he could not allow of the disbanding of the Irish Army for divers reasons best knowne to himselfe The Conspiracy being in some part detected PERCY JERMYN and SUCKLING fled the day before they should have been examined being the sixth of May and passed into France where SUCKLING not long after dyed But afterwards upon the reading of a Letter in the House upon the 14. of Iune sent by Master PERCY out of France to his Brother the Earle of Northumberland WILMOT ASHBURNNAM and POLLARD three Members of the House of Commons mentioned in that Letter as privy to this Conspiracy were commanded to withdraw and then called in severally examined and committed WILMOT to the Tower ASHBURNHAM to the Kings Bench and POLLARD to the Gate-House from whence they were not long after released upon Bayle as being found guilty not in so high a degree as others were GORING upon his Examination dealt so cleerly with them and so farre purged himselfe from evill intentions that he was not at all committed by the Parliament ONEALE who proved most guilty of that part of the Conspiracy for bringing up the English Army against the Parliament was presently after apprehended and committed to the Tower whence it was generally thought he would be brought to Tryall for his life and suffer but he made an escape The Parliament considering what great disturbance they began to finde in setling the State what conspiracies had been on foot and doubtfull of the Kings sincere affection towards them considering also what great disbursements of money were to be made for payment of two Armies and other charges for setling the State to which purpose money was to be borrowed upon the Publike Faith by a joint consent of both Houâ—â— moved the King to signe a Bill for continuance of this present Parliament That it should never be dissolved till both Houses did consent and agree that publike grievances were fully redrest A Bill was drawne up to that purpose and the King the same day that he signed the Bill for execution of the Earle of Strafford being the 10. of May 1641. signed that also for continuance of the present Parliament But in this place it is sit to insert what had past before in this kinde The King upon the 15. of February before had signed a Bill presented to him by both Houses for a Parliament to be held in England every third yeare That the Lord Keeper and Chancellor of the Dutchy for the time being should be sworne to issue forth the Writs and upon default to lose their places The same day in the afternoone there was a Conference betweene the two Houses to returne the King thankes upon which it was concluded that the whole House should go to the King to White-Hall and that the Lord Keeper in the name of both Houses should returne their thankfulnesse to his Majesty which was accordingly done Expressions of joy by Order from the Parliament were that night made about London with ringing of Bells making of Bonesires with such usuall things It is observable in the course of Histories how much Kings in such limited Monarchies as that of England do in time by degrees gaine upon the peoples Rights and Priviledges That those things which by constitution of the Government the people may challenge as due from the Prince having been long forborne become at last to be esteemed such Acts of extraordinary grace as that the Prince is highly thanked for granting of them Such was the case of this Trienniall Parliament as both Houses afterward when the unhappy division began and the King upbraided them with this favour could plainly answer That it was not so much as by Law they might require there being two Statutes then in force for a Parliament once a yeere The King himselfe also at the time when he granted that Trienniall Parliament could not forbeare to tell them That he put an obligation upon them in doing it which they had scarse deserved For hitherto said he to speake freely I have had no great incouragement to grant it if I should looke to the outward face of your actions or proceedings and not to the inward intentions of your hearts I might make question of doing it But that Grant which the King since passed upon the tenth of May for continuance of the present Parliament not onely afterward by himselfe was much upbraided to them but by many Gentlemen who were not well affected to their Parliament and all the Faction of Prelaticall Clergy in their ordinary discourse was censured a greater grace then was fit for the King to grant To such men their discourses and writings afterward when the great distraction happened and the Warre was breaking out the Parliament in many of their Declarations answered That though there were in it some seeming restraint of the Regall Power in dissolving Parliaments yet really it was no taking that Power from the Crowne but sus-spending the execution of it for this time and occasion only Which was so necessary for the Publike Peace that without it they could not have undertaken any of those great Charges but must have left both the Armies to disorder and confusion and the whole Kingdome to blood and ruine For to pay the Armies and defray other necessary charges money was to be borrowed upon the Publike Faith which had been nothing worth if that Parliament could have been dissolved at the Kings pleasure And where it was objected That no King ever granted the like before they answered It was evident that no King before ever made so great a necessity for a Parliament to require it And besides that in the constitution of Englands Government it was never the meaning of the Law-givers that the King should dissolve any Parliament whilest the great Affaires of the Kingdome were depending and though the King had used to do so it was neverthelesse unlawfull The Scots in their Remonstrance 1640. told the King That he had broken their Lawes in dissolving the Parliament there against the consent of their House And it is very well understood by those that are skilfull in Lawes of both Nations that English Parliaments have originally the same freedome It was neverthelesse probably then thought by all that the King would not have assented to that Act if at that time the freshnesse of those fore-mentioned grievances in the peoples hearts and the present discovery of that odious Treason of bringing an Army against the Parliament had not made it unsafe for him to deny That opinion was more confirmed by the following Actions since time and the unconstancy of some Lords and Gentlemen had raised him a Party When that knot which by Law he could not againe untie he indeavoâ—â—â—â— to cut a sunder by the Sword as was afterwards observed in the Parliaments Declarations CHAP. IX Allowance of money from the English Parliament to the Scots The vast Charge of disbanding the two Armies The great Taxations for that purpose and the manner of Poll money The
as might ecclipse their owne the King of Spaine being now weake and no such feare from him as might inforce them to need Englands strength as heretofore But the Parliament about the beginning of this Iuly were busied in such a multiplicity of Affaires which by severall Committees they daily did concerning the reformation of domesticall abuses that it were an endlesse and indeed an improper thing for an Historian to describe them all The Records will at large satisfie those that are curious in particulars onely some of the chiefe I will briefly touch which happened before the King went into Scotland Upon the fifth of Iuly 1641. the Committee appointed for that purpose made their report to the House of Commons of the Charge against MATTHEW WRENNE Bishop of Ely whose Accusation was before mentioned consisting of many Articles which all tended to the introducing of Superstition and too neare approaches to the Roman Religion as â—hose Articles will declare After some time spent in debate upon the Articles it was resolved upon the question and voted That it was the opinion of the House That Bishop WRENNE was unworthy and unfit to hold or exercise any Office or Dignity in Church or Common-wealth And further voted That there be a Message sent to the Lords to desire them to joyne with the Commons in petitioning His Majesty to remove the said Bishop both from his Person and Service About the same time also the Charges against those Judges before mentioned who gave their extrajudiciall opinions for leavying of Ship-money being five in number Judge BRAMSTON Baron TREVER Baron WESTON Baron DAVENPORT Judge CRAWLEY were read in the House of Commons and severall Members appointed to present those particular Charges against every Judge which they all did making large Speeches in aggravation of their Crimes Against Judge BERKLEY there was a higher Charge so great as amounted to High Treason The King was now wholly intent upon his journey into Scotland which he determined to take upon the tenth of August to which both Houses had once agreed but afterwards upon mature consideration desired the King to deferre it fourteene daies longer for divers reasons That the distempers of the Kingdome were such as could not well be composed unlesse His Majesty would stay the desired time there being many weighty affaires to be taken into consideration and no course yet set downe for the Government of the Kingdome in his absence The King notwithstanding their often and earnest pressing this suit was stedfast to the first day alleadging that the affaires of Scotland did necessarily require his presennce there at that time and that he would passe any thing of just concerne before he went and that he had to the same purpose many times desired them to hasten their businesses for him before such a time The King accordingly upon the tenth of August departed out of London toward Scotland but the same day before he tooke his journey coming to the Lords House he passed divers Bills which the Houses had prepared for him some concerning the publike as the Bill for Knighthood the Bill for free making of Gunpowder and Saltpeter and others concerning the Estates and affaires of private men He likewise signed the Commission for passing of Bills in his absence the Commissioners appointed were the Lord Keeper the Lord Privy Seale the Earle of Lindsey the Earle of Essex Marquesse Hartford the Earle of Bath and the Earle of Dorset He signed them also another Bill whereby he made the Earle of Essex Generall of all his Forces on this side Trent by which he had power to raâ—â—e Forces in case of necessity But to another request which both Houses had made to him the day before which was That the Earle of Pembrooke might be made Lord Steward in the Earle of Arundels place during his absence for the Earle of Arundell was then going over with the Queene Mother and that the Earle of Salisbury might be appointed Lord Treasurer he said he would take further time to consider of it By this time many jealousies began to arise in the hearts of people many divisions and differences of opinions concerning the Parliament which being by degrees formented by such persons as were disaffected to it by reason of their owne losses and particular interests whose number could not be small did fatally prepare the way to that miserable confusion which after followed Bishops had been much listed at though not yet taken away whereby a great party whose livelihood and fortunes depended on them and farre more whose hopes of preferment looked that way most of the Clergy and both the Universities began to be daily more dis-affected to the Parliament complaining that all rewards of learning would be taken away which wrought deeply in the hearts of the young and most ambitious of that Coat Another thing which seemed to trouble some who were not bad men was that extreame License which the Common People almost from the very beginning of the Parliament tooke to themselves of reforming without Authority Order or decency rudely disturbing Church-Service whilest the Common-Prayer was reading tearing those Bookes Surplaces and such things which the parliament either too much busied in variety of affaires of perchance too much fearing the losse of a considerable Party whom they might have need of against a reall and potent Enemy did not so farre restraine as was expected or desired by those men To this were added those daily reports of ridiculous Conventicles and preachings made by Tradesmen and illitterate people of the lowest ranke to the scandall and offence of many Which some in a merry way would put off considering the precedent times that these Tradesmen did but take up that which Prelates and the great Doctors had let fall preaching the Gospell That it was but a reciprocall invasion of each other callings that Chandlers Salters Weavers and such like preached when the Archbishop himselfe instead of preaching was daily busied in Projects about Leather Salt Sope and such commodities as belonged to those Tradesmen Many people by degrees grew dis-affected to the Parliament being daily poysoned by the discourses of the friends kindred and retainers to so many great Delinquents as must needs feare such a Parliament who though they be no considerable party in respect of the whole Common-wealth yet ply their particular interests with more eagernesse then most do the publike Some are taken off by time and their owne inconstancy when they have looked for quicker redresse of grievances then the great concurrence of so many weighty businesses in a long discontinued and reforming Parliament can possibly admit how industrious soever they be distracted with so great a variety those people after some time spent grew weary againe of what before they had so long wished to see not considering that a Prince if he be averse from such a Parliament can finde power enough to retard their proceedings and keepe off for a long time the cure of State when that happens
Realme contrary to the said Doctrine and according to the duty of my Allegiance I will maintaine and defend his Majesties Royall Person Honour and Estate as also the Power and Priviledge of Parliaments the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subjects and every Person that shall make this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull pursuance of the same and to my power as farre as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good waies and means endeavour to bring condigne punishment on all such as shall by force practise counsels plots conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary in this present Protestation contained And further That I shall in all just and honourable waies indeavour to preserve the union and peace betwixt the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland and neither for hope feare or any other respects shall relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation It were not amisse in this place briefly to mention some alterations which had been made before the time that the King tooke his journey into Scotland though they were not done immediately about that time but some weekes or Moneths before because they concerne some Noble men of whom we shall have occasion hereafter to make mention in the course of this History The Lord COTTINGTON upon the 17. of May 1641. had resigned his place Master of the Wards the Lord Viscount SAY and SEALE succeeded him in that Office Within few daies after the Lord Treasurer Doctor JUCKSON Bishop of London resigned his Staffe and the Office was committed to five Commissioners About that time the Earle of Leicester lately come from being Ambassadour in France was by the King made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Earle of Newcastle was removed from being Governour to the Prince and the Marquesse of Hartford appointed in his roome THE HISTORY OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND The Second Book CHAP. I. A Standing Committee during the Recesse of â—oth Houses of Parliament The Rebellion of the Irish and Massacre of the Protestants there Some endeavours of the English Parliament for relief of that Kingdom THE businesse of England by this absence of the King was at a great stand In such a concurrence of high affairs so great an expectation to find redress of pressing Grievances nothing was so irksome to the People as delay To retard the cure was little better then to destroy And the Sequel within a short time proved worse then the wisest men could imagine or the most jealous possibly suspect though jealousies and fears were then grown to a great height the Parliament of England less then ever assured of the Kings real affection to them Nothing of State was transacted in Parliament during the Kings absence Some debates there were only about Church-service and alterations to be made in the Book of Common-prayer in which notwithstanding nothing was concluded One businesse only came to be discussed of which the King himself gave occasion who within few daies after his arrival in Scotland signified by a Letter to the Lords That he was engaged to the Spaniard by promise to let him have four thousand souldiers out of that lately disbanded Irish Army which the Earle of Strafford had before raised his desire was to make good his promise by consent of Parliament But the House of Commons whom the Lords had invited to a Conference for that purpose would not consent that any Irish should go to assist the Spaniard some reasons were then given but more particular cause was shewed about ten daies after when a second Letter came from the King in which his Majesty declared That the Spanish Ambassador claimed his promise from which in honor he could not recede Notwithstanding since he had found that Ambassador so reasonable as that he was content to accept of two thousand he hoped the Parliamnnt would not deny that The House took it into consideration and within two dayes the Lord of FAWKLAND a Member of the House of Commons at a conference delivered to the Lords gave reasons in the name of that House why it was very unfit to grant the Kings desire because the Spaniard was not only an Ally confederate but an assistant to the Emperor against the Prince Elector his Majesties Nephew who by the power and oppression of that Emperor had bin long deprived of his inheritance And at this time when the King had published a Manifesto in behalf of his Nephew and to that purpose sent an Ambassador to the Dyet of Ratisbone it would seem a contradiction in the King to assist the Enemies of the said Prince Elector and a drawing of his own Sword against himself besides the great prejudice it must needs bring to the Protestant cause which this present Parliament so much intended and laboured to promote Upon these reasons it was thought fit not to consent to the Kings desire in that point And immediately the two Houses of Parliament rejourned themselves from that day being the eighth of September till the twentieth of October and appointed a standing Committee of fifty Members during that recesse Before the Accesse and meeting again of the Parliament Letters came from the English Committee in Scotland and were read before that standing Committee of Westminster importing the discovery of a Treasonable plot against the lives of Marquesse HAMILTON and others the greatest Peâ—res of Scotland the conspirators being the Earle of Crayford and some others How it was discovered or how prevented or whether the King had any privity to it though one of that country have since written very plainly charging the King with it because the State of Scotland were very silent in it the Parliament of England took the lesse notice of it Only the standing Committee for avoiding the like attempts at London and fearing that such might flow from the same spring appointed strong guards to be placed in many parts of the City till further directions might be given from the two Houses at their Accesse The malignancy which at that time began to appear in people of that condition and quality which wee before mentioned and was not only expressed in usual discourse among their companions but vented in scurrilous and bitter Libels against those Lords and Commons who were generally reputed the most Sedulous for the common-wealth was cause sufficient to increase the feares and jealousies of the Parliament But that fatall fire which so sadly wasted the three Kingdoms broke out there where it was least feared and those that seemed most secure were the first sufferers About the end of October 1641 during the Kings abode in Scotland the most barbarous and bloudy Rebellion that ever any age or Nation were guilty of broke out in Ireland The atrocity of it is without a paralell and as full of wonder was the close carriage of so black and far-reaching a Designe The innocent Protestants were upon a suddain disseised of their Estates and the persons of above two hundred thousand men women and
Doctrine many faire approaches made towards Rome as he that pleaseth to search may finde in the Books of Bishop LAUD MOUNTAGUE HELYN POCKLINGTON and the rest or in briefe collected by a Scottish Minister Master BAILY And as their friendship to Rome encreased so did their scorne to the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas whom instead of lending that reliefe and succour to them which God had enabled this rich Island to do they failed in their greatest extremities and in stead of harbours became rocks to split them Archbishop LAUD who was now growne into great favour with the King made use of it especially to adâ—vnce the pompe and temporall honour of the Clergy procuring the Lord Treasurers place for Doctor JUCKSON Bishop of London and indeavouring as the generall report went to fix the greatest temporall preferments upon others of that Coat insomuch as the people merrily when they saw that Treasurer with the other Bishops riding to Westminster called it the Church Triumphant Doctors and Parsons of Parishes were made every where Justices of Peace to the great grievance of the Country in civill affaires and depriving them of their spirituall edification The Archbishop by the same meanes which he used to preserve his Clergy from contempt exposed them to envy and as the wisest could then prophecy to a more then probability of losing all As we reade of some men who being fore-doomed by an Oracle to a bad fortune have runne into it by the same meanes they used to prevent it The like unhappy course did the Clergy then take to depresse Puritanisme which was to set up irreligion it selfe against it the worst weapon which they could have chosen to beat it downe which appeared especially in point of keeping the Lords day when not only books were written to shake the morality of it as that of Sunday no Sabbath but sports and pastims of jollity and lightnesse permitted to the Country people upon that day by publike Authority and the Warrant commanded to be read in Churches which in stead of producing the intended effect may credibly be thought to have been one motive to a stricter observance of that day in that part of the Kingdome which before had been well devoted And many men who had before been loose and carelesse began upon that occasion to enter into a more serious consideration of it and were ashamed to be invited by the authority of Church-men to that which themselves at the best could but have pardoned in themselves as a thing of infirmity The example of the Court where Playes were usually presented on Sundaies did not so much draw the Country to imitation as reflect with disadvantage upon the Court it selfe and sowre those other Court pastims and jollities which would have relished better without that in the eyes of all the people as things ever allowed to the delights of great Princes The countenancing of loosenesse and irreligion was no doubt a good preparative to the introducing of another Religion And the power of godlinesse being beaten downe Popery might more easily by degrees enter men quickly leave that of which they never took fast hold And though it were questionable whether the Bishops and great Clergy of England aimed at Popery it is too apparent such was the designe of Romish Agents and the English Clergy if they did not their owne worke did theirs A stranger of that Religion a Venetian Gentleman out of his owne observations in England will tell you how farre they were going in this kinde his words are THe Vniversities Bishops and Divines of England do daily imbrace Catholike opinions though they professe it not with open mouth for feare of the Puritans For example They hold that the Church of Rome is a true Church That the Pope is superiour to all Bishops That to him it appertaines to call generall Counsels That it is lawfull to pray for soules departed That Altars ought to be erected in summe they believe all that is taught by the Church but not by the Court of Rome The Archbishop of Canterbury was much against the Court of Rome though not against that Church in so high a kinde For the Doctrine of the Roman Church was no enemy to the pompe of Prelacy but the Doctrine of the Court of Rome would have swallowed up all under the Popes Supremacy and have made all greatnesse dependant upon him Which the Archbishop conceived would derogate too much from the King in Temporalls and therefore hardly to be accepted by the Court as it would from himselfe in Spiritualls and make his Metropoliticall power subordinate which he desired to hold absolute and independent within the Realme of England It is certaine that the Archbishop of Canterbury as an English Gentleman observes would often professe against those Tridentine Papists whom only he hated as Papists properly so called For at the Councell of Trent all matters concerning the Court of Rome which are of themselves but disputable were determined as points of faith to be believed upon paine of damnation But matters of faith indeed concerning the Church of Rome were left disputable and no Anathema annexed to them But that Venetian Gentleman whom before we cited declares in what state for matter of Religion England at that time stood and how divided namely into Papists Protestants and Puritans Papists are well knowne The Protestant party saith he consists of the King the Court Lords and Gentlemen with all that are raised by favour to any honour Besides almost all the Prelates and both the Vniversities What the Protestants are he farther declares viz. They hate Puritans more then they hate Papists That they easily combine with Papists to extirpate Puritans and are not so farre engaged to the Reformed Religion but that they can reduce themselves againe to the old practise of their fore-fathers That they are very opinionative in excluding the Popes Supremacy He speaks then concerning the Puritans and saies That they consist of some Bishops of almost all the Gentry and Communalty and therefore are far the most potent party And further declares what they are viz. They are such as received the Discipline of the French and Netherlanders and hold not the English Reformation to be so perfect as that which CALVIN instituted at Geneva That they hate Papists far more then they hate Protestants c. Thus farre of this strangers observation concerning England CHAP. III. The condition of the Scottish State and Clergy when the new Booke of Lyturgy was sent unto them how it was received with some effects which followed The Kings Proclamation sent by the Earle of TRAQUARE against which the Lords make a Protestation IN this condition stood the Kingdome of England about the yeare 1636. when the first coale was blowne which kindled since into so great a combustion as to deface and almost ruine three flourishing Kingdomes Neither was this coale blowne by the grieved party of England the Communalty and those religious men that prayed for Reformation but by
the other side who had oppressed them No commotion at all was raised from the oppressed party though it consisted of the body of the Nation and therefore strong enough to have vindicated themselves would they have risen in illegall tumults The Land was yet quiet and that storme which the people had feared before the death of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM was not in so long a time fallen upon England although the causes in Government which made them feare it had continued at the height ever since They onely wished for a Parliament but durst not hope it unlesse some strange accident not yet discovered by them might necessitate such a cure The Commons therefore But in Scotland it was once quite ruined and by degrees built up againe not without many difficulties not without great reluctancy of the Peeres Gentry and most of the Ministers not without extraordinary interposition of Regall Authority and great art used by two Kings in managing the businesse and raising it to that height in which then it stood as you may reade at large in some late Writers of that Kingdome Neither were the Peeres and Gentry of that Kingdome so impatient of this new yoakeâ— onely out of zeale to preservation of Religion in purity though that no doubt were their greatest reason that Church having been ever much addicted to the Reformation of Geneva And those other Churches as it appeared by their great unwillingnesse to receive those few Ceremonies of the English Church at their Synod of Perth but as loath also to suffer any diminution of their Temporall Liberties which could not be avoided in admittance of Episcopall Jurisdiction and was manifested in that Kingdome by divers examples of rigorous proceedings which some Bishops used against Gentlemen of quality by way of Fines and Imprisonments and the like which particulars are too large to be here inserted in this Narration In the yeare 1637. a Booke of Lyturgy was composed and sent out of England which they complained of because it was not before allowed by their Church in a Nationall Synod as was fit for a businesse of so great import with an expresse command from the King that they should reverently receive it and publikely reade it in their Churches beginning on Easter day and so forward against which time the Privy Councell of Scotland had commanded that every Parish should buy two at the least of them That Service-Booke was the same with the Common-Prayer Booke of England excepting some few alterations of which some as they observed were alterations for the better but others for the worse For the better they esteemed that so many Chapters of the Apocrypha were not appointed to be read as in the English Prayer Booke and where the English retained the old vulgar Latine Translation especially in the Psalmes that Booke followed the last Translation commonly called that of King JAMES Those alterations for the worse were divers observed by the Scots especially in the Lords Supper of which some were these The expresse command for situation of the Altar so called to the Easterne Wall together with many postures of the Minister whilest he officiated expressed in their exceptions but especially this that in the consecrating prayer those words which in the English Common-Prayer Booke are directly against Transubstantiation were quite left out in that Booke and instead of them such other words as in plaine sense agreed with the Roman Masse Booke As for example Heare us O most mercifull Father and of thy Omnipotent goodnesse grant so to blesse and sanctifie by thy Word and Spirit these creatures of bread and wine that they may be to us the body and blood of thy beloved Sonne Many other alterations the Scots have observed and expressed in their writings and in one word affirmed that wheresoever that Booke varies from the English Lyturgy it approaches directly to the Roman Missall and offered to prove that all the materiall parts of the Masse Booke are seminally there It was thought by many that if the Booke without any alteration at all had been sent into Scotland though the Scots perhaps would not have received it they would not have taken it in so evill part And it might have been construed onely as a brotherly invitation to the same service which England used But what the reasons were of those alterations I finde no where expressed but onely where the King in his Declaration concerning that businesse is pleased to say thus WE supposing that they might have taken some offence if we should have tendred them the English Service-Booke totidem verbis and that some factious spirits would have endeavoured to have misconstrued it as a badge of dependance of that Church upon this of England which we had put upon them to the prejudice of their Lawes and Liberties We held it fitter that a new Booke should be composed by their owne Bishops in substance not differing from this of England that so the Roman Party might not upbraid us with any weighty or materiall differences in our Lyturgyes and yet in some few insensible alterations differing from it that it might truly and justly be reputed a Booke of that Churches owne composing and established by Our Royall Authority as King of SCOTLAND These were the Kings expressions which as it seemed were not satisfactory to the Scots in that point For they were as is before specified not well affected to their owne Bishops whose power and jurisdiction over them was rather enforced then consented to Neither did they suppose that a conformity in Church-Worship had it been such as their consciences could well have imbraced had beene any badge of their dependancy upon England as being a people not conquered but united in an equall freedome under the same King Besides they could not relish it well that the Archbishop of Canterbury and other English Bishops who in many points of Ceremony and Worship which they accounted things tolerable did make as neere approaches to the Church of Rome as possibly they could for no other reason as they professe in their writings then that they laboured to bring union into the Christian Church if it were possible should now invite the Church of Scotland whom they accounted more puritanicall then themselves to union by a quite contrary way as in stead of framing their Service neerer to the Scottish profession and Discipline to urge them to a Lyturgy more popish then their owne So that it seemed for unity they were content to meet Rome rather then Scotland To returne to the Narration The Service-Booke according to the Kings command was offered to the Church of Scotland and the Councell there and published by Proclamation a day for the reading of it in all Churches appointed which was the Easter day following 1637. But then upon some considerations and further triall of mens minds as the King declares the first reading of it was put off untill the 23. of Iuly next ensuing to the end that the Lords of the Session
