Thomas May Esq Aetatis Sua. 55. A BREVIARY OF THE HISTORY Of the Parliament Of ENGLAND Expressed in three PARTS 1. The Causes and Beginnings of the Civil War of England 2. A short mention of the Progress of that Civil War 3. A compendious Relation of the Original and Progress of the Second Civil War First written in Latine after done into English By Thomas May Esq The Second Edition LONDON Printed by J. Cottrel for Thomas Brewster at the three Bibles neer the West-end of Pauls 1655. The Causes and Beginnings OF The Civil War of England OF the Parliament of England and beginning of that sad War which for so many yeers raged within the bowels of a distressed Kingdom whosoever will write though never so briefly must of necessity premise somewhat touching the Causes according to the state of the affairs and times of assembling that Parliament And though the condition of Scotland and Ireland were during that time no whit happier which being subject to the same King were exposed to the same Calamity our discourse especially shall be of England as the noblest Kingdom and the Royal Seat from whence the distemper might first arise and be derived to the rest And wonderful it may seem how great the distemper of that Government was which ingendered so great a disease how great the malignity of that disease to which a Parliament was not sufficient Medicine Fourty yeers old was King Charles and fifteen yeers had he reigned when this Parliament was called so long had the Laws been violated more then under any King the Liberties of the people invaded and the authority of Parliament by which Laws and Liberties are supported trodden under foot which had by degrees much discontented the English Nation For the King within the first four yeers of his Reign had called three Parliaments and soon dissolved them all before they could any way benefit the Commonwealth or redress the least grievance of the People In the second he granted and signed the Petition of Right but suddenly breaking up that Parliament he acted the same things in violation of Laws which he had done before So that it was manifest that the Peoples Liberties by grant of that Petition were not fortified but utterly overthrown and it appeared neither Laws themselves could give protection nor the Kings Faith security to the People After the dissolution of the third Parliament men were forbidden by Proclamation to speak any more of Parliaments In this Interval the people at home were fleeced by Monopolies and many ways exacted upon by illegal Taxes abroad scarce any Negotiations were made but such as were destructive to Religion and the Commonwealth In the beginning of his Reign an unhappie and dishonorable Expedition was made against the Spaniard to surprise Cales another more sad then that against the French in the following yeer at the Isle of Rhee but that of all other was most destructive to the Protestant Religion that King Charles not long before that time had lent a strong Navie to the King of France by whose force the Protestants Ships through all France were vanquished and scattered and the miserable Town of Rochel subdued by Famine the worst of all Enemies The King in the mean time by many illegal ways raised money through England large sums of money were exacted throughout the whole Kingdom default of Knighthood under the shadow of an absolute Law Tunnage and Poundage were received without the ordinary course of Law and though they were taken under pretence of guarding the Seas yet that great Tax of Ship-money was set on foot under the same colour c. These things were accompanied with the enlargement of Forests contrary to Magna Charta the forcing of Coat and Conduct-money taking away the Arms of the Trained Bands in many Counties c. Nor was there any remedy left for no Courts of Judicature could give redress to the people for these Illegal sufferings whilst Judges were displaced by the King for not complying with his will and so awed that they durst not do their duties for to hold a Rod over them a clause was altered in their Patents By this time all thoughts of ever having a Parliament were quite banished so many Oppressions set on foot so many illegal actions done that the onely way to justifie all was to do that one greater To take away the means which was ordained to redress them the lawful Government of England by Parliaments Whilst the Kingdom was in this condition the serious and just men of England who were not interessed in these Oppressions could not but entertain sad thoughts of what mischief must needs follow so great an injustice But another sort of men especially Lords and Gentlemen by whom the pressures of Government were not much felt did nothing but applaud the happiness of England calling those ingrateful and factious spirits who complained of the breach of Laws and Liberties that the Kingdom abounded with wealth plenty and all kinde of elegancies more then ever and that it was the honour of a people that their Monarch should live splendidly and not be curbed at all in his Prerogative c. The Courtiers would begin to dispute against Parliaments in their ordinary discourse That they were too injurious to the Kings Prerogative some of the greatest States-men and Privie Councellors would ordinarily laugh at the ancient language of England when the word Liberty of the Subject was named Though the Kingdoms Liberties were thus oppressed yet Peace continued and England seemed happie in that tranquillity until the fatal Coal which afterwards was blown into so great a fire through the three Kingdoms began to be kindled in the yeer 1637. by a designe which the King had upon Scotland which was as pretended to make a Conformity of Church-Worship and Ecclesiastical Government between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland The dignity and pomp of Prelacie had been much of late promoted in England in pursuance whereof many temporal Offices and Honours were conferred upon persons Ecclesiastical many Ceremonies and Innovations brought into the Church and too neer approaches made in some points of Doctrine to the Romish Church and a great contempt thrown upon the other Reformed Churches in Europe Popery seemed to be much countenanced in the Court and by reason of the Queens great power with the King several Nuncio's from the Pope as Panzani Conn and Rosetti had been received with great honour in the Court of England The King had made great preparations for that work in Scotland and bestowed many temporal offices and dignities upon Bishops in that Kingdom In particular 11 of the Scotish Bishops being in all but 14 were made Privie Councellors But this displeased the Scots to whom Episcopacie it self was not acceptable and having been once thrown out of that Kingdom was not restored but by great endeavour and policie of King James A book of Lyturgie was sent by the King into Scotland in the year 1637. with an
strange a thing was the name of a Parliament grown But rational men did not like it that it should be deferred so long and that preparations for a War with Scotland went on in the mean time They were likewise troubled that the Earl of Strafford Deputy of Ireland a man of deep policie but suspected honesty one whom the King then used as a bosom-Councellor was first to go into Ireland and call a Parliament in that Kingdom besides the King at that time had broken up the Parliament in Scotland which the Scots complained of the business of State depending as a great breach of their Liberties and against the Laws of that Kingdom Upon which they sent some Lords into England to intreat the King to grant them a redress of such Injuries as they had received since the Pacification which were That their Parliament was broken off before any business done That Edinburgh-Castle was Garisoned with far more Souldiers then were needful That Dun-Britain-Castle was Garisoned with English Souldiers That the Scots that traded in England and Ireland were enforced to take new Oaths contrary to their Covenant and altogether contrary to the Articles of Pacification The King imprisoned those Lords sending one of them the Earl of Lowden to the Tower and commanded a Charge of Treason to be drawn against him concerning a Letter which the Scotish Covenanters had written to the King of France for his assistance and Lowden had subscribed but the accusation was frivolous easily answered and came to nothing because those Letters were not sent at all and besides it was before the Pacification upon which an Oblivion of all things was agreed although the King at the beginning of the English Parliament produced that Letter against them as a ground of his second War for now on the thirteenth of April the Parliament of England was begun before which time the Earl of Strafford was returned out of Ireland where he had held a Parliament and gotten four Subsidies The King was very urgent with his Parliament to give money to enable him for a War against Scotland and pay that Army and Officers which he had already raised he demanded twelve Subsidies of them for which he promised to release Shipmoney he promised them that he would afterwards redress the Kingdoms grievances but desired money in the first place to go on with his designed War It was answered by many Members of the House in several Speeches that redress of Grievances was the chiefe end of Parliaments and should go before Subsidies That the King asked a great summe of money for releasing of that which he had no title to hold but had taken illegally by power That the people had no reason to pay for a War which they desired not but abhorred a War not for their good but their own ruine that nothing was so just as to punish the contrivers of that wicked War But so strange was the obedience and complyance of that Parliament towards the King that although the money which he asked was against themselves yet they took the Subsidies into consideration but while they were debating the King whatsoever his reasons were whether he thought it a delay or not came into the House on the fifth of May and dissolved the Parliament The people were grieved in an extraordinary manner to see this Parliament so suddenly broken up and as much to see the King break his word so immmediately upon the dissolution of it for he protested in the House at that time that he would rule for the future as legally as if a Parliament were constantly sitting Yet nevertheless he imprisoned some Members the next day after Mr. Belosis Sir John Hotham and M. Crew he commanded the Lord Brookes his Study his Cabinet and pockets to be searched for Letters He Commanded the Convocation of Divines to continue their sitting an unexampled thing who by authority from him made Canons and imposed Oaths upon the people contrary to their Laws and Liberties The King to defray the charges of this War besides the Contribution of the Clergy and Papists issued out again Writs of Shipmoney in a greater proportion then before he seized the Bullion in the Tower and took up Commodities to be sold again at an under-rate and consulted about Coyning of brass-money but that went not forward But the War went on the Earl of Strafford commanding in chiefe the Earl of Northumberland not being in health who had been appointed General but the Scots had not been backward for having been debarred of their trade and lost their ships by seizure they entered into England with an Army expressing their intentions in writing to the English and bringing with them a Petition to the King But the King in this War found a greater want then that of Money which was the hearts of the Souldiers especially the common Souldiers who could not be easily brought to engage against the Scots as hating the Cause many of them mutinying against their Officers and Commanders which might be one cause that the War proved not so bloody and fatal as it was designed some Skirmishes but not very considerable happened at Newburn and at Dunsian not far from Barwick Thus proceeded this unhappie business until some English Peers Earls and Barons about twenty grieved at the dishonour which England suffered by the unhappie actions of the King made a Petition to him declaring in some part their former sufferings by illegal Government the dissolution of the last and other Parliaments the miserable condicion of the Kingdom at present the sad consequence of this wicked War desiring him to summon a Parliament within some convenient time where the Kingdoms Grievances may be redressed this War composed and the Authors of these wicked counsels punished Upon this Petition the King caused all the Lords to meet at York on the 24. of September And there told them his intention of calling a Parliament with all possible speed which was to begin on the 3. of November It was there also consulted and debated how to end this War upon fair termes and after some time spent between Lords chosen out of both Nations the matter was composed according to these Articles 1. A Truce or cessation of Arms was made for two moneths till the 16. of December 2. That 850. li. a day should be paid to the Scots during that Truce 3. That if it were not paid the Scots might force it from the Counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and Durham 4. That those Counties should be allowed the Scots for their Winter-quarters 5. No new preparations for War to be made 6. That private Injuries should not break the Truce so satisfaction were made upon complaint 7. That Merchants might freely traffique in either Kingdomes without letters of safe conduct but Souldiers without leave might not pass their limits Thus was the state of things altered and that VVar which was intended for an enslavement of both Nations became the bond of Concord between them and
