A ROYALL STORY FOR LOYALL READERS For they intended mischiefe against thee and imagined such a device as they are not able to performe And why because the King putteth his trust in the Lord and in the mercy of the most Highest Hee shall not miscarry Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam multa tulit fecitque Printed in the Yeare 1651. Parcere subjectis et debellare superbos Charles ye second Son to Charles I. ye Martir King of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith c. Now in ye head of a gallant and numerous army of ye valiant and faithfull English Scotts marching by the power and mightines of his Maker towards the possession of the rest of his Fathers Crownes with olive branches emblemes of Victory peace and mercy To restore to the Loyall their Religion Lawes and Liberties to shew pitty and compassion to all the seduc'd and sorrowfull returniÌ„g to their obedience But to execute Vengeance on the impenitent malitious and implacable murtherers of his Royall Father Cornelius Van Dalen sculpsit-Amster Ejaculation MAy God and his Annoynted the King and all that are God's and his Annoynted the King's forgive me if in these thoughts whilst they were yet invisible or now that they are become legible I have offended him or them humane fraielties excepted I hope I may appeale to Heaven the searcher of all hearts in poynt of my integrity in the matter of Loyalty and in the honest and hearty intendment of these Papers Lord continue and encrease all good designes in my breast untill they come to that perfection thou wilt please to accept And O thou whose proper worke it is to make the people of one house to be of one minde and to whom 't is equally possible to make those of one or more Kingdomes to be so too Blesse in thy time and way and that in the time and way present if it be thy holy will these distracted devided Kingdoms with composed united mindes that after so horrible and so long a seperation from thee by Rebellion Blasphemy Sacrilegde Murther and all other deadly sinnes we may once againe enjoy thee our God of Peace in Peace and by thee thy Vicegerent our King and under him our Church our Lawes our Liberties and our mutuall Loves through Jesus Christ the eternall sonne of thy love in whom thou hast loved us first Amen Now know I that the Lord helpeth his Annoynted and will heare him from his Holy Heaven even with the wholesome strength of his right hand NAy nay forbeare forbeare Gentlemen judge not that ye be not judged 'T is not to you high flying Youths but to the soberly Loyal soules who have candour as well as judgement that I intend these for your parts you were ever too rash in your actions and uncharitable in your censures for my conversation Pray pardon me that I am by mischance rusht into your company indeed I was looking for a more grave society you know I affect not yours and I am not ignorant that you hate mine therefore if you take ill this my misfortune pray tell me before I go 't is not generous to calumniate behinde any mans back if I have offended I am ready to cry you mercy or give you any handsome satisfaction in its defect meane while I kisse your hands Gentlemen and leave you to the wise mans first Course eate drink and be merry yet may I finde you hereafter to be recollected or but once becalmed amidst the surges and surfets of your sinfull excesses I shal then present you with his second course but remember that for all these things you must come to judgement and I 'le adde too that you know not how soone the times are dangerous swords are drawne and the thread of mans life as t was ever soone cut or knapt asunder so it seems now to be environed with Armies of weaponed and engin'd men at contest which shal give first that fatall blow and as the tree fals so it lies as life leaves death and Judgement find Vestigia nulla retrorsum who rememembreth thee in the grave saith valiantly holy David shal the dead praise thee no no the living the living they shal prayse God Therefore damne not sink not now lest you sink and be damned for ever God wil not blesse nor the King accept such persons some of you know it from Breda and I could tell you more from His Majesties owne mouth to an acquaintance of ours His Majesty now stands uppon His Fathers headlesse shoulders and sees the plagues attending the cursing drinking debaucht crew which help'd bring to the Scaffold the barbarously murthered but most blessed Martyr CHARLES the first who saw indeed in His time and sorrowed for but could not help the vicâ—s of His Armies and abuses of His Commisioners and Governours the former His gracious Meditations let you and all the world know As to the latter I am satisfied from His owne sacred lips when upon occasion of my giving His Majesty according to the duty of my command an account of affaires and persons in the West of England His Majesty deare King was pleased passionately to tell me that he was confident the relation I gave was just and patiently he added Oh the mirrour that he was reduced to that unhappy condition as to be forced to trust Knaves and knew not how to help it Our present King CHARLS the second such a Son to such a Father as I believe the world never paraleld though reduced certainly to as much necessity as ever so great a Prince was what time as he went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people God suffering no man though to do him wrong abroad he became an object of pitty mixt with admiratioÌ„ from all the nobly disposed persons in the world and an object of scornings lashings of the Independent English tongues especially in Holland that had never seen him but such as with the Queen of Sheba hearing of his fame came to behold the magnanimity of his courage and the constancy of his vertues in the banishment from His other Royall possessions became astonished and either returned convinced penitent and Loyall or else seized with horrour went home trembling in their soules at the sight of His sacred Presence that I have charity to hope an holy operation from His Majesties divine influence will steale them also by degrees to their own salvation yet this King strangely happy and I know not how it comes to passe in this low condition as it seemed to the world was then now His Majesty is in power is more a strict reprehender of vice and a vigilant observer of those who became too sawcy with Majesty clouded in fortune onely not in face and kept up by his owne grace and presence a Kingship perfectly in himselfe not discovering the least passion for the absence from His Crownes which was the greater conquest then of the world and that desire of
wicked way he knew nothing too hazardous for him by way of expiation for his former offences to venture against CROMVVELL or any other but him he looked on as the great Dictatour and Commander in that high mischiefe and if her Majesty pleased to command him he would either by poyson or stob though with the certaine losse of his owne life give a period to CROMVVELLS dayes Her Majesty the Mirrour of Her Sex for constant love and loyalty to Her King and Husband pierced to the heart with this fresh renewing of her griefe in the losse of her incomparable King and Consort after She had recollected Her selfe answered that he might apprehend that offer as some satisfaction to himselfe but she had better learnt Her Saviour and would not by any consent of Hers take the matter out of Gods hands who had sayd vengeance was his and he would repay in whose due time She expected to see their ruine that had committed that unheard of murther the Fountaine of Her and all Loyall Subjects misery the shame of Christendome and the astonishment of the known World to which MORS replies that though her Majesty was not pleased to accept of his service in that particular yet by that he hoped her Majesty believed he would then be ready to doe any thing lesse dangerous wherein he might serve her Majesty towards a publick good and her Majesty he conceived must needs have affaires of weight with the King and to send to His Majesty as he understood she did by the way of Holland was very uncertaine tedious and expensive as a quicker dispatch if her Majesty could think of any service he could doe in that or any thing else he would undertake to go from Calais to Dover and so by land much sooner and in respect of his knowledge in the North much safer he believed and would venture his life to carry Letters or message from Her Majesty to the King Her Majesty glad at all times to have opportunity to present her duty and love to her Sonne the King and at that time having some more immediate businesse with His Majesty embraceth MORS his offer and prepares Letters to the King MORS no sooner receives them with promise of all sidelity and secrecy but posts away for England at Whitehall he acquaints his Black Masters how far he had succeeded in this dark designe at which Hell and they t is to be supposed kept a private thanksgiving MORS receiving fresh encouragement and instructions hyes away for the North and in great pretended privacy comming into Lieth there hee disguiseth himselfe into womans apparrell in that habit cunningly passeth over the water to Burnt Island where after he was harboured he sends to the Governour imparting the matter to him that hee came from the Queene c. and desired his assistance that he might be presently fitted with mans cloathes againe and accommodated with Horses and Guides to goe to the King then at St. Johnstons the Governour glad of the employment doth accordingly MORS no sooner comes to Court but there meets him a Major an English Gentleman who knowing him most maliciously active formerly against the King saluted him asking him whether he were a Convert MORS tels him the same kinde of lamentable story of his sadnesse which before he had told the Queene and that the Queene had honoured him with Letters to the King which hee was in great hast to deliver the Major joy'd at his conversion presseth him to drink a Cup of Scotch Ale with him upon the Guard before he went in to the King when they came into the Court of Guard the Major chargeth the Captaine of the Guard with him as a Spye and causing him presently to be searched there was found nothing about him but those Letters from the Queene which the Major leaving MORS a prisoner presents to the King His Majesty seeing his distressed Mother Queenes hand receiveth them joyfully and askes for the Messenger the Major thereupon tels the King what a dangerous person MORS that brought them was of a disposition so implacably malicious that he could not sleep as the Psalmist sayes unlesse he had done at least contrived mischiefe and humbly begged the King that he might be tried as a Spy for he wus confident he came upon some horrid designe such another person not being to be found for their purpose His Majesty advising with his Counsell and being pressed by many arguments from the Major granted a Commission of life and death to certaine persons according to the forme of that Kingdome who calling MORS to triall as a Spy he pleaded not onely not guilty but rather merit in running so great a hazard to do the King service in a time so dangerous but the Judges found cause enough to condemne him and told him they were justified in themselves for what they did upon the evidence given yet that he might justifie them also to the world they caused a rack to be brought before him and Souldiers with lighted matches told him he was as a dead man already yet if hee would confesse his intentions he might receive mercy else whether guilty or not guilty at present must bee betweene God and his Conscience they would burne his hands and feet with matches as far as they would burne that done they would rack him one joynt from another untill he should confesse or if not confesse they would execute him at last MORS seeing death at the doore and that better dye in an ingenious confession then in so much guilt to throw body and soule headlong he without either the matches burning his flesh or the rack torturing his bones freely confessed the designe was layd by the States of England and that he had undertaken for reward to slay innocent bloud and either by poyson he was to have done it whilest he stayd in expectation of an answer to the Queenes Letters or if he could not effect that then when he received his dispatch from the Kings hand he was resolved to have given a fatall blow MORS thus having confessed being condemned was remaunded to prison before Execution the Lord LOTHIAN CARRE His Majesties Secretary mistrusted alwayes for a Juggler with the English Rebels tells the King that this MORS was the first person condemned to dye by the Kings immediate Power and humbly propounded how acceptable a thing it would be to God and man in his first action to shew rather mercy then judgement His Majesty answered that His owne inclination did naturally prompt Him rather to pardon then punish Offendors yet at that time he would not out of that regard remit MORS but His Majesty would looke upon his Lordships Proposall as a desire and His Majesty did not thinke fit to deny a Nobleman of Scotland the first request that should be made to him after His Coronation MORS therefore for his Lordships sake should live and not dye for which his Lordship returned thanks to the King and within
't is probable take this advantage to renew their arguments of disswasion And His Majesty was no doubt at a great straite what to resolve to take notice of pittyed MONTROSSE either by word or looke I may say His Majesty durst not though he dared do any thing heaven should command lest then the squinting Commissioners should grow jealous of his love to them by any kindnesse His Majesty might shew to his deare MONTROSSE'S memory if His Majesty should goe with them now He saw well that that party that had contributed to the Execution of his Royall Fathers Person had already executed his owne present power in His Commission to brave MONTROSSE and therefore if His Majesty went 't was with apparant danger to His owne life If he stayd he knew not which way to turne himselfe that yeare must needs be quite lost for all the Offers and Officers from Denmark and Sweden and all other asistance the Scots had rejected as able to do the businesse they intended alone besides His Majesty should be strangely look'd on the world over And more then this His Majesties word was passed and no other visible means left for His Majesty to bee active towards His Crownes at present after all which considerations Heaven inclines the Kings heart and His Majesty most cheerfully approves and on Sunday morning 9. of June stilo novo 1650. before the Sun appeared was His Majesty taking Coach for Trehagh and so to take shipping divers of His Majesties Lords and Servants having beene aboard three or foure daies before in His Majesties ship and divers of the Scots Commissioners and Priests had beene as long in their ship a noble young Lord and my selfe having on the Saturday evening come off from His Majesties Ship were onely after His Majesties departure from Hounslowdike left there behinde condoling His Majesties condition and following him with our prayers for Heavens protection His Majesty had not been gone two houres my Lord and my selfe retiring to the next harbour to refresh before we tooke Boat for the Hague but in comes a waggon full of those Priest-ridden Commissioners and those Commissioner-ridden Priests such a Gallimofery of ill looks I know not how to expresse them enquiring strictly for His Majesty whom we soon let know that His Majesty was newly gone at which they seemed much troubled and going into the next roome to us they drew out their papers and perused them in consultation what next to do by which and their ill-boding countenances we easily guessed that they had brought some new tormenting Propositions and so soone after we heard they had received sent to them from the power in Scotland after Marquesse MONTROSSE was shamefully butchered which 't is believed were so much higher then formerly that His Majesty could not with honour have granted but would rather in probability have dissolved the Treaty which was their designe intending as t is thought having now freed themselves of their feares of MONTROSSE no more complyance with His Majesty rather choosing to adhere to the fortune of their swords But a good providence had before these tormentors could recover the Sea shore again safely conveyed His Majesty on Shipboard so the Commissioners they take Shipping too and His Majesty with three ships only of Hollands men of Warre sets sayle for Scotland relying on heaven as His best Convoy under the shaddow of whose wings he shall not miscarry which brought him in his time to a desired Port His Majesty had no sooner quitted the Holland shore but the three new-built English rebell Friggots the best that ever were called the faithfull Speaker the President and the FAIRFAX came upon the Holland Coast in quest of the King sending to the Hague they found the King was newly gone thereupon set sayle Northwards in pursuance of His Majesty whom after they had sought two dayes with a brave gale of winde they came upon the North Coast of England neare Scotland where missing the Kings Fleet they called a Counsell at which 't was concluded that if the King had the same winde with them whereof there was no doubt then His Majesty by that time must needs be in Scotland setting sayl a day at least before them so the Counsell resolved to sayle according to their former orders towards the West of England quitting all hopes of their old trade of King-catching for that bout This Relation ANTH. YOUNG Captaine of the President made to me Whereas His Majesty was three and twenty dayes at Sea blessed as it proved with contrary windes and crossed as they thought then with calmes so that His Majesty was forced to put into an Island in the King of Denmarks dominions for fresh provisions where His Majesty himselfe in a disguise went on shore and soone returned and at length they came neare the Scottish ground very far Northwards so far that they out went night being able to read under decks the smallest print when 't was least light and when the King with his Fleet came to the mouth of Straboggy on one side of the harbour a squadron of the English Rebell Ships which had layen thereabouts as an ambushment for his Majesty haveing their expectation of him wearied then sayled outwards on the otherside so neare were they meeting each other that they on the shore looked with no small admiration whilst one party was sayling in and the other out But by reason of a thick Scottish mist that then fell they were indiscernable each to other at least the Rebell English did not espy the Royall Fleet God being to them as to the Israelites of old a cloud to conceale them from their English Enemies indeed Scotch ones had then possession of his Majesties Person as more clearely every day appeared for before his Majesty was permitted to land they offered a disloyall violence to his Majesties righteous Soule and 't is admirable to observe the wonders that God wrought in the deepe for His Majesties Preservation so far for in all probability had His Majesty not set saile when he did neither sooner nor later had He had one gale of winde more or one calme lesse or any thing but what God did now apparently then allot for Him His Majesty had beene made a prey to His devouring Enemies or entombed in the monumentall Ocean But his Majesty thankes be to God safely lands at Straboggy in the Highlands being entertained the first night by the Loyal Marquis HUNTLEY at his house and that being so far Northwards proves no small advantage to His Affaires for the people all the way came in to see seeing admire and admiring love with honour their distressed but made by Gods blessing on their affection a most hopefull Prince Whereas had His Majesty landed nearer St. Johnstones if possibly he could yet in all probability it had been very unhappy for when His Majesty comes thither though they salute him with haile Master King of Jewes indeed yet they cut Him short in reallity not admitting His Majesty
the Cabbage leaves and 〈◊〉 to satisfie their hungry appetites there the sad Scots eate dye soon most of them and the rest live a while longer and doe worse by degrees they all perished under that Monster Sir ARTHUR HASELRIGGE Governour whose 〈◊〉 in this and his barbarous carriage at Chichester thentofore where after Articles made and the Towne delivered to them he barbarously caused Musketeers to give fire in at a window upon Sir CHRISTOPHER LEVVKNER the Governour differing onely with Sir ARTHUR in Argument after liberty given of discourse and other then unarmed Officers being in a roome quietly together and his vile carriage in other places during this Warre which got a habit in him by being unnaturally cruel to his owne Mothers sonnes from his Youth make him appeare one of the most unparalleld Rebels in this adulterous Generation and may forever discourage any from taking quarter from so base an Enemy chusing rather to fall into the hands of God then man whose very mercies are cruel by attempting the highest actions that may hope to be crowned with a noble life or an honourable grave But thus ends the maine Scene of the chiefe Act in this Tragedy betweene CROMVVELLS and the Kirkes Factions Saints both of the new Edition and I hope of no great duration onely CROMVVELL hath the luck to be the longer liver and having snuft out the glory of the Kirkes new light which heere expires in a stinke possesseth himselfe of the City of Edenborough and Towne and harbour of Lieth presently garrisoning Lieth and besiedging the impregnable well ammunitioned and provisioned Castle of Edenborough whereof one DUNDAS was the unworthy Governour who after some inconsiderable siedge through the corruption of reward or cowardize or both delivered it up to CROMVVELL upon Articles and continued afterwards under his protection where for the present he inherits the shame and may heereafter receive the reward of an unfaithfull servant to a gratious Master The King this while is where he was at St. Johnstones not being before admitted to the Army whereof the remainder now repaires towards him and possessing the Towne and Castle of Sterling which coÌ„manded the Bridge over Firth River into the County of Fife the Armies have time now to breath and to looke one upon another The Kirke Army thus growne weake in their number not in the confidence of their Clergy the Loyal Highlanders and those Northerne Gallants under Marquesse HUNTLEY the Earle of ATHOL and Livetenant Generall MIDLETON begin to modell themselves for His Majesties Service the King knowing their ancient Loyalty receives fresh hopes of good towards Him But the Kirke are as crosse of His Majesties interest still as before and for the Kings sinnes and for the sinnes of his Fathers house they say still it must needs be or for theirs in having to doe any thing with Him that this great overthrow and straite was come upon them His Majesty well perceiving their villany was very solicitous to cast Himselfe and Cause upon Gods Providence and the fidelity of those Northerne Nobility and Gentry and to that purpose removed Himselfe with some of His servants privately from St. Johnstones towards them the faithfull Lord NEVV BURGE Livetenant Colonel of His Majesties Regiment of Guards with all those loyal soules that would goe with Him declares to waite upon His Majesties Person and followes Him but by a Providence working all for the best in the end His Majesty was overtaken by some of the Kirkes more moderate friends who partly by argument and partly by their greater number in Armes use a kinde of violent perswasion and prevaile with His Majesty to returne to St. Johnstones promising all the Honourable Reception that 's possible and now indeed and not before another Power appearing His Majesty is admitted to sit in Councell with them But Sir JOHN BROVVNE with a part of the Kirke Army must needes go to reduce the Northerne Forces under MIDLETON His Majesty is desired to command them to disband yet the matter was composed by Gods blessing upon His Majesties Wisedome and Intercessions without blowes The King they agree shall be crowned the first day of January which being happyly performed he became the New Yeares Centre then to which all parts of the Circumference made addresse and the great worke which His Majesty begins to labour at is to bring all Parties and Interests to reconcile in Himselfe Hic labor hoc opus est which whilst His Majesty is doing by way of digression I take liberty to let you know that CROMVVELL and the Councell of State of ENGLANDS New Common-wealth this while doe not lesse bestir themselves not onely by open force but by all manner of secret treachery and Machivillian policy to subvert and destroy our most hopefull King One of their cursed workes of darkenesse being more eminently come to light was thus damnably contrived MORS an active Villaine when formerly servant to Sir WILLIAM ERMYN of the North deceased a notorious vermine that whilst he liveed was alwayes knawing at the roote of Monarchy and Viper-like eating away to his owne inventions through his mothers bowels but he is dead and his servant MORS receiving a double portion of his wicked spirit after his feared descention departure bestirs himselfe in His Masters and Grand-fathers errand the more industriously designed by the infernall Councell of White-Hall which now is become a den of Thieves and a cage of every uncleane Bird That he should pretend himselfe since the murther of our King to be a great Convert the Engagement to be faithfull to ENGLANDS Common-wealth established without King or Lords he should by no meanes approve So that being wholly dissatisfied with the present Power and to avoyd the penalties for nonconâ—â—â—yâ—nce he quits the Kingdome and takes an hâ—uâ—â— to himselfe Wife and Family at Callais in France where he had not beene above a moneth or so but under pretence of his conversion becoming acquainted with some of His Majesties Friends expresseth a great desire he had to go to Paris to gaine the honour of kissing our Queenes hand and to offer Her Majesty his service which they very readily encourage him in and addresse him to some of Her Majesties servants upon which he comes to the Queenes Court and was brought to Her Majesty who gave him Her hand to kisse MORS takes the confidence to discover the deepe sence he had of Her Majesties sufferings and the extreame sorrow wherewith he was affected for the barbarous murther of Her King and Husband confessing he had been so unhappy as in the time of Warre to act in his sphere for the Parliament believing their thoughts towards His Majesty had been equally innocent with his which though upon better consideration he found injudicious they had nothing of that guilt in their intentions of which proved the sad consequence of all their actions His Majesties death yet inasmuch as he was sometime so unfortunate as to move or breathe in that