament it self without the guard of an Army could not safely sit That which moved them to this demand as they alleaged was because the King had been taken from Holmby against his will and without the consent of Parliament by the violence of Souldiers and still remained under the power of an Army not in that freedom which was thought fit for a King treating about a business of so great moment At the end of their Epistle they seem content that he may stay if London be denied at Hampton Court so he be not under the power of the Army but in such a condition as that the Commissioners of both Parliaments may have a free recourse to him But the Parliament were again framing Propositions with some alterations to be sent to the King when lo on a sudden they were strucken with an unexpected Message That the King was privily fled out of Hampton Court To which purpose Letters came about midnight from Cromwel to the Speaker For on the twelfth day of November whilest the Commissioners of Parliament and Colonel Whaley who commanded the Guard expected when the King should come out of his Chamber to Supper and wondered at his long stay at last about nine of the clock some of them going in and not finding the King they found his cloak left there and a letter written with his own hand to the Commissioners to be by them communicated to both Houses of Parliament in which letter after he had discoursed somewhat about captivity and the sweetness of liberty he protested as before God that he had not taken this design of withdrawing himself to disturb the publike peace or any treaty tending to the establishment thereof but onely to preserve his own safety against which he understood there was a treasonable Conspiracy But toward the end of his Letter he useth these words Now as I cannot deny but that my personal security is the urgent cause of this my retirement so I take God to witness that the publick Peace is no less before mine eyes And I can finde no better way to express this my profession I know not what a wiser man may do then by desiring and urging that all chief interests may be heard to the end each may have just satisfaction as for example The Army for the rest though necessary yet I suppose are not difficult to consent ought in my judgement to enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences and have an Act of Oblivion or Indempnity which should extend to the rest of all my Subjects and that all their Arrears should be speedily and duly paid which I will undertake to do so I may be heard and that I be not hindred from using such lawful and honest means as I shall chuse To conclude let me be heard with freedom honour and safety and I shall instantly break thorow this cloud of retirement and shew my self ready to be Pater Patriae Charles Rex But the Parliament being much at first troubled with this unexpected news of the King's departure at last lest the Kingdomes peace should thereby be disturbed they ordered that men of fidelity should be speedily sent to all the Sea-ports lest the King should pass into any Forreign Country And when tidings though false were brought unto them that the King was concealed within the City of London they ordered That if any man should closely detain the King's Person and not reveal it to the Parliament he should be punished with the loss of his estate and life This Cloud soon dissolved and the Parliament were informed by Col. Hammond who was newly by consent of both Houses made Governor of the Isle of Wight that the King was come into that Island and had delivered himself into his protection Hammond signified himself to be ready to obey the Parliament-commands in all things The Parliament commending Hammond did also command him with all diligence to guard the King but to wait upon him with all respect and honour promising that they would take care that provisions of every kinde should not be wanting nor money to defray the King's expences While the Parliament were again deliberating about Propositions to be sent to the King in the Isle of Wight a Letter of great length from the King superscribed To the Speaker of the Lords House to be communicated also to the House of Commons was read upon the eighteenth day of November In which he delivered his Sense and Opinion concerning many things contained in the former Propositions especially concerning the abolition of
the happie cause which necessitated the King to call a Parliament in England whereby their just Liberties might by the blessing of God be vindicated and more ascertained for the future Great was the expectation of this English Parliament on which the hopes of the people were wholly fixed as a certain cure of all their long sufferings to which they thought the King having so much transgressed could not deny any thing or make the least opposition That was the cause for which they extremely loved the Scots as the instruments of that happiness to them who by resisting the Kings intrusions upon themselves had enforced him to this visible means of a cure for England which made the King more hate the Scots as the stoppers of his general design which hatred he could not conceal in his first Speech that he made in this Parliament in which promising all favour and concurrence to any thing that might procure the happiness of England and promising to put himself freely and wholly upon the love and affections of his English Subjects in this Parliament he inveighed against the Scots as Rebels and desired that by force of Arms they might be chased out of England but the English Parliament was of another affection towards the Scots as will appear more hereafter The Parliament shewed a great and wonderful respect to the King and in many expressions gave him humble thanks for Calling them together without any reflection upon his Person for what had passed in former misgovernment but since no cure could be made without searching wounds and that grievances must be recited they resolved so to name them as to cast the envy of them upon evil Counsel and still mention the King with all honour reverence possible as will appear to any that read the printed Speeches which at the beginning of that Session were made in the House by men of Eminency Great was the business and of various natures were the crimes which this Parliament were to examine and finde out Delinquents whom so long a misgovernment had made so Many Committees were made by the House to ease them in this business they began with matters of Religion Divers Ministers who had been of good lives and conversations conscientious in their wayes and diligent in Preaching and had by the Bishops and those in authority been molested deprived or imprisoned for not conforming to some ceremonies which were imposed on them were now by the Parliament relieved and recompensed for their sufferings Others on the Contrary that had been scandalous either for loose and wicked living or else offenders in way of superstition both which to discountenance the Puritains had been frequently preferred were censured and removed The Earl of Strafford Leiutenant of Ireland was impeached of high Treason and sent prisoner to the Tower of London and on the eighteenth day of December William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury impeached of the same crime was committed to the same custody The next day after the Archbishop was impeached Dr. Wren Bishop of Norwich was accused of many misdemeanors in matter of superstition in his Ecclesiastical Government which tending to the detriment of the Civil State he was also accused of Treason and entred into a recognizance of thirty thousand pounds to appear with three sureties bound each of them in obligations of ten thousand pounds Sir Francis Windebank Principal Secretary of State a man neerly in friendship with Laud the Archbishop who was thought to be a means of his preferment was about that time accused of extraordinary connivence toward Popish Priests or rather of favor to them and that contrary to the Laws in force against them he had bailed and released a great number a Committee was appointed to examine his offence but he conscious of the crime objected and fearing the consequence about the begining of December fled in a disguise and went into France Immediately after his flight the Lord Keeper Finch was constrained to take the same course and fled out of the Kingdom into Holland the crimes objected against him were of a various nature The first committed when he was Speaker of Parliament in the House of Commons in the fourth year of King Charles which was for that he disobeyed the House in refusing to speak when he was commanded by them 2. The second was for giving illegal and cruel judgements in the Forrest-business when he was Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. 3. The third was for threatning of some of the Judges at that time to give their extrajudicial opinions for Ship-mony The last was for drawing an injurious Declaration after the dissolution of the last Parliament for which Offences he was Voted by the House of Commons guilty of high Treason a Charge drawn up against him and carried up to the Lords upon the 14 of January three weeks after his flight Upon the 15 of February 1640. a Bill for the Triennial Parliament was presented to the King and by him signed which Act being of such great importance to the security of the peoples Liberties by Parliaments Take the substance thereof as followeth BE it Enacted That in case there be not a Parliament summoned by Writ under the Great Seal of England and assembled and held before the tenth day of September which shall be in the third yeer next after the last day of the last meetting and sitting in this present Parliament the beginning of the first year to be accompted from the said last day of the last meeting and sitting in Parliament and so from time to time and in all times hereafter if there shall not be a Parliament assembled and held before the tenth day of September which shall be in the third year next after the last day of the last meeting and sitting in Parliament before that time assembled and held the beginning of the first year to be accounted from the said last day of the last meeting and sitting in Parliament That then in every such case as aforesaid the Parliament shall assemble and be held in the usual place at VVestminster in such manner and by such means only as is hereafter in this present Act declared and enacted and not otherwise on the second Monday which shall be in the month of November then next ensuing And the Lord Chancellor of England the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and every Commissioner and Commissioners for the keeping of the Great Seal of England for the time being shall within six dayes after the said tenth day of September in every such third year as aforesaid in due form of Law and without any further Warrant or Direction from his Majesty His Heirs or Successors Seal issue forth and send abroad several and respective Writs to the several and respective Sheriffs of the several and respective Counties Cities and Boroughs of England and Wales and to the Constable of the Castle of Dover Lord Warden of the Cinque-ports or his Lieutenant for the time being and to the Major
and censures as by the rest of the Knights citizens and burgesses assembled in the Commons house of Parl. c. And the Sheriffs and other Officers and Persons to whom it appertaineth shall make returns and accept and receive the returns of such elections in like manner as if Writs of Summons had issued and been executed as hath been used and accustomed And in default of the Sheriffs and other Officers respectively in not accepting or making return of such elections it shall and may be lawful to and for the several Freeholders and other persons that have elected to make returns of the Knights c. which shall be as good and effectual to all intents and purposes as if the Sheriff or other Officers had received a Writ of summons for a Parliament and had made such returns any Writ c. to the contrary notwithstanding And in case any person shall be so hardy as to advise or put in execution any such Writs c. then he or they so offending shall incur the penalties contained in the Statute of Premunire made in the 16 year of Rich. the 2d. and be deprived of the benefit of the Law in any case c. And if any Sheriff Constable of the Castle of Dover or Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports shall not perform his duty enjoyned by this Act then he shall lose and forfeit the sum of one thousand pounds and every county city cinque-port and borough that shall not make election of their knights citizens barons and burgesses respectively shall incur the penalties following that is to say every County the sum of one thousand pounds and every City which is no County two hundred pounds and every Cinque-Port and Borough the sum of one hundred pounds All and every of which several forfeitures and all other forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall and may be recovered in any of the Kings Courts of Record at Westminster by and in the Name of the Lord Major of the City of London for the time being by action of Debt Bill Plaint c. wherein no Essoin Protection c. shall be in any wise prayed granted or allowed And if any person after notice given that the Action depending is grounded or prosecuted upon or by vertue of this Statute shall cause or procure any such Action to be staid or delayed before judgment that then the said persons so offending shall incur and sustain all and every the pains penalties and forfeitures as aforesaid The fifth part of all and every the forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall go and be to and for the use and behoof of the City of London and the other four parts and residue to be employed and disposed to and for such only uses intents and purposes as by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled shall be declared and appointed And be it further Enacted That the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses to be assembled at any Parliament by vertue of this Act shall and may from time to time at any time during such their assembly in Parliament choose and declare one of themselves to be Speaker for the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons assembled in the said Parliament as they shall think fit And it is further enacted That all Parliaments hereafter to be assembled by authority of this Act and every Member thereof shall have and enjoy all Rights Priviledges Jurisdictions and Immunities as any Parliament summoned by Writ under the great Seal of England or any Member thereof might or ought to have and have voices in such Parliament before and without the taking of the several Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance or either of them any Law or Statute to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding For Signing of this Bill thanks were given to the King at White-hall the same afternoon by both Houses of Parliament By this time being the end of December that Cessation of Arms which was spoken of before between the English and Scotish Armies was expired and by the Parliament now renewed for a month longer for the Paliament although the King as is said before called them Rebels and desired to have them driven out of England had a better opinion of them and at this time of renewing the