into their proper Channel This Letter was accompanied with others and a Declaration to the same purpose all which were Communicated to the Parliament But there in Requital it was vehemently urged by some That the Prince might be declared a Traitor and a â—ebel but others stood up and gave several Reasons too long here to rehearse to the Contrary and so it passed over at this time On the 7 th of August an ordinance passed for erecting a new Militia in every County and particularly for the County of Wilts Commissioners being named who had power to raise what men they pleased to Arm them and to fine defaulters ten pound a Man and twenty dayes Imprisonment and to levy four hundred pound a Week upon that one County besides the ordinary Taxes and free Quarter O brave Liberty and Freedom Whilst the Army were employed in reducing the Scots and Royal party Petitions were continually sent from several Counties to the Parliament all tending to â—he same effect the disbanding the Army easing the people of their Burthens and a personal Treaty with â—he King The City of London Petitions also for the â—ame and to have their imprisoned Citizens released â—hich were chiefly Aldermen Langham and Bunce and their Recorder â—lin The Lords had it seems not â—â—â—curred readily with the Commons in some of 〈◊〉 Votes upon which it was moved in the House to taâ—â— away the Lords negative Voyce So early Arbitrary began to shew it self in the highest degree nothing now seeming too great for the Commons For a câ—rtain lawyer undertook to make good That the House of Commons being the Representative of all the People had power to Act without the Lords for the safety of the People in case the Lords deserted their Trust Here was a ground lay'd for a future subverting the Foundation of all Parliaments and how well they improved this Doctrine we shall see hereafter The Lords and Commons had lay'd by the King and now the Commons were for laying aside the Lords and the next thing to be expected will be to see the Army and their Grandees to lay aside the Commons and to rule alone by themselves usurping both the Kings Soveraign and Governing power the Parliaments Legislative power and the Judges Indicative power and so Establish their Oligarchy or else it may be expected that one more powerful than the rest should usurp all the Power into his own hand and become a most absolute and Arbitrary Tyrant as it hapned to come to pass I cannot pass over another excellent mark of strange Arbitrariness against all Law and Right Moral as well as Civil in their sequestring the Estate of one Wall a Delinquent as they called him after his Death and taking it from his Wife and Children gave it to one of their Creatures who sued for the same tho it was argued against their unjust Proceedings That in the case of the highest Treasons and of Felony no man was Condemned after his Death because he was not then in being to Answer for himself and there could be no proceeding in Law against Non Ens Nay if a Fellon tho alive will stand mute he shall not forfeit his Lands because he wants Answer tho he loses his Life for Contempt of the Law Yet the Godly party prevailed and they bestowed the Sequestration of the said 〈◊〉 Lands tho dead on another with a Proviso that 〈◊〉 â—hould not be drawn into Example Cromwell gives the Parliament by a Letter to their Speaker an account of his Victories with Admonitions to them not to hate God's people who were as the Apple of his Eye and for whom Kings were to be reproved That they should fulfil the end of their Magistracy that all that would live quietly and Peaceably might have Countenance from them and that they who were implacable might be speedily destroyed out of the Land And to prepare the way for their Destruction they ordered That an Ordinance be Penned and brought into the House of Commons to try all such by Martial Law in the City of London as shall be found to Plot Design or Contrive any thing to endanger the Parliament or City Here again you may see all the Common Laws of the Land laid aside and Martial Law made use of in the Head City of the Land Which was then no Garrison and by order of these Parliamentarians and Assertors of the peoples Liberties Rights and Priviledges But however the Army being at a distance from the City subduing the Kings Friends and the Parliaments Foes the Independent Party in the House of Commons were not so prevalent but that the other Party took Courage and appearing began to come more of themselves encouraged by several Petitions out of the Countrey for a Treaty with the King upon which they became inclinable and begun to set themselves to that Pious work tho hindred all that could be by the Clamours Speeches and Behaviour of the Independants And thereupon the Earl of Middlesex Sir John Hippesly and Mr. Bulkley were sent to the King to let him know their Resolutions who returned related the Kings ready Compliance thereto as a thing he much desired upon which they Vote That the Votes of Non-Addresses should be repealed That the King might send for such Persons as were necessary for him in the Treaty That he should be in a state of Freedom That five Lords and ten Commoners be chosen Commissioners to Treat with the King at Newport in the Isle of Wight These Votes were sent to the King and Commissioners chosen for the Lords the Earls of Northumberland Salisbury Pembroke Middlesex and the Lord Say for the Commons were Lord Wainman Mr. Peirpoint Sr. Henry Vain the younger Sr. Harbottle Grimston Sr. Jo. Pots Mr. Brown Mr. Crew Mr. Bulkly Mr. Hellis and Mr. Glyn. Their Propositions were not much easier than their former to which the King gave very Satisfactory Answers conceding to many things for Peace sake against his Prerogative the greatest Difficulty being the business of Episcopacy which the King was unwilling should be wholly abolished And now it was very likely that the King and Parliament had agreed and a full peace had insued but in the mean time many Officers of the Army held their Cabals at Windsor where they were Contriving the Destruction of the King and the Dissolution of the Parliament which Cabals they also continued at London and other places under the name of Agitators in behalf of the Army These were framing a Government among themselves and drew up a Remonstrance shewing That they were the Body of the People of England That their Interest was the publick Interest of the People That the People were the only Competent Judges of their own safety That the supream Magistrates were the People Armed with supream Authority and with the Sword These persons concluded among themselves that some should be chosen out of the Army to represent the whole Body These not to exercise the Legislative power but only to draw