their Session being the same with the Terme in England and others who had any Law businesse might see the successe of it before the rising of the Session which alwaies endeth upon the first of August and that so upon their returne into their severall Countries they might report the receiving of this Booke at Edenburgh it being ordered That on that Sunday the Booke should be read only in the Church of Edenburgh and some other neere adjacent and warning was printed and published in those severall Pulpits the Sunday before that it was to be read On the 23. day of Iuly being Sunday the Booke was read in Saint Gyles Church commonly called the great Church at Edenburgh where were present many of the Privy Councell both Archbishops and divers other Bishops the Lords of the Session the Magistrates of Edenburgh and a great auditory of all sorts But the people especially the meanest vulgar for they first appeared against it and some women expressed so great a detestation of the Booke not onely in words and outcries but actions that the City Magistrates were troubled much to get the Service performed and the Bishop who read it comming out of the Church had probably beene slaine by the multitude if he had not been rescued by a Nobleman Betweene the two Sermons the Councell and Magistrates met about preventing future tumults but though the Booke were read more quietly in the afternoone yet the tumult was farre greater after evening Prayer from the people who had stayed in the streets and the Bishop in the Earle of ROXBOROUGH his Coach hardly escaped from being stoned to death The greatest men and Magistrates of Edenburgh to excuse themselves to the King some of them also writing to the Archbishop of Canterbury layed all the fault upon the Rabble for as yet none of quality had appeared insomuch as that the Privy Councell and Magistrates of Edenburgh the next morning held some consultation about finding out and punishing the ringleaders of that uproare But not long after upon the appearing of some others of higher ranke and Petitions from divers Ministers That the reading of that Booke might be a while tespited till his Majesty might be further petitioned and informed the Councell yeelded so far as that it should not be urged by the Bishops till his Majesties pleasure were further knowne Upon which many Gentlemen and Ministers who had resorted to Edenburgh with Petitions not long before returned in part satisfied to their owne habitations and at many places met together with fastings and Prayer That God would be pleased to direct the Kings heart in that way which they conceived most conducible to the happinesse of the Church and State of Scotland Upon the 18. of October following harvest being now ended a great conflux of all sorts was at Edenburgh to heare what the King was pleased to determine of the businesse where they finde an Edict against them That upon paine of being guilty of Rebellion all should within few houres warning depart the City and because the Citizens of Edenburgh had twice tumultuously opposed the Prayer Booke and assaulted the Bishop of Edenburgh as a punishment to that City the Terme was to be removed to the Burgh of Linlithgow and the next Terme after the ordinary vacants to be held at the Burgh of Dendie there to remaine during his Majesties pleasure The Petitioners as they were then called were much moved at this Edict and on the 19. of that October presented to the Privy Councell a great complaint against the Bishops whom they conceived the Authors of all this businesse and desired justice against them as well for other crimes as for introducing contrary to Law that superstitious and idolatrous Book To this complaint a great number of all ranks subscribed and professed to the Councell that they could not depart out of Edinburgh till some way were found out to settle the present grievances Whilest they stayed there their number daily increased from all the remotest Provinces that the Councell were enforced to give way that till the Kings pleasure were yet further knowne they might chuse some out of their number of all ranks to represent the rest and follow the cause in the name of all the rest Upon which they chose foure of the higher Nobility foure of the lower ranke of Nobility as representers of Provinces as many Burgesses of Townes and foure Pastors as representers of the Classes having setled this the rest quietly departed to their owne homes The King hearing of these things sent a command to the Councell of Edenburgh not to take upon themselves any more the decision of this controversie which he reserved in his owne power And Proclamation was made in December 1637. concerning the Kings intentions that they were not to infringe the Lawes or Liberties of the Kingdome When therefore the Commissioners petitioned the Councell to give way to them to bring their Actions against the Bishops the Councell answered That the King had commanded them to receive no more Petitions against either the Bishops or Booke of Service Whereupon the Commissioners discontented prepare a Protestatâ—on against the Kings Councell declaring That what mischiefe soever might afterwards ensue was to be all imputed to the Kings Councell for denying Justice The Councell fearing what effects might follow desired the Bishops to absent themselves and gave leave to the Commissioners to appeare before them where the Lord of Lowden in name of all the rest made an Oration in which charging the Bishops with other crimes besides these stirres he desired them to be altogether removed from the Councell Table till they had answered and cleered themselves To the like purpose spake one of the Ministers The Councell seemed sorry that it lay not in their power since the Kings Command was peremptory to give satisfaction to their desires but intreated their patience for so small a time as till they might againe receive notice of his Majesties pleasure The King further certified by them sent for the Earle of TRAQUARE into England who was soone dispatched againe into Scotland and in February 1638. caused the Kings Mandate in Sterlin where the Councell then sate to be published The Proclamation declared that the Bishops were wrongfully accused as Authors of sending the Prayer Booke That his Majesty himselfe was Author of it and all was done by his Command That he condemned all tumultuous proceedings of his Subjects to exhibite Petitions or complaints against the innocent Bishops and booke of Lyturgy and all subscriptions to that purpose hitherto as conspiring against the publike peace pronouncing pardon to those which repented and the punishment of high Treason to such as persisted promising to heare the just complaints of his Subjects so they offended not in matter or forme After the Proclamation was made at Sterlin the Earle of HUME Lord LINDSEY and others in name of all the Petitioners made a Protestation against it which Protestation was afterward repeated at Lithgow and last at Edenburgh
expected and obtruded upon Ireland when not desired Many particulars of that nature were expressed in the Scottish Remonstrance CHAP. VI. The Parliament beginneth in England but is soone dissolved The Clergy continue their Convocation The Scots enter into England Some passages of the Warre A Parliament is called to begin on the third of November A Truce betweene the Armies for two Moneths VPon the thirteenth of Aprill the Parliament began when the King produced that forenamed writing of his Scottish Subjects to the French King as an apparent token of their disloyalty and a necessity in him of chastising them by Armes for which he had already made so great a preparation as required a present supply of money from this Parliament To the same purpose that the King had briefly expressed himself the Lord Keeper FINCH in a long and eloquent Oration dilated the businesse Twelve Subsidies were demanded by the King in lieu of which the release of Ship-Money was promised to which demand answer was made by divers Members of the House in severall Speeches That redresse of grievances was the chiefe end of assembling Parliaments and ought to precede granting of Subsidies Which not onely reason but the constant practise of all ages had confirmed That there was never more need of redressing grievances than at this time without which the people would repine to part with twelve Subsidies That the sum was extraordinary great especially to be given for releasing of that which they never conceived the King had any Title to but had taken by power against the Lawes The King promised that grievances should be afterwards redressed but required the Money first because there was a necessity of hastening the Warre without which the opportunity of Summer would be lost To which it was answered by many That the people had no reason to pay for that which was never caused nor desired by them nor could any way prove to their good but quite contrary to the danger and detriment of the whole Kingdome That the same people would undoubtedly pay with more willingnesse so many Subsidies to prevent that unhappy Warre to settle the State and punish the principall contrivers or assistors of that disturbance Among all the Gentlemen of the House of Commons who spake to that purpose the Lord GEORGE DIGBY Sonne to the Earle of Bristoll a young Nobleman of extraordinary abilities was â—minent for a Speech there wherein complaining that the House was required to give present answer concerning supplies to the King to ingage himself in a Warre and that a Civill Warre For said he so I must needs call it seeing we are of the same Religion and under the same King He divided his Complaint into five heads 1. We are not permitted to redresse grievances at all 2. We are not permitted so much as to represent to His Majesty the dis-affection of his Subjects to this Warre 3. We are not permitted to say That we thinke they are the same persons that are the causers of our grievances and the grievances of Scotland and that the cutting off of those Incendiaries of State would be a safe easie and honourable cure 4. That Warre will make the breach wider and the remedy desperate 5. That the best Iustice is to fill the pits which are made to intrap others with the bodies of those that digged them c. Master PYM also a grave and religious Gentleman in a long Speech of almost two houres recited a Catalogue of all the grievances which at that time lay heavy upon the Common-wealth Of which many abbreviated Copies as extracting the heads onely were with great greedinesse taken by Gentlemen and others throughout the Kingdom for it was not then in fashion to print Speeches of Parliament Divers of the Members besides too many to be here named did fully descant upon such particular grievances as they had informed themselves of in their severall Countries and Burroughs But it is most true though it have been said Quicquid multis peccatur inultum est That there was never any Parliament which was more unanimous in apprehension of grievances and yet more moderate in the Language and manner of declaring against them And so great seemed to be their care of offending in this Parliament being the first that in so many yeares had been granted to England that notwithstanding they perceived the Money they were to give to the King must be imployed against their owne interest yet they tooke the Subsidies into consideration by which they might perchance gaine the Kings affection to Parliaments and were content to hope that whilest the Houses sate the bad Councell about the King might be awed into moderation and the Warre against Scotland by wise and honest interpositions might be againe composed as it had been the Summer before But whilest the businesse was in debate whether they were not quick enough in granting or the Conditions were too much feared by the King I will not judge but onely relate what was done The King in Person came into the House upon the fifth of May and dissolved the Parliament but used faire language to them protesting that he would governe as much according to Law as if a Parliament were constantly sitting Yet the next day after the dissolution of it some Members were imprisoned the Lord BROOKE was searched for Papers his Study Cabinets and Pockets Master BELLOSIS and Sir JOHN HOTHAM were committed to Prison for Speeches but soone discharged Master CREW who was a Member of the House of Commons and was in the Chaire for Petitions concerning Ministers was committed to the Tower for not discovering some Petitions delivered to him in Parliament and continued a Prisoner almost to the beginning of the next Parliament After the dissolution of this Parliament the Convocation of Divines continued their sitting and by authority from the King made divers Canons and an Oath to be imposed upon not onely Clergymen but many of the Laity That continuance of the Convocation whatsoever themselves perchance ignorant of the Law might thinke of it was judged very illegall as it appeared by the Votes of the succeeding Parliament and the opinion of Lawyers delivered there When Master BAGSHAW the November following inveighing against those Canons which were made whilest they sate proved the Bishops and Clergy in a premumire The Lord DIGBY at the same time affirming that their Convocation was a new Synod patched out of an old Conventicle Many other Lawyers of note at severall times argued the case concerning those Canons Insomuch that the House of Commons in December following nullo contradicente resolved that those Canons were against the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome the Property and Liberty of the Subject And in the following Aprill 1641. falling againe upon the late Convocation for their Canons and other misdemeanours they voted the Convocation House in 200000 pounds fine to the King The Archbishop of Canterbury to pay 20000 pounds the Archbishop of Yorke 10000 pounds the Bishop of Chester 3000
to summon a Parliament within some short and convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great grievances which the people lye under may be taken away and the Authors and Counsellors of them may be brought to legall tryall and condigne punishment And that this War may be composed without blood in such manner as may conduce to the honour and safety of his Majesty the comfort of the people and uniting of both Kingdomes against the Common Enemy of the Reformed Religion Subscribed by almost twenty Earles and Barons The King receiving this Message from the Peeres of England by his Proclamation ordained a day which was upon 24. of September for all the Lords to meet at Yorke to whom he declared that of his owne free accord he had determined to call a Parliament in England to begin as soone as possibly could be allowing the usuall time for issuing out of Writs which was upon the third of November ensuing 1640. But he desired first to consult with them what answer to returne to the Scots demands and how with his honour he might deale with them who had so boldly invaded England And to make them understand the whole state of the businesse he commanded the Earle of TRAQUARE who had beene his Commissioner there to relate all occurrences since the beginning He desired likewise their advice how his Army might be payed before supplies of Parliament could come After many debates and different opinions in point of honour and convenience it was at last agreed by the greater part of Peeres and so conluded that sixteene Lords should be chosen to treat with the Scots and agree upon what Conditions they thought fit Eight Earles were named BEDFORD ESSEX HARTFORT SALISBURY WARWICK HOLLAND BRISTOLL and BARKSHIRE as likewise eight Barons WHARTON PAGET KIMâ—OLTON BROOKE PAWLET HOWARD SAVILE and DUNSMORE The Scots were required to send as many with full Commission to whom Letters of safe Conduct in the amplest manner were granted When the matter came to debate the Earle of Bristoll for the most part was Prolocutour to the English and the Earle of LOWDEN to the Scots After many demands on both sides and expostulations upon sleighter matters which were easily reconciled there was one point which seemed too hard a case in the eyes of the English Peeres that the Scottish Army should be payed by the English whilest their owne Army was in great distresse by reason of Arreares But in conclusion those honest Lords who understood the condition of that unhappy Warre were content upon any termes to make an end of it and in conclusion an agreement was made upon these termes 1. A Truce or Cessation of Armes for two Moneths till the 16. of December 2. That 850. l. a day should be paid to the Scots during that Truce 3. That if it were not payed 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 Warre to be made 6. That private injuries should not breake the Truce so satisfaction were made upon complaint 7. That Merchants might freely traffique in either Kingdome without Letters of safe Conduct but Souldiers without leave might not passe their limits Upon such termes was this unnaturall Warre although the Armies could not as yet be disbanded brought to a Cessation and both Nations rested in assured confidence that a peace must needs follow since the whole matter was now to be debated in the English Parliament which was to begin about a fortnight after for it was likely that a Parliament should put a period to that Warre which could never have been begun but for want of a Parliament They were also confident that that freedome which the fundamentall Lawes and Constitutions of the Kingdome of England allow to Parliaments could not be denyed to this though to many others it had long been as being that Parliament to which the King was necessitated and the onely way which was now left him to tread after so many deviations unfortunately tried and upon which the people had set up their utmost hope whom it seemed not safe after so long suffering to provoke any further In what a desperate condition the Kingdome of England was at that time what necessity there was of a present cure with how much difficulty that cure was to be wrought and with what warinesse and wisdome it concerned both King and people to play their parts a judicious Reader may partly conjecture by the former passages already related But further to enlighten the Reader for in this plaine Relation I shall be sparing to use any descants of my owne I will referre him to Speeches which at the beginning of this Parliament were made by judicious Gentlemen and those of greatest moderation labouring as much as they could possibly to spare the King and touch tenderly upon his Honour which I shall mention anon According to the reason of the Parliament and Kingdome went along the sence of Courtiers themselves as was expressed in an ingenuous Treatise found in the privy Chamber concerning the condition in which the King and Kingdome of England were in when this so much expected Parliament was to begin CHAP. VII The beginning of the English Parliament Grievances examined Sufferers relieved Delinquents questioned The Archbishop of Canterbury committed to the Tower The flight of Secretary WINDEBANKE and of the Lord Keeper FINCH ON the third of November 1640. the Parliament began where the King expressed himselfe very well in a Speech gracious and acceptable to both Houses who did not expect from him any such acknowledgement of former errours as might seeme too low for the Majestie of his Person but onely desired to gaine his affection for the future Very pleasing to them all was that gracious expression that He did now cleerly and freely put himselfe upon the love and affections of his English Subjects desiring them to consider the best way for the Safety and Security of the Kingdome of England and in order to it for satisfaction of their just grievances wherein he would so heartily concur that the world might see his intentions were to make it a glorious and flourishing Kingdome In which businesse he did freely and willingly leave it to them where to beginne He desired also that all Jealousies and Suspitions might be layed aside by them which he promised to doe on his part And withall to give some reasonable colour to his former Warre whether to excuse or justifie the Proceedings of it hee seemed as yet much distasted with the boldnesse of the Scots who had entred England with an Army against his will calling them by the name of Rebels and that it concerned the honour of him and England to drive them out againe And in his second Speech two daies after I told you said he that the Rebels must be put out of this Kingdome it is true I must needs call them so so
superstitious Ceremonies or such as they conceived so upon them put downe accustomed Lectures and deprived many Ministers much beloved and reverenced among them By which rigour he grew accidentally guilty of a wonderfull crime against the wealth and prosperity of the State For many Tradesmen with whom those parts abounded were so afflicted and troubled with his Ecclesiasticall censures and vexations that in great numbers to avoid misery they departed the Kingdome some into new England and other parts of America others into Holland whether they transported their Manufactures of Cloth not onely a losse by diminishing the present stock of the Kingdome but a great mischiefe by impairing and indangering the losse of that peculiar Trade of Clothing which hath been a plentifull fountaine of Wealth and Honour to the Kingdome of England as it was expressed in the Parliament Remonstrance but more particular crimes were laid against the Bishop which there may be occasion to discourse of hereafter in the proccedings against him The day before Bishop WRENNE was accused being the 18. of December a greater man both in Church and State WILLIAM LAUD Archbishop of Canterbury was voted in the House of Commons guilty of High Treason Master DENZILL HOLLIS a Member of that House was sent up to the Lords to appeach him there upon which he was sequestred and confined to the Black Rod. He was also charged by the Scottish Commissioners together with the Earle of Strafford as a chiefe Incendiary in the late Warre betweene both Nations and divers Articles laid against him which to examine and discusse further a Committee was appointed Upon the 23. of February Master PYMME made report to the House of Commons what hainous and capitall crimes were objected against him Upon which the House fell into a serious debate and a Charge of High Treason in fourteene Articles was drawne up against him which Charge two daies after was sent from the House of Commons by Master PYMME up to the Lords The Archbishop was that day brought before the Lords to heare that Charge read and it was there voted That he should immediately be sent to the Tower but upon his earnest suit for some speciall reasons he was two daies longer suffered to abide under the Black Rod and then accordingly sent to the Tower where we will leave himâ— till the course of this Narration bring him to further triall upon those Articles Civill offendors as well as Ecclesiasticall must needs be many in so long a corruption of Government of whom one as he was first in time and soone leâ—t the Stage besides his chiefe Crime concerning matters of Church and Religion so he shall first be named Sir FRANCIS WINDEBANKE Principall Secretary of Estate a great Favourite and friend to the Archbishop of Canterbury and by his friendship as was thought advanced to that place of Honour was upon the 12 of November questioned in an high kinde concerning Popish Priests of whom in that seven or eight yeares that he had been Secretary he had bayled a great number and released many by his power contrary to the Lawes made and then in force against them which being examined by a Committee and certaine to prove foule against him as it did afterward for upon examination there were proved against him 74. Letters of grace to Recusants within foure yeares signed with his owne hand 64 Priests discharged from the Gate-House 29 discharged by a verball Warrant from him he thought it his best course before triall to fly the Land so that upon the fourth of December newes was brought to the House that Secretary WINDEBANKE with Master READ his chiefe Clarke was fled and soone after notice was given that he arrived in France where he long continued About that time came the great businesse of Ship-Money into debate in Parliament and was voted by both Houses to be a most illegall Taxation and unsufferable grievance in reference to which case almost all the Judges were made Delinquents for their extrajudiciall opinions in it as more particularly will afterward appeare As for other petty grievances such as were the multitude of Monopolies upon all things and Commodities of greatest and most familiar use the House daily condemned them and the Delinquents of meaner note in that kinde were examined and censured too many to be here named Nay so impartiall was the House of Commons in that case that many of their owne Members who had been guilty of such Monopolies were daily turned out of the House for that offence But the businesse of Ship-money did reflect with a deeper staine of guilt upon the then Lord Keeper FINCH then upon any of the other Judges whatsoever for his great activity and labouring in it by threats and promises working upon the other Judges as we finde alleadged against him Sir JOHN FINCH in the yeare 1636. when that Taxation of Ship-money was first plotted and set on foot was newly made Lord Chiefe Justice of the Common Pleas a man in favour with the King and many of the greatest Lords in Court having before been the Queenes Attorney a Gentleman of good birth of an high and Imperious spirit eloquent in speech though in the knowledge of the Law not very deepe Upon the death of the Lord Keeper COVENTRY about December 1639. the King was pleased to conferre that high Trust of keeping the Great Seale upon him which Office at this time he held Upon the seventh of December when Ship-money was fully debated and absolutely damned by the House of Commons and the offence of the Judges began to be scanned sixteene Gentlemen of that House were chosen to examine those Judges that had given their extrajudiciall opinions for it for three gave their opinions otherwise The arguments of two Judge CROOKE and Judge HUTTON were very famous Baron DENHAM by reason of sicknesse could not declare his opinion in so large a manner what threats or promises had been used to them and by what persons Upon which examination and further light given the next day a Committee was named to draw up Charges against the Judges and against the Lord FINCH then Lord Keeper a Charge of High Treason He not many daies after became an humble Suâ—tor to the House of Commons That before the Charge of High Treason were delivered against him they would be pleased to heare him Ore Tenus in their owne House His suit was granted and the next day save one in a long Oration he endeavoured to cleare himselfe but all in vaine was that endeavour though his deportment were very humble and submissive and his Speech full of perswasive Rhetorick it could not prevaile to divert the Judgement though many in the House were moved to a kinde of Compassion He either secretly informed by friends or himself perceiving by evident signes how things were likely to go with him conceived it best to use a timely prevention and the next day disguised fled and soone crossed the Seas into Holland After his flight he was voted
