firm in appearance Voted with them and gave his Voice for setling of the Militia by Ordinance of Parliament But about the end of June one Master Eliot a Courtier was sent closely from York to him who having gotten privacy with the Lord Keeper so far prevailed at last that he got the Great Seal into his hands and rid away with it to the King at York The Lord Keeper Littleton after some serious thoughts with himself not being able to answer it to the Parliament rode away himself next day to the King also The reason which he gave to some friends of his afterwards for so parting with the Seal was this The King when he made him Lord Keeper gave him an Oath in private which he took That whensoever the King should send to him for the Great Seal he should forthwith deliver it This Oath he said he could not dispence with in Conscience but was sorry he had taken the Office with such an Oath The Seal was given him since this Parliament sate which made it appear what intentions the King even then had to the Parliament The King having now gotten the Great Seal issued forth many Proclamations and among other one That no man should obey the Parliaments Warrants about setling the Militia and they on the other side by Ordinances forbad any man to raise Arms by Warrant from the King without the authority of Parliament The Parliament being then intent upon setling the Militia by Land they took care also to seize the Navy into their hands for security of the Kingdom against forreign invasions To that purpose the Earl of Warwick a Nobleman of good experience in Sea-affairs and undoubted fidelity to his Countrey was by an Ordinance of both Houses chosen to be Lord Admiral But the King had chosen Sir John Penington to that place in the room of the Earl of Northumberland and sent a Command to the Earl of Warwick to resign the place to him But the Earl-chose rather to obey the Ordinance of Parliament and with great courage and policy got the Fleet into his hands though many of the Captains stood out against him alleaging they had the Kings Command to obey Sir John Penington but the Earl deprived them of their Commands and possessed himself of the Ships taking shortly after another Ship called the Lion of great import coming out of Holland and laden with Gunpowder which proved a great addition to his strength All men at this time began to despair of the Kings return to his Parliament and therefore on the 10 of June was an Order made in Parliament for bringing in money and plate to raise Arms for the Cause the publick Faith for repayment to them that brought it in was engaged by the Parliament and interest of eight in the hundred Which was accordingly brought in in great abundance by well-affected people as also Horses and Arms for that service The King at that time had received Money and Arms with Ammunition out of Holland upon the pawning of the Crown-Jewels which the Queen had carried over in February before He then sent out his Commissions of Array to Arm the people into all Counties wherein he used the Parliaments own words as in a Jeer of them For the Parliament professed that their receiving of plate and money and levying of Forces was To maintain the Protestant Religion the Kings Person dignity and authority the Laws of the Land the peace of the Kingdom and priviledge of Parliament The Kings words were the same namely To maintain the Protestant Religion his own person and authority the Laws Kingdoms Peace and priviledge of Parliament And whereas the Parliament in their Declarations both then and afterward used to say That they did arm against a malignant party by whom the Kings person was in danger he in his said the like and that for the safety of his own person and people there was an inevitable necessity of putting the Kingdom into a posture of defence using those very words in his Commission of Array which they did in their Ordinance for the Militia And invited people to bring plate and money to him in that language which the Parliament did nor did it prove less effectual for many Lords Gentlemen and others very freely brought in Money and plate to serve the King within a short space In all this heat of preparations the King before those Lords that were with him in the North made a solemn Protestation as before God that he would not engage them in any War against the Parliament but only for his necessary defence that his desire was to maintain the Protestant Religion the liberties of the Subject and priviledge of Parliament Upon which those Lords made a solemn Protestation as before God and subscribed their Names to it That they did believe the Kings intention to be as he said namely That he had no purpose to Levy War against the Parliament and that he endeavored only to maintain the Protestant Religion the Laws Liberties of the Subject and just priviledge of Parliament The King immediately after this took a progress about the Countries adjacent and at divers places made speeches to the Gentlemen and inhabitants full of gracious promises and declaring his intentions to preserve the peoples Liberties and priviledge of Parliament after which he returned to York and having raised an Army of three thousand Foot and one thousand Horse went to Beverly with an intention to besiege Hull making Proclamation beforehand That no man should presume to assist Hull against him or bring any force thither The Parliament on the other side published a Declaration for the preservation and safety of the Kingdom and of the town of Hull with assurance of satisfaction to all those who sustained any loss by their service for the safety of that Town or by overflowing of water upon the grounds there The King was within two hours march of Hull when Sir John Hotham calling a Councel of War by whom it was thought so fit drowned the Countrey about Hull drawing up the Sluce giving the Owners time to remove their Cattel and Goods the Parliament being to satisfie their damages upon the publick Faith Sir John Meldrum an old Souldier was assistant to Hotham who sallying bravely out of the Town with five hundred Townsmen made the Kings party retreat to Beverly some being slain and taken in the Chase Within a short time after when five hundred men sent from London arrived at Hull Sir John Meldrum made a fiercer Sally and forced most of the Leaguer to retire disorderly one and twenty of them being slain and fifteen taken prisoners and following his good success came to Aulby where the Kings Magazine of Arms Ammunition and Fire-balls were kept in a Barn all which he took and fired the Barn Upon which the King calling a Councel of War upon their advice broke up the siege before Hull On the twelfth of July the Parliament Voted that an Army should be raised for the
