safety of Religion Kirk and Commonwealth depends much upon the comfortable assistance which all of them daily receive from Royal Iustice and Authority we protest and promise with our Hearts under the Obligation of the same Oath to defend not only this our Religion but the Kings Majesties Sacred Person and Authority as also the Laws and Liberties of this our Country under His Majesties Soveraign Power with our best Counsels Bodies Goods and whole Estates according to the Laws and against all sorts of persons and in all things whatsoever and likewise mutually to defend our selves and one another in this abovementioned Cause under the same obligation But while the Marquis was busie at Court procuring this Gracious Answer to their Demands and while His Majesty was condescending to such extraordinary Favours to them the Covenanters in Scotland were going on The Covenanters are very busie in Scotland posting up and down the Country for more Subscriptions to the Covenant and because the North continued firm to their Duty some Noblemen and Ministers went thither to draw them to their Party and on the 23d of Iuly they came to Aberdeen where there was a company of worthy and learned Doctors and Professors But the Covenanters welcome there was so cold all the Subscriptions they got being but 19 or 20 and they were not admitted to preach in the publick Churches which made them preach in the Court of the Earl Marshal's Lodgings that they went away full of fury and threats against that Place and this gave the rise to that Debate which followed betwixt the Doctors of Aberdeen and those Ministers Debates betwixt the Doctors in Aberdeen and them which the Learned Doctors managed with so great advantage as did not a little confound the whole Party and the Ministers being pinched by them about the lawfulness of combining without warrant of Authority alledged that my Lord Commissioner was satisfied with the Covenant upon the offer of that Explication was mentioned formerly But the falshood of this Calumny was cast back on them with shame by him at his return for as he had never expressed any satisfaction with their Covenant so all the ground they had for that was because according to the Kings Order he had treated about that Explication to gain time He brought along with him to Scotland Dean Balcanqual Doctor Balcanqual comes to Scotland a man of great parts of subtil wit and so eloquent a Preacher that he seldom preached in Scotland without drawing Tears from the Auditors Him the Marquis intended to make use of as his Council in Church-affairs which Trust he discharged faithfully and diligently and received those Informations which were made publick in the large Declaration penned by him The Marquis came to Holyroodhouse on the tenth of August and found things in a much worse posture than he had left them and that the Flames were growing almost past quenching for at a Convention of Burroughs a few days before they had enacted The Covenanters high resolutions That none might be Magistrates or bear Office in any Burrough except he had first taken the Covenant and the Covenanters were resolved that Bishops should have no Vote in the Assembly unless they were chosen by a Presbytery and they were sure that should not be They were resolved to abolish Episcopacy and to declare it unlawful and excommunicate if not all yet most of the Bishops they were resolved to condemn the Articles of Perth and discharge Bishops to Vote in Parliament they were also resolved to ordain all under pain of Excommunication to sign the Covenant and to shew they meant to break out into Hostility they were beginning to levy men in several places But to make sure work of the Assembly they fell on a new device of Lay-elders to be chosen Commissioners who should be men of the greatest power and interest whereby they doubted not to carry all things and because in a Meeting at Edinburgh of Ministers being 120 in number about four parts of five were only for limiting of Episcopacy it was resolved by the Iunto that none of these should be Commissioners The Marquis being surprized with so great a change of the State of Affairs gave account of all these inconveniences to His Majesty and resolved not to proceed to call a General Assembly since he saw what effects it was like to produce till he first went and acquainted His Majesty with these hazards On the 13th of August the Covenanters came to demand his Answer The Marquis makes known His Majesties intentions he told them he had a clear and full Answer to give them but desired to be excused till he first communicated it to the Council which was to sit next day So they were satisfied for that time and on the fourteenth he held a Council where he delivered His Majesties Answer in these Terms My Lords I Thought it fit to acquaint your Lordships before I returned His Majesties Answer to the Noblemen and others petitioning for the same which is so full of Grace and Goodness that we have all cause to bless God and thank His Majesty for it such is his tender care of this poor distracted Kingdom that he will leave nothing undone that can be expected from a Iust Prince to save us from Ruine and since he finds such Distraction in the Church and State that they cannot be well settled without a Parliament and Assembly the state of the Country and business being prepared for it he hath given me Warrant for calling of both that they may be orderly held as formerly they have been according to the Laws and Customs of the Kingdom And further I am to declare to your Lordships that this we are to attribute only to His Goodness for we cannot but acknowledge that our carriage hath been such as justly we might have expected that he would have taken another course with us which he was Royally and really prepared for had not His Mercy prevailed above His just Indignation and by a powerful and forcible way have taught us Obedience which he hath forborn to make use of meerly out of His Grace and Goodness It is our duty to let His Subjects know how great our obligation is to Him which every one of us in particular and all of us in general should strive to make every one sensible of and labour so far as lieth in our power to procure satisfaction to His Majesty and quiet to this distracted Church and State The day following he gave the Covenanters the same Answer with which they were no way satisfied But the Covenanters were not satisfied They asked what he meant by preparing of business he said it was to establish Order and Government again in the Country as it was before those Combustions and upon this he gave them a Note of those particulars His Majesty ordered to be settled and assured them immediately upon their Obedience he should indict an Assembly and Parliament as he was
his Holy Water Baptizing of Bells conjuring of Spirits crossing saning anointing conjuring hallowing of Gods good Creatures with the superstitious opinion joyned therewith his worldly Monarchy and wicked Hierarchy his three solemn Vowes with all the shavellings of sundry sorts his erroneous and bloody Decrees made at Trent with all the Subscribers and Approvers of that cruel and bloody Bond conjured against the Kirk of God and finally we detest all his vain Allegories Rites Signs and Traditions brought into the Kirk without or against the Word of God and Doctrine of his true Reformed Kirk to the which we joyn our selves willingly in Doctrine Faith Religion Discipline and use of the Holy Sacraments as lively Members of the same in Christ our Head promising and swearing by the great Name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in obedience of the Doctrine and Discipline of this Kirk and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the dayes of our lives under the paines contained in the Law and danger both of body and soul in the day of Gods fearful Iudgement and seeing that many are stirred up by Satan and that Roman Antichrist to promise swear subscribe and for a time use the Holy Sacrament in the Kirk deceitfully against their own Consciences minding hereby first under the external Cloak of Religion to corrupt and subverâ— secretly Gods true Religion within the Kirk and afterward where time may serve to become open enemies and persecuters of the same under vain hope of the Popes Dispensation devised against the Word of God to his greater confusion and their double Condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus We therefore willing to take away all suspicion of hâ—pocrisie and such double-dealing with God and his Kirk protest and call the Searcher of all hearts to witness that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession Promise Oath and Subscription so that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are persuaded onely in our Consciences through the knowledge and love of Gods true Religion printed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed And because we perceive that the quietness and stability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the Kings Majesty as upon a comfortable Instrument of Gods Mercy granted to this Country for the maintenance of his Kirk and ministration of Iustice among us we protest and promise with our hearts under the same Oath hand-writ and pains that we shall defend his Person and Authority with our Bodies and Lives in the defence of Christ his Evangel Liberties of our Country ministration of Iustice and punishment of Iniquity against all Enemies within this Realm or without as we desire our God to be a strong and merciful Defender to us in the day of our Death and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory eternally Amen WE underscribing and considering the strait link and conjunction betwixt the true and Christian Religion presently profest within this Realm The Bond joyned to it and our Soveraign Lords Estate and Standing having both the self-same Friends and common Enemies and subject to the like event of standing and decay weighing therewithall the imminent danger threatned to the said Religion the Preservation whereof being dearer to us than whatsoever we have dearest to us in this Life and finding in His Majesty a most Honourable and Christian Resolution to manifest Himself to the World that zealous and religious Prince which he hath hitherto professed and to imploy the means and power that God hath put into his hands as well to the withstanding of whatsoever foreign Force shall mean within this Land for alteration of the said Religion or endangering of the present State as to the repressing of the inward Enemies thereto amongst our selves linked with them in the said Antichristian League and Confederacy have therefore in the presence of Almighty God and with His Majesties Authorizing and Allowance faithfully promised and solemnly sworn likeas we hereby faithfully and solemnly swear and promise to take a true effauld and plain part with His Majesty amongst our selves for diverting of the appearing danger threatned â—o the said Religion and His Majesties State and Standing depending thereupon by whatsoever foreign or intestine Plots or Preparations and to that effect faithfully and that upon our Truth and Honours bind and oblige us to others to convene and assemble our selves publickly with our Friends in Arms or in quiet manner at such Times and Places as we shall be required by His Majesties Proclamation or by Writ or Message directed to us from His Majesty or any having Power from him and being convened and assembled to joyn and concur with the whole Forces of our Friends and Followers against whatsoever foreign or intestine Powers or Papists and their Partakers shall arrive or rise within this Island or any part thereof ready to defend or pursue as we shall be authorised or conducted by His Majesty or any others having his Power and Commission to joyn and hold hand to the exeâ—ution of whatsoever Mean or Order shall be thought meet by His Majesty and His Council for suppressing of the Papists promotion of the true Religion and settling of Hâ—s Highness Estate and Obedience in all the Countries and Corners of this Realm to expose the hazard of our Lives Lands and Goods and whatsoever means God hath lent us in the defence of the said true and Christian Religion and his Majesties Person and Estate against whatsoever Iesuits and Seminary or Mass Priests condemned Enemies to God and His Majesty to their utter wreck and exterminion according to the Power granted to us by His Majesties Proclamation and Acts of Parliament to try search and seek out all Excommunicates Practisers and other Papists whatever within our bounds and Shire where we keep residence and delate them to His Highness and His Privy Council and conform us to such Directions as from time to time we shall receive from His Majesty and His Council in their behalfs and so specially so many of us as presently are or hereafter shall be appointed Commissioners in every Shire shall follow pursue and travel by all means possible to take and apprehend all such Papists Apostates and Excommunicates as we shall receive in Writ from His Majesty And we the remanent within that Shire shall concur and assist with the said Commissioners with our whole Friends and Forces to that effect without respect of any person whatsoever and generally to assist in the mean time and defend every one of us another in all and whatsoever Quarrels Actions Debates moved or to be moved against us or any of us upon Action of the present Bond or other Causes depending thereupon and effauldly joyn in defence and pursuit against whatsoever shall
for them to stand upon those Punctilio's with their Soveraign and for your particular you would never be an Instrument of any dishonourable Act to His Majesty such as would be the engaging him not to correct the Misdemeanours of his Subjects that you had made a like Answer when you was demanded for Pass-ports to those that should come to you which you had rejected as judging it dishonourable for His Majesty to grant or any of his Subjects to ask or capitulate with His Majesty for They pressed to know what His Majesty required of them and what would be the extent of his condescending to their Desires in point of Conscience namely touching Bishops and the Acts of the last General Assembly wherein they said if they might have satisfaction they would cast at His Majesties feet their Bodies and Fortunes to be disposed of at his Pleasure In answer to this your Excellence caused me read His Majesties Proclamation wherein desiring to be cleared of His Majesties Intentions in the particular of the Civil Obedience your Excellence said it was the retiring with their Troops laying down tâ—eir Arms and the Nobilities waiting on him with their Swords onely upon the Frontier the restoring of His Majesties Castles unto such as His Majesty should appoint and the demolishing of their own Fortificaâ—ions unlawfully erected and the like As for the enjoying of Liberty of Religion wherein likewise they did press to know how far His Majesty would condescend to their humble Supplications as likewise in the point of the Acts of the last pretended General Assembly your Excellence answered It would be so far as the Laws of the Kingdom did permit They asked who should judge of these Laws and of their intention and if it might be decided by a General Assembly Your Excellence answered Yes and that either His Majesty would call one or your self as His Majesties High Commissioner They desired to know if His Majesty would stand to the Award of such an Assembly especially in what concerned the Acts of the later Your Excellence answered His Majesty was not bound to it as having his Negative Voice which they not acknowledging your Excellence added that notwithstanding you were confident that whatsoever should be agreed on by such an Assembly called by His Majesties Command and where the Members should be legally chosen His Majesty would not onely consent unto them but have them ratified in Parliament They desired your Excellence would limit them a time wherein to return and treat further with you with full power to conclude all things wherein they desired not to be pressed with scantness of time in regard of the Nobilities being dispersed in several places of the Country Your Excellence answered it should be when themselves would were it tomorrow or a moneth hence for you assured them they would find you so long in these quarters Lastly they desired to know what they might report of what your Excellence had assured them of His Majesties Intentions concerning Religion and the General Assembly Your Excellence answered that as they brought no Commission to treat of all these particulars but kept themselves within the limits of the Contents in their Letters you would doe accordingly in your Answer and that in writing they should receive something to morrow This was that Conference which some were pleased to misrepresent under the odious Characters of Treacherous and Secret Dealing with the Covenanters At this time there were divers Scotish Lords and Officers waiting on the King but being of no use and burdensom to His Majesty Some Lords come from the King to the Marquis he sent them to the Marquis with whom he wrote the following Letter Hamilton I Cannot let these Lords go without a Letter it being more to please them than to inform you there having nothing happened since my last of the 17th that makes me either alter or take new Counsels so that this is onely to recommend them to your care in so far as may comply with my Service which shews you both my good Opinion of them as likewise that I am Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Newcastle 21 May 1639. But the Marquis was very ill-satisfied with their coming to him since they were able to doe nothing but help away with his Victuals which were beginning to run low and therefore were to be well-husbanded wherefore he persuaded them that it was fit for them to go to the Places of their Interest and doe what in them lay for getting some to appear for the King and so he got himself rid of them the best way he could Two days after that the Marquis got the following Letter Hamilton THe Trust I have both in the Honesty and Sufficiency of this Bearer shall ease me much at this time therefore I shall onely mention what he shall speak of more fully to you The Lord Aboyne's Proposition I have in my last recommended to you though at that time I thought not that himself would have been the Messenger of it other Lords I have sent to you to see if they can doe me better Service there than here for here I am sure they can doe none I shall conclude with that with which I have neither acquainted this Bearer nor any body else to wit your Proposition of packing up this Business It is true that according to my Proclamation I would rest quiet for this time upon their yielding me Civil Obedience but that must be understood by demanding Pardon for their by-past Disobedience and rendring up what they unjustly possess of mine and others Less than this I will not be contented with no not for the present For all this I do not take my self to be in such a case as to conquer them yet I doubt not but by the Grace of God to force them to Obedience in time what by stopping of their Trade and other courses therefore go on for this is the Resolution of Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. After them the Viscount of Aboyne But on the 29th of May the Lord Aboyne came to him with the following Letter from the King Hamilton HAving been some days since I wrote to you I could nâ—t let my Lord Aboyne go without these Lines though it be rather to confirm than to adde to my two former onely I shall desire you to take heed how you engage me in Money-expence As for what Assistance you can spare him out of the Forces that are with yâ—u I leave you to judge and I shall be glad of it if you find it may doe good The truth is that I find my state of Moneys to be such An. 1638. that I shall be able by the Grace of God to maintain all the Men I have afoot for this Summer but for doing any more I dare not promise therefore if with the Countenance and Assistance of what Force you have you may uphold my Party in the North and the rest of those Noblemen I have sent to you