by the House of Commons guilty of High Treason for foure causes 1. Disobeying the House in refusall to speake at their command when he was Speaker in Parliament in the fourth yeare of King CHARLES 2. For threatning some Judges in the matter of Ship-money 3. For his illegall and cruell Judgements in the Forrest businesse when he was Lord Chiefe Justice of the Common Pleas. 4. For drawing that injurious Declaration after dissolution of the last Parliament Upon which a Charge was drawne up against him and carried up to the Lords upon the 14. of Ianuary three weeks after his flight by the Lord FAWKLAND who presented it with a very pithy and sharpe Oration against the man These two last Delinquents though men of eminent place in the Common-wealth as they did not long trouble the Parliament nor much retard the progresse of publike businesse preventing their Trialls by timely flight so can they take up no large roome in this Historicall Narration CHAP. VIII The Tryall and death of the Earle of Strafford Conspiracies detected during the agitation of it An Act for continuance of this present Parliament With a mention of that Grant of the Trienniall Parliament in February before BUt now a greater Actor is brought upon the Stage THOMAS Earle of Strafford Lieutenant of Ireland a man too great to be let escape no sooner accused but surprized and secured for a Tryall Which Tryall of his if we consider all things the high nature of the Charge against him the pompous circumstances and stately manner of the Triall it selfe the time that it lasted the pretiousnesse of that time so consumed and lastly of what moment and consequence the successe of it must prove I may safely say that no Subject in England and probably in Europe ever had the like So great it wasâ— that we can hardly call it the Triall of the Earle of Strafford onely the Kings affections toward his People and Parliament the future successe of this Parliament and the hopes of three Kingdoms depending on it were all tryed when Strafford was arraigned Many Subjects in Europe have played lowder parts upon the Theater of the world but none left it with greater noise nor was the matter of his accusation confined within one Realme three whole Kingdoms were his Accusers and eagerly sought in one death a recompence of all their sufferings That we may say of his case as CLAUDIAN of RUFFINUS Offensis Ruffinum divide terris Within ten daies after the Parliament began the Earle of Strafford newly returned from the North was sitting in the House of Lords when Master PYMME an ancient Gentleman of great experience in Parliamentary affaires and no lesse knowne fidelity to his Country came up to the Lords and in the name of all the Commons of England accused THOMAS Earle of Strafford Lord Lieutenant of Ireland of High Treason and desired their Lordships that he might be sequestred from Parliament and forthwith committed to Prison as also to let them know that the Commons within very few daies would resort to their Lordships with the particular Articles and grounds of this Accusation The Earle was required to withdraw and after a debate thereof called in was committed to safe custody to the Gentleman Usher And immediately after upon the 13. day of November a Serjeant at Armes was sent into Ireland for Sir GEORGE RATLIFFE a great Favourite of the Earles and one that under him had beene very active in the oppression of Ireland a man of subtle wit and knowledge of the Law as having before beene educated at the Innes of Court and taken the degree of Barrister Sir GEORGE accordingly upon the fourth of December came in and yeelded himselfe to the Speaker from whence he was committed to custody And foure daies after the Lords of Parliament sent the Earle of Strafford to the Tower with a strict command to the Lieutenant that he should keepe a close guard upon him Much time was interposed betweene the severall proceedings against this Earle of Strafford by reason of the multiplicity of weighty businesse which the Parliament then had But before the end of Ianuary a long Charge was read against him in the House of Commons and a Message not long after sent to the Lords to desire that he might be sequestred from all his places of Dignity and Honour in England and Ireland The Charge against him consisted of nine Articles which afterwards upon a further impeachment were extended to eight and twenty All those Articles are to be seene at large in the Records But for further satisfaction of the Reader I will give a briefe touch of the scope of them The first and second being much alike concerning his ruling of Ireland and those parts of England where his Authority lay in an Arbitrary way against the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome which Lawes he had indeavoured to subvert Thirdly his retaining part of the Kings Revenue without giving a legall account Fourthly The abusing of his Power to the increase and incouragement of Papists Fifthly That he maliciously had indeavoured to stir up Hostility betweene England and Scotland Sixthly That being Lieutenant Generall of the Northerne Army he had wilfully suffered the Scots to defeat the English at Newburne and take Newcastle that by such a losse and dishonour England might be ingaged in a Nationall and irreconcileable quarrell with the Scots Seventhly That to preserve himselfe from questioning he had laboured to subvert Parliaments and incense the King against them Eightly and lastly That these things were done during the time of his Authority as Deputy of Ireland and Lieutenant Generall of the Northerne Armies in England The Commons saving to themselves a liberty of further impeachment against the said Earle c. do require his legall answer to all The further impeachment consisting of 28. Articles was for the most part branched out of these and insisted upon in more particulars concerning his Tyranny in Ireland over divers persons contrary to Law Concerning which the Reader must be referred to the Records themselves as being too large to be here inserted The Earle of Strafford upon the 23. of February was brought before the Lords to give in his answer which he accordingly did the King himself being there present to heare it read It was very large and when it was done he was sent back to the Tower there to remaine till further Order A Committee being appointed to consider of that businesse upon the fourth of March following made report in the House That they would mannage and maintaine their Accusation of Treason against him and thought it not fit to reply to his Answer but call him to speedy triall Immediately upon which a Conference was had with the Lords concerning that Triall and some Circumstances which were thought fit to be used at it The Commissioners of Scotland had likewise a Charge against the Earle of Strafford concerning those injuries which as they conceived their Nation and Kingdome had suffered from him
But the substance of that Charge was implyed in these Articles before specified which the Parliament of England had exhibited against him Upon the 22. of March 1640. that remarkable Tryall of the Earle of STRAFFORD began Westminster Hall was the place chosen where Scaffolds were raised on both sides nine degrees in height whereof seven were appointed for the Members of the House of Commons to sit on who were all there in a Committee The two upper degrees of the Scaffold were appointed for the Commissioners of Scotland and the Lords of Ireland who were then come over In the midst on a lower ascent sate the Peeres of England the Earle of Arundell being Lord high Steward and the Earle of Lindsey Lord High Constable The Throne was placed for the King But the King comming thither which he did every day of the tryall sate private with the Queene and other Ladies in a close Gallery made of purpose to heare the proceedings and tooke notes himselfe in writing of them The Earle of Strafford answered daily at the Barre whilest the whole House of Commons having put themselves into a Committee had liberty to charge him every man as he saw occasion But though many of them did sometimes speake yet the accusasations were chiefly managed by two expert Lawyers Master GLYNNE and Master MAYNARD both Members of the House Many foule misdemeanours committed both in Ireland and England were daily proved against him But that ward which the Earle being an eloquent man especially lay at was to keepe off the blow of High Treason whatsoever misdemeanours should be layed upon him of which some he denied others he excused and extenuated with great subtilty contending to make one thing good That misdemeanours though never so many and so great could not by being put together make one Treason unlesse some one of them had been Treason in its owne nature Every day the first weeke from Munday to Saturday without intermission the Earle was brought from the Tower to Westminster Hall and arraigned many houres together and the successe of every daies tryall was the greatest discourse or dispute in all companies For by this time the people began to be a little divided in opinions The Clergy in generall were so much fallen into love and admiration of this Earle that the Archbishop of Canterbury was almost quite forgotten by them The Courtiers cryed him up and the Ladies whose voices will carry much with some parts of the State were exceedingly on his side It seemed a very pleasant object to see so many Semproniaes all the chiefe Court Ladies filling the Galleries at the Tryall with penne inke and paper in their hands noting the passages and discoursing upon the grounds of Law and State They were all of his side whether moved by pitty proper to their Sex or by ambition of being thought able to judge of the parts of the Prisoner But so great was the favour and love which they openly expressed to him that some could not but thinke of that Verse Non formosus erat sed erat facundus Ulysses Eâ—â—amen aequoreas torsit amore Deas Vlysses though not beautifull the love Of Goddesses by eloquence could move But his Triall in this manner lasted with few daies intermission from the 22. of March till the midst of Aprill following the Earle having personally answered â—iâ—teene daies After all this long Triall the House of Commons â—ell into debate about a Bill of Attainder against the Earle of Strafford and voted him guilty of high Treason in divers particulars of that Accusation in which they had proceeded against him and in more particular he was voted guilty of High Treason for his opinion given before the King at a secret Councell which was discovered by some notes of Sir HENRY VANE who was also a Privy Councellor and present at that time in which notes it was found that the Earle of Strafford had said to the King That he had an Army in Ireland which his Majesty might imploy to reduce this Kingdome to obedience These notes Sir HENRY VANE eldest Sonne to the before named Sir HENRY had found as he alleadged to the House in his Fathers Cabinet and produced before the House without his Fathers knowledge who seemed extreme angry with his Sonne for it This is related the more at large because it was the first occasion that was open and visible whereby so eminent a Member as the Lord GEORGE DIGBY was lost from the House of Commons as will afterward appeare For that Vote was opposed by the Lord DIGBY and some others Neverthelesse a Committee was appointed to draw up the Bill of Attainder which was accordingly done and read in the House of Commons on the 21 day of April when the Earle was againe voted guilty of High Treason which was carried by farre the greater part for on the other side were but nine and fifty of whom the Lord DIGBY was one who made to that purpose a very elegant though much displeasing Speech in the House Of which more hereafter That Bill of Attainder was sent up to the Lords where after the reading of it a great division was in that House and many of the Lords much opposed it But Master St. JOHN the Kings Solicitour and a Member of the House of Commons was appointed within few daies after to make good the Bill by Law and give the Lords satisfaction which was accordingly done upon the 29. of April in Westminster Hall where the Earle of Strafford was present at the Barre and the King and Queene seated in their usuall places Master St. JOHN opened the Branches of the Bill and in a Discourse of two houres made it good by precedent Statutes and the like to the satisfaction of almost all that heard him But the King was not satisfied in conscience as he declared to both Houses two daies after to condemne him of High Treason and told them No feares or respects whatsoever should make him alter that resolution founded upon his conscience But confessed that his misdemeanors were so great he held him unfit to serve him in any Office whatsoever with other expressions of that kinde The Kings Speech was somewhat displeasing to the Houses but the City were out of patience and within foure daies after came to Westminster about five thousand of them crying for Justice against the Earle of Strafford and following the Lords complaining that they were undone and trading decayed for want of due execution of Justice The Lords gave them good words and promised them to acquaint the King with it But the next day they appeared againe with the same complaint Their feares being more aggravated by reason of reports that attempts were made to get the Earle out of Prison upon which occasion some Lords were sent to keepe the Tower and assist the Lieutenant there But the King was hard to be removed from his resolution although the Judges in the meane time had delivered their opinions in the House of Lords
concerning the Earle of Strafford and the Lords had voted him guilty of High Treason upon the â—iâ—teenth Article for leavying of money in Ireland by force of Armes and upon the nineteenth for imposing an Oath upon the Subjects in Ireland That they should not protest against any of the Kings Commands The King at last wearied with these complaints called a Privy Councell at White-Hall where he spent a great part of the day calling also the Judges to deliver their opinions before him concerning the Earle of Strafford and sent for foure Bishops to resolve him upon scruple of conscience After which he granted a Commission to the Earle of Arundell the Lord Privy Seale and the two Lord Chamberlaines to signe that Bill for the execution of the Earle of Strafford three daies after being Wednesday the 12. of May 1641. which was accordingly done upon the Scaffold on Tower Hill This was the unfortunate end of that Earle of Strafford whose character and actions have beene in some manner before described Of whom we may truly say That as his life and Councells had been of great moment and concernment in the State before so did his death and Tryall by unhappy accidents prove to be The divisions and disturbances which his life could make were not greater then those that his death occasioned APPIANUS observes of SYLLA the Dictator That as his living power had rob'd the Romane Senate of their freedome so did his very Funerall Where so many of his old Souldiers and Hacsters followed the solemnity that the Senators who were present durst not with freedome expresse their thoughts of him but were inforced to flatter him dead as well as living How farre the Earle of Strafford did in his life time divide the Kings affections from his People and Parliaments which was part of his Charge I cannot surely tell But certaine it is That his Tryall and death which has made me insist the longer upon it did make such a division in that kinde as being unhappily nourished by degrees afterward has almost ruined the three Kingdomes The length of his Tryall whilest two Armies at an heavy expence were to be paid and other businesse at a great stand did divide some impatient people at least in some degree from the Parliament The manner of his condemnation divided the Parliament in it selfe and the eager pressing of his death did discover or cause a sad division of the King from his Parliament Nine and fifty Members of the House of Commons dissented in Vote from the rest upon the Bill of Attainder Upon which some indiscreet persons for so I must needs esteeme them though it was never knowne who they were or by whose notice it was done the next day set up a paper upon the Exchange with the names of those nine and fifty and a Title over it The names of those men who to save a Traytor would betray their Country They that were thus posted up supposing it to be done or caused by some of their House were much provoked at it many of them growing by degrees dis-affected to the Parliament not all for there were among those dissenting Gentlemen very wise and learned men and upon that unhappy distraction that fell out about a yeere after forsooke the Parliament Upon the same Bill of Attainder the Lord DIGBY made his foresaid Speech which by a Command from the House for he had printed it was to be burnt by the Hangman which was the visible cause of his deserting the Parliament and proving so great an Actor against it as shall hereafter be declared The worst consequence of all was that the Kings heart did upon this occasion appeare to be quite alienated from the Parliament For to prevent the Earle of Straffords death an escape for him out of the Tower was contrived To further which and to curbe the Parliament in other things by force of Armes a great conspiracy was entred into by many Gentlemen of ranke and quality The designe of this conspiracy had many Branches as shall appeare in the Narration The persons of chiefest note in it were Master HENRY PERCY brother to the Earle of Northumberland Master HENRY JERMIN the great Favourite of the Queene to whom he was Master of the horse Master GORING eldest Sonne to the Lord GORING Master WILMOT eldest Sonne to the Lord WILMOT Colonell ASHBURNHAM Captaine POLLARD Sir JOHN SUCKLING ONEALE an Irish man and a Papist with divers others of a more inferiour ranke such as were privy but to some part of the designe For it seemes their Counsells were divided and they not all guilty of the same things as by their severall Examinations upon Oath appeared But that which grieved the hearts of honest men and made them almost despaire of that happinesse which was before hoped for by this Parliament was That they discovered the King himself to be privy to this conspiracy against them which was plainly testified by Colonell Gorings examination as likewise by a Letter Written by Master PERCY to his Brother the Earle of Northumberland where he names the Kings discourses with him and the desire which the King had to joyne such as he thought fit with them The Conspirators had taken an Oath of secrecy among themselves The Report made in Parliament from Committees after the Examination of severall Gentlemen concerning this conspiracy discovered many branches of their designe One was concerning the Tower of London That Soulders should have been put into it For sir JOHN SUCâ—LING and some others of the Conspirators under pretence of raising Forces for the Portugall had gathered men in London who were to possesse themselves of the Tower The Lieutenant Sir WILLIAM BALFORE was commanded by the King himselfe to admit those Souldiers into the Tower But he perceiving that it was a Plot to let the Earle of Strafford escape disobeyed that Command of the Kings as appeared by his Examination In which is likewise specified that the Earle offered 2000. l. in Marriage with his daughter to the Laeutenants Sonne if he would consent to the Earles escape Another branch and that the chiefe of this designe was to bring up the English Army which was in the North as yet undisbanded and to engage it against the Parliament to awe the Houses in diverâ— things concerning the Kings Prerogative and maintaining Episcopacy as Master PERCY signified in the forementioned Letter To joyne with these Forces and strengthen the Plot a French Army was to be landed at Porismouth and that Towne for the same purpose was to be put into Master JERMINS hands The Irish Army consisting of eight thousand almost all Papists when the Earle of Strafford had escaped out of the Tower was to be brought over under his conduct and engaged in the same Service All these things were confessed upon severall Examinations The Parliament were most grieved to finde the King â—o â—arre in it and then re-called to minde how His Majesty on the 28. of Aprill before had told the Houses That
children murthered many of them with exquisite and unheard of tortures within the space of one month That which increased the amazement of most men was The consideration that the ancient hatred which the Irish a thing incident to conquer'd Nations had borne to the English did now seeme to be quite buried and forgotten forty years of peace had compacted those two Nations into one body and cemented them together by all conjunctures of alliance intermarriages and consanguinity which was in outward appearance strengthned by frequent entertainments and all kinds of friendly neighbourhood There seemed in many places a mutuall transmigration as was observed by a noble Gentleman whose place in that Kingdom gave him means to know it out of whose faithfull relation of that Rebellion and Massacre I have partly collected my discourse of it into each others manners Many English strangely degenerating into the Irish manners customers and many Irish especially of the better sort having taken up the English language apparel and decency of living in their private houses The present Government was full of lenity and moderation and some redresse of former grievances had then been newly granted by the King to his Irish subjects The same Gentleman in his History of the Irish Rebellion where the Reader may more fully enforme himself of particulars affirms that he could never hear of any one Englishman that received any certain notice of this conspiracy till that very evening before which it was to be put in execution Some intimations had been given by Sir WILLIAM COLE in a Letter to the Lords Justices Sir WILLIAM PARSONS and Sir JOHN BURLACE with the rest of the Councell concerning dangerous resorts and meetings of some persons who were judged fit instruments for such a mischief This horrid plot contrived with so much secrecy was to take effect upon the 23 of October The Castle of Dublin the chief strength of that Kingdome and principall Magazine of the Kings Armes and Ammunition where all those Armes which were taken from the late disbanded Irish Army and others which the Earl of Strafford had provided were deposited was to be seized by nine of the clock that day by the Rebels to which purpose many of the Irish Gentry of great quality were the night before come to Dublin to be in readinesse for the performing of that exploit It was further agreed among those conspirators that upon the same day all other his Majesties Forts and Magazines of Armes and Ammunition in that Kingdom should be surprized and all Protestants and English that would not joyn with them should be cut off But it pleased God to prevent the seisure of that Castle and so to save the Kingdom from being wholly lost in one day and that by a means strange and unexpected HUGH MAC MAHON Esquire grand-son to the famous Rebel TYRONE a Gentleman of a plentifull fortune in the county of Monagan and one that had served in Armes under the King of Spain as Leiutenant Colonel a principal Agent in this Rebellion and coming with others as aforesaid into Dublin the day before that great Designe was to be put in execution being the 22 of October admitted into his company at a Tavern in that City one OWEN CONALLY of Irish extract but a protestant and servant to Sir JOHN CLOTWORTHY a Member of the English Parliament To this OWEN he revealed so much as they were drinking that the honest man escaping from him though not without great danger to himself at the present informed the Lord Justice PARSONS that night about nine of the clock of a dangerous Designe upon the whole Kingdom which being taken into present consideration MAC MAHON was apprehended and after his examination the Lord MAQUIRE also another principal actor who were both committed to close custody and the Castle secured with all diligence But many conspirators of great note escaped that night out of Dublin as BIRNE MORE PLUNKET and others The Lords of the Counsel amazed at the discovery of so horrid a Treason did notwithstanding endeavour since there was no prevention for MAC MAHON had plainly told them when he was examined that by that time all the counties of Ireland were risen to use the best remedies to that desperate disease and hoping that perchance the news how the plot for seizing of Dublin castle was disappointed might somewhat dishearten the conspirators in remote parts and encourage the good Subjects with more confidence to stand upon their guard issued forth a Proclamation presently and by carefull messengers spread it into as many parts of the Kingdom as they could The effect of which proclamation was to signifie the discovery of the Treason and exhort all men to their duty in suppressing of it But the generall Designe was past prevention and that very day came in some poor English protestants and others in a short time every day and almost every hour shewing how they had been robbed their houses surprised by the Rebels whose outrage daily increased in rapine and murdering and fireing Towns and Villages in divers counties To oppose therefore the growth of that desperate malady the Lord Justices dispatching Letters to the King in Scotland and the Earle of Leicester lately made Lieutenant of Ireland by the King and yet resident at London of their lamentable condition examined with all diligence how they were provided for such a War They found in Dublin Stores Armes for ten thousand with Artillery Powder Match and Lead proportionable laid in by the late Earle of Strafford though designed by him another way yet reserved by Gods providence for this service But the Officers and souldiers of the old standing army were so much dispersed into remote places of the Kingdom for the guard of other Forts that there was scarse any possibility of drawing a considerable company together to defend Dublin or make head against the Rebels in the North. The greatest mischeif to the State and advantage to the Rebels was That there was no Money in the Exchequer besides the Kings Revenues and Rents of English Gentlemen due for that halfe year were either in Tenants or Collectors hands in the country and must unadvoidablly fall into the Rebels power so that although their disease were present the only means of cure was remote which was a dependence upon some supplies from the Parliament of England Upon the very day designed for surprisall of the Castle at Dublin the 23 of October the Northren Rebels broke out in the Province of Vlster and in few dayes got possession of so many Towns Forts and Gentlemens Houses within the counties of that Province as might seeme almost incredible if we consider only the cheif actors men of no great skill in Martiall affairs or any policy such as Sir PHELIM ONEALE and his Brother with the rest and not rather which indeed was the true reason the generall engagements of the Irish and their deep dissimulation concurring with the great credulity of the English upon the causes
aforementioned of so long intermixed cohabitation and friendly Relations betwixt them Both these were the causes which afterward encreased the Massacre of the English who when the fire brake out implored the friendship of their Irish neighbors Landlords or Tenants committing into their hands and protection their treasure wives and children with all that was dear unto them in hope that former friendship might prevail But they generally either betrayed them into the power of other Rebels or perfidiously and cruelly murdered them with their own hands which extreme falshood and cruelty in the Irish was thought to be much encreased by the charmings of their Priests who told them That it was a mortall sin to protect or releive any of the English That intermixture of the Nations did also at this sad time make the English lesse able to defend themselves then if they had lived singly by parties of their own For where the English were able to make any head or stand upon their guard though in such an amazement and suddain surprisal they defended themselves beyond beleif till the Irish principled by their Preists offered them fair Quarter with assurance of lives and goods safe conduct and free passage to what places they pleased confirming such covenants with deep oathes and protestations and sometimes their hands and Seales But when they had the deceived English in their power the Souldiers spoiled stripped and murdered them at their pleasure So were many served as at Armagh by Sir PHELIM ONEALE and his Brother at Belterbert by PHILIP ORELLEY at Longford Tullough and other Castles in the County of Fermanagh by other of those Rebels But if the English who stood to defend their private houses and so were the more easily cut off could have deserted their habitations at the first rising and joyned themselves into bodies they might happily have made a better resistance Whilest these inhumane cruelties and Massacres were acting in miserable Ireland and daily spreading themselves in every part of that Kingdom many Counties in several Provinces declaring themselves and following the barbarous example of those in Vlster the sad newes was brought to the Parliament of England The first Letters which before were mentioned sent from the Lords Justices upon the 25 of October were carried and delivered at London on the last day of that month by OWEN Ô CONALLY the happy discoverer of the first Plot with a full information of all particulars within his knowledge which by the Lords who were first acquainted with it was delivered at a Conference to the House of Commons who presently ordered That the House forthwith should be resolved into a Committe to consider the matter offered concerning the Rebellion in Ireland as likewise to provide for the safety of England By which Committee it was agreed that 50000 pound should presently be provided and that the Loane of it should be entreated from the City of London upon Publick security 2 That a Select Committee of both Houses be named to consider the affairs of Ireland 3 That OWEN Ô CONALLY who discovered this great Treason should have 500 pound presently paid him and 200 pound per annum Pension till Provision in Land of a greater value be made for him 4 That Papists of quality be secured in their severall Counties within England 5 That no persons whatsoever except those who are Merchants shall be admitted to go over into Ireland without Certificate from the Committee of both Houses appointed for the affairs of Ireland These things were reported to both Houses and willingly assented too within two dayes after the discovery first made unto them of that Rebellion And notwithstanding those present distractions in England which began then to appear part of every day during that November was allotted to the consideration of Ireland Within four dayes after the beginning of which month they ordered many particulars of great import for the releif of it consisting of supplies of Money Magazines of Victuals Ammunition of all sorts courses to be taken for raising Forces for the occasions of that Kingdom and shipping for guard of their Sea coasts as more particularly appeareth in the records of Parliament Whilst the English Parliament were thus ordering the affaires of bleeding Ireland other Letters from the Lords Justices bearing date the fifth of November were brought and communicated to both Houses Who in earnest zeal to the promotion of that businesse voted two hundred thousand pounds to be raised for suppressing the Irish Rebellion securing England and payment of the Publick debts For which the City of London must of necessity be made use of collections through the Kingdom being too slow for such an urgency And to encourage the City in it an Order was made to secure them for monies formerly lent and to allow them the full Interest of eight per cent for altogether Whilest the English Parliament were thus busied about the releif of Ireland the horrid Rebellion with a swift motion run throughout that unhappy Kingdom many Counties daily joyning with them and divers Lords and Gentlemen who for many daies had lived unsuspected in Dublin went into the Country to side with the Rebels and act their parts in those inhumane outrages the Lords Justices and Privy Counsell were enough troubled to secure Dublin to victuall the Castle and prepare defence against those dangers which threatned the City and were made much more by the feares of spoyled people resorting thither But the care of the Privy Councell extended further notwithstanding the troubles there then to the City of Dublin and having a Magazine of Armes within the Castle resolved so to dispose of them as that resistance might be made against the Rebels in other parts Some Armes were happily disposed to such Gentlemen Sir HENRY TIâ—HBORNE Sir CHARLES COOTE and others of whom more hereafter as to their lasting honor did excellent service But another part were worse then losse those which were distributed to the Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale who afterwards declared themselves for the Rebels and used the Arms to the destruction of those who put them into their hands That English Pale is a large circuit of Land possessed at the first conquest of Ireland by the English and ever since inhabited by them containing divers Counties as Dublin Meth Lowth Kildare c. The Lords of the Councel thought fit to trust those Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale both with Commissions and Armes though many of them professed Papists hoping that this great confidence would work so far upon their hearts if any truth or loyalty were left there as to keep them at least from joyning with the Enemy but if they were honest would enable them to oppose the threatning incursions of the Northren Rebels This great Trust the Councell were more encouraged to repose in these perfidious Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale because themselves had appeared at Dublin of their own accords professing truth and loyalty with deep and solemne Protestations and that
