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A45209
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Sundry reasons inducing Major Robert Huntington to lay down his commission, humbly presented to the Honourable Houses of Parliament
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Huntington, Robert.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing H3774; ESTC R15
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7,671
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18
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should desire as Revenues Chaplaines Wife Children servants of his owne visitation of Friends accesse of Letters and by Commissary-Generall Ireton that his Negative Voice should not be medled withall and that he had convinced those that reasoned against it at the Generall Councell of the Army And all this they would doe that his Majesty might the better see into all our Actions and know our principles which lead us to give him all those things out of conscience For that we were not a people hating his Majesties person or Monarchicall Government but that we like it as the best and that by this King saying also that they did hold it a very unreasonable thing for the Parliament to abridge him of them often promising that if his Majesty will sit still and not Act against them they would in the first place restore him to all these and upon the settlement of our owne Just rights and liberties make him the most Glorious Prince in Christendome That to this purpose for a settlement they were making severall Proposals to be offered to the Commissioners of Parliament then sent downe to the Army which should be as bounds for our party as to the Kings businesse and that his Majesty should have liberty to get as much of those abated as he could for that many things therein were proposed only to give satisfaction to others which were our Friends promising the King that at the same time the Commissioners of Parliament should see the Proposalls His Majesty should have a copy of them also pretending to carry a very equall hand between King and Parliament in Order to the settlement of the Kingdome by him which besides their owne Judgement and conscience they did see a necessity of it as to the people Commissary Generall Ireton further saying that what was offered in these Proposalls should be so just and reasonable that if there were but six men in the Kingdome that would fight to make them good he would make the seventh against any power that should oppose them The Head-Quarters being removed from Reading to Bedford His Majesty to Woborne the Proposalls were given to me by Commissary-Generall Ireton to present to the King which His Majesty having read told me he would never treat with Army or Parliament upon those Proposalls as he was then minded But the next day His Majesty understanding that a Force was put upon his Houses of Parliament by a Tumult sent for me againe and said unto me Go along with Sir John Barkley to the Generall and Lievtenant-Generall and tell them that to avoid a new warre I will now treat with them upon their Proposalls or on any thing els in order to a Peace only let me be saved in honour and conscience Sir John Barkley falling sick by the way I delivered this Message to the Lievtenant-Generall and Commissary-Generall Ireton who advised me not to acquaint the Generall with it till 10 or 12 Officers of the Army were met together at the Generalls Quarters and then they would bethink themselves of some persons to be sent to the King about it And accordingly Com. Gen. Ireton Col. Raynsborow Col. Hamond and Col. Rich attended the King at Woborne for three houres together debating the whole businesse with the King upon the Proposals upon which debate many of the most materiall things the King disliked were afterwards struck out and many other things much abated by promises whereupon his Majesty was prety well satisfied Within a day or two after his Majesty removed to Stoke and there calling for me told me he feared an Engagement between the City and the Army saying he had not time to write any thing under his hand but would send it to the Generall after me commanding me to tell Com. Gen. Ireton with whom he had formerly Treated upon the Proposals that he would wholy throw himselfe upon us and trust us for a settlement of the Kingdome as we had promised saying if we proved honest men we should without question make the Kingdome happy and save much sheding of blood This Message from His Majesty I delivered to Com. Gen. Ireton at Colebrook who seemed to receive it with joy saying That we should be the veryest Knaves that ever lived if in every thing we made not good what ever we had promised because the King by his not declaring against us had given us great advantage against our Adversaries After our Marching through London with the Army His Majesty being at Hampton Court Leivt Gen. Cromwell and Com. Gen. Ireton sent the King word severall times that the reason why they made no more hast in businesse was because that Party which did then sit in the House while Pelham was Speaker did much obstruct the businesse so that they could not carry it on at present The Leivt Gen. often saying really they should be pulled out by the eares And to that purpose caused a Regiment of Horse to Rendevouze at Hide Park to have put that in execution as he himself expressed had it not been carryed by Vote in the House that day as he desired The day before the Parliament Voted once more the sending of the Propositions of both Kingdoms to the King by the Commissioners of each Kingdome at Hampton Court Com. Gen. Ireton bad me tell the King that such a thing was to be done to morrow in the House but his Majesty need not bee troubled at it for that they intended it to no other end but to make good some promises of the Parliament which the Nation of Scotland expected performance of And that it was not expected or desired his Majesty should either Sign them or Treat upon them for which there should be no advantage taken against the King Upon the delivery of which Message His Majesty Replyed he knew not what Answer to give to please all without a Treaty Next day after this Vote passed the Leivt Generall asking me thereupon if the King did not wonder at these Votes I told him no For that Com. Gen. Ireton had sent such a Message by me the day before the Vote passed to signifie the reason of it The Leivt Generall Replyed that really it was the truth and that we speaking of the Parliament intended nothing else by it but to satisfie the Scots which otherwise might be troublesome And the Leivt Gen. and Com. Generall enquiring after His Majesties Answer to the Propositions and what it would be it was shewed them both privately in a Garden-house in Putney and in some part amended to their own minde But before this the King doubting what answer to give sent me to Leiv Generall Cromwell as unsatisfied with the proceedings of the Army fearing they intended not to make good what they had promised and the rather because his Majesty understood that Leiv Gen. Cromwell and Com. Gen. Ireton agreed with the rest of the House in some late Votes that opposed the Proposals of the Army they severally replyed that they would not have his Majesty
SUNDRY REASONS Inducing Major Robert Huntington TO Lay down his Commission Humbly presented to The honourable Houses OF PARLIAMENT Printed in the Yeare 1648. SUNDRY REASONS INDUCING Major Robert Huntington to lay down his Commission Humbly presented to the honourable Houses of PARLIAMENT HAving taken up Armes in defence of the Authority and Power of King and Parliament under the Command of the Lord Grey of VVarke and the Earle of Manchester during their severall imployments with the Forces of the Eastern Association and at the Modelling of this Army under the present Lord Generall having been appointed by the honourable Houses of Parliament Major to the now Regiment of Lievtenant-Generall Cromwell in each of which imployments have served constantly and faithfully answerable to the trust reposed in me And having lately quit the said imployment and laid down my Commission I hold my selfe tied both in duty and conscience to render the true reason thereof which in the generall is briefly this Because the Principles Designes and Actions of those Officers which have a great influence upon the Army are as I conceive very repugnant and destructive to the honour and safety of Parliament and Kingdome from whom they derive their Authority The particulars whereof being a Breviate of my sad Observations will appeare in the following Narrative First That upon the Orders of Parliament for disbanding this Army Lievtenant Generall Cromwell and Commissary-Generall Ireton were sent Commissioners to Walden to reduce the Army to their obedience but more especially in in Order to the present supply of Forces for the service of Ireland But they contrary to the trust reposed in them very much hindred that service not onely by discountenancing those that were obedient and willing but also by giving incouragement to the unwilling and disobedient declaring that there had lately been much cruelty and injustice in the Parliaments proceedings against them meaning the Army and Commissary-Generall Ireton in further pursuance thereof framed those Papers and Writings then sent from the Army to the Parliament and Kingdome saying also to the Agitators That is was lawfull and fit for us to deny disbanding till we had received equall and just satisfaction for our past service Lievtenant-Generall Cromwell further adding That we were in a double capacity as Souldiers and as Commoners and having our pay as Souldiers we have somthing els to stand upon as Commoners And when upon the Rendezvouz at Tripple Heath the Commissioners of Parliament according to their Orders acquainted every Regiment with what the Parliament had already done and would further do in Order to the desires of the Army the Souldiery being before prepared and notwithstanding any thing could be said or offered to them by the Commissioners they still cried out for Justice Justice And for the effecting of their further purposes advice was given by Lievtenant Generall Cromwell and Commissary Generall Ireton to remove the Kings person from Holdenby or to secure him there by other Guards then those appointed by the Commissioners of Parliament which was thought most fit to be carryed on by the private Souldiery of the Army and promoted by the Agitators of each Regiment whose first businesse was to secure the Garrison of Oxon with the Guns and Ammunition there from thence to march to Holdenby in prosecution of the former advice which was accordingly acted by Cornet Joyce who when he had done the businesse sent a letter to the General then at Kynton acquainting his Excellencie that the King was on his March towards Newmarket The Generall being troubled thereat told Commissary-Generall Ireton that he did not like it demanding withall who gave those Orders He replyed that he gave Orders onely for securing the King there and not for taking him away from thence Lieutenant-Generall Cromwell coming then from London said that if this had not been done the King would have been fetcht away by Order of Parliament or else Collonell Graves by the advice of the Commissioners would have carryed him to London throwing themselves upon the favour of Parliament for that service The same day Cornet Joyce being told that the Generall was displeased with him for bringing the King from Holdenby he answered that Lieutenant-Generall Cromwell gave him orders at London to do what he had done both there and at Oxford The person of the King being now in the power of the Army the businesse of Lieutenant Generall Cromwell was to Court his Majesty both by Members of the Army and severall Gentlemen formerly in the Kings Service into a good opinion and belief of the proceedings of the Army as also into a disaffection and dislike of the proceedings of Parliament pretending to shew that his Majesties interest would far better suit with the principles of Independencie then of Presbyterie and when the King did alledge as many times he did that the Power of Parliament was the Power by which we fought Lieutenant Generall Cromwell would reply that we were not only Souldiers but Commoners promising that the Army would be for the King in the settlement of his whole businesse if the King and his party would sit still and not declare nor Act against the Army but give them leave only to mannage the present businesse in hand That when the King was at Newmarket the Parliament thought fit to send to his Majesty humbly desiring that in Order to his safety and their addresses for a speedy settlement he would be pleased to come to Richmond contrary hereunto resolution was taken by the aforesaid Officers of the Army That if the King could not be diverted by perswasion to which his Majesty was very opposite that then they would stop him by force at Royston where his Majesty was to lodge the first night keeping accordingly continuall Guards upon him against any power that should be sent by Order of Parliament to take him from us And to this purpose out-guards were also kept to preserve his escape from us with the Commissioners of whom we had specially Orders given to be carefull for that they did dayly shew a dislike to the present proceedings of the Army against the Parliament and that the King was most conversant and private in discourse with them His Majesty saying that if any man should hinder his going now his Houses had desired him upon his late Message of the 12. of May 1647. it should be done by force and by laying hold on his Bridle which if any were so bold to doe he would endeavour to make it his last But contrary to his Majesties expectation the next Morning when the King and the Officers of the Army were putting this to an issue came the Votes of both Houses to the King of their compliance with that which the Army formerly desired After which his Majesty did incline to hearken to the desires of the Army and not before Whereupon at Caversham the King was continually solicited by Messengers from Lieutenant-General Cromwell and Commissary-Generall Ireton proffering any thing his Majesty