you are to warn and assist Ruthwen for the defence of the Castle of Edinburgh and to take in general the like care of all Our Houses and Forts in that Kingdom and likewise to advertise all such who are affected to Our Service that timously they may secure themselves And so We bid you heartily farewell The greatest Point gained in the Assembly was an Explication of the Bond of Defence which was conceived in these Words WE do swear not onely our mutual concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion and to the uttermost of our power The Explication of the Covenant with our Means and Lives to stand to the Defence of our Dread Soveraign and His Authority in the preservation and defence of the said true Religion Liberties and Laws of this Kirk and Kingdom but also in every cause which may concern His Majesties Honour we shall according to the Laws of this Kingdom and Duties of good Subjects concur with our Friends and Followers in quiet manner or in Arms as we shall be required of His Majesties Council or any having His Authority The Clause about Episcopacy was worded That it was unlawful in this Church Episcopacy abjured in Scotland Upon this the Covenant was presented to the Commissioner and Council on the 30th of August with a desire that it might be signed and it was accordingly done which was received with great Joy witnessed by Bonfires and ringing of Bells and all the Pulpits and Streets were full of Traquair's Praises But His Majesty was no way satisfied with this as appears from the following Letter CHARLES R. Right Trusty c. The King displeased with Traquair YOur Letter of September the 27th to Hamilton We have seen and think fit to return Answer thereunto Our Self and the rather because We find by yours that some Points in the former Letter were not so fully expressed but that you desire more clear Answers First you say that in all your Directions it is condescended that by Act of Assembly Episcopacy should be declared unlawful in this Kirk and that by all the Capitulations of Agreement and Instructions given to you that same is allowed to be ratified in Parliament upon the foresaid terms agreed upon in the Assembly In this Point We must tell you that you are much mistaken for though you have Power for giving way to the Abolition of Episcopacy as contrary to the Constitutions of the Church of Scotland yet you will not find either in your Instructions or any other Direction since sent you that We have consented to declare the same Unlawful We making a great difference therein for many things may be contrary to the Constitutions of a Church which of thâ—mselves are not simply unlawful for whatsoever is absolutely unlawful in one Church cannot be lawful in the other of the same Profession of Religion but there may be many several Constitutions and yet they all lawful Therefore if I do acknowledge or consent That Episcopacy is unlawful in the Church of Scotland though as you have set it down in your consenting to the Act the word Unlawful may seem onely to have a relation to the Constitutions of that Kirk yet the Construction thereof doth run so doubtfully that it may be probably inferred That the same Function is acknowledged by Vs to be unlawful in any other Churches in Our Dominions Therefore as we totally disapprove of your consenting to the word Unlawful as well to the Function as Civil Places and Power of Church-men in the Act of the General Assembly so We absolutely command you not to ratifie the same in these terms in the Parliament but onely as contrary to the Constitutions of that Kirk and to declare that We ratifie this Act meerly for the Peace of the Land though otherwise in Our Own Iudgment We neither hold it convenient nor fitting which you are to declare at the Ratifying of the same And for the rest of your Declaration in the Assembly to be registred in the Books of Council for brevities sake We send you herewith a Copy of the same as likewise that of the Covenant interlined in those places which We disapprove of and conceive to be the contrary to your Instructions and some other Directions As We have formerly written to you We cannot consent to the rescinding any Acts of Parliament made in favour of Episcopacy nor do We conceive that Our refusal to abolish those Acts is contradictory to what We have consented to or to that we was obliged to there is less danger in discovering any future Intentions of Ours or at the best letting them guess at the same than if We should permit the rescinding those Acts of Parliament which Our Father with so much expence of Time and Industry established and which may hereafter be of so great use to Vs. And though it should perhaps cast all loose as you express yet We take God to witness We have permitted them to doe many things in this Assembly for establishing of Peace contrary to Our Own Iudgment And if on this point a Rupture happen We cannot help it the fault is on their own part which one day they may smart for So you have in this Point Our full Resolution We likewise wrote formerly to you that We thought it not fit at this time that the Power of the Lords of the Articles should be defined and that you are to avoid the same and to be sure not to consent thereunto Now your last Letter gives Vs ground to repeat the same again and to declare to you that We remain in Our former Opinion And whereas you say that it is to no purpose to vex Vs with all the indiscreet and mad Propositions that are made since they go about not onely to reform all pretended Abuses of what nature soever but to constitute and define the Power of all Iudicatories from the highest to the lowest and that you are like to agree in few or none of the General Acts If you find that what We have commanded you to doe is likely to cause a Rupture their impertinent Motions give you a fair occasion to make it appear to the World that We have condescended to all matters which can be pretended to concern Conscience and Religion and that now they aim at nothing but the Overthrow of Royal Authority contrary to all their Professions which We can neither with Honour nor Safety suffer And therefore We hope and expect that if a Rupture happen you will make this appear to be the cause thereof and not Religion which you know not onely to be true but must see it will be of great advantage to Vs and therefore must be seriously intended by you We have no Directions of new to give you concerning the Marquis of Huntley Sir Donald Mack-donald or any others to whom Malice is carried for their Zeal for Our Service but again recommend them to your care What hath past betwixt your self and the Earl of Argyle We
have heard nothing of but We are easily induced to believe that what you wrote of his undutiful Carriage is true and that you will easily make it appear to which We will give no unwilling Ear. Thus you have your last Letter answered with what for the present and on such a sudden hath come into Our thoughts and so We bid you Farewell Whitehall Octob. 1. 1639. The Parliament sate at Edinburgh the day appointed The Parliament sits in Scotland but their Actings can onely be overly related they being too remote from the Marquis his Story so that onely such Generals are to be hinted as occur among his Papers They consented that for that time Traquair as Commissioner should name those Lords of the Articles that were for the Nobility who should have been named by the Bishops but protested it should be no Precedent for the future And they went roundly to take away the Lords of the Articles totally and were framing all their Acts at the rate of the Assembly But Traquair finding he could not hold pace with them and keep close to his Instructions to the Letter of which he resolved to adhere and is quickly prorogued did on the 30th of October prorogue the Parliament to the 14th of November next The Covenanters though they resolved not to sit till the day to which it was prorogued yet protested against the Legality of any Prorogation without consent of Parliament and sent up the Earls of Dumfermline and Lowdon with the Acts of the Assembly to the King desiring he would order his Commissioner to give way to their Ratification in Parliament as also to purge themselves of any Misrepresentations the King might have received of their Actions They came to London on the 8th of November but His Majesty resolved not to see them since they came from Scotland without His Commissioners Warrant wherefore they were commanded presently to return home They sent a Letter to the Marquis for he would not see them desiring him to interpose for procuring them a Hearing and that they might not be condemned unheard whose Answer was That the Order which the King had sent them was upon mature Deliberation and that nothing remained for them but Obedience so they returned And the King ordered Traquair to prorogue the Parliament Proroguing and Adjourning are all one in Scotland to the second of Iune next and to come up and give an account of Affairs which accordingly he did but got a cold Reception the King being highly displeased with his Subscription of the Covenant as was before marked But he complained that he could have no Assistance from them to obtain any thing if he had not done that and that it was impossible to prevail with these People Traquair incites the King to a new War except by Force or by a total Compliance The Bishops failed not to take advantage at this trip of his to pursue him with much eagerness and he to recover himself was the more earnest to press the King to a new Invasion assuring him that Ruthwen was so strong in the Castle of Edinburgh that he would teach them their Duty and was very formidable to them He also furnished the King with a great many Grounds for justifying his following Procedure against them a chief one being a Letter he had got which the Covenanters had written to the French King desiring his Protection and Assistance which was High Treason by the Law of Scotland as being a Treaty with a Foreign Prince without the Kings Permission And upon these Grounds it was that the Earl of Traquair was afterwards pursued as the Grand Incendiary The Marquis saw there was too much Ground for His Majesties Resentments either to contradict or condemn them but that which grieved him was that he saw not a way how His Majesty should be able to defray the Expence of a War without calling a Parliament in England which was no less formidable to the Court than the Covenanters in Scotland they foreseeing what followed At this time the Covenanters sent up their Petition to His Majesty by one Cunningham desiring permission to send some of their Number for their own Vindication which His Majesty granting the Earls of Lowdon and Dumfermline were again sent up But Lowdon being accused of that Letter to the French King The Earl of Lowdon committed to the Tower was committed to the Tower Yet he vindicated himself first that the Letter was not finished and had neither Date nor Direction since that which was on the back of it Au Roy was added afterwards and by another Hand next that it was written before the Pacification and so was buried by the Oblivion that it was never sent and that it was designed onely that the French King should interpose and mediate for them Upon all this he offered himself to a strict Trial by his Peers in Scotland but added that he being sent by the States of Scotland and come upon His Majesties Warrant was first to be returned a Freeman thither and thereafter to be accused and tried This Accident troubled the Marquis extremely for he knew it would raise Clamours against His Majesties Justice among those who were inclined to misconstrue his Actions and indeed it was highly resented by the Scotish Lords as a violation of the Law of Nations to meddle with any publick Messenger but the King judged no Consideration could warrant his Subjects to commit Treason nor secure them from Trial and Censure when found Guilty There were some ill Instruments about the King who advised him to proceed capitally against Lowdon which is believed went very far but the Marquis opposed this vigorously assuring the King that if that were done Scotland was for ever lost They would then have somewhat to pretend against so much as Petitioning and Treating besides it was against the Laws of Scotland to proceed against a Scotish Peer for a Crime committed in Scotland but by the Peers of Scotland And after all this he assured His Majesty that he knew few of the Covenanters who might be more able to serve the Kings Interest and could be more easily gained than Lowdon And the truth was that Letter was signed by six of the Covenanting Lords but being put in the hands of the Lord Mirtland to sign it as he told the Writer he found it was False French and so it was laid aside for that time and never again taken into consideration but one taking up the Letter brought it to Traquair His Majesty being of himself both Just and Good did reject those cruel Counsels as hurtful to his Service yet Lowdon continued prisoner for some months his Enlargement shall be mentioned in its proper place But how to proceed in the publick Affairs was a hard Chapter A new War with Scotland Which way the Counsels were taken this Winter doth not appear to the Writer but from the Effects Only the Marquis was full of apprehensions foreseeing that it would be impossible
gone to some Place where you might be safe and free from Your Enemies and where Your Majesties Friends might have access to You. But as the Place to which You are gone so Your Majesties Message of the 16th hath infinitely disabled us to serve You for what You offer in matter of Religion comes far short of Your Majesties Message of the 12th of May besides it grants a full Toleration of Heresy and Schism for ever And as for Your Concessions in things Civil more is granted than was expected by some or wished by others and although we know not how effectual Your Majesties Message may prove for a Personal Treaty yet our Endeavours shall be really contributed for that end as we have done in part already If this Message be rejected a Personal Treaty denied the new Propositions pressed by the Two Houses and Your Majesty in no better Security than formerly You would advise us in time what to do and wherein we can be useful to Your Majesty who are resolved to serve You as becomes Your Majesties most humble most faithful most loyal Subjects and Servants LOWDON LAVDERDALE LANERICK 22th Novemb. 1647. Next day His Majesty wrote what follows to my Lord Lanerick Lanerick His Majesties Answer to Lanerick I Wonder to hear if that be true that some of My Friends should say that My Going to Jersey had much more furthered My Personal Treaty than My Coming hithâ—r for wâ—ich as I see no colour of Reason so I had not been here if I had thought that Fancy true or had not been secured of a Personal Treaty of which I neither do nor I hope shall repent for I am daily more and more satisfied with this Governour and find these Islanders very goâ—d peaceable and quiet People This Encouragement I have thought not unfit for you to receive hoping at least it may do good upon others though needless to you from Your most assured real faithful constant Friend CHARLES R. Carisbrook 23th Nov. 1647. But in the end of November the Two Houses passed the four Bills without the consent of the Scotish Commissioners which was a manifest Breach of Treaty The Two Houses pass the four Bills In them the Covenant was not so much as mentioned for they related wholly to Civil matters as the perpetual Power of the Militia the unlimited Authority of Parliament and in effect the Giving up at once the Kings Authority But the Scotish Commissioners complained and Remonstrated against this with open mouth and gave in a large Remonstrance against the four Bills Declaring The Scotish Commissionerâ— protest against them that contrary to all the former Treaties and Declarations the Propositions made to His Majesty were still altered the Propositions sent to Newcastle to which notwithstanding their dislike of them yet for Peace sake they had yielded were now quite changed They also protested first against the sending of Propositions without a previous Treaty which they earnestly pressed as the likeliest Course for removing all Mistakes and bringing things to a Final Settlement and therefore they insisted on their former Desires for a Personal Treaty in or about London Next they excepted against the Bills both because the Covenant was quite omitted and the Settling of the Uniformity of Religion was turned to a Desire for a vast Toleration The Treaties with Scotland were not desired to be confirmed but only the making of them to be approved which was rather an Indemnity for making them than a Confirmation of them Next they remonstrated that the Kings Legislative Power was quite taken away by an unlimited Power they desired to be put in the Hands of the Two Houses and that their Demand about the Militia did put the King out of a capacity of Protecting His Subjects In fine they complained of the making Propositions without the concurrence of the Scotish Commissioners wherefore they remonstrated against the Bills and resolved to follow the Commissioners whom the Two Houses were to send to Wight and protest against these Bills upon which divers Papers passed betwixt the Two Houses and them The Earls of Lowdon Lauderdale and Lanerick wrote their sense of these Bills to His Majesty thus May it please Your Majesty and write to the King concerning them IT is of no advantage to expostulate about what is past either the carrying Your Majesty into that sad Place or the Prejudice Your Service and we suffer by Your Majesties Message for while You study to satisfie all You satisfie no Interest We shall insist on the grounds we went on at Hampton-Court and shall constantly press a Personal Treaty at London but not as the new Propositions do hold forth which if Your Majesty agrees to You divest Your Self and Your Posterity of the Militia for ever You settle this Army and Entertainment for it over Your Self and Your Majesties People perpetually and by giving leave to Adjournment You and Your Parliament shall be carried about at the Armies Pleasure as their Sub-Committee If Your Majesty will further enable us we shall by our Actions give more real testimonies how intirely we are Your Majesties most humble most faithful and most loyal Subjects and Servants LOWDON LAVDERDALE LANERICK 25th November 1647. With this Lanerick sent to His Majesty the Papers they gave in against the Bills and the other late Votes upon which the King wrote the following Letter Lanerick ALbeit that Letters can ill dispute at this distance yet I cannot but tell you His Majesty is well satisfied with their Papers that many things may be fitly offered to obtain a Treaty that may be altered when one comes to Treat and there is a great difference betwixt what I will insist on and what I will permit for the obtaining of a Peace Likewise it is neceâ—sary in many respects that I should seek to satisfie as far as I can with Conscience and Honour all chief Interests All these things impartially and duly considered I will boldly say My Message will not be found much amiss which recommending to Yâ—ur better consideration I must now desire You to give hearty thanks in My Name to your fellow-Commissioners of which though you take a large share to your self they will not want for their Paper of the 17th of this Month which was sent to the Two Houses for seriously it is as full to My sense as if I had penned it My Self And let me tell you that it will turn to the greatest Honour I say no more that ever befell you wherefore I conjure you by all that is dear to wise or honest men that you adhere close and constantly to it and as the Song sayes I ask no more So I rest Your most assured faithful real Friend CHARLES R. Carisbrook 29th November 1647. To which with another of that Date which His Majesty wrote to the three Lords which is not in the Writers hands they wrote the following Answers Sir They write again to the King IN answer to Your Majesties of