places Having raised what men he could in the Orcades he left some men to keep the Island and transported the rest to Cathness in the uttermost North-west part of Scotland where he hoped to have met some men whom he expected Pluscardy should have raised but the Parliament of Scotland having notice of his Landing was so vigilant by their Correspondence and Friends in those Parts that the High-Landers could not rise as was expected and immediately they sent an Army of seven Thousand Foot and thirty Troops of Horse to oppose Montross David Lesly commanded the Horse and Major General Holburn the Foot These making great speed struck a dread into the Breasts of many who were the Kings friends and would have appeared had a little longer time been given them Straham who led the Van finding Montrosses party surprised at their unexpected approach made use of the Advantage and fell in upon them and the unseasoned Orkney men soon yielded themselves and in a short time the Germans tho they made some resistance thus the Earl lost the day more through the Panick fear of his Soldiers than want of Courage and Conduct in himself who was certainly one of the most skilful and valiant Leaders of his Age. There escaped not above an hundred and most of his Officers were either taken or slain He got away himself quitting his Horse Belt Coat and Star in an ordinary High-Landers habit but it was impossible for him to get clear away the Country being every way beset and such strict search after him and rewards promised to those who could take him yet for three or four days keeping in the Woods with one Companion only till almost starv'd he kept out of their Clutches till aâ— last he fell into the Hands of the Laird of Aston who formerly had adhered to the Marquess hoping that he would have Concealed him But fear being more Prevalent than ancient Friendship he set a Guard upon him and delivered him up to Lesly who in triumph carried him to Edenborow where this noble Marquess was treated with the most horrid Barbarity that ever was heard of and at last hanged on a Gibbet thirty foot high his head Cut off and set on the Talbooth at Edenborow and his four Quarters sent to be set up at Sterling Glascow St. Johns Town and Aberdeen four of the notedest Cities in Scotland Together with him were executed tho not with so much disgrace Sr. John Urry Collonel Spotswood Laird of Darcy with some others of note who came with the Marquess into Scotland This was the end of that most noble Peer murthered by the Kirk or Presbyterian Party on the twenty first of May 1650 even when they were treating with â—heir King which indignity his Majesty was fain to put up tho he could not but shew his Resentment for that faithful Servants Barbarous usage at their Hands writing to them particularly about it to whom they returned their Excuses letting him know they did it for the Service of his Majesty inviting him into Scotland and protesting to assist him with their Lives and Fortunes to establish him in his Throne The King prepares for his Voyage and nothwithstanding Popham one of the Junto's Admirals was at Sea with a Fleet hoping to intercept him he got safe into Scotland and Landed in the north Parts at Spey from whence he went to Edenborow where he was received with great Acclamations and again on the â—5 of July solemnly proclaimed at Edenborow but it was not long before the ill Nature of the Presbyterians began to appear and they began to exercise their Kirk Authority and all Malignants as they called the Kings best Friends prohibited to come at him they lessen his Family and are angry that Aberdeen had presented him with five hundred Pound and lest others should do the like They order That what Money or Plate any intended to bestow upon the King should be brought into the publick Treasury But they form an Army as fast as they can of which the King was to be Generalissimo and the Earl of Levin Lieutenant General Holborn Major General and Lesly Lieutenant General of the Horse and Mountgomery Major General In the mean time the Junto begin to look about them ill news comes apace from the North Quarter of a threatning Storm and they make ready to meet it but the Presbyterian Ministers had been tampering with Fairfax and had represented this War with Scotland so illegal being against the Church that he being a Presbyterian made many Excuses pleading Sickness and Wounds and desiring to be Excused from commanding the Army that was to fight against their Brethren for now the Presbyterians not out of any Love to the King but to themselves hoping to set up their own Church-Government as they saw it was like to be in Scotland Confederate privately together and intend to joyn with the Scots All these things are made known to Cromwell in Ireland who now thought it high time to play his Part in England things still working for his Advancement and therefore sending to the Junto for leave to come over he prepares to be gone but Occasion pressing he stays not for the return of