notwithstanding the War in England without strangers help went on with rage and bloud enough In midst of these calamities of War some hope of peace began to appear though it soon vanished again and conditions were proposed both by King and Parliament upon which in the following February as hereafter shall be said they both treated The end of this year and beginning of the next were notably tragical in the punishment and death of eminent men the two Hothams Father and Son having been condemned for Treason for breaking the trust of Parliament and conspiring with the enemy to betray Hull with other crimes after they had been imprisoned above a whole year in the Tower of London were this December both beheaded and Sir Alexander Carew not many dayes before who was condemned for the same crime suffered the same punishment Famous also at that time was the death of William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury the crimes objected against him were too many and of too various a nature to be here related four years almost had this unhappy old man been a prisoner yet not enjoyed so much as the quiet of a prison for oftentimes about fourscore several dayes he was carried from the Tower to Westminster and there arraigned in the House of Lords so the Fates were pleased in a sad compensation to equal his adversity even in time with his prosperity This January he was beheaded his life being spun out so long till he might see which was the observation of many some few daies before his death the book of Liturgy abolished and the Directory composed by the Sinod at Westminster established Though the King and Parliament were both thinking of a Treaty for Peace yet the care of War was not neglected the King being solicitous about getting of forreign aid and the Parliament about new modelling their own Army About this business which seemed of the highest concern there was some debate between the Lords and Commons the Lords were against that Change alleagïng that there was no need of new Commanders where the old ones could be accused of no fault that men of the noblest rank were fittest to command Armies the contrary whereof might breed confusion in the Common-wealth The House of Commons on the other side though they made a noble mention of the Earl of Essex and those other Peers which commanded in the Armies alleaged notwithstanding that the Parliament forces had been often distracted through the emulation of Commanders from whence it proceeded that some things very well designed had not had a prosperous issue that the Army would be better disciplined under one sole Commander At last when they were agreed a General was chosen to command the new Army which was Sir Thomas Fairfax a man of eminent valour and as much modesty who was then absent in the North but so great a business could not suddainly be finished and now the time approached for the Treaty of Vxbridge in which three heads were to be debated 1. Of Religion and Church government 2. Of the Militia of England 3. Concerning the business of Ireland But the King before this Treaty began used all meanes to assure himself of forreign aid by Letters he urged the Queen who was then in France to solicite that King and other Catholikes to assist him and that the Queen Regent would detain the Parliaments Ships in France He was very earnest likewise for assistance from the Duke of Lorraign that he might get into England that wicked Army of his so notorious through Germany and Flanders for all Villany of which Army as of that of Marius when the entred Rome it may be said Nulli gestanda dabantur Signa Ducis nisi qui scelerum jam fecerat usum Attuleratque in Castra nefas No man his Ensigns bore But who the badge of some known mischeif wore And brought guilt to the Camp At last hope was given him from the Duke of Lorraign of ten thousand men and for bringing of these Souldiers into England Goffe was sent into Holland to negotiate for shipping and other necessaries The King likewise desired assistance at that time from the bloudy Irish Rebels and by his Letters commanded Ormond to make a peace with those Rebels and to promise and grant to them a free exercise of their popish Religion and to assure them that if by their assistance he could but finish his War in England he would abrogate all those Laws heretofore made against the Papists there he gave thanks likewise to Muskery Plunket and other of those Rebels promising a pardon for all that was past But they were much troubled at the Treaty for peace with the Parliament not being ignorant that one necessary condition of such a peace must be that the War in Ireland against them should be continued and prosecuted The King therefore to remove this their scrupulous fear wrote to Ormond to this effect That he could not refuse to make a peace with his Parliament onely in favour of those Irish yet notwithstanding from that very consideration if Ormund handled the matter wisely he might raise an advantage to hasten a peace with those Irish in letting them know their own danger how they were excluded from all hope of pardon by the Parliament For saith he if we agree upon all other conditions it will not be convenient for me to disagree onely concerning those Irish therefore let them take what I offer while time is and hasten the Peace and when once my faith is passed no humane force shall make me break it The Queen also remaining in France writing to her husband seemed to grieve much that at Vxbridge they were to treat of Religion in the first place affirming That if any thing severe against the Catholikes should be concluded and yet a peace not be made the King could not hope hereafter for any assistance from the Catholike Princes or from the Irish who must needs think that after they had done their best they should at last be forsaken She often entreats the King that he would never forsake the Bishops the Catholikes nor those faithful friends of his that served him in his Wars the King promiseth her that he would never forsake his friends for a peace onely perswades her to hasten as much as she can the aides from France saying That whilest London is distracted between the Presbiterians and Independents both may be ruined In February the Commissioners on both sides met at Vxbridge to treat for peace For the King came the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hartford the Earls of Southampton Dorset and Chichester the Lords Dunsmore and Capel with Seimour Culpeper Gardiner Hide Lane Bridgman Palmer and others For the Parliament the Earls of Northumberland Pembrooke Salisbury and Denbigh of the House of Commons Wainmar Vane Perpoint Hollis Prideaux Saint John Whitlock and Crew and besides these six Commissioners of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland But nothing at all was concluded at that Treaty The King would
Episcopacy he disputed out of the dictates of his conscience much and gave touches also of the other matters Of all which he hoped that he should satisfie the Parliament with his reasons if he might personally treat with them Therefore he earnestly desired to be admitted with Honour Freedom and Safety to treat personally at London the Commissioners of Scotland with great vehemence also pressed that this desire of the King might be granted The Parliament weighing these things lest they should betray themselves and friends by admitting of a personal Treaty with the King in London so Malignant a City before he had given any satisfaction or security which was before the Scots Opinion after so many mischiefs done to the Commonwealth resolved upon a middle way Therefore after a long debate on the twenty sixth of November they concluded that four Propositions being drawn up into the form of Acts should be sent to the King in the Isle of Wight to sign which when he had signed he should be admitted to a personal Treaty a London that his Majesty giving the Kingdom security by passing these four Propositions there may be a personal Treaty with his Majesty for passing the rest of the Propositions The four were these 1. That a Bill be passed into an Act by his Majesty for setling of the Militia of the Kingdom 2. That a Bill be passed for his Majesties calling in of all Declarations Oaths and Proclamations against the Parliament and those who have adhered to them 3. For passing an Act that those Lords who were made after the Great Seal was carried to Oxford may be made uncapable of sitting in the House of Peers thereby 4. That power may be given to the two Houses of Parliament to adjourn as the two Houses of Parliament shall think fit The Commissioners of Scotland would in no wise give their consent that these four Bills should be sent to the King before he treated at London therefore in a very long Declaration they protested against it Notwithstanding that the Bills were sent by Commissioners of both Houses of Parliament and on the twenty fourth of December presented to the King at Carisbrook-Castle But the King understanding the minde of the Scots and the factions in London absolutely refused to sign those Propositions and the Commissioners with this denial returned to London On the third of January the House of Commons debated of this denial of the King the dispute was sharp vehement and high about the State and Government of the Commonwealth and many plain Speeches made of the King 's obstinate aversness and the peoples too long patience it was there affirmed that the King by this denial had denied his protection to the people of England for which onely subjection is due from them that one being taken away the other falls to the ground That it is very unjust and absurd that the Parliament having so often tried the King's affections should now betray to an implacable Enemy both themselves and all those friends who in a most just cause had valiantly adventured their lives and fortune that nothing was now left for them to do but to take care for the safety of themselves and their friends and settle the Common-wealth since otherwise it could not be without the King Therefore on the 17 of January a Declaration and Votes passed both Houses of Parliament in this manner The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament after many Addresses to his Majesty for the preventing and ending this unnatural War raised by him against the Parliament and Kingdom having lately sent four Bills to his Majesty which did contain onely matter of safety and security to the Parliament and Kingdom referring the composure of other differences to a personal Treaty with his Majesty and having received an absolute Negative do hold themselves obliged to use their utmost endeavours speedily to settle the present Government in such a way as may bring the greatest security to this Kingdom in the enjoyment of the Laws and Liberties thereof And in Order thereunto and that the Houses may receive no delay nor interruptions in so great and necessary a work they have taken these Resolutions and passed these Votes following viz. The Lords and Commons do declare That they will make no further Addresses or Applications to the King Resolved c. By the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament That no Application or Address be made to the King by any Person whatsoever without the leave of both Houses Resolved c. By the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that the Person or Persons that shall make breach of this Order shall incur the penalty of High Treason Resolved c. That the Lords and Commons do declare That they will receive no more any Message from the King and do enjoyn That no ` Person whatsoever do presume to receive or bring any Message from the King to both or either of the Houses of Parliament or any other Person Within few dayes after these Votes of Parliament were published a Declaration of the General and general Councel of the Army their Head-Quarters being then at Windsor was made and humbly presented to the Parliament for which Declaration thanks were returned from the Parliament to the General and Councel of the Army which take in the full expression A Declaration from his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax and the General Councel of the Army of their Resolutions to adhere to the Parliament in their proceedings concerning the King NOtwithstanding the high violations of the Kingdoms Rights and Liberties and the indeavours to swallow up the whole interest of the Kingdom into the power and will of a King which the present King's Reign hath afforded we have observed that the Parliament was through his necessities and against his declared intentions to the contrary called but in a condition of vindicating the Kingdom in those things hath yet enacted with that tenderness towards the King as to any thing of right that might be in him or duty towards him as that in the Protestation Covenant and many Declarations published by them that have held forth a careful regard to the preservation of the King's person and just rights with and in the preservation and vindication of the publick interests and safety of the Kingdom and by the whole service of their actions and their many-fold humble Addresses to him for the preservation and settlement of all they have we conceive abundantly demonstrated the reality and innocency of their intentious towards him in all which we have still understood the sence and intention to be no other then that the preservation of the King's person and particular rights should be so endeavoured as it might be consistent with and not destructive to those great and more obliging publick interests of Religion and the Rights Liberties and safety of the Kingdom and not otherwise And accordingly in the late Declarations and Papers that have occasionally past from this Army as to our desires of