raised Regiments of five or six Troops on their own expences And though it is not to be imagined that the publick Expence of so great a Design was not likewise great yet there was a sad want of Money which the Duke and his Brother did all they could to supply as far as their Credit could go and raised above two and twenty thousand pounds sterling for prosecuting of the Engagement and were on all publick occasions so liberal of their own Money as if some Bank had been put into their hands The Curses the Ministers thundred against all who joyned in this Engagement made the Souldiers very heartless being threatned with no less than Damnation This obliged the Lords to use Force in some places for carrying on their Levies and indeed the Ministers counter-acting the State was such that it is hard to judge whether their Boldness or the Parliaments Patience was most to be wondred at The Lords resolved to chastise them to purpose in due time but judged the present time improper for it and to carry on the Levies the better the Parliament adjourned for three weeks So the Lords went to the several places of their Interests leaving a Committee behind them at Edinburgh but before their Adjournment they wrote the following Letter to the Presbyteries The Parliaments Letter to the Presbyteries THe many Scandals that are tâ—rown on our Actions by the favourers of Sectaries and haters of the Person of our King and Monarchical Government invite us to this extraordinary Address to you conjuring you as you will answer the Great God whose Servants you are not to suffer your selves to be possest with unjust and undeserved Prejudices against us and our Proceedings who have since our late Meeting in Parliament preferred no earthly thing to Religion and the promoving all the ends of our Covenant and have constantly used all real Endeavours to have carried on these Duties to the satisfaction of the most tender Consciences and especially by our great Compliance with the many Desires from the Commissioners of the General Assembly we have proceeded to greater discoveries of our Resolutions in the ways and means of managing of this present Service than possibly in prudence we ought to have done having so near and active Enemies to oppose us neither can it with any Truth or Iustice in any sort be alledged that we have in the least measure wronged or violated the least Priviledges and Liberties of the Church or taken upon us the determination or decision of any matters of Faith or Church-discipline though we be unjustly charged with making an Antecedent Iudgment in matters of Religion under pretence whereof great Encroachments are made on our unquestioned Rights for what can be more Civil than to determine what Civil Duties we ought to pay to our King or what Civil Power he ought to be possessed of and if we meet with obstructions and opposition in carrying on these Duties are not we the only Iudges thereof is there any other Authority in this Kingdom but that of King and Parliament and what flows from them that can pretend any Authoritative Power in the choice of the Instruments and Managers of our Publick Resolutions is it a Subject for the Dispute of Church-Iudicatories whether His Majesty have a Negative Voice or not These things certainly cannot be pretended to by any Kirk-man without a great Vsurpation over the Civil Magistrate whereof we are confident the Church of Scotland or any Iudicatory thereof will never be guilty nor fall into the Episcopal disease of meddling in Civil Affairs and if any have already in these Particulars exceeded their bounds we expect the ensuing General Assembly will censure it accordingly and prevent the vilifying and contemning the Authority of Parliament by any of their Ministers either in or out of their Pulpits who shall offer to stir up the Subjects of this Kingdom to disobey or deny to give Civil Obedience to their Laws it being expresly prohibited by the 2 and 5 Acts of King James the sixth his eighth Parliament Anno 1584. That none of His Majesties Subjects under pain of Treason impugne the Authority of Parliament And therefore seeing the Cause is the same for which this Kingdom hath done and suffered so much and that we are resolved to proceed for the Preservation and Defence of Religion before all wordly Interest whatsoever and to carry on sincerely really and constantly the Covenant and all the Ends of it as you will find by our Declaration herewith sent to you we do confidently expect that as the Ministers of this Kingdom have hitherto been most active and exemplary in furthering the former Expeditions so now you will continue in the same Zeal to stir up the People by your Preaching and Prayers and all other ways in your Calling to a chearful Obedience to our Orders and Engageing in the business that you will not give so great advantage to the Enemies of Presbyterial Government and bring so great a Scandal on this Church as to oppose the Authority of Parliament or obstruct their Proceedings in their necessary Duties for the good of Religion Honour and Happiness of the King and his Royal Posterity and the true Peace of His Dominions Signed by Order of Parliament Alex. Gibsone Clerk Regist. Edinburgh May 11 1648. The Parliament having resolved to raise an Army for the Kings Relief The Parliament sends for the Scotish Army in Ireland found it expedient for encreasing the number and strength of their Forces to send to Ireland for a part of their Scotish Army there which as was told An. 1642 had been sent from Scotland thither by Commission from the King under the Great Seal and upon a Treaty and Establishment betwixt the two Nations for suppressing the Irish Rebellion and for perswading them to desert for so Noble an Undertaking their Interest in Ireland which was very considerable for there was above seven hundred and seventy thousand pound sterling of Arrear resting to them upon a stated Accompt fitted by Persons intrusted by the Parliament of England and Commissioners from them preceding the 16th of Iune 1647 besides a year more until Iune 1648 not at all reckoned they sent over three of their number two Knights Sir Iames Macdougal and Sir William Cocheran now Earl of Dundonald and Mr. Crawford Burgess of Linlithgow with Letters and Instructions to that purpose They were kindly received by such of the Officers as had chief Power there but most unwelcome to a contrary Party who had notice how averse the Kirk to which they were addicted had declared themselves from the Designs of that Parliament nevertheless it was quickly agreed to that about twelve hundred Horse and two thousand and one hundred Foot should be provided and regimented and transported to Scotland to be conducted by Sir George Monro in the quality of a Major-General and to be joyned with the Dukes Armie At Westminster they were in great Confusion fearing that the General
Duke put in the Declinatour and special Plea following The Dukes Plea intending at last to answer the Charge if the Plea was not sufficient having first told the Court he was better known by another name than the Earl of Cambridge His Plea consisted of three â—â—ads First he pleaded this his undertaking that Imployment was by Command of the Parliament and Supreme Authority of the Kingdom of Scotland for such ends as he conceived were good and justifiable and in no way derogatory to the Peace and Happiness of these Dominions That he did earnestly endeavour to decline it but that not being accepted of he could not disobey their Commands without incurring the severest Censures Secondly that he was born in Scotland before the Naturalization of his Father in England therefore he conceived himself an Alien and not triable in England Thirdly that he had rendred himself Prisoner upon Capitulation and Articles with those who had Major-General Lamberts Commission and that by these he was first a Prisoner of War next his Life and the Safety of his Person was secured to him by the Articles which were signed by the Commissioners of both sides before he was their Prisoner and that they could fasten neithâ—r a Breach nor non-performance on him Upon this the Counsel of the People caused the Act of his Fathers Naturalization to be read spake a little to aggravate and set out his Fact but he desired a convenient time to procure Papers Witnesses and other Evidences material to his Plea which he said was seldom denied to any in that condition and it was well known to many there how that since the beginning of this Parliament many weeks were granted to an Eminent Man upon his Trial by whom he meant the Earl of Strafford who had time allowed him to send to Ireland The Court adjourned to the next day without giving him any satisfactory Answer But the Dukes Carriage and Discourse that day gained much on all the Spectators being so serene and calm that his very Enemies did applaud it The Second Appearance Saturday the 10th in the Evening his Grace was again brought to the Bar and he desired Counsel which was granted and it was refered to him whether the Court or himself should name them which he then passed over and without much speaking on either side the Court adjourned notice being given him that he must appear again on Tuesday the 13th but no Order being issued forth for Counsel some Counsel who were dealt with did decline the Imployment The Third Appearance Tuesday the 13th his Grace being brought again to the Bar desired a longer time since notwithstanding serious means had been used no Lawyer would be his Counsel without the Courts Orders This was granted by the President after some Expostulation and upon his Graces Nomination Mr. Chute Mr. Hales Mr. Parsons and Dr. Walker were assigned him for Counsel to have free access to him in the presence and hearing of some of his Keepers and to be ready against Teursday following to maintain his Plea upon which the Court adjourned till the 15th The Fourth Appearance Thursday the 15th his Grace being again brought before the Court declared that their Order being offered to his Counsel they all found themselves unable to plead for him or to do what was otherwise fitting and so had refused to come and speak with him at St. Iames's The Court objected the time they had already granted and alledged this was a meer delay but his Grace protested it was true and offered one of his Servants to attest it Doctor Walker in Court declared he would not be of his Counsel by reason of his Imployment under the Parliament His Grace desired a convenient time as was usual in the like Cases not only in respect of his Lawyers but that he might send to Scotland and other remote Places for Witnesses and Evidences necessary for his Defence since no prejudice could come by that Delay and this was denied to none in Tryal for Life and had been granted to Mac-Guire and Mac-Hun two Irish Men. But for his Counsel the Court Ordained that any of the Six he should name might be Authorized to advise with him in private and to speak in Court in the matter of Law arising out of the Fact of the Plea after the matter of Fact was handled which his Grace was to maintain next Saturday And for the Time he craved they said he looked on the unreasonable time was granted to Strafford and Canterbury those grand Offenders with whom he had been too familiar as Precedents but those were Precedents without a Precedent and none were to expect the like at this time especially since there were now so many Prisoners to be Tryed Saturday the 17th His Grace was brought to the Court with some Witnesses his Counsel being neer but not present The Fifth Appearance and in order to the Parts of his Plea he first produced Duplicates of the Commission and Orders from the Parliament of Scotland and Committee of Estates there The Court demanded Evidence for both his Grace answered were time granted he would not only sufficiently prove these but many other points belonging to his Justification but the Court answered that unless they were presently attested vivâ voce they would not suffer them to be read Witnesses examined Whereupon his Grace desired that his Servant Mr. Lewis might be examined whose Testimony was accepted and the Papers he produced were received for Evidences and read Next the Declaration containing the ends of the Engagement was read and being proved by the same Witness was left in Court with the former Papers Then the Court upon his Grace's desire produced the Original Articles of Capitulation which were read and Mr. Cole proved he saw them delivered to his Grace about nine in the Morning before the Lord Gray came in The L. Gray deposed That two several Summons which were sent by him to his Grace to yield upon Mercy were both answered negatively in respect of the Cessation and Treaty That by a Letter from Cromwell dated Warrington August 20th he was enjoined to pursue the Scotish Forces with all vigour That he had received Letters from the Staffordshire-Gentlemen with whom the Cessation begun intimating that they had condescended to it on purpose to gain a few days time to strengthen themselves in regard the Scots were so numerous and that he dispatched away Wayte and Peters that morning in which the Treaty ended to protest against it Peters was next examined and answered That going that morning to protest by order from the Lord Gray he came accidentally to the Duke where he found the Hostages in his Chamber and asked if he was willing to be the Lord Gray's Prisoner who answered he could not in regard of the Treaty but if he were afterwards to be disposed of he had rather be his Lordships Prisoner than any others being of his acquaintance That he had seen the Summons and
giving a just and true Relation of the Reign of the late King I was my self pretty early acquainted with a great deal more of the Truth of these Affairs than is generally known having had the blessing of my Father's Conversation for many years who had been a very exact Observer of all that passed He was also much importuned by men of all sides to write the History of those distempered Times being esteemed a Person of great Moderation and Candour who as he had his breeding in the Law so lived in great Friendship with the most eminent Persons of both Perswasions for before the Troubles began he was accounted a Male-content but he did afterwards give such signal demonstrations of his Loyalty that he was put from his Employment and made to take a voluntary Exile on him which was granted him as a great Favour by the Covenanters who generally had much kindness for him for all his being so contrary to their way And Warriston his Brother-in-Law in whose hands were all the Original Papers of the Covenanters side offered them to him for his Assistance if he would undertake it but he was over-grown with Age and Infirmities and so could not set about so difficult a Work But I received from him such Informations as made me look on most of the Writers of those Times with Indignation who were either utterly ignorant or so basely partial that Matters of Fact are falsly represented and the whole Counsels and Secret Contrivances either quite passed over or so palliated that there is very little truth in the Relations they have made And particularly I wondred to find James Duke of Hamilton represented to the World with such foul and base Characters as if he had been a Monster both for Ingratitude and Treachery though he had laid down his Life for the King and involved his Estate in vast Debts for His Service It seemed to me the greatest Injustice in the World that one who served his Prince and his Country so long and so faithfully and sealed all with his Blood should not only be deprived of the Honour due to his Memory but that a company of ignorant and impudent Slanderers should do what they could to attaint his Blood and Family by the black Imputations they have cast on him and that this should pass current without any Vindication This made me resolve if ever I could meet with such Instructions as might direct me well to write an account of the late Troubles and in particular to give a true and clear Relation of that Duke's Concerns to set about it I knew well the Temper of those who were most severe in their Censures on him to be a violent and hot-headed sort of People who were for nothing but Fire and Sword and yet knew not how to do much more than to drink and swagger and therefore as I was naturally inclined to disregard their Blusterings so I was apt to think his Counsels must have been moderate for tempering the eagerness of other mens Passions which did enrage them so much against him so that they having dispersed many false Stories of him these were easily received by our Scribling Historians and have been made use of to poyson the Truth of the History It is such a natural and constant effect of Passion to carry men to Extreams that it is no wonder if those who had more temper and fore-sight and studied to heal the Breaches and followed more moderate Counsels were hated on both sides for in all times the Moderate Party is the weakest and has most obloquie cast on it from all hands I also thought that I could not do a greater Service to my Country than to enquire into the whole Course of the late Civil Wars And I knew there were none so eminently Employed as the two Dukes of Hamilton the one having been the Kings High-Commissioner in the beginning of them and the other the Secretary of State in the sequel of them therefore it was certain that if their Papers had not been destroyed in the common fate of Scotland I could not find a clearer thread to direct me than from them I shall not deny that I had many pre-engagements on me to have a high value of that Family both from the Great Worth of those who now represent it and from the Vnblemished Fidelity their Ancestours have always payed the Crown and their constant Affection to their Country so that since the first Greatness of it in King James the third his days who gave his Sister in Marriage to the Lord Hamilton they were never in any Rebellion against their King nor did they ever abuse their Prince's Favour to be a Grievance to their Country And though they stood next the Crown for fifty years together from the year 1543 that King James the fifth died till the year 1593 that Prince Henry was born during all which time there was none but Queen Mary and King James of the Royal Blood yet all that while their Deportment shewed that they had no other design but to serve those Princes with all possible Fidelity and Zeal And though Scotland was then much distracted with Intestine Broyls and Disorders yet they never set themselves at the head of any Faction nor departed from the Interests of the Crown When King James the fifth died he left his only Daughter Queen Mary but a few days old and the Government of Scotland fell by Right to the Earl of Arran being her nearest Kinsman and if such an Ambition as the Enemies of that Family have pretended was hereditary to it had been lodged in him he would never have let such an Opportunity of raising himself slip out of his hands But he was a Person of great Iustice and Candour and set nothing before his eyes but the Publick Good so that Archbishop Spotswood tells of him in his History that in his Court there was nothing seen that the severest eye could censure or reprove In the Publick Government such a Moderation was kept as no man was heard to complain the Governour was reverently obeyed and held in as great respect as any King 's of preceding Times It is true he was of too easie a nature and his base Brother who was afterwards Archbishop of St. Andrews had great power over him which did much prejudice his Reputation In the disposing of the Queen in Marriage he had much to have said for himself if he had married Her to his own Son who was but a few years older than the Queen but he shewed he designed Her Greatness more than his own and perhaps more than the true Interest of his Country for I am far from thinking that he carried himself wisely in that when he consented to send Her to the Dolphin of France afterwards Francis the second in acknowledgment of which he was made Duke of Castle-herald or as it is pronounced by the French Chastle-herault by the French King After the Death of Francis the second when Queen Mary
