Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A45209
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Sundry reasons inducing Major Robert Huntington to lay down his commission, humbly presented to the Honourable Houses of Parliament
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Huntington, Robert.
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1648
(1648)
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Wing H3774; ESTC R15
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7,671
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18
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should desire as Revenues Chaplaines Wife Children servants of his owne visitation of Friends accesse of Letters and by Commissary-Generall Ireton that his Negative Voice should not be medled withall and that he had convinced those that reasoned against it at the Generall Councell of the Army And all this they would doe that his Majesty might the better see into all our Actions and know our principles which lead us to give him all those things out of conscience For that we were not a people hating his Majesties person or Monarchicall Government but that we like it as the best and that by this King saying also that they did hold it a very unreasonable thing for the Parliament to abridge him of them often promising that if his Majesty will sit still and not Act against them they would in the first place restore him to all these and upon the settlement of our owne Just rights and liberties make him the most Glorious Prince in Christendome That to this purpose for a settlement they were making severall Proposals to be offered to the Commissioners of Parliament then sent downe to the Army which should be as bounds for our party as to the Kings businesse and that his Majesty should have liberty to get as much of those abated as he could for that many things therein were proposed only to give satisfaction to others which were our Friends promising the King that at the same time the Commissioners of Parliament should see the Proposalls His Majesty should have a copy of them also pretending to carry a very equall hand between King and Parliament in Order to the settlement of the Kingdome by him which besides their owne Judgement and conscience they did see a necessity of it as to the people Commissary Generall Ireton further saying that what was offered in these Proposalls should be so just and reasonable that if there were but six men in the Kingdome that would fight to make them good he would make the seventh against any power that should oppose them The Head-Quarters being removed from Reading to Bedford His Majesty to Woborne the Proposalls were given to me by Commissary-Generall Ireton to present to the King which His Majesty having read told me he would never treat with Army or Parliament upon those Proposalls as he was then minded But the next day His Majesty understanding that a Force was put upon his Houses of Parliament by a Tumult sent for me againe and said unto me Go along with Sir John Barkley to the Generall and Lievtenant-Generall and tell them that to avoid a new warre I will now treat with them upon their Proposalls or on any thing els in order to a Peace only let me be saved in honour and conscience Sir John Barkley falling sick by the way I delivered this Message to the Lievtenant-Generall and Commissary-Generall Ireton who advised me not to acquaint the Generall with it till 10 or 12 Officers of the Army were met together at the Generalls Quarters and then they would bethink themselves of some persons to be sent to the King about it And accordingly Com. Gen. Ireton Col. Raynsborow Col. Hamond and Col. Rich attended the King at Woborne for three houres together debating the whole businesse with the King upon the Proposals upon which debate many of the most materiall things the King disliked were afterwards struck out and many other things much abated by promises whereupon his Majesty was prety well satisfied Within a day or two after his Majesty removed to Stoke and there calling for me told me he feared an Engagement between the City and the Army saying he had not time to write any thing under his hand but would send it to the Generall after me commanding me to tell Com. Gen. Ireton with whom he had formerly Treated upon the Proposals that he would wholy throw himselfe upon us and trust us for a settlement of the Kingdome as we had promised saying if we proved honest men we should without question make the Kingdome happy and save much sheding of blood This Message from His Majesty I delivered to Com. Gen. Ireton at Colebrook who seemed to receive it with joy saying That we should be the veryest Knaves that ever lived if in every thing we made not good what ever we had promised because the King by his not declaring against us had given us great advantage against our Adversaries After our Marching through London with the Army His Majesty being at Hampton Court Leivt Gen. Cromwell and Com. Gen. Ireton sent the King word severall times that the reason why they made no more hast in businesse was