were drawn up and read against them in the House of Commons for in December before when the debate had been concerning Ship-money and the offence of those Judges who had given their extrajudicial opinions for it was examined upon which the Lord Keeper Finch fled the thing was condemned as most illegal Three Judges had been honest Judge Crook Hutton and Baron Denham whose Arguments were very famous the other were examined by sixteen Members of the House of Commons who were appointed to present those particular Charges against every Judge who were Judge Bramston Baron Trever Baron Weston Baron Davenport and Judge Crawley for Judge Barclay was charged with high Treason Of this a certain Gent. spake as followeth The Root of most of our present mischiefs the ruine of all posterity do I hold to be that extrajudicial Judgment I cannot say but rather doom delivered by all the Judges under their hands out of Court yet recorded in all Courts to the subversion of all our Fundamental Lawes Liberties and Annihilation if not Confiscation of our Estates That in case of danger the King may impose upon his subjects that he is the sole Judge of the danger necessity and proportion which in brief is to take what when and where he will which though delivered in the time of a gracious merciful Prince who we hope will not wrest it beyond our abilities yet left to the interpretation of a succeeding Tyrant if ever this Nation be so fortunate to fall into the hands of such It is a Record wherein every man might read himself a slave that reads it having nothing he can call his own all prostitute to the will of another What to do in such a case we are not to seek for precedents our honorable Ancestors taught us in the just and exemplar punishments of chief Justice Tresilian and his Complices for giving their judgments out of Parliament against the established Laws of Parl. how tender they were of us how careful we ought to be to continue those Laws to preserve the Liberty of our Posterity Those Charges were now brought in about the beginning of August but little was afterwards done against any of them or almost any other offendor the King had designed a journey into Scotland and would go though the Houses earnestly entreated his stay for a while longer because the Kingdoms business required his presence the King alledged that the affairs of Scotland did necessarily require his presence and further told them that he would Pass any good Bill which they had for him before he went Which he accordingly did and signed a Commission for passing of Bills in his absence the Commissioners were the Lord-Keeper Littleton the Lord Privy-seal Earl of Manchester the Lord great Chamberlain Earl of Lindsey the Marquess of Harford Earl of Essex Earl of Bath Earl of Dorset The Earl of Essex also by a Bill which the King then signed was made General of all his forces on this side Trent with power to levy Arms in case of necessity But before the King went the Earl of Holland chosen both by him and the Parliament as General for that purpose was gone into the North to disband the English Army there The King departing from London the tenth of August made haste towards Scotland and passed by the Armies as they were disbanding Whether he did under-hand attempt any thing with the Scotish Army as a Scotish writer hath published to engage them against the Parliament of England with large promises of Spoil and offering Jewels of great value in pawn for performance of it I leave as uncertain for the reader to judge by what afterwards fell out But if he did it was a matter of great falsehood having as yet declared no enmity against the English Parliament But what the Kings design was of going into Scotland was not understood in England The same Author saies it was to make sure those Noble men of that Kingdom whom he doubted of as not willing to serve his turn against England And true it is that about September Letters came from Scotland to the standing Committee at Westminster for the two Houses had rejourned themselves from the eighth of September till the twentieth of October and appointed a standing Committee of fifty Members during that time that a Treasonable Plot was discovered there against the lives of some of the greatest Peers in the Kingdom upon which the standing Committee fearing some mischief from the same spring placed strong guards in divers parts of the City of London However the mischiefs might fall out by chance or by design the Kings journey into Scotland was sure to hinder the English business and to retard the cure of all their Grievances which was little less then a plain destruction For after the tenth of August the day of his departure little was done in the Parliament until the recess On the 23 of October whilst the King remained in Scotland broke forth that cursed conspiracy of the Irish Rebels and the inhumane butchery of Protestants through the whole Island more tragical then any effect of a calamitous War in which was put in execution whatsoever could be imagined from the licentious cruelty of a barbarous people so long kept under the English yoke or whatever the dire dictates of superstition or wicked exhortations of Priests could infuse into them It was wonderful that so devilish a design could so long be kept close whereby 200000 Protestants in two months space were murdered and many by exquisite torments and many more despoiled of all their wordly fortunes This divelish design was to be put in execution on the 23 of October upon which day not only the Castle of Dublin the Kingdoms chief Magazine a storehouse of ten thousand Arms at that time but all other Forts and Magazines in that Kingdom were to be surprised and all the English or Protestants that joyned not with them to be murdered The seizure of Dublin Castle to which purpose many of the chief Rebels came to the City the day before was prevented by timely discovery of the Plot to the two Lords Justices by one Owen O Conally a Servant to Sir John Clotworthy which discovery was but the very night before that fatal day and the occasion of it very accidental or rather a strange providence of God by Mac-Mahons unadvised trusting this Owen with some relations concerning it at a Tavern Upon which discovery Mac-Mahon and the Lord Maguire were presently apprehended by the Lords Justices and many Conspirators of great note escaped that night out of Dublin So was Dublin saved that all Ireland might not be lost in one day But the horrid design was past prevention as to the general for the Conspirators were up at the day in all Counties round about and poor English Protestants arrived at Dublin every day robbed and spoiled of all they had relating how their houses were seized how Towns and Villages in all parts were fired and cruel outrages
committed The Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace taking those Arms which they found in Dublin and arming whom they could on a sudden to defend themselves dispatched Letters to the King in Scotland and the Earl of Leicester then chosen Deputy but staying in England Money was wanting and no supplies neerer then England Owen O Conally the first discoverer of the Plot brought the first Letters to London upon receipt of which they rewarded Owen with a gift of 500.l and an annuity of two hundred pounds per annum and presently both Houses of Parliament met at a Conference and the House of Commons forthwith resolved into a Committee to consider of Irelands relief and also to provide for the safety of England for distractions began then to appear in England the Parliament every day considered of Irelands relief and presently ordered supplies of money to be borrowed of the City of London Victuals and Ammunition for that purpose But all relief could be but slow in such a sudden disease For the Rebellion encreased and spread through all the Kingdom and many Papists and ill-affected fled from Dublin into the Country to joyn with the Rebels whilest the City in their rooms was daily filled with poor spoiled Protestants who came naked and famished thither many of them being past relief and there perished in the City It were an endless thing to relate the pitiful condition of those woful people and what sad stories they there told concerning the bloody rage of those inhumane Irish Rebels and several tortures by which the unhappy English were brought to their ends But the Lords of the Councel and Lords Justices in a short time with those Arms of Dublin had armed many well-affected Gentlemen and sent many active Commanders out of the City to defend places neer against the approach of the Rebels About the middle of November were in Arms Sir Charles Coot Sir Henry Tichburn the Lord Lambert Sir Thomas Lucas Capt. Armstrong Capt. Yarner and the Earl of Ormond came to Dublin with an hundred Horse well armed At which time the Parliament of England till greater sums could be raised sent them over as a present comfort twenty thousand pounds But it was a long time before they could send over any forces to the relief of that bleeding Kingdom the first was a Regiment Commanded by Sir Simon Harcourt who arrived on the last of December 1641. While Ireland was thus miserably distressed the King returned out of Scotland into England and was entertained by the City of London with most pompous solemnity the whole multitude of Citizens distinguished by their several Companies in such costly Equipage as never before was known with Horse and Arms met the King and guarded him through the whole City to his Palace at White-hall Some condemned that costly entertainment of the City at such a sad time others hoped it might gain the Kings dubious affection to his people but it wrought a contrary effect in the King who began now to think he could never lose the love of the City whatsoever he did and was flattered by some with a hope that the City would assist him in curbing of the Parliament it self he grew therefore more disdainful toward the Parliament and to endear the City invited divers of the chief to Hampton Court where he feasted them and Knighted some But the honest Citizens perceiving that no good use was made of their dutiful expressions toward the King but that some bad people did openly say that the City were weary of the Parliament and would joyn with the King against it they framed a Petition to the Parliament wherein the contrary is professed and that they would live and die with the Parliament for the good of the Common-wealth While the King remained at Hampton Court the House of Commons presented him with a Remonstrance wherein the Grievances of the Kingdom are expressed but no fault laid upon himself in plain words but a Malignant party as they call them and evil Counsellors Irelands calamities seemed to be quite forgotten or rather that those inhumane Rebels were countenanced every body wondring that the King would not proclaim them Rebels and some honest Lords advising the King to proclaim them speedily that a better course might be taken against them they desired him to wash off that foul stain from himself by proceeding severely against those wicked villains who reported every where that they had authority from him to seize upon the Holds of the English Protestants that they were the Queens Souldiers and rise to maintain the Kings Prerogative against the Puritan Parliament in England they therefore advised him by all means to purge himself of that crime then which a greater on earth could not be But so strangely were things carried that although the Rebellion brake out upon the twenty third of October the King did not proclaim them Rebels till the first of January and then gave a strict command that no more then forty Copies of that Proclamation should be Printed and that none of them should be published till his Majesties pleasure were further signified so that a few only could take notice of it which made all men extreamly wonder when they observed the late contrary proceedings against the Scots who were in a very quick and sharp manner proclaimed and those Proclamations forthwith dispersed with as much diligence as might be thorow all the Kingdom But before this Proclamation came out the Parliament being somewhat troubled with some speeches of which they had been informed as if a Plot were contrived against them desired the King to allow them a Guard for security of their persons and that the Earl of Essex then Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties Houshold might be Commander of it But the King denied them a Guard giving them many fair promises of his care for their safety and that he would command such a Guard to wait upon them as he would be responsible for to Almighty God Three days after the Proclamation against those Irish Rebels being the fourth of January the King attended with about three hundred Armed Gentlemen came to Westminster and entring in Person into the House of Commons and seating himself in the Speakers Chair demanded five Members of that House to be delivered to him Mr. Hollis Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr. Pym Mr. Hamden and Mr. Strode Those five Members had by command of the House upon information of the Kings intent absented themselves Which the King finding went away after a short Speech delivered concerning them That he intended a fair Trial against them and that he was and would be as careful to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament as ever any King of England was He had the day before demanded them by his Atturney Sir Edward Herbert a Member of the House of Commons pretending a Charge of high Treason against them and with them against the Lord Mandevile a Member of the House of Lords But the Parliament did not think
in any thing for what I would have you do I have already written to your mother to whom I would have you obedient in all things except Religion about which I know she will not trouble you and go no whither without her or my Command write often to me God bless you Your loving Father C. R. This Letter was intercepted going from Newcastte to Jersey in a small Vessel and read in Parliament to their great grief Soon after the surrender of Oxford followed the end of this fierce War for Worcester Wallingford Pendennis and Ragland yeilded also to the Conquerors Peace now seemed to be restored to England but they had no security for the Parliament having vanquished the common Enemy were grievously troubled with Factions among themselves and divided under the unhappy names of Presbyterians and Independents nor was it onely in those things which concerned Church-government but in the transaction of almost all other businesses they debate fiercely and were divided in their Votes The same difference namely of Presbyterian and Independent troubled not onely the Parliament House but the City the Country and some of the Camps seeming a thing that threatned danger and the Parliament feared that Massey's forces which had deserved very well of the Common-wealth being quartered about the Devizes might under that name make a Mutiny wherefore Generall Fairfax was sent from Oxford into the West to disband the War being ended those forces of Massey being two thousand five hundred horse which thing was quietly done within eight dayes and all those Souldiers with ready obedience left their Colours although they were not fully paid at that time for which Massey as for other things was much commended in being careful by advising his souldiers that this business without any difficulty should be so ended The War being now quite finished Fairfax the Victorious Preserver of the English Parliament returned to London about the midst of November All good men longed to see that great Souldier whom they could not but admire by whose valour they were delivered from the worst of evils and were now in expectation of an happy peace The next day after he came to London That he might see the gratitude of the Parliament the House of Peers sent their Speaker Manchester whom the Earls of Northumberland Pembrook and many other Nobles accompanied who congratulated his return and gave him great thanks for his most faithful and happy services to the Common-wealth When the Lords were gone Lenthal the Speaker of the House of Commons with almost 300. Members of that House came to congratulate the General to whom Lenthal made a speech wherein he discoursed of the greatness of his actions extolling them by examples of the most great and famous Heroes of ancient times You said he noble General shall all posterity admire and honour and the people of England since they can give you no thanks equal to your merits do freely confess themselves for ever indebted to you as the happy instrument of God and finisher of our Wars with incredible suceess To which the modest Fairfax made a short reply Acknowledging himself unworthy of so great an honour and giving most humble thanks to the Parliament accounting it his greatest happiness in this world to be made by God instrumental for the good of his Country But the General staid not long at London being presently after sent to carry the money for the Scots into the North of which we shall speak afterwards in the mean time we will return to the King and Scots On the sixth of May 1646. long before the surrender of Oxford when the Parliament of England understood that the King was with the Scots when the Scots also had disobeyed their Orders which were That they should detain the King at Southwel and that Ashburnham with the rest of his followers should be sent to London of which the Scots obeyed neither letting Ashburnham and the rest escape and carrying the King into the North the Parliament after a long debate of both Houses at last Voted That the person of the King should be disposed of by the authority of both Houses of the Parliament of England But the Scots excusing themselves and defying to deliver up the King a great dissention hapned between the two Nations which did much animate the Royalists and seemed dangerous to the two Kingdoms Many complaints were made upon this occasion and many sharp invective Writings on both sides for the space of divers moneths The Scots alleaged that he was no less King of Scotland than of England and that therefore their Kingdom had some right to the disposing of him the English affirmed that his person was to be disposed by the authority of that Kingdom in which he then was but that they set forth as a very strange thing that a Scottish Army paid by the Parliament of England and which by the Compact of both Kingdoms was to be governed by Commissioners of both Kingdoms upon the place should notwithstanding receive the King of England without the consent or knowledge of the English Commissioners and carry him away to Newcastle a Town of England and there keep him without the consent of the Parliament of England In the midst of these great dissentions which notwithstanding the prudence of some men did so well moderate whilest the common enemy and factious spirits sought to aggravate them that they proved not pernitious to the Kingdoms the main business and things necessary for the Common good were unanimously and friendly transacted by the two Nations and among other things concerning the sending of propositions to the King for a firm and well grounded peace it was debated and at last agreed that nineteen Propositions so many therewere should be sent to Newcastle to the King which because they are long and fully recited in a larger History I will not relate in this Epitome These Propositions were sent away to the King upon the fifteenth day of July one thousand six hundred forty six and presented to his hands at Newcastle by the Commissioners of both Houses of Parliament namely the Earl of Pembrooke Earl of Denbigh and the Lord Mountague of the Peers and six of the House of Commons the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland being present and consenting to them And that the King might conceive himself dealt withal like a King not a vanquished man and a captive this preface by the consent of Parliaments of both Kingdoms was set before the Propositions May it please your Majesty WE the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England in the name and on the behalf of the Kingdom of England and Ireland and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland in the name and on the behalf of the Kingdom of Scotland do humbly present unto your Majesty the humble desires and propositions for a safe and well grounded Peace agreed upon by the Parliaments of both Kingdomes respectively unto which we do pray your Majesties assent and
that they and all such Bills as shall be tendred to your Majesty in pursuance of them or any of them may be established and enacted for Statutes and Acts of Parliament by your Majesties Royal Assent in the Parliaments of both Kingdoms respectively The Lords and Commons Commissioners of the Parliament of England staid long with the King at Newcastle humbly entreating him that he would vouchsafe to sign and establish those propositions being not much higher than those which had been offered to his Majesty at Vxbridge when the chance of War was yet doubtful the same thing did the Commissioners of the Parliament in Scotland humbly entreat and the like did others daily who came with renewed supplications to that end from the Parliament sitting at Edenburgh But in vain were the supplications of both Kingdoms the King persisted obstinately in denial of his Assent but daily he seemed to take exceptions at some particulars whereby time was delayed for some moneths and the affairs of both Kingdoms much retarded which happened at an unseasonable time when not onely the dissentions between the two Nations about Garrisons mony and other things were justly feared but also in the Parliament of England and City of London the factions then encreasing between the Presbyterians and Independents from whence the common enemy began to swell with hopes not improbable and this perchance was the cause of the Kings delay But those hopes of the enemy soon vanished and this very aversness of the King did in some measure compose the dissentions of the Parliament insomuch as they began unanimously to consult how they might settle the affairs of both Kingdoms since it could not otherwise be without the King Therefore it was debated in the Parliament of England to pay the Scots for their assistance in this War and at last agreed that the Scots should receive four hundred thousand pounds half of that sum namely two hundred thousand pounds was to be paid in present upon receipt of which the Scots were to deliver up Berwick Carlisle and Newcastle to the Parliament of England according to the compact It was also debated though with much time and difficulty where the Kings person should be disposed in case he did absolutely and utterly deny his Assent to the Propositions at which meeting it was freely granted by the Parliament to the Scots that they might carry the King if they pleased to Edenburgh but that the Scots refused affirming that by his presence in an unsetled Kingdom new commotions might arise they rather desired which was also the Kings desire that he might be carried into the Southern parts of England and live in some of his Palaces neer London which they thought more convenient for treating of a peace as if England were not in the same danger by his presence So that in all that whole debate they seemed to contend not who should have the King but who should not have him Whilest these things were transacting and the King daily was humbly entreated by both Kingdoms to grant his Assent to these Propositions the Earl of London Chancellour of Scotland about the end of August when the Commissioners of both Kingdoms were present made an Oration to the King which because it opens the business in some measure shall be recited YOur Majesty was pleased on Monday last to call the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland and imparting the Propositions to them to promise that you would likewise impart your Answer before you sent it but so short is the Commissioners prefixed time and of so great moment either to the safety or ruine of your Crown and Kingdoms is your Majesties Answer that we should be wanting both to God and our own trust if we should not represent to your Majesty how necessary it is in this conjuncture of time That you grant your assent to these Propositions and what an incurable malady and sudden ruine must needs follow upon your denial I shall begin with the disease and speak after of the remedy The differences betwixt your Majesty and Parliament known better to no man than your self are at this time so high that after so many bloudy Battels no composure can be made nor a more certain ruine avoided without a present pacification The Parliament are in possession of your Navy of all the Towns Castles and Forts of England they enjoy besides Sequestrations your Revenue Souldiers and monies are raised by their Authority and after so many Victories and Successes they have a standing strong Army who for their strength are able to act any thing in Church or Common-wealth at their own pleasure Besides there are some so fearful others so unwilling to sumit to your Majesty that they desire neither your self nor any of your Issue to raign over them The People weary of War and groaning under taxes though they desire Peace yet are so much against the pulling down of Monarchy under which they have long flourished that they which are weary of your Government dare not go about to throw it off untill they have once at least offered Proposition of Peace to your Majesty lest the Vulgar without whose concurrence they cannot perfect the Work should fall from them Therefore when the whole People weary of War desire security from pressures and arbitrary rule the most Honourable Houses of Parliament have consented to offer these Propositions to your Majesty without which the greater part of the people do suppose the Kingdom can neither enjoy Peace nor Safety therefore your Majesties friends and the Commissioners of Scotland though not without some reluctation were forced to consent to the sending of these Propositions for else none had been sent or else incur the publick hatred as enemies to peace Now Sir if your Majesty which God forbid should deny to sign these Propositions you would loose all your friends both City and Country and all England as one man would rise up against you it may then be feared all hope of reconciliation being taken away that they may cite you depose you and set up another Government Moreover they will require of us to deliver your Majesty to them to restore their Garrison Towns and carry our Army out of England Lastly if your Majesty persist in denying both Kingdoms will be compelled to agree together for their mutual safety to settle Religion and peace without you which to our unspeakable grief would ruine your Majesty and your Posterity But if your Majesty shall despise the councel of us who wish nothing more upon earth than the establishing of your Majesties Throne and by obstinacy loose England your Majesty will not be suffered to enter Scotland and ruine that Sir We have laid our hands upon our hearts we have prayed to God to direct us and have seriously considered of the remedy for these mischiefs but we can find nothing else as the case now stands which can preserve your Crown and Kingdoms then that your Majesty should sign these Propositions in some things
advice to him concerning the Propositions of Parliament or other business The Parliament were displeased at this thing neither would the Army long suffer it considering that the King had not yet in any thing at all given satisfaction to the Parliament Whereupon those Lords being told of it after two daies stay at Hampton Court returned to their own houses On the seventh day of September Propositions agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament the Commissioners of the Kingdom of Scotland concurring also were sent to the King at Hampton Court To which they did humbly beseech his Majesty that he would give his answer within six dayes The Commissioners appointed for this business of the Parliament of England were the Earl of Pembrook Lord Mountague Sir James Harrington Sir John Cook Sir John Holland and Major General Brown For the Kindom of Scotland the Earl of Louderdale Sir Charls Erskins The King although he denied as before to grant the Propositions wrote notwithstanding an Answer to the Parliament in which he sayes That to some things he can assent namely about establishing Presbytery for 3 years about granting the Militia as it was before offered to him But in the other things he must altogether dissent He affirms that he could rather hearken to the Proposals of the Army for the Army had lately published some proposals in the manner of the Parliament Propositions about setling the peace of the Kingdom and desired the Parliament that they would consider of those Proposals The Parliament not yet deterred by these often denials of the King fell upon debate about making Propositions to him again When the Commissioners of Scotland residing at London after that Louden and Lanerick who came newly out of Scotland had talked privately with the King at Hampton Court sent Letters to the Parliament in which they require that the King may come to London and then personally treat with the parliament about the things controverted those very Scots who not long before both in their Orations and Letters Denied it to be just or convenient for the Common-wealth that the King before he had given satisfaction and security to the People should be admitted to London or to any Personal Treaty with the Parliament Those very Scots who denyed to receive the King into Scotland for fear he might raise commotions in their Country would now have him brought to London a City filled with Malignants and fit for any Tumults in which the Parliament it self without the guard of an Army could not safely sit That which moved them to this demand as they alleaged was because the King had been taken from Holmby against his will and without the consent of Parliament by the violence of Souldiers and still remained under the power of an Army not in that freedom which was thought fit for a King treating about a business of so great moment At the end of their Epistle they seem content that he may stay if London be denied at Hampton Court so he be not under the power of the Army but in such a condition as that the Commissioners of both Parliaments may have a free recourse to him But the Parliament were again framing Propositions with some alterations to be sent to the King when lo on a sudden they were strucken with an unexpected Message That the King was privily fled out of Hampton Court To which purpose Letters came about midnight from Cromwel to the Speaker For on the twelfth day of November whilest the Commissioners of Parliament and Colonel Whaley who commanded the Guard expected when the King should come out of his Chamber to Supper and wondered at his long stay at last about nine of the clock some of them going in and not finding the King they found his cloak left there and a letter written with his own hand to the Commissioners to be by them communicated to both Houses of Parliament in which letter after he had discoursed somewhat about captivity and the sweetness of liberty he protested as before God that he had not taken this design of withdrawing himself to disturb the publike peace or any treaty tending to the establishment thereof but onely to preserve his own safety against which he understood there was a treasonable Conspiracy But toward the end of his Letter he useth these words Now as I cannot deny but that my personal security is the urgent cause of this my retirement so I take God to witness that the publick Peace is no less before mine eyes And I can finde no better way to express this my profession I know not what a wiser man may do then by desiring and urging that all chief interests may be heard to the end each may have just satisfaction as for example The Army for the rest though necessary yet I suppose are not difficult to consent ought in my judgement to enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences and have an Act of Oblivion or Indempnity which should extend to the rest of all my Subjects and that all their Arrears should be speedily and duly paid which I will undertake to do so I may be heard and that I be not hindred from using such lawful and honest means as I shall chuse To conclude let me be heard with freedom honour and safety and I shall instantly break thorow this cloud of retirement and shew my self ready to be Pater Patriae Charles Rex But the Parliament being much at first troubled with this unexpected news of the King's departure at last lest the Kingdomes peace should thereby be disturbed they ordered that men of fidelity should be speedily sent to all the Sea-ports lest the King should pass into any Forreign Country And when tidings though false were brought unto them that the King was concealed within the City of London they ordered That if any man should closely detain the King's Person and not reveal it to the Parliament he should be punished with the loss of his estate and life This Cloud soon dissolved and the Parliament were informed by Col. Hammond who was newly by consent of both Houses made Governor of the Isle of Wight that the King was come into that Island and had delivered himself into his protection Hammond signified himself to be ready to obey the Parliament-commands in all things The Parliament commending Hammond did also command him with all diligence to guard the King but to wait upon him with all respect and honour promising that they would take care that provisions of every kinde should not be wanting nor money to defray the King's expences While the Parliament were again deliberating about Propositions to be sent to the King in the Isle of Wight a Letter of great length from the King superscribed To the Speaker of the Lords House to be communicated also to the House of Commons was read upon the eighteenth day of November In which he delivered his Sense and Opinion concerning many things contained in the former Propositions especially concerning the abolition of
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
furnished Leiutenant General Cromwel with great Guns with provisions of all sorts from Bristol and other places and every thing necessary for a Siege While these things were acting in Wales General Fairfax sent as before was said with seven Regiments to suppress the Kenrish Risers pursued them towards Rochester A great number of Kentish men not far from Gravesend were gotten together into an Army with whom were above twenty Knights Esquires and Gentlemen of the County and among them divers commanders formerly of the King Armies though they were more in number they durst not give the General battel but some marched away to Maidstone a few kept together about Rochester another part of them went to Dover and besieged that Castle to raise that Siege the General sent Colonel Rich and Sir Michael Levesy who very happily performed that work The General himself marched with his Army to Maidstone Into that Town about two thousand of the Risers were gotten and resolved to make good the place The General likewise prepared to besiege them In no chance of War before was the vertue of Fairfax and his Souldiers more tryed nor a Victory bought with greater danger For after that the Souldiers had broke into the Town which was done with great difficulty they found a War in every street and Ordnance planted against them and were put to fight for every corner of it At last the General with the loss of forty of his men took the Town two hundred of the Enemies being slain and about fourteen hundred taken prisoners four hundred Horse and two thousand Arms were taken One thing was wonderful that an Army of many thousand Kentish men more in number then the Generals Army coming from Rochester to the aid of their friends yet notwithstanding when they came neer durst not venture to assist them but stood in sight while the General took the Town Publike thanks were given to God by order of Parliament for this great victory Now all Kent seemed to be quieted except some Castles which also within a short time were taken or yielded to the Parliament when suddenly a new head of this Hydra sprung up the Lord Goring gathering together a remnant of the Kentish Army with about two thousand men had marched as far as Greenwich from whence he sent some to see how the Citizens of London stood affected to the business but whilst he staid expecting an answer some Troops of the Army came in sight upon which Goring and all his company fled the Horsemen pursuing took some Booty and divers prisoners the Kentish men for the most part fled to their own Houses The Lord Goring with about five hundred horse flying from Greenwich and getting Boats crossed the Thames into Essex where as if the Fates sought out new Victories for Fairfax every where the Lord Capel with Forces out of Hartfortshire and Sir Charles Lucas with a body of Horse at Chensford in Essex joyned themselves to Goring to whom within a short time divers that formerly had been the King Souldiers and many Londoners with others flocked Some also of higher rank as Mr. Hastings brother to Huntingdon and Compton brother to the Earl of Northampton The General Fairfax crossing the Thames at Gravesend passed with a part of his Army into Essex and sending for the rest of his Forces out of Kent and London pursued the Enemies whom at last he drove into Colchester and in that Town besieged them where because it proved a long siege we leave him for a time and pass to other actions The greatest of all dangers which threatned the Parliament was from the North not contained within the bounds of England onely but from the Kingdom of Scotland Major General Lambert the chief Commander in the North labouring to suppress Glenham and Langdale wrought so much that he kept them within the bounds of Cumberland and Westmerland but they expected the march of the Scotish Army to which they intended to joyn themselves Lambert too weak to oppose so great a Force omitted no diligence in strengthening himself from the neighbour-Counties who were very forward to his assistance especially Lancashire who raised two Regiments of Horse and four of Foot to be conducted by Major General Ashton and joyn with Lambert in Yorkeshire The English Malignants alone were not very formidable in the North but that the Kingdome of Scotland joyned with them against the Parliament Wars were made from another Kingdome that Cromwel might be victorious as well against Forraigners as Englishmen The faction of Duke Hamliton was then prevalent in the Parliament of Scotland by whom Designs were hatched dangerous to both Kingdoms contrary to peace and contrary for so it was judged by the Church of Scotland even to the Covenant it self England was to be invaded and a great Army raised under the Command of Duke Hamliton a man ambitious and subtle The English Malignants for it was given out that they took Arms for the King were invited to joyn with them and pay promised to those that would serve all this was done though Arguile Louden and the honester Lords protested against their proceedings and the Kirk of Scotland cursed that War as impious But the greater part prevailed who therefore stiled themselves the Parliament of Scotland by a kinde of right and to curb men of the adverse faction a Commitee was made with power given to them to punish all those who should attempt any thing against the Decrees of the Parliament and a penalty set down to be inflicted upon all Ministers who should from their Pulpits teach the people otherwise by which means it was brought to pass that many Ministers were silenced others punished and some Lords of the other faction retired themselves to their own strengths yet could they not stop the mouths of all the Ministers some with a constant Zeal denounced the wrath of God against that Army of Hamilton and by the wretched success of that unfortuneate Army the curses of the Kirk seemed not in vain no more then of old the Tribunes curse upon the Parthian Expedition of Marcus Crassin Conspiracies by Land though over the whole Iland against the Parliament of England seemed not enough unless the Sea also had rebelled against them Divers of the chief Ships in the Royal Fleet revolted from the Parliament about the beginning of June and set the Vice-Admiral Rainsborough ashore affirming they were for the King and would serve Prince Charles sailing towards Holland where the Prince then was and with him his brother the Duke of York who not long before fled privately being perswaded thereto by Letters from the King his Father out of London where he had been kept with great observance and state by the Parliament The Parliament were much troubled at the revolt of these Ships as a thing of extream danger and sent to the Earl of Warwick to take the Command of their remaining Navy and reduce the rest if he could Warwick cheerfully accepted the employment and was
about of that Fleet was committed to the care of Sir George Ayscough nor did the Lord Admiral Warwick know certainly what was become of that Porchmouth-Fleet whether that also were revolted for so the rumonrs were every day in London And certain it is that the Mariners being so ill-affected in general and daily corrupted by the Townsmen in Porchmouth that Fleet had been lost from the Parliament by which means the other could not have subsisted if the discretion of Sir George Ayscough his estimation among the Sea-men and their love to him had not happily for the Parliament then appeared He wisely sounding the affections of them cashiering the worst to prevent the spreading of that contagion did with many endeavours and great difficulty so well prevail at last that he confirmed the whole Fleet in the Parliaments obedience And very successfully sailing by Prince Charles in the night brought all his Ships safe to the Earl of Warwick Who now strengthened by Ayscoughs coming with the Porchmouth Fleet resolved to make toward his Enemies But finding that the Prince for want of Victual was gone back into Holland he followed him not long after with the whole Fleet to Gore upon the Coast Cromwel after he had given that great defeat to Hamilton following his Victory entered into Scotland to help Arguile and Leven against the Forces of Monroe and â—â—nerike Which he effected with great felicity and reduced those Garisons which the Scots and English Malignants had before seized namely Berwick and Carlisle into the Parliaments power Then going into Scotland to consult about the safety of both Kingdoms he was most honourably entertained in the Castle of Edinburgh Many of the Scotish Nobility and Gentry were sent from the Commitee of Estate to meet Cromwel who after congratulatory Orations made conducted him to Edinburgh where Arguile Leven and other Lords entertained him and the rest of the English Commanders with a most magnificent banquet in the Castle Thanks were given by the Ministers to Cromwel who was by them styled the preserver of Scotland under God Such also is the testimony of the Committee of Estate written to the English Parliament concerning Cromwel presently after the forces of Monroe and Lanerike were disbanded and all other forces except fifteen hundred Horse and Foot which were to stand under the Command of Leven untill the Kingdome were setled It was also decreed both by the Committee of Estate and Assembly of the Kirk For preservation of Religion and brotherly amity with the English Nation That no man which had joyned with Hamilton in the late invasion of England should be chosen into the new Parliament which was then called or into the Assembly of the Kirk For the Faction of Hamilton were judged Enemies to Religion and both the Kingdoms It was worthy of noting that that English Army which were by the religious Party of Scotland called A bundle of Sectariés and reviled by all opprobrious names should now be acknowledged by the same Scots to be the Instruments of God and Vindicators both of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland The greatest Peers of Scotland also did ingenuously confess their Rashness and Errour the year before for accusing this Army as Rebellious for acting the very same things in England which now themselves were enforced to act in Scotland for preservation of that Kingdom This great change in the Council of Scotland had been to be wondred at if the change that then happened in the English Parliament had not been a greater Miracle Who would not be amazed at this That Cromwel for vanquishing a Scotish Army by which he delivered England from the worst of Miseries should be acknowledged there the Preserver of Scotland and not here allowed the Preserver of England and that the same Victory of his against Scots should please the Presbyterian Scots for Religions sake and for Religions sake displease the Presbyterians of England Oedipus himself cannot unriddle this especially if he judge according to Reason not according to what Envie Hate and embittering Faction can work The face of the English Parliament was now suddenly changed and the Votes which passed the year before namely of making no more Addresses to the King were annulled and made void those Votes upon which the Parliament as before is said had published a Declaration to inform the World concerning the reason and necessity of their proceedings Their Counsels were now quite changed and new Addresses to the King the formerly impeached members being again restored to their Seats with more submissive earnestness then ever before were resolved on The Houses then fell into a Debate about propositions to be framed and a Treaty to be had with the King before he had given any satisfaction or security to the people personally at London with Honour Freedom and safety But that was not carried Onely a Treaty was Voted to be in the I le of VVight and that the King should choose the place within that Iland Therefore on the fourth of August the Earl of Middlesex with two of the House of CoÌ„mons were sent to the King Who made answer that he was very ready to treat of Peace and named Newport in that Iland to be the place For that business Commissioners were presently chosen out of both Houses Five Peers Northumberland Pembrook Salisbury Middlesex and Say Ten of the Commons Lord VVainman Hollis Perpoint Vane junior Grimstone Pots Brown Crew Glyn and Buckley The King during this treaty found not onely great reverence and observance from the Commissioners of Parliament but was attended with a Prince-like retinue and was allowed what servans he should choose to make up the Splendor of a Court The Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hartford the Earls Southampton and Lindsey with other Gentlemen of note and a competent number of them waited in his train his own Chaplains and divers of his Lawyers to advise him in the Treaty were allowed there But while this Treaty proceeded and some months were spent in debates concessions and denyals behold another strange alteration happened which threw the King from the heighth of honour into the lowest condition So strangely did one contrary provoke another Whilst some laboured to advance the King into his Throne again upon slender conditions or none at all others weighing what the King had done what the Commonwealth and especially what the Parliaments friends might suffer if he should come to raign again with unchanged affections desired to take him quite away From hence divers and frequent Petitions were presented to the Parliament and some to the General Fairfax That whosoever had offended against the Commonwealth no persons excepted might come to Judgement The first Petition of that kinde was presented to the Parliament upon the eleventh day of September The Title of the Petition was To the most honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament The humble Petition of many Thousands of well-affected men in the Cities of London and Westminster in the Borough of Southwark and the neighbouring Villages Inhabitants This Petition which broke the Ice was followed in the space of one month by many other Petitions of the same kinde from divers Counties of England and several Regiments of the Army namely from the County of Oxford on the 30 of September from the County of Leicester on the second of October from many Commanders in the Army on the 4 of October Three other Petitions brought upon one day namely the 10 of October another from Ireton's Regiment on the 18 of October and another from Inglesbies Regiment on the 21 day of the same month The scope of all these Petitions was the same That Justice might be done and that the Chief Authors of so much bloodshed in England and so many calamities to the Nation namely those who had been the raisers of this Second War and were now in the Parliaments custody Hamilton Holland Capel Goring and the rest might be punished But especially they intreat that the King himself the Chief offender the raiser of the whole War and author of Englands calamity might be called to Judgement That the Parliament would give them leave to remember what the Parliament it self had the yeer before decreed and declared against the King and what the Kirk of Scotland in 1646 had declared against the same King That he was guilty besides other horrid Crimes of shedding the blood of many thousands of his best Subjects Which things if they were true and not at all punished nor any satisfaction made it might be feared would provoke by so much injustice the wrath of God who had delivered that King after so bloody a War into their hands They therefore humbly intreat the Parliament that they would not ungratefully throw away so many miraculous deliverances of Almighty God nor betray themselves and their faithful friends by deceitful Treaties to an implacable Enemy This was the sense of all those Petitions which during the Treaty were daily presented to the Parliament and by them laid aside But at last these Desires prevailed especially after that the Remonstrance of the Lord General and the General Council of Officers held at St. Albans the 16 of November 1648. was presented to the Parliament on the 20 of the same November But by what means or what degrees it came at last so far as that the King was brought to trial condemned and beheaded because the full search and enarration of so great a business would make an History by it self it cannot well be brought into this BREVIARY which having passed over so long a time shall here conclude FINIS
and censures as by the rest of the Knights citizens and burgesses assembled in the Commons house of Parl. c. And the Sheriffs and other Officers and Persons to whom it appertaineth shall make returns and accept and receive the returns of such elections in like manner as if Writs of Summons had issued and been executed as hath been used and accustomed And in default of the Sheriffs and other Officers respectively in not accepting or making return of such elections it shall and may be lawful to and for the several Freeholders and other persons that have elected to make returns of the Knights c. which shall be as good and effectual to all intents and purposes as if the Sheriff or other Officers had received a Writ of summons for a Parliament and had made such returns any Writ c. to the contrary notwithstanding And in case any person shall be so hardy as to advise or put in execution any such Writs c. then he or they so offending shall incur the penalties contained in the Statute of Premunire made in the 16 year of Rich. the 2d. and be deprived of the benefit of the Law in any case c. And if any Sheriff Constable of the Castle of Dover or Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports shall not perform his duty enjoyned by this Act then he shall lose and forfeit the sum of one thousand pounds and every county city cinque-port and borough that shall not make election of their knights citizens barons and burgesses respectively shall incur the penalties following that is to say every County the sum of one thousand pounds and every City which is no County two hundred pounds and every Cinque-Port and Borough the sum of one hundred pounds All and every of which several forfeitures and all other forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall and may be recovered in any of the Kings Courts of Record at Westminster by and in the Name of the Lord Major of the City of London for the time being by action of Debt Bill Plaint c. wherein no Essoin Protection c. shall be in any wise prayed granted or allowed And if any person after notice given that the Action depending is grounded or prosecuted upon or by vertue of this Statute shall cause or procure any such Action to be staid or delayed before judgment that then the said persons so offending shall incur and sustain all and every the pains penalties and forfeitures as aforesaid The fifth part of all and every the forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall go and be to and for the use and behoof of the City of London and the other four parts and residue to be employed and disposed to and for such only uses intents and purposes as by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament assembled shall be declared and appointed And be it further Enacted That the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses to be assembled at any Parliament by vertue of this Act shall and may from time to time at any time during such their assembly in Parliament choose and declare one of themselves to be Speaker for the said Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons assembled in the said Parliament as they shall think fit And it is further enacted That all Parliaments hereafter to be assembled by authority of this Act and every Member thereof shall have and enjoy all Rights Priviledges Jurisdictions and Immunities as any Parliament summoned by Writ under the great Seal of England or any Member thereof might or ought to have and have voices in such Parliament before and without the taking of the several Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance or either of them any Law or Statute to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding For Signing of this Bill thanks were given to the King at White-hall the same afternoon by both Houses of Parliament By this time being the end of December that Cessation of Arms which was spoken of before between the English and Scotish Armies was expired and by the Parliament now renewed for a month longer for the Paliament although the King as is said before called them Rebels and desired to have them driven out of England had a better opinion of them and at this time of renewing the Cessation ordered that the Scots should be recompensed for all their charges and losses by that mischievous war which the King had raised against them and within few dayes after examination of those losses and charges the Parliament ordered that the Scotish Ships taken since that war should be restored to them and 4000. l. in money given them to rig those ships it was further resolved by both Houses that the full sum of 300000 l. should be given to them in these words Towards a supply of the losses and necessities of our brethren of Scotland And that the Parliament would in due time take into consideration the manner of raising daies of Paiment for which three daies after the Scotish Commissioners then Resident at London gave thanks to the Parliament not only for that great Sum of 300000. l. but for the stile of Brethren which so kindly they had used towards them The Parliament of England as a further strengthning of the Nations amity Ordained at that time That all Books Libels and Proclamations against the Scots should be called in and a thanksgiving to God should be in all Churches of England for that happy Peace The payment of two Armies for so long a time was a great charge to the poor people of England which they without any grudging or repining at the King as cause of that great burden in hope to gain him for the future bore with exceeding patience they willingly parted with six Subsidies and were content with the taxation of Poll-money a personal assessment of the whole Kingdom wherein every Duke was assessed at 100. l. a Marquess at 80. l. Earls at 60. l. Viscounts and Barons at 40. l. Knights of the Bath at 30. l. Other Knights at 20. l. Esquires at 10. l. Men of 100. l. per annum at 5. l. every common head at six pence The King in February had declared to the Houses his intention concerning a marriage for his eldest Daughter the Princess Mary who was then betwixt 9 and 10 yeers of age the husband appointed for her was the yong Prince William of Nassau Son to Henry Prince of Orange a youth about 16 yeers of age the matter was then in agitation and fair Propositions made upon it to the King by the Ambassadors of the States General The Parliament were pleased with the marriage and not long after the yong Prince arived in England and was by the King and Queen with all the Court joyfully received and entertained at London After convenient time spent in the English Court he was upon the second day of May with great solemnity Married at White-hall to the Princess Mary On the tenth day of May Thomas Earl of Strafford who had
fit to let their Persons go Whereupon the King sent and sealed up the Closets and Trunks of those five Members He made also a Proclamation against them for their apprehending and imprisonment as men guilty of high Treason This great breach of Parliament-Priviledge happened in a strange time to divert the Kingdom from relieving of Ireland and so the people every where complained and called to minde what they had heard by some of those poor Protestants who fled out of Ireland who reported that those Irish Rebels did confidently say It was for no purpose to sly for safety into England for that Kingdom would be as much distressed as theirs and that the King intended to forsake his Parliament in England and War against it which when he did they would come over having done their work in Ireland and help the King against the English Parliament Those things were sadly remembred On this occasion the Parliament voted that These things were an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament a great scandal to the King and his Government a seditious act manifestly tending to the subversion of the peace and an injury and dishonor to the said Members there being no legal Charge or accusation against them And that there could be no vindication of those Priviledges unless his Majesty would discover the Names of those who advised him to such unlawful courses They therefore desired him to satisfie their legal desire in that to let them know their informers which by two Statutes then in force upon such occasions the King is bound to do but he refused to grant their request Upon which they committed his Atturney Sir Edward Herbert having been examined about it but confessing nothing for breaking the Priviledges of Parliament in prefering the Articles c. The King the next day after this entering into the House of Commons went through the City of London where the Citizens in many places flocking about his Coach humbly entreated him to agree with his Parliament and not to break the Priviledges thereof To which purpose they afterwards presented him with a Petition beseeching him for poor Irelands sake to accord with his Parliament to allow them a Guard and do right to the accused Members with other things of that nature expressed at large in that Petition The people about that time discontented with the Kings actions and those obstructions which they found in all businesses of Parliament used to flock to Westminster in great throngs though unarmed by way of Petitioning and many times to utter rude speeches against some Lords whom they conceived to be evil advisers of the King which howsoever it were meant proved of ill consequence to the Common-wealth and did not so much move the King to be sensible of his grieving the people as arm him with an excuse for leaving the Parliament and City for fear of what might ensue upon such tumultuous concourse of men Upon this ground twelve Bishops at that time absenting themselves entred a Protestation against all Laws Votes and Orders as Null which in their absence should pass by reason that they durst not for fear of their lives come to perform their duties in the House having been rudely menaced and affronted Whereupon it was agreed both by the Lords and Commons that this Protestation of the Bishops was of dangerous Consequence and deeply entrenched upon the Priviledge and Being of Parliaments They were therefore accused of high Treason apprehended and committed prisoners to the Tower Thus was the Parliament daily troubled with ill work whereby the relief of Ireland was hindered but other particular hinderances of Irelands relief then fell out which we shall express briefly When the Parliament were considering of Forces to be sent out of Scotland being a short cut many things happened to divert or delay it There was a Bill for Pressing of Souldiers to that purpose depending in the House of Peers which the King took exceptions at as to the putting of it into that way being as he said a diminution of his Prerogative but because he desired Ireland might be relieved he was content that a Bill should pass for that time with a Salvo Jure both to King and people This speech offended the Parliament who declared in a Petition that the King by taking notice of the debate in the House of Lords concerning the Bill for pressing of Souldiers had broken the fundamental priviledge of Parliament which he ought not to do concerning any Bill till it be presented to him in due course of Parliament for every Member hath free liberty of speech in propounding or debating and the King ought not to be displeased at him for such opinions or propositions For this great breach of Priviledge they desired reparation and that the King would make known who they were by whose evil Counsel he had done it that they might receive condign punishment It was then also desired that an Army of Scots should be sent into Ireland first but the Scotish Commissioners answered That they had no Commission from their State to send over a less number thither than 10000. The House of Commons consented out of Zeal to the Cause and Voted the sending over of ten thousand Scots But the Lords would not yield unto it unless the House of Commons would give assurance that ten thousand English should be sent over as speedily which was impossible to be done And no other reason given for this Opposition but that it was dishonorable for England that Ireland should be reduced by the Scots and that the Scots would make too great an advantage by it But this reason was not thought by honest men of weight enough to hinder so good a work when the cause of Religion and the deplorable estate of so many thousand poor Christians groaned for assistance A third Obstruction of Irelands Relief was thus Two thousand five hundred Scots were in readiness to be transported into the North of Ireland Concerning the condition of their going the Commissioners of Scotland delivered to the English Parliament eight Propositions Both Houses consented to all the Propositions but the King excepted against one of those Propositions which was the third in order That the Scots would have the keeping of the Town and Castle of Carrickfergus with power to remain there or enlarge their Quarters at discretion and if any Regiments or Troops in that Province should joyn with them that they receive Orders from the chief Commanders of the Scotish Forces This Article the King said that he doubted might be to the damage of England and therefore would have the Parliament think upon it again Nevertheless if they would have it so he would confer with the Scotish Commissioners about it The Scots answered the King That they were sorry that his Majesty being their native King should shew less trust in them then their neighbor Nation had freely done and should think that Article too much for them which both Houses of Parliament were pleased with The King
which favour they gave the King thirty thousand pounds This was that cessation of Arms so much spoken against by honest men in London for that reason especially that it was directly against a Law and the Kings faith for it was enacted by authority of Parliament the King also signing the Act in the year one thousand six hundred forty one That the War against those bloudy Irish Rebels should proceed untill it were declared by Parliament that Ireland were fully subdued and that no peace nor any cessation of Arms should be made with those Rebels without the consent of both Houses of Parliament Thus was assistance brought to either side to the King which he especially aimed at in this business that English Army which for almost a whole years space had fought valiantly and victoriously against those Rebels was now brought into England within five moneths after that cessation to fight against the Parliament of England but the cause being changed the fortune of those Souldiers was likewise changed for they had no success in England but within a short time after their arrival that whole Army was utterly defeated and all their cheif commanders with seventeen hundred common Souldiers were taken prisoners by Sir Thomas Faâ—rfax The Scottish Army that Winter following about the middle of January passing over Tweed came into England The Earl of Leven was General his kinsman David Lesley commanded the Horse the snow that fell at that time covered the ground in an unusual depth and as great a frost had congealed all the rivers but the heat of fighting was greater than the rigor of the air and the patience of Souldiers overcame the hard weather The Earl of Leven marched with his forces against the Earl of Newcastle who with a great Army possessed the Northern parts of England for the King nor did the War goe on with less vigour in other parts In the beginning of the Spring great Armies were raised on both sides and filled all the countries with terrour all the following Summer which fell in the year one thousand six hundred forty four they fought with equal fury and almost equal fortunes insomuch as that England by the dubiousness of success on both sides and sad vicissitude of calamitous slaughters was made an unhappy Kingdom The Kings fortune was susteined by brave Armies in the West under the Princes Rupert and Maurice in Wales under Gerard and others in the midland Counties under Sir Jacob Ashley an old Souldier other Armies were commanded by Sir Ralph Hopton and Colonel Goring and in the North the Earl of Newcastles great Army Nor were the forces of Parliament inferiour the cheif Army under the General Essex Waller commanded another the Earl of Manchester to whom Crumwell a stout and successful Souldier was joyned led a strong Army toward the North where the Lord Fairfax and his Son had good forces and Sir John Meldrum not far off the Earl of Denbigh a stout Commander was with a fair Party about Strafford and besides these the great Scottish Army At the beginning of that Summer the Parliament attempted a thing of great moment to besiege Oxford or at least to block up the King within that Town which was endeavoured by two Armies Essex on the one side and Waller on the other but the King deceived them both and with a few light Horse escaping out of the Town went to joyn with his greater Armies General Essex marched farther into the West but the expedition proved unhappy both to himself and the Parliament Waller followed the King but in vain for he could not hinder his designed March onely some skirmishes happened between parts of their Forces but nothing was done of any great moment until Waller returned with his force to encounter enemies in other places Various were the successes this Summer in most parts of the Kingdom in the West South and midland Counties the Kings forces prevailed above the Parliament which perchance had been ruined if the North had not made them amends with some atchievements besides one great Victory For Leve with his Scottish forces coming the last Winter into England besides the taking of some Towns and Forts had much weakened Newcastles Army lessening their number not by fighting but enduring the sharpness of that weather which the other could not so well doe To Leven the Lord Fairfax after Selby was so miraculously taken by valiant Sir Thomas Fairfax joyned himself with all his forces to whom also the Earl of Manchester after his Lincoln expedition came with a gallant Army Three Parliament Armies under three Generals Leven Manchester and Fairfax with great concord and unanimity had marched together and with joyned forces had besieged the great City of York whereof the Earl of Newcastle was Governour to raise the siege Prince Rupert was come with a great Army out of the South the three Generals left their siege to fight the Prince under him also Newcastle having drawn his forces out of York served who on a great plain called Marston Moore gave battel to the three Generals This was the greatest battel of the whole civil war never did greater Armies both in number and strength encounter or drew more bloud in one fight The Victory at first was almost gotten by the Royalists whose left Wing Fairfax his men being disadvantaged by the inconvenience of the ground had routed and put to flight the right wing of the Parliamentarians but this loss was more than recompenced in the other Wing where Crumwell who fought under Manchester charged with such force and fury the right wing of the Royalists that he broke the best Regiments which Prince Rupert had and put them all to flight Crumwel together with David Lesley pursued them and wheeling about with his Horse came opportunely to the releif of his oppressed friends in the other Wing where they ceased not until they had gained a compleat Victory and all Prince Rupert his Ordnance his carriages and baggage were possessed by the Parliamentarians After this Victory Rupert with the remnant of his forces fled into the South some of the Victorious Armies Horse in vain pursuing him for some miles the Earl of Newcastle with some of his chosen friends leaving York of which City Sir Thomas Glenham took the government went to Scarborough where within a while after he took shipping and passed into Germany The three Generals Leven Manchester and Fairfax after this great Victory returned to besiege York to whom that City soon after upon conditions was rendered after which they divided their forces and Leven with his Scottish Army returning into the North about the end of that Summer took the rich Town of Newcastle about the same time that the General Essex unfortunately managed his business in the West and having lost all his Artillery returned to London This Summer the Queen passed into France and used great endeavour to raise aid for the King her husband among the Roman Catholikes but those endeavours proved fruitless yet
by no means consent to the abrogation of Episcopacy not in the second place would he suffer the Militia to be taken out of his hands which he conceived to be a cheif flower of his Crown Yet he was contented that for three yeares it should be governed by twenty equally chosen out of both sides Lastly to the prosecution of a War against the Irish he could not consent having made a cessation of Arms with them which in Honour he could not break Thus nothing at all being done toward peace the War must decide it The Parliament hasten the modelling of their new Army The Earls of Essex Warwick Manchester and Denbigh freely and voluntarily lay down their Commissions The new modelled Army of the Parliament consisted of twenty one thousand namely fourteen thousand foot six thousand Horse and one thousand Dragoneers Sir Thomas Fairfax was made General Philip Skippon an excellent souldier was made Major General Colonels of the Foot Regiments were Holborn Fortescue Barclay Craford Ingolesby Mountain Pickering Rainsborough Welden Aldridge of Horse Regiments Sir Michael Levesâ—y Sheffield Middleton Sidney Graves Vermuden Whaley Fleetwood Rossiter Py. The King on the other side had great Forces under divers Commanders to whom he distributed several Provinces the Princes Rupert and Maurice with numerous forces possessed some of the Northern parts of the Kingdom others were held by the Earl of Derby and Sir Marmaduke Langdale Sir John Biron and Gerard held Wales and some adjacent Counties The West was wholly possessed by three Armies of his under the several Commands of Sir Ralph Hopton Sir Richard Greenvile and Colonel Goring All these three though Generals by themselves yet served under the name of Charles Prince of Wales as their supreme General But the King not content with so great a force of English Souldiers was more earnest than before to get over the Irish Papists with whom he had before committed the business to Ormund to make an absolute peace but when the King perceived that those Irish made too high demands and that nothing was effected by Ormund toward the peace in so many Treaties and so long a time he thought of another way which was to the Lord Herbert of Ragland Son to Worcester whom he had created Earl of Glamorgan a zealous Papist and therefore most acceptable to those Irish Rebels the King gave full power by his Letters to make a peace with and indulge to the Irish whatsoever should seem needful It seemed strange to all men when these things were brought to light which was before the end of that year that such a business should be carried on and yet concealed from the Lord Digby Secretary for Ireland and Ormund the Lord Lieutenant to whom the whole matter of that peace had been before committed But the King when he saw it too hard a thing otherwise to make such a peace as would bring a certainty of assistance from them that he might throw all that Envy upon Glamorgan impowred him unknown to the rest for so the Rebels sweetened with large promises unknown to Ormund might the better admit of conditions just in shew and openly excusable and the King might draw from Ireland such Souldiers as would more firmly adhere to his side and he might trust as being the greatest haters of English Protestants and despairing of pardon against the Parliament of England He therefore gave Letters of authority to Glamorgan in these words CHARLES by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To our Trusty and Well beloved Cousin Edward Earl of Glamorgan Greeting Being confident of your wisdom and fidelity We do by these Letters as if under â—ur great Seal grant unto you full power and authority to Treat and conclude with the confeâ—erate Roman Catholikes of Ireland and to inâ—ulge to them all those things which necessity â—â—all require and which we cannot so commodiâ—â—sly do by our Lieutenant nor our Self publick-â—own at present Therefore We command that 〈◊〉 do this business with as much secresie as can 〈◊〉 whatsoever you shall think fit to be promâ—â—â—â— in my name that do I attest upon the word of a King and a Christian to grant to those Confederate Catholikes who by their assistance have abundantly shewed their zeal to us and our Cause Given at Oxford under our Royal Seal the twelfth day of March and twentieth year of our Raign Nor into England onely did he endeavour to bring those Irish but into Scotland which he effected to the great damage of that unhappy Kingdom by Montross about the beginning of the year 1644. when the Scottish Covenanters came into England to assist the Parliament Montross went to Oxford to the King to offer his service against the Covenanters in Scotland The King to fit him for that purpose created him a Marquess and gave him his Commission to be Lord Governour of Scotland and General of all his forces the King then also sent for the Earl of Antrim to participate with Montross his Councels who entering into a confederacy with him before the King engaged himself there that he would send to Montross the next April into Arguile where the passage is short into Ireland ten thousand Irish This promise at the appointed time Aâ—trim performed in part but was very deficient in the number of Souldiers for instead of ten thousand he sent scarce twelve hundred Irish into Scotland under the conduct of Macdonald Montross notwithstanding with these men with the addition of his Atholians made up a sufficient theeving Army and making sudden excursions he fell into the neighbouring Countries wasting all robbing houses and burning up the Corn where he came insomuch as that the State had need of great Armies to restrain his violence whilst the craggy Mountains of Atholia and rough woody places there gave safe retreat to his Highlanders and Irish In this manner did Montross for the space almost of two years lie within the bowels of his Country like a pestilent disease such were his retreats and so great his boldness in excursions that no less an Army than twelve thousand was thought sufficient to defend the Provinces against him But Montross was tossed with various turns of Fortune The first Summer after his arrival in Scotland he gave the Earl of Arguile a great blow through the negligence of his men where fifteen hundred were slain and taken by Montross whereupon the Parliament of Scotland raised an Army of ten thousand against him and the same parliament condemned Montross with some other Lords to be a Traitor and Enemy to his Country Montross afterwards received a great overthrow from Hurry and was enforced to fly to his craggy retreats and shortly after he was again beaten by Hurry near to Dundee and absolutely forced to hide himself in his old receptacles from whence notwithstanding on a sudden as shall be shewed anon he shewed himself and from a contemptible estate grown justly formidable he overwhelmed Scotland
a German Writer upon the same day that the Queen of England at Paris was singing Te Deum Laudamus for Montross his Victory at Kilsithe Thus was Scotland recovered before the King could come to Montross which notwithstanding the King soon after attempted and marching Northward with a strength not contemptible having Gerard and Langdale with him came to Routenheath his design was that if he could not joyn with Montross yet at the least that he might raise the Siege of Chester for the King was exceedingly solicitous for that City as being the most convenient Haven to receive the transported Irish whom he so long in vain expected But that expedition proved most unfortunate to the King for in a battel fought upon Routenheath where Pointz was Commander of the Parliaments Army the King was vanquished and eight hundred of his men slain Nor was the Lord Digbies expedition to Montross more fortunate who in the following moneth together with Langdale having got together one thousand Horse marched into the North to that purpose for at Sherburn in Yorkshire he was beaten and put to flight by Pointz Copley and other Parliamentarians and afterwards at Carlisie he was defeated by Brown and Lesley and having lost all his forces fled into the Isle of Man to the Earl of Derby from whence shortly after he passed into Ireland When Digby was defeated at Sherburn other secret Letters and papers of the Kings were taken whereby some designs of his were laid open and some things more cleerly discovered about his transactions with Danes Irish and others the Roialists at Oxford did much blame Digby his carlessness that would carry such papers with him into a Battel which were scarce safe enough in the strongest Fort especially remembring what a stir was made about the Letters taken at Naseby Digby was now in Ireland and about the end of December together with Ormund treating about a peace with the Irish when on a suddain the Kings affairs began to be endangered there by divulging of Glamorgans secret transaction with the Irish Rebels of which we spake before Ormund and Digby fearing least if this discovery should grow too general among the people that all the former rumours would find credit as namely that the King was Author of the Irish Rebellion and sought to confirm Popery from whence a general revolt of all the Protestants might be feared and although Digby thought Glamorgan to be an unadvised man yet could not suppose him so foolish as to undertake such a thing as that without any warrant at all Therefore it was agreed betwixt them that for fear least when this discovery were grown more general it might be too late to vindicate the King Digby should presently accuse Glamorgan of Treason But Ormund and Digby were both troubled with this fear because at that time three thousand Irish were promised to go over to the releif of Chester lest by this unseasonable vindication of the King Chester might be lost for want of transportation of those forces but when they understood that according to Glamorgans compact those Irish were not to go for England before the King had made good the conditions which Glamorgan promised and confirmed the peace and while they were consulting about this perplexed business it was told them That the Protestants of Dublin upon that news were in a great mutiny and the worst was feared within few hours unless the danger were speedily prevented Digby was enforced to make hast and accuse Glamorgan who was not at all dismaid knowing it was onely to deceive the people of high Treason Glamorgan therefore with great confidence and alacrity went to prison affirming That he did not fear to give account at London or before the Parliament of what he had done by the Kings warrant but it was wonder to see what a change in the Protestants at Dublin this feigned accusation of high Treason suddainly made and they who before murmured were now appeased But yet there remained another difficulty to be extricated Ormund was fearful lest the Irish incensed by this injury done to Glamorgan should suddenly fly to Arms before the Kings forces were ready for them to prevent that danger he wrote to Muskerry concerning the reasons of this action and the extream necessity and withall he seemed to approve the conditions for peace as the Rebels had proposed them and sent them to Kilkenny to be further discussed with some dubiousness of the event this might spend time until some new hopes of relieving Chester or otherwise supplying the King might arise But all these devices nothing availed the King all his designs were frustrated nor ever could he bring into England an Army either of Irish Rebels Lorraigners or Danes God providing better for that Kingdom until at last all his forces every where were vanquished and wholly subdued by the Parliament for in the following moneth February that very City of Chester for which he hath been so solicitous a City so often besieged and now long defended by Biron came into the power of the Parliament for Biron the Governour upon honourable terms delivered it up to Breerton Nor was the Kings side more lucky in any County of England for besides the whose West that Winter and the following Spring by many field-Victories and gaining of Towns conquered by Fairfax in the midland Counties also in the North and in Wales in several battels all that time the Roialists were vanquished by eminent Commanders of the Parliament such as were Massey Pointz Brown Rossiter Mitton Gell Breerton Laughorn and others and in the moneth of March which was the last noted field-Victory Ashley himself the Kings General was vanquished by Morgan in a memorable battel and taken prisoner with one thousand six hundred of his men Ashley when he was taken spake aloud these words You have done your work and wholly vanquished the Kings party unless your own dissentions raise them again At this time Newark the strongest Garrison of the Kings which had long and much infested the adjacent Countries was straitly besieged by Leven Pointz and Rossiter and General Fairfax after reducing of the West having provided what was sit hastened to besiege Oxford the head of the War The King having now no Garrisons left but Banbury Wallingford Worcester Ragland and Pendennis all which in a short time after were also taken and could glory onely in this that they had held out after Oxford The besieged Newarkers though the Plague raged in the Town and they began to want victuals yet susteined themselves upon hopes of some dissentions that might arise between the English and the Scots For now the Scots began to complain of want of pay of the neglect of Church-government and the Covenant the Parliament answered that that Scottish Army in two years space had received above two hundred thousand pounds for pay besides a vast sum of money which they had by force extorted from the poor weeping Inhabitants of the Northern Counties and besides that