contrary to but would prove a ready mean to preserve the true Religion already received and beat down all Superstition Withall the King considering the disorderly Conventions had been to form Petitions against these Books though they deserved a high Censure yet His Majesty willing to impute that rather to a preposterous Zeal than to any Disloyalty therefore dispensed with them to all such as should thence forth retire and return to their Obedience whereupon these Conventions were in all time coming discharged under pain of Treason The Tumults grow This was proclaimed at Sterlin the nineteenth of February but was so far from giving satisfaction that it proved a crisis to greater Confusion for it met with a Protestation as it was proclaimed sent from those of the Tables who notwithstanding continued to sit in that Iunto An Answer also came from the Duke of Lennox and the other Lords at Court directed only to three of the Lords of the Covenant in Scotland the Earls of Rothes Cassils and Montrose wherein they wrote that they had communicated their desires to His Majesty who answered that as hitherto he had received all the Petitions they had offered to the Council so he had considered them and would declare His Royal Intentions about them The Combustions continuing and growing the Council appointed a solemn Meeting to be the first of March at Sterlin for a full examining of things that they might send their joint Advices to Court This was likewise agreed to by the Lord Chancellour who was then at Edinburgh and undertook for himself and the rest of the Clergy that were of the Council to keep that Appointment The first of March came but none of the Clergy kept the day the Lord Bishop of Brechin only excepted an excuse came from the Lord Chancellour but the necessity of Affairs pressed the Lords of the Council to go on they continued four days consulting and debating about things but after the third day Bishop Brechin left them seeing in what Determinations they were likely to close The issue of their Consulting was to send Sir Iohn Hamilton the Justice-Clerk to the King with Instructions which follow as they are taken from the Original yet extant INSTRUCTIONS from His MAJESTIES Council to the Lord Iustice-Clerk whom they have ordained to go to Court for His MAJESTIES service Instructions to the Justice-Clerk concerning the rise and remedies of these Disorders IN the first place you are to receive from the Clerk of the Council all the Acts past since our meeting upon the first of March instant Item You have to represent to his Majesty That the Dyet of Council was appointed to be solemnly kept by the advice of the Lord Chancellour and remnant Lords of the Clergy being at Edinburgh for the time who assured us that they should keep the Dyet precisely but at our meeting at Sterlin we received a Letter of excuse from the Lord Chancellour which forced us to proceed without his Lordships presence or any others of the Lords of the Clergy except the Bishop of Brechin who attended us three days but removed before the closing of our Opinions anent the business Item That immediately after we had resolved to direct you with a Letter of Trust to His Majesty we did send our Letter to the Lord Chancellour acquainting him with our proceedings and desiring him to consider thereof and if he approved the same to sign them and to cause tâ—e remnant Lords of the Clergy nearest unto him and namely the Bishop of Brechin who was an ear and eye Witness to our Consultations to sign the same and by their Letter to His Majesty to signifie their approbation thereof or if his Lordship did find some other way more convenient for His Majesties Honour and the Peace of the Country that his Lordship by his Letter to the Lord Treasurer or Privie-Seal would acquaint them therewith to the effect they might convene the Council for consulting thereabout Item That you shew His Majesty that His Majesties Council all in one voice finds that the causes of the general Combustions in the Country are the Fears apprehended of Innovation of Religion and Discipline of the Kirk established by the Laws of the Kingdom by occasion of the Service-Book Book of Canons and High-Commission and from the Introduction thereof contrary to or without warrant of the Laws of the Kingdom Item You are to represent to His Majesty our humble opinion That seeing as we conceive the Service-Book Book of Canons and High-Commission as it is set down are the occasion of this Combustion and that the Subjects offer themselves upon peril of their Lives and Fortunes to clear that the said Service-Book and others foresaid contain divers Points contrary to the Religion presently professed and Laws of the Kingdom in matter and manner of Introduction That the Lords think it expedient that it be represented to His Majesties gracious Consideration if His Majesty may be pleased to declare as an act of his singular Iustice that he will take trial of His Subjects Grievances and the reasons thereof in His own time and in His own way according to the Laws of this Kingdom and that His Majesty may be pleased gâ—aciously to declare that in the mean time he will not press nor urge His Subjects therewith notwithstanding any Act or Warrant made in the contrary And in case His Majesty shall be graciously pleased to approve of our humble opinions you are thereafter to represent to His Majesties gracious and wise Consideration if it shall not be fitting to consult His Majesties Council or some such of them as He shall be pleased to call to Himself or allow to be sent from the Table both about the time and way of doing of it And if His Majesty as God forbid shall dislike of what we have conceived most conducing to His Majesties Service and Peace of the Kingdom you are to urge by all the arguments you can that His Majesty do not determine upon any other course until some at least of His Council from this be heard to give the reasons of their Opinions and in this case you are likewise to represent to His Majesties Consideration if it shall not be fitting and necessary to call for His Informers together with some of His Council that in His Own presence he may hear the Reasons of both Informations fully debated You shall likewise show His Majesty that His Council having taken to their Consideration what further was to be done for composing and settling of the present Combustion within the Kingdom and dissipating of the Convocations and Gatherings within the same seeing Proclamations are already made and published discharging all such Convocations and unlawful Meetings the Lords after debating find they can do no further than is already done herein until His Majesties pleasure be returned to this our humble Remonstrance Signed Traquair Roxburgh Winton Perth Wigton Kinghorn Lauderdale Southesk Angus Lorn Down Elphinston Napier J. Hay Tho. Hope
the use of the new Service-book are to be suspended and to be of no force hereafter You shall declare Our pleasure to Our two Archbishops as soon as the Country is any way settled that it is Our Pleasure that every Bishop shall live within his own Diocess except upon his own urgent occasions or that he be commanded from Vs or the Council to attend there for Our Service which I intend as seldom as may be You shall refuse Complaints against no man in particular whether Officers of State Councellours or Bishops so that it be against their Persons and not their Places All those Ministers who have been displaced by the seditious Multitude are to be so soon as conveniently may be repossessed again as they were As for silenced Ministers you may connive at their Preaching if you find it may tend to the quieting of the Country For the Organs in the Abby-Church We leave them to your discretion when to be used and to advertise Me of your opinion You are to cause insert 6 Weeks in Our Declaration for the delivery up of the Covenant and if you find cause less You shall declare that if there be not sufficient Strength within the Kingdom to force the refractory to Obedience Power shall come from England and that My Self will come in Person with them being resolved to hazard My Life rather than to suffer Authority to be contemned If you shall find cause you are to raise a Guard of 200 or more to attend Our Council You may treat with the Earl of Marr for the keeping of Our Castles of Edinburgh and Sterlin and for the present he must be charged with their safe Custody You shall take seriously into consideration the Copper-coyn and declare Our willingness to remedy the Evils that have risen thereby or what else the Subjects may justly complain of You may declare that as We never intended to assume the Nominating the Provost of Our Town of Edinburgh so We mean not by Our too frequent Letters to hinder the free Election of their own Officers You may likewise declare if you find cause that as We never did so by Gods Grace We never will stop the course of Iustice by any private directions of Ours but will leave Our Lords of Session and other Iudges to administer Iustice as they will be answerable to God and Vs. If you cannot by the means prescribed by Vs bring back the refractory and seditious to due Obedience We do not onely give you Authority but command all hostile Acts whatsoever to be used against them they having deserved to be used no other way by Vs but as a Rebellious People for the doing whereof We will not onely save you harmless but account it as acceptable Service done Vs. Such of these Instructions as you shall find cause We give you leave to divulge and make use of as you find Our Service shall require C. R. At Whitehall the 16th May 1638. All things being thus expeded he took leave a few days after The Marquâ—â— goes for Scoâ—land His Majesty having ordered him to write often to himself and to my Lord of Canterbury he being the onely English person trusted with the secrets of that business The Earl of Sterlin was then Secretary of State for Scotland but as the Copper-coyn made him at that time odious there so he was little esteemed in the Court and not at all imployed in Affairs except in matters of course Sir Henry Vane and the Marquis had contracted a Friendship in the Swedish Camp and so did keep a Correspondence yet that was most about accounts of the posture the King was in in England and what he could do by Force if Treaty could not prevail But with my Lord of Canterbury he kept a constant and free Intercourse and whatever that Archbishop might have been formerly in Scotish Affairs being abused by persons who did not truly represent them to him he was certainly a good Instrument this year which appears from his Letters to the Marquis with the Copies of his Returns which are extant where there were great Jealousies of him My Lord Commissioner begun his Journey about the end of May and on his way he met Letters from Scotland telling him that great Jealousies were raised and vented upon his advertising so many to meet him as if he had some strange design and that his Vassals in Cliddisdale were under high pains discharged to come and pay the duty they owed the Kings Commissioner and their own Superiour On the third of Iune he came to Berwick and there the Earl of Roxburgh met him who told him in what fury all People were and how small hopes there remained of prevailing upon the grounds he was to go on he answered he was resolved to follow his Instructions and be at his hazard Next day the Earl of Lauderdale with my Lord Lindsay came to him and from the later he learned that they would never give up the Covenant that they would have the five Articles of Perth abolished Episcopacy limited so that it should be little more than a Name and if these things were not granted them and a General Assembly and Parliament not called quickly they would call them themselves before the great Crouds at Edinburgh were scattered There was also no small Disorder in Edinburgh at this time for they had notice that there was a Ship in the Road loaded with Arms and Ammunition from which they took the Alarm having it represented much beyond the truth 200 Musquets and as many Pikes with a small quantity of Powder being all the Arms that were in the Ship They resolved to go out the next day and seize the Ship which had been easily done it being onely a Merchant-Vessel but the Earl of Traquair apprehending the hazard caused all the Arms to be sent down in a Boat that night to Fisher-raw and got Carts and presently transported them to Dalkeith which was then the Kings House This enraged the Covenanters when known by them next day and some of the more forward moved that they should presently go to Dalkeith and take them out by force but the wiser of them stopped this yet they set sure Guards around the Castle of Edinburgh and at all the Ports of the City that none of them might be carried thither This meeting with the Marquis his coming down was made use of by the Incendiaries to persuade the People that he designed mischief by these Arms and by the Advertisements he had formerly given another hellish report was also spread that he designed to call a Meeting of the chief Covenanters of all Ranks to Dalkeith and there to blow them up whereupon they resolved not to go out nor treat with him there at all All this was done to irritate the People into a prejudice against him of which he gave Advertisements to the King and held on his Journey The first thing he did was to inform himself exactly of all Matters and Persons
the Accompts of his Trustees at that time Upon the Kings Pleasure that was signified by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Marquis emitted a Proclamation for the Sessions sitting down on the second of Iuly at Edinburgh The Session sits again at Edinburgh and thither he went that day to intimate to them His Majesties Goodness for them in noâ— putting them to the trouble and expence of removing their Families elsewhere wherefore he recommended His Majesties Service to them and that if any thing came from the Tables they should not fail to pass that Censure on it which was according to Law Next he called for the Covenanters Petitions which he promised to present to His Majesty and return them an Answer betwixt that and the fifth of August with which they were satisfied for that time On the fourth of Iuly he held a Council and presented the Kings Declaration to the Councellours and having before-hand prepared most of them with a great deal of industry he got it signed by them all an Act passed The Kings Proclamation is published and protested against that the Subjects ought to rest satisfied with it It was immediately sent to the Market-cross and proclaimed but notwithstanding all the Grace it contained it met with a Protestation from the Tables But upon the back of this the Marquis met with one of the most troublesome passages of his whole Negotiation There were some Councellours who were not satisfied with the Declaration and those he got to be absent from Council that day but divers of thosâ— who had signed the Act that the Subjects ought to rest satisfied with the Declaration came afterwards to him telling him that he had pressed them to what they had not well considered when they did it but upon second thoughts they found they had wronged their Consciences wherefore they desired he would call a new Council The Council is inconstant that they might retract what they had done This he studied to divert by all means representing how contrary it would be to their Honour and to the Kings Service and Good of the Country and so he shook them off that night but next day those and many more came to him with the same Desires and say or do what he could nothing would prevail with them for they told him plainly if he called not a Council they would find another way to make their Retractation well enough known and that was to subscribe the Covenant The Marquis having spoken with the whole Council apart found that three parts of four would immediately fall off if he gave them not satisfaction and judging that such a visible breach with the Council would ruine the Kings Affairs therefore since the Act was not registred but onely subscribed he thought the Course that had least danger in it was to tear it before them by this means he got that storm calmed All this while that he had been in Scotland he had not forgot the Kings Orders about his Castles The Marquis takes care of the Kings Castles Dumbriton was secured though it run a risque the Constable being at London and the Under-keeper taking the Covenant but he called home Sir William Stewart who was Constable under the Duke of Lennox to wait on his Charge and this delivered him from that hazard As for Edinburgh-Castle which was then in the Earl of Marre's hand it cost him more trouble Divers of the Earl of Marre's friends who had much credit with him being not well inclined and much being trusted to the Constable he durst not in the Kings Name require him to yield it up lest that had hasted on a Rupture and he could not prevail by fairer ways at first but the issue of this shall be told in its due place This being done the Marquis took his Journey He takes Journey and on the way he had the following Letter from His Majesty Hamilton I Hope that this will find you on the way hitherward wherefore remitting all business till I speak with you these Lines are only to hearten you in your Iourney for I think that it will be very much for my Service So desiring you to make as much haste as the weather will permit I rest Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Greenwich the 9th July 1638. POSTSCRIPT Forget not to bring with you the Copies of all the Proclamations and Protestations that have been made When he came to Court he gave the King a full account of all had passed in Scotland and of the strength and fury of the Covenanters and gives the King an account of Affairs together with the inconstancy of many of the Council and how His Majesty had been abused in the hopes he was put in of the readiness of his Preparations in England which I gather from some little Notes he took of things and the Copies of his Letters He next told His Majesty that nothing prevailed so much on the Vulgar in Scotland as the cursed insinuations were given of His Majesties staggering in the Protestant Religion wherefore he proposed that His Majesty might cause renew the Confession of Faith which was established at the Reformation and ratified in Parliament An. 1567 and to that His Majesty did readily consent At length His Majesty having considered for some days of the whole Affair and having fully debated every particular with the Marquis and my Lord of Canterbury in end His Goodness and Paternal Affection for his poor Subjects overcame all that Indignation which their Actions had raised in him wherefore he resolved on enlarging his Instructions which he did as follows CHARLES R. YOV shall try by all means to see if the Council will sign the Confession of Faith established by Act of Parliament and gets new and fuller Instructions with the new Bond joyned thereto but you are not publickly to put it to Voting except you be sure to carry it and thereafter that probably they will stand to it If the Council do sign it though the Covenanters refuse you shall proceed to the indicting of a free General Assembly and though you cannot procure the Council to sign it yet you are to proceed to the indicting thereof if you find that no other Course can quiet business at this time You shall labour by all fair means that the sitting of the Assembly be not before the first of November or longer if you can obtain it for the place We are pleased to leave it to your election for the manner of indicting you must be as cautious as you can and strive to draw it as near as may be to the former Assemblies in my Fathers time You must labour that Bishops may have Votes in Assemblies which if you cannot obtain then you are to protest in their Favours in the most formal manner you can think of As for the Moderator in the Assembly you are to labour that he may be a Bishop which though you cannot obtain yet you must give way to