Letters but full of his great Aâ—chievments in Ireland he leaves it and Lands at Bristow whence he Posts to London where he is met Complemented and Caressed by the Members of the Junto and the Creatures of his Councils and presently Fairfax still refusing the command of the Army Cromwell is by order of the Rump made General and Fairfax laid aside And now with all Expedition he â—orms his Army and draws his Forces together preâ—ares for Scotland and about the latter end of June marches to Berwick whence he sends canting Letters to the Scots who fearing their people should be gull'd with his fair Words proclaim it Treason to hold Correspondence with the English The English Army was about sixteen Thousand men Compleat with which Cromwell marches into Scotland most of the Scots having left the Borders and waisted the Country so that the English Army found small resistance but much want of Provisions yet they had a Fleet who waited their Motions at Sea and Coasted it along to supply them The Scotch Army in the mean time lay encamped betwixt Edenborow and Leith being six thousand Horse and Dragoons and fifteen thousand Foot Cromwell advances within sight of the Scots whom he found strongly incamped on the Hills but on the 25 th of July he attempts one of the Hills with a small Party and beat off the Scots but a party of the Scots Horse fell in upon their Rear so furiously that they began to be in disorder till repulsed by Lambers and Whaly who had the Rere Guard in which Action Lambert had his Horse shot under him and himself run thorow the Arm with a Lance and taken Prisoner but rescued by one Lieutenant Emson After this the English advance towards Muscleborough where the Scots set upon them betwixt three and four
all Law and without all President to try depose and bring to Capital punishment the King and to dis-inherit his Posterity c. But at the same time the Officers of the Army had contrived and ordered two Godly Petitions to be presented to them viz For the abolishing Tythes and the Repealing the Act for the Banishment of the Jews And now Oliver and his Privado Officers having brought their Work to this readiness are fasting and praying as hard as they can no doubt for the Success of it tho they put another Face on the matter and said it was for Direction and Counsel And now it was and not before that this great Usurper of the â—onarchy and Liberties of the people began to lay the great Design of steping into the Soveraignty and laying the Foundation of his Tyrannical reign by the Death and Murther of the King For the private Officers both from the King and his Friends and from the Prince himself in this exigent to save the Life of his Father were not small but he that now aimed at all would not be content with a portion of justly acquired greatness and perhaps he was not sufficiently assured of the Mercy of the Prince he had so highly offended as that he could be able to forgive all those great Crimes he was guilty of but that either himself or his Posterity might remember them to his Prejudice since all he was able to do towards his Majesties Restauration was but what in Duty and Conscience he was bound to do But what ever instiâ—ations he had besides those of the Devil he was not to be shaken tho attempted by a Kinsman of his and of his own Name who as reported was sent either from the Prince himself then at the Haguâ— or from the States of Holland with Credential Letters and a Blank sealed with the Kings and Princes Signets and confirmed by the States for Cromwell to write his own Conditions in if he would preserve the Life of the King This found him at his House recluse with his Privadoes at their Prayers as given out but to what God we may easily Imagine The business being urgent and the Kings Martyrdom approaching the Gentleman with some difficulty got to the private Speech of him to whom he very fully laid open the Hainousness of the Fact he was going about and what an Odium it was about to cast on the English Nation abroad and withal let him understand what Terms he had to offer him and that he might now make himself his Family and Posterity for ever happy and Honourable otherwise he would bring such an Ignoimny on the whole Generation that no time would be able to delete Cromwell after his canting way shifted it off from himself and put the Act upon the Army and Parliament declaring he had sought God very much in the Business but as yet had no return of his Fasting and Prayers about it therefore he desired till night to consider of it and promised that he should hear from him before he went to Bed and accordingly about Twelve or One of the Clock the Gentleman expecting his Answer he sent him word That he might return for he and his Officers had been seeking God and that now it was Resolved the King must dye this was but a night or two before the King's Murther On the 20 th day of January 1648. being Saturday these bloody Commissioners met called an high Court of Justice for the Tryal of the King who was brought before them and with much Patience and sometimes smiling he heard their long Charge but denying the Jurisdiction of the Court refused to plead requiring them to shew by what Law or Authority besides their unjust Usurpation or power of the Sword he was brought before them who were his Subjects I shall not trouble the Reader with any farther Relation of this Tryal it being at large so often printed nor with the Names of the Judges and Officers of this pretended Court it being to be had in every Booksellers shop I intending in these Collections only a brief Narrative of these Usurpers Proceedings that the World might behold the true Picture of Arbitrary Government and Tyrannical rule and not an exact Chronicle or History of those times tho I would not omit any Material thing that may give Satisfaction or Delight to the Reader I shall observe that as an ill Omen