Cessation ordered that the Scots should be recompensed for all their charges and losses by that mischievous war which the King had raised against them and within few dayes after examination of those losses and charges the Parliament ordered that the Scotish Ships taken since that war should be restored to them and 4000. l. in money given them to rig those ships it was further resolved by both Houses that the full sum of 300000 l. should be given to them in these words Towards a supply of the losses and necessities of our brethren of Scotland And that the Parliament would in due time take into consideration the manner of raising daies of Paiment for which three daies after the Scotish Commissioners then Resident at London gave thanks to the Parliament not only for that great Sum of 300000. l. but for the stile of Brethren which so kindly they had used towards them The Parliament of England as a further strengthning of the Nations amity Ordained at that time That all Books Libels and Proclamations against the Scots should be called in and a thanksgiving to God should be in all Churches of England for that happy Peace The payment of two Armies for so long a time was a great charge to the poor people of England which they without any grudging or repining at the King as cause of that great burden in hope to gain him for the future bore with exceeding patience they willingly parted with six Subsidies and were content with the taxation of Poll-money a personal assessment of the whole Kingdom wherein every Duke was assessed at 100. l. a Marquess at 80. l. Earls at 60. l. Viscounts and Barons at 40. l. Knights of the Bath at 30. l. Other Knights at 20. l. Esquires at 10. l. Men of 100. l. per annum at 5. l. every common head at six pence The King in February had declared to the Houses his intention concerning a marriage for his eldest Daughter the Princess Mary who was then betwixt 9 and 10 yeers of age the husband appointed for her was the yong Prince William of Nassau Son to Henry Prince of Orange a youth about 16 yeers of age the matter was then in agitation and fair Propositions made upon it to the King by the Ambassadors of the States General The Parliament were pleased with the marriage and not long after the yong Prince arived in England and was by the King and Queen with all the Court joyfully received and entertained at London After convenient time spent in the English Court he was upon the second day of May with great solemnity Married at White-hall to the Princess Mary On the tenth day of May Thomas Earl of Strafford who had
been committed to the Tower six months before was beheaded Of this man of the crimes laid to his charge as likewise of his Pompous and remarkable trial we cannot but make some mention About the end of January a charge was read against him in the House of Commons consisting of nine Articles out of which by subdivision were branched many more which though too tedious to be verbally here set down I shall deliver by expressing the contents He was accused for ruling Ireland and the North of England in an arbitrary way against the Laws For retaining the Kings revenue without account For encreasing and encouraging Popery For maliciously striving to stir up and continue enmity betwixt England and Scotland of which some particulars are exprest For laboring to subvert Parliaments and incense the King against them Upon which occasion Mr. Pym a Member of the House of Commons in his Speech and Declaration to the Lords shewing the quality of the offence spake as followeth It is an offence comprehending all other offences in that he governed contrary to Law the Law is that which puts a difference between good and evil It is the Law that doth intitle the King to the Allegeance and service of his people it intitles the people to the protection and justice of the King It is God alone who subsists by himself all other things subsist in a mutual dependence and relation He was a wise man that said That the King subsisted by the field that is tilled it is the labor of the people that supports the Crown If you take away the protection of the King the vigor and cheerfulness of Allegeance will be taken away though the obligation remain The Law is the Boundary the Measure betwixt the Kings Prerogative and the peoples Liberty Whiles these move in their own Orb they are a support and security to one another The Prerogative a cover and defence to the Liberty of the people and the people by their Liberty are enabled to be a foundation to the Prerogative but if these bounds be so removed that they enter into contestation and conflict one of these mischiefs must needs ensue If the Prerogative of the King overwhelm the Liberty of the People it will be turned into Tyranny If Liberty undermine the Prerogative it will grow into Anarchy The Law is the safeguard the custody of all private interest Your Honors your Lives your Liberties and Estates are all in the keeping of the Law without this every man hath a like right to any thing and this is the condition into which the Irish were brought by the Earl of Strafford And the reason which he gave for it hath more mischief in it than the thing it self THEY WERE A CONQUERED NATION There cannot be a word more pregnant and fruitful in Treason than that word is There are few Nations in the world that have not been Conquered and no doubt but the Conqueror may give what Laws he please to those that are Conquered But if the succeeding Pacts and Agreements do not limit and restrain that right what people can be secure England hath been Conquered and Wales hath been Conquered and by this reason will be in little better case than Ireland If the King by the Right of a Conqueror gives Laws to his people shall not the people by the same reason be restored to the right of the Conquered to recover their Liberty if they can What can be more hurtful more pernitious to both than such Propositions as these A little after Such arbitrary power is inconsistent with the peace the wealth the prosperity of a Nation to industry to valor c. For who will take pains for that which when he hath gotten is not his own Or who will fight for that wherein he hath no other Interest but such as is subject to the will of another The ancient encouragement for men to defend their Countries was this That they were to hazard their persons in defence of their Religion and their Houses but by such arbitrary wayes as were practised in Ireland and counselled here no man had any certainty of either or of any thing else c. Such arbitrary courses have an ill operation on the courage of a Nation by embasing the hearts of the people a servil condition doth beget in men a slaves temper and disposition shall it be Treason to embase the Kings Coyn though but a piece and must it not needs be the effect of a greater Treason to embase the spirits of his Subjects c. A little further As it is a Crime odious in the nature of it so it is odious in the judgment and estimation of the Law to alter the settled frame and constitution of government is Treason in any estate The Laws whereby all other parts of a Kingdom are preserved should be very vain and defective if they had not a power to secure and preserve themselves The forfeitures inflicted for Treason by our Law are of Life Honor and Estate even all that can be forfeited and this prisoner having committed so many Treasons although he should pay all these forfeitures will be still a Debtor to the Common-wealth Nothing can be more equal then that he should perish by the Justice of that Law which he would have subverted Neither will this be a new way of blood There are marks enough to trace this Law to the very original of this Kingdom And if it hath not been put in execution as he allegeth this 240 yeers it was not for want of Law but that all that time hath not bred a man bold enough to commit such Crimes as these which is a circumstance much aggravating his offence and making him no whit less liable to purishment because he is the only man that in so long a time hath ventured upon such a Treason as this The Commissioners of Scotland then resident at London had a charge also against this Earl for matters done against their Nation which were notwithstanding implied in the Parliaments Charge To this Charge the Earl gave in his Answer in the House of Lords where the King himself was present at the reading of it upon the 23 day of February but his trial in Westminster Hall began on the 22 day of March following and was a most memorable fight The Hall was Scaffolded on both sides to contain the whole House of Commons sitting there in a Committee the Peers sate all there besides the Commissioners from Scotland and besides other spectators and auditors and a great number of the Lords of Ireland The Earl of Arundel was Lord high Steward and the Earl of Lindsey Lord high Constable the King himself sate privately in a close Gallery every day taking Notes in writing of what passed in the tryal Fifteen dayes the Earl answered personally from the 22 of March with few dayes intermission till the 16 of April Misdemeanors in an high degree were proved against him but that which the Earl labored to maintain
for himself was that Misdemeanors though never so many and great could not make Treason put together unless some one of them in his own nature had been Treason for that was his Charge which he strove to avoid Yet many of those particulars in his accusation were put into his Bill of Attainder afterward for a Bill of Attainder was drawn up and read against him in the House of Commons April 21. where he was Voted guilty of high Treason Mr. Saint John the Kings Sollicitor and a Member of the House of Commons on the 29 of April for satisfaction of the Lords opened the Bill in Westminster-Hall where the Earl of Strafford was at the Bar and the King present in his accustomed place and made the Bill good by many precedent Statutes Upon which the Lords being somewhat satisfied were afterwards more confirmed when the Judges in their House delivered their opinions concerning it And voted him guilty of high Treason also But the King told the Lords he was not satisfied in Conscience to condemn him of high Treason But acknowledged that his misdemeanors were very great until at last wearied with Petitions for Justice the King calling a Privy Councel at White-hall commanded the Judges to deliver their opinion before him there and sent for some Bishops to resolve him in scruple of Conscience Which wrought so that he granted a Commission to four Lords to sign that Bill for execution of the Earl of Strafford which execution was done at the time and place before mentioned The death of this great Earl seemed to be the more violently sought and more hastened by reason of some Treasons against the Parliament which were at that time discovered being partly in favor of him contrived to prevent his death by an escape out of the Tower For one part of this Treason was to that purpose Souldiers were raised by Sir John Suckling and some others under pretence of service in Portugal to gratifie the Embassador of that Kingdom those Souldiers the King himself who was now found to be privy to all those Treasons against the Parliament commanded Sir William Belfore the Lieutenant to admit into the Tower but he perceiving it was a Plot for the Earls escape disobeyed the Kings Command Another part of this Treason chief of all the rest was a design to bring up the English Army which was in the North and not yet disbanded this Army they had dealt with to engage against the Parliament sitting and as they alleaged to maintain the Kings Prerogative Episcopacy and other things against the Parliament it self In this Plot were Henry Piercy brother to the Earl of Northumberland Mr. Henry Jermin Master of the Horse to the Queen Col. Goring Col. Wilmot Col. Ashburnham Pollard Suckling and others the Kings discourses to Mr. Piercy concerning these things were discovered in a Letter of Piercie's to his Brother Northumberland out of France which was read in the House upon the 14 of June for Piercy Jermine and Suckling at the beginning of May when this Treason was in some part detected fled the day before they should have been examined and passed over into France upon which reading Wilmot Ashburnham and Pollard three Members of the House mentioned in the Letter as privy to the Plot were all committed If the Earl of Strafford had escaped out of the Tower he should have Commanded in aid to this Plot that Irish Army consisting of eight thousand most of them Papists which the King would not grant to have disbanded when the Parliament on the 28 of April before had desired it of him but told them he could not disband them for reasons best known to himself Colonel Goring for some discoveries which he made was not at all committed but Oneale an Irish Papist that was deep in the Plot was apprehended and committed to the Tower from whence he afterwards escaped The Parliament finding such disturbance in their business and treasons against them and not at all assured of the Kings reality weighing besides the great charges of paying two Armies for which money must be raised by Loan upon the publick Faith moved the King to sign a Bill for continuation of this present Parliament which was That it should never be dissolved without the Consent of both Houses That Bill so drawn up the King signed on the 10 of May the same day that he signed the Bill for Straffords execution This Bill was a thing that former ages had not seen the like of and therefore extremely was the Kings Grace magnified by those that flattered but much condemned by others who hated Parliaments and Reformation complaining that the King had too far put the staffe out of his own hands But many men who saw the necessity of such a thing without which no money upon the publick Faith could be borrowed did not at all wonder at it saying That as no King ever granted the like before so no King had ever before made so great a necessity to require it but some men were of opinion that it was not of security enough to make the Kingdom happy unless the King were good for if he were ill-affected he had power enough still to hinder and retard them in any proceeding for the good and settlement of the Common-wealth and so by time and delayes lay a greater Odium upon the Parliament for not satisfying the peoples desires then if they had not had that seeming power to have done it Which proved in the conclusion too true when the King by such protraction of business not at all concurring with them in the main had raised a party to himself against them to cut asunder that Knot by the sword which by Law he could not unty The Parliament after this began with easing the Kingdoms Grievances and because the charge of the two Armies lay upon them and every day was considerable till they were disbanded that was the first thing intended Towards which a great quantity of Plate was appointed with more than ordinary haste to be melted and coined And for making up the sum that Bill of Poll-money was to be signed which was tendred to the King and two other Bills with it one for putting down the High-Commission Court and the other for putting down the Star-Chamber The King signed only that Bill of Poll-money and took time to consider of the other two but hearing how ill it was taken at his hands what murmurings there were in the City and thinking it not now seasonable to distaste them much three days after he came and passed those other two Bills for putting down the High Commission Court and Star-Chamber The Queen-Mother of France about that time took her leave of the King passed over the Seas into Holland the people desiring to be eased of that charge for the King had kept her for the space of three years in England at the allowance of 100. l. a day The Parliament proceeded then against the delinquent Judges about Ship-money and Charges