the Exchequer for payment the Marquis gave him Security out of his own Estate for it and at the same time the Archbishop of S. Andrews resigning the place of Chancellour he gave him also Security for two thousand five hundred pounds Sterlin out of his own Fortune so ready was he to go through with His Majesties Affairs and to hazard the ruine of his Fortune and Family for the Treasury of Scotland was so entirely exhausted that there was no Money in it And though no Payments were made the Marquis for the great Expence he was at yet in all his Letters to the King he never once complained of it nor did he press the King to send him Money except onely ten thousand pounds Sterlin which he earnestly called for to distribute among the Bishops and other poor Ministers who were ruined for their Duty to the King and though this was not sent he suffered none of them to be pinched but supplied them in all their straits for which the Bishops made great Acknowledgments not onely to himself but to my Lord of Canterbury who returned him many thanks in their Names Concerning all these particulars His Majesty wrote to him the following Letter Hamilton THe Letter that Ro. Lesley gave me this day from you though it be long yet will require but Answer by me in two particulars the rest you will find answered by my Lord of Canterbury to wit the Castle of Edinburgh and the Supply of Money to the Bishops To the first I totally agree both for the Man to be put into it and the Summe of Three thousand pounds Sâ—erlin if you can draw it no lower for the other I cannot say how soon I shall be able to doe it Expence daily increasing and in particular the securing of Berwick and Carlisle being of necessity to be done as you know in the middle of the next Moneth But I hope in God at furthest before Christmass yet I cannot promise it with that secrecy that would be wished for I find the way by the Prince of Orange both unpracticable and unsafe So both pitying and praising your Pains in my Service I rest Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Whitehall 8 Nov. 1638. Ruthwen made Governour but the Castle is ill furnished Having got the Castle of Edinburgh into his hands he advised the King to trust Gen. Ruthwen who had returned from the German Wars loaded with Fame with the keeping of it to which His Majesty consented And this may sufficiently clear the Marquis of all other Designs but those his Duty inspired him with since to the greatest Trust in Scotland considering those Times and the Command that Castle hath over Edinburgh he recommended one whosâ— Loyalty was as invincible as his Courage But the Marquis having visited the Castle found it in the worst case imaginable not a Musquet but one in it and it not for Service very little Powder and not a Yard of Match The buying the Command of the Castle made so great a noise that he durst not proceed to the furnishing it with Men Victuals and Arms all which were wanting till the first Heats were over and the Body of the Covenanters had gone to Glasgow for besides that they set Guards about it had they set upon it they would have infallibly carried it by starving them within who were able to doe them no hurt Ruthwen would not go to the Castle till it were better furnished neither did the Marquis think fit to change the Captain of it too soon But finding him no Covenanter and having taken his Oath in writing which is yet extant never to surrender it but with his Life he laid down the best course he could for furnishing it which he got no opportunity to doe as we shall see hereafter Now was the Bishop of Ross Bishop of Ross comes from London whom my Lord S. Andrews and the other Bishops had sent to London dispatched home again who brought with him the following Letter from His Majesty Hamilton I Would not answer your two of the 14th and 15th of this moneth till I had fully dispatched the Bishop of Ross whom I have sent away not onely well instructed but well satisfied with my ways It is true that his Instructions were not totally according to our Grounds but I made him alter I am confident as well in Iudgment as Obedience for upon discourse he much approved of my Alterations confessing likewise that you upon the place may find reason to make more wherefore all is referred to you as well what I answered as what not so leaving and recommending him to your care I come to answer your last Letters with the account of which I am much more satisfied than your other Dispatch before as likewise you have fully satisfied me in all my Queries and in particular I confess clearly you had reason to joyn the Covenanters with my honest Servants for procuring of Subscriptions to my Bond because I see the Council would have it so But certainly it had been better otherwise if you could have done it with their consent In short I am truly and fully satisfied with all your Proceedings so that you may be confident that I am Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Whitehall 24 Octob. 1638. The draught of the Bishops Declinator was revised by the King The Kings Observations on the Bishops Declinator and His Majesty made divers Observations and Amendments with his own Hand yet extant which Paper though not so clearly to be understood unless the first draught of the Declinator were to be set down with it which is not in the Writers power yet may give some satisfaction and at least will both shew how tender His Majesty was of any thing which might give new Irritations to his distempered Subjects and how diligently himself reviewed all Papers His MAJESTIES Observations upon the Declinator CHARLES R. THe second reason to be advised with my Lord Commissioner whether or not it be safe at this time to except against the Form of the Publication of the Indiction of the Assembly The third is a very good reason against the Proceeding of the Assembly but will not infer a Nullity In all the reasons where the Assembly is called a pretended Assembly it is His Majesties Pleasure that the word pretended be deleted out of the Copy shewed to His Majesty For the seventh reason if it offend not the inferiour Clergie His Majesty is contented with it In the ninth reason to omit the precondemning of the Service-book Book of Canons and High Commission The tenth reason is so full that the eighth may be totally omitted The eleventh reason militates abundantly against all those who hold such Tenets that they cannot Voice in the Assembly though it infer not an absolute Nullity of the Assembly The thirteenth de loco tuto accessu tuto to be totally omitted The fourteenth and last to be totally omitted In the conclusion thereis one clause markeâ— by His Majesties
Journey was delayed The Marquis indisposed through long Fatigue through an Indisposition of Body some days longer than he intended and indeed all things being considered it was a wonder how either Body or Mind could hold out so long His Negotiation was both painful and unprosperous most of the day he was obliged to spend with unmanagable and unruly Spirits and much of the night in writing Letters for every third or fourth day he gave the King a large account of what passed which was sometimes of the length of two sheets of all sides in close writing This was always seconded by another to my Lord of Canterbury of the same and often a greater length Besides that about other matters of course he wrote as often to the Earl of Sterlin and almost as often to Sir Henry Vane And this was besides all his Letters up and down Scotland most of which particularly those to my Lord Huntley which were at least weekly were all with his own Hand And the most uneasie part of all was that he was obliged to keep himself in a reserve almost with every Body there being very few about him whom he durst intirely trust and certain it is had not his Mind been of a great and undaunted stayedness and calmness the shocks he met with had dashed him to pieces But having recovered his Health put things in the best Order could be expected in the midst of so great Disorders he took Journey to London on the 28th of December having committed the chief care of business to the Earl of Traquair in whoâ—e hands he left some of the Blanks under the Kings Hand which he had by him to be filled up as Traquair should be answerable with a particular Order that if the Lords of the Covenant pressed the Lords of the Session to doe any thing that might infer an Acknowledgment of the Assembly of Glasgow and if he saw any grounds to fear their yielding then he should fill up one of the Blanks with a Proclamation to the Session to rise Thus ended this Ominous Year An. 1639. Anno 1639. The sad posture Affairs were in THE Marquis his thoughts did bear him sad company during his Journey the least painful of them was that he knew he had many Enemies who would impute the present Disorders to his Mismanagement if not to his unfaithfulness but those he quieted with his confidence in His Majesties Justice and his own Integrity And indeed any personal Hazard could meet him must have had small footing in a mind prepossessed with other thoughts That which tormented him most as appears by his Letters was that he saw inevitable Ruine hanging either over his Master or his Country if not over both since the Ruine of either would prove fatal to both To advise His Majesty to Treat any further before he were in a posture to command as well as to treat was so dishonourable that he could not think of it He saw a Kingly way must be taken but he knew well His Majesties Affairs were not in a very good posture England had enjoyed a long quiet and so both their Warlike Spirits and Preparations were much rusted there was store of Factious Spirits among them who would give heartless assistance to His Majesty in his Designs and those who would be most forward he knew were ready to drive His Majesties Resentments too far He saw little hope of any Party to be made for the King in Scotland except from the Marquis of Huntley He knew the Covenanters would proceed as men desperate and less heartiness could be expected from His Majesties hired Souldiers than from such as had no hope but in their hands and actions In a word all things looked so cloudy to his discerning mind that it proved a melancholy Journey to him The King highly displeased with the Covenanters On the 5th of Ianuary he came to Whitehall where he gave the King a true and ample Relation of all particulars His Majesty was fully satisfied with his Carriage in every step of it approving all he had done but was so highly irritated at the Covenanters that he resolved neither to think nor talk of Treating till he should appear in a more formidable posture judging it would render his Person and Government contemptible not onely to all abroad but to his other Subjects and teach them to kick off his Authority if after all the Affronts had been put upon his Laws and Condescensions he should be so tame as still to Treat and therefore was resolved not to receive the Letter he knew was coming from the Assembly to him backed with a Petition from the Lords But the Marquis desired he would delay any such more apparent Breach till he were ready to appear in the Field which was impossible before March. All His Majesties thoughts were now bent upon the way of reducing Scotland to due Obedience in which the Marquis offered him his humble and hearty concurrence for though his Affection to his Country and Friends did struggle strongly against his engaging further yet it yielded to his Duty but not so intirely as to clear his Spirit of sad regrates And in this he was not onely rivalled but far out-stripped by his Soveraign whose Sorrow keeping pace with his Affection and Interest made this Expedition prove as sad as it was just The Design was thus laid down His Majesty was to raise an Army of thirty thousand Horse and Foot and to lead them in Person towards Scotland He was to write to all the Nobility of England and resolves on a War to wait upon him to the Campagne with their Attendants who should be maintained by His Majesties Pay He was to put good Garrisons in Berwick and Carlisle two thousand in the former and five hundred in the latter He was at the same time to send a Fleet to ply from the Frith North-ward for stooping of Trade and making a great Diversion for guarding the Coast He was also to send an Army of five thousand men under the Marquis his Command to land in the North and joyn with Huntley's Forces all which should be under his Command he retaining still the Character of Commissioner with the addition of General of the Forces in Scotland And with these he was First to make the North sure and then to move South-ward which might both make another great Diversion and encourage such as wished well to His Majesties Service who were the greater number in those Parts Next the Earl of Antrim was to land in Argyle-shire upon his Pretensions to Kyntire and the old Fewds betwixt the Mackdonalds and Campbels and he promised to bring with him ten or twelve thousand men And last of all the Earl of Strafford was to draw together such Forces as could be levied and spared out of Ireland and come with another Fleet into Dumbriton-Frith and for his encouragement the Marquis desired him to touch at Arran that being the only place of his
such Petitions wherein the Bishops were not designed as they ought to have been but were called either pretended Bishops or late Ministers of the Places where they served before their Promotion were rejected and some Signatures being offered in Exchequer wherein they were so designed Traquair took them and tore them to pieces Of all this the Covenanters complained as if Justice were denied but it was told them that if they went to force the Session it would be High Treason and that they would never yield to them But the four Covenanting Lords of the Session having passed Petitions wherein the Bishops were so called these were stopt at the Signet The Covenanters made also great Complaints to the Council of some persons who had written to England of their Designs to invade it of which they protested themselves innocent and craved liberty to pursue their Slanderers but that was laid aside only a Letter was written about it to the King Yet all at least most of the Council what through fear what through inclination went along with the Covenanters and such as stood firm to their Duty were forced to fly into England The Covenanters made sure work of all the Shires They become Masters of all Scotland onely in Tweddale Traquair resisted them a little and got their Meetings to be deserted for two or three Diets but that was all he could doe In Teviotdale the Earl of Roxburgh kept all right and begun to levy men as well as others but he was faintly followed The Marquis of Douglass was not able to doe His Majesty that Service his Illustrious Ancestours had done the former Kings for himself was a Papist and so not followed by the Friends and Dependers of that Noble Family so that all the Marquis could doe was to go and wait upon His Majesty and offer his House of Tentallon to be made use of as the King pleased But the Covenanters seized both it and his House of Douglass and thus all on the South of Tay was lost without stroke of Sword But in Angus the Earls of Airly and Southesk made more vigorous resistance to the Attempts of the Covenanters and were able to have made that Country good for the King but could not withstand the Force came upon them from other Places They all armed and Earl Airly stood out to the Pacification but Southesk was fitter for a Council than a Camp and seeing inevitable Ruine to follow since the Kings Preparations went on so slowly he struck sail and came to Edinburgh Huntley gave them more trouble for my Lord of Montrose and Kinghorn with some others coming to hold a Committee at Turreff in that County he gathered so many together and came so near them that they were forced to disperse themselves yet he kept up his Commission of Lieutenantry acting onely in the quality of a Peer and Councellour But they resolved since they could doe nothing against him with the men of that Shire to bring a Body from other Places to ruine him The want which pinched the Covenanters most at first was of good Officers and this made General Lesley who at that time had acquired much Fame in the Wars of Germany get an earnest Invitation sent him from the Earl of Rothes in the name of the Covenanteâ—s to come home to command their Forces upon which he did quit his Employment there and came to Scotland with many other Commanders He was chosen their General and undertook the Service with much Joy And this was the Posture and Preparations of Scotland which I draw from the Letters that are yet extant written to the Marquis from the Lords of Traquair Huntley Airly and Roxburgh Mean-while the King went on making all the haste with his Levies and Preparations that was possible in which none acted his part with more Fidelity and better Dispatch than the Earl of Northumberland who was Admiral and discharged what was committed to him so well that nothing was defective that concerned the Fleet. But the Marquis found the Hearts of many of the English Nobility both backward and cold and in particular he assured the King that he saw much Heartiness was not to be expected from some of the general Officers which the King apprehending The King emits his Declaration of the Reasons of the War trusted them as little as was possible About the middle of March the King published a Declaration of the Reasons of his Expedition against Scotland which was followed by a larger one commonly called the Large Declaration or Manifesto penned by Balcanqual and revised by His Majesty in which a full account was given of the rise and progress of the Combustions of Scotland of which no more shall be said it being so commonly known save that from the account hath been given it will appear how unjustly that Book was charged to be full of Lies and Calumnies The Covenanters begin the War The News of this coming to Scotland set all a-flaming whereupon they first sent in Papers and Letters through all England and to the Court vindicating themselves with high Protestations that they designed not the Invasion of England as had bâ—en misrepresented and therefore they expected no Hostility from thâ—m to whom they neither did nor intended hurt These Letters were said not to be ill-received even by some at Court who were in the highest Trust. The Covenanters also resolved to take the start of the King and so on the 23th of March General Lesley with some Companies went to the Castle of Edinburgh and petarded the Gates and set Ladders to the Walls and carried it no resistance being made from those within It is true much could not be made but that could not wipe off their stain who yielded that impregnable and important Place so faintly The occasion of their negligence was that a Gentlewoman of good Quality was sent in under pretence of visiting the Captain of the Castle to keep him in discourse she dined with him and engaged him to play at Cards so that they were about his ears before he was apprehensive of danger Dumbriton run the same fate it being surrendred by Sir William Stewart whose only excuse was that at his coming down the former year he found the whole Garrison Covenanters that he durst not turn them off nor take on new Souldiers without a powerful assistance and so finding them resolved both to deliver him and the Castle up he could do nothing alone besides that he was unprovided of every thing that was necessary for a Siege The next day after the Castle of Edinburgh was seized the Covenanters went to the Session to force the Lords to take the Covenantâ— but most of them refused it then they seized on the Privy-Seal aâ—d thought to have got the Great Seal which the Marquis had committed to the keeping of an honest Servant Mr. Iohn Hamilton by their endeavours to prevail with him for it but he refused to part with it except with his Life and so
not accept the Offer therein contained albeit it be onely a Writing put in Print without the Kingdom and not warranted by Act and Authority of the Council lawfully convened within this Kingdom And your Grace in your Wisdom may consider whether it can stand with the Laws Liberties and Customs of this Kingdom that a Proclamation of so great and dangerous Consequence wanting the necessary Solemnities should be published at the Mercat-cross of this City Whereas your Grace knows well that by the Laws of this Kingdom Treason and Forfeiture of the Lands Life and Estate of the meanest Subject within the same cannot be declared but either in Parliament or in a Supreme Iustice-Court after Citation and lawful Probation how much less of the whole Peâ—rs and Body of the Kingdom without either Court Proof or Trial. And alâ—eit we do heartily and humbly acknowledge and profess all dutiful and ciâ—il Obedience to His Majesty as our Dread and Gracious Soveraign yet since this Proclamation does import in effect the renouncing of our Covenant made with God and of the necessary means of our lawful Defence we cannot give Obedience thereto without bringing a Curse upon this Kirk and Kingdom and Ruine upon our selves and our Posterity whereby we are persuaded that it did never proceed from His Majesty but that it is a deep Plot contrived by the Policy of the Devilish Malice of the known and cursed Enemies of this Church and State by which they have intended so to disjoyn us from His Majesty and among our selves as the Rupture Rent and Confusion of both might be irreparable wherein we hope the Lord in whom we trust shall disappoint them And seeing we have left no means possible unessayed since His Majesties coming to York as before whereby His Majesties Ear might be made patent to our just Informatiâ—ns but have used the help to our last Remonstrance of the Lord Gray the Iustice-Clerk the Treasurer and the Lord Daliell as the Bearer can inform your Grace and yet have never had the happiness to attain any hopes of our end but have altogether been frustrate and disappointed thereof and now understanding by the sight of your Graces Letter that your Grace as His Majesties High Commissioner is returned with full Power and Authority to accommodate Affairs in a peaceable way we will not cease to have recourse to your Grace as one who hath chief Interest in this Kirk and Kingdom desiring your Grace to consider as in our Iudgments we are persuaded that there is no way so ready and assured to settle and compose all Affairs as by holding of the Parliament according to His Majesties Indiction either by His Sacred Majesty in Person which is our chiefest desire or by your Grace as His Majesties Commissioner at the time appointed wherein your Grace shall find our Carriage most Humble Loyal and Dutiful to our Soveraign or to your Grace as representing His Majesties Person and in the mean time that your Grace would open a safe way whereby our Supplications and Informations may have access to His Majesties Ears And we are fully persuaded that we shall be able to clear the Lawfulness and Integrity of Our Intentions and Proceedings to His Majesty and make it evident to His Majesty and to the World that our Enemies are Traitors to the King to the Church and State and that we are and ever have been His Majesties Loyal and Obedient Subjects So we rest Your Graces humble Servants A. Lesley Argyle Marre Rothes Eglinton Cassils Wigtown Dalhousie Lothian Angus Elcho Lindesay Balmerino Montgomery Forrester Erskins Boyd Napier Burghly Kirkudbright Edinburgh 9 May 1639. And about 30 Commissioners for Shires and Burroughs To this Letter the Marquis wrote the following Answer next day directing it to the Earl of Rothes My Lord I Received a Letter yesterday morning signed by your Lordship and diverâ— Noblemen and others wherein you alledge you are come to attend the Parliament but considering your Preparation and Equipage it appears rather to fight a Battel than to hold a Civil Convocation for the good of the Church and Commonwealth You may perceive by His Majesties Gracious Proclamation that he intended in His Own Sacred Person to be present at the Parliament so soon as with Honour and Safety he might doe it and for that end exprest therein what was fit to be done But these Courses which you take and your Disobedience to his Iust Commands daily more and more shewed will necessitate him to have them put in execution another way It is true that His Majesty sent me hither to accommodate these Affairs in a peaceable manner if it were possible which I have laboured to doe and accordingly my Deportment hath been which hath been met with that Retribution as if I had met with the greatest Enemy but your refusing to publish His Majesties Grace to his People signified in his Proclamation hath taken away that Power which otherwise I had that being a Liberty taken to your selves which never any Loyal Subjects assumed in any Monarchy You alledge many Reasons for your selves of the Illegality of that Proclamation but you cannot be ignorant that your Carriage hath forced many of these principal Councellours for safeguard of their Lives to forsake the Kingdom out of which they remain yet for the same cause You have suppressed the Printing of all Writings but what is warranted by Mr. Alexander Henderson and one Mr. Archibald Johnstown neither was the Clerk of the Council whom I sent for twice to give him Directions concerning this Business permitted to come aboard to me upon Conference with whom for any thing you know I might have resolved to come ashore my self and convened a Council for the Publication thereof in the ordinary way But your extraordinary Proceedings in all things must needs force from His Majesty some things which perhaps you may think not ordinary Whereas you desire me to be a means that your Supplications may have free access to His Majesties Ears it is a work of no difficulty for His Majesty hath never stopt his Ears to the Supplications of any of his Subjects when they have been presented to him in that humble and fitting way which became dutiful Subjects nor did I ever refuse any all the time I was among you or conceal any part of them from His Majesty So that your Allegation of not being heard is grounded upon the same false Foundations that your other Actions are and serves onely for a means to delude the simple People that by making them believe what you have a mind to possess them with they may become backers of your unwarranted Actions which as it is generally lamented by all His Majesties good Subjects so it is more particularly by me who have had the Honour to be imployed in this Business with so bad Success My Lord Your humble Servant HAMILTON After this on the 11th of May a Letter came from the Council and Session desiring liberty to send some of
Letters from all Hands both from Ministers and Noblemen Many of these Letters with the Copies of his Answers are yet extant and run in a strain very far from any thing of Friendship or Correspondence indeed they look liker Challenges than Letters of Civility The Covenanters desired a Safe Conduct for such as they should send to him to treat with him but he answered he was the Kings Commissioner and so would give no Conduct for any of his Subjects coming to wait upon him And after a days Advisement they sent the Lord Lindsay the Marquis his Brother-in-law aboard with a Petition of the former strain who told the Marquis that they would lay down their Lives sooner than pass from what they had done that their Army consisted of 25000 Men they knew the Kings Cavalry was better than theirs but their Infantry exceeded his far After some Discourse had passed all before Witnesses the Marquis dismissed him In the mean while all Trade was stopt and every Vessel that belonged to Scotland was seized onely such as took an Oath for adhering to the King against the present Rebellion in Scotland were let go according to His Majesties Orders One Vessel was taken which was of more Importance having in her about twenty Officers who were coming home from Germany upon Lesley's Invitation All these the Marquis sent to Berwick He sent also a free Advice to the King informing him of all he knew of their Strength and that besides the Army which was marching to the Borders there were about 20000 Men lying on both sides of the Frith so that his being there made a powerful Diversion He besought His Majesty not to hazard on a Battel the success whereof was always dubious but more than commonly so in this case where the one side was desperate and the other but half cordial He told His Majesty how much he feared his Foot might be too weak wherefore he desired His Majesty to consider if he would call for two of His Regiments since all the three were not sufficient for him to land with them and march into the Country and one was enough to burn the Coast which was all he could doe and for that he was resolved not to fail in it as soon as he had Orders adding that in a Fortnight he would doe all that could be done that way after which he thought it would be fittest that he went Northward and landed His Regiments there which must be supplied another way if His Majesty called for any of them where some good might be done But as for Treating he desired His Majesty would imploy others in it if that were to be done for he confessed his Spirit was so irritated against them that he desired neither to see nor meddle with them onely he told His Majesty that the Covenanters had addressed both their Letters and Petitions to some English Lords which he thought they should have brought to His Majesty unopened and given no other Answers but such as His Majesty ordered On the 26th of May he received the following Letter from His Majesty Hamilton RVmours come here so thick of the great Forces that the Rebels mean very shortly to bring down upon me that I thought it necessary to advertise you that you may be ready at the first Advertisement to land at the Holy-Island wind and weather serving yet not to come from where you are untill I send you word except you shall find it necessary by your own intelligence and so I rest Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Newcastle 22 May 1639. POSTSCRIPT I leave it to your Consideration if it be not fit to leave some 300 Men in Inchcolm though it should be fit that you should come away with the rest of the Landmen And the day following Sir Henry Vane wrote to him to send two of his Regiments to Holy-Island The King calls for two Regiments from the Marquis to which Letter the King added with his own Pen I have seen and approved this C. R. Upon this Order the two Regiments commanded by Morton and Harecoat were accordingly dispatched away immediately and did land at Berwick on the 29th of May. About this time the Covenanters sent a new Message to the Marquis the account whereof shall be given from a Paper written by Sir Henry Devick who was particularly trusted by His Majesty at this time and was a Witness to the Conference The Paper follows THE whole Discourse so far as I can remember of it may be reduced to these Heads A Conference betwixt some Covenanters and the Marquis Their Invitation of your Excellence to go in person to His Majesty to present their Desires and to mediate for an Accommodation To this your Excellence answered First that having full Power from His Majesty to treat and conclude of all things concerning that Business you held it unnecessary to go to him Secondly your Excellence thought it unfit you having so great a Charge here which required your presence and they having propounded nothing that could give sufficient occasion to such a Voyage to undertake it Thirdly that if the distance from His Majesty were thought by them to be a hindrance to the Treaty they might address themselves to His Majesty by such of the Nobility as were about him who was not distant above threescore and twelve miles from the Leaguer They replied that things would be more facilitated by your Excellence's being there wishing that as you had a part in the beginning of these Affairs you might have the Honour to put an end to them Your Excellence returned that the Lords Traquair and Roxburgh who were now with His Majesty were imployed in them before you which they acknowledged but wished it had never been confessing that they were spoiled before you had the managing of them Concerning a Cessation of Acts of Hostility both by Sea and upon the Frontiers where they complained of divers Insolencies committed by the Horse-troops of His Majesty your Excellence answered That in what concerned the first you â—ad committed none since your coming hither true it was you had stayed and taken many Barques and Boats but some of them you had dismissed without touching any thing that they had in them and these from whom you did take to supply your uses you had paid them for it that this day you had sent to Burnt-Island and would doe so to other Places to offer them full permission of Trade provided they would swear not to carry Arms against His Majesty and take the Oath of Fidelity and for the Fishermen you required no Oath As for the otâ—er namely some pretended Insolences upon the Frontiers you knâ—w of none and believed not any and if tâ—ere was any it was their fault by their deferring to return to their Obedience to His Majesty and when they made Instance in some particulars your Excellence did cut them short and said That it was an unfit thing and nothing conducible to make an end of Business
I shall esteem it a very great Service but I shall not advise you to engage me in further Charge except it may be the Pay of some few Officers So not doubting but that you will make as much of little as you may and recommending this Lord to your care I rest Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Newcastle 13 May 1639. The Marquis found Aboyn had no Propositions to make besides General Stories and he saw him to be of an unstay'd Humour so that he was hopeless of any good account of his business As for Money he was limited by the King and for Men he had sent away the two Regiments that same day and since he expected Orders every Hour from His Majesty for somewhat to be executed by the third Regiment he could not weaken it too much yet he sent a few Officers the chief of whom was Colonel Gun together with some Ammunition and four small Peece of Artillery And of all this he gave an account to His Majesty adding that perhaps some might misrepresent his lying so long idle but His Majesty knew what Orders himself had given it being his part to obey yet he earnestly craved liberty to doe somewhat worth the while to which he received the following Answer Hamilton HAving much Business I refer you to Master Treasurer yet thiâ— I think necessary to pass under my own Hand because of a Clause in yours of the 26th of this Moneth that I am so far from having the least hint in my Heart against you that I would think my self a happy Man if I could be as confident in the Faith Courage and Industry of the rest of my Commanders and Officers as I am of you which makes me really to be Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Berwick May 29th 1639. By this time the King had encamped at the Birks three miles from Berwick where His Majesty lay in the Camp himself All this while Traquair was not allowed to see the King till he had done some Service which might expiate his former Errors And My Lord Roxburgh was in the same case Some on the Borders are gained for the King for he coming to wait on the King at York to clear himself of his Sons fault in turning in to the Covenant His Majesty was so Gracious as to tell him he believed him innocent yet for examples sake he found it necessary to keep him under some mark of his Displeasure So after a few days Confinement both Traquair and he were suffered to go near the Borders to see whom they could engage to the Kings Service and they gained the Earl of Hume to be satisfied with His Majesties Proclamation and had got good assurances both of the Lord Iohnstown the Earl of Queensberry and of Buckcleugh his Friends The Proclamation was published first at Heymouth next by General Arundel and Ruthwen at Dunce upon which Lesley brought forward his Forces and lay at Duncelaw in view of the Kings Army On the fourth of Iune at noon the Marquis received the following Letter from His Majesty Hamilton The King orders the Marquis to enter on Hostilities THis day I received yours by the Lord Seaton and find your Opinion therein very good if I might spare so many men but every one that I dare consult with about this protesteth against the diminishing of one man â—rom my Army besides I have no mind to stay here upon a meer Defensive which I must do if I send you that Strength you mention Likewise I think that I have my Lord Hume sure and am reasonably confident of my Lord Johnstown I have good hopes too of Queensberry and the Scots therefore all these things considered it were a shame if I should be idle Wherefore now I set you loose to doe what mischief you can doe upon the Rebels for my Service with those men you have for you cannot have one man from hence Leaving the rest to the relation of this honest Bearer I rest Your assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Camp near Berwick 2 June 1639. The Marquis no sooner got this but he presently set to work resolving neither to spare Burroughstownness which was his own Town who goes about it nor Prestonpans which was his Cousins But a strange Accident befell him the next day for as he went out in a small Vessel with a Drake on her and 60 Souldiers to view the Queensferry and burn the Ships that lay in the Harbour he saw a Merchant-barque coming down towards him and he caused row up to her but she perceiving her Danger run her self aground upon the Sands of Barnbougle The Tide falling apace and he following her indeliberately run himself likewise on ground where he was like to have been very quickly taken by the men on the Shoar who were playing upon him and some Volleys passed upon both hands But they on the Land were waiting till the Waters should fall reckoning him their Prey already which had been inevitable had not the Seamen got out and being almost to the middle in Water with great tugging set them afloat and so he returned safe to the Fleet. And this was all the ground for that Calumny of his making Appointments on the Sands of Barnbougle with the Covenanters The next day at eight in the morning being the sixth of Iune he received the following Letter from Sir Henry Vane My Lord BY the Dispatch Sir James Hamilton brought your Lordship from His Majesties Sacred Pen and gets new orders from His Majesty you were left at your liberty to commit any act of Hostility upon the Rebels when your Lordship should find it most opportune since which my Lord Holland with 1000 Horse and 3000 Foot marched towards Kelso himself advanced towards them with the Horse leaving the Foot three miles behind to a Place called Maxwel-heugh a height above Kelso which when the Rebels discovered they instantly marched out with 150 Horse and as my Lord Holland says eight or ten thousand Foot five or six thousand there might have been He thereupon sent a Trumpet commanding them to retreat according to what they had promised by the Proclamation They asked whose Trumpet he was he said my Lord Holland's their answer was he were best to be gone And so my Lord Holland made his Retreat and waited on His Majesty this night to give him this account This morning Advertisement is brought His Majesty that Lesley with 12000 men is at Cockburn-spath that 5000 men will be this night or to morrow at Dunce 6000 at Kelso so His Majesties opinion is with many of his Council to keep himself upon a Defensive and make himself here as fast as he can for His Majesty doth now clearly see and is fully satisfied in his own Iudgement that what passed in the Gallery betwixt His Majesty your Lordship and my Self hath been but too much verified on this occasion And therefore His Majesty would not have you to begin with them but to settle things