because that Party which did then sit in the House while Pelham was Speaker did much obstruct the businesse so that they could not carry it on at present The Leivt Gen. often saying really they should be pulled out by the eares And to that purpose caused a Regiment of Horse to Rendevouze at Hide Park to have put that in execution as he himself expressed had it not been carryed by Vote in the House that day as he desired The day before the Parliament Voted once more the sending of the Propositions of both Kingdoms to the King by the Commissioners of each Kingdome at Hampton Court Com. Gen. Ireton bad me tell the King that such a thing was to be done to morrow in the House but his Majesty need not bee troubled at it for that they intended it to no other end but to make good some promises of the Parliament which the Nation of Scotland expected performance of And that it was not expected or desired his Majesty should either Sign them or Treat upon them for which there should be no advantage taken against the King Upon the delivery of which Message His Majesty Replyed he knew not what Answer to give to please all without a Treaty Next day after this Vote passed the Leivt Generall asking me thereupon if the King did not wonder at these Votes I told him no For that Com. Gen. Ireton had sent such a Message by me the day before the Vote passed to signifie the reason of it The Leivt Generall Replyed that really it was the truth and that we speaking of the Parliament intended nothing else by it but to satisfie the Scots which otherwise might be troublesome And the Leivt Gen. and Com. Generall enquiring after His Majesties Answer to the Propositions and what it would be it was shewed them both privately in a Garden-house in Putney and in some part amended to their own minde But before this the King doubting what answer to give sent me to Leiv Generall Cromwell as unsatisfied with the proceedings of the Army fearing they intended not to make good what they had promised and the rather because his Majesty understood that Leiv Gen. Cromwell and Com. Gen. Ireton agreed with the rest of the House in some late Votes that opposed the Proposals of the Army they severally replyed that they would not have his Majesty
mistrust them for that since the House would goe so high they only concurred with them that their unreasonablenesse might the better appeare to the Kingdom And the Leiv Gen. bad mee further assure the King that if the Army remained an Army his Majesty should trust the Proposals with what was promised to be the worst of his conditions which should be made for him and then striking his hand on his brest in his Chamber at Putney bade me tell the King he might rest confident and assured of it and many times the same Message hath beene sent to the King from them both but with this addition from Com. Gen. Ireton that they would purge and purge and never leave purging the Houses till they had made them of such a temper as should doe his Majesties businesse And rather then they would fall short of what was promised he would joyne with French Spaniard Cavileir or any that would joyne with him to force them to it Vpon the delivery of which Message the King made Answer that if they doe they would doe more then he durst doe After this the delay of the settlement of the Kingdome was excused upon the commotions of Col. Martin and Col. Rainsborough with their adherents the Leiv Gen. saying that speedy course must bee taken for outing them the House and Army because they were now putting the Army into a Mutuny by having hands in publishing severall printed Papers calling themselves the Agents of five Regiments and the agreement of the people although some men had encouragement from Leiv Gen. Cromwell for the prosecution of those papers and he being further prest to shew himselfe in it he desired to be excused at the present for that he might shew himselfe hereafter for their better advantage though in the company of those men which were of different judgements he would often say that these people were a giddy-headed party and that there was no trust nor truth in them and to that purpose wrote a Letter to Col. Whaley that day the King went from Hampton Court intimating doubtfully that his Majesties Person was in danger by them and that hee should keep Out-guard to prevent them which Letter was presently shewed to the King by Col. Whaley That about six dayes after when it was fully known by the Parliament and Army that the King was in the Isle of Wight Com. Gen. Ireton standing by the fire side in his Quarters at Kingstone and some speaking of an agreement likely to be made between the King and Parliament now the Person of the King was out of the power of the Army Com. Gen. Ireton replyed with a discontented countenance that hee hoped it would be such a Peace as we might with a good conscience fight against them both Thus they who at the first taking the King from Holdenby into the power of the Army cryed down Presbyterian Government the proceedings of this present Parliament and their perpetuity and instead thereof held forth an earnest inclination to a moderate Episcopacy with a new election of Members to sit in Parliament for the speedy settlement of the Kingdom and afterwards when the Eleaven Members had left the House and marching through London with the Army the seven Lords impeached the foure Aldermen of London committed to the Tower and other Citizens committed also then againe they cryed up Presbyterian Government the perpetuity of this present Parliament Leiv Gen. Cromwell further pleasing himselfe with the great Summs of money which were in Arrear from each County to the Army and the Tax of sixty thousand l. per Moneth for our maintainance now saith he we may be for ought I know an Army so long as we live and since the sending forth the Orders of Parliament for the calling their Members together Leiv Gen. Cromwell perceiving the Houses will not answer his expectation he is now again uttering words perswading the hearers to a prejudice against the proceedings of Parliament again crying down Presbyterian Government setting up a single Interest which he cals an honest Interest and that we have done ill in forsaking of it to this purpose it was lately thought fit to put the Army upon the choosing new Agitators and to draw forth of the House of Parliament 60 or 70 of the Members thereof much agreeing with his words he spake formerly in his Chamber at Kingstone saying what sway Stapleton and Hollis had heretofore in the Kingdome and he knew nothing to the contrary but that he was as well able to govern the Kingdome as either of them so that in all his discourse nothing more appeareth in his seeking after the Government of King Parliament City and Kingdome for the effecting whereof he thought it necessary and delivereth it as his Iudgement that a considerable Party of the Chiefe Citizens of London and some of every County be clapt up in Castles and Garrisons for the more quiet and submissive carriage of every place to which they belong Further saying that from the rising of the late Tumult in London there should be an occasion taken to hang the Recorder and Aldermen of London then in the Tower that the City might see the more they did stirre in opposition the more they should suffer adding that the City must first be made an example And since that Leivt Gen Cromwell was sent down from the Parliament for the reducing of the Army to their obedience he hath most frequently in publick and private delivered these ensuing heads as his Principles from whence all the foregoing particulars have ensued being sully confirmed as I humbly conceive by his practise in the transaction of his last yeares businesse 1. That every single man is Iudge of just and right as the good and ill of a Kingdome 2. That the Interest of honest men is the Interest of the Kingdome and those only are deemed honest men by him that are conformable to his judgement and practise Which may appear in many particulars To instance but one in the choyce of Col. Raynsborow to be Vice-Admirall L. Generall Cromwell being asked how he could trust a man whose Interest was so directly opposite to what he had professed and to one whom he had lately aimed to remove from all places of trust He answered that he had now received particular assurance from Col. Raynsborow as great as could be given by man that he would be conformable to the Iudgement and descretion of himselfe and Com. Generall Ireton for the mannaging of the whole businesse at Sea 3. That it is lawfull to passe through any Formes of Government for the accomplishing of his end and therefore either to purge the Houses and support the remaining Party by force everlastingly Or to put a period to them by force is very lawfull and sutable to the Interest of honest men 4. That it is lawfull to play the Knave with a Knave These Gentlemen aforesaid in the Army thus Principled and as by many other circumstances may appear acting accordingly give too much cause to believe that the successe which may be obtained by the Army except timely prevented by the wisdome of the Parliament will be made use of to the distroying of all that Power for which we first Engaged and having for above these twelve Months past sadly and with much reluctancy observed these severall passages aforesaid yet we have some hopes that at length there might be a returning to the obedience of the Parliament and contrary hereunto knowing that Resolutions were taken up that in case the Power of Parliament cannot be gained to countenance their Designes then to proceed without it I therefore chose to quit my selfe of my Command wherein I have served the Parliament for these five years last past And put my selfe upon the greatest hazards by discovering these truthes rather then by hopes of gain with troubled minde continue an assistant or abetter of such as gives affronts to the Parliament and Kingdome by abusing of their Power and Authority to carry on their particular Designs Against whom in the midst of danger I shall ever avow the Truth of this Narrative And my selfe to be a constant faithfull and obedient Servant to the Parliament of England August the 2. 1648. Ro. Huntington FINIS