they were most forward and ready to concur with their Lordships in that service But so great an affliction was to fall upon unhappy Ireland that all those Lords that were Papists after they had received Commissions and Armes notwithstanding all their deep vowes did most perfidiously soon after desert their houses and openly declare themselves in actuall Rebellion such as were Viscount MONGANNET GORMANSTON and COSTELOE DILLON BIRNE BELLER TALBOT and many others The Condition of Dublin was more lamentable every day then other and not so much afflicted were they with feares and dangers which threatned themselves as that extream sorrow which compassion must needs work in them toward all the suffering English which resorted thither Dublin was the Sanctuary of all the despoiled Protestants and by that meanes the sad stage upon which all horror was represented and what mischeifes soever were acted in other parts were there discovered and lamented Their eyes were sad witnesses of the Rebels cruelty in those despoiled English which daily resorted to the City but their eares much more afflicted with relation of those horrid tortures which had been used to those who died in other parts Their eyes could not but extremly suffer from such wretched Spectacles as daily from all parts presented themselves People of all conditions and qualities of every age and Sex spoiled and stripped with no coverings but ragges or twisted straw to hide their privities some wounded almost to death others frozen with cold some tired with travell and so surbated that they came creeping on their knees others famished beyond all releif And besides the miseries of their bodies their minds tortured with the losse of all their fortunes and sad remembrance of their husbands wives or children most barbarously murdered before their faces In this most lamentable plight with wasted bodies and distracted mindes did they arrive at Dublin some to be releived some entombed which was more then their murdered friends could obtaine from the Rebels insomuch as they appeared like walking ghosts in every street and all the Barnes Stables and out-houses were filled with them where they soon died after they had recovered the City in so great numbers that all the Church-yards of Dublin could not contain them but the Lords were enforced to take in large peeces of ground on both sides of the River to set apart for burying places But that part of this wofull Tragedy which was presented to their eyes was the least and but the shadow of that other which was related to their eares of which the Readers and all posterity may share the sorrow Many hundreds of those which had escaped under their oathes lawfully taken upon examination and recorded with all particulars as may be seen at large in the Records delivered to the Councell what horrid Massacres the bloudy villains had made of men women and children and what cruell inventions they had to torture those whom they murdered scarce to be equalized by any the most black and balefull story of any age Many thousands of them at severall places too many to be here inserted after all despites exercised upon them living put to the worst of deaths some burned on set purpose others drowned for sport and pastime and if they swam kept from landing with poles or shot and murdered in the water many were buried quick and some set into the earth breast-high and there left to famish But most barbarous as appears in very many examinations was that cruelty which was shewed to great bellied women whom the villaines were not content to murder but ripped up their bellies and many times took delight to see the Hogges eate the abortive Infants But I am loath to dwell upon so sad a narration The greatest part of these inhumane cruelties were acted by the Irish upon the poor unarmed Brittaines before any provocation given unto them and the bloud of so many thousand innocent persons sacrificed to their meer malice as many afterwards were sacrificed to their revenge as whensoever the Irish received any blow from English Forces the English Protestants that lived among them were murdered in great numbers By this time the Lords of the Councell had armed as many as they were able and given Commissions for raising of severall Regiments which were put into the hands for the most part of gallant men as their actions after testified to the world Sir CHARLES COOTE an active and valiant man who was also made Governor of Dublin with great speed made up his Regiment out of the poor robbed and stripped English which had fled to Dublin Sir HENRY TICHBORNE a worthy Commander was dispatched away with a Regiment of Foot to keep Tredagh from the approaching Rebels The Lord LAMBERT also Sir THOMAS LUCAS Captain ARMESTRONG Captain YARNER with others raised by Commissions souldiers there This was done about the middle of November at which time also the Earle of Ormond with his well armed Troop of Horse came to Dublin where within few dayes after he was by a Commission sent from the Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant of Ireland as likewise by the Kings approbation from Scotland signified in a Letter made Lieutenant Generall of all the Forces there For the Earl of Lecister at that time was not enabled so far with necessaries for the service of Ireland as to repair thither in person The Earl also sent over to the Lords at Dublin together with an Order of the Lords and Commons of the Parliament in England comfortable Letters in this time of distresse to let them know that the King had referred the whole businesse of Ireland to the Parliament of England who had undertaken the charge and management of the War had declared a speedy and vigorous assistance had designed for their present supplies the summe of 50000 pound and taken order for all further provisions necessary But that they might not be altogether destitute of reall comfort the Parliament of England sent them over at the same time Twenty thousand pound which arrived most seasonably at Dublin their treasure beginning utterly to fail for paying those new Companies which they had raised About the end of November the Lords Justices and Councell of Ireland considering the miserable desolations brought upon that whole Kingdom and what miseries were further threatned Commanded by Proclamation a Publike and religious Fast to be weekly observed upon Friday in the City of Dublin to implore the mercy and assistance of Almighty God and divert his heavy indignation from them CHAP. II. The King returneth out of Scotland and is pompously entertained by the City of London The Remonstrance is published by the Parliament The King entereth into the House of Commons The Protestation of the twelve Bishops and how it was censured by the Lords and Commons Divers unhappy obstructions of the releif of Ireland BUT to leave Ireland strugling against her sad and wofull calamities and returne again to the Affairs of England at that same time about the end of November 1641
insolent and menacing speeches against the Parliament it self It was therefore their humble desires that they might have a Guard out of the City commanded by the Earl of ESSEX Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties Houshold of whose fidelity to King and Common wealth no question was ever made Which Petition was denied by the King but with a solemn engagement of himself by the Word of a King that the security of all and every one of them from violence was and ever should be as much his care as the preservation of himself and his Children and if this generall assurance would not suffice to remove these apprehensions he would command such a Guard to waite upon them as he would be responsible for to Almighty God The next day after that the King had thus answered the Petition of the House being the fourth of Ianuary 1641 he gave unhappily a just occasion for all men to think that their fears and jealousies were not causelesse For upon that day the King came to the Parliament in Person attended with a great number of Gentlemen Souldiers and others armed with Swords and Pistols to the number of about three hundred who came up to the very door of the House of Commons and placed themselves there and in all passages neer unto it The King in Person entered the House of Commons and demanded five Members of that House to be delivered to him The manner of it was seating himself in the Speakers Chair he asked him whether those five Members were there or not The Speaker Mr. WILLIAM LENTHALL returned to his Majesty an humble and discreet answer That he had neither eyes to see nor tongue to answer any thing but what he was commanded by the House The names of those Members whom he demanded were Mr. DENZILL HOLLIS second Sonne to the Earl of Clare Sir ARTHUR HASLERIG Mr. PYM Mr. HAMDEN and Mr. STRODE All Gentlemen of great esteem and reputation in the House Two of them Mr. HOLLIS and Mr. STRODE having before suffered many years of sharp and harsh imprisonment from the King after the dissolution of that Parliament in the fourth year of his Reign for matters done in Parliament contrary to the Priviledges of that High Court The King had the day before by his Attourny Generall Sir EDWARD HERBERT a Member also of the House of Commons demanded the deliverance of those five forementioned Gentlemen and sent a Sergeant at Armes to apprehend them pretending that he meant to charge them and together with them the Lord MANDEVILE eldest son to the Earl of MANCHESTER a Member of the House of Lords with Articles of high Treason and other misdemeanors which Articles were to this purpose 1 That they had endeavoured to subvert the Government to deprive the King of his legall power and to place on Subjects an arbitrary and tyrannical power 2 That they had endeavoured by foule aspersions upon his Majesties Government to alienate the affections of his people from him 3 That they endeavoured to draw His late Army from His Obedience to side with them in traiterous Designes 4 That they trayterously invited and encouraged a forraign power to invade His Majesties kingdom of England 5 That they trayterously endeavoured to subvert the very Rights and Beeings of Parliament 6 That they have endeavoured by force and terror to compell the Parliament to joyne with them in their trayterous designes and to that end have actually raised and countenanced tumults against the King and Parliament 7 That they have trayterously conspired to Leavy and actually have Leavyed Warre against the King But the House of Commons hearing this demand to prevent such further breaches of Parliament Priviledges as might ensue upon the same day ordered upon the Questâ—on That if any persons should come to the lodgings of any Member of that House and there offer to seale their Trunkes or Doors or to seize upon their Persons That then such Members should require the aâ—de of the Constable to keep such persons in safe custody â—â—ll the House did give further Order And they further declared That if any Person should offer to arrest or dâ—tain the Person of any Member of that House without firsâ— aâ—â—uainting the House therewith and receiving further order from thence that it should be lawfull for such a Member or any Person in his assistance to stand upon his and their guard of defence and to make resistance according to the Protestation taken to defend the Priviledges of Parliaments These things had passed the day before that the King had so entered into the House of Commons His Majesty finding that those five Members were not there for they by consent of the House upon some informations of what would happen had absented themselves from the Speakers Chair where he â—ate made a Speech to the House wherein he told them That he was very sorry for that occasion but yet no King of England that ever was should be more carefull to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament then he would be that those five Members were dangerous men but he protested in the word of a King That he nevâ—r intended any force but to proceed against them in a legall and fair way But sithence he could not now do that which he came for he would trouble them no more but expected as soon as those five Members came to the House that the House would send them to him or else he would take his own course to find them But this great breach of Priviledges of Parliament was encreased by many circumstances For the day before being the third of Ianuary contrary to the forementioned order of the House of Commons the Chambers Studies and Trunks of those five Members by a Warrant from the King were sealed up Sir WILLIAM KILLIGREW and Sir WILLIAM FLEMEN with others being imployed in that service And within two dayes after upon the sixt of Ianuary a Proclamation was made by the King for the apprehending and imprisoning of those five Members wherein it was suggested that through the conscience of their own guilt they were absent and fled not willing to submit themselves to Justice Whereupon the House of Commons in vindication of their own Priviledges and those five Gentlemen published within a few dayes after a Declaration in which that Proclamation of the Kings entituled there A Printed Paper is declared to be false scandalous and illegall and that notwithstanding the said Printed Paper or any Warrant issued out or any other matter yet appearing against them or any of them they may and ought to attend the service of the said House of Commons and the severall Committees then on foot And that it was lawfull for all Persons to lodge harbour or converse with them or any of them and whosoever should be questioned for the same should be under the protection and Priviledge of Parliament The House of Commons further declared That the publishing of severall Articles purporting a form of a Charge of high Treason against
Court then a gracious Intimation that he accepted the tender of their loyall affections encouraging them to continue the same upon all occasions That he knew of no Fire-works in the hands of Papists For his going to the House of Commons that he intended no course of violence though that way had been justifiable for he was assured that no Priviledge of Parliament could extend to Treason which he knew would be proved against them upon cleer grounds and they in due time should be acquainted with it and that his proceedings against them should be according to the Lawes The King presently after his answering of that Petition sent another Message to the Parliament that for the present he would wave his proceedings against those five Members and returned a gentle Answer at that time to the Petitioners of Buckinghamshire who came to the number of about 2000 in behalf of their Knight Mr. HAMDEN a Gentleman much honored by them and by most of the whole Kingdom in which Petition they prayed that Mr. HAMDEN and the rest that lie under the burden of that accusation might enjoy the just priviledges of Parliament It was then grown a custom which proved accidentally very unhappie to the Kingdom however it were meant to come in great numbers to Westminster when they presented Peâ—itions to the Parliament though the people petitioning were unarmed and no just fear from them in the opinion of those who affected the Parliament yet those who thought themselves not well relliâ—hed by the people in general took occasion from thence either to fear indeed or at least to pretend fear alleadging that the Parliament was disturbed by such a numerous confluence of people and the freedom of the Houses in some degree infringed that some of the meaner sort were too apt to cast out rude words against such as they thought to be no good members of the Common-wealth of what degree soever they were From hence was occasion taken by some to justifie that Guard about White-hall and afterwards to excuse the Kings absenting himself from the Parliament And from this ground did the twelve Bishops about a week before this City-Petition frame their Petition and Protestation for so it was called to His Majestie and the Peers which was to this purpose They protested themselves to abominate all actions or opinions tending to Poperie or any Malignity against the State but were willing and ready to perform their duties in Parliament But whereas coming to perform that duty and service they have been rudely menaced affronted and put in fear of their lives by multitudes of people and can finde no redresse or protection upon complaint made they therefore humbly protest before His Majestie and the noble Peers that saving to themselves all their Rights and Interests of sitting and voting in that House at other times they dare not sit or vote in the House of Peers until His Majestie shall further secure them And because their fears are not vain but upon true grounds and objects they do in all duty and humility therefore protest before His Majestie and the Peers against all Laws Orders Votes Resolutions and Determinations as in themselves null and of none effect which in their absence since the 27 of this instant December 1641 have already passed as likewise against all such as shall hereafter passe during this their enforced absence from the said House Which Protestation they desired the King to command the Clerk of that House to record The Lords of Parliament immediately delivered by the mouth of the Lord Keeper at a Conference to the House of Commons That seeing this Protestation was of dangerous consequence and deeply entrenching upon the fundamental Priviledges and Being of Parliament therefore they thought fit to communicate it to the house of Commons The Commons thanked their Lordships for imparting it to them with so much affection and speed and for expressing their sense thereof and came to this resolution To accuse those twelve Bishops of high Treason Master GLYNN therefore was sent to the Lords who at their Bar in the name of all the Commons of England accused those twelve Prelates of high Treason for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and the very Being of Parliaments and to desire the Lords that they might be forthwith sequestred from Parliament and put into safe custodie and that their Lordships would appoint a speedie day for the Commons to charge them The Lords instantly sent the Black-Rod to finde out these Bishops and apprehend them so that by eight of the clock at night they were all taken and brought upon their knees to the Bar and ten of them committed to the Tower two of them in regard of their age were committed to the Black-Rod The twelve Bishops were these JO. Eborac THOMAS Duresme ROBERT Coven and Lichfield JOS. Norwich JO. Asaph GUIL Bath Wells GEO. Hereford ROB. Oxon. MATTH Ely GODFREY Gloucester JO. Peterborough MOR. Landaff Such work as this was daily made to the Parliament of England whereby not onely the relief of Ireland was wholly obstructed but all redresse of the grievances of England and settlement of the State there was so long retarded till both Kingdoms were at last involved in the same War and Confusion It was a strange thing that so barbarous and bloody a Rebellion should break out in Ireland without any the least suspicion or fear of such a Calamity without any cause given by the innocent English Protestants and surely it may seem as strange a thing if well considered that the revenge of so horrid and inhumane a Massacre should be thus hindered and indeed might be thought almost impossible unlesse the raising of the one and hindering the other proceeded from the same cause There was a great hope about the beginning of December that Ireland would speedily be relieved and Forces transported out of Scotland within a short time to that purpose considering what careful provisions the Parliament of England as is before related had made upon the first notice of it But at that time the King was returned from Scotland and in a Speech to the Parliament in which he conjured them to proceed in the businesse of relieving Ireland he likewise took notice of a Bill for pressing of Souldiers for Ireland depending in the House of Peers and declared his dislike of putting it in that way being as he said a great infringement and diminution of his Royal Prerogative telling them withal that he was little beholding to that man who began such a dispute concerning the bounds of his ancient and undoubted Prerogative But he offered at last that the Bill might passe with a Salvo jure both to King and People leaving such debates to a time that might better bear it This Speech of the King 's was much distasted by both Houses as a great breach of Parliament-priviledge insomuch as they framed a Petition to him wherein they expresse That the King by taking notice of the debate
rellished by the King as appeared by his Answer But the thing was of so great consequence that one Answer could not suffice Many reiterated Petitions were presented and many Answers returned upon this subject which are extant upon Record where the King often promiseth to be careful that no hands but those who are very faithful to the Common-wealth shall be by him entrusted with any part of the Militia but the nomination of any persons to those places he will reserve to himself it being a principal and inseparable flower of his Crown vested in him and derived to him from his Ancestors by the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom The Parliament on the other side affirming that nothing could enable them to suppresse the Rebellion in Ireland and secure themselves but the instant granting of that humble Petition which they hoped the King would not absolutely deny That it was their duty to him and the Common-wealth to represent unto him whatsoever they found so absolutely necessary for the preservation of both which the Laws both of God and man enjoyn them to see it put in execution During the debate of this businesse and before any absolute conclusion was made of it the King took a journey to Canterbury upon what reasons shall be anon declared It was before related that the King after his entring into the House of Commons to surprise the five Members had stayed a week at White-hall and then retired to Hampton-Court the next day after divers Citizens with a great shew of Boats and Guns in them brought the five Members to Westminster with many expressions that they would not forsake them who sare to defend their Religion Laws and Liberties The King now resident at Hampton-Court seemed extremely distasted at the Citie and pretended the reasons of his absence from Parliament to be fear for his Person by reason of Tumults that might be raised but true it is after this time he never could be brought neer the Citie or Parliament either in body or minde Within few days after the King had been at Hampton-Court he sent for divers of his servants who were then Members of the Parliament to leave the House and give their attendance upon his Person But two the chief of them ROBERT Earl of Essex lately made Lord Chamberlain of this Houshold and HENRY Earl of Holland Groom of the Stool chose rather to obey his Writ whereby they were called to assist in Parliament about the highest affairs of England then to obey this private Command of his to come and attend at Hampton-Court alleadging in excuse that their attendance in Parliament was truer service to him as King then any other could be For this the King presently after sent a Messenger to demand the Staff of the one and the Key of the other being the Ensignes of their Offices which they willingly resigned to the Messengers hands From Hampton-Court about the midst of February the King and Queen went to Canterbury and so to Dover with the Princesse MARY their eldest daughter married not a yeer before to WILLIAM son to the Prince of Orange The Queen her self passed from thence into Holland under pretext of keeping her daughter company to her husband the Lady was then about ten yeers of age which was not at all hindered by the Parliament But the Queen carried with her all or the greatest part of the Crown-Jewels of England which immediately she pawned in Holland and with that money bought Arms and Ammunition for that sad War which ensued not long after between the King and the Parliament of England The King's stay at Canterbury and Dover was not long nor the places so remote but that some businesse might passe though with great trouble of those Lords and others Members of the House of Commons who posted between upon all occasions The greatest thing which was done in that time was that the King at Canterbury signed the Bill for taking away Bishops Votes in Parliament When the Queen and her daughter had taken Sail the King came back to Greenwich whither he sent for the Prince and Duke of York to come to him and attend him in his journey to the City of York which was the place which he intended to reside at and to that purpose immediately went on his way as far as Theobalds to which place he was followed with a Petition from both Houses presented to him upon the first of March 1641. The substance of it was to intreat his Majestie that be would at last be pleased to grant their necessary Petition concerning the Militia of England which if he did refuse in these times of distraction they must be enforced and did resolve to dispose of it for the safety of the Kingdom in such manner as had been propounded to his Majestie They likewise intreated him to continue his abode neer London and his Parliament and not to take his son the Prince out of those parts and in conclusion desired his Majestie to be informed by them his great Councel that by the Laws of England the power of raising ordering and disposing of the Militia within any Citie Town or other place cannot be granted to any Corporation by Charter or otherwise without the authority and consent of Parliament The King denied to give any other Answer concerning the Militia then what he had before done That he conceived himself not safe in any place neer London and that he would take such a care of the Prince his son as should justifie him to God as a Father and to his Dominions as a King The Parliament upon occasion of that short Answer of the King to their Petition voted presently that that Answer was a flat Denial and that all was truth which they had averred in their Petition concerning the danger of his removal so far from the Parliament and likewise carrying of his son away It was likewise ordered by the Lords and Commons that the Earl of Northumberland Lord Admiral should give speedie directions for all the Ships belonging to the Navie Royal to be speedily rigged and fitted for the service of the Common-wealth A Declaration was drawn then by both Houses and presented to the King at Newmarket upon the ninth of March by the Earls of Pembroke and Holland with some Members of the House of Commons wherein were represented to him some of the old Grievances expressed in the first Remonstrance at his return out of Scotland as That the designe of altering Religion had been carried on by those of greatest authority about him for divers yeers That the War against Scotland was procured in order to that designe That the Rebellion in Ireland was contrived here in England out of many presumptions gathered from several examinations there They speak likewise of his attempt for bringing his Army against the Parliament of which before mention was made of his Warrants granted contrary to promise for transportation of JERMYN DIGBY and other Delinquents of that great breach of Parliament-Priviledge in
for leave to remove the Magazine at Hull to the Tower of London alleadging that the Stores of Arms and Ammunition in the Tower were much diminished and that the necessity of Supplies for the Kingdom of Ireland for which they had been issued from thence daily increased That the occasion for which the Magazine was placed at Hull was taken away there being no danger now from Scotland They likewise alleadged that it would be kept in the Tower with lesse charge and more safety and transported from thence with much more convenience for the service of Ireland The King seemed very angry at this Petition alleadging among other things that if any of those Arms were designed for Vlster or Leinster the conveyance of them would be more easie and convenient from Hull then from London But most of all he seemed to be exasperated for the Parliament had used timely prevention that they had sent to keep out from thence the Earl of Newcastle whom the King in that Answer termeth A Person of honour fortune and unblemished reputation and committed that Town and Fort without his consent to the hands of Sir JOHN HOTHAM The Parliament as it appeared by their expression in a Declaration at that time were much confirmed in that opinion which they had of the King 's aiming at Hull when he went Northward by an intercepted Letter from the Lord GEORGE DIGBY dated from Middleborough in Zealand the 20 of Ianuary 1641 to Sir LEWIS DIVES wherein he writes that if the King will declare himself and retire to a safe place he should be able to wait upon him from thence as well as out of any part of England over and above the service which he might do for him there in the mean time The like expressions he used in another Letter to the Queen intercepted in the same Packet intimating some service he might do her in those parts and desired a Cypher whereby to hold correspondencie with her in writing This young Lord of whom we spake before about the death of the Earl of Strafford a man of excellent parts and one that had been acceptable to the Parliament until his Speech about that businesse and some other miscarriage detected upon the same occasion was much alienated in heart from the Parliament because that Speech of his which he had printed against Command was ordered to be burned by the hands of the Hang-man so that afterward he became a great cherisher as appeared in divers things of those divisions which were growing between the King and Parliament and was voted against in the House of Commons as a disturber of the publike peace for appearing armed at Kingston upon Thames in an unusual and illegal manner with other circumstances there to belonging Whereupon the Lords in Parliament sent for him and if he appeared not within twenty days proclaimed him Traitor But he in the mean time was transported by Sir JOHN PENNINGTON into Holland by a Warrant under the Kings hand as the Declaration of the Lords and Commons to the King in March following expressed During the time that the King and Parliament were as aforesaid busied about getting the Magazine of Hull the Parliament proceeded by degrees in setling the Militia in divers Counties and putting the Commands into such hands as they reposed confidence in as likewise to take charge of the Navie and provide by that means against any forraign force that might assault the Kingdom And because the Earl of Northumberland Lord Admiral by reason of indisposition of health was disenabled then for commanding the Fleet in his own person they thereupon recommended to his Lordship the Earl of Warwick a man of such ability in Sea-affairs and such untainted reputation as they durst highly trust to supply his Lordships room in that employment But understanding that the King had chosen Sir JOHN PENNINGTON into that Command a Message was sent from both Houses to the King on the 28 of March to intreat him that the employment might no longer be detained from the Earl of Warwick as a noble person chosen by both Houses of Parliament in that Service the Charge whereof was to be born by the Common-wealth The King refused to admit of the Earl of Warwick taking great exception at the Message from both Houses as appeared by his Letter to the Lord Keeper concerning it that they would take upon them the nominating of the chief Sea-Commander But the Earl of Warwick within few months after though not without some opposition of divers Gentlemen who had before been placed in Command by the King and strove to carry away their Ships to His Majestie was possessed of the whole Navie of which some more particulars may hereafter be related Upon the 23 of April 1642 the King attended by some Noble-men and no great train of Gentlemen and Souldiers came before the walls of Hull to demand entrance there but he found the Gates shut and the Bridges drawn up by the command of Sir JOHN HOTHAM a member of the House of Commons and by the Parliament entrusted with the Government of that Town Sir JOHN HOTHAM appeared upon the Wall and kneeling down there intreated his Majestie that he would be pleased not to command that which he must be enforced though extremely grieved to disobey his Majestie in any thing to deny at that time alleadging that he could not admit his Majestie without breach of trust to the Parliament beseeching the King to give him leave to send to the Parliament to acquaint them with his command and take their direction The King upon this denial grew into choler and after some hot words seeming not to believe that the Parliament had commanded any such thing to that purpose speaking demanded of Sir JOHN HOTHAM that if he had Order from the Parliament to keep out his Person he should shew it in Writing for otherwise he would not believe it But Sir JOHN HOTHAM because the Order was not in those expresse words as naming the Kings particular person though he knew the sense and meaning of the Parliament did not produce any Writing onely beseeching the King not to command him that which he might not do Whereupon the King after some hours spent in vain about the Town proclaimed Sir JOHN HOTHAM Traitour and returned when he had received out of the Town his Son the Duke of York and his Nephew the Prince Electour whom Sir JOHN the day before had admitted into the Town entertained and lodged there that night The next day the King in a Message to the Parliament complained of that affront offered by Sir JOHN HOTHAM accusing him for that he had traiterously and seditiously strived to put his disobedience upon the Parliament the King seeming to believe that HOTHAM had done it upon his own head without any direction or authority from them And within two days after sent another Message to the Parliament complaining in a sharper manner then before of that great indignity which if they afforded
much scorn hissing and reviling the language and reason of them But divers of the Gentry and greatest part of the Free-holders began with sorrow to consider that this division of the King from his great Councel could produce nothing but misery to the Kingdom and dishonour to himself and therefore they humbly answered his Propositions concerning a Guard Thaâ— they were willing to do any service or expose their lives to any hazard for the safety of his Majesties Royal Person yet they thought themselves unworthy to advise him in a thing of so high consequence but humbly beseeched him to impart the grounds of his fears and jealousies to his high Court of Parliament of whose loyal care and affections to the King's honour and safetie and prosperitie of the whole Kingdom they were most confident And in behalf of the four fore-mentioned Members of Parliament lately employed to attend your Majestie said they from both Houses being all Gentlemen of quality and estate in the County we humbly crave your Majesties leave to expresse our confidence in their unstained loyalty to your Majestie so far as that you may securely admit their attendance to negotiate their employments until they shall be recalled by the Parliament And we do all engage our selves for their fidelity as being most assured that your Royal Person shall be secure in the General loyalty of your Subjects in this County without any extraordinary Guard The King was presented also the next day with a Petition from many thousands who termed themselves peaceably-affected Subjects in the County of York in which expressing their loyaltie and affection to him they speak thus We are confident that no so absolute and hearty observance of your Majesties just commands can be demonstrated as when you shall in Parliament declare them If they be divided which God forbid our hearts even tremble to consider the danger and diminution of the honour and safety of your Self and Kingdom since it is clear to every understanding that it is not a divided part of one or several Counties can afford that honour and safety to your Majestie as the whole Kingdom Which you may command no ground of fear or danger remaining if a good confidence were begot betwixt your Majestie and the Parliament whose grave and loyal Counsels are as we humbly conceive the visible way under God to put a speedie end to the troubles in Ireland and establish your Throne in Righteousnesse And lastly we humbly supplicate that we may represent our unfitnesse to become Iudges betwixt your Majestie and Parliament in any thing or dispute the Authority of either which we humbly conceive do fortifie each other c. The king was not well satisfied or pleased with this Petition but persisted still in his former way of raising Forces under the name of a Guard whilst the Parliament were voting to maintain those Gentlemen their Committee in the North in such things as they have done and shall further do in obedience to their commands for preservation of the Kingdom 's Peace as also to maintain their Ordinance concerning the Militia and to issue out Commissions into all parts of the Kingdom and appoint certain days for all the Trained Bands to be exercised in each County according to that Ordinance and that some Members might be sent into the several Counties to see the Ordinance performed and the Magazines of those several Counties in England and Wales to be forthwith put into the power of the Lord Lieutenants of the said Counties being such as were entrusted by the Parliament And whereas the King had made Proclamation for all the Gentlemen and others of that County to attend him in Arms as a Guard the Parliament three days after declared that it was against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom that any of the Subjects thereof should be commanded by the King to attend him at his pleasure but such as are bound thereto by special service and that whosoever upon pretence of his command shall take Arms and gather together with others in a warlike manner to the terrour of the King's people shall be esteemed disturbers of the publike peace and that the Sheriffs of those Counties where such raising or drawing of armed men should be should immediately raise the power of the Countie to suppresse them and keep the King's Peace according to Law So different and directly contrary at this time were the Commands of the King and Parliament in all things that the Lords in Parliament having been informed that the King was resolved to adjourn the next Term from Westminster to York and had given command to the Lord Keeper to issue Proclamations and Writs to that purpose voted that such a removal of the Term while the Parliament sate was illegal and ordered that the Lord Keeper should not issue any Writs or seal any Proclamation tending to that end CHAP. IIII. Many Members of both Houses leave the Parliament and repair to the King Nine of the Lords who first went away are impeached by the Commons and censured by the Peers The Great Seal is carried away from London to York Some Votes of Parliament concerning the King's proceedings A Petition with nineteen Propositions sent from the Parliament to the King THe King proceeded in his earnest endeavour of raising Forces as a Guard for his Person which in some measure he had effected by many fair expressions of love and grace to the people of those Northern Counties and serious Protestations of the clearnesse of his intent from any violation of Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom or making War against the Parliament But the Kingdom was not much affrighted with any Forces which the King could so raise nor could any other attempt of his in the Northern parts make the people fear a Civil War until they saw that great defection of the Parliament Members which began before the end of April and continued for the greatest part of that May for at that time did the Lords one after another and sometimes by numbers abandon the Parliament sitting and go to the King at York insomuch that in a very short space those Lords became the greater number and their departure began therefore to seem lesse strange then the constant sitting of the rest The Lords who left the Parliament were these the Duke of Richmond Marquesse Hartford the Earls of Lindsey Cumberland Huntingdon Bath Southampton Dorset Salisbury although Salisbury within few days after repenting himself made a secret escape from York to London and joyned himsâ—lf It again to the Parliament with whom he continued constant ever after Northampton Devonshire Bristol Westmerland Barkeshire Monmouth Rivers Newcastle Dover Carnarvan Newport the Lords MATREVERS WILLOUGHBY of Eresby RICH HOWARD of Charleton NEWAâ—K PAGET CHANDOYS FAWCONBRIDGE PAWLET LOVELAâ—E SAVILE COVENTRY MOHUN DUNSMORE SEYMOUR GREY of Ruthen CAPEL Within the same compasse of time many of the house of Commons though no great number in respect of those who continued in that house did likewise
House upon the eighth day of June last past they refused to appear and returned a scornful Answer by a Letter under their hands directed to the Speaker of the Lords House and remaining there upon Record For which Crimes and Misdemeanours to the interruption of the proceedings of Parliament and great Affairs of the Kingdom and tending to the dissolution of the Parliament and disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom I am commanded in the name of the said Commons to demand of your Lordships that the said Lords may be forthwith put to their Answer and receive speedy and exemplary punishment according to their demerits The Commons saving to themselves liberty at all times hereafter to exhibite any other or further Impeachment or Accusation against the said Lords or any of them Upon this Impeachment of the nine Lords the House of Peers about a month after being in their Robes entred into debate of the said Impeachment and after divers Speeches made by some Lords setting forth the greatnesse of their Offence they were censured 1. Never to sit more as Members of that House 2. That they should be utterly uncapable of any benefit or priviledges of Parliament 3. That they should suffer Imprisonment during their pleasure After which Censure it was concluded that the said Lords should be demanded in the behalf of both Houses of Parliament to submit to the said Censure About that time when the Members of both Houses of Parliament did daily forsake their station and repair to the King at York another accident fell out which gave a great wound to the Parliament and much encouragement to the King in his designes which was the carrying away of the Great Seal of England from London to York EDWARD Lord LITTLETON on whom the King when the Lord Keeper FINCH fled out of England as is before related had conferred the keeping of the Great Seal he being before Lord chief Justice of the Common-Pleas and created a Baron of the Realm had continued for some space of time after the rest were gone to York firm to the Parliament in all appearance and upon all occasions voted according to the sense of those that seemed the best affected that way and among other things gave his Vote for setling the Militia by Ordinance of Parliament insomuch that there seemed no doubt at all to be made of his constancy till at the last before the end of the month of Iune a young Gentleman one Master Thomas Eliot Groom of the Privie Chamber to the King was sent closely from York to him who being admitted by the Lord Keeper into his private Chamber when none else were by so handled the matter whether by perswasions threats or promises or whatsoever that after three hours time he got the great Seal into his hands and rid post with it away to the King at York The Lord Keeper Lâ—TTLETON after serious consideration with himself what he had done or rather suffered and not being able to answer it to the Parliament the next day early in the morning rode after it himself and went to the King Great was the complaint at London against him for that action nor did the King ever shew him any great regard afterwards The reason which the Lord Keeper LITTLETON gave for parting so with the great Seal to some friends of his who went after him to York was this That the King when he made him Lord Keeper gave him an Oath in private which he took That whensoever the King should send to him for the great Seal he should forthwith deliver it This Oath as he averred to his friends his conscience would by no means suffer him to dispense withal he onely repented though now too late that he had accepted the Office upon those terms The Parliament to prevent so sad a War sent out two Orders one to all Sheriffsâ— Justices and other Officers within 150 miles of the City of York that they should take special care to make stay of all Arms and Ammunition carrying towards York until they have given notice thereof to the Lords and Commons and received their further direction and to that purpose to keep strict Watches within their several limits to search for and seize all such Arms and apprehend the persons going with the same The other was to the Sheriff of Lancashire and other adjacent Counties to suppresse the raising and coming together of any Souldiers Horse or Foot by any Warrant from the King without the advice of the Lords and Commons in Parliament as likewise to declare all that should execute any such Warrant from the King disturbers of the peace of the Kingdom and to command the Trained Bands to be assistant to the Sheriffs in that service These Orders of the Parliament were immediately answered by a Proclamation from the King forbidding all his Subjects belonging to the Trained Bands or Militia of this Kingdom to rise march muster or exercise by vertue of any Order or Ordinance of one or both Houses of Parliament without Consent or Warrant from his Majestie The Parliament notwithstanding proceed in setling the Militia of the Kingdom having made on the second of Iune an Order for those revolted members to return to their duty again before the 16 of that month under the forfeiture of an hundred pound to be disposed to the Wars in Ireland besides undergoing such punishment as the Houses should think fit and had by this time at many places began to settle the said Militia Upon the same second of Iune also the Lords and Commons sent a Petition to the King with nineteen Propositions which the King received with great indignation as appeared in his Answer to them both in general and in divers Particulars concerning those Propositions as esteeming himself injured in restraint of his Power and Prerogative The Petition and Propositions were as followeth The humble Petition and Advice of both Houses of Parliament with Nineteen Propositions and the Conclusion sent unto His Majestie the second of Iune 1642. YOur Majesties most humble and faithful Subjects the Lords and Commons in Parliament having nothing in their thoughts and desires more precious and of higher esteem next to the honour and immediate Service of God then the just and faithful performance of their duty to Your Majestie and this Kingdom And being very sensible of the great distractions and distempers and of the imminent dangers and calamities which those distractions and distempers are like to bring upon Your Majestie and Your Subjects all which have proceeded from the subtil informations mischievous practices add evil counsels of men disaffected to Gods true Religion Your Majesties Honour and Safety and the publike Peace and Prosperity of Your People after a serious observation of the causes of those Mischiefs Do in alâ— humility and sincerity present to Your Majesty their most dutiful Petition and Advice that out of Your Princely Wisdom for the establishing Your Own Honour and Safety and gracious tendernesse of the Welfare and
them an Answer part of which was in this manner This just and faithful resolution of theirs to the publike good the Lords and Commons do not onely approve but commend assuring them that as their endeavours have been for the Peace and Happinesse of the King and Kingdom so they will persist in discharge of the great and publike Trust which lies upon them to go thorow all difficulties which may oppose the publike Peace and Welfare of this Kingdom and will upon all occasions be ready to expresse particularly to those persons that respect which is due to persons from whom they have received so great assurance of affection and fidelity In Kent there was cheerful obedience without any open opposition shewed to the Ordinance of the Militia as it appeared by their Petition and Proclamation and more by their real and constant actions True it is that some Gentlemen of that County were not much affected to the Parliaments Cause who did accordingly frame a displeasing Petition to the Houses and brought it up to London accompanied with many Gentlemen of that County but the Parliament having notice of it sent Officers and disarmed those Gentlemen who brought the Petition before they passed over London-bridge and the two which presented it to the House of Commons Sir WILLIAM BUTLER and M. RICHARD LOVELACE were both committed Those in Kent who favoured the King's party and Commission of Array were not a number considerable enough to bring that County into any combustion the Gentlemen which adhered to the Parliament used so great a care and industry in setling the Militia in disarming those few but great Papists among them in raising Arms and taxing themselves at high rates for the serâ—vice of the Parliament that they not onely preserved their own County in quiet but gave great assistance to the Parliament-Armies in other places as will appear in the sequel of this Story The Eastern end of Sussex it being a long and narrow County lying for many miles upon the Sea stood firm to the Parliament and were very industrious in setling of the Militia by which means they were so happie as to preserve themselves in peace and quâ—eâ—nesse But the Western part of that County by means of many revolted Members of the Parliament inhabitants there together with their Allies and friends was at the first in some distraction though it continued not very long Surrey and Middlesex by fortune of their situation could not but side with and by consequence be protected by the Parliament The Eastern Counties Suffolk Norfolk and Cambridgeshire once the Kingdom of the East-Angles were happily kept from the beginning without any great combustion though it were certain that many of the chief Gentry in those Counties bended in their affections to the King's Commission of Array but they were not a part strong enough to engage their Countries in a War For the Free holders and Yeomen in general adhered to the Parliament and those Gentlemen who attempted to raise men or draw Forces together or provide Arms for the King were soon curbed and all their endeavours crushed at the beginning by those of the other side especially by the great wisdom and indefatigable industry of Master OLIVER CRUMWEL a Member of the House of Commons who had taken a Commission for Colonel of Horse from the Parliament of whose particular actions there will be high occasion to discourse hereafter The County of Southampton began at the first to be divided and continued so being long and variously perplexed with the changing fortunes of either side Colonel GORING eldest son to the Lord GORING who had been the yeer before a means to detect that Conspiracie of bringing the Northern Army against the Parliament of which already hath been spoken and by that grown into some Trust with the Parliament of which he was a Member was sent down to Portsmouth to keep that place for them and three thousand pounds allowed him for the charges of Fortification He receiving that money from the Parliament broke his Trust and kept the Place for the King against them with what successe shall hereafter be declared But immediately after his revolt the Earl of Portland Governour of the Isle of Wight a man suspected by the Parliament was committed to custody in London for security of his person lest he should comply with Colonel GORING and command that Island for the King's party The Government of Wight was then committed to the Earl of Pâ—mbrook a man of whose fidelity the Parliament doubted not Though the Southern and Eastern parts of England enjoyed some shew of rest the Counties more remote from London toward the North and West could not at all partake of that happinesse In Lancashire the Lord STRANGE son to the Earl of Derby who was made Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire and Cheshire by the King seeking to put the Commission of Array in execution found great resistance from the Parliamentary Gentlemen Sir THOMAS STANLEY Master HOLLAND Master HOLCRAFT Master EGERTON Master BOOTH as also Master ASHTON and Master MOOR both Members of the House of Commons by whom within the space of few months he was quite driven out of the County and that Shire wholly ruled by the Parliament though it abounded more with Papists then any other The Lord STRANGE upon the fifteenth day of Iuly had made an attempt to gain Manchester and by those Gentlemen was repulsed where one man was slain which was the first blood shed in these Civil Wars But this Lord was not at all fortunate in service against the Parliament who not long after returned again with a great Force consisting of three thousand men to the Town of Manchester where after he had sharply besieged it for the space of two whole weeks he was at last quite beaten with the losse of many of his men In Cheshire also the other County of which he was made Lieutenant by the King his fortune was no better where he was resisted by Sir WILLIAM BRERETON and other Gentlemen and hindered from seizing the Magazine of that County as he intended Nor could the Earl of Rivers whom the King had put into the Commission of Array being a Papist assist him sufficiently to make good that County for the King but that the Papists were all disarmed there by those Protestant Gentlemen that adhered to the Parliament Further North the Countries were more full of variance The Earl of Newcastle with a strong Garison kept for the King the Town of Newcastle And the Earl of Cumberland made Lord-Lieutenant of York-shire by the King was active in putting the Commission of Array in execution but resisted they were by the Lord FAIRFAX and others of the Parliamentary Gentlemen But this businesse of the North shall now be passed over deserving a larger Story hereafter when time shall require to speak of the Earl of Newcastle's greatnesse and the various fortunes of the Lord FAIRFAX and his son Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX In Derbyshire where many great Lords
and Gentlemen inhabited none at all of note stood for the Parliament but Sir JOHN GELL and his brother of whose actions it will be seasonable to speak in another place Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire were in no lesse combustion In Leicestershire the troubles were far greater and early begun by Master HENRY HASTINGS second son to the Earl of Huntingdon whom the King had made Sheriff of that County and put into the Commission of Array who raised great Forces to seize upon the Magazine of that County Against whom the Earl of Stamford was sent by the Parliament as Lord Lieutenant with a considerable strength who arriving there did much curb the proceedings of Master HASTINGS and took possession of the Town of Leicester Great was the Contention about that time in Warwick-shire between the Earl of Northampton for the King and the Lord BROOK for the Parliament not without sharp encounters and slaughter on either side The Earl having seized the Ordnance at Banbury marched with great fury into Warwick-shire spoiling the Countrey as he went though not without opposition of the people and the Lord BROOK'S Forces against whom he could not at all prevail The Earl of Pembrook had setled the Militia in Wilâ—shire with small ado though it continued not long so And the Earl of Holland in Berk-shire being but saintly resisted by the Earl of Berk-shire the Lord LOVELACE and others For soon after the Earl of Berk-shire together with Sir JOHN CURSON Sir ROBERT DORMER and others for the Commission of Array who came to Watlington in Oxfordshire to seize the Magazine of that part of the County which was laid up in that Town were there taken prisoners and sent up to the Parliament by Colonel HAMDEN and Colonel GOODWIN two Members of the House of Commons and Knights of the Shire for Buckingham But the further that this Discourse travels Westward the greater and more remarkable you shall finde such contestations especially considering the number of Lords and Gentlemen of great rank and many of them Members of Parliament who sided with the King against the Parliament and were therefore afterward voted out of the House One great Head there was of all those Western Counties WILLIAM Marquesse of Hartford whom the King by his Commission of Array had appointed Chief and made him Lord Lieutenant-General of Devon Cornwal Somerset Dorset Wilts Southampton Gloucester Berks Oxford Hereford and seven Counties within the Principality of Wales who notwithstanding his high Command was never able to atchieve any great matter for the King's side so much were the common people of the West at that time inclined to the Parliament and so active were those Gentlemen who stood for it such as were the sons of Sir FRANCIS POPHAM Master ALEXANDER POPHAM HUGH and EDWARD who were more animated by the example of their aged father Master STRODE a Deputy-Lieutenant and others against all those frequent attempts which the Marquesse made Great was the number of considerable men in those Countries which took part with the Marquesse against the Parliament and very industrious in their several Stations to put in execution the Commission of Array as the Lord PAWLET Sir RALPH HOPTON and Sir JOHN STOWEL both Members of the House of Commons and for that reason put out of the House Sir RICHARD SLANY in Cornwal another Member put out also for the same cause as likwise were Sir EDWARD RODNEY and Master COVENTRY both Parliament-men who followed the Marquesse in some of his actions Sir BEVILE GREENVILE an active man another Member of Parliament was very industrious for the Array both in Cornwal and Devon joyning himself with the Earl of Bath who came for that purpose to his house at Tastock in Devonshire and assisted by many Gentlemen as Master CULINS Sheriff of that County M. BAMFIELD M. ASHFORD M. GIFFORD M. SAINTHIL Baronet SEYMOUR and M. COURTNEY to whose assistance Squire ROGERS came with Forces out of Dorsetshire Various were the Successes which Marquesse Hartford assisted by so many of the Gentry found in his several Enterprises sometimes prevailing but more often distressed In one Skirmish which about the beginning of August himself the Lord PAWLET Sir RALPH HOPTON Sir JOHN STOWEL and M. SMITH another Member of the House of Commons made against the Deputy-Lieutenants in Somersetshire he prevailed against them and possessed himself of the Town of Shepton-Mallet Ten men were slain and many wounded Going afterwards to Wells he had been besieged by many thousands of the People who arose against him but that having timely notice of their coming he escaped a back-way out of the Town About which time the Earl of Bedford was sent down by the Parliament against him with three hundred Horse by whom the Lord Marquesse the Lord PAWLET Sir RALPH HOPTON Colonel LUNSFORD and many other considerable men were besieged in Sherburn For great numbers out of the Country came daily to the assistance of the Earl of Bedford Many weeks did that Siege continue many Sallies were made out and sharp encounters on both sides performed with great courage the Parliament side being in firm hope to have taken them at last which was conceived a thing of great moment and advantage to their affairs if they could have possessed the persons of so many men considerable both in their Fortunes and Valour and who proved afterwards very strong and cruel enemies Yet that hope was frustrate for about the beginning of October they all escaped out of Sherburn the Earl neverthelesse pursued after them and in the Chase took M. PALLART Sir HENRY Sir JOHN and Sir CHARLES BARCLAY prisoners Within a week after the Earl of Bath was apprehended and brought up a prisoner to the Parliament It cannot be much wondered at that Division was found in Countrey-Towns and Villages so far remote from the Parliament where the people were variously wrought upon by perswasions or fears from either side when London it self the Seat of that great Councel and chiefest Bulwark of their defence was not without some taste of these Distractions Which besides the actions of some private Citizens too petty to be here rehearsed may appear to the Reader in one thing which cannot be omitted The Lord Major of London was at this time a prisoner in the Tower committed by the Parliament Sir RICHARD GURNEY Lord Maior of London for that yeer was charged by the House of Commons on the seventh of Iuly for being a mover of Sedition in the Kingdom in causing the King's Proclamation concerning the Commission of Array which was declared by both Houses to be illegal to be proclaimed in the City And the Charge being perfected was sent up to the Lords desiring that he might forthwith be called to his Answer which was accordingly granted Four days after while the Lord Maior was attending the Lords House upon this Charge and additional Impeachment was read against him in the House of Commons brought in by the Common-Councel of London for divers breaches of
his Oath in execution of his Office for proclaiming divers illegal Proclamations and contemning the Orders of Parliament This Impeachment was forthwith sent up and read in the Lords House Upon the reading of which it was ordered that he should be sent to the Tower from thence to be brought to a legal Trial upon his Impeachment Many days during the space of a whole month was this Lord Maior brought from the Tower to Westminster to attend the Lords of Parliament and many times returned back without being heard by reason of so great a multiplicity of Businesses as the Houses were then in At last after some hearings he was brought on the twelfth of August to the House of Lords to receive his Censure The effect whereof was that he should be put from his Majorality never bear Office in the City or Common-wealth be uncapable of all Honour or Dignity to be conferred on him by the King and stand committed prisoner to the Tower during the pleasure of both Houses During the time of these contentions between the Ordinance of the Militia and Commission of Array which is briefly touched by it self it will not be amisse to return to the King's proceedings in his own Person by what degrees he came to encrease in strength and what contestations happened betwixt Himself and the Parliament wherein that which concerned the Pen shall be first briefly touched and then his other actions But those Declarations Petitions and Proclamations which upon all occasions were then published are too many and too long to be recited in a Story in the Records and printed Books of Ordinances they may be read I shall onely mention some of the chief and excerp the most material contents of them The Parliament about the end of Iuly had petitioned the King to forbear all preparations of War and remove his Garisons To which he gave Answer and upbraided them with their preparations of War for appointing the Earl of Essex to be their General and the Earl of Warwick Admiral In that Answer he descants at large upon particulars commanding his said Answer and their Petition to be read in all Churches To which the Parliament reply as they had done before that they cannot lay down Arms nor rejourn the Parliament to any other place as he would have them unlesse he leave off those Warlike preparations and comply with that Councel to which onely he ought to adhere by the Constitution of this Government They likewise command the Petition Answer and Reply to be read in all Churches But things proceeding still higher the King being returned to the City of York from thence sent forth a Proclamation to suppresse as he there stileth it the present Rebellion under command of ROBERT Earl of Essex offering withal free pardon to him and all such as shall within six days after the date thereof being the ninth of August lay down their Arms. In which Proclamation also he commanded the Marquesse Hartford to raise speedily what Forces he could within all those Counties whereof he had made him Lieutenant-General in the Commission of Array of which before was spoken and to march against destroy or apprehend the said Earl of Essex The Parliament upon this Proclamation make a Declaration wherein they briefly recount all the King 's former proceedings against them and the Kingdom All which they attribute after their usual manner to his wicked Councel and promise still to make him great and happie if he will return to his great Councel But the next day after his former Proclamation the King continuing still at York sent forth another declaring that no Papist should serve him in his Army and that his Souldiers should commit no rapine upon the people And within two days after that he published a Discourse called A Declaration to all his loving Subjects concerning the proceedings of this present Parliament This Declaration was of a great length containing fifty pages in a large Quarto In which was comprised a kinde of History touching all former passages betwixt himself and them from the beginning of these divisions which is to be read in the printed Book of Parliament-Ordinances Toward the end of that Declaration he protesteth a wonderful love to Parliaments and to the peace and happinesse of the Kingdom but he requires that some persons as disturbers of the publike peace may be delivered into the hands of Justice to be tried by their Peers naming the Lord of Kymbolton and those five Members of the House of Commons whom before he came to surprise in that House Master HOLLIS Sir ARTHUR HASLERIG M. PYM M. HAMBDEN and M. STRODE as likewise M. HENRY MARTIN and Sir HENRY LUDLOW two Members also of the House of Commons for speaking some bold Speeches in that House He also desires to have delivered up to him Alderman PENINGTON who succeeded in the Majorality to the fore-named Sir KICHARD GURNEY and Captain VENN one of the City-Captains those two last he accuses of bringing tumults from the City to terrifie the Parliament at Westminster Another desire of the King 's is that Inditements of high Treason upon the Statute of the 23 yeer of King EDWARD the third may be drawn against the Earls of Essex Warwick and Stamford the Lord BROOK Sir JOHN HOTHAM and Serjeant-Major-General SKIPPON an expert and religious Souldier a man of high action in the succeeding War whom the City had employed in exercising of their Militia as likewise against all those who shall hereafter exercise the Militia by vertue of the Ordinance of Parliament The Pen was very quick upon all occasions and the King the next day after the publication of this long fore-mentioned Declaration sent a Message to the Parliament upbraiding both Houses with an Order which they had then made for the borrowing of an hundred thousand pounds out of that money which the Adventurers had raised for reducing of Ireland and subduing the Rebels there affirming that out of his Princely care and piety toward distressed Ireland he cannot but take notice of it commanding them immediately to retract that mischievous and unjust Order for so he calls it as they would answer the contrary to Almighty God himself and those that have trusted them Wherein he expecteth their speedie Answer and Obedience and the rather that he may thereby be secured that such part of the four hundred thousand pounds as is or shall be collected from his good Subjects of England by vertue of the late Act of Parliament whereby the same is granted may not likewise under false pretences be diverted from the proper use to which it was intended and misemployed to the disturbance of the Kingdoms peace in a War against him The Lords and Commons in Parliament make Answer to this Message expressing what caution there was in the very Order which upon that very occasion was printed for speedie repayment of that Sum and disposing of it to the right use But first they tell the King that this very Message of
his to them is an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament and upon that occasion they call to remembrance and declare many particulars of their care for the relief of Ireland and the King 's hindering of it Those particulars there expressed are as followeth They declare that this bloodie Rebellion was first raised by the same Counsels that had before brought two Armies within the bowels of this Kingdom and two Protestant Nations ready to welter in each others blood which were both defrayed a long time at the charge of the poor Commons of England and quietly at last disbanded by Gods blessing upon the Parliaments endeavours That this designe failing the same wicked Councels who had caused that impious War raised this barbarous Rebellion in Ireland and recommended the suppressing thereof for the better colour to the Parliaments care who out of a fellow-feeling of the unspeakable miseries of their Protestant Brethren there not suspecting this horrid Plot now too apparent did cheerfully undertake that great work and do really intend and endeavour to settle the Protestant Religion and a permanent Peace in that Realm to the glory of God the honour and profit of his Majestie and security of his three Kingdoms But how they have been discouraged retarded diverted in and from this pious and glorious Work by those traiterous Counsels about his Majestie will appear by many particulars They there mention the sending over at first of twenty thousand pounds by the Parliament and that good way found out to reduce Ireland by the Adventure of private men without charging the Subject in general which would probably have brought in a Million of money had the King continued in or neer London and not by leaving his Parliament and making War upon it so intimidated and discouraged the Adventurers and others who would have adventured that that good Bill is rendered in a manner ineffectual They mention that when at the sole charge of the Adventurers five thousand Foot and five hundred Horse were designed for the relief of Munster under the command of the Lord WHARTON and nothing was wanting but a Commission to enable that Lord for the Service such was the power of wicked Counsel that no Commission could be obtained from the King by reason whereof Lymrick was wholly lost and the Province of Munster since in very great distresse That when well-affected persons at their own charge by way of Adventure had prepared twelve Ships and six Pinnaces with a thousand Land-forces for the service of Ireland desiring nothing but a Commission from his Majestie that Commission after twice sending to York for it and the Ships lying ready to set Sail three weeks together at the charge of neer three hundred pounds a day was likewise denied And those Adventurers rather then lose their Expedition were constrained to go by vertue of an Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament That though the Lords Justices of Ireland earnestly desired to have two Pieces of Battery sent over as necessary for that Service yet such commands were given to the Officers of the Tower that none of the King's Ordnance must be sent to save his Kingdom That CHARLES FLOYD Engineer and Quartermaster-General of the Army in Ireland and in actual employment there against the Rebels was called away from that important Service by expresse command of the King That Captain GREEN Controller of the Artillery a man in Pay and principally employed and trusted here by the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland for providing and ordering the Train of Artillery which was to be sent to Dublin and who had received great sums of money for that purpose was commanded from that employment and trust to serve the King in this unnatural War against his Parliament And when the Parliament had provided six hundred suits of Clothes for present relief of the poor Souldiers in Ireland and sent them towards Chester WILLIAM WHITAKER that undertook the carriage of them was assaulted by the King's souldiers lying about Coventry who took away the six hundred suits of Clothes and the poor man his Waggon and Horses though they were told that the Clothes were for the souldiers in Ireland and though the poor Carrier was five times with the Earl of Northampton to beg a release of his Waggon That three hundred suits of Clothes sent likewise by the Parliament for Ireland with a Chirurgion's Chest of Medicaments towards Chester were taken all away by the King's Troopers under command of one Captain MIDDLETON together with the poor Carrier's Horses and Waggon for the King's service As likewise that a great number of Draught-horses prepared by the Parliament for the Artillery and Baggage of the Irish Army and sent to Chester for that purpose being there attending a passage are now required by the King for his present service in England whose forces are so quartered about the Roads to Ireland that no Provision can passe thither by Land with any safety That Captain KETTLEBY and Sir HENRY STRADLING the Admiral and Vice-Admiral of the Ships appointed to lie upon the coast of Ireland to annoy the Rebels and to prevent the bringing of Ammunition and relief from forraign parts are both called away from that employment by the King's command and by reason of their departure from the coast of Munster to which they were designed the Rebels there have received Powder Ammunition and other relief from forraign parts By which particulars say they it may seem that those Rebels are countenanced there upon designe to assist the enemies of the Parliament here especially considering that those confident Rebels have presumed very lately to send a Petition to the King intituling themselves his Majesties Catholike Subjects of Ireland and complaining of the Puritan Parliament of England and desiring that since his Majestie comes not thither according to their expectation they may come into England to his Majestie The Parliament therefore finding what danger both Kingdoms are in by the designes of cruel enemies thought fit to provide for the safety of both by preparing a competent Army for the defence of King and Kingdom But in regard that the Plate brought in by so many well-affected men could not be coâ—â—ed to suddenly as the service required and well knowing that one hundred thousand pounds might for a short time be borrowed out of the Adventurers money for Ireland without any prejudice to the affairs of that Kingdom whose Subsistence depends upon the Welfare of this and resolving to make a speedie repayment of that money made this Order which that it may appear say they to all the world to be neither mischievous illegal nor unjust as the King calls it the House of Commons thought fit to recite it in haec verba and instead of retracting the Order to repay that money with all possible speed The Order Iuly 30. It is this day Ordered by the Commons House of Parliament That the Treasurers appointed to receive the Moneys come in upon the Subscriptions for Ireland do forthwith
young Princes arrived in England were soone put into imployment and Command under the King their Uncle in which they shewed themselves very forward and active as will appeare afterward and if more hot and furious then the tender beginnings of a Civill Warre would seeme to require it may be imputed to the fervour of their youth and great desire which they had to ingratiate themselves to the King upon whom as being no more then Souldiers of fortune their hopes of advancement wholly depended Prince RUPERT the elder brother and most furious of the two within a fortnight after his arrivall commanded a small party of those Forces which the King had at that time gathered together which were not of so great a body as to be tearmed an Army with which he marched into divers Counties to roll himselfe like a snow ball into a larger bulke by the accession of Forces in every place Through divers parts of Warwick-shire Nottingham-shire Leicestershire Worcester-shire and Cheshire did this young Prince fly with those Troops which he had not inviting the people so much by faire demeanour for such was the report to the Houses of Parliament as compelling them by extreme rigour to follow that side which he had taken Many Townes and Villages he plundered which is to say robb'd for at that time first was the word plunder used in England being borne in Germany when that stately Country was so miserably wasted and pillaged by forraigne Armies and committed other outrages upon those who stood affected to the Parliament executing some and hanging up servants at their Masters doores for not discovering of their Masters Upon which newes the Houses of Parliament fell into a serious debate and agreed that a Charge of High Treason should be drawne up against him for indeavouring the destruction of this State which was voted a great breach of the Kingdoms Lawes and breach of the priviledge of that great Councell representing the whole state of it Let it not seeme amisse in this place to insert a passage happening at the same time which cannot be omitted by reason of the eminence of that person whom it concernes in the succeeding Warres Colonell GORING who was before spoken of to keepe the Towne of Portsmouth against the Parliament being now no longer able to hold it out was permitted by Captaine MERRICK not without allowance from the Earle of Warwick to leave the place and to be conveyed to the Brill in Holland according to his owne desire This the Parliament were contented with because the Captaine was necessitated to agree to it for preservation of that Towne and many persons therein well affected to the Parliament for GORING had threatned to destroy the Towne with wilde-fire if he might not preserve his owne life by a peaceable surrender Whilest Prince RUPERT was thus active with a flying Party the King himselfe was moving with those Forces which he had but in a gentler and calmer way for the reverence which the people bare to his Person made him finde lesse resistance as windes lose their fury when they meet no opposition but howsoever the King desired to go in such a way as to be taken for a Father of his Country and a Prince injur'd by the Parliament professions of love perswasions and Protestations of his affection to the people were the chiefe instruments which he used to raise himselfe a strength and complaints against the proceedings and actions of the Parliament as when he was marching toward Shrewsbury where he intended to make his chiefe Rendezvouze being a place convenient to receive and entertaine such Forces as should come to him out of Wales Which place as will appeare afterward failed not his expectation though it were more then the Parliament could suspect As he was marching thither with a small Army he made a Speech betweene Stafford and Wellington on the 19. of September and caused his Protestation to be then also read in the head of his Army wherein among other things he tells them for their comfort and hope to prevaile that they should meet no Enemies but Traytors most of them Brownists Anabaptists and Atheists who would destroy both Church and Common-wealth And in this Protestation with deepe vowes and imprecations upon himselfe and his posterity he declares his whole care and intentions to be for the maintenance of the Protestant Religion the Lawes and property of the Subject together with the Priviledge of Parliament as he was accustomed to do in his former Speeches But the King not many daies before had taken a more harsh and coercive way for marching thorow Derbyshire Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire he commanded the Trayned Bands of those Counties to attend and guard his Person and when they were met disarmed the greatest part of them taking as many Armes as served for 2000. men besides good summes of Money which not without some constraint he borrowed from them But to leave the Kings proceedings for a while it is time to returne to the Lord Generall for the Parliament and the Army raised under his conduct which at that time when Prince RUPERT began to march was growne to a considerable body consisting of about â—4 thousand Horse and Foot their generall Rendezvouze was at Northampton where many of the chiefe Commanders as the Lord BROOKE Lord ROBERTS Colonell HAMDEN and others stayed with them expecting the presence of his Excellence who on the ninth of September taking his leave of the Parliament and City of London bent his journey toward Northampton and was waited on by the Trayned Bands and a great number of armed Gentlemen from Essex House to the end of the City with great solemnity But the love and wishes of the people that did attend him were farre greater then any outward signification could expresse To whom he seemed at that time though going to a Civill Warre as much an English man and as true a Patriot as if he had gone against a forraigne Enemy Great was the love and honour which the people in generall bore to his Person in regard of his owne vertue and honourable demeanour and much increased by the Memory of his noble Father the highest example that ever I yet read of a Favourite both to Prince and people of whom that was most true which VELLEIUS PATERCULUS speaks with flattery and falshood of SEJANUS In quo cum judicio Principis certabant studia populi The peoples love strived to match the Prince his judgement That Cause wherein the Earle of ESSEX had ingaged himselfe seemed to them religious enough to require their prayers for the successe of it For the Parliament though they raised an Army expressed much humility and reverence to the Kings Person for not many daies after the departure of the Lord Generall by consent of both Houses a Petition to the King was drawne up to be carried by Sir PHILIP STAPLETON a Member of the House of Commons often spoken of before and at this time a Colonell in the Lord Generals
the Lord Generall Essex with as great an Army were then abroad to attend his Marches The Parliament it selfe tooke the businesse into their strict care For both Houses conceiving that the City was in imminent danger of the Kings Forces ordered That the Trayned Bands thereof should be speedily raised for a Guard That such Fortifications as could suddenly be made should not be wanting That a Committee should be appointed to consider of the present setting up Courts of Guard and raising Works for planting of Ordnance in speciall places about the City and Suburbs According to which Order many hundreds of men fell presently to worke in digging of Trenches and other Bulwarks It was Ordered likewise That the Trayned Bands of London Middlesex and Surrey should be put into a readinesse And that the close Committee by help of the Lord Mayor should with all diligence search out and secure the persons of all the ill-affected Citizens or the chiefe of them that were suspected to be most able or active to raise a Party against the Parliament Twelve Companies of London were by Order of Parliament sent to Windsor to possesse and secure that Castle and many Seamen raised to guard the passages of the River Thames The Parliament about that time considering how much these Civill distractions increased over the whole Kingdome passed a Vote That it was and should be lawfull for all Counties in England to enter into an Association for mutuall defence of each other of their Religion Lawes and Liberties Whereupon within a short time after Buckingham Hartford and Nottinghamshire began to associate after that manner raised Forces for the Parliament and advanced both Plate and Money upon their Propositions The danger that seemed to threaten London at that time though distant in place yet in reason was neer For the Kings Army was judged to be neerer to it then the Lord Generals was and it was probable enough that his desires would rather lead him to attempt the City then to ingage against the Army and it was thought and spoken by some that London was a place where he had many friends who upon the approach of such an Army would appeare for him and to facilitate his atchievements would fill the City with intestine tumults and seditions That London was the onely place where the Parliament was to be totally suppressed and his Army inriched to the height of their desires But others were of opinion that such an attempt as it was preposterous would prove frustrate and that the City could not be gained unlesse the Army were first subdued For besides the consideration that the supposed Party for the King in London were not in probability of power enough to accomplish his ends it might be thought they were not so desperately inclined to him as to throw themselves and estates into such hazard as must be undergone in the confused rage of a licentious Army The maine reason against it was That the Lord Generall Essex with an Army as strong as the Kings would follow his March neere at hand and by the help of those Forces which the City of London would power forth upon him utterly ruine his inclosed Army But howsoever the counsels were it pleased God that it was brought to a Battell to which probably the King might be the more invited by that advantage of the absence of a great part of the Parliaments Army This famous Battell called by some the Battell of Edgehill by others the Battell of Keynton that Keynton is a little Towne in Warwickshire almost in the mid way betweene Stratford upon Avon and Banbury was fought on a Sunday being the 23. day of October The King on Saturday the 22. of October came within six miles of Keynton and that night at Cropredy and Edgecot lodged his great Army consisting of about 14000. Foot and about 4000. Horse and Dragoneers a farre greater number then the Lord Generall Essex had together at that time though his whole Army consisted of more for that opportunity the King tooke of the absence of many Regiments of the Parliament The Lord Generall Essex on that Saturday night quartered at Keynton with his Army consisting then but of 12. Regiments and about 40. Troops of Horse little in all exceeding the number of 10000. men the reason why his Forces at that time were no more in number was besides that by reason of the suddennesse of his march and diligence to follow the Kings Army he had left behinde two Regiments of his Foot one under the Command of Colonell HAMDEN the other of Colonell GRANTHAM together with 11. Troops of Horse behinde but one daies March and left to bring on the Artillery which was seven Peeces of Canon with great store of Ammunition and came not to Keynton till the Battell was quite ended the Lord Generall also had before left for preservation of the Countries thereabout and whom on such a sudden he could not call together to his Assistance one Regiment of Foot and two Troops of Horse under command of the Earle of Stamford at Hereford that the power of Wales might not fall into Glocestershire another Regiment was left at Worcester another at Coventry for the safety of that Towne and one Regiment occasionally lodged then in Banbury In Keynton the Lord Generall intended to rest Sunday to expect the residue of his Forces and Artillery but in the morning the Enemy was discovered not far off which made him give present order for drawing that Army which he had there into the field the Kings Forces had gotten the advantage of a very high and steepe ascent called Edgehill from whence they were discovered that morning not farre from the foot of that hill was a broad Champion called The vale of the red Horse a name suitable to the colour which that day was to bestow upon it for there happened the greatest part of the encounter Into that field the Lord Generall was forced presently to march making a stand about halfe a mile distant from the foot of Edgehill where he drew his Army into Battalia and saw the Kings Forces descending the Hill ready for their incounter that Army at the first having two advantages of the hill and of the winde it was full of skilfull Commanders and well ordered their greatest Body of Horse was on the right wing on the left were some Horse and Dragoneers The Parliament Army was drawne up and put into Battalia upon a little rising ground in the forenamed Vale the Foot being many of them a good space behind the Horse when the Charge began Three Regiments of Horse were on the right wing the Lord Generals owne Regiment commanded by Sir PHILIP STAPLETON Sir WILLIAM BAâ—FORES Regiment who was Lieutenant Generall of the Horse and the Lord FIELDINGS Regiment which stood behinde the other two in the way of a Reserve Sir JOHN MELDRUMS Brigado had the Van Colonell ESSEX was in the middle the Lord Generals Regiment the Lord BROOKE and Colonell HOLLIS were
effect of that verball Skirmish which immediately followed the great and bloody Battell of Keynton CHAP. II. The Parliament send to the King concerning an Accommodation A fight at Branford Another Treaty with the King begun and broken off Reading besieged by the Lord Generall ESSEX and surrendred to him A Conspiracy to betray Bristoll A treacherous Plot against the Parliament and City of London discovered and prevented AT the famous Battell of Edgehill the great cause of English Liberty with a vast expence of blood and Treasure was tryed but not decided which did therefore prove unhappy even to that side which seemed victorious the Parliament Army For though the Kings Forces were much broken by it yet his strength grew accidentally greater and more formidable then before to whom it proved a kinde of victory not to be easily or totally overthrowne For the greatest Gentlemen of divers Counties began then to consider of the King as one that in possibility might prove a Conquerour against the Parliament and many of them who before as Neuters had stood at gaze in hope that one quick blow might cleare the doubt and save them the danger of declaring themselves came now in and readily adhered to that side where there seemed to be least feares and greatest hopes which was the Kings Party for on the Parliament side the incouragements were onely publike and nothing promised but the free injoyment of their native Liberty no particular honours preferments or Estates of Enemies and on the other side no such totall ruine could be threatned from a victorious Parliament being a body as it were of themselves as from an incensed Prince and such hungry followers as usually go along with Princes in those waies And how much private interest will oversway publike nations Books of History rather then Philosophy will truly informe you for concerning humane actions and dispositions there is nothing under the Sunne which is absolutely new Looke upon the Discourse of one Historian in that subject DION CASSIUS a Writer of as little bias in the opinion of all Criticks as any among the Antients when he relates the last Warre about Roman Liberty after which as himselfe speaks that People never againe looked back toward it Which was the Warre of BRUTUS and CASSIUS against CAESAR and ANTONY Etsi ante hanc pugnam civilibus bellis c. Although saith DION before this War they had many Civill Wars yet in others they fought who should oppresse the Roman Liberty in this War one side fought to vindicate Liberty the other to bring in Tyranny yet the side of Tyranny prevailed and drew most to it Of what quality they were the same Historian speaks also The Armies of BRUTUS and CASSIUS that stood for Liberty consisted of the lower sort of people and Ex subditis Romanorum the other that stood for Tyranny consisted saith he Ex Romanis Nobilibus Fortibus BRUTUS and CASSIUS two chiefe Souldiers before the Battell making Orations incouraged them to fight for their ancient freedome and Roman Laws CAESAR and ANTONY promised to their Souldiers the Estates of their Enemies Et imperium in omnes Gentiles suos and power to rule over their owne Countrymen which proved it seemes better Oratory then the other and more perswasive BRUTUS and CASSIUS delayed the Battell as loath to waste so much blood if by any other stratagem they might have subdued because they were saith DION good men and pittyed their Countrymen loving the safety and striving for the Liberty even of those men who fought against them to overthrow that Liberty Yet that delay proved ill and many Noblemen in that time forsooke them and turned to the other side whither their private hopes or feares led them Whether the parrallel will in some measure fit this occasion or not I leave it to the Reader and returne to the Narration The Earle of Essex the next day after Keynton Battell marched with his Army toward Warwick to which Towne he arrived safe disposing of the Prisoners Waggons and Ordnance which he had taken into that Castle with resolution after some short refreshment of his men there to march neerer to the King But the King returned toward Oxford seizing by the way upon Banbury from whence he tooke 1500. Armes and turned out the Parliament Souldiers that were quartered there His Army consisting especially of Horse was divided into severall Bodyes and Prince RUPERT with part of it visited the Towns neere adjacent as Abingdon Henley and other places from whence he returned with great booty Within few daies he made a neerer approach toward London but with a flying Army resting in no place sometimes as farre as Stanes and Egham which made the City of London carefull to provide for their safety against sudden incursions and send Forces to possesse and fortifie Windsor Castle In the meane time to secure London and free those parts from greater feares the Earle of Essex had marched with his Army neerer to that City and on the seventh day of November came himselfe to Westminster his Army being billitted about Acton and other neere places and was welcomed by both Houses of Parliament who presented him with a gift of 5000 l. as an acknowledgement of their thanks in behalfe of the Kingdome for his care paines and valour in the actions already passed But before the Earle of Essex departed from London another bloody tragedy was acted and the scene no farther then Brainford about eight miles distance the King himselfe being there or not farre off in Person The manner and occasion of it shall be in briefe related The Parliament expressing great griefe for this unnaturall Warre and bloodshed that this indangered Kingdome might be saved from ruine and the better meanes made to recover Ireland had agreed upon a Petition for Accommodation to be presented to the King then at Colebrooke by the Earles of Northumberland and Pembrooke with foure Commons the Lord WAINMAN Master PERPOINT Sir JOHN EVELIN and Sir JOHN IPSLEY Sir PETER KILLIGREW was sent before to procure a safe Conduct But the King refused to admit of Sir JOHN EVELYN because he was one whom himselfe had named Traytor the day before Which exception of the Kings was extremely distasted by the Parliament yet so great was their desire of Accommodation that although this excepting of Sir JOHN EVELIN were voted by them a breach of Priviledge and a flat denyall from the King the Petition was sent by the five forenamed Lords and Gentlemen Sir JOHN EVELIN being very willing to be left out The King being then at Colebrooke fifteene miles distant seemed to receive the Petition with great willingnesse and returned them a faire Answer calling God to witnesse in many Protestations that he was tenderly compassionate of his bleeding people and more desirous of nothing then a speedy peace to which purpose he was most willing at any place where he should reside not farre from London to receive such Propositions of Peace as they should send
and to treat with them As soone as the Parliament Lords returned with this Answer the Kings Artillery according to all relations advanced forwards with divers Troops of Horse thorow that Towne of Colebrooke after them towards London and taking advantage of a great mist which happened that Friday night they marched to Brainford and fell upon the Parliament Forces which were there quartered which were a broken Regiment of Colonell HOLLIS but stout men who had before done great service Of them the Kings Forces killed many and had quite destroyed all in probability if the Lord BROOKS and Colonell HAMâ—DENS Regiments billitted not farre off had not made haste to their reliefe who comming in maintained a great and bloody fight against the Kings Forces where many were slaine on both sides and many taken Prisoners both Parties as before it happened at Keynton Battell esteeming themselves conquerors and so reporting afterwards The newes of this unexpected fight was soone brought to London whither also the noise of the great Artillery was easily heard The Lord Generall Essex then sitting at Westminster in the House of Peeres tooke Horse immediately and with what strength he could call together on such a sudden came in to the rescue of his ingaged Regiments but night had parted them and the King was retired to his best advantages all that night the City of London powred out men toward Brainford who every houre marched thither and all the Lords and Gentlemen that belonged to the Army were there ready on the Sunday morning being the 14. of November a force great enough to have swallowed up a farre greater Army then the King had Besides the Kings Forces were encompassed on every side insomuch as great hope was conceived by most men that the period of this sad Warre was now come But God was not yet appeased toward this Nation a fatall doore was opened to let out the inclosed King Three thousand of the Parliament Souldiers were then at Kingstone upon Thames a Towne about ten miles distant from the City which Souldiers were all as it happened commanded to leave that Towne and march thorow Surrey with what speed they could and over London Bridge so thorow the City toward Brainford to prevent the Enemies passage to London The reason of that Command was afterward given for that the Lord Generall was not assured of strength enough to stop the Enemy from London nor could before hand be assured of so great an Army as came thither before morning But this was the event of it and thorow Kingstone thus abandoned the King retreated and leaving some Troops to face his Enemies brought all his Foot and Artillery over that Bridge which drawing up afterward he had time enough securely to plunder many places of that Country and retire safely to Oxford where he intended to take up his winter Quarters The Parliament upon this Action of the King began to be out of hope of doing any good by Treaties resolving that the Lord Generall with all speed that might be should pursue the Kings Forces and fall upon them about Oxford and Reading for newes was daily brought them how active his Parties were under the conduct of Prince RUPERT and others in plundering all the places thereabouts And the City of London to incourage the Parliament with a free tender of their service framed a Petition to them to intreat them That they would proceed no further in the businesse of Accommodation because evill Counsell was so prevalent with the King That he would but delude them That they had heard his Forces are weake and that if his Excellency would follow and fall upon them and that no delayes be made for feare of forraigne Forces comming over the City as heretofore would with all willingnesse spend their lives and fortunes to assist the Parliament The City was thanked for their Petition and Protestation and the Lord Generall moved by the Parliament to advance who though the season of the yeare were not very fit for so great a Body to march was very desirous to obey their Commands The best way was thought to divide his Army and send severall parties to severall places to restraine the Enemies from annoying the Countries as to Buckingham Marlow Reading and other parts untill himselfe with his whole force could be well accommodated to march from Windsor where he lay that winter toward the King But it so fell out either by reason of ill weather at some times and at other for want of Money or fit accommodation that the Generall himselfe with his maine Army marched not forth untill the spring whose first businesse was to lay siege to Reading which was fortified by the Kings Forces and maintained by a Garrison of 3000. Souldiers and 20. Peece of Ordnance before which Towne he sate downe upon the five and twentieth day of April 1643. with an Army of about 16000. Foot and 3000. Horse Now leaving the Lord Generall before Reading with his Army in the meane time we will shew one maine reason why he did no sooner advance The expectation of another Treaty which the Parliament had desired to have with the King for setling of the Kingdomes Peace which proved fruitlesse in debate lasted a long time Propositions were drawne up by the Parliament and sent to Oxford on the 31. of Ianuary 1642. by foure Lords and eight Commoners the Earles of Northumberland Pembrooke Sarum and Holland Lord WAINMAN Lord DUNGARUAN Sir JOHN HOLLAND Sir WILLIAM LITTON Master PERPOINT Master WALLER Master WHITLOCK Master WINHOOD the Propositions were 1. That the King would passe those Bils which the Houses had made ready 2. To passe a Bill for setling Parliament Priviledges and Liberties 3. For bringing to tryall those Delinquents whom the Houses had impeached since Ianuary last 4. For clearing the six Members before mentioned 5. For restoring all Judges and Officers of State lately removed 6. To passe a Bill for re-paying the charge of the Kingdome 7. A Bill for an Act of Oblivion 8. An Act for a generall pardon without exception 9. That there may be a Cessation of Armes for fourteene daies to agree upon these Propositions The King not liking nor yet utterly refusing these Propositions sent the Commissioners home to their Parliament within a weeke after they came to carry six Propositions from him to the Houses which were 1. That his Revenue Magazines Townes Forts and Ships may be delivered to him 2. That all Orders and Ordinances of Parliament wanting his assent may be recalled 3. That all power exercised over his Subjects by Assessements and imprisoning their persons may be disclaimed 4. That he will yeeld to the execution of the Laws against Papists provided that the Booke of Common-Prayer be confirmed 5. That such persons as upon the Treaty shall be excepted out of the generall Pardon shall be tryed by their Peâ—res onely 6. That there be a Cessation of Armes during the Treaty The Houses upon receiving of these Propositions though at first it
slaine That Commission of Array was directed from the King to Sir NICHOLAS CRISPE Sir GEORGE STROUD Knights to Sir THOMAS GARDINER Knight Recorder of London Sir GEORGE BINION Knight RICHARD EDES and MARMADUKE ROYDEN Esquires THOMAS BROWNE PETER PAGGON CHARLES GENNINGS EDWARD CARLETON ROBERT ABBOT ANDREW KING WILLIAM WHITE STEVEN BOLTON ROBERT ALDEM EDMUND FOSTER THOMAS BLINKHORNE of London Gentlemen and to all such other persons as according to the true intent and purport of that Commission should be nominated and appointed to be Generals Colonels Lieutenant Colonels Serjeant Majors or other Officers of that Councell of Warre The Commission it selfe is to be read at large in the Parliament Records But this Conspiracy was prevented and proved fatall to some of the Contrivers being detected upon the last day of May which happened at that time to be the day of the Monethly Fast and Master WALLER Master TOMKINS with other of the forenamed Conspirators being apprehended were that night examined by divers grave Members of the Parliament of whom Master PYM was one and afterwards reserved in custody for a Tryall They were arraigned in Guild-Hall and Master WALLER Master TOMKINS Master CHALLONER Master HASELL Master WHITE and Master BLINKHORNE were all condemned none were executed but Master TOMKINS and Master CHALLONER being both hanged Master TOMKINS in Holborne and Master CHALLONER in Cornhill both within sight of their own dwelling houses Master HASELL dyed in Prison BLINKHORNE and the other were by the mercy of the Parliament and the Lord Generall Essex reprived and saved afterwards Master WALLER the chiefe of them was long detained Prisoner in the Tower and about a yeare after upon payment of a Fine of ten thousand pounds was pardoned and released to go travell abroad It was much wondered at and accordingly discoursed of by many at that time what the reason should be why Master WALLER being the principall Agent in that Conspiracy where Master TOMKINS and Master CHALLONER who had been drawne in by him as their own Confessions even at their deaths expressed were both executed did escape with life The onely reason which I could ever heare given for it was That Master WALLER had been so free in his Confessions at the first without which the Plot could not have been clearly detected That Master PYM and other of the Examiners had ingaged their promise to do whatever they could to preserve his life He seemed also much smitten in conscience and desired the comfort of godly Minister being extremely penitent for that soule offence and afterwards in his Speech to the House when he came to be put out of it much be wailed his offence thanking God that so mischievous and bloody a Conspiracy was discovered before it could take effect CHAP. III. Matters of State trans-acted in Parliament touching the Assembly of Divines The making of a new Great Seale Impeaching the Queene of High Treason and other things The Lord Generall Essex after some Marches returneth to quarter his wasted and sick Army about Kingston The Kings Forces Masters of the West The Earl of Newcastle his greatnesse in the North. Some mention of the Earle of Cumberland and the Lord FAIRFAX AT the same time that these Conspiracies were closely working to undermine the Parliament and Warre was raging in highest fury throughout the Kingdome many State-businesses of an unusuall nature had been trans-acted in the Parliament sitting For things were growne beyond any president of former ages and the very foundations of Government were shaken according to the sense of that Vote which the Lords and Commons had passed a yeare before That whensoever the King maketh Warre against the Parliament it tendeth to the dissolution of this Government Three things of that unusuall nature fell into debate in one moneth which was May 1643. and were then or soone after fully passed one was at the beginning of that moneth concerning the Assembly of Divines at Westminster Among other Bils which had passed both Houses and wanted onely the Royall Assent that was one That a Synod of Divines should be chosen and established for the good and right settlement of Religion with a fit Government for the Church of England This Bill was oft tendred to the King to passe but utterly refused by him The matter therefore was fully argued what in such cases might be done by Authority of Parliament when the Kingdomes good is so much concerned when a King refuseth and wholly absenteth himselfe from the Parliament And at last it was brought to this conclusion That an Ordinance of Parliament where the King is so absent and refusing is by the Lawes of the Land of as good Authority to binde the people for the time present as an Act of Parliament it selfe can be It was therefore Voted by the Lords and Commons That the Act for an Assembly of Divines to settle Religion and a forme of Government for the Church of England which the King had oft refused to passe should forthwith be turned into an Ordinance of Parliament and the Assembly thereby called debate such things for the settlement of Religion as should be propounded to them by both Houses which not long after was accordingly put in execution The case seemed of the same nature with that of Scotland in the yeare 1639. when the Scottish Covenanters as is before mentioned in this History upon the Kings delay in calling their Nationall Synod published a writing to that purpose That the power of calling a Synod in case the Prince be an Enemy to the truth or negligent in promoting the Churches good is in the Church it selfe In the same moneth and within few daies after another businesse of great consequence was by the Lords and Commons taken into consideration which was the making of a new Great Seale to supply the place of that which had been carried away from the Parliament as before is mentioned This businesse had been fully debated in the House of Commons and the Moneth following at a Conference between both Houses the Commons declared to the Lords what great prejudice the Parliament and whole Kingdome suffered by the absence of the Great Seale and thereupon desired their speedy compliance in Votes for the making of a new one The matter was debated in the House of Peeres put to Votes and carried for the negative The onely reason which they alleadged against the making of a new Seale was this That they have hitherto dispatched all business since the absence of the Seale by vertue of Ordinances of Parliament and they conceived that the same course might still be kept in what matters soever were necessary to be expedited for the good of the Kingdome without a Seale Yet the Lords gave a respective answer That if the House of Commons would informe them in any particular cases wherein the Kingdomes prejudice by absence of the Great Seale could not be remedied by vertue of an Ordinance they would take it into further consideration to induce complyance accordingly Neither was
a Popish Army in England For not long before this time the Queene with Armes and Ammunition from the Low-Countries and Commanders of Warre from thence had landed in the North of England been entertained there by the Earle of Newcastle and by him and others with strong Forces conveyed to the King at Oxford whereof more particulars will be related hereafter Divers other Articles were framed against the Queene upon which within few Moneths after she was impeached of High Treason by the House of Commons and the Impeachment carried up by Master PYMME to the House of Peeres where it stuck for many moneths but was afterward passed there also and may be further discoursed of in the due time It had been likewise before Ordered by both Houses and was now accordingly put in execution that the King and Queenes Revenue comming into the Exchequer should be detained and imployed to the Publike Service of the Common-wealth a Committee was chosen of Lords and Commons to dispose of it to the best uses Divers necessary charges of the State were defrayed by it and among others which seemed a kinde of just retalliation many Members of both Houses of Parliament whose whole Estates had been seized upon by the Kings Armies were in some measure relieved at London out of his Revenue and thereby enabled to subsist in that Publike Service to which they had beene called But so exceeding great by this time were the charges growne for supportation of so spreading a Warre that no Contributions nor Taxes whatsoever were thought sufficient unlesse an Excize were imposed upon Commodities according to the way of the Netherlanders such as Beere Wine Tobacco and Meat which was taken into consideration by both Houses and this Summer agreed upon But the Excize was layed with much gentlenesse especially upon all Victuals of most common and necessary use insomuch that it was little felt either by the rich or poore people and yet amounted monethly to a very considerable summe though the Kings Quarters were then the greatest part of England for the City of London was within the Parliament Quarters To returne againe to the Lord Generall ESSEX His Excellency in May 1643. having as aforesaid received intelligence of the defeat given to the Parliament Army in the West and in what condition things there stood not being able with his owne Forces to give them reliefe sent order to Sir WILLIAM WALLER whose actions shall be anon mentioned in a Series by themselves to march thither in assistance of the Devonshire Forces and writ his Command to the Governour of Bristoll to aid him with such Horse and Foot as he could conveniently spare out of his Garrison But things could not at that time be put in execution according to his desires and before Sir WILLIAM WALLER could get farre into the West Prince MAURICE Marquesse HARTFORD and Sir RALPH HOPTON were joyned all together The Lord Generall since it was much desired by the City of London from whom the supplies of money were to come that he should move with his whole Army towards Oxford was content though somewhat against his judgement to proceed in that Designe and marched with the maine Body to Thame to meet there with the Forces sent from the associated Counties to his assistance from whence as a person whose care and Command extended over the whole Kingdome which was now overspread with a generall Warre and wasted by many Armies at once he granted a Commission by direction of the Parliament to the Lord FIELDING now Earle of Denbigh by the late death of his Father who was slaine in a Skirmish fighting against the Parliament to be Generall of foure Counties Shropshire Worcester Stafford and Warwick-shire to leavy Forces there and conduct them into any part of the Kingdome against the Kings Power according to directions from the Parliament or Lord Generall He granted also at the same time another Commission in the like manner to Sir THOMAS MIDDLETON to raise Forces as Generall of all North Wales At Thame the hand of God in an extreme increase of sicknesse hundreds in a day desperately ill did visite the Lord Generals Army and by strange unseasonablenesse of weather and great raine continuing fourteene daies the place being upon a flat moist and clayie ground made it impossible for him to advance from that Quarter In which time the Army was by sicknesse and departure of most of the Auxiliary Forces brought to a number utterly unable to attempt the former designe without certaine ruine the situation of Oxford upon the River of Thames considered for the Lord Generall conceived it impossible as himselfe expressed to block up the Towne without a double number to what he then had But when the raine ceased and the waters were so much abated as to make the waies passable intelligence was brought that Prince RUPERT had drawne out his Horse and Foot toward Buckingham with his Canon also and had called in the Country making open profession before them that he would give Battell to the Generall The Generall marched with some speed toward Buckingham to fight with him When he came within two miles of that Towne he found the case farre otherwise and had intelligence that the Prince had quitted Buckingham in a kinde of disorderly manner that the night before he had horsed his Foot and marched away leaving some of his Provisions behinde him The Lord Generall understood well that it was not possible for him with his Traine of Artillery and Foot Companies to follow the Enemy to any advantage For if he had been at that time strong enough in Horse his desire was to have hindered Prince RUPERT from joyning with the Queene who then was marching with a good Convoy of Horse from the Northerne parts of England where she had arrived from the Netherlands toward Oxford But being not able to follow that designe he desisted from his march to Buckingham sending into the Town a Party of his Horse to quarter there that night and to bring away that Provision which the Enemy had left there He himselfe with the rest of his Army marched to great Brickhill a place most convenient to lye betweene the Enemy and London to defend the Associated Counties to assist or joyne with the Forces of the Lord GRAY of Grooby Sir JOHN MELDRUM and Colonell CROMWELL to whom he had before written that if they could possibly they should fight with the Queens Forces and stop her passage to the King But it seemed that the businesse could not be done that the Queene and Prince RUPERT were suffered to joyne together with all their Forces Sir WILLIAM WALLER had beene long victorious in the West yet now the Parliaments fortune almost in every place began to faile and intelligence was brought to the Lord Generall that Sir WILLIAM having almost gained the whole West and besieging Sir RALPH HOPTON in the Devizes a Towne of Devonshire was on a sudden by unexpected Forces from Oxford under the conduct of
the Lord WILMOT totally routed and forced into Bristoll The Lord Generall intending at the first report of this newes to have marched himselfe for relieving of the West upon more particular information that Sir WILLIAM WALLERS Forces were so farre broken that no assistance at all could be given by them was inforced to desist from that enterprize considering also that his owne Army was shrunke through the continuall increase of violent sicknesse want of pay clothing and other necessaries to a most unconsiderable number he resolved to proceed no further nor to ingage that weake Army to the ruine of it selfe and danger of the Kingdome especially since the Forces of the Associated Counties could not with safety be commanded so farre from home He therefore returned toward London quartering that poore remainder of an Army at Kingston upon Thames and other places neere adjacent In this distressed condition I must a while leave that great Generall untill some few weekes time shall recruit his power and enable him to make that famous and honourable expedition to the reliefe of Gloucester So great at this time were the successes which in all parts crowned the Kings Armies that they seemed to possesse an absolute Victory and the Parliament in probability quite ruined on one side the Lord Generals Army mouldered away by long sicknesse and other wants the long successefull Sir WILLIAM WALLER quite broken in the West and about the same time the Lord FAIRFAX and his Sonne Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX though reserved by divine Providence for a transcendent height of honour in the future with all the Gentlemen almost which served the Parliament in those Northerne parts being defeated by the Earle of Newcastle and the Lord FAIRFAX with his Sonne driven into the Towne of Hull On the other side the Kings Armies were full and strong Sir RALPH HOPTON whom for his valour and industry the King had honoured with the Title of a Baron was possessed of a gallant Army in the West and seemed to want nothing so much as a considerable Enemy the Kings other Forces were free to chuse what stage they pleased to act their parts upon Prince RUPERT was sent to besiege Bristoll where Colonell NATHANIEL FIENNES second Sonne to the Viscount SAY was Governour which City in this low ebbe of the Parliament could not long hold out but was soone delivered â—o the Prince a place of as much concernment as any in the Kingdome Prince MAURICE with another Army came to besiege the City of Excester into which the Earle of Stamford was retreated after his defeat at Stretton in Cornwall a Nobleman who had long strugled with various successe and in sharpe encounters against Sir RALPH HOPTON and other Commanders of the Kings side in those Westerne Counties ruined at last by the treacherous revolt of some who had taken the same cause with him at the first This City was likewise after a long siege for want of supplies delivered upon Articles to the Prince that besieged it But the great cloud which not onely overshadowed the Parliament in the North but threatned to powre out stormes upon parts farre remote was the Earle of Newcastle with his mighty Army who was growne formidable to the Associated Counties and many other places of the Kingdome His Army was at that time the greatest of any in England which he maintained in brave equipage by large Contributions inforced from the Country and seemed of strength enough not onely to master any opposition of English Forces but to serve as a Bulwarke against the greatest Army which the Kingdome of Scotland could be able to send in aid of the English Parliament For the Parliament had then sent into Scotland for the brotherly assistance of that Kingdom and agreed upon entring into a Covenant with them for defence of Religion and the common Liberty of both Nations It pleased the Divine Providence whose workings are many times beyond the reach of humane conjectures that this strong Army before the entrance of the Scots found an Enemy in England worthy of their feare and were by the personall valour and successefull conduct of Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX who seemed lately in a low condition so farre broken together with other defeats given to parts of it sent abroad that the passage for the Scots into England was much facilitated as shall hereafter appeare in more particular But it is worthy consideration and therefore cannot but deserve a mention with what unwearied constancy and wondrous magnanimity the two FAIRFAXES Father and Sonne did labour to preserve those Northerne parts for the Parliament especially observing what great Enemies they dealt withall how many unexpected disadvantages happened to them and accessions of power to their Foes at severall times which though it cannot be here related with full circumstances or particulars yet may be touched in a generall way The Lord FAIRFAX ever since that there was any appearance of this unhappy Warre and that the Kings Commission of Array began to justle with the Parliaments Ordinance of Militia had been very industrious in raising strength and joyned himselfe most unanimously in that cause with Sir JOHN HOTHAM and his Sonne Master JOHN HOTHAM a Member also of the House of Commons and a Gentleman not onely active but prosperous whilest he continued faithfull to that side which he had chosen And since the Warre broke out into action the Lord FAIRFAX either singly by himselfe or some times joyned with Master HOTHAM had taken and fortified many Townes and Forts for the Parliament and made many sharpe and fierce encounters against potent Enemies The Earle of Cumberland who was first made Lord Lieutenant of Yorkeshire by the King was not able to suppresse them nor scarce maintaine the Warre against that power which they had raised Maugre whose Forces they tooke and fortified Cawood Castle and the Towne of Selby in the Moneth of October 1642. and surprised presently after the Towne of Leedes where part of the Earles Forces were quartered of whom they tooke divers Prisoners Knights and Gentlemen of good quality one of which was Sir GEORGE DETHERICK together with his whole Troope The Earle of Cumberland himselfe within few daies after was driven into the City of Yorke and there besieged and summoned by the Lord FAIRFAX and Master HOTHAM which happened about the same time that the famous Battell between the King and the Lord Generall Essex was fought at Keynton But the Earle of Newcastle with a greater force entred into Yorke whilest the Lord FAIRFAX and Captaine HOTHAM lay not farre off who notwithstanding his great strength when he marched out of Yorke was encountered by them at Tadcaster upon the 7. of December the Fight or severall Skirmishes continuing about five houres in which the Parliament Forces did so well take their advantages that they slew as was reported to the Parliament 200 of the Earles men with the losse of eight Souldiers of their owne of whom Captaine LISTER was one whose death was much lamented in the
Liberties and interest which they had in the Common-wealth Untill at the last the Earle of Stamford a stout Gentleman who had beene before imployed about Leicester against Master HASTINGS with a Commission from the Parliament as Generall of Some Counties was sent into the West The Earle of Stamford was by the Parliament made Lord Generall of all South-Wales and the foure next adjacent Counties as Glocester Worcester Hereford and Cheshire with power to raise Forces in all those Counties to appoint Officers and Commanders over them to traine and exercise the men and to fight with all that should oppose him The Lord GRAY Sonne and Heire to the Earle of Stamford was appointed to succeed his Father in his former Charge and made Lord Lieutenant of five Counties Leicester Nottingham Derby Rutland and Lincolne to continue the Warre against Master HASTINGS the Earle of Chesterfield and others who opposed the Parliament in those parts The Earle of Stamford at his first comming into the West was successefull against Sir RALPH HOPTON whom he raised from the siege of Plymouth but Sir RALPH HOPTON not long after by a stratagem of faining flight entrapped many of the Earles men conducted by a Lieutenant of his and gave an overthrow to the Parliament Forces betwixt whom and the Earle of Stamford upon the fifteenth of March 1642. a Truce was made for twenty daies The Earle after the expiration of that Truce againe taking the field with a competent Army was a while prosperous against Sir RALPH HOPTON but not long after overthrown by the revolt of young CHUDLEY Sonne to Sir JOHN CHUDLEY by whose assistance before those Parliament Forces had been victorious The Earle of Stamford was then inforced to betake himselfe to the City of Excester whither HOPTON and CHUDLEY followed him to lay siege to the place But Prince MAURICE was soone after sent thither to command in chiefe to whom at last as is before expressed it was upon faire Articles surrendred by the Earle of Stamford Notwithstanding so many misfortunes as had then fallen upon the Parliament side about the end of May 1643. they did not despaire of regaining the whole West by the active valour of Sir WILLIAM WALLER who about that time was very prosperous in those Counties and some parts of the Principality of Wales and whose name was growne to be a great terrour to his Enemies Of his actions and by what degrees he grew into esteeme and strength it will not be amisse to relate in a continued Series considering how great a Generall he became afterwards in these Warres and in what low Command he began He was a Gentleman of faire experience in Military affaires by former travels and services abroad of good judgement and great industry of which he gave many testimonies to the Kingdome Sir WILLIAM WALLER about the time of the Battell of Keynton received a Commission to be Colonell of Horse and moving that winter following as occasions of the present Warre required performed many exploits he tooke in Farnham Castle and passed Southward after that Portsmouth by his assistance had been taken from Colonell GORING and some other quick services at Winchester and in the Country thereabouts which he had performed joyning himselfe with Colonell BROWNE a Citizen of London who tooke up Armes at the beginning of this Civill Warre and continued till the very end in high Commands and reputation as high of whose actions more must be delivered in the sequell of this History Colonell HURREY and some others passing into the Westerne part of Sussex he layed siege to the City of Chichester in that City many Gentlemen of ranke and quality had fortified themselves and gathered together much Armes and Ammunition for service of the King against the Parliament About the middle of December appearing before Chichester he was there met with some Forces Troops of Horse and Dragoniers that came to his assistance from Kent and Sussex under the conduct of Colonell MORLEY a Member of the House of Commons a Gentleman of good ranke in Sussex and great activity in the Parliament Service and Sir MICHAEL LEâ—VESEY a Kentish Knight The Battery was placed by Sir WILLIAM at fit places and all things ordered with great skill but before the battery began to save effusion of blood Sir WILLIAM by the consent of all his Officers summoned the Town by a Trumpet with such Conditions offered which were judged too high by the besieged and therefore at first not accepted of yet after eight daies it was rendred to him upon no other Conditions then onely Quarter and faire usage The Prisoners which were taken there of note were immediately sent toward London to the Parliament who were Sir EDWARD FORD high Sheriffe of Sussex Sir JOHN MORLEY Colonell SHELLEY Master LEAUKNER Colonell LINDSEY Lieutenant Colonell PORTER Major DAWSON and Major GORDON with Doctor KING then Bishop of Chichester and many other Officers and Commanders in Armes to the number of 60. about 400. Dragoniers and almost as many Foot Souldiers In the March following his imployment was in the Westerne parts of England where he raised Forces The next in command under him who continued with him in almost all his actions was Sir ARTHUR HASLERIG another Member of the House of Commons serving as Knight for Leicestershire a man that in all Battels and Skirmishes gave great proofes of his prowesse and personall valour Sir WILLIAM WALLER having now raised a competent force and marching out of Bristoll on the nineteenth of March within two daies after approached Malmesbury Colonell HERBERT LUNSFORD a stout Gentleman and a good Souldier Brother to Sir THOMAS LUNSFORD that was taken at Keynton Battell was then Governour of Malmesbury who upon the first approach sent out seven Troops of Horse to begin an encounter with him but they were no waies able to indure the force of those Horse which Sir WILLIAM had drawne out against them but fled immediately some of them back into the Towne many of them conceiving that there was small safety in the Towne for them fled quite away Sir WILLIAM assaulted the Towne the same day but not prevailing then he lodged there all night preparing the next morning for another and more fierce assault But the besieged conceiving the place unteneble desired a Parley and yeelded upon Quarter He tooke at Malmesbury one Peece of Ordnance about three hundred Prisoners whereof Colonell LUNSFORD and Colonell COOKE were the chiefe with almost twenty Officers great and small good store of rich prize and Ammunition the Conquest was bloodlesse and very few slaine on either side Within few daies after he obtained a very considerable Victory neere to Gloucester against the Lord HERBERT of Ragland Sonne to the Earle of Worcester who with a great Army of Welchmen lay against that Towne which for the manner of it in briefe was thus Sir WILLIAM with his Forces comming neere to Cirencester made shew the better to conceale his purpose as if he intended to fall upon
ESSEX his Army was so much wasted by sicknesse and other distresses that he could not at all straiten Oxford nor hinder any Forces from issuing thence under the conduct of the Lord VVILMOT was utterly defeated scattered and ruined as was before mentioned He himselfe for security at the present retired into the City of Bristoll from whence within few daies he rode accompanied with some Gentlemen toward London and was there received with great affection and many promises of their best indeavour to set him forth with another Army The Kings Forces seemed now to have done the greatest part of their worke being in a manner sole Masters of the VVest and most Northerne Counties of England and having ruined the Lord FAIRFAX and Sir WILLIAM WALLERS Armies Yet in all Counties the fortune was not alike in many places those Gentlemen which adhered to the Parliament were able not onely to guard themselves but get ground upon their enemies though those actions were for the most part performed in skirmishes between small parties in preserving their owne strengths or taking Townes from the other side such as had been in Cheshire Lancashire Staffordshire Derby Leicester Notingham and other places which I shall briefly touch anon after I have related in how contrary a condition to the North and West which had beene the seat of a fierce warre and a prey to the greatest and most potent Armies of either side and how much happier then those other Counties which had beene alwayes molested with Alarms and Skirmishes and suffered by pillaging on both Parties the Easterne Counties of England had remained all the foregoing VVinter and continued so during the whole progresse of this bloody VVarre which were the Counties of Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge Essex Hartford Huntingdon c. who never were made the seat of any part of this civill VVarre These parts of the Kingdome had joyned themselves in an Association by Authority of Parliament with power to defened each other and leavy Forces against all enemies to that cause this great happinesse of peace and quiet that they enjoyed may be supposed to flow from the unanimity of their affections which carried them all the same way and true it is that there was as much unanimity of opinion and affection in those Counties among the people in generall as was to be found in any part of England but it was especially among the common people for a great and considerable number of the Gentry and those of highest ranke among them were dis-affected to the Parliament and were not sparing in their utmost indeavours to promote the Kings Cause and assist his Force against it which might have throwne those Countries if not wholly carried them to the other side into as much distraction and sad calamity as any other part of the Land had felt nor could that Association have been possibly made if those Gentlemen had not been curbed and suppressed by that timely care which the Parliament tooke and more particularly by the successfull services of one Gentleman Master OLIVER CROMWEL of Huntington a Member of the House of Commons whose wisdome valour and vigilancy was no lesse availeable in this important businesse then remarkable afterwards in the highest services and greatest battels of the whole Warre Of this mans Actions because it pleased God to raise him afterward into the greatest commands and prosper in so high a measure all his undertakings that he became within few yeares one of the chiefe props on which the Parliament leaned and greatest scourges of the other sid let it not seeme amisse if I discourse in a continued Serâ—es during those Moneths that intervened the Battell of Keynton and that low ebbe of the Parliament which preceded the siege of Gloucester The first Action that CROMWELL undertooke was to secure the Towne of Cambridge for the Parliament about the middle of January Universities were of all places most apt to adhere to the Kings party esteeming Parliaments and especially this the greatest depressors of that Ecclesiasticall Dignity in hope of which they are there nurtured Upon which reason they were packing up a large quantity of the Plate that belonged to all the Coledges to send it away to the King which would have made a considerable summe This was foreseene by CROMWELL who by a Commission from the Parliament and Lord Generall Essex had raised a Troope of Horse and came downe into that Country with authority to raise more Forces as occasion served he came to Cambridge soone enough to seize upon that plate which was going to Oxford but before his arrivall there he performed by the way another service Sir THOMAS CONESBY lately made High Sheriffe of Hartfordshire had received a Proclamation from the King to proclaime the Earle of Essex and all his adherents Traytors and was then at St. Albons upon a Market day proclaiming of the same CROMWELL with his Troope seized upon him and sent him up to the Parliament Not long after he collected in convenient time the Forces of that County and invited the neighbour Counties of Essex Suffolke and Norfolke to their assistance against an invasion of the Lord CAPELL who should have been seconded by Prince RUPERT also to invade that place and hinder the Association which had been done if that timely prevention had not been used This made them forbeare their intended invasion and retire to other parts About the beginning of March CROMWELL having raised a Regiment of Horse consisting of 1000. marched into Suffolke with much celerity upon intelligence of a great and considerable confederacy held among those Gentlemen which adhered to the Kings Party at a Towne in that County called Lowerstost a place of great consequence He surprized them unawares gained the Towne with small difficulty and no shot at all In which he tooke Prisoners Sir THOMAS BARKER and his Brother Sir JOHN PETTUS Master THOMAS KNEVET two of the CATLINES Captaine HAMMOND Master COREY Master TURRILL Master PRESTON and about 20. others of quality and substance In that Towne he gained good store of Ammunition Saddles Pistols Powder Shot and severall Engines for Warre enough to have served a considerable Force And certaine it was that if CROMWELL had not surprized them in that nick of time it had proved a matter of great danger to the County for within one day after as many more Knights and Gentlemen that were listed before had met at the same place This was a timely service to the Parliament and a great discouragement to all that Party in Suffolke and Norfolke which adhered to the Kings side But when the Spring grew furâ—her on and it was seasonable to make longer Marches about the beginning of Aprill CROMWELL having well setled the businesses of those Associated Counties for the Parliaments use and not confining his care and services within those parts onely raised a greater Force of such as came freely and heartily in to him with whom he marched along towards Lincolneshire with purpose to assist those of
described WHilest Gloucester was thus besieged and the Siege so straight that no intelligence could possibly arrive at it the Parliament who after serious considerations and debates had for the present resolved upon the reliefe of that City as the onely meanes to preserve the Kingdome were as much straightned how to proceed in the businesse with that expedition which was required To recruit an Army so much wasted as the Lord Generals was seemed too slow for this Service and therefore the Trayned Bands of London and their Auxiliaries must of necessity be made use of Those that were well affected to the Parliament incouraged each other to the Worke The disaffected on the other side laboured in all discourses to breed despaire of the Atchievement and to discourage the Lord Generall from marching false reports were every day raised in London that Gloucester was taken The Lord Generall Essex was fourescore miles off with no present or visible Army at that time his March lying thorow those Countries which were already harrowed by the Enemy Insomuch that all considered it was a question which was more wonderfull that he undertooke it or that he did it The Parliament was at that time so farre sunke both in strength and reputation and so much forsaken by those who followed fortune that nothing but an extraordinary providence could make it againe emergent The Cause and very being of it was now at stake by the successe onely of this Expedition to be redeemed or quite lost But it pleased God that according to that extremity the resolutions of men were fitted The City Regiments and Auxiliaries came cheerefully in to performe the Service and that poore remainder of the Lord Generals old Army was with all speed recruited An Army was likewise intended to be speedily raised for Sir WILLIAM WALLER to march after as a Reserve But that was not so suddenly done as the occasion required if it had and that Sir WILLIAM could as was intended have come in with a supply at Newbury it was the opinion of most men that the Kings side had received an irrecoverable Defeat On the 24. of August the Lord Generall Essex on Hownslow Heath ten miles from London mustered his men where almost all the Members of both Houses of Parliament rode with him to survey the Army and toward evening tooke leave of their Generall who marched on and that night lodged at Colebrooke Upon intelligence of this Armies advance Prince RUPERT with the greatest part of the Kings Horse drew off from Gloucester to oppose their March and take what advantages he could against it But the King with his maine Army continued the Siege resolving so to do till the last houre hoping that every moment might worke somewhat for his end either by failing of the Townes store of Ammunition or some other want that might happen Neither was that hope without reason And so much more wonderfull was the fortune of that Towne to be relieved at such a nick of time when their Ammunition was so farre consumed that but three single Barrels of Powder were left in their Magazine On Saturday the 26. of August 1643. the Lord Generall Essex began his March from Colebrooke to Beckensfield and so forward to Beerton where he cloathed his Army and marched on The City Regiments and Auxiliaries joyned not with the Lord Generals Army till the first of September when the generall Rendezvouze was on Brackley Heath But before the joyning of all their Forces a small Party of the Kings Army consisting of 400. Horse had faced a part of the Parliament Army and skirmished with them about Bicister but soone retreated upon the approach of greater numbers The Generall taking up his Head Quarter at Aynow sent a Regiment to quarter that night at Deddington under the Conduct of Colonell MIDDLETON who hearing there of two Regiments of the Kings Horse sent two Companies of Dragoones and a Party of Horse to approach the Towne But the Kings Horse retreated to a passage toward Oxford where the Lord WILMOT was with 50. Troops more The next morning two Parliament Regiments conducted by MIDDLETON and Sir JAMES RAMSEY advanced to that passe where their Enemies stood in two great Bodies and after some Skirmish gained the passe placing Dragoneers to maintaine it But the Kings Forces drew up againe toward it and were received with a very hot Skirmish which lasted many houres till at last the Kings Forces made a retreat but perceiving that Colonell MIDDLETON marched back toward the maine Army which he did by the Lord Generals Command they sent a Party of Horse to fall on his Reare who followed them thorow Deddington but were beaten back thorow the Towne in some confusion The losse of men in these Skirmishes was not much on either side neither could it certainly be knowne but was imagined by the Parliament side to be more on their Enemies Party then on theirs The Lord Generall with his owne Regiment of Horse and the Lord GRAY quartering at Adderbury upon intelligence that some of the Kings Horse from Banbury were abroad sent out a Party from both Regiments who beat them in againe and pursued them into Banbury Towne whence they tooke divers Horses and Prisoners those in the Castle not daring to stirre out The Generall marched from thence to Chipping Norton where some of the Kings Forces appeared againe but soone retreated as they did almost every day during the March of that Army On the fourth of September when the Lord Generall marched toward Stow the old he sent Colonell HARVEY with his Regiment of Horse and two Regiments of Foot to advance a little before toward the right hand and the City Regiments upon the left under the Conduct of Lieutenant Colonell BAILY Generall Adjutant of the Foot Prince RUPERT appeared with about 4000. Horse drawne up on the Hills facing the Parliament Forces and sent a strong Party of Horse into a bottome neere Stow on the old to incompasse Colonell HARVEYS Regiments Which being perceived three Regiments from the Vanne of the Parliament Army advanced to his rescue and made that Party of the Kings Forces retreat to their maine Body Many Skirmishes there happened but little losse on either side From thence the Generall marched in the Foot of his Infantry Sir JAMES RAMSEY in the Reare and Sir PHILIP STAPLETON had the Van Guard When the Kings Horse againe appeared and were by Sir PHILIP STAPLETON and others of that Army encountered with divers Skirmishes but they retreated in a great Body and still appeared before the Parliament Army as they marched on for the space of seven miles On the fifth of September the Lord Generall advanced and came to Presbury Hills where he drew up his whole Army in view of the City of Gloucester and discharged foure Peeces of great Ordnance to give them notice of his approach Soone after he might discover the Kings Quarters on fire For upon the Lord Generall his advance they deserted the Siege and marched
away all night The Reere-Guard of the Lord Generals Army some Ordnance and Ammunition stayed on the top of the Hill by reason of the steepnesse thereof darknesse of the night and tempestuousnes of the weather whereby besides a famine of Victuals the whole Army had for three daies March before extremely suffered through a Country that their Enemies had already destroyed But the Lord Generall marched from thence to Cheltenham though during his March the Kings Forces skirmished with some Parts of his Army and divers times beat up his Quarters whilest he stayed at Cheltenham which was two daies till the eight of September when he marched with his whole Army to Gloucester and was there with great expressions of joy and much honour received by that long besieged and now rescued City The Generall much extolling the skilfull valour and indefatigable industry of Colonell MASSEY and praising the patient constancy of the City They on the other side highly honouring his Excellency for bringing them this reliefe thorow so many difficulties discouragements and disadvantages both joyning in thanks to Almighty God for his divine providence over them and great mercy in sending so timely a deliverance The Lord Generall lodged two nights in Gloucester furnishing the City with Ammunition Money and other necessaries and from thence marched to Tewksbury staying betwixt the Kings Forces and that Garrison foure daies to give them more time to furnish themselves better with Provision of Victuall which was to be brought from Herefordshire and parts beyond the Severne since the other parts had been before ransacked by the Kings Forces When the Generall with his whole Army arose from Tewkesbury and intended to quarter at Cheltenham he was advertised that a Body of the Kings Army were then in Cirencester which were reported to be Prince MAURICE his Forces and had there layed in great store of Provision for their Army Upon that advertisement the Generall his want of Victuals and necessaries still continuing and miserably increasing upon his whole Army made a long March with the Van-guard of his Army to fall upon them which he did about one of the clock in the night sending in a Party of Horse to seize upon the Centinels and Guards whilest himselfe with the rest of the Horse begirt the Towne and a Forlorne hope of Foot with his owne Foot Regiment entred the Towne and surprized two Regiments of Horse belonging to Sir NICHOLAS CRISPE and Colonell SPENCER which were by the confession of some Prisoners taken intended for raising a Commotion in Kent The Lord Generall at that Towne of Cirencester took forty Loads of Victuall which under Gods providence was the preservation of his Army untill the day that the great Battell of Nembury was fought He tooke there likewise six Standards all the Officers except the two Colonels which were absent with divers other Gentlemen of quality above 300. Common Souldiers and 400. Horse The Generall from Cirencester in short Marches not above five miles a day went to Cricklade and to Swinden from thence intending to passe to Hungerford But when the Van and Body of his Army had marched almost all over Aâ—burne Chase a gallant Body of the Kings Horse consisting of about 6000. approached hard to the Reere-guard of his Army which not being a sufficient number to resist them indeavoured to make an orderly retreat to the Body of their Army But the Kings Horse pursued so hotly both on Reere and Flanke that those Horse Regiments of the Generals Reere-guard could not retreat but with confusion and some losse But being come to the Body of the Foot they were drawn up againe into order and faced their Enemies untill all the Foot were marched Neverthelesse the Kings Horse againe advancing put their Enemies the second time into the like disorder till some of the Generals Regiments facing about towards them charged the Forlorne Hope of the Kings Forces consisting of 500. Horse and put them wholly into disorder and then charging the two Regiments which seconded that Forlorne Hope they routed them likewise but the Kings Horse came on bravely with fresh Bodies and stopt their Enemies further pursuit Immediately followed a brave Charge made by two of the Parliaments Regiments which was incountered with as much Gallantry on the other side so that they both retreated at one time Another Charge was made by some Regiments of the Parliament Army and so answered by the other that they were forced to retreat to their maine Body at which time Sâ—r PHILIP STAPLETON who had the Van-guard of the Parliament Army that day came purposely back and drew up his Regiment to succour his friends which caused the Kings Forces to retiâ—e altogether and the night stopt any further proceedings On the Kings Party in these hot encounters were slaine the Marquesse De Vieu Ville with other Officers of good quality whose worth and valour appeared highly though I finde not their names recorded Many Common Souldiers were there slaine and one Lieutenant Colonell two Lieutenants and a Cornet taken Prisoners On the Parliaments side were slaine of Officers Captaine MIDDLETON and Captaine HACKET divers Officers were wounded some Common Souldiers slaine and Coâ—onell SHEFFIELD lost a Standard The Lord Generall Essex marched that night with his Army to Hungerford Sir PHILIP STAPLETON who before had the Van bringing up the Reere The next day the famous Battell of Newbury was fought which Battell may deserve because the condition of the whole Kingdom so much depended on the successe of it to be related in a large and particular manner But because I have found nothing written of it by those of the Kings Party and that there was a punctuall Narrative published by some Colonels of the Parliament Army Gentlemen of great and unstained Reputation concerning this Battell which Narrative I have heard some of their Enemies confesse to be full not onely of modesty but truth in the Generall or for the most part let the Reader be pleased to take it from their Relation If any thing may hereafter appeare of greater truth it will not trouble any honest man to see it published Neither is it a thing unheard of for men to describe their owne actions with impartiall truth since JULIUS CAESAR is acknowledged to have written his owne Commentaries not onely of the Gallike but Civill Warre with so much cleare integrity that his Enemies had nothing to blame in it Take it therefore in their Language On Tuesday the nineteenth of September 1643. we marched from Hungerford towards Newbury and when we approached within two miles of the Town we might discover the Enemies Forces upon an hill their whole Army having prevented us were gotten to Newbury and possest the Towne But the next morning being Wednesday by break of day order was given for our March to an Hill called Biggs Hill neere to Newbury and the onely convenient place for us to gaine that we might with better security force our passage But when his Excellency perceived
Musketeers of his Regiment on the right hand before the two Demy-Culverings that were placed at the end of the Lane on the top of the Hill and the red Auxiliaries he placed on the left hand of those Peeces which before were slenderly guarded The Artillery was well ordered that day by the skill and care of Sir JOHN MERRICK While this was acting two Peeces which belonged to the Major Generals Regiment and one Drake of Sir WILLIAM BROOKES were by the Generals Regiment under the Command of Major BOTELER with the assistance of 200. Musketeers recovered and the Enemy drew away from their Pikes which with their Colours kept standing with many great Bodies of Horse to guard them five or six hundred Musketeers besides Dragoones to encompasse our men on the right hand among the hedges just at which time his Excellency sent to have 300. Musketeers of the Forlorne Hope to go to the reliefe of Colonell BARCLAY and Colonell HOLBORNES Souldiers But then the Enemy falling on upon our right hand diverted them who with other of our Musketeers thereabouts beat the Enemy off who else had done us great mischief This was about foure a clock in the afternoone when all our whole Army of Foot was ingaged in the Fight But then he also caused some of the red Auxiliary Regiment to draw neerer to Colonell BARCLAYS Post as he himselfe required At length night drew on when the Enemy both Horse and Foot stood in good order on the further side of the Greene where we expected their stay till next morning and that they were working as was reported to place their Canon to make use of them against us when day should breake Against which supposed encounter we encouraged our Souldiers before hand and resolved by Gods help the next day to force our way thorow them or dye But it pleased God to make our passage without blows for the Enemy was gone by night so that the next morning we marched quietly over the same ground where the Battell was fought and where the Enemy stood for on Thursday early his Excellency gave Command for the Armies March towards Reading to which purpose it was all drawne up upon the Heath where the Battell was fought and after that his Excellency had given order for burying the dead about ten a clock we began to march Colonell MIDDLETON with his owne and three Regiments more Lord GREY SHEFFIELD MELDRUM and 400. commanded Musketeers under Colonell BARCLAY had the Reere-guard During which March the Enemy at a great distance shot from severall hedges but troubled us not When we came to a long Heath we drew up the whole Army severall times and no Enemy appeared But at the entrance of a narrow Lane toward the evening the Enemy fell upon us with 800. commanded Musketeers and most of their Horse who caused our Horse then in the Reare to make a very disorderly and confused retreat But when Colonell MIDDLETON with the rest of the Commanders in the Reare hasted to charge the Enemy with our Foot he made them retreat with as much confusion over the Heath as they had us before the losse not great on either side Lieutenant BROWNE was taken Prisoner After this the same evening the Lord Generall drew up the Army to Theale and taking some refreshment there marched the next morning being Fryday with the whole Army to Reading where he stayed till the Sabbath was past and gave publike thanks for the great Victory This was a Victory not denyed to the Parliament nor at all disputed although the Lord Generall Essex for want of Victuals marched away to the necessary reliefe of his Army and could not stay to pursue the Victory which he had gotten The number of slaine in that Battell were judged to be by those who speak most moderately foure times as many of the Kings Party as of the Parliaments but others have spoken of a farre greater difference Divers Captains as Captaine MASSY and Captaine HUNT with others were slaine on the Parliament side but scarce any of higher ranke Three of the Nobility fell on the Kings side the Earle of Carnarvan the Lord SPENCER newly made by the King Earle of Sunderland and the Lord Viscount Fawlkland After this Victory the Lord Generall was received at London with great joy and Honour The Trayned Bands and Auxiliaries of London marched home in full Companies and were welcomed by their friends and met by the Lord May or and Aldermen at Temple Barre And now the face of things seemed much to change and the reputation of the Parliament rise higher At the time of this Expedition for reliefe of Gloucester a Cessation of Arms was made by the King with the Irish Rebels of which together with the great Victories which small numbers of the English Forces obtained over great multitudes of those Irish Rebels before the time of that Cessation which was here omitted as not to interupt the Relation of proceedings in the English Warres there may be a larger Discourse in the continuation of this History as also of the Covenant which the Parliament and that part of the Nation which adhered to them about this time entred into with their Brethren of Scotland for maintenance of the Religion Lawes and Liberties of both Kingdomes FINIS In the English Pope Sir Ioh. Temple
furnish by way of Loan unto the Committee of Lords and Commons for the defence of the Kingdom the sum of one hundred thousand pounds for the supply of the publike necessity for defence of the King Parliament and Kingdom upon the publike Faith to be repayed duely and carefully within so short a time that it shall not be diverted from that purpose for which it was intended or any way frustrate the Acts already made in the behalf of that Adventure During the time of these Paper-conflicts the King in person had often removed and visited many places To the Gentry of Leicestershire he made a Speech on the 20 of Iuly after his usual manner with Protestations of his great love to the people and care of the Kingdom And from thence removing Northward on the fourth of August he made a Speech after the same manner to the Gentry of York-shire from whence he returned back to Nottingham and there set up his Standard Royal. Very few people resorted to it Nor had the King at this time a considerable strength to guard his Person if any attempts had been to have seized upon him From Nottingham on the 25 of August the King sent a Message to the Parliament by the Earls of Southampton and Dorset and Sir JOHN CULPEPER one of the Members of the House of Commons who had deserted the Parliament and went to the King at York having not long before been made by him Chancellour of the Exchequer The King's Message to both Houses of Parliament from Nottingham Aug. 25. 1642. We have with unspeakable grief of heart long beheld the Distractions of this Our Kingdom Our very Soul is full of Anguish until We may finde some Remedy to prevent the Miseries which are ready to overwhelm this whole Nation by a Civil War And though all Our endeavours tending to the composing of those unhappie Differences betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament though pursued by Vs with all Zeal and Sincerity have been hitherto without that Successe we hoped for yet such is Our constant and earnest care to preserve the publike Peace that We shall not be discouraged from using any Expedient which by the blessing of the God of mercy may lay a firm foundation of Peace and Happinesse to all Our good Subjects To this end observing that many Mistakes have arisen by the Messages Petitions and Answers betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament which haply may be prevented by some other way of Treaty wherein the matters in difference may be more clearly understood and more freely transacted We have thought fit to propound to you That some fit persons may be by you enabled to treat with the like number to be authorized by Vs in such a manner and with such freedom of Debate as may best tend to that happie Conclusion which all good men desire The Peace of the Kingdom Wherein as We promise in the word of a King all safety and encouragement to such as shall be sent unto Vs if you shall chuse the place where We are for the Treaty which we wholly leave to you presuming the like care of the safety of those We shall employ if you shall name another place So We assure you and all Our good Subjects that to the best of Our understanding nothing shall be therein wanting on our part which may advance the true Protestant Religion oppose Popery and Superstition secure the Law of the Land upon which is built as well Our just Prerogative as the Propriety and Liberty of the Subject confirm all just Power and Priviledges of Parliament and render Vs and Our people truely happie by a true understanding betwixt Vs and Our two Houses of Parliament Bring with you as firm resolutions to do your duty and let all Our People joyn with Vs in Our prayers to Almighty God for his blessing upon this Work If this Proposition shall be rejected by you We have done Our duty so amply that God will absolve Vs from the guilt of any of that blood which must be spilt And what opinion soever other men may have of Our Power We assure you nothing but Our Christian and pious care to prevent the effusion of blood hath begot this motion Our provision of Men Arms and Money being such as may secure Vs from further violence till it please God to open the eyes of Our People The Answer of the Lords and Commons to the King's Message of the 25 of August 1642. May it please Your Majestie The Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled having received Your Majesties Message of the 25 of August do with much grief resent the dangerous and distracted state of this Kingdom which we have by all means endeavoured to prevent both by our several Advices and Petitions to Your Majestie which have been not onely without successe but there hath followed that which no evil Counsel in former times hath produced or any age hath seen Those several Proclamations and Declarations against both the Houses of Parliament whereby their Actions are declared Treasonable and their Persons Traitours and thereupon Your Majestie hath set up Your Standard against them whereby you have put the two Houses of Parliament and in them this whole Kingdom out of Your Protection So that until Your Majestie shall recal those Proclamations and Declarations whereby the Earl of Essex and both Houses of Parliament their adherents and assistants and all such as have obeyed and executed their Commands and Directions according to their duties are declared Traitors or otherwise Delinquents and until the Standard set up in pursuance of the said Proclamations be taken down Your Majestie hath put us into such a condition that whilst we so remain we cannot by the Fundamental Priviledges of Parliament the publike Trust reposed in us or with the general good and safety of this Kingdom give Your Majestie any other Answer to this Message Within few days after the King sent Instructions under his Privie Signet to his Commissioners of Array for the several Counties of England and Wales as to Marquesse Hartford whom the King had made Lieutetenant-General of all the Western Counties as is before expressed to the Earl of Cumberland Lord-Lieutenant of York-shire and the Lord STRANGE Lieutenant for Lancashire and Cheshire in which Instructions he commands them to pursue the Earl of Essex whom he again calls Rebel and Traitour Immediately after the King sent a Reply to that Answer of the Parliament to his last Message of the 25 of August which being short that the Reader may the more truely inform himself of the nature of this strange division I shall wholly insert in the very words We will not repeat what means We have used to prevent the dangerous and distracted estate of the Kingdom nor how those means have been interpreted because being desirous to avoid effusion of blood We are willing to decline all memory of former Bitternesse that might make Our offer of a Treaty lesse readily accepted We never