came to them and with great vehemence pressed them to engage in a new War and among other Motives brought them Engagements in writing from most of the greatest Peers of England to joyn with them and assist them when they should come into England with their Army This did much animate them for they had not the least doubt of the Papers brought them But all this was discovered at the Treaty of Rippon to have been a base Forgery for there the Scotish Lords looking very sullenly on some of the English Lords as on Persons of no Faith or Truth the Lord Mandevil came to the Earl of Rothes and asked the reason of that Change of their Countenance and Behaviour in them who after some high reflections at length challenged him and the other Lords of not keeping what they had engaged to them Upon which that Lord stood amazed and told him and so did the other Lords there that they had sent no such Messages nor Papers to them and that they had been abused by the blackest Imposture that ever was Thus it appeared how dangerous it may be to receive some things that seem to have the highest Probabilities in them easily and upon trust In April following the King called a Parliament in England A short Parliament in England but they begun with their Grievances in which they rose to so high a strain that after twenty days Sitting the King by advice of his Council dissolved them but the hopes of Money from the Parliament failing the next Course was to try what could be drawn by Loan and for good example the Councellours subscribed for near two hundred thousand pounds Sterlin The Councellours lend Money What the Marquis his part was in this I should have willingly concealed judging fit that his Story should be as sparing in relating it as himself was modest in not boasting of it but Sanderson and some other malicious or ignorant Pens who say That he pretended Poverty and subscribed for none force me to free him of that Calumny by a true Relation of what his Duty to the King cost him at this time He subscribed for 10000 l. Sterlin and laid down Eight thousand of it presently in Gold likewise in August following at York he again subscribed and laid down Six thousand and three hundred pounds for both which he had Tallies struck Besides this when he served as Commissioner in Scotland in the year 1638. he got no Payments made him Ten thousand pounds Sterlin was allowed him of which he had not received a farthing and besides the great expence he was at in that Service he laid that year out of his own Money about 5000 l. Sterlin on the Kings account And thus in the space of four years he advanced to the King near Thirty thousand pounds Sterlin and this was in a time when the advantages he had by his Places and Pensions were through the necessity of the Kings affairs dried up But since I was forced to say this I must not conceal His Majesty who now reigns His Justice and Goodness to his Heiress in repaying the sum contained in those Tallies together with the other Royal effects of His Favour which they have felt in the repayment of the Scotsh Debt This is said once for all and all this was little reckoned of by him who was ready to hazard both Life and Fortune for His Majesties Service acknowledging that it was Just since he and his Ancestors owed so much to the King and his Progenitours bounty that all he had should be spent in his Service The Covenanters in Scotland were beginning to look to themselves and fearing Ruthwen Ruthwen a terror to the Covenanters who was in the Castle of Edinburgh they required him to obey their Orders but he told them he had his Trust from the King and would acknowledge no Commands but his whereupon they blockt him up He might easily have done them much Mischief but his Orders were to hold himself most on the Defensive and to amuse them but not to break out to open Hostilities within which limits he contained himself The second of Iune came which was the day the Parliament was to Set but the King had sent down an Order to the Justice-Clerk for proroguing it The Parliament sits notwithstanding the Kings Orders for proroguing of it and he was to carry along with him in this Affair the assistance of the Kings Advocate who was at this time confined to his House in Fife by the King upon pretence of some petty maleversation in his Office but really because of his adhering to the Covenanters too much The Kings Advocate was glad both of being delivered from that Disgrace and for being honoured with the Employment But to clear the Method in which he intended to proceed to make this Prorogation legal I must look back a little when Traquair got his Commission under the Broad-Seal there was another Commission given under the quarter-Seal to the Lord Elphinstown the Lord Napier the Kings Advocate and the Justice-Clerk these or three of them were impowred to act as Commissioners in Traquair's absence and upon his Orders Therefore the Kings Advocate judged it needless to fill up a Blank that was sent down to be made use of if need were to make the Prorogation Legal but resolved to require one of the other two to concur with the Justice-Clerk and himself in the Prorogation which was to be done after the Parliament was Fenced therefore they provided the persons necessary for Fencing of it a Ceremony they use in the beginning of a Session who are the Constable the Marshal the Provost of Edinburgh the Sheriff of Lowthian and a Doomster and if any of these be absent the King must name others for their Service that day So the Members of Parliament being met the Kings Advocate required the Lord Elphinstown who was first in the Commission to go up with them to the Throne for executing the Kings Commands who having read the Commission found their Power was only to act by the Commissioners Order and therefore called for Traquair's Warrant the Kings Advocate answered That as when the King is present a Commissioners Power of it self expires so also when his Warrant is produced there is no need of one from his Commissioner But Elphinstown stood on the Letter of the Commission and so found he was not legally warranted to doe it That same was the Lord Napier's Answer who was also of the Commission and so the Kings Advocate and the Justice-Clerk could doe nothing but take Instruments Many imputed this to the Kings Advocat's Jugling but he vindicated himself solemnly which is extant under his Hand with a long Narrative of this whole Affair sent up by him to the King However the effects of this Errour were great for the Members voted themselves to be in a Parliamentary Capacity as being summoned by the King at first and again adjourned to this day whereupon they proceeded to
Peers advised a Settlement with Scotland and a Parliament in England Strafford's Advice was more severe and the Marquis pressed a Pacification But though their Opinions varied yet their Friendship continued since both had the same designs for the Kings Honour and Service A recruit of Money which was beginning to run low was not to be hoped without a Parliament and their late experience told on how uneasie terms that was to be had Earl Lowdon also assured the Marquis by his Letters that the Covenanters were well armed well commanded and very resolute nor did they doubt of a strong Party in England and therefore shewed how dangerous it would prove to His Majesties Affairs if a Treaty should not presently follow The Marquis little regarding how ill these Counsels would be represented by others used all his Industry to prevail with the King for a Pacification on any terms since none could be so bad as the hazard the King was like to run if matters continued so broken for it was now apparent how faintly His Majesties Forces did serve him and with how much resolution the Scotish Armies proceeded neither were they without fears in their own Army and that many of the Peers and People of England would have assisted the Scots if matters had run to extremities A Breach betwixt the Marquis and the Earl of Montrose But at that time a passage fell out which drew after it a tract of great Troubles on the Marquis The Earl of Montrose had in Iuly that year procured a Meeting of some Noblemen at Cumbermwald the Earl of Wigtons house where there was a Bond signed by them of adherence to one another in pursuance of the Covenant and from New-Castle he continued to keep Correspondence with His Majesty notwithstanding an Act that had passed in the Committee that none should under pain of Death write any Letters to the Court but such as were seen and allowed of by at least three of the Committee But this Correspondence of my Lord Montrose came to the knowledge of the Covenanters and there were ill Instruments who suggested that this Advertisement must have been given by the Marquis which being too easily believed occasioned a Breach betwixt them that could never be made up And Sanderson hath had the Impudence not only to fasten this on him but as if there had not been Imputation enough in it he adds that the Marquis had in the night picked His Majesties Pockets for his Letters Indeed he needed not take such Courses had he been capable of that Treachery for the Kings Confidence in him was such that he delivered all the Letters he had from Scotland to his keeping and if he had designed such a thing upon Montrose it was in his Power to have done it long before for in October and December of the former year Montrose had writ much in the same strain to the King which Letters the King gave him and are yet extant but were never heard off till now that the Writer gives this account of them But the way how that Letter was discovered was this the Covenanters sent Sir Iames Mercer to York with their Letters to my Lord Lanerick of September the 14 th with whom my Lord Montrose sent his Servant with Letters to some of his Friends at Court and these Letters had been shown to the Committee but as he sealed them up he put within one to Sir Richard Grahame a Letter to the King which had not been seen and Sir Richard opening his Letter carelesly the inclosed to the King dropt out whereupon Sir Iames Mercer being near him stooped down in civility to take up the Letter and read the Direction of it and he returning next day to the Scotish Camp told what he had seen to the General who in a Committee that sate that afternoon wherein it was my Lord Montrose's turn to preside said that the Gentleman they had sent must be examined concerning any Letters he carried to the Court and so he was called in and examined But Montrose understanding that his Correspondence with the King was discovered said that seeing others kept a Correspondence with the Court he knew not why he might not do it as well as they it was answered if others were guilty that did not excuse his fault but when that could be made out against any they were liable to the same Censure he had now incurred whereupon he was commanded to keep his Chamber and he called a great many of his Friends to him to try who would adhere to him whereupon the General bade the Earl of Calender who was then Lieutenant-General tell him that if he came not and submitted himself he would hold a Council of War upon him and proceed against him Capitally Upon this my Lord Montrose came and produced a Copy of the Letter he said he had written and craved pardon and so this Matter was passed over â—ut it was suspected that his Letter had been sent to the Covenanters by the Marquis whereas indeed they knew no more of his Letter but what they had from Sir Iames Mercer who read the Address of it and so they knew not what was in it but by the Copy he produced Yet this went current for the Marquis his Treachery though Sir Iames Mercer did often vouch the truth of this before many Witnesses and particularly particularly to Sanderson himself before Noble Witnesses who acknowledged his Mis-information and promised to expunge that in the next Edition of his Book though there are no grounds to fear the Woâ—ld will ever be troubled with another Edition of so ill a Book The Treaty at Rippon In the end of September a Treaty was agreed upon and His Majesty named the Marquis and my Lords of Traquair and Lanerick to be amongst the Commissioners who should Treat in His name But the Covenanters excepted against the Marquis and Traquair whom they intended to pursue as Incendiaries and therefore they could not Treat with them as for Lanerick they had nothing to fasten on him Upon this the King resolved to send none but English Lords conceiving it not fitting to send any Scotchman if the persons he had imployed as Commissioners were not of the number Rippon a little Town fifteen miles from York was appointed to be the place of Treaty instead of Northallertown and the King sent the English Lords thither appointing Traquair and Lanerick to wait upon them for giving them Information of Scotish Affairs but he kept the Marquis to wait upon Himself The Treaty begun at Rippon and after a few days by reason of the new Parliament the King had summoned against the beginning of November was removed to London The Covenanters Demands were the same with those contained in their Letter of the 8th of September about which they continued Treating till the Iune of the next year and so this year ended But here I shall insert a Paper all written with His Majesties hand which though it do not relate
Attempts and he could neither be caressed nor cudgelled out of it Most of Pickering's Letters both to Pym and Clotworthy were intercepted from which I draw these Accounts About the 20th of December there was a council-Council-day a particular account whereof I shall give Great debates in the Council about the Kings Declaration as I have it from a Copy of a Letter written to London in which the Chancellour presented to the Council a Letter from my Lord Lindsay then at London with the Declaration of the Parliament But though the Lords of that Party knew nothing of this yet by private Letters Lanerick had some conjectures of it beforehand After the Parliaments Paper was twice read Lowdon resumed it fully and assoon as he had done with that Lanerick delivered another Letter from the King with as large a Declaration within it and after it was twice read Lanerick bade the Chancellour resume it as faithfully as he had done the former which accordingly he did The first thing the Marquis thought best to move as that of the least Importance which yet would discover how the Council was inclined was the Publishing the Kings Declaration The Lord Balmerino said the Parliament desired not theirs to be published so it were Officiousness to do it but that it were Injustice to publish the one without the other The Marquis asked was that because we owed as much to the Parliament of England as to the King Lanerick added he had a Command from the King for it Argyle answered they sate there to good purpose if every Message to them was a Command and they two let fly at one another for a while with much eagerness But the Marquis and Balmerino took the debate off their hands and managed it more calmly The Marquis said the Vote was to be stated Obey or Not obey the other answered that was the Bishops way of proceeding to procure Orders from the King without Advice and then charge all who offered better Counsel with Disobedience The Marquis said to what did they mean to reduce the Kings Authority if he might not set out Declarations for removing the Aspersions were cast on his Person and Government or would they speak plainly were they afraid that his Subjects might have too good an opinion of him if they heard himself There appeared a variety of Opinions before it was put to the Vote some were for Printing both some were for Printing neither some for Printing the Kings and not the Parliaments and one had a singular Opinion for Printing the Parliaments and not the Kings There were one and twenty Councellours present and it being put to the Vote Print or not Print there were eleven who voted I I I and nine voted No No No. This being carried that the Kings Declaration and not the Parliments should be Printed the Marquis moved next that the matter of these Declarations might be considered But the Lord Balmerino said the Parliament of England was long in contriving their Paper and the King and those about him had been no doubt as long in forming the other and if we shall fall upon a few hours Consideration to give our sense of them we were pretty fellows in faith which he twice repeated This rude Raillery touched the Marquis in the quick because he conceived these words were not so much a reflexion upon himself as on the King who on another great occasion had used the same expression However they had sate and debated long so they gave it over for that day This is set down more particularly because it was the first instance that these two Parties fell visibly asunder and henceforth they continued stated in two Factions But because I love not to name persons upon invidious occasions henceforth all the other Faction shall be designed by the General term of the Church-party others calling them Argyl's Party and the other the Hamilton-party However the Declaration was printed which drew a large share of Censure and Hatred on the two Brothers but the King was so well pleased with their Behaviour that he wrote the Marquis the following Letter Hamilton YOu know I am ill at words I think it were best for me to say to you as Mr. Major did you know my mind and indeed I know none of my Subjects that knows it better and having for the present little else to give my Servants but thanks I hold it a particular Misfortune that I can do it no better therefore this must suffice I see you are as good as your word and you shall find me as good in mine of being Your most assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Oxford December 29th 1642. An. 1643. POSTSCRIPT You cannot take to your self nor express to your Brother better thanks than I mean to you both for the Service you did me the last Council-day Anno 1643. THe next Year begun with Petitions which were brought from divers Shires and Presbyteries complaining of their Publishing the late Declaration but the Conservatours of Peace who were for the most part of the Church-party made this up the best way they could Most are inclined to joyn with the Two Houses against the King for first they declared a Publication was not an Approbation next they appointed the Parliaments Declaration to be also Published At this time the Marquis and Traquair renewed their old Friendship and seeing these Petitions coming in so fast which did clearly insinuate desires of engaging in the Parliaments Quarrel he with his Brother's and Traquair's advice contrived a Cross Petition to be offered to the Lords of Council And as the Motion of it came first from him so the first draught of it was from his Pen of which I find an account under Lanerick's hand so little reason there was to charge him with Juggling in that matter though it was not fit he should have owned it lest upon that account the Church-party might either have accused him as a Plotter or at least cast him from Sitting and Judging in it The Petition follows May it please your Lordships The Cross Petition THat whereas His Majesty with Advice of his Great Council the Estates of Parliament hath been pleased to select your Lordships to be His Councellours and hath by an Act of the late Parliament committed to your Lordships the Administration and Government of this Kingdom in all Affairs concerning the Good Peace and Happiness thereof and in regard of that great Trust reposed by His Majesty and the Estates of Parliament in you your Lordships have been and will continue so careful to acquit your selves of that weighty Charge as you may be answerable for all your Actions and Proceedings to His Majesty and the Estates of Parliament to whom as we conceive you are and can only be accomptable And now we being informed of a Petition presented by some Noblemen Gentlemen and others to the Commissioners for conserving the Articles of the late Treaty upon pretext of your Lordships not Sitting at that time
Breach might follow betwixt him and his Native Kingdom but on the other hand he could not permit them to go both because of the Reasons he had alledged and the Fears he had of their engaging with the Parliament and chiefly that all his Councellours and Officers at Oxford were so far against it that he heard it was whispered amongst them that they would all forsake him if he gave them leave since they held themselves assured that the Design of their going was to bring an Army from Scotland wherefore he intreated Lindsay would serve him in that Particular which he undertook frankly though he added he had small hopes since he had already attempted as much as he could with no Success But as he left His Majesty he made a Visit in his way to his Lodgings where he met the Earl of Crawford who told him plainly That though the King should consent to their going to London thither should they never get for a great many were resolved to lie in their way and cut them all to pieces ere they were many miles from Oxford This he confirmed to him with many Oaths adding that as the King knew nothing of it so it would not be in his power to hinder it and out of kindness to my Lord Lindsay he advised him not to go though the Chancellour went With this Lindsay came to his Lodgings and shewed the Lord Chancellour the hazard not only their Lives would be in but of the irreparable Breach would follow upon it which being considered by them it was resolved they should pass from their Desires and crave the Kings Commands for Scotland since they would not offend him by the importunity of an unacceptable Mediation which they accordingly did to His Majesties great satisfaction And so they took leave the Chancellour with the other Commissioners going for Scotland only Lindsay returned to London Upon this His Majesty sent all the Scotish Lords then at Court to Scotland to serve him there who were the Earls of Morton Roxburgh Kinnoul Annandale Lanerick and Carnwath but before they could be dispatched he sent Mr. Murray to Scotland with an account of his opinion about the Services his Friends might do him there who came by York and brought from the Queen the following Letter to the Marquis in answer to what he had written to Her Majesty which though written in French as all Her private Letters were yet I shall set down translated in English that all may run more smoothly Cousin I Received your Letter with the assurances of the Continuance of your Aâ—fection of which I hold my self secure and make no doubt to see both the effects of it and of that which you promised me at your parting concerning my Lord of Argyle Will. Murray came yesterday from Oxford as for News from hence I refer you to Henry Jermine who will give you an account of them I shall only tell you that the Scotish Lords who were with the King are on their way for Scotland so likewise are the Commissioners that were with the King You will know from Will. Murray the Kings Answers to the Propositions which you made me at York I am very glad to know by Your Letter as likewise by what my Lord Montgomery hath told me the Protestations General Lesly makes concerning the Armies in Ireland and now when all the Kings Servants shall be together you must think of the means for preserving that Army for my part I know not what to say farther about it I am now upon my going to the King and hope to part hence within ten dayes If there be any thing that hath occurred of late I shall be glad to know it and that you will believe how much I am Your affectionate Cousin and Friend HENRIETA MARIA R. About the beginning of May Lowdon and the other Commissioners came down and a day after them came the Earl of Morton who told the Marquis They proceed to final Resolutions in Scotland that in a few days he should see the Earls of Roxburgh Kinnoul and Lanerick with the Kings Instructions but by reason of Kinnoul's Infirmity and Roxburgh's Age they moved slowly On the 21th of May the Iunto of the Church-party moved that there might be a Joynt-meeting of the Council and Conservatours of the Peace and Commissioners for Publick Burdens to consider of the present State of Affairs The Marquis and Morton resisted this all they could but they were over-ruled and so these Judicatories met to them it was proposed that considering the hazard the Nation was in by reason of Armies which were now levying in the North of England there was a necessity of putting the Kingdom in a posture of Defence which could not be done without a Convention of Estates or a Parliament wherefore it was moved that a Convention of Estates should be presently called The Marquis argued much against it shewing that this was to encroach upon the Kings Prerogative in the highest degree and so would be a direct Breach of the Peace with the King and against the Laws of the Land adding Was this all the Acknowledgment they gave the King for his late Gracious Concessions for this struck at the root of his Power In this he was seconded by my Lord Morton but most vigorously by Sir Thomas Hope the Kings Advocate who debated against it so fully from all the Laws and constant Practice of Scotland that no Answer could be alledged and indeed discharged his Duty so faithfully that the Marquis forgave him all former errors for that dayes Service But it was in vain to argue where the Resolution was taken on Interest more than Reason so it was carried that the Lord Chancellour should summon a Convention of Estates against the 22th of Iune A Convention of Estates is called This Resolution being taken they gave Advertisement of it to the King in the following Letter which all who Voted against it refused to sign Most Dread Sovereign THe extreme necessity of the Army sent from this Kingdom by Order from Your Majesty and the Parliament here against the Rebellion in Ireland the want of means for their necessary Supply through the not payment of the Arrears and Maintenance due to them by the Parliament of England the delay of the Payment of the Brotherly Assistance so necessary for the relief of the Common Burdens of this Kingdom by reason of the unhappy Distractions in England and the sense of the danger of Religion of Your Majesties Royal Person and of the Common Peace of Your Kingdoms have moved Your Majesties Privy Council the Commissioners for conserving the Peace and Common Burdens to joyn together in a Common Meeting for acquitting our selves in the Trust committed to us by Your Majesty and the Estates of Parliament and having found after long Debate and mature Deliberation that the Matters before-mentioned are of so Publick Concernment of so deep Importance and so great Weight that they cannot be determined by us in such a
way and with such hope of Success as may give satisfaction to Your Majesty serve for the good of this Your Majesties Kingdom and as may make us answerable to the Trust committed to us by Your Majesties Parliament We have been constrained to crave the advice and resolution of a Convention of the Estates to meet June 22th which as according to the obligation and duty of our Places we are bound to shew Your Majesty so do we humbly intreat that against the Time agreed upon by Common Consent Your Majesty may be Graciously pleased to acquaint us with Your Pleasure and Commandments that Matters may be so determined as may most serve for the Honour of God Your Majesties Service and Well of Your Kingdomes which now is and ever shall be the earnest desire and constant endeavour of Your Majesties faithful and humble Subjects and Servants Lowdon Cancellarius Leven Argyle Cassilis Dalhousy Lauderdale Balmerino Yester Burghley Balcarres Gibson-Dury T. Myrton Tho. Hope A. Johnstoun T. Hepburne J. Hamilton J. Home T. Wauchop T. Raffrerland T. Bruce J. Smith Edward Edgar J. Binny W. Glendoning Hugh Kennedy G. Gourdon Edinburgh 12th May 1643. Three dayes after this came the Lords who were sent down who being all met Lanerick delivered the following Instructions from His Majesty CHARLES R. Instructions to Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved Cousins and Councellours Iames Marquis of Hamilton William Earl of Glencairn Robert Earl of Roxburgh George Earl of Kinnoule David Earl of Southesk William Earl of Lanerick Instructions for the Lords that were trusted by His Majesty THat you endeavour by all fair and lawful Means to prevent Division among Our Subjects in Scotland That you give all the Assurances in Our Name which can be desired of Our Resolution to preserve inviolably the Government of that Kingdom as it is now established by Assemblies and Parliaments That you take what Courses you shall think most fit for causing Print and Publish either in Scotland or at York Our Declaration which We now send with you to that Our Kingdome and all such other Papers as We shall hereafter send thither or which you shall conceive may conduce to the good of Our Service and for that purpose make use of such Blanks as We have thought fit to entrust you with That seeing We perceived by Pickering's Letters Our Two Houses of Parliament intend to send Commissioners or Agents to Scotland you shall endeavour by all fair Means to hinder any of Our Iudicatories to Treat with them and for that purpose make use of any of the foresaid Blanks That seeing We conceive it would exceedingly conduce to the good of Our Service that the Lords of Session would explain the Commission granted by Vs and Our Parliament to the Conservatours of the Treaty you shall for that purpose likewise make use of the foresaid Blanks either to them all in general or to such of them in particular as you shall think most fit That you endeavour to hinder the liberty which possibly Ministers may take to themselves in the Pulpits of Censuring Our Actions or stirring up the People against Vs and to that purpose make use of the said Blanks to the Council or Commissioners of the Assembly as you shall think necessary That in case you apprehend any danger to Our Service from the Return of the Scotish Army in Ireland you shall declare Our readiness to contribute any thing which is in Our Power for the Maintenance thereof even to the Engaging of our Revenues in Scotland for raising Moneys to be so imployed and to that end you shall make use of the foresaid Blanks If you shall find it necessary you shall likewise make use of some of the Blanks to the Council declaring expresly Our Pleasure That that Army shall not be recalled until We be acquainted therewith and to the Earl of Leven discharging him to obey any Orders whatsoever for that end until he know Our further Pleasure If you shall find it necessary you shall make use of some Blanks to Our Council recalling all former Commissions which have been granted for Levying and Transporting of Men out of that Kingdom over to France or Holland You shall make use of these Blanks to some of Our Council and Exchequer for discharging the Arrears and disposing a plenary Right of the Annuities to those particular persons that have Petitioned Vs thereabout and to surcease all execution against all others until the 31th day of August next You shall make use of these Blanks to such of Our Council and others as you shall find fit for encouraging them to attend the Meetings of Our Council and to continue the Testimonies of their Affection to Our Service with assurance of Our Resentment thereof We do hereby authorize Our Secretary the Earl of Lanerick by your Advices to fill up these Blanks and to Sign them with Our Court-Signet and for his and your so doing this shall be your Warrant C. R. From Oxford the 21th April 1643. Besides this Lanerick told that it was the Kings positive Pleasure that the first Breach should not come from his Party but they should draw out things as long as was possible before they hazarded on a Rupture As for the Kings Declaration the first draught whereof is extant marked and corrected by the Kings Hand it being so home and clear though very long I shall not contract it but set it down at length His Majesties Declaration to all his loving Subjects in His Kingdom of Scotland CHARLES R. AS there hath been no mean left unattempted which the malice and wit of Rebellion could devise to infect and poyson the Affections and Loyalty of Our good Subjects of Our Kingdom of England and to withdraw their Hearts from Vs by the most pernicious and desperate Calumnies that could be invented to under-value and lessen Our Reputation with Foreign Princes by Injuries and Affronts upon their Publick Ministers and by presuming to send Agents qualified for Negotiation without Our Consent and in truth to expose Vs and Our Royal Authority to Scorn and Contempt by assuming a Power over Vs so the pernicious Contrivers of these bloody Distempers have not delighted in any Art more than in that by which they have hoped to stir up Our good Subjects of that Our Native Kingdome of Scotland to joyn with them and to infuse in them a jealousie and disesteem of Our true Affection and Our Gracious Intentions towards that Nation To this purpose they have used great Industry to convey into that Our Kingdom and to scatter and disperse there divers Seditious Pamphlets framed and contrived against Our Person and Government and have sent Agents of their own to reside there and to promote their Designs one of whom lately resident there one Pickering by his Letters of the 9th of January to Mr. Pym assures him of the Concurrence of that Kingdom and that the Ministers in their Pulpits do in downright terms press the Taking up of Arms and in another
Hearts to yield much more than the Authority of the Kings Commands who having got notice of it from the Earl of Lindsay wrote down to Scotland peremptorily commanding them to desist from any such pursute if it were begun requiring also his Advocate to appear for them in His Majesties Name if they were pursued The Earl of Lanerick wrote to the King what follows May it please Your Majesty I Shall here Humbly presume to let Your Majesty know that before any of Your Scotish Servants who lately parted with Your Majesty at Oxford Lanâ—rick 's account of Affairs to His Majesty could possibly come hither the Chancellour had made his Report to the Council and Conservatours of the Treaty and Mr. Henderson to the Commissioners of the General Assembly of their Employments to Your Majesty where Your Answers to their Desires were found not satisfactory and thereafter Your Majesties Council Commissioners for the Treaty and Common Burdens having joyned together for giving of Security for such Moneys as should be levyed for the Maintenance of Your Majesties Scotish Army in Ireland they thought fit without admitting of any delay until Your Majesties Pleasure were known to call a Convention of the Estates as their several Acts and Proclamations to that effect here inclosed will more particularly shew Your Majesty And for the present Your Majesties Servants who came lately hither having only met with three or four of those whom Your Majesty appointed them to consult with have thought fit to advise with some others of the same Affection and Forwardness to Your Majesties Service before they presume to give Your Majesty any Advice upon the present Occasions being matters of so great Weight and so highly concerning Your Majesties Service but they have taken the readiest and most speedy Course they can think upon for Meeting and Consulting with them and thereafter are immediately to return hither from whence they will with all diligence offer unto Your Majesty their humble Opinion In the mean time I have dispatched Your Majesties Letters to such Noblemen and Burroughs as Your Majesty was pleased to direct me shewing Your Resolution of preserving here what you have been pleased so Graciously to establish in Church and State not having been able to deliver Your Majesties Letter to Your Council who were dissolved before my coming and my Lord Chancellour is gone out of Town without whose Appointment there can be no extraordinary Meeting so that I believe Your Majesties Gracious Declaration to Your Scotish Subjects cannot be published before that time nor till then can I be able to give Your Majesty any further account of Your Affairs here though in the mean time I shall study to serve Your Majesty faithfully according to the Duty of Your Majesties Most humble and most faithful and most obedient Subject and Servant LANERICK Edinburgh 18th May. 1643. In the end of May there was a Meeting of about thirty Noblemen where these two Questions were proposed The Lords consult what to advise His Majesty First if it were fit for the Kings Service that the Convention should be suffered to hold Next if it held whether those who were well-affected to the Kings Service should fit in it There were three or four Days spent in debating upon these Heads some moved that since by the calling of this Convention the other Party had so far encