the King to sign the Warrant for his Execution Which they did upon the twelfth of May following and the 22 d of the same Month the Earl of Strafford was beheaded accordingly At this time a treacherous Design was set on foot not without the Participation of the King as appear'd under his own Hand to bring up the English Army and by Force to dissolve the Parliament the Plunder of London being promised to the Officers and Souldiers as a Reward for that Service This was confessed by the Lord Goring Mr. Piercy and others The Scots Army was also tried and the sour Northern Counties offered to be given to them in case they will undertake the same Design And tho neither of these Attempts did succeed yet the King pleased himself with hopes that a seasonable time for dissolving the Parliament would come and then all Power reverting into his own Hands he would deal with their new enacted Laws as he had done besore with the Petition of Right and with their Members as he had done with those of the former Parliaments And that he might not long languish in this Expectation he sent to the House desiring that at once they would make their full Demands and prepare Bills accordingly for his Assent assuring them of his Readiness to comply with their Desires But they perceiving the Design return'd for answer That they could not suddenly resolve on so weighty a Work but would do it with all possible speed In the mean time to improve the present Opportunity they prevail with the King to pass an Act for the Exclusion of the Bishops out of the House of Lords for tho he was unwilling to grant the Parliament any thing yet the State of his Affairs was such that he durst deny them no reasonable thing And now having paid to the Scots and English Armies what was due to them they dismissed them to their respective homes The King having laid his Designs in Ireland as will afterwards appear was not without great Difficulty prevailed with by the Parliament to consent to the disbanding of those eight thousand Irish Papists that had been raised there by the Earl of Strafford Soon after which he resolved upon a Journey to Scotland and tho the Parliament endeavoured to disswade him from it or at least to defer it to a fitter Opportunity he refused to hearken to them under pretence that the Affairs of that Kingdom necessarily required his Presence but in truth his great business was to leave no means unattempted to take off that Nation from their Adherence to the Parliament of England Before his Departure he signed a Commission to certain Persons impowering them to pass the Bills that should be tender'd in his Absence Whilst he was about this Work in Scotland the News of the Irish Rebellion was brought to him that the Papists throughout that Kingdom were in Arms that their Design to surprize and seize the Castle of Dublin had not succeeded being discovered by one O Connelly a Servant of Sir John Clotworthy's and that the Lord Macquire and Mac-mahon who were appointed to that end were taken and sent into England where they were soon after executed for the same The News of this Rrebellion as I have heard from Persons of undoubted Credit was not displcasing to the King tho it was attended with the Massacre of many thousands of the Protestants there Having made what Progress he could in Scotland confirming by Act of Parliament not only what he had formerly granted them but also what they had done in their Assembly at Glascow and in effect whatsoever they desired of him he returned to London where being received with Acclamations and treated at the Expence of the City he became elevated to that degree that in his first Speech to the Commons he sharply reproved them for that instead of thanking him for what he had done they continued to multiply their Demands and Dissatisfactions Whereupon the Parliament were confirmed in their Suspicions that he design'd to break what he had already granted so soon as he had Opportunity and Power in his hands to plead that he was under a Force as some of his Predecessors had done and so reverse what had been enacted for the Good of the People revenge himself on those who had been Instruments in compelling him thereto and fortify himself against the like for the future These Apprehensions made them carnestly insist upon settling the Militia of the Nation in such Hands as both Houses of Parliament should recommend to him particularly representing the great Dissatisfaction of the City of London that Sir William Bâ—lfeur for refusing to permit the Earl of Strafford to escape was dismissed from his Charge of Lieutenant of the Tower and the Government of it put into the hands of one Lunsford a Souldier of Fortune of a profligate Conversation and fit for any wicked Design With much difficulty this Lunsford was removed and Sir John Conyers put into his place but the Parliament and City not satisfied with this Choice and having discovered that Sir John Suckling under pretence of raising a Regiment for Portugal was bringing together a number of Mento seize the Tower for the King it was at last entrusted to the Custody of the Lord Mayor of London About this time great Numbers of English Protestants flying from the bloody Hands of the Irish Rebels arrived in England filling all Places with sad complaints of their Cruelties to the Protestants of that Kingdom Whereupon the Parliament earnestly pressed the King to proclaim them Rebels but could not obtain it to be done till after many Weeks and then but forty of those Proclamations were printed and not above half of them published which was the more observed and resented by reason of the different Treatment that the Scots had met with who no sooner appeared in a much better Cause but they were forth with declared Rebels in every Parish-Church within the Kingdom of England The Rebels in Ireland pretended a Commission from the King for what they did which so alarm'd the People of England that the King thought himself necessitated to do something therein and therefore to carry on his Design he acquainted the Parliament that when an Army was raised he would go in Person to reduce them but they apprehending this pretended Resolution to be only in order to put himself at the Head of an Army that he might reduce the Parliament to his Will refused to consent and procured an Act to pass for the leaving of that War to the management of the two Houses the King obliging himself not to give Terms to any of the Rebels or to make Peace with them without the Parliament's Consent In this Act Provision was made for the satisfying of such as should advance Money for the reduction of Ireland out of the Rebels Lands in several Provinces according to the Rates therein mentioned Upon which considerable Sums of Money were sâ—on brought in The Parliament neglecting no Opportunity
County as properly belonging to them The Parliament that they might leave no means unattempted to perswade the King to return to them sent down Propositions directing their Commissioners at York to deliver them to him And because much of the Intentions of the Parliament appear in the said Proposals and for that they were in effect the principal Foundation of the ensuing War I conceive it will not be amiss to recite them in this place as they were agreed on by both Houses the Second of June 1642. with the Title of their Humble Petition and Advice in Nineteen Propositions sent to the King The most Humble and most Faithful Subjects of Your Majesty the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament HAving nothing in their Thoughts and Desires more precious and of higher Esteem after the Honour and immediate Service of God than the just and faithful discharge of their Duty towards Your Majesty and this Kingdom and being most sensible of the Destruction and Disorders and of the imminent Dangers and Miseries which threaten your Majesty and Subjects the which have proceeded from the subtle Informations malicious Practices and wicked Counsels of Persons ill-affected to the true Religion of God to the Peace and Honour of your Majesty and to the Good of the Commonwealth after a serious Consideration of the Causes of these Mischiefs in all Humility and Sincerity they present to Your Majesty this Petition and Advice full of Duty to the end that by Your Royal Prudence for the Establishment of your Honour and Safety and by a tender Sense of the Good and Safety of your Subjects and your Estates you may please to consent and agree unto these humble Desires and Propositions as the most necessary and most effectual means by the Blessing of the Lord to remove the Jealousies and Differences that are unhappily begot between You and your People and to procure to You and them a constant Current of Honour Peace and Happiness Proposition 1. That the Lords and all others of your Majesty's Privy Council and such other Chief Officers of State as well within the Kingdom as on the other side of the Sea be put out of all Offices and Employments except such as the two Houses of Parliament shall approve and that those who shall be put into their Places shall be approved by Parliament and that those of the Council shall take an Oath for the due execution of their Charge in such Form as the Parliament shall agree 2. That the great Affairs of the Kingdom shall not be concluded nor passed by the Advice of private Persons nor by any Counsellors unknown or that shall not have taken Oath but that such Matters as concern the Publick and are proper for the High Court of Parliament that is your Majesty's Great and Supreme Council shall be debated resolved and passed in Parliament and there only and those who shall persume to do any thing to the contrary shall be subject to the Censure and Judgment of the Parliament And other Matters of State that are proper for the Privy Council of your Majesty shall be debated and concluded by the Nobles and others who shall be chosen for that end from time to time by the two Houses of Parliament and that every publick Act that concerns the Affairs of the Kingdom and shall be agreed by the Council shall be esteemed of no force and as not proceeding from the Royal Authority if at least the greatest part of your Council have not consented thereunto and signed the same and that your Council shall be brought to a certain Number that shall not exceed twenty five nor be under fifteen and if it happen that any Counsellor's Place becomes void during the Intervals of Parliament it shall be supplied by the Plurality of Voices of those of your Council which shall be either confirmed or voided at the first Sessions of Parliament 3. That the Lord High Steward of England the Great Constable the Chancellor the Keepers of the Seals the Great Treasurer the Keeper of the Privy Seal the Earl Marshal the Admiral the Governour of the Cinque-Ports the Lieutenant of Ireland the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Master of the Court of Wards the Secretaries of State the two Chief Justices and the Chief Baron shall be chosen with the Approbation of the two Houses of Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament by the major part of the Privy Council with the Condition above mentioned in the Choice of the Counsellors of State 4. That the Governour of the Children of the King shall be chosen with the Approbation of Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament in the manner before-mentioned and of the Servants that are already about them the Parliament shall change such as they think fit 5. That the Children of the King shall not marry without the Advice of the Parliament and those who shall be employed therein without their knowledg shall be punished by the Parliament 6. That the Laws against Popish Recusants shall be put in effectual execution and that those of them who are Prisoners shall not be set at liberty without giving good Security 7. That Papists shall have no Vote in Councils and that their Children shall be brought up in the Protestant Religion 8. That the Parliament shall reform the Liturgy and the Government of the Church as they shall think fit with the Advice of Divines That your Majesty shall assist to put a stop to Innovations to expel suspicious and scandalous Ministers and for the countenancing of a godly and preaching Ministry throughout the Nation 9. That it will please your Majesty to content your self with the Order that the Parliament hath established in the Militia until an Act be agreed on for that purpose and that your Majesty will recal the Declarations and Proclamations against the Orders given therein by the Parliament 10. That every Member of Parliament that hath been put out of his Employment or Office shall be re-established or Satisfaction given him 11. That the Privy Counsellors and Judges shall take such Oath as shall be agreed on by Parliament for the doing of Justice and observing the Statutes that shall be agreed on by this Parliament and that Report be made every Session of Parliament of the evil Administration of Justice 12. That all Officers shall enjoy their Places so long and no longer than they behave themselves well therein 13. That all Persons shall be subject to the Justice of the Parliament even altho they remove themselves beyond the Seas 14. That the Amnesty accorded by your Majesty shall have such Exceptions therein as the Parliament shall think fit 15. That the Fortresses of the Kingdom shall have Governours of the Choice of your Majesty yet of the Approbation of the Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament as is afore said 16. That the extraordinary Guard that your Majesty hath at present about you may be discharged and that for the time to come you will raise no such
about threescore of the Commissioners set their Hands and Seals directing it to Col. Hacker Col. Hunks and Col. Phaier or either of them The Duke of Glocester and the Lady Elizabeth waited on the King the same day to take their leave of him An Extraordinary Ambassador from the United Provinces had his Audience in the Parliament his business was to intercede with them for the Life of the King and to preserve a fair Correspondence between England and the States The next day about eight in the Morning the King attended by a Guard was brought from St. James's through the Park to Whitehall where having drunk a Glass or two of red Wine and stayed about two hours in a private Room he was conducted to the Scaffold out of a Window of the Banqueting-house and having made a Speech and taken off his George he kneeled down at the Block and the Executioner persormed his Office The Body was ordered to be interred at Windsor The Duke of Lenox the Marquiss of Hertford the Earls of Southampton and Lindsey with some others having Leave from the Parliament attended it to the Grave A Report of the Proceedings of the High Court of Justice being made to the Parliament they declared That the Persons imployed in that important Service had discharged their Trust with Courage and Fidelity that the Parliament was well satisfied with the Account of their Proceedings ordering them to be engrossed and recorded amongst the Parliament-Rolls in order to transmit the Memory thereof to Posterity and resolved that the Commissioners of the Great Seal should issue a Certiorari to their Clerk to record those Proceedings in the Chancery and that the same should be sent to the other Courts at Westminster and to the Custos Rotulorum of each County Judg Jenkins Sir John Stowel and divers other Persons who were Prisoners and had carried themselves very insolently now finding the Parliament to be in earnest began to come to a better Temper Colonel Middleton who was also a Prisoner at Newcastle upon Parole ran away to Scotland and being required to return answered That his Life was dearer to him than his Honour Sir Marmaduke Langdale made his escape also and Sir Lewis Dives through a House of Office in Whitehall The Lord Capel got out of the Tower but being discovered by a Waterman as he crossed the Thames he was seized in a House at Lambeth Duke Hamilton also escaped out of Windsor-Castle and came to Southwark where knocking at the Door of an Inn he was seized by a Souldier who knew him and was passing by that way whereupon he was committed to the Tower The House of Lords becoming now the Subject of the Consideration and Debate of the Parliament Lieutenant General Cromwell appeared for them having already had a close Correspondence with many of them and it may be presuming he might have farther use of them in those Designs he had resolved to carry on but they not meeting in their House at the time to which they had adjourned much facilitated their Removal so that the Question being put Whether the House of Commons should take Advice of the House of Lords in the Exercise of the Legislative Power it was carried in the Negative and thereupon resolved That the House of Peers was useless and dangerous and ought to be abolished and an Act was soon after passed to that effect After this they proceeded to declare That the Office of a King in this Nation is unnecessary burdensome and dangerous to the Liberty Safety and publick Interest of the People and therefore ought to be abolioshed and that they will settle the Government of the Nation in the way of a Commonwealth To this end they ordered a Declaration to be published whereby it was declared Treason for any Person to endeavour to promote Charles Stuart to be King of England or any other single Person to be chief Governour thereof They also ordered the Great Seal and other Seals which had the Image of the late King on them to be defaced and appointed new ones to be made with the Stamp of the House of Commons on one side accompanied with this Inscription The Great Seal of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England On the other side was engraven the Cross and the Harp being the Arms of England and Ireland with this Inscription God with us Ordering all Writs formerly running in the King's Name to be issued out in the Name of the Keepers of the Liberty of England A High Court of Justice was constituted by Act of Parliament for the trying of Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland the Lord Goring the Lord Capel and Sir John Owen Duke Hamilton pleaded that he entred into England as an Enemy being of another Nation and born before the Act of Union and consequently not to be tried by the Laws of this besides he had surrendred himself upon Conditions The rest of the Lords pleaded Articles also and so did Sir John Owen But that Allegation appeared to be of no weight by the Testimony of the General in relation to the Lords Goring and Capel and by the Evidence of Col. Wayte touching Duke Hamilton the like being affirmed by other Witnesses against the Earl of Holland and Sir John Owen for if there had been any Promise made to any of them either implicitely or by word of Mouth it could only extend to protect them from the Military not the Civil Sword And as to the Plea for Duke Hamilton that he was born before the two Nations were united it was answered that they tried him not as Duke Hamilton but as Earl of Cambridg in which Capacity he had sate as a Peer of England and therefore a Subject thereof So that upon full Evidence they were all sentenced by the Court to have their Heads struck off for High Treason in levying War against the Parliament of England Earnest Solicitations and Petitions were made for them to the Parliament but they thought not fit to reprieve the Duke the Earl of Holland or the Lord Capel Touching the Lord Goring the House was equally divided and the Speaker having upon such Occasions the determining Voice gave it for his Reprieve Commissary General Ireton observing no Motion consider that he was a Commoner and therefore more properly to have been tried in another way by a Jury whereupon the House reprieved him also The other three were executed a day or two after in the New Palace-Yard before Westminster-Hall in pursuance of a Warrant signed by the Court to that purpose the Parliament refusing to hearken to the Earl of Denbigh who proposed on the behalf of Duke Hamilton his Brother-in-law to give them a Blank signed by the said Duke to answer faithfully to such Questions as should be there inserted The Parliament having resolved to constitute a Council of State the better to carry on the executive part of the Government authorized five of their Members to agree upon the Number and Persons of such as they
hundred Men on shore commanded by Captain Morrice to attack a Quarter of the Enemies that lay by the Harbour which they executed Successfully by taking the Fort and about forty Prisoners with four Pieces of Cannon which they nailed up and returned on board again At this time the Virginia Fleet arriving at the Barbadoes it was thought fit to send a third Summons to the Lord Willoughby but finding that neither this nor the Declaration sent to them by the Commissioners of Parliament to the same purpose produced any effect Sir George Ayscue landed seven hundred Men from his own and the Virginia Fleet giving the Command of them to the same Captain Morrice who fell upon thirteen hundred of the Enemies Foot and three Troops of their Horse and beat them from their Works killing many of their Men and taking about a hundred Prisoners with all their Guns The Loss on our side was inconsiderable few of ours being killed upon the place and not above thirty wounded Yet these Successes were not sufficient to accomplish the Work there being above five thousand Horse and Foot in the Island and our Virginia Fleet preparing to depart for want of Provisions In this conjuncture Colonel Muddiford who commanded a Regiment in the Island by the means of a Friend that he had in our Fleet made his Terms and declared for the Parliament Many of his Friends following his Example did the like and in conjunction with him encamped under the protection of our Fleet. Upon this the most part of the Island were inclined to join us but the Lord Willoughby prevented them by placing Guards on all the Avenues to our Camp and designed to charge our Men with his Body of Horse wherein he was much superior to them had not a Cannon-Ball that was fired at random beat open the door of a Room where he and his Council of War were sitting which taking off the Head of the Sentinel who was placed at the door so alarmed them all that he changed his design and retreated to a Place two Miles distant from the Harbour Our Party consisting of two thousand Foot and one hundred Horse advancing towards him he desired to treat which being accepted Colonel Muddiford Colonel Collyton Mr. Searl and Captain Pack were appointed Commissioners by Sir George Ayscue and by the Lord Willoughby Sir Richard Pierce Mr. Charles Pym Colonel Ellis and Major Byham By these it was concluded that the Islands of Barbadoes Mevis Antego and St. Christophers should be surrendered to the Parliament of England That the Lord Willoughby Colonel Walrond and some others should be restored to their Estates and that the Inhabitants of the said Isles should be maintained in the quiet enjoyment of what they possessed on condition to do nothing to the prejudice of the Commonwealth This News being brought to Virginia they submitted also where one Mr. George Ludlow a Relation of mine served the Parliament in the like manner as Col. Muddiford had done at the Barbadoes The Parliament of England being desirous after all these Successes to convince even their Enemies that their principal design was to procure the happiness and prosperity of all that were under their Government sent Commissioners to Scotland to treat concerning an Union of that Nation with England in one Common-wealth directing them to take care till that could be effected that Obedience should be given to the Authority of the Parliament of the Common wealth of England The Commissioners appointed to this end on the part of the Parliament were Sir Henry Vane the Chief Justice St. Johns Mr. Fenwick Major Salloway Major General Lambert Colonel Titchborn Major General Dean and Colonel Monk This Proposition of Union was chearfully accepted by the most iudicious amongst the Scots who well understood how great a condescension it was in the Parliament of England to permit a People they had conquered to have a part in the Legislative Power The States-General being highly displeased with the late Act of Navigation passed by the Parliament which they accounted to be a great obstruction to their Trade resolved to leave no means unattempted to procure it to be repealed To this end they sent three Ambassadors to England who pretending a desire to finish the Treaty begun formerly between the Two States requested that things might be as they were at the time of our Ambassador's departure from Holland designing thereby that the Act lately passed for the Encouragement of our Seamen should be suspended and all such Merchandizes restored as had been seized from the Dutch by virtue of the said Act. The Parliament refusing to consent to this Proposal the States-General gave Orders for the equipping a considerable Fleet consisting of about a hundred Ships of War giving notice to the Parliament by their Ambassadors of these Preparations and assuring them that they were not design'd to offend the English Nation with whom they desired to maintain a friendly Correspondence and that they were provided to no other end than to protect their own Subjects in their Trade and Navigation But the Parliament being unwilling to rely upon the Promises of those who by their past and present Actions had manifested little Friendship to us resolved to make what Preparations they could to defend themselves This Alarm awakened us to a diligent performance of our duty in Ireland fearing that the Hollanders might transport some foreign Forces by their Fleet to the Assistance of the Irish who were not only still numerous in the Field but had also divers Places of Strength to retreat to Our Suspicions were farther increased by the Advices we received of a Treaty on foot between the Duke of Lorain and Theobald Viscount Taff with other Irish to bring the Forces of that Duke into Ireland against us in order to extirpate all Hereticks out of that Nation to re-establish the Romish Religion in all Parts of it and to restore the Irish to their Possessions all which being performed he should deliver up the Authority to the King of Great Britain and assist him against his Rebellious Subjects in England That all Ireland should be ingaged for his Re-imbursement That Galway Limerick Athenree Athlone Waterford and the Fort of Duncannon should be put into his hands as Cautionary Places with other things of the same nature The Report of this Agreement being spread amongst the Irish encouraged them to make all possible Opposition against us in expectation of the promised Succours The Commissioners of the Parliament on the other hand laboured with all diligence to dispose their Affairs in the best manner they could for the Publick Service in order to which they sent to the several Commanders of our Army to excite them to the discharge of their Duty making provision of Arms Ammunition Clothes Tents and all things necessary to the carrying on the War in the ensuing Spring A general Meeting of Officers was also appointed to be held at Kilkenay to consult about the best Method of employing our Arms against the
unwarrantable Courses but he made his Escape by Water for that time and one of the most active of the People was seized and executed which served only to exasperate the rest Upon the near Approach of the English and Scots Army a considerable Party of each side encountred and the English contrary to their wonted Custom retired in Disorder not without Shame and some Loss Of such Force and Consequence is a Belief and full Perswasion of the Justice of an Undertaking tho managed by an Enemy in other respects inconsiderable The King startled at the Unsuccessfulness of his first Attempt upon the Petition of a considerable number of the well-affected Nobility requesting him that to avoid the Effusion of more Blood he would call an Assembly of the Nobility consented thereunto This Council accordingly met at York and advised the King to a Cessation of Arms and the Calling of a Parliament to compose Differences which to the great trouble of the Clergy and other Incendiaries he promised to do assuring the Scots of the Paiment of twenty thousand Pounds a Month to maintain their Army till the Pleasure of the Parliament should be known In order to which Writs were issued out for the Meeting of a Parliament on the 3 d of November 1640. The time prefix'd for their assembling being come they met accordingly and as they were very sensible that nothing but an absolute Necessity permitted their coming together so they resolved to improve this happy Opportunity to free the People from their Burdens and to punish the Authors of the late Disorders To this end they declared against Monopolies and expelled the Authors of them out of the House The Opinions of the Judges concerning Ship-Money they voted unjust and illegal fining and imprisoning those that had warranted the Lawfulness thereof And that the Offenders against the Publick might not escape they ordered the Sea-Ports to be diligently guarded and all Passengers to be strictly examined This being done they impeached the Lord Keeper Finch the Earl of Strafford and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury of High Treason in endeavouring to subvert the Laws and to erect an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Power They declared that they would pay the English and Scots Armies to the end of May 1641. and assist the Prince Palatine with Men and Money to recover his Country And now having the Charge of two Armies to pay and all Men suspecting they might be abruptly dissolved as had often hapned before and therefore refusing to credit them with such Sums as were necessary unless an Act might pass to secure their sitting till they should think fit to dissolve themselves by Act of Parliament the King gave his Assent to one drawn up and passed to that purpose Another Act likewise passed to assert that according to the antient Fundamental Laws of England a Parliament ought to be held every Year and directing that in case one was not called in three Years the Lord Chancellor or Keeper of the Great Seal should issue out Writs as is therein expressed and if he fail in his Duty he is declared guilty of High Treason and a certain number of Lords impowered to summon the said Parliament and is they should neglect so to do the Sheriffs and Constables are vested with the same Authority But if it should happen that all the forementioned Powers should be wanting in their Duty the People of England are thereby authorized to put the said Act in execution by meeting and electing Members to serve in Parliament tho not summoned by any Officers appointed to that end The Parliament then proceeded to correct the Abuses that had been introduced in the preceding Years Whereupon the Star-Chamber the High Commission Court the Court of Honour with some others were taken away by Act of Parliament and the Power of the Council-Table restrained The Commissioners of the Custom-House who had collected Customs contrary to Law were fined and such as had been imprisoned by any of the above-mentioned Arbitrary Courts were set at liberty A Protestation was also agreed upon by the Lords and Commons which they took and presented to others to take whereby all those that took it obliged themselves to defend and maintain the Power and Privileges of Parliament the Rights and Liberties of the People to use their utmost Endeavours to bring to condign Punishment all those who should by Force or otherwise do any thing to the contrary and to stand by and justify all such as should do any thing in prosecution of the said Protestation The Day prefix'd for the Earl of Strafford's Trial being come he was brought before the House of Peers where the Charge against him was managed by Members of the House of Commons appointed to that end The chief Heads of the Accusation were That he had governed the Kingdom of Ireland in an Arbitrary manner That he had retained the Revenues of the Crown without rendring a due Account of them That he had encouraged and promoted the Romish Religion That he had endeavoured to create Feuds and Quarrels between England and Scotland That he had laboured to render the Parliament suspected and odious to the King That he was the Author of that Advice That since the Parliament had denied to grant the King such Supplies as he demanded he was at liberty to raise them by such Means as he thought fit and that he had an Irish Army that would assist him to that end It being the Custom that a Lord High Steward should be made to preside at the Trial of a Peer that Honour was conferred upon the Earl of Arundel The King the Queen the House of Commons the Deputies of Scotland and Ireland with many other Persons of Quality of both Sexes were there present I remember the Earl of Strafford in his Defence objected against the Evidence of the Earl of Cork denying him to be a competent Witness because his Enemy To which George Lord Digby who was appointed one of the Managers of the Charge against him replied That if that Objection should be of any weight with the Court the Earl of Strafford had found out a certain way to secure himself from any sarther Prosecution Yet this Man who then spoke with so much Vigour soon after altered his Language and made a Speech to the House in his favour which he caused to be printed and also surreptitiously withdrew a Paper from the Committee containing the principal Evidence against the said Earl The Parliament resenting this Prevarication ordered his Speech to be burnt by the Hands of the Common Hangman The House of Commons having passed a Bill for the Condemnation of the Earl it was carried to the Lords for their Concurrence which they gave The King not satisfied therewith consulted with the Privy Council some Judges and four Bishops And all of them except one advise the throwing of Jonas over-board for the appeasing of the Storm Upon which the Earl of Arundel the Lord Privy Seal and two more were commissionated by
the adjacent Places and another Party to block up Dover and other Forts upon the Coast whilst Goring remained with the rest about Rochester Sir Thomas Fairfax resolving first to attack those about Maidstone fell upon them and beat them into the Town which they had fortified before whereupon tho the Numbers within the Town being at least equal to those without made it a Work of great Hazard and Difficulty yet considering that those with the Lord Goring exceeded either and might march to the Enemies Relief ours resolved to storm the Place which they did the Night following the General by his own Example encouraging the Men to fall on who for a good while were not able to make any considerable Progress till Col. Hewson with his Regiment opened a Passage into one of the Streets where the Dispute growing hot he was knocked down with a Musquet but recovering himself he pressed the Enemy so hard that they were forced to retreat to their main Guard and falling in with them at the same time so disordered them that they all began to shift for themselves wherein they were favoured by the Advantage of the Night yet many of them were made Prisoners and many killed many Horses and all their Artillery fell into the hands of ours The General as soon as he had refreshed his Men advanced towards that Body commanded by the Lord Goring which was much increased in Number by the Addition of those who escaped from Maidstone but not in Resolution being so discouraged with their Relation of what had passed there that immediately upon our Approach they began to retreat many of them running away to their own Habitations Notwithstanding this a considerable Body continuing with the Lord Goring he sent to the City of London desiring leave to march through the City into Essex designing to recruit his Men with such of that County as had lately expressed so much Affection to the King's Interest The City tho much inclined to have the King received upon Terms yet not willing absolutely to espouse the Cavalier Party especially in a flying Posture and considering that there was a great Number still amongst them who retained their Affection to the Publick Cause returned a positive Denial to Goring so that he was necessitated to make use of Boats or other means to transport his Men over the River into the County of Essex A Party of Horse was sent from the Army to keep a Guard at Bow-bridg as well to prevent the disaflected in the City from running to the Enemy as to hinder them from doing any thing to the prejudice of London Lieutenant General Cromwell with that part of the Army which was with him besieged the Castle and Town of Pembroke whither the principal of that Body which fled from St. Faggons had made their Retreat In the mean time the Presbyterian Party prevailing in the House by reason of the Absence of divers Members who belonged to the Army and were employed in all parts of the Nation discharged from Prison those who had been committed upon the account of that Force which was put upon the House by the late Tumults and the Parliament left to the Mercy of their Enemies with a very slender Guard The Lord Lisle's Commission to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland expiring at the same time they refused to renew it by which means the Province of Munster fell into the hands of the Lord Inchequin as President who made use of the opportunity to displace those Officers that had been put in by the Lord Lisle preferring his own Creatures to their Employments to the great prejudice of the English Interest in that Country many others who were acquainted with his Temper and Principles quitted voluntarily and tho he still pretended Fidelity to the State of England yet he expressed himself dissatisfied with the Proceedings of the Army-Party towards him Some Overtures also he had received from the Irish touching an Accommodation but being straitned by them in his Quarters and therefore advancing with his Army towards them Col. Temple and some others yet remaining in his Army being willing to improve the occasion pressed him so hard to resolve to fight that he could not well avoid it At the beginning of the Battel the Success seemed to be very doubtful but in the end ours obtained the Victory some thousands of the Enemy being killed many made Prisoners and all their Baggage taken Not long after this he declared against the Parliament and joined with the Irish Rebels Some of the English Officers concurred with him in his Declaration many left him and came to the Parliament who made provision for them as they had done for those that came away before Tho this Conjunction of Inchequin was not concluded without the King's Consent yet it was not a proper season for him to condescend so far as they desired whereby great Divisions arose amongst them for there was a Party of Old Irish as they were called headed principally by Owen Roe O Neal of whom several were in the Supreme Council who out of an innate Hatred to the English Government joined with those who would be satisfied with nothing less than to have the Pope acknowledged to be their only Supreme Lord so that not being able to agree their Differences proved very serviceable to the English Interest The like Spirit of Division appeared amongst our Enemies in Scotland where tho the Number was great of those that professed their constant Adherence to their Engagements contained in the Covenant yet when it came to a Trial in their Convention the Anti-Covenanters who were for restoring the King without any Terms carried all before them So that instead of the Marquiss of Argile the Marquiss of Hamilton was appointed General of their Army all the inferiour Officers being of the same Mold and Principle insomuch that the Pulpits who before had proclaimed this War now accompanied the Army that was preparing to march with their Curses for tho they could have been contented that the Sectarian Party as they called it should be ruined provided they could find Strength enough to bring in the King themselves yet they feared their old Enemy more than their new one because the latter would only restrain them from lording it over them and others affording them equal Liberty with themselves whereas the former was so far from that as hardly to suffer them to be Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water for those who would have all Power both Civil and Ecclesiastical put into one Hand could not possibly agree with such as would have it divided into many These Affairs necessitated the Parliament to raise the Militia in order to oppose this malevolent Spirit which threatned them from the North and also prevailed with them to discountenance a Charge of High Treason framed by Major Huntington an Officer of the Army with the Advice of some Members of both Houses against Lieutenant General Cromivell for endeavouring by betraying the King Parliament and
thought fit to be proposed to the Parliament for their Approbation The five impowered to this end by the Parliament were Mr. John Lisle Mr. Cornelius Holland Mr. Luke Robinson Mr. Thomas Scot and Me who tho sensible of my Unfitness for so great a Work and of the Envy it would be attended with yet being required by my Country to assist in this Service I resolved to use the best of my Endeavours therein The Number agreed upon was thirty five which we filled up with such Persons as we thought best qualified with Integrity and Abilities sutable to so important a Station Four of them were Lords and the rest Commoners The House agreed to our Report only they were pleased to add us five to the number proposed by us The Parliament being desirous to exclude from their Places those who were likely to undo what they had done and yet unwilling to lose the Assistance of many honest Men who had been in the Country during the late Transactions passed an Order that such Members as had not sate since the Trial of the King should not be admitted to fit till the House should be particularly satisfied concerning them appointing the former five or any three of them to be a Committee to receive Satisfaction touching the Affections to the Publick Interest of every Member who had not sate since the time aforesaid and the Reasons of his Absence and to make their Report to the Parliament concerning them Prince Charles finding his Affairs in England to be in a desperate Condition concluded an Agreement with the Irish Rebels granting them full Indemnity for what they had hitherto acted and encouraging them to carry on their Cruelties against the English by his Commission The Lord Inchequin had already declared for him and joined with the Irish Rebels The Earl of Ormond was dispatched to Ireland for the same purpose and as a Pledg that Prince Charles would follow his Baggage and Horses were sent thither before The Scots fearing their Clergy would not be permitted long to insult over the People expressed themselves highly dissatisfied with our Proceedings in England and chose rather to espouse the Interest of Prince Charles than to enjoy the Fruit of what they had contended for against his Father publickly declaring that they were obliged by the Covenant to promote the Government of a King Lords and Commons which Government the Parliament of England had thought fit to alter We endeavoured to satisfy their Commissioners by shewing them the Reasons of our late Resolutions but they refusing to hear them returned home to their own Country where they found things disposed to an Accommodation with Prince Charles upon presumption that when by his Assistance they had destroyed the Sectarian Party as they called them they should be able to govern him well enough but he supposing he had an easier part to act with the Irish whose Principles were more sutable to his Inclinations refused to hearken to them at that time Col. Edward Popham Col. Richard Dean and Col. Robert Blake were appointed by the Parliament to command the Fleet the latter being designed with a Squadron to cruise upon the Irish Coast in order to meet and fight the Ships commanded by Prince Rupert Col. Popham was sent towards Lisbon to intercept the Portugal Fleet coming home from their Islands because they had protected some Ships that had revolted from us and sheltred them from our Fleet that was in pursuit of them and had offered some Affronts to our Agent Mr. Vane who was sent thither to endeavour a right Understanding between the two Nations General Dean with another Squadron was ordered to remain for the Service of the Channel This they did well understanding how great Reputation a considerable Fleet would give to their Affairs and of what Importance it is to this Nation always to guard the Seas and more particularly in that Conjuncture The Parliament much inclining to preserve a good Correspondence with the States General of the United Provinces sent Dr. Dorislaus into Holland to be their Agent there who a little after his Arrival at the Hague was assaulted by about ten Assassins English and Scots who broke into his Lodgings and murdered him and tho this Action was so infamous and contrary to the Right of Nations yet the Dutch were not very forward to find out the Criminals in order to bring them to Justice Mr. Ascham who was sent into Spain with a Publick Character also was used in the like manner by three Persons coming to his House at Madrid where pretending to be English Merchants they were admitted and as he saluted the first of them was struck into the Head by him with a Poniard and his Secretary endeavouring to make his Escape was killed with him The Murderers took Sanctuary in a Church but by an Order of State they were forced from thence and committed to Prison of which the Church-men loudly complained after their usual manner as an injurious violation of their Immunities The Squadron commanded by Col. Blake being first ready set fail for the Irish Coast where Prince Rupert thinking himself not in a condition to fight him retired with his Ships into the Harbour of Kingsale under the Protection of the Fort. Col. Popham was next dispatched with his Squadron for Portugal and was pleased to employ a Brother of mine as Lieutenant of that Ship which was commanded by himself The Spanish Ambassador was the first that made application to us from any Foreign State But the Parliament not being satisfied with the Address of his Credentials refused to receive them till it should be directed to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England declaring that tho they did not affect any slattering Titles yet they resolved to have their Authority owned by all these who made their Addresses to them With which the Court of Spain being made acquainted the Ambassador received Instructions from the King his Master to that end and framed the Direction according to our Desires Our Affairs beginning to acquire Reputation and to carry a fair Probability of Success divers Members of Parliament who had been long absent addressed themselves to the Committee before mentioned in order to their admission to sit in Parliament and some of them would not scruple to give any Satisfaction that was desired to the Questions proposed unto them which were Whether they joined in or approved that I'ote declaring the King's Concessions a Ground for a future Settlement Whether they approved of the Proceedings against the King and whether they would engage to be true to a Commonwealth Government But we apprehending such extraordinary Expulsions as had been lately used to be extremely hazardous to the Publick Safety made it our Endeavour to keep those from a Re-admission who might necessitate another occasion of using the like Remedy And therefore tho all possible Satisfaction were given in Words we did by weighing the former Deportment of every particular Member who presented himself desire to be
in some measure assured that they would be true to what they promised in case the Common-wealth Interest should come to be disputed before we would report their Condition to the House Some of the House of Lords having procured themselves to be chosen by the People sat in Parliament upon the Foot of their Election in which Number was Philip Earl of Pembroke who being chosen by the Freeholders of the County of Berks upon his admission to the House signed the Engagement as the rest of the Members who sat there had done the Contents of which was To be true and faithful to the Commonwealth as it was established without a King or House of Lords The same Engagement was taken by the Earl of Salisbury and the Lord Edward Howard when they took their Places in Parliament after they had been elected to serve there Whilst we were thus providing for our Security in England our Affairs in Ireland had not the same Success the Earl of Ormond having reconciled the English in Munster to the Supreme Council of the Irish Rebels the Scots also in the North falling in with them against us with whom some Gentlemen of those Parts joined tho they had engaged themselves to the contrary Yet one thing happened tending very much to the preservation of Dublin and those few Places that were kept for the Parliament which was that Owen Roe O Neal who was General of the Old Irish as they were termed could by no means be brought to a Conjunction with the English Sir Charles Coote being besieged in London-derry agreed to supply the Besiegers with Powder upon their engaging to furnish him with such Provisions as he wanted which was performed on both sides and the Lord Inchequin who was besieging Dundalk promised to do the like for Colonel Monk who then commanded in that Place upon the same Conditions which was performed on Monk's part but as his Men were carrying off the Ammunition they were fallen upon by a Party of Inchequin's Horse the Ammunition taken away and many of them killed The Scots drawing about Dundalk most of the Garison revolted to them whereupon Monk delivered up the Place upon condition that he should be permitted to return into England where being arrived he met with a cold Reception from the Parliament upon suggestion that he had corresponded with the Irish Rebels About this time an Agent from Owen Roe O Neal came privately to London and found out a way to acquaint the Council of State that if they thought sit a grant him a safe Conduct he would make some Propositions to them that would be for their Service The Council to avoid any Misconstruction of their Actions refused to hear him but appointed a Committee to speak with him of which I was one ordering us to report to them what he should propose His Proposition was that the Party commanded by O Neal should submit to and act for the Parliament if they might obtain Indemnity for what was passed and Assurance of the Enjoyment of their Religion and Estates for the time to come We asked him why they made application to us after they had refused to join with those who had been in Treaty with the King He answered that the King had broken his Word with them for tho they had deserved well of him and he had made them many fair Promises yet when he could make better Terms with any other Party he had been always ready to sacrifice them We asked him farther Why they had not made their Application sooner he told us because such Men had been possessed of the Power who had sworn their Extirpation but that now it was believed to be the Interest of those in Authority to grant Liberty of Conscience promising that if such Liberty might be extended to them they would be as zealous for a Commonwealth as any other Party instancing in many Countries where they were so We informed him that it was our Opinion that the Council would not promise Indemnity to all that Party they being esteemed to have been the principal Actors in the bloody Massacre at the beginning of the Rebellion Neither did we think that they would grant them the Liberty of their Religion believing it might prove dangerous to the Publick Peace The Council upon our Report of what had passed at the Conference concurred with our Opinion so that having no more to do with the Agent he was required to depart within a limited time The Farl of Ormond General Preston and the Lord Inchequin beginning to draw their Forces towards Dublin resolved first to reduce Tredah in order to which they sent Col. Worden thither with a strong Detachment of Horse and Foot who attempting to take it by Assault entred with most of his Men but was beat out again by an inconsiderable Number of ours Notwithstanding which the Garison wanting Men to desend their Works their Provisions also being almost consumed was obliged to capitulate and surrender upon condition that the Souldiers should have liberty to march to Duklin the rest to return home and to enjoy Protection there Dundalk and Tredagh being surrendred to the Enemy and Dublin threatned with a speedy Siege by the Forces of the Royalists and Irish combined together for the destruction of the English the Parliament taking into their serious Consideration the deplorable State of their distressed Friends resolved to send them Relief with all Expedition In the mean time the Enemy marched towards Dublin having sent a Party of Horse before to invest the Place and to prevent any Relief from Meath-side upon whose Approach Col. Jones with the Forces he had with him was obliged to retire to Jones A Party of Horse from the Town made a Sally upon the Enemy and were repulsed with some Loss but being reinforced from England by a Regiment of Horse commanded by Col. Reynolds and two Regiments of Foot Col. Jones being also come into the Town they resolved upon a vigorous Defence Immediately after the landing of these Supplies Dublin was formally besieged by the Enemy who had a great Army provided with all Necessaries for the carrying on of the Siege and furnished by the Country with Provisions in great abundance their Head-quarters being at Rathmims a Mile from Dublin towards Wicklom They took Rathfarnham by storm and sent fifteen hundred Men to fortify Baggatrath in order to hinder our Army from landing at Ringsend being within a quarter of a Mile of it and lying triangular with it and Dublin Baggatrath had a Rampart of Earth about it and the Enemy had wrought upon it to augment its Strength a whole Night before they were discovered But the next Morning Col. Jones perceiving their Design concluded it absolutely necessary to endeavour to remove them from thence before their Works were finished To that end he drew all his Forces both Horse and Foot to the Works that faced the Enemy and leaving as many as he thought necessary for the Defence of the Town sallied
that tho I would not oppose that Motion yet it was but reasonable to make good their Promises also to Persons that had served them usefully in former occasions desiring them to remember the past Services of those that they knew continued still to be faithful to them tho not then in actual Employment and particularly not to forget the important Services of Major General Skippon nor the Vote they had passed to settle one thousand Pounds a Year upon him which hitherto had been insignificant to him Upon this Motion the Parliament ordered that the said Sum should be paid yearly to him out of the Receipt at Goldsmiths-Hall till so much should be settled upon him out of the forseited Lands in Ireland by Act of Parliament In consideration of this piece of Justice the Major General did me ever after the Honour to call me his Real Friend And now the Parliament being desirous to let the People see that they designed not to perpetuate themselves after they should be able to make a compleat Settlement of Affairs and provide for the Security of the Nation from Enemies both abroad and at home whom they had yet in great Numbers to contend with resolved that the House would upon every Wednesday turn themselves into a Grand Committee to debate concerning the manner of Assembling and Power of future successive Parliaments the Number of Persons to be appointed to serve for each County that the Nation might be more equally represented than hitherto had been practised and touching the Qualifications of the Electors as well as those to be elected which Order was constantly observed and considerable Progress from time to time made therein The Lieutenant General being arrived and having resumed his Place in the House the Parliament ordered their Speaker to give him Thanks in their Name for the Services he had done for the Commonwealth in the Nation of Ireland And now the Council of State concluding it highly necessary to make some Preparations against the Storm which threatned us from the North and knowing that the Satisfaction of their General was of great Importance to that Service desired the Lord Fairfax to declare his Resolution concerning the same who after a day or two's Consideration at the Instigation chiefly as was thought of his Wife upon whom the Presbyterian Clergy had no small Influence seemed unwilling to march into Scotland but declared that in case the Scots should attempt to invade England he would be ready to lay down his Life in opposing them We laboured to perswade him of the Reasonableness and Justice of our Resolution to march into Scotland they having already declared themselves our Enemies and by publick Protestation bound themselves to impose that Government upon us which we had found necessary to abolish and to that end had made their Terms with Prince Charles waiting only an Opportunity as soon as they had strengthned themselves by foreign Assistance which they expected to put their Design in execution after we should be reduced to great Difficulties incident to the keeping up of an Army in expectation of being invaded by them 〈◊〉 him that we thought our selves indispeusably obliged in Duty to our Country and as we tendred the Peace and Prosperity of it as well as to prevent the effusion of the Blood of those who had been and we hoped upon better Information would be our Friends to march into Scotland and either to understand from them that they are our Friends or to endeavour to make them so chusing rather to make that Country the Seat of the War than our own But the Lord Fairfax was unwilling to alter his Resolution in consideration of any thing that could be said Upon this Lieutenant General Cromwell pressed that notwithstanding the Unwillingness of the Lord Fairfax to command upon this occasion they would yet continue him to be General of the Army prosessing for himself that he would rather chuse to serve under him in his Post than to command the greatest Army in Europe But the Council of State not approving that Advice appointed a Committee of some of themselves to confer farther with the General in order to his Satisfaction This Committee was appointed upon the Motion of the Lieutenant General who acted his part so to the Life that I really thought him in earnest which obliged me to step to him as he was withdrawing with the rest of the Committee out of the Council-Chamber and to desire him that he would not in Compliment and Humility obstruct the Service of the Nation by his Refusal but the Consequence made it sufficiently evident that he had no such Intention The Committee having spent some time in Debate with the Lord Fairfax without any Success returned to the Council of State whereupon they ordered the Report of this Affair to be made to the Parliament Which being done and some of the General 's Friends informing them that tho he had shewed some Unwillingness to be employed in this Expedition himself yet being more unwilling to hinder the undertaking of it by another he had sent his Secretary who attended at the door to surrender his Commission if they thought fit to receive it the Secretary was called in and delivered the Commission which the Parliament having received they proceeded to settle an annual Revenue of five thousand Pounds upon the Lord Fairfax in consideration of his former Services and then voted Lieutenant General Cromwell to be Captain General of all their Land Forces ordering a Commission forthwith to be drawn up to that effect and referred to the Council of State to hasten the Preparations for the Northern Expedition A little after as I sat in the House near General Cromwell he told me that having observed an Alteration in my Looks and Carriage towards him he apprehended that I had entertained some Suspicions of him and that being perswaded of the Tendency of the Designs of us both to the Advancement of the Publick Service he desired that a Meeting might be appointed wherein we might with freedom discover the Grounds of our Mistakes and Misapprehensions and create a good Understanding between us for the future I answered that he had discovered in me what I had never perceived in my self and that if I troubled him not so frequently as formerly it was either because I was conscious of that weight of Business that lay upon him or that I had nothing to importune him withal upon my own or any other account yet since he was pleased to do me the Honour to desire a free Conversation with me I assured him of my Readiness therein Whereupon we resolved to meet that Afternoon in the Council of State and from thence to withdraw to a private Room which we did accordingly in the Queen's Guard-Chamber where he endeavoured to perswade me of the Necessity incumbent upon him to do several things that appeared extraordinary in the Judgment of some Men who in opposition to him took such Courses as would bring Ruin upon
not possibly undertake it without hazarding the Ruin of my Family and Estate But the Council refused to allow my Excuse which indeed was real and unseigned telling me that it would be more proper to represent those things to the Parliament when the Report should be made to them from the Council which was agreed upon to this effect That the House should be moved to appoint me Lieutenant General of the Horse in Ireland and that General Cromwell Major General Ireton my self Col. John Jones and Major Richard Salloway or any three of us should be authorized by Act of Parliament to be Commissioners for the Administration of the Civil Affairs in that Nation The News of this Transaction was unwelcome to some of my nearest Relations and best Friends not only for the Reasons above-mentioned but upon suspicion that this Opportunity was taken by the General to remove me out of the way lest I should prove an Obstruction to his Designs But I could not think my self so considerable and therefore could not concur with them in that Opinion Yet I endeavoured to clear my self of this Employment and knowing that this Affair was carried on chiefly by the General 's Influence I applied my self to him acquainting him with my present Circumstances and assuring him that it was altogether inconvenient and might prove very prejudicial to me He replied that Mens private Affairs must give place to those of the Publick that he had seriously considered the Matter and that he could not find a Person so fit for those Employments as my self desiring me therefore to acquiesce It was not many days before the Council of State made their Report of this Affair to the Parliament where I again pressed the Reasons I had used before to the Council with as much Earnestness as I could But they would not hearken to me and without any Debate presently concurred with the Council therein with the addition only of Mr. John Weaver a Member of the House to be one of the Commissioners appointed to manage the Civil Government In the mean time our Army proceeded successfully in Ireland where they reduced Waterford after a Siege of some Weeks which Place the Enemy had considerably fortified but their Provisions failing they were forced to surrender it upon Articles During this Siege the Army was supplied with all Necessaries by some of our Ships that came into the Harbour to that end After the reduction of Waterford a Detachment was made from our Army to besiege Duncannon a Place of considerable Strength having seven hundred Men within to desend it tho one third of their Number had been sufficient for that purpose This or some other Cause produced the Plague amongst them which lessened their Number and made their Provisions to hold out the longer yet at last they were constrained to deliver up the Place with all the Arms and Ammunition to our Men. The Lord of Esmond had been Governour of this Place for the English at the beginning of the War and held it out for the space of six or seven Months against the Rebels of whom he killed great Numbers before it during the Siege that he sustained but being driven to great Extremities he was obliged to surrender it to them which went so near the gallant old Gentleman's Heart that he soon after departed this Life The next Place our Army attempted was Carlo an inland Garison distant from Dublin about thirty Miles and lying upon the River Barrow The Place was esteemed by the Enemy to be of great Importance and therefore fortified by them with divers Works besides it had a small Castle at the foot of the Bridg and a River running under the Walls of the Castle The Country beyond it were also their Friends and furnished them with Provisions in great abundance To prevent which Major General Ireton found it necessary to employ the principal part of his Forces on the other side of the River Barrow yet by what means to secure a Communication between the two parts of his Army was a great Difficulty they having neither Boats nor Casks sufficient for that purpose In the end they sell upon this Expedient to bring together great Quantities of the biggest Reeds and tying them up in many little Bundles with small Cords they fastned them to two Cables that were fixed in the Ground on each side of the River at the distance of about eight or ten Yards from each other These being covered with Wattles bore Troops of Horse and Companies of Foot as well as Bridg arched with Stone Whilst these things were doing most of the Earl of Ormona's Forces retired into Connaught and those of the Lord Muskerry into Kerry the Lord Castlehaven also after he had fired most of the small Castles in Leinster and Munster marched out of those Parts But the Enemy which most threatned the Disturbance of the Parliament was that of Scotland where all Interests were united in opposition to the present Authority in England They had also many who favoured their Design in our Nation as well Presbyterians as Cavaliers the former of these were most bold and active upon presumption of more Favour in case of ill Success The Parliament being sensible of these things published a Declaration shewing that they had no Design to impose upon the Nation of Scotland any thing contrary to their Inclinations That they would leave them to chuse what Government they thought most convenient for themselves provided they would suffer the English Nation to live under that Establishment which they had chosen That it evidently appeared that the Scots were acted by a Spirit of Domination and Rule and that nothing might be wanting to compel us to submit to their Impositions they had espoused the Interests of that Family which they themselves had declared guilty of much precious Blood and resolved to force the same upon England That these and other things there mentioned had obliged them to send an Army into Scotland for their own Preservation and to keep the Scots from destroying themselves which they were about to do resolving notwithstanding to extend all possible Favour to such as were seduced through Weakness and misled by the Malice of others After this General Cromwell hastned to the Army which consisted of about twenty thousand Horse and Foot where having removed a Colonel or two with some inferiour Officers who were unwilling to be employed in that Service and made up a Regiment for Col. Monk with six Companies out of Sir Arthur Haslerig's and six out of Col. Fenwick's Regiment he marched into Scotland without any Opposition most of the People being fled from their Habitations towards Edinburgh whither all the Enemies Strength was drawn together The English Army drew up within sight of the Town but the Scots would not hazard all by the decision of a Battel hoping to tire us out with frequent Skirmishes and harassing our Men relying much upon the Unsutableness of the Climate to our Constitutions especially if they
with the Clearness of my Proceeding and no less of my Abilities to discharge the Trust reposed in me and to perform the Duties of my Employments of which he was pleased to say I had given sufficient Demonstration as well as of a constant and hearty Affection to the Publick Interest In conclusion the Debate concerning the Lord Broghill was brought to this Question Whether he should be wholly laid aside or whether something should be done in order to content him for the present by conferring upon him some Office of Profit and the Title of a General Officer The latter was agreed upon and he declared Lieutenant General of the Ordinance in Ireland The Commissioners having settled Affairs as well as they could and finding the Deputy to be employed in making all necessary Preparations for the ensuing Service took that Opportunity to go to regulate Affairs at Dublin where after they had dispatched the Publick Business in which they spent about a Week and provided Houses to receive their Families when they should arrive from England they returned to Kilkenny The Enemy who had a Party of Horse in those Parts had designed to surprize them in their way to Dublin and again in their Return to us but finding them attended by a strong Guard they durst not venture to attempt it The Enemies Forces being retreated into Connaught which Province was covered by the Shannon and keeping strong Guards upon the Bridges and Fords of that River the Reduction of Limerick could not well be expected till we had blocked them up on both sides In order to which it was resolved that Sir Charles Coote who had with him between four and five thousand Horse and Foot should march into Connaught by the way of Ballyshannon a Passage on the side of Ulster not far distant from the Sea and Commissary General Reynolds was sent with his Regiment of Horse to his Assistance Col. Axtell and some others about this time going for England were taken by a Pirate belonging to Scilly whither they were all carried Prisoners The Irish who were many in the Island against whom Col. Axtell had been very active and who had heard of the Charge lately exhibited against him pressed hard for the taking away his Life But upon consideration of the Preparations making by the Parliament to send a Fleet with Souldiers to reduce that Island it was not thought convenient to attempt any thing against him tho they had a strong Inclination to it for fear of an exemplary Retaliation In the mean time the Parliament sent a Fleet with some Land-Forces to reduce the Isle of Jersey with the Castle which was kept by Sir Philip Carteret for Prince Charles Col. Haines who commanded them met with some Opposition at his landing but having brought his Men ashore the Island generally submitted to the Parliament The Castle having made some Resistance was soon after surrendred also The Affairs of the Commonwealth being thus successful and their Authority acknowledged by the Applications of Agents and Ambassadors from Foreign Nations to them it was resolved to send some Ministers abroad to entertain a good Correspondence with our Neighbours and to preserve the Interests of the Subjects of this Nation in those Parts To that effect the Lord Chief Justice St. Johns was dispatched with the Character of Ambassador Extraordinary to the States of the United Netherlands with whom