fit to let their Persons go Whereupon the King sent and sealed up the Closets and Trunks of those five Members He made also a Proclamation against them for their apprehending and imprisonment as men guilty of high Treason This great breach of Parliament-Priviledge happened in a strange time to divert the Kingdom from relieving of Ireland and so the people every where complained and called to minde what they had heard by some of those poor Protestants who fled out of Ireland who reported that those Irish Rebels did confidently say It was for no purpose to sly for safety into England for that Kingdom would be as much distressed as theirs and that the King intended to forsake his Parliament in England and War against it which when he did they would come over having done their work in Ireland and help the King against the English Parliament Those things were sadly remembred On this occasion the Parliament voted that These things were an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament a great scandal to the King and his Government a seditious act manifestly tending to the subversion of the peace and an injury and dishonor to the said Members there being no legal Charge or accusation against them And that there could be no vindication of those Priviledges unless his Majesty would discover the Names of those who advised him to such unlawful courses They therefore desired him to satisfie their legal desire in that to let them know their informers which by two Statutes then in force upon such occasions the King is bound to do but he refused to grant their request Upon which they committed his Atturney Sir Edward Herbert having been examined about it but confessing nothing for breaking the Priviledges of Parliament in prefering the Articles c. The King the next day after this entering into the House of Commons went through the City of London where the Citizens in many places flocking about his Coach humbly entreated him to agree with his Parliament and not to break the Priviledges thereof To which purpose they afterwards presented him with a Petition beseeching him for poor Irelands sake to accord with his Parliament to allow them a Guard and do right to the accused Members with other things of that nature expressed at large in that Petition The people about that time discontented with the Kings actions and those obstructions which they found in all businesses of Parliament used to flock to Westminster in great throngs though unarmed by way of Petitioning and many times to utter rude speeches against some Lords whom they conceived to be evil advisers of the King which howsoever it were meant proved of ill consequence to the Common-wealth and did not so much move the King to be sensible of his grieving the people as arm him with an excuse for leaving the Parliament and City for fear of what might ensue upon such tumultuous concourse of men Upon this ground twelve Bishops at that time absenting themselves entred a Protestation against all Laws Votes and Orders as Null which in their absence should pass by reason that they durst not for fear of their lives come to perform their duties in the House having been rudely menaced and affronted Whereupon it was agreed both by the Lords and Commons that this Protestation of the Bishops was of dangerous Consequence and deeply entrenched upon the Priviledge and Being of Parliaments They were therefore accused of high Treason apprehended and committed prisoners to the Tower Thus was the Parliament daily troubled with ill work whereby the relief of Ireland was hindered but other particular hinderances of Irelands relief then fell out which we shall express briefly When the Parliament were considering of Forces to be sent out of Scotland being a short cut many things happened to divert or delay it There was a Bill for Pressing of Souldiers to that purpose depending in the House of Peers which the King took exceptions at as to the putting of it into that way being as he said a diminution of his Prerogative but because he desired Ireland might be relieved he was content that a Bill should pass for that time with a Salvo Jure both to King and people This speech offended the Parliament who declared in a Petition that the King by taking notice of the debate in the House of Lords concerning the Bill for pressing of Souldiers had broken the fundamental priviledge of Parliament which he ought not to do concerning any Bill till it be presented to him in due course of Parliament for every Member hath free liberty of speech in propounding or debating and the King ought not to be displeased at him for such opinions or propositions For this great breach of Priviledge they desired reparation and that the King would make known who they were by whose evil Counsel he had done it that they might receive condign punishment It was then also desired that an Army of Scots should be sent into Ireland first but the Scotish Commissioners answered That they had no Commission from their State to send over a less number thither than 10000. The House of Commons consented out of Zeal to the Cause and Voted the sending over of ten thousand Scots But the Lords would not yield unto it unless the House of Commons would give assurance that ten thousand English should be sent over as speedily which was impossible to be done And no other reason given for this Opposition but that it was dishonorable for England that Ireland should be reduced by the Scots and that the Scots would make too great an advantage by it But this reason was not thought by honest men of weight enough to hinder so good a work when the cause of Religion and the deplorable estate of so many thousand poor Christians groaned for assistance A third Obstruction of Irelands Relief was thus Two thousand five hundred Scots were in readiness to be transported into the North of Ireland Concerning the condition of their going the Commissioners of Scotland delivered to the English Parliament eight Propositions Both Houses consented to all the Propositions but the King excepted against one of those Propositions which was the third in order That the Scots would have the keeping of the Town and Castle of Carrickfergus with power to remain there or enlarge their Quarters at discretion and if any Regiments or Troops in that Province should joyn with them that they receive Orders from the chief Commanders of the Scotish Forces This Article the King said that he doubted might be to the damage of England and therefore would have the Parliament think upon it again Nevertheless if they would have it so he would confer with the Scotish Commissioners about it The Scots answered the King That they were sorry that his Majesty being their native King should shew less trust in them then their neighbor Nation had freely done and should think that Article too much for them which both Houses of Parliament were pleased with The King
safety of the Kings person and defence of the Parliament Of which the Earl of Essex a man of eminent fidelity and worth was by an unanimous consent of both Houses chosen General Some Lords and Members of the Commons were sent down into the Counties to settle the Militia and raise Forces for defence of several Towns and places And divers Members of the Houses Listed themselves in the Lord General Essex his Army and took Commissions from him as Colonels But immediately after this time the Kings Commissions of Array were sent down into every County though often declared by the Parliament to be illegal and were obeyed in many places more than the Parliaments Ordinances for the Militia by reason that so many Lords and Gentlemen adhered to him now against the Parliament But there were scarce any Counties free from contention betwixt the Commissioners of the one and the Ordinances of the other which strugled together with great Nobility and Gentry on both sides Neither had the Kings Proclamations nor the Parliaments Ordinances obedience from all only as far as the now-drawing swords enforced it During these Divisions in several Counties London it self was not free for the Lord Major of London Sir Richard Gurney was by the Parliament committed prisoner to the Tower of London for moving sedition in the Kingdom by causing the Kings Commission of Array a thing declared illegal by both Houses to be proclaimed in the City and afterwards an additional impeachment was brought in against him by the Common-Councel of London for divers breaches of his Oath in that Office and contemning the Orders of Parliament After many days attendance concerning these Accusations on the twelfth day of August he received his Censure at the House of Lords which was That he should be turned out of his Majoralty That he should never bear any Office in the City or Common-wealth That he should be incapable of any Honor or Dignity to be conferred on him by the King and Committed Prisoner to the Tower during the pleasure of both Houses Many Proclamations about that time passed from the King and Declarations from the Parliament one from the King against the Earl of Essex as a Rebel and all that adhered unto him and a Declaration from the Parliament recounting all that the Kings evil counsel for so they call it had done illegally against them the Parliament likewise published what in particular had been done by his party against Ireland and how that unhappy Kingdome had been of late robbed of many Reliefes of Cloathes Victuals and Arms which the Parliament had sent them by the King and his party While these writings on both sides lasted the King removed often to gather strength and in several places made Speeches to the Countries with many Protestations of his affection to the people At last he came to Nottingham where about the middle of August he set up his Standard-Royal Very few People came to it nor had the King at that time any considerable strength nor if the Parliament would then have seized upon his person could he have kept himself out of their hands From Notingham on the twenty fifth of that Month he sent a Message to the Parliament by the Earls of Southampton and Dorset and Sir John Culpeper In that Message he signifieth a desire to compose the difference by a Treaty that a certain number of Persons sent and enabled by the Parliament may treat in some indifferent place with the like number authorized by him The Parliament answer That until he put them in a condition to treat that is until he take down his Standard and recall those Proclamations wherein he calleth a thing unheard of before both Houses of Parliament Traytors and Rebels they cannot by the Fundamental Priviledges of Parliament or by the publick trust reposed in them or with the general good of the Realm admit of any such Treaty The KING denied that he advanced his Standard against the Parliament or that he called them Rebels but within few dayes in his Instructions to his Commissioners of Array Marquess Harford the Earl of Cumberland and the Lord Strange he again called the Earl of Essex Rebel and Traytor Thus did they contend for some time by Declarations and Proclamations which proved all fruitless as to satisfying of the people nor could this lamentable War be averted Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice the the second and third Sons of the late King of Bohemia were now come into England the beginning of September to offer their service to the King their Uncle whom presently he put into Commands Prince Rupert the Elder and Fiercer by nature Commanding a Body of Horse flew with great fury through divers Counties raising men for the King's service in a rigorous way Committing outrages to those who favoured the Parliament upon which the Houses fell into a debate agreeing that a Charge of Treason should be drawn up against him for endeavouring the Destruction of this State and abusing that Court which represented it The King marched another way and passing through Derbyshire Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire he commanded the Trained Bands of those Counties to attend and Guard his Person and when they were met he disarmed the greatest part of them taking as many Arms as served for two thousand men besides good summs of Money which he borrowed by constraint protesting still as usually he did to maintain the Protestant Religion the Laws and Liberties of the Subject and the priviledges of Parliament The Parliament-Army raised under the Conduct of the General Essex was now grown into a considerable Bulk consisting of about fourteen thousand Horse and Foot their general Rendezvouz was at Northampton where many of the chief Commanders stayed with them expecting the presence of the General himself The Lord General Essex on the ninth of September taking his leave of the Parliament and City of London went towards Northampton and was waited on by the trained Bands and a great number of armed Gentlemen from Essex-house to the end of the City with great solemnity The Parliament sent a Petition to the General at Northampton to be by him presented to the King in a safe and honourable way the effect of which was humbly to entreat his Majesty to withdraw his presence from those wicked persons about him and not to mix his danger with theirs but that he would return to his Parliament and such-like things The King intending to seize upon Worcester sent Prince Rupert thither with some Horse which Essex fearing to prevent the King commanded part of his forces to march thither speedily himself following with his Army Some Skirmishes happened between that party of Parliamentarians and Prince Rupert before the coming of General Essex but Prince Rupert when the forerunners of Essex his Army were in sight with great speed fled out of Worcester General Essex leaving a Garison at Northampton marched to Coventry which Town he also garisoned as likewise Warwick and marched from thence with his