the Silver head of the King's Staff dropt off as the Charge was reading which the King wondring at and seeing none so Officious as to take it up he stoop'd himself and taking it up put it into his Pocket At his going from the Court looking very austerely about him without moving his Hat he pointed with his Staff to the Sword and said I do not fear that As he went along the Hall some Cry'd out Justice Justice and others God save the King On Sunday Cromwell Bradshaw and the rest of the Commissioners kept a Fast at White-Hall where preached Joshuah Sprigg whose Text was He that sheds-Man's blood by Man shall his Blood be shed Then Mr. Foxley whose Text was Judge not lest you be Judged Lastly Hugh Peters whose Text was I will Bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron And thus by their wicked application of the word of God they endeavoured to justifie their most Execrable Murther of their Lawful King There was by some who durst to do any thing against these Cruel and powerful men certain Papers scattered about in which were several Queries as Whether a King of three Kingdoms could be Condemned by one Kingdom alone without the Consent or Concurrence of the other Kingdoms Whether a King if try'd ought not to be try'd by his Peers And whether he could be said to have any such in his Kingdom Whether if a King were Tryable he ought not to be tryed in full Parliament of Lords and Commons Whether the 8 th part of the Members of the Commons meeting in the House under the force of the Army the rest being forcibly restrained from sitting can by any Pretext of Law or Justice erect a Court for the Tryal of the King And whether this could be properly called a Court of Justice without the great Seal of England Whether that those men who by several Remonstrances Speeches and Actions have publickly declared themselves Enemies to the King can either in Law or Conscience be his Judges when it is Exception enough for the basest Felon to any Jury-man to hinder him from being his Judge Whether this most illegal and Arbitrary Tryal of the King by an high Court of Justice may not prove a most Dangerous inlet to absolute Tyranny and bloody Butchery and every mans Life be at the Arbitrary will of his Enemies erected into a Court of Conscience without limits or bounds But words are nothing and these paper Arms tho furnished with the highest Reason could not move these obdurate Men who persisted in their bloody Business driven
ship This was the fourth Engagement The maintaining of this War against the potent Dutch gained such Reputation to these English States as they were called that the French by the Advice of Mazereen sent Monsieur Bourdeaux as an Agent from the French King to acknowledge them This Action of the French gave great distaste to all the King of England's Friends but this Peace with England preserved the Cardinal being in some danger from the Princes of France And now to maintain this War the Junto lay a heavy Tax upon the People of 120000 l. a Month. Monk and Dean being come out of Scotland are joyned with Blake and the Fleet equipping with all Expedition which the Dutch States hearing of sent away to Van-Tromp who was at Sea Conducting home three hundred sail of Merchant men with seventy six men of War and Commanded him to Block up the Thames to hinder the English Fleet from coming forth but to their great Amazement the English got their Ships to Sea and joyning those at Ports-mouth made up eighty sail and over against Portland lay half Seas over expecting the Dutch On the 18 th of February they discry'd them and about eight in the Morning the fight began Blake and Dean who were in the Tryumph with twelve Ships more encounter'd the Gross of the Dutch Fleet but was relieved at last by Lawson who performed his part exceeding Well The Ship in which General Monk was being a slow Sailor could not so soon come up to engage as he would have had it but he had a great share in the Fight and lost many men aboard her This Fight lasted three days and the Triumph wherein two of the Generals were received seven hundred Cannon shot in their Hâ—ll The next day being Saturday and the nineteenth of Feb. 1652. assoon as the English could overtake the Dutch they engaged them again in the Afternoon which was fought with much fury Tromp still endeavouring to save his Merchant Men fought retreating putting them before him but spite of his teeth he lost many of them which were picked up by the English with some of his Men of War The third day in the Morning being the twentieth the fight was again renewed and continued very fierce till four in the Afternoon but the Wind being cross to the English Van Tromp got at last to Callais Sands and so tyded it home The Dutch lost in the three days Fight eleven Men of War and thirteen Merchants Ships and had killed about fifteen hundred Men. The English lost but one Ship but had not many less slain than the Enemy This was the fifth Engagement in which the English got much the better About this time they erected their High Court of Justice in Ireland by which many of the Irish suffered among the rest the noted Rebel Sir Phelim Oneal was hanged at Dublin The year 1652 being worn out and the Dutch being by their several losses humbled the King's Party crushed and impoverished now the Tax for the maintenance of the Dutch War coming in and filling the Treasury 120000 pounds every month the State owned by the French and himself caressed privately by Mazareen with whom he had secret intelligence but what was more the arbitrary Junto perfectly hated by the People he thought it now a convenient time to step into the Throne and to usurp the supreme â—ower and Authority and to take the Government into his own hands To this end he holds several Consults with the Officers of the Army and much fasting and praying there was among them an extraordinary Work being to be done