Mr. Walter Strickland our Resident there was joined in Commission and to prevent such another Attempt as had been made upon our former Agent forty Gentlemen were appointed to attend him for his Security and Honour ten thousand Pounds being delivered to the Lord Ambassador's Steward for the Expence of the Embassy Yet this great Equipage was not sufficient to prevent a publick Affront which was offered him by Prince Edward one of the Palatine Family as he was passing the Streets But the Prince immediately retiring to some Place out of the Jurisdiction of the States secured himself from any Prosecution tho they pretended upon the Complaint of our Ambassadors that they were ready to do them what Right they could The Negotiation of our Ministers which was designed to procure a nearer Conjunction and Coalition between the two States proved also ineffectual the Province of Holland being not so much inclined to consent to it as was expected and Frizeland with most of the rest of the Provinces entirely against it presuming that such a Conjunction as was demanded would be no less than rendring those Countries a Province to England So that our Ambassadors having used all possible means to succeed in their Business and finding the Dutch unwilling to conclude with us whilst the King had an Army in the Field returned to England without effecting any thing but the Expence of a great Sum of Money This Disappointment sat so heavy upon the haughty Spirit of the Lord Chief Justice St. Johns that he reported these Transactions with the highest Aggravations against the States and thereby was a principal Instrument to prevail with the Council of State to move the Parliament to pass an Act prohibiting foreign Ships from bringing any Merchandizes into England except such as should be of the Growth or Manufacture of that Country to which the said Ships did belong This Law tho just in it self and very advantageous to the English Nation was so highly resented by the Dutch who had for a long time driven the Trade of Europe by the great Number of their Ships that it soon proved to be the Ball of Contention between the two Nations During these Transactions the Deputy of Ireland labouring with all diligence to carry on the Publick Service ordered the Army to rendezvouz at Cashil from whence he marched by the way of Nenagh to that part of the River Shannon which lies over against Killalo where the Earl of Castle-haven lay with about two thousand Horse and Foot disposed along the side of the River and defended by Breast-works cast up for their Security resolving to endeavour to obstruct our Passage into Connaught The Deputy as if he had intended to divert the Course of the River set the Souldiers and Pioneers at work to take the Ground lower on our side that the Water venting it self into the Passage the River might become fordable which so alarmed the Enemy that they drew out most of their Men to oppose us Whilst they were thus amused the Deputy taking me with him and a Guard of Horse marched privately by the side of the Shannon in order to find a convenient place to pass that River The ways were almost impassable by reason of the Bogs tho Col. Reeves and others who commanded in those Parts had repaired them with Hurdles as well as they could Being advanced about half way from Killalo to Castle-Conel we found a place that answered our Desires where a Bridg had formerly been with an old Castle still standing at the foot of it on the other side of the River We took only a short
this dismissing the Officer tho otherwise an useful Man from his Command for the same The next day we marched towards Clare-Castle and found the way so rocky that we rode near three Miles together upon one of them whereby most of our Horses cast their Shoes so that though every Troop came provided with Horse-shoes which were delivered to them out of the Stores yet before that day's March was over a Horse-shoe was sold sor five shillings The next morning the Lady Honoria Obryan Daughter to the late Earl of Thomond being accused of protecting the Goods and Cattle of the â—â—emy under pretence that they belonged to 〈◊〉 and thereby abusing the favour of the Deputy's Safeguard which he had granted to her came to him and being charged by him with it and told that he expected a more ingenuous Carriage from her she burst out into Tears and assured him if he would forgive her that she would never do the like again desiring me after the Deputy was withdrawn to intercede with him for the continuance of his favour to her which when I acquainted him with he said As much a Cynick as I am the Tears of this Woman moved me and thereupon gave order that his Protection should be continued to her From hence I would have attended him to Limerick but so much more care did he take of me than of himself that he would not suffer it desiring me to go that day being Saturday and quarter at Bonratto a House of the Earl of Thomond's in order to recover my health and to come to him on Monday morning at Limerick Accordingly I came and found the Deputy grown worse having been let blood and sweating exceedingly with a burning Fever at the same time Yet for all this he ceased not to apply himself to the Publick business settling Garisons and distributing Winter-quarters which was all that remained to be done of the Military Service for that year I endeavoured to perswade him as I had often done before that his immoderate Labours for his Country would much impair if not utterly destroy him but he had so totally neglected himself during the Siege of Limerick not putting off his Clothes all that time except to change his Linen that the malignant Humours which he had contracted wanting room to perspire became confined to his Body and rendred him more liable to be infected by the Contagion I was unwilling to leave him till I saw the event of his Distemper but he supposing my Family was by this time come to Dublin would not permit me to stay and I finding I could in no way be serviceable to him submitted to his desires I found the Commissioners of Parliament at Dublin and acquainted them with the State of Affairs in those Parts from whence I came and with the Resolutions taken by the Deputy at Limerick but soon after my arrival the sad news of his Death was brought to us which was universally lamented by all good Men more especially because the Publick was thereby deprived of a most faithful able and useful Servant The Commissioners of Parliament taking into their consideration what method to observe in that Conjuncture and presuming that my Command in the Army was next to that of the Deputy resolved by a Letter to acquaint the Officers of our Forces in Ireland with their judgment and to require them to yield Obedience to me accordingly I earnestly desired them to forbear sending any such Letter which I did not out of a feigned modesty but from a real sense of the weight of such an Undertaking and my own inability to perform the duty of that important Station For tho the Work seemed to be almost finished yet there remained great Difficulties behind the Enemy possessing some strong Places and Islands and having many thousands yet in the Field there being also in the Parliament's Pay between seven and eight thousand Horse and Dragoons with above two and twenty thousand Foot For these and other Reasons I desired them that they would reserve the Power to themselves till the Parliament should send over some Person to undertake that Employment which they might do soon enough the season of Action being already past the Troops dispersed into their Winter-quarters and nothing of importance likely to be done before the next Spring acquainting them that being one of their number I could be as serviceable in their Deliberations and Resolutions as if I were entrusted with the sole Power But all that I could say was not sufficient to disswade them from sending the Letter before mentioned and tho it met with a general submission yet I resolved not to undertake any thing without their Advice and Consent which they readily promised to afford me Some of General Cromwell's Relations who were not ignorant of his vast Designs now on foot caused the Body of the Lord Deputy Ireton to be transported into England and solemnly interred at Westminster in a magnificent Monument at the Publick Charge Who if he could have foreseen what was done by them would certainly have made it his desire that his Body might have found a Grave where his Soul left it so much did he despise those pompous and expensive Vanities having erected for himself a more glorious Monument in the hearts of good Men by his affection to his Country his abilities of Mind his impartial Justice his diligence in the Publick Service and his other Vertues which were a far greater Honour to his Memory than a Dormitory amongst the Ashes of Kings who for the most part as they had governed others by their Passions so were they themselves as much governed by them The Isles of Scilly and Man were reduced to the Obedience of the Commonwealth but nothing extraordinary happening at their reduction at least not coming to my knowledg I purposely omit the relation of those Actions About this time we were informed that Sir George Ayscue who had been sent by the Parliament to the Western Islands which still continued in Arms against them arrived at the Barbadoes on the 26 th of October 1651. and having opened a Passage into the Harbour by firing some great Shot seized upon twelve of their Ships without opposition The next morning he sent a Summons to the Lord Willoughby to submit to the Authority of the Parliament of England but he not acknowledging any such Power declared his Resolution to keep the Island for the King's Service But the News of the Defeat of the Scots and their King at Worcester being brought to Sir George Ayscue together with an intercepted Letter from the Lady Willoughby containing the same Account he summoned him a second time and accompanied his Summons with his Lady's Letter to assure him of the truth of that report But the Lord Willoughby relying upon his Numbers and the fewness of those that were sent to reduce him being in all but fifteen Sail returned an Answer of the like substance with the former Whereupon Sir George Ayscue sent two