and after he had plundered the country thereabouts retired safely to his Winter-Quarters at Oxford The Parliament considering this action of the King began to hope little upon any Treaty resolving That the General should speedily pursue the King's Forces and fall upon them and the City of London to encourage the Parliament made a Petition to them wherein they entreated That they would proceed no further in the business of Accommodation because evil counsel was so prevalent with the King that he would but delude them that they had heard his Forces are weak and entreat that his Excellency would follow and fall upon them the City as heretofore being ready to spend with all willingness their lives and fortunes to assist the Parliament For which Petition and Protestation the Parliament returned thanks to the City and according as they desired it was decreed in Parliament FINIS Book II. A Short mention of the Progress of this Civil War THe beginnings of the Civil war together with the Series of causes from whence it sprung as likewise the degrees by which it grew have been already breifly and clearly shewed The things which remain to be unfolded are of so great a weight of so various a nature and of so many peices that scarce any Historian I might say History it self is sufficient to weave fully together so many particulars my intention therefore is to make onely a short mention not a full Narration of that Variety For the War went on with horrid rage in many places at one time and the fire once kindled cast forth through every corner of the land not onely sparks but devouring flames insomuch as the kingdom of England was divided into more Wars than Counties nor had she more fields than skirmishes nor Cities than Sieges and almost all the Palaces of Lords and great Houses were turned every where into Garrisons of War they fought at once by Sea and Land and through all England who could but lament the miseries of his Country sad spectacles were of plundering and firing Villages and the fields otherwise wast and desolate were rich onely and terribly glorious in Camps and Armies The following Summer namely in the year one thousand six hundred forty three proved for a long time fatal to the Parliament and Fortune seemed to have condemned the cause of liberty so exceedingly did the Kings party flourish in successes and Victories and the Parliaments condition every where low so that they were neer to ruine who in the end prevailed In the West Sir William Waller a Parliament-chieftain who had gotten divers Victories and then almost quite vanquished Sir Ralph Hopton was at last namely in July utterly defeated by the Lord Wilmot who came from Oxford with an Army of the Kings and having lost all his Army returned to London and such as the fortune of the Field was was the condition of Towns and Garrisons for immediately after Wallers defeat the two greatest Cities of all the West were yeilded up Bristol to Prince Rupert and Excester to Prince Maurice At the same time in the North of England was the like success where the Lord Fairfax who with his valiant Son had long and prosperously maintained the cause of the Parliament being now over-powred by a puissant Enemy the Earl of Newcastle and almost all his Forces scattered was driven into Hull and there besieged Essex himself the great General at the same time his Army decreasing suddainly some dying of sickness others for want forsaking their colours was constrained to leave the field and return to London quartering the sick and weak remnant of his Army at Kingston and other adjacent places until a Recruit could be made for him The Parliamentarians were now in a desperate condition and their strengths every where broken on the other side the Royalists strong and dreadful in Arms Men and Horses conquerours of all the West of Wales and the North of England as far as the very borders of Scotland One onely Town of Note in the Midland Country Glocester stood out yet faithful and constant to the Parliament and much desired by the King who in great disdain that this Town after Bristol and Excester were yeilded should stand out came in person to besiedge it with a great Army The Queen was now arrived in England and had brought with her great store of Armes bought in Holland with the money which she had raised by pawning the Crown-Jewels there whose coming at this time seemed rather to a Triumph than a War Glocester not onely staid the career of the Kings Victories but made a great change in the Conditions of the sides The City was gallantly defended against a great and flourishing Army wherein Massey the Governour justly gained a wonderful renown so long did he defend the City until General Essex could be recruited with an Army great enough to raise the Siege and march thither from London eighty miles Famous and honourable in the judement of all men was that expedition of General Essex who by solong a March fighting often with great bodies of the Kings Horse by the way brought notwithstanding his whole Army safe to Glocester raised the Siege relieved that Town and in his retreat from thence encountered and vanquished the Kings Army in that memorable Battel of Newberry After this time the parliament revived of whose condition Wise men might justly have doubted if the King leaving Glocester had marched directly with his Victorious Army to London which was then not at all fortified and miserably distracted with factions within it Or besides if the Earl of Newcastle letting alone the besiegâ—ng of Hull which likewise proved fruitless had powred out his numerous forces upon the Eastern associated Counties but it otherwise pleased God who is the onely Lord of Hoasts and by whose providence all things are guided Both sides now by this Victory of Essex seemed to be put into an equal ballance both of strength and reputation and this sad War not onely likely to be continued but extended to a greater latitude on one side the Parliament inviting to their assistance their brethren of Scotland on the other side the King calling in his Irish The Scots by a Covenant to be taken by both Nations for conservation of Religion Laws and Liberties the Irish by a cessation of Armes granted by the King a peace being also promised were drawn in The Scots promised to the Parliament from whom Commissioners were sent to Edinburgh about that business that they would bring into England to their assistance an Army consisting of one and twenty thousand Horse and Foot the Parliament engaged themselves to pay the Scots one hundred thousand pounds toward the charge of raising that Army But the King dealt not so openly with those bloudy Irish in bargaining for their assistance but by a pretence of cessation of Arms for the behoof of the English Protestants in that Kingdom which cessation notwithstanding was for the benefit of the Irish Rebels in lieu of
which favour they gave the King thirty thousand pounds This was that cessation of Arms so much spoken against by honest men in London for that reason especially that it was directly against a Law and the Kings faith for it was enacted by authority of Parliament the King also signing the Act in the year one thousand six hundred forty one That the War against those bloudy Irish Rebels should proceed untill it were declared by Parliament that Ireland were fully subdued and that no peace nor any cessation of Arms should be made with those Rebels without the consent of both Houses of Parliament Thus was assistance brought to either side to the King which he especially aimed at in this business that English Army which for almost a whole years space had fought valiantly and victoriously against those Rebels was now brought into England within five moneths after that cessation to fight against the Parliament of England but the cause being changed the fortune of those Souldiers was likewise changed for they had no success in England but within a short time after their arrival that whole Army was utterly defeated and all their cheif commanders with seventeen hundred common Souldiers were taken prisoners by Sir Thomas Faâ—rfax The Scottish Army that Winter following about the middle of January passing over Tweed came into England The Earl of Leven was General his kinsman David Lesley commanded the Horse the snow that fell at that time covered the ground in an unusual depth and as great a frost had congealed all the rivers but the heat of fighting was greater than the rigor of the air and the patience of Souldiers overcame the hard weather The Earl of Leven marched with his forces against the Earl of Newcastle who with a great Army possessed the Northern parts of England for the King nor did the War goe on with less vigour in other parts In the beginning of the Spring great Armies were raised on both sides and filled all the countries with terrour all the following Summer which fell in the year one thousand six hundred forty four they fought with equal fury and almost equal fortunes insomuch as that England by the dubiousness of success on both sides and sad vicissitude of calamitous slaughters was made an unhappy Kingdom The Kings fortune was susteined by brave Armies in the West under the Princes Rupert and Maurice in Wales under Gerard and others in the midland Counties under Sir Jacob Ashley an old Souldier other Armies were commanded by Sir Ralph Hopton and Colonel Goring and in the North the Earl of Newcastles great Army Nor were the forces of Parliament inferiour the cheif Army under the General Essex Waller commanded another the Earl of Manchester to whom Crumwell a stout and successful Souldier was joyned led a strong Army toward the North where the Lord Fairfax and his Son had good forces and Sir John Meldrum not far off the Earl of Denbigh a stout Commander was with a fair Party about Strafford and besides these the great Scottish Army At the beginning of that Summer the Parliament attempted a thing of great moment to besiege Oxford or at least to block up the King within that Town which was endeavoured by two Armies Essex on the one side and Waller on the other but the King deceived them both and with a few light Horse escaping out of the Town went to joyn with his greater Armies General Essex marched farther into the West but the expedition proved unhappy both to himself and the Parliament Waller followed the King but in vain for he could not hinder his designed March onely some skirmishes happened between parts of their Forces but nothing was done of any great moment until Waller returned with his force to encounter enemies in other places Various were the successes this Summer in most parts of the Kingdom in the West South and midland Counties the Kings forces prevailed above the Parliament which perchance had been ruined if the North had not made them amends with some atchievements besides one great Victory For Leve with his Scottish forces coming the last Winter into England besides the taking of some Towns and Forts had much weakened Newcastles Army lessening their number not by fighting but enduring the sharpness of that weather which the other could not so well doe To Leven the Lord Fairfax after Selby was so miraculously taken by valiant Sir Thomas Fairfax joyned himself with all his forces to whom also the Earl of Manchester after his Lincoln expedition came with a gallant Army Three Parliament Armies under three Generals Leven Manchester and Fairfax with great concord and unanimity had marched together and with joyned forces had besieged the great City of York whereof the Earl of Newcastle was Governour to raise the siege Prince Rupert was come with a great Army out of the South the three Generals left their siege to fight the Prince under him also Newcastle having drawn his forces out of York served who on a great plain called Marston Moore gave battel to the three Generals This was the greatest battel of the whole civil war never did greater Armies both in number and strength encounter or drew more bloud in one fight The Victory at first was almost gotten by the Royalists whose left Wing Fairfax his men being disadvantaged by the inconvenience of the ground had routed and put to flight the right wing of the Parliamentarians but this loss was more than recompenced in the other Wing where Crumwell who fought under Manchester charged with such force and fury the right wing of the Royalists that he broke the best Regiments which Prince Rupert had and put them all to flight Crumwel together with David Lesley pursued them and wheeling about with his Horse came opportunely to the releif of his oppressed friends in the other Wing where they ceased not until they had gained a compleat Victory and all Prince Rupert his Ordnance his carriages and baggage were possessed by the Parliamentarians After this Victory Rupert with the remnant of his forces fled into the South some of the Victorious Armies Horse in vain pursuing him for some miles the Earl of Newcastle with some of his chosen friends leaving York of which City Sir Thomas Glenham took the government went to Scarborough where within a while after he took shipping and passed into Germany The three Generals Leven Manchester and Fairfax after this great Victory returned to besiege York to whom that City soon after upon conditions was rendered after which they divided their forces and Leven with his Scottish Army returning into the North about the end of that Summer took the rich Town of Newcastle about the same time that the General Essex unfortunately managed his business in the West and having lost all his Artillery returned to London This Summer the Queen passed into France and used great endeavour to raise aid for the King her husband among the Roman Catholikes but those endeavours proved fruitless yet
notwithstanding the War in England without strangers help went on with rage and bloud enough In midst of these calamities of War some hope of peace began to appear though it soon vanished again and conditions were proposed both by King and Parliament upon which in the following February as hereafter shall be said they both treated The end of this year and beginning of the next were notably tragical in the punishment and death of eminent men the two Hothams Father and Son having been condemned for Treason for breaking the trust of Parliament and conspiring with the enemy to betray Hull with other crimes after they had been imprisoned above a whole year in the Tower of London were this December both beheaded and Sir Alexander Carew not many dayes before who was condemned for the same crime suffered the same punishment Famous also at that time was the death of William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury the crimes objected against him were too many and of too various a nature to be here related four years almost had this unhappy old man been a prisoner yet not enjoyed so much as the quiet of a prison for oftentimes about fourscore several dayes he was carried from the Tower to Westminster and there arraigned in the House of Lords so the Fates were pleased in a sad compensation to equal his adversity even in time with his prosperity This January he was beheaded his life being spun out so long till he might see which was the observation of many some few daies before his death the book of Liturgy abolished and the Directory composed by the Sinod at Westminster established Though the King and Parliament were both thinking of a Treaty for Peace yet the care of War was not neglected the King being solicitous about getting of forreign aid and the Parliament about new modelling their own Army About this business which seemed of the highest concern there was some debate between the Lords and Commons the Lords were against that Change alleagïng that there was no need of new Commanders where the old ones could be accused of no fault that men of the noblest rank were fittest to command Armies the contrary whereof might breed confusion in the Common-wealth The House of Commons on the other side though they made a noble mention of the Earl of Essex and those other Peers which commanded in the Armies alleaged notwithstanding that the Parliament forces had been often distracted through the emulation of Commanders from whence it proceeded that some things very well designed had not had a prosperous issue that the Army would be better disciplined under one sole Commander At last when they were agreed a General was chosen to command the new Army which was Sir Thomas Fairfax a man of eminent valour and as much modesty who was then absent in the North but so great a business could not suddainly be finished and now the time approached for the Treaty of Vxbridge in which three heads were to be debated 1. Of Religion and Church government 2. Of the Militia of England 3. Concerning the business of Ireland But the King before this Treaty began used all meanes to assure himself of forreign aid by Letters he urged the Queen who was then in France to solicite that King and other Catholikes to assist him and that the Queen Regent would detain the Parliaments Ships in France He was very earnest likewise for assistance from the Duke of Lorraign that he might get into England that wicked Army of his so notorious through Germany and Flanders for all Villany of which Army as of that of Marius when the entred Rome it may be said Nulli gestanda dabantur Signa Ducis nisi qui scelerum jam fecerat usum Attuleratque in Castra nefas No man his Ensigns bore But who the badge of some known mischeif wore And brought guilt to the Camp At last hope was given him from the Duke of Lorraign of ten thousand men and for bringing of these Souldiers into England Goffe was sent into Holland to negotiate for shipping and other necessaries The King likewise desired assistance at that time from the bloudy Irish Rebels and by his Letters commanded Ormond to make a peace with those Rebels and to promise and grant to them a free exercise of their popish Religion and to assure them that if by their assistance he could but finish his War in England he would abrogate all those Laws heretofore made against the Papists there he gave thanks likewise to Muskery Plunket and other of those Rebels promising a pardon for all that was past But they were much troubled at the Treaty for peace with the Parliament not being ignorant that one necessary condition of such a peace must be that the War in Ireland against them should be continued and prosecuted The King therefore to remove this their scrupulous fear wrote to Ormond to this effect That he could not refuse to make a peace with his Parliament onely in favour of those Irish yet notwithstanding from that very consideration if Ormund handled the matter wisely he might raise an advantage to hasten a peace with those Irish in letting them know their own danger how they were excluded from all hope of pardon by the Parliament For saith he if we agree upon all other conditions it will not be convenient for me to disagree onely concerning those Irish therefore let them take what I offer while time is and hasten the Peace and when once my faith is passed no humane force shall make me break it The Queen also remaining in France writing to her husband seemed to grieve much that at Vxbridge they were to treat of Religion in the first place affirming That if any thing severe against the Catholikes should be concluded and yet a peace not be made the King could not hope hereafter for any assistance from the Catholike Princes or from the Irish who must needs think that after they had done their best they should at last be forsaken She often entreats the King that he would never forsake the Bishops the Catholikes nor those faithful friends of his that served him in his Wars the King promiseth her that he would never forsake his friends for a peace onely perswades her to hasten as much as she can the aides from France saying That whilest London is distracted between the Presbiterians and Independents both may be ruined In February the Commissioners on both sides met at Vxbridge to treat for peace For the King came the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hartford the Earls of Southampton Dorset and Chichester the Lords Dunsmore and Capel with Seimour Culpeper Gardiner Hide Lane Bridgman Palmer and others For the Parliament the Earls of Northumberland Pembrooke Salisbury and Denbigh of the House of Commons Wainmar Vane Perpoint Hollis Prideaux Saint John Whitlock and Crew and besides these six Commissioners of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland But nothing at all was concluded at that Treaty The King would
for then Fairfax was ordered to besiege Oxford but the design was not good and the Commmittee of both Kingdoms though too late repented it For in the mean time the King securely marched Northward with his Army and took the considerable Town of Leicester Fairfax recalled from the siege of Oxford while Cromwell was sent away to strengthen the Eastern Counties with all his forces followed the King nor was the famous battel long deserred in which all men conjectured what the liberties and Laws of England and what the Kings power should he must be tried by the sword Naseby fields not far from Northampton were the place where the fate of England was to be determined The fourteenth of June was the memorable day nor was the number of the Armies very unequal the Royalists onely were strongest in Horse nor the ordering of their Battaliaes much unlike The Kings Front was filled with brave Troops of Horse the Foot stood in the second Body The right wing was commanded by the Princes Rupert and Maurice the left by Sir Jacob Ashley other Commanders of great quality susteining their parts The Parliamentarian Foot made a firm Body in the midst The wings were guarded by the Horse the right wing was commanded by Cromwell who to the exceeding joy of the whole Army that very night before the battel was fought arrived there the left wing by Ireton Colonel Rossiter a brave Commander but a little before the battel began came with his Horse and took his place with Cromwell on the right wing the Foot was commanded by Major Generall Skippon and divided into two Bodies The Parliamentarians word was God with us The Roialists God and Queen Mary Fortune at the first as in some other battels seemed a while to slatter the Kings side for the left wing of the Parliament was worsted and the Commander Ireton receiving two wounds was taken Prisoner and kept so during the fight Prince Rupert with great fury fell in and pursued that routed wing insomuch that the day had been lost if Cromwell who came on with as great force had not in like manner routed and overthrown the Kings left wing the business now seemed in an equal ballance and the wings on both sides being thus scattered they fought some time upon dubious hopes magnanimous Skippon was grievously wounded yet would not forsake the battel but with all possible endeavours discharged his part till the Victory was obtained the Fairfaxians at last charged so fiercely upon the Roialists that they no longer could endure the brunt the Horse in all disordered hast fled toward Leicester and forsook the whole body of their Foot with their Artillery and carriages who being surrounded by the Fairfaxians threw down their Arms crying for Quarter and were all taken Prisoners This battel was the happiest of all other to the Parliament the Victory absolute and undoubted and almost five thousand prisoners carried to London the Kings Standard and one hundred other colours were taken with all their Ordnance and a very rich booty a great quantity of gold and silver and all the secret Letters of the King came by this meanes into the Conquerous hands but so few were slain in this battel that a reader may justly wonder how so many prisoners should be taken and so much wealth purchased with the loss of so little bloud for on the Kings side scarce four hundred were slain on the Parliaments scarce an hundred Cromwell with his Horse pursued the vanquished Roialists who fled apace and betook themselves to divers of their own Garrisons and bringing back a great number of Prisoners returned to the General who now marched with his Victorious Army to Leicester which was soon rendred to him Fairfax leaving a Garrison in Leicester that he might make use of his Victory to the good of the Common-wealth and hinder the King from recruiting himself to protract this sad War resolved to follow him close he therefore marched Westward that he might both pursue the King and raise the Siege of Taunton The Kings letters taken at Naseby were publikely read in London before a great Assembly of Citizens where many of both Houses of Parliament were present and leave was given to as many as pleased or knew the Kings hand to refute the calumny of those who said the Letters were counterfeit to peruse them all out of which a selected bundle were printed by command of the Parliament From the reading of these Letters many discourses of the people arose for there appeared his transactions with the Irish Rebels and with the Queen for assistance from France and the Duke of Lorraign of which before is spoken Many good men were sorry that the Kings actions agreed no better with his words that he openly protested before God with horrid imprecations that he endeavoured nothing so much as the preservation of Protestant Religion and rooting out of Popery yet in the mean time under hand he promised to the Irish Rebels an abrogation of those Laws against them which was contrary to his late expressed promises in these words I will never abrogate the Law against the Papists and again I abhor to think of bringing forraign Souldiers into the Kingdom and yet he solicited the Duke of Lorraign the French the Danes and the very Irish for assistance they were vexed also that the King was so much ruled by the will of his wife as to do every thing by her prescript that Peace War Religion and Parliament should be at her disposal It appeared besides out of those Letters with what mind the King treated with the Parliament at Vxbridge and what could be hoped by that Treaty when writing to the Queen he affirms that if he could have had but two more donsenting to his Vote he would not have given the name of Parliament to them at Westminster at last he agreed to it in this sense That it was not all one to call them a Parliament and to acknowledge them so to be and upon that reason which might have displeased his own side he calls those with him at Oxford a mungrel Parliament The King after his overthrow at Naseby fled to Lichfield and from thence he went to Hereford to raise forces especially Foot for he had still store of brave Horse that came to him after that Battel in Wales in Cornwall and in other places but nothing at all that following year prospered with the King Fortune enclining wholly to the Parliaments side whose cause it appeared that God approved by the grant of so many strange and signal Victories to them the valour of the Roialists availed not and all their endeavours fell to nothing General Fairfax after the Battel of Naseby by long Marches passed into the West Taunton was releived onely by the fame of his approach for Goring raised his Siege and went away That constant Town had been reduced to great extremities it had suffered much and done great things against strong Enemies and could not at this time in
a German Writer upon the same day that the Queen of England at Paris was singing Te Deum Laudamus for Montross his Victory at Kilsithe Thus was Scotland recovered before the King could come to Montross which notwithstanding the King soon after attempted and marching Northward with a strength not contemptible having Gerard and Langdale with him came to Routenheath his design was that if he could not joyn with Montross yet at the least that he might raise the Siege of Chester for the King was exceedingly solicitous for that City as being the most convenient Haven to receive the transported Irish whom he so long in vain expected But that expedition proved most unfortunate to the King for in a battel fought upon Routenheath where Pointz was Commander of the Parliaments Army the King was vanquished and eight hundred of his men slain Nor was the Lord Digbies expedition to Montross more fortunate who in the following moneth together with Langdale having got together one thousand Horse marched into the North to that purpose for at Sherburn in Yorkshire he was beaten and put to flight by Pointz Copley and other Parliamentarians and afterwards at Carlisie he was defeated by Brown and Lesley and having lost all his forces fled into the Isle of Man to the Earl of Derby from whence shortly after he passed into Ireland When Digby was defeated at Sherburn other secret Letters and papers of the Kings were taken whereby some designs of his were laid open and some things more cleerly discovered about his transactions with Danes Irish and others the Roialists at Oxford did much blame Digby his carlessness that would carry such papers with him into a Battel which were scarce safe enough in the strongest Fort especially remembring what a stir was made about the Letters taken at Naseby Digby was now in Ireland and about the end of December together with Ormund treating about a peace with the Irish when on a suddain the Kings affairs began to be endangered there by divulging of Glamorgans secret transaction with the Irish Rebels of which we spake before Ormund and Digby fearing least if this discovery should grow too general among the people that all the former rumours would find credit as namely that the King was Author of the Irish Rebellion and sought to confirm Popery from whence a general revolt of all the Protestants might be feared and although Digby thought Glamorgan to be an unadvised man yet could not suppose him so foolish as to undertake such a thing as that without any warrant at all Therefore it was agreed betwixt them that for fear least when this discovery were grown more general it might be too late to vindicate the King Digby should presently accuse Glamorgan of Treason But Ormund and Digby were both troubled with this fear because at that time three thousand Irish were promised to go over to the releif of Chester lest by this unseasonable vindication of the King Chester might be lost for want of transportation of those forces but when they understood that according to Glamorgans compact those Irish were not to go for England before the King had made good the conditions which Glamorgan promised and confirmed the peace and while they were consulting about this perplexed business it was told them That the Protestants of Dublin upon that news were in a great mutiny and the worst was feared within few hours unless the danger were speedily prevented Digby was enforced to make hast and accuse Glamorgan who was not at all dismaid knowing it was onely to deceive the people of high Treason Glamorgan therefore with great confidence and alacrity went to prison affirming That he did not fear to give account at London or before the Parliament of what he had done by the Kings warrant but it was wonder to see what a change in the Protestants at Dublin this feigned accusation of high Treason suddainly made and they who before murmured were now appeased But yet there remained another difficulty to be extricated Ormund was fearful lest the Irish incensed by this injury done to Glamorgan should suddenly fly to Arms before the Kings forces were ready for them to prevent that danger he wrote to Muskerry concerning the reasons of this action and the extream necessity and withall he seemed to approve the conditions for peace as the Rebels had proposed them and sent them to Kilkenny to be further discussed with some dubiousness of the event this might spend time until some new hopes of relieving Chester or otherwise supplying the King might arise But all these devices nothing availed the King all his designs were frustrated nor ever could he bring into England an Army either of Irish Rebels Lorraigners or Danes God providing better for that Kingdom until at last all his forces every where were vanquished and wholly subdued by the Parliament for in the following moneth February that very City of Chester for which he hath been so solicitous a City so often besieged and now long defended by Biron came into the power of the Parliament for Biron the Governour upon honourable terms delivered it up to Breerton Nor was the Kings side more lucky in any County of England for besides the whose West that Winter and the following Spring by many field-Victories and gaining of Towns conquered by Fairfax in the midland Counties also in the North and in Wales in several battels all that time the Roialists were vanquished by eminent Commanders of the Parliament such as were Massey Pointz Brown Rossiter Mitton Gell Breerton Laughorn and others and in the moneth of March which was the last noted field-Victory Ashley himself the Kings General was vanquished by Morgan in a memorable battel and taken prisoner with one thousand six hundred of his men Ashley when he was taken spake aloud these words You have done your work and wholly vanquished the Kings party unless your own dissentions raise them again At this time Newark the strongest Garrison of the Kings which had long and much infested the adjacent Countries was straitly besieged by Leven Pointz and Rossiter and General Fairfax after reducing of the West having provided what was sit hastened to besiege Oxford the head of the War The King having now no Garrisons left but Banbury Wallingford Worcester Ragland and Pendennis all which in a short time after were also taken and could glory onely in this that they had held out after Oxford The besieged Newarkers though the Plague raged in the Town and they began to want victuals yet susteined themselves upon hopes of some dissentions that might arise between the English and the Scots For now the Scots began to complain of want of pay of the neglect of Church-government and the Covenant the Parliament answered that that Scottish Army in two years space had received above two hundred thousand pounds for pay besides a vast sum of money which they had by force extorted from the poor weeping Inhabitants of the Northern Counties and besides that
their Army had not satisfied the expectation of the English but had lyen idle in the best time of the year if they were so precise in observation of the Covenant why then contrary to the Covenant did the Scots put Garrisons into Newcastle Tinmouth and Carlisle neither was it just in the Scots to object any thing in the case of Religion seeing the Parliament are now labouring in it being a business which requires time and mature deliberation From these jarrs the King hoped for some advantage to himself and now Oxford began to be blocked up by Ireton and Fleetwood and every day the coming of Fairfax himself and a straiter Siege of that City was expected therefore before this should happen the King resolved to go out of Oxford and communicating his mind to some inward Councellors above all other places he pitched upon the Scottish Camp to the Scots therefore as they lay before Newark the King sent Montruel the French Ambassador and himself soon after as Ashburnhams man with a Cloak-back behind him escaped unknown out of Oxford and came to Newark From this enterprise the King was disswaded by some who loved the safety of their Country and entreated rather to deliver himself to Fairfax which might in prohability put an end to the War but the King was obstinate in his design not doubting but that dissentions daily growing between the two Nations he should be the more welcome to the Scots safe from harm and be able by this means either to make a peace upon his own conditions or kindle a new war The King came first to Montruels house and from thence to Southwell into the Scottish Camp the besieged Newarkers understanding of the Kings coming and being brought into great straits harkned to conditions and surrendred the Town The Scots seemed to be amazed at the Kings unexpected coming to them and so signified the matter to the English Commissioners then present with them upon the place Letters were immediately written of it to London and to Edinburgh the English Parliament required the Scots to detain the King at Southwell but they contrary to that Order carried him away to Kelham where a greater part of their Army lay and soon after without expecting any further Orders from the Parliament of England removed their Camp marched Northward and carried away the King with them to Newcastle The Scots excused their departure because Newark being yeilded no work was left for them but alleadged That as the King came to them of his own accord unexpected so he followed their Army neither being entreated nor fobidden by them but they seemed to hasten their departure by reason of a rumor whether true or falsly pretended that Cromwell with all his Horse was marching toward them But the English upon this complained much both against the Scots and the King To the Scots they objected the breach of Covenant and Treaty To the King they imputed it As a great obstinacy and despight toward the English Nation whom he had so long injured that now in his low ebb he should in England leaving the Parliament of England go to the Scots their Mercenaries if he desired peace why did he not embrace it being offered upon such conditions as besides his necessities the common safety of his People invited him to rather than go about to kindle new fire between the two confederate Nations In the beginning of May General Fairfax with his whole Army came within sight of Oxford and disposing his quarters round about the City summoned the Governour Glenham to surrender it Glenham answered that he would first send to the King and when he knew his mind would do what was fitting this answer was not allowed Nevertheless Fairfax considering with himself which was also the opinion of all his Commanders that it was likely to prove a long Siege being a City excellent well fortified and a strong Garrison in it consisting of at least five thousand most of them old souldiers stored with provisions arms and ammunition for a great while yet was put into hope of sooner obtaining it by intelligence which he had gotten out of Letters and by some Spies that within they were much divided in their opinions and the greater part especially those of the Nobility desired it should be surrendred that they might have while time was honorable conditions Therefore they began to Treat and not onely between the Army and the City but in Parliament at London it was debated and at last decreed That the besieged should rather have the best conditions than that their precious Army should be consumed before so strong a place whilst in the mean time many things might fall out ill to the Common-wealth But the chief reason of granting such large conditions was that the conquering Army it being now Mid-summer might be transported into Ireland to vindicate that afflicted Country against the barbarous and bloudy Rebels but that so pious an intention of the Parliament was quite frustrated by the Kings going to the Scots of whom at that time there were some jealousies and that the King went to the Scots for that very purpose it was believed by Letters which were intercepted afterward written to Ormund before he went out of Oxford We hope that this design of ours though it may seem dangerous to our person will prove advantagious for Ireland in hindering the Rebels meaning the Parliament from transporting any forces into that Kingdom Thus Oxford was surrendred and at the appointed day all the souldiers of that Garrison marched away by Fairfax his Army with great quiet and modesty on both sides The Duke of York was honorably conducted to London where two of the Kings children remained thither also went all the Noble men nor was it denied to any of the Besieged to go to London but the Princes Rupert and Maurice being commanded to go out of England prepared for their departure The great Seal of England with other Ensigns of Majesty were layed up in the Library which afterward carried to London was by the command of Parliament for the Parliament when the great Seal three years before was carried away to the King had made a new one broken in pieces together with the other smaller Seals Prince Charles about that time distrusting the condition of his side fled from Silly with a few of his inward Counsellors and went to Jersey that from thence he might pass into France to the Queen his Mother While the Prince remained in Jersey the Commissioners both of England and Scotland intreated the King that the Prince his Son might continue within his Dominions lest if he should go into France it might be inconvenient at this time and an obstruction to the desired peace but the King promising them that he would think of it wrote in the mean time this short letter to the Prince CHarles I write to you onely that you should know where I am and that I am in health not to direct you at this time
that they and all such Bills as shall be tendred to your Majesty in pursuance of them or any of them may be established and enacted for Statutes and Acts of Parliament by your Majesties Royal Assent in the Parliaments of both Kingdoms respectively The Lords and Commons Commissioners of the Parliament of England staid long with the King at Newcastle humbly entreating him that he would vouchsafe to sign and establish those propositions being not much higher than those which had been offered to his Majesty at Vxbridge when the chance of War was yet doubtful the same thing did the Commissioners of the Parliament in Scotland humbly entreat and the like did others daily who came with renewed supplications to that end from the Parliament sitting at Edenburgh But in vain were the supplications of both Kingdoms the King persisted obstinately in denial of his Assent but daily he seemed to take exceptions at some particulars whereby time was delayed for some moneths and the affairs of both Kingdoms much retarded which happened at an unseasonable time when not onely the dissentions between the two Nations about Garrisons mony and other things were justly feared but also in the Parliament of England and City of London the factions then encreasing between the Presbyterians and Independents from whence the common enemy began to swell with hopes not improbable and this perchance was the cause of the Kings delay But those hopes of the enemy soon vanished and this very aversness of the King did in some measure compose the dissentions of the Parliament insomuch as they began unanimously to consult how they might settle the affairs of both Kingdoms since it could not otherwise be without the King Therefore it was debated in the Parliament of England to pay the Scots for their assistance in this War and at last agreed that the Scots should receive four hundred thousand pounds half of that sum namely two hundred thousand pounds was to be paid in present upon receipt of which the Scots were to deliver up Berwick Carlisle and Newcastle to the Parliament of England according to the compact It was also debated though with much time and difficulty where the Kings person should be disposed in case he did absolutely and utterly deny his Assent to the Propositions at which meeting it was freely granted by the Parliament to the Scots that they might carry the King if they pleased to Edenburgh but that the Scots refused affirming that by his presence in an unsetled Kingdom new commotions might arise they rather desired which was also the Kings desire that he might be carried into the Southern parts of England and live in some of his Palaces neer London which they thought more convenient for treating of a peace as if England were not in the same danger by his presence So that in all that whole debate they seemed to contend not who should have the King but who should not have him Whilest these things were transacting and the King daily was humbly entreated by both Kingdoms to grant his Assent to these Propositions the Earl of London Chancellour of Scotland about the end of August when the Commissioners of both Kingdoms were present made an Oration to the King which because it opens the business in some measure shall be recited YOur Majesty was pleased on Monday last to call the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland and imparting the Propositions to them to promise that you would likewise impart your Answer before you sent it but so short is the Commissioners prefixed time and of so great moment either to the safety or ruine of your Crown and Kingdoms is your Majesties Answer that we should be wanting both to God and our own trust if we should not represent to your Majesty how necessary it is in this conjuncture of time That you grant your assent to these Propositions and what an incurable malady and sudden ruine must needs follow upon your denial I shall begin with the disease and speak after of the remedy The differences betwixt your Majesty and Parliament known better to no man than your self are at this time so high that after so many bloudy Battels no composure can be made nor a more certain ruine avoided without a present pacification The Parliament are in possession of your Navy of all the Towns Castles and Forts of England they enjoy besides Sequestrations your Revenue Souldiers and monies are raised by their Authority and after so many Victories and Successes they have a standing strong Army who for their strength are able to act any thing in Church or Common-wealth at their own pleasure Besides there are some so fearful others so unwilling to sumit to your Majesty that they desire neither your self nor any of your Issue to raign over them The People weary of War and groaning under taxes though they desire Peace yet are so much against the pulling down of Monarchy under which they have long flourished that they which are weary of your Government dare not go about to throw it off untill they have once at least offered Proposition of Peace to your Majesty lest the Vulgar without whose concurrence they cannot perfect the Work should fall from them Therefore when the whole People weary of War desire security from pressures and arbitrary rule the most Honourable Houses of Parliament have consented to offer these Propositions to your Majesty without which the greater part of the people do suppose the Kingdom can neither enjoy Peace nor Safety therefore your Majesties friends and the Commissioners of Scotland though not without some reluctation were forced to consent to the sending of these Propositions for else none had been sent or else incur the publick hatred as enemies to peace Now Sir if your Majesty which God forbid should deny to sign these Propositions you would loose all your friends both City and Country and all England as one man would rise up against you it may then be feared all hope of reconciliation being taken away that they may cite you depose you and set up another Government Moreover they will require of us to deliver your Majesty to them to restore their Garrison Towns and carry our Army out of England Lastly if your Majesty persist in denying both Kingdoms will be compelled to agree together for their mutual safety to settle Religion and peace without you which to our unspeakable grief would ruine your Majesty and your Posterity But if your Majesty shall despise the councel of us who wish nothing more upon earth than the establishing of your Majesties Throne and by obstinacy loose England your Majesty will not be suffered to enter Scotland and ruine that Sir We have laid our hands upon our hearts we have prayed to God to direct us and have seriously considered of the remedy for these mischiefs but we can find nothing else as the case now stands which can preserve your Crown and Kingdoms then that your Majesty should sign these Propositions in some things
we confess they are higher than we if our wish might have gone would have made them but seeing that no other way is left to cure the Kingdoms wounds and consolidate the ruptures between your Majesty and the Parliament We do in all humility and loyalty advise your Majesty that out of your gratious goodness you would assent to them as being the onely remedy left to procure a firm and happy peace from whence also many happinesses will accrue to you c. But neither this Oration of Londen nor all the endeavours of both Parliaments could after the Kings mind yet did not the Commissioners give over their hopes but persisted in intreating so that many moneths were spent in this business and the time consumed till the midst of Winter in which space they could not perswade the King to hear any Ministers of the Synod preach before him being constant onely to his own Chaplains Upon which they began to endeavour that amity might be preserved between the two Nations and that the two Kingdoms things standing as they did might be peaceably setled without the King Therefore after some debate between the Parliament of England and the Commissioners of Scotland they at the last agreed upon the aforesaid sum namely that two hundred thousand pounds should be forthwith paid to the Scots which mony being told out was by General Fairfax with part of his Forces conveyed out of London who afterwards committed the business to Major General Skippon He with six Regiments marched away in the midst of Winter and in January came to Newcastle upon Tine with the mony The Scots when they had received their mony according to the compact delivered up the English Garrisons Berwick Carlisle and Newcastle into the Parliaments hands and marched quietly home into Scotland they delivered also the King to the English Commissioners to be carried into the South Who was received with great respect and honour by the Earls of Pembrook and Denbigh and the rest of the Parliament Commissionerâ— and by them waited on with great observance and an honourable guard to his Palaâ—â— of Holmby in Northampton-shire Thâ—â—â— things were done in the Moneth of February at which time the Earl of Stanford Mr. Gâ—â—win and Mr. Ashhurst of the House of Commons were sent Commissioners by the Parliament into Scotland that at Edenburgh thâ—â— might treat with the Scottish Parliament about the Common Affairs Though the Kings party which had fougâ—â— against their Parliament and Liberties wâ—â—â— absolutely subdued yet a quiet liberty 〈◊〉 security could not be suddenly obtained the victory For the Civil War being ended dissention more than Civil arose among the Conquerors which seemed therefore more sad to all good men because it was between those who before had with most united affections and desires thrown their lives and Fortunes into the hazard against a common Enemy whom the same cause the same fervour of reforming Religion and restoring liberty and the same prayers had linked together in the nearest bond of conscience By this division under the names of Presbyterian and Independent still encreasing the minds of men began beyond all measure to be embittered against each other one side complained that the Covenant was broken the other that it was not rightly enterpreted by them nor so as that it could any way be a vindication of the cause undertaken or the publike Safety on both sides were men of great reputation Yet did they not at first so far dissent but that both sides seemed forward to vindicate the Common cause against the Kings party called Malignants It must be a longer time that must by degrees so far work upon the consciences of that side which seemed weakest as to make them cleave to the Malignants for a prop. The Malignants were ready to joyn with either side that they might ruine both They themselves though disarmed being now the greatest number especially by reason of the unconstancy of many men either upon particular grievances or the burden of Taxations A great number of the Citizens of London not of the meaÌ„est but highest rank had revolted from their former principles insomuch as that City all the Kings Garrisons being by Fairfax his bloudless Victories emptied thither became to be of that condition as that the Parliament without the Armies help could not safely sit there These dissentions of Presbyterian and Independent because the motives and intentions of men are not enough known our purpose is to touch with more brevity than the actions of open War and plain hostility though they also are here shortly mentioned It were a work of too much length and difficulty to recite how many Calumnies were raised by the other faction against the Army before so much admired as maintainers of the Independent faction How divers Petitions were drawn up and sub-scriptions eagerly sought in the County of Essex against this Army which was then quartered about Walden in the moneth of April And in the Parliament it self it was so far and in that manner debated concerning disbanding of that Army that they being now taught to value their own merits conceived themselves much injured and in the moneth of May presented a Petition to their General In which they desire to be satisfied not onely for their due pay as Souldiers but in things concerning belonging to them as free born sons of the Nation the publike liberties which they had fought for Of which Petition great complaint was made by those of the other Faction These and some other Alterations wrought at last so far as that the Souldiers about the beginning of June upon what design or what jealousies I leave to Judge took away the King from Helmby out of the Parliament-Commissioners hands and carried him along with them in the Army So that his person was to be in some Town or Palace neer to their Quarter When this was known it was ordered by both Houses of Parliament and their order sent to the General 1. That the King should reside at Richmond 2. That he should be attended by the same persons that he was at Holmby 3. That Rossiters Regiment should guard him But the next day from the General and his Councel of Officers was brought to the Parliament an Impeachment against eleven Members of the House of Commons viz. honoured names many of them Hollis Stapleton Waller Glyn Massey Maynard Lewis Clotworthy Long Harley and Nichols Wherein divers things were objected concerning hindering the Releif of Ireland obstructing Justice and acting somewhat against the Army and the Laws of England The Impeached Members declared themselves ready to answer to any crime that could be objected against them But another request came from the Army that those Impeached Members untill they had brought in their answer might be secluded from their Seats in Parliament This at the first was not granted as a thing judged to be too high and too much against the priviledge of Parliament But when the Army iterated their desire those accused Members
Episcopacy he disputed out of the dictates of his conscience much and gave touches also of the other matters Of all which he hoped that he should satisfie the Parliament with his reasons if he might personally treat with them Therefore he earnestly desired to be admitted with Honour Freedom and Safety to treat personally at London the Commissioners of Scotland with great vehemence also pressed that this desire of the King might be granted The Parliament weighing these things lest they should betray themselves and friends by admitting of a personal Treaty with the King in London so Malignant a City before he had given any satisfaction or security which was before the Scots Opinion after so many mischiefs done to the Commonwealth resolved upon a middle way Therefore after a long debate on the twenty sixth of November they concluded that four Propositions being drawn up into the form of Acts should be sent to the King in the Isle of Wight to sign which when he had signed he should be admitted to a personal Treaty a London that his Majesty giving the Kingdom security by passing these four Propositions there may be a personal Treaty with his Majesty for passing the rest of the Propositions The four were these 1. That a Bill be passed into an Act by his Majesty for setling of the Militia of the Kingdom 2. That a Bill be passed for his Majesties calling in of all Declarations Oaths and Proclamations against the Parliament and those who have adhered to them 3. For passing an Act that those Lords who were made after the Great Seal was carried to Oxford may be made uncapable of sitting in the House of Peers thereby 4. That power may be given to the two Houses of Parliament to adjourn as the two Houses of Parliament shall think fit The Commissioners of Scotland would in no wise give their consent that these four Bills should be sent to the King before he treated at London therefore in a very long Declaration they protested against it Notwithstanding that the Bills were sent by Commissioners of both Houses of Parliament and on the twenty fourth of December presented to the King at Carisbrook-Castle But the King understanding the minde of the Scots and the factions in London absolutely refused to sign those Propositions and the Commissioners with this denial returned to London On the third of January the House of Commons debated of this denial of the King the dispute was sharp vehement and high about the State and Government of the Commonwealth and many plain Speeches made of the King 's obstinate aversness and the peoples too long patience it was there affirmed that the King by this denial had denied his protection to the people of England for which onely subjection is due from them that one being taken away the other falls to the ground That it is very unjust and absurd that the Parliament having so often tried the King's affections should now betray to an implacable Enemy both themselves and all those friends who in a most just cause had valiantly adventured their lives and fortune that nothing was now left for them to do but to take care for the safety of themselves and their friends and settle the Common-wealth since otherwise it could not be without the King Therefore on the 17 of January a Declaration and Votes passed both Houses of Parliament in this manner The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament after many Addresses to his Majesty for the preventing and ending this unnatural War raised by him against the Parliament and Kingdom having lately sent four Bills to his Majesty which did contain onely matter of safety and security to the Parliament and Kingdom referring the composure of other differences to a personal Treaty with his Majesty and having received an absolute Negative do hold themselves obliged to use their utmost endeavours speedily to settle the present Government in such a way as may bring the greatest security to this Kingdom in the enjoyment of the Laws and Liberties thereof And in Order thereunto and that the Houses may receive no delay nor interruptions in so great and necessary a work they have taken these Resolutions and passed these Votes following viz. The Lords and Commons do declare That they will make no further Addresses or Applications to the King Resolved c. By the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament That no Application or Address be made to the King by any Person whatsoever without the leave of both Houses Resolved c. By the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that the Person or Persons that shall make breach of this Order shall incur the penalty of High Treason Resolved c. That the Lords and Commons do declare That they will receive no more any Message from the King and do enjoyn That no ` Person whatsoever do presume to receive or bring any Message from the King to both or either of the Houses of Parliament or any other Person Within few dayes after these Votes of Parliament were published a Declaration of the General and general Councel of the Army their Head-Quarters being then at Windsor was made and humbly presented to the Parliament for which Declaration thanks were returned from the Parliament to the General and Councel of the Army which take in the full expression A Declaration from his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax and the General Councel of the Army of their Resolutions to adhere to the Parliament in their proceedings concerning the King NOtwithstanding the high violations of the Kingdoms Rights and Liberties and the indeavours to swallow up the whole interest of the Kingdom into the power and will of a King which the present King's Reign hath afforded we have observed that the Parliament was through his necessities and against his declared intentions to the contrary called but in a condition of vindicating the Kingdom in those things hath yet enacted with that tenderness towards the King as to any thing of right that might be in him or duty towards him as that in the Protestation Covenant and many Declarations published by them that have held forth a careful regard to the preservation of the King's person and just rights with and in the preservation and vindication of the publick interests and safety of the Kingdom and by the whole service of their actions and their many-fold humble Addresses to him for the preservation and settlement of all they have we conceive abundantly demonstrated the reality and innocency of their intentious towards him in all which we have still understood the sence and intention to be no other then that the preservation of the King's person and particular rights should be so endeavoured as it might be consistent with and not destructive to those great and more obliging publick interests of Religion and the Rights Liberties and safety of the Kingdom and not otherwise And accordingly in the late Declarations and Papers that have occasionally past from this Army as to our desires of
disorderly fellows came into them they remained all night in a whole body filling the City with fears so that the Lord Major a man cordial to the Parliament was enforced to escape privily out of his House and flye into the Tower In the morning General Fairfax to crush this mischief in the beginning before the wound were grown incurable by the concourse of wicked men sent a part of his Army into the City who vanquishing the Seditious and driving them into Leaden Hall of whom some they carried away Prisoners with great valour and no less prudence quieted the Tumult For delivering the City from so horrid a danger thanks were given to the General both by the Parliament and the honest sober Citizens and a thousand pounds in money given as a gratuity to the Souldiers In the very Petitions also at that Malignant time nothing but sedition War was contained as appeared in those of Surrey and Kent From Surrey about three hundred came to Westminster on the twenty sixth of May bringing a Petition to the Parliament in which they did not so much entreat as command in high words That the King should presently be restored to his former dignity and come to Westminster with Honour Freedom and safety to treat personally there about all Controversies that the Army should presently be disbanded and the free people of England be governed by their known Laws and Statutes with other things of this nature Nor would these Surrey-men that brought the Petition endure any delay no not so much as till the Parliament could debate about it but being extream insolent cursing and railing openly at the Parliament they set upon the Souldiers who were their guard of whom some they hurt and one they killed Upon which a troop of Horse from the Mews and some Foot were sent to help their Fellows who soon vanquished and scattered those Country Fellows and slew some of them This was the end of that seditious Petition of Surrey At that time the Kentish-men were coming with a Petition of that nature who being in number of a good Army seemed afar off to threaten the Parliament They had been the more stirred by reason of a severe punishment of some of their Country-men who had lately raised a sedition about Canterbury against these Kentish-men the Parliament provided no smaller defence then the General Fairfax himself who with seven Regiments marched away to Black Heath neer Greenwich of whose success we shall speak afterwards The Parliament had before designed that General Fairfax should march into the North to defend those parts but nearer dangers detained him in the South For at this time scarce any part of England was quiet in every place tumults insurrections and Wars were threatned To quell all these which was wonderful one onely Army sufficed by the great blessing of God upon it Which Army as when it was conjoyned in one year Anno Dom. 1646. it quite vanquished and broke all the Kings flourishing strength and reduced the Kingdom to the obedience of Parliament so at this time with no less fortitude and felicity being divided into parts in all corners of the Kingdom it continued Victorious so that fortitude and fortune might seeme in that Army as the soul in an humane body to be all in the whole and all in every part For besides those light and soon-suppressed insurrections of Suffolke in the East and of Stamford in the mid-land part by Col. Wait and others and of Cornwal in the West by Sir Hardresse Waller more great and formidable insurrections happened in the Northern parts and in Wales In the beginning of May the North was infested by some of the Kings Commanders Sir Thomas Glenham who had before governed so many Garisons of the Kings as Carlisle York and Oxford and lost them all had now with no better success seized upon Carlisle And at the same time Sir Marmaduke Langdale of whom we spake before had seized upon Berwick and fortified it The strong Castle also of Pomfret was then taken by the Royalists who by treachery had slain the Governour thereof To manage these Wars in the North Lambert a stout Commander and Major-General of those Counties was left with some Regiments of the Fairfaxian Army But dangers of a more horrid degree seemed to threaten the Parliament in Wales not onely from ancient and formerly-vanquished Enemies but those who had before been Parliament-Commanders and had now forsaken their side and cause namely the Colonels Poyer and Powel and him that had so often so well deserved of the Parliament Laughorn himself Poyer who had hitherto kept the Town and strong Castle of Pembrook for the Parliament now strengthned by the concourse of malignant people with great animosity maintained it against them Laughorn a Commander of great esteem in those parts had raised a gallant Army under whom Colonel Powel served In a small time the Welch coming in apace to him Laughorns Army was so increased that he mustered 8000. Both Laughorn Poyer as it afterward appeared entred into this War by a Commission received from Prince Charles whose Auspicy proved no better then his Fathers Colonel Horton with a small part of the Fairfaxian Army and some other raised forces went against them with three thousand men But it pleased God the giver of all Victories that the success was not according to the number for Horton on the eighth day of May between the two Towns of Fagans and. Peterstone encountring with Laughorn totally routed and put to flight his whole Army consisting of eight thousand Horse and Foot A great slaughter was made upon the place and the number of Prisoners being three thousand equalled the number of the Victorious Army among whom were taken about an hundred and fifty Officers a great number of Colours and quantity of Arms with all their Ordnance There was scarce a more happy Victory as the condition of things then stood to the Parliament then this of Hortons for which by order of Parliament a publike thanksgiving to God was celebrated Laughorn and Powel escaping by flight got to Poyer into Pembrook Castle Cromwell himself about the beginning of May was sent into Wales with some Regiments who on the eleventh day of that moneth came to Chepstow Castle which he resolved to besiege but hastening to Pembrook he left Colonel Ewer at Chepstow who within fifteen days took that Castle and killed Kemish to whom before the place had been betrayed and Cromwel on the twentieth of May came to Pembrook Poyer relying on the strength of the place refused all conditions knowing besides that time was now pretious to the Parliament being then entangled in so many difficulties at once But Cromwel not being accustomed to despair of any thing prepared for the Siege being much furthered in his work from the Sea by the great industry of Sir George Ayscough who commanded there a squadron of the Navy Sir George Ayscough with much care and diligence from time to time
about of that Fleet was committed to the care of Sir George Ayscough nor did the Lord Admiral Warwick know certainly what was become of that Porchmouth-Fleet whether that also were revolted for so the rumonrs were every day in London And certain it is that the Mariners being so ill-affected in general and daily corrupted by the Townsmen in Porchmouth that Fleet had been lost from the Parliament by which means the other could not have subsisted if the discretion of Sir George Ayscough his estimation among the Sea-men and their love to him had not happily for the Parliament then appeared He wisely sounding the affections of them cashiering the worst to prevent the spreading of that contagion did with many endeavours and great difficulty so well prevail at last that he confirmed the whole Fleet in the Parliaments obedience And very successfully sailing by Prince Charles in the night brought all his Ships safe to the Earl of Warwick Who now strengthened by Ayscoughs coming with the Porchmouth Fleet resolved to make toward his Enemies But finding that the Prince for want of Victual was gone back into Holland he followed him not long after with the whole Fleet to Gore upon the Coast Cromwel after he had given that great defeat to Hamilton following his Victory entered into Scotland to help Arguile and Leven against the Forces of Monroe and â—â—nerike Which he effected with great felicity and reduced those Garisons which the Scots and English Malignants had before seized namely Berwick and Carlisle into the Parliaments power Then going into Scotland to consult about the safety of both Kingdoms he was most honourably entertained in the Castle of Edinburgh Many of the Scotish Nobility and Gentry were sent from the Commitee of Estate to meet Cromwel who after congratulatory Orations made conducted him to Edinburgh where Arguile Leven and other Lords entertained him and the rest of the English Commanders with a most magnificent banquet in the Castle Thanks were given by the Ministers to Cromwel who was by them styled the preserver of Scotland under God Such also is the testimony of the Committee of Estate written to the English Parliament concerning Cromwel presently after the forces of Monroe and Lanerike were disbanded and all other forces except fifteen hundred Horse and Foot which were to stand under the Command of Leven untill the Kingdome were setled It was also decreed both by the Committee of Estate and Assembly of the Kirk For preservation of Religion and brotherly amity with the English Nation That no man which had joyned with Hamilton in the late invasion of England should be chosen into the new Parliament which was then called or into the Assembly of the Kirk For the Faction of Hamilton were judged Enemies to Religion and both the Kingdoms It was worthy of noting that that English Army which were by the religious Party of Scotland called A bundle of Sectariés and reviled by all opprobrious names should now be acknowledged by the same Scots to be the Instruments of God and Vindicators both of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland The greatest Peers of Scotland also did ingenuously confess their Rashness and Errour the year before for accusing this Army as Rebellious for acting the very same things in England which now themselves were enforced to act in Scotland for preservation of that Kingdom This great change in the Council of Scotland had been to be wondred at if the change that then happened in the English Parliament had not been a greater Miracle Who would not be amazed at this That Cromwel for vanquishing a Scotish Army by which he delivered England from the worst of Miseries should be acknowledged there the Preserver of Scotland and not here allowed the Preserver of England and that the same Victory of his against Scots should please the Presbyterian Scots for Religions sake and for Religions sake displease the Presbyterians of England Oedipus himself cannot unriddle this especially if he judge according to Reason not according to what Envie Hate and embittering Faction can work The face of the English Parliament was now suddenly changed and the Votes which passed the year before namely of making no more Addresses to the King were annulled and made void those Votes upon which the Parliament as before is said had published a Declaration to inform the World concerning the reason and necessity of their proceedings Their Counsels were now quite changed and new Addresses to the King the formerly impeached members being again restored to their Seats with more submissive earnestness then ever before were resolved on The Houses then fell into a Debate about propositions to be framed and a Treaty to be had with the King before he had given any satisfaction or security to the people personally at London with Honour Freedom and safety But that was not carried Onely a Treaty was Voted to be in the I le of VVight and that the King should choose the place within that Iland Therefore on the fourth of August the Earl of Middlesex with two of the House of CoÌ„mons were sent to the King Who made answer that he was very ready to treat of Peace and named Newport in that Iland to be the place For that business Commissioners were presently chosen out of both Houses Five Peers Northumberland Pembrook Salisbury Middlesex and Say Ten of the Commons Lord VVainman Hollis Perpoint Vane junior Grimstone Pots Brown Crew Glyn and Buckley The King during this treaty found not onely great reverence and observance from the Commissioners of Parliament but was attended with a Prince-like retinue and was allowed what servans he should choose to make up the Splendor of a Court The Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hartford the Earls Southampton and Lindsey with other Gentlemen of note and a competent number of them waited in his train his own Chaplains and divers of his Lawyers to advise him in the Treaty were allowed there But while this Treaty proceeded and some months were spent in debates concessions and denyals behold another strange alteration happened which threw the King from the heighth of honour into the lowest condition So strangely did one contrary provoke another Whilst some laboured to advance the King into his Throne again upon slender conditions or none at all others weighing what the King had done what the Commonwealth and especially what the Parliaments friends might suffer if he should come to raign again with unchanged affections desired to take him quite away From hence divers and frequent Petitions were presented to the Parliament and some to the General Fairfax That whosoever had offended against the Commonwealth no persons excepted might come to Judgement The first Petition of that kinde was presented to the Parliament upon the eleventh day of September The Title of the Petition was To the most honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament The humble Petition of many Thousands of well-affected men in the Cities of London and Westminster in the Borough of Southwark and the neighbouring Villages Inhabitants This Petition which broke the Ice was followed in the space of one month by many other Petitions of the same kinde from divers Counties of England and several Regiments of the Army namely from the County of Oxford on the 30 of September from the County of Leicester on the second of October from many Commanders in the Army on the 4 of October Three other Petitions brought upon one day namely the 10 of October another from Ireton's Regiment on the 18 of October and another from Inglesbies Regiment on the 21 day of the same month The scope of all these Petitions was the same That Justice might be done and that the Chief Authors of so much bloodshed in England and so many calamities to the Nation namely those who had been the raisers of this Second War and were now in the Parliaments custody Hamilton Holland Capel Goring and the rest might be punished But especially they intreat that the King himself the Chief offender the raiser of the whole War and author of Englands calamity might be called to Judgement That the Parliament would give them leave to remember what the Parliament it self had the yeer before decreed and declared against the King and what the Kirk of Scotland in 1646 had declared against the same King That he was guilty besides other horrid Crimes of shedding the blood of many thousands of his best Subjects Which things if they were true and not at all punished nor any satisfaction made it might be feared would provoke by so much injustice the wrath of God who had delivered that King after so bloody a War into their hands They therefore humbly intreat the Parliament that they would not ungratefully throw away so many miraculous deliverances of Almighty God nor betray themselves and their faithful friends by deceitful Treaties to an implacable Enemy This was the sense of all those Petitions which during the Treaty were daily presented to the Parliament and by them laid aside But at last these Desires prevailed especially after that the Remonstrance of the Lord General and the General Council of Officers held at St. Albans the 16 of November 1648. was presented to the Parliament on the 20 of the same November But by what means or what degrees it came at last so far as that the King was brought to trial condemned and beheaded because the full search and enarration of so great a business would make an History by it self it cannot well be brought into this BREVIARY which having passed over so long a time shall here conclude FINIS