Cromwell cajol'd them all Lambert was deceiv'd in his hopes of succeeding Oliver which he had made him to believe he intended Harrison was for pulling these old Representatives out of their Seats to make way for the Rule of the Saints Cromwell knew how to please them all that he might by them work his ends All the Party Harrison could make among the Congregations of Feak Rogers Simson and the rest of that Gang were for Cromwell and all impatient to have the Parliament outed and to help forward there came forth dayly from the Army Petitions Addresses Remonstrances and such like Papers for putting an end to this Parliament But notwithstanding all the specious pretences for the putting an end to this Parliament many of the Officers very well perceived the drift of Cromwell and what all would end in viz. his getting the Monarchy into his own hands which troubled them much and some of them made open protests against it for they that could not endure the Rule of a single person in their Lawful Prince could much less endure to be tyrannized over by the arbitrary power of their equal The chief of them that opposed his design were Collonel Venables Scout-Master-General Downing Major Streater and others Streater went about to give his Reasons to the contrary telling them that Cromwell design'd to set up himself and that it was a betraying of their most glorious Cause for which so much Blood had been spilt but Harrison interrupted him and told him that he was assured the General did not seek himself in it and did it to make way for the Rule of Jesus that he might have the Scepter To whom Streater replyed That unless Christ came very suddenly he would come too late For this opposition Cromwell looks on him as his mortal Enemy and claps him up into the Gate-House The Junto was very sensible of these Actings but knew not which way to prevent them yet they did what they could to make these Officers understand the inconveniences that would happen by a sudden dissolving them and that it would be the only way to preserve the Nation to fill up the House with new elected Members which would please the people and their Acts would be received with greater Authority But the Army answered them they were grown so carnal and corrupt that the people of God could expect no good from them and that they would take care that the supreme Government of the Land should be placed in the hands of such as truly feared God and were of approved integrity These Debates between the Parliament and the Army spun out some time at the Junto went about cunningly to secure themselves by preparing an Act for the filling up their House wherein such speed was made that it was near passing the House Cromwell being nettled resolves to stay no longer and to his Council of Officers he shewed That if they should let the people to chuse new Representatives it was a tempting of God who would save them by the hands of a few as in former times and that five or six godly upright men might do more in one day than the Parliament had done or would do in a hundred Upon this he takes with him Lambert Harrison and about eight more Officers of the Army and on the three and twentieth day of April 1653 he enters the House and there after a short
Usurpation and to look somewhat shy on those of the Royal-Party he had before caressed and done kindness for shewing more state and greatness than formerly and growing more reserved to his familiars But moneys growing scarce his Council advises him forthwith to call a Parliament and accordingly Summons are issued out for this Convention to meet at Westminster on the 27 th of January Elections being made after the usual manner tho some would have opposed it and by sending Writs to the several Boroughs they thought they should get a Parliament to their minds but were deceived Ireland and Scotland also sent each 30 according to the Model of Government and for the upper House the chiefest Officers of the Army were pitch'd upon but many of them were of such base extraction that the Commons could hardly be brought to own them Richard began to have some jealousie of the Army and finding many of his Council too great favourers of them and of their power he began to cast about to have brought in others of his friends to ballance them but he found such opposition that he could not bring it about On the other side the Army and Sectarian Officers began to be afraid of the ensuing Parliament and therefore some of them advised him to follow his Father's steps who was accustomed at such a time to cause the chiefest Officers of the Army to come up to London and to be assistant to him on such occasions This startled Richard being as much afraid of the Army as they were of this approaching Convention yet wanting his Father's courage and resolution he sent for many of the Army to Town from their Commands where they had the opportunity of Caballing and laying designs for his destruction Besides Lambert by the favour of Fleetwood was got again into Command and had a Regiment given him and was as much in the favour of the Sectaries as ever Richard was as yet General when Desborow and others would have perswaded him that the Army being discontented and ready to mutiny the best way for him would be to settle it on some known Officer amongst them and nominated Fleetwood but Richard it seems was not so very a fool as to divest himself of that Command but told them that by his Father's example he would keep that for a security both to them and to himself without which he could not protect them and that the Parliament which was suddenly to meet would give them satisfaction as to their Grievances to whom he should remit them And now at the time prefixed the Parliament meet consisting of two Houses the other House beginning now to be called the upper House for the Commons was chosen Mr. Chute a Lawyer as their Speaker who sickning Long Recorder of London was chosen pro tempore in his stead and for the upper House Nathaniel Fiennes Lord Keeper of the Great Seal was their Speaker The first fortnight was taken up about the Recognition with which they were awhile intangled but at last they Vote and it was Resolved on Monday 14 th of February That it be part of this Bill to Recognize and declare his Highness Richard Lord Protector and chief Magistrate of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging Resolved That before this Bill be Committed the House do declare such additional Clauses to be part of this Bill as may bound the power of the chief Magistrate and fully secure the Rights and Privileges of Parliament and the Liberties and Rights of the People and that neither this or any other previous Vote that is or shall be passed in order to this Bill shall be of force and binding to the people till the whole Bill be passed This done a Committee of Inspections is setled to take a view of the Accounts and the Revenue of the Common-wealth of which Mr. Scowen was Chair-man The Commonwealths-men who were considerable in this Convention cunningly put in many Debates to gain time which they did though the Protectorian party were the major and so could effect little yet they had hopes of the infection of the Army which they knew by means of their Emissaries spread much for at Wallingford-house Fleetwood Desborow and Lambert with several others held their Consults for the dispossessing of Richard and Fleetwood was courted to take the Protectorship upon him Richard had notice given him of their proceedings and some of his friends advised him to cut them off and profer'd to do it if he would be Resolute and stick to them but Richard was timerous and fearfull and had not courage enough to give them such a Commission and so lost his opportunity of setling himself In the mean time the King had sent a Commission to Arthur Anslow now Earl of Anglesie to John Mordant Brother to the Earl of Peterborow Sir John Greenvill Sir Tho. Peyton and William Leg giving them power as his Commissioners to treat with any of his Subjects of England excepting the Regicides and to offer them his pardon if they would now joyn together for his Restauration and also to assure them of Rewards and Recompence for any service done for the future towards the bringing in of his said Majesty and that whatever those his Commissioners should promise in his name he would ratifie and confirm This was dated at Brussells 11 March 1659. By this means and by the wary management of these Gentlemen the King's designs began to thrive better than formerly being still betray'd by Thurlo's Agents So that now there were several Interests at work and bringing several designs to the Anvil The King 's for his just Rights and Restauration Richard's for the setling himself in his unjust Usurpation The Commonwealths-men to regain their lost Dominion and Tyranny and the Army to keep their Rule and the people in slavery and to set up a Governour of their own and that might be only ruled by their Power These have all their several close Cabals and all strenuously busie one against another Upon a report made by Secretary Thurlo concerning the State of the War betwixt Sweden and Denmark the Parliament send General Mountague with a considerable Fleet into the Sound but so straiten'd in Commission that he did little good The Military-Council of Officers were very high and favoured much by the upper House which much distasted the Commons and made them Vote That during the sitting of the Parliament there should be no general Meeting or Council of Officers of the Army without direction leave and authority of the Protector and both Houses of Parliament Richard upon this by advice sends for the Council of Officers and dismisses them And the Commons proceed to a farther Vote Resolved That no person should have or continue Command in any of the Armies in England Scotland or Ireland c. that should refuse to subscribe That he will not disturb or interrupt the free meeting in Parliament of any of the Members of either House
Lambert to look about him and not being idle thought it best to play his part while he had power and therefore he on the 13 of October with the other discharged Officers drew a part of the Armie into Kings street and possess themselvs of all the avenues to the House and the Speaker Lenthal going thither at his usual time in his coach was stop'd and after some expostulations was forced to return And thus their sitting was prevented Both parties of the souldiers kept their stations most part of the day and every minute it was expected they would have engaged whilst the amazed inhabitants dreaded the issue But Lambert having effected what he intended procured an Order from the Council of State then sitting at Whitehall for all to draw off to their quarters which was accordingly done and so this periculous adventure of a second time unnesting these Rumpers was finished Thus you see some more bold touches of Arbitrariness Usurpation and Tyranny in this second though short Reign of these Rumpers who sate only from the 7th of May to the 13th of October in which time they discovered themselves to be the same Covetous and Rapacious Tyrants they were before in all their Actions and had they time would have appeared to have been as bloody for they were preparing to bring the late Delinquents as they called those ingaged in Sir George Booths Rising to a Tryal and they had got Lists of most of the persons Nobility and Gentry throughout England that were engaged in it whose Estates were to be confiscated and sold and out of whose Estaâ—es they promised to satisfie the Soldiers and to gratifie themselves which was always the chief thing aimed at but being thus interrupted as you have heard they in haste marched off the Stage And now again the Kingdom is without any kind of Civil-Government for the Usurpation was divolved on a few Oâ—ficers who whilst they Reigned Ruled by the boundless Arbitrary Power of the Sword which confused Authority that lasted not long we may call the fourth Act of this our Tragical Usurpation upon the free-born Englishmen Yet still under the notion of Liberty The next day after the turning forth of the Rumpers divers of the Chief Officers of the Army meet at White-Hall where the Soldiers soon grow Friends only Collonel Morley was turned out of Commission for standing so stifly against the Walling fordians and now for the management of the Government and the Affairs of the Common-wealth reduced to an Anarchy they chose ten persons till further Order which were Fleetwood Lambert Desborow Whitlock Sir Henry Vain Sir James Harington Major Salway Berry Sydenham and Archibald Johnston a Scotchman known commonly by the Title of the Laird Warriston The Officers now Lords Parramount meet the same day at Wallingford-House where they give to themselves what they could not obtain from the Juncto by their Addresses a General to their own mind Fleetwood whom they nominate Commander in Chief and Order Lambert to be next and Desborow Commissary General of the Horse and that all the other Officers in the Army should be constituted by Sir Henry Vain Fleetwood Desborow Ludlow and Berry and took care for the drawing up Articles of War for the good Government and Discipline of the Army Barrow they dispatch into Ireland with Reasons for what they had done and Cobbet on the like Errand was sent to Scotland where he was committed to Custody For noble General Monk whose Study to repare his Countries Breaches was as great as Lambert's to oppress it only waited for a fit opportunity and judged this to be a most convenient time to bestir himself in so honourable a Cause and whom the Officers of the Army in England had neglected to put into their Council of State believing he would as he had hitherto still submit to the Change of the Government and by his stopping of the Packets they had not heard as yet how he had forbid the getting of Subscriptions in his Army as they had done in England and Ireland Though his Design then was the bringing in the King and the restoring the three oppressed and enslaved Nations from the Arbitrary Rule of Tyrannical Usurpers of the scum of the people and also from the power of the Sword and Arbitrary Sway of the Army yet he was very close in all his Carriage and few were acquainted with the thoughts of his Heart but taking this opportunity to oppose the strongest Power the Army he seems averse to their doings and appears wholly concerned for the Rump or Parliament so called and therefore that their Emissary might not corrupt or do any hurt among his Soldiers he secures him and by Letters signifies his dislike of the Armies proceedings in England tells them of their violation of Faith to the Parliament and declared his Resolution of endeavouring to restore them to their Powers this arrived to them on the 28th of October in the Evening which put them to much Confusion Fleetwood Desborow and Lambert meet about it and about midnight send for Clarges to expostulate with him about it who was wary and could say little to it however they order him with one Col. Talbot to repare presently to Monk that they might prevail with him for a Treaty to prevent effusion of blood of which Clarges was glad being desirous to get out of their power fearing a worse treatment In the mean time the Council of Officers meet at Whitehall in order to Setlement as they called it and of frameing a Government that should be lasting and against all attempts whatsoever but having found most of the Gentry of England to be one way or other involved for the King's Int'rest they were projecting to seize all their Estates and to divide them among their own Party and so to put the riches of the nation into the hands of persons irreconcileable to Monarchy and then to have set up Harrington's model of a Common Wealth or ruled themselvs by the sword or thought of some other way they knew not what This advise if followed had been very fatal and might have laid such a foundation of slavery never to have been subverted But God had otherwise designed on the 16 of the same month October the Wallingfâ—rdians choose a Committee of Safety as they termed it consisting of 23 persons who were Fleetwood Lambert Desborow Whitlock lately made keeper of their great Seal Steel Chanceller of Ireland Sir Hen. Vain Ludlow Sydenham Salaway Strickland Berry Lawrence Sir Jo. Harrington the Laird Warreston Alderman Ireton Fichbourn Col. Hewson Cleark Bennet Lilburn Thomson Cornelius Holland and Henry Brandriff These without any President in any Age or History were impowred by the armie Officers to call Delinquents to account and to bring them to Justice to give Indemnity to all that had acted for the Common Wealth since the year 1649. to oppose and suppress all Insurrections to treat with forreign States and Princes To raise the Militia in the several Counties
fain to follow their fel-lows The Junto would have given the General a 1000. pounds a year out of Sir George Booths estate but he refused it and then they grant him St James's park dureing their pleasure General Monck Marching into London Monck his Soldiers pulling down the Citty Gates posts and chaines A free Parlyament Voted the King to be sent for The K 2 Dukes Riding in through London attended c. Arbitrary Government abolished The name of those joyned in the Commission with General Monk were Hazelrig Merley Walton and Alured 3 of which were to be a Quorum and when it was moved by Monk's friends that he might be always of the Quorum it was carried in the Negative which so exasperated the General that having tryed his Officers he secretly ordered all the Armie to be drawn up and having prepared a Letter signed by himself and the Cheifest Officers of his Armie in which they Complain of the Junto's Countenanceing Lambert and Vain and permitted Ludlow to sit with them tho accused by Sir C. Coot of high Treason they conclude that by Friday next they should issue out writs for the filling up the House when filled should rise at their appoynted time to give way to a free Parliament The Letter they sent to the Junto sitting and immediatly march into London to shake hands with the City on the 11 of February the Armie is drawn up into Finsbury feilds and the General being invited to dinner by the Lord Major who at first was very shie not knowing how to believe what some of Monks friends had told him of the General 's Letter to the Junto and of his resolving to declare for a free Parliament but before they parted the General himself gave him and the rest of the Citizens such satisfaction of his Integrity that overjoy'd they caused the souldiers to be feasted and Quarters in the City to be provided for them the Bells in all the Churches to ring and at night Bonfires to be made in every street declareing for a free Parliament In the mean time the Junto read the Generals and his Officers Letter which caused a very great disorder in the House however they thought it best to dissemble and secretly resolve to ruine Him if they can tho' openly they Vote him the thanks of the House and send away Scot and Robinson to give it him and to let him know they were about qualifications for members to be Chosen for the filling up their House But when they heard of what was done in the City the Rumpers gnashed at it and angry they were that they could not take revenge on the subscribers of the late Remonstrances for a free Parliament whose Estates they earnestly longed to be dealing with And now in the nick of Time comes a Declaration from Ireland where they had secured Sir Hardress Waller a Rumper which was of the same nature with those of the English Counties but more bold and resolute speaking their Minds freely the Lord Broughill being one of the Cheif promotors of it His Excellency having waited some days for an answer to his Letter and receiving none but what Scot and Robinson brought him who durst not stay in the City for fear of being stoned and finding nothing done in reference to the filling the House he set himself about considering some way to dissolve the Junto without force or violence In this juncture many of the secluded Members were in and about the City Some of whom addressed themselves to the General who procured a Conference between ten of them and ten of the Junto where the one party challenged admission as Members of the House unjustly forced from it before the others refused it unless they would confirm all that was done since by them or at least ingage as they had done against a single person and House of Lords but when they could not agree about these poynts Monk who was present both times for they had two meetings clearly discerning more of self-interested wilfulness than any Reason in what the Rumpers urged a day or two after sent for the Secluded and demanded if they were of the same mind and resolved not to engage against a single person to which they answering affirmatively and professing to be immoveable therein he got above fourscore of them together to Whitehall where recommending the care of Religion and the State to them and telling them how suteable Physick a full and free Parliament would be for the crazed body of this Natton he told them the House was open to them and prayed for their good success and so on the 21th of February they went and took their places in the House which was managed so secretly that the Junto knew nothing of their comming till they appeared which so surprised them that they could not tell whether they had best sit still or leave their places The moderate among them stayed but the grand sticklers for a Common Wealth knowing now they should be out-Voted and that they should be able to do no good or rather further mischeif quitted the House Whilst these things were transacting the Junto had endeavoured all ways possibly to have gotten Monk out of the City that they might have had him in their power inviteing him to fit in the Council of State and had sent Colonel Alured to persuade him but he was too wise to trust them for he had secret intelligence of their intentions of sending him to the Tower or of serving him worse for they foresaw their own ruine he excused himself by his care of secureing the City by his presence who were full of disturbance and ready to mutinee But now the secluded Members having gotten in eleven years after they had been kept out being double the number of the former sitters out-Voted them still so as there was no interruption They had long been standers by and had seen more than the Gamesters and now they mean to improve their animadversions and experience to the doeing of a great deal in a little time They fall to work presently where they were abruptly forced to break off December 1648 confirming their Vote made then by another now That the Concessions of his Late Maiesty were a sufficient Ground to proceed on for setling the peace of the Kingdom Hereby Vacateing all that had been done contrary thereunto dureing their Recess Brave Monk is by them constituted Captain General of all the forces in England Scotland and Ireland and He with General Mountague made Admirals at Sea Sir William Waller is made Leiutenant General of the land forces Colonel Edward Rossiter General of the Horse and Vice Admiral Lawson Continued in his Command Severel Gentlemen committed by the Rumpers order were then released and among others Sir George Booth who took his place in the House and the City Gates Portcullisses Posts and Chains were ordered to be repaired at the publique charge Then they provided to secure the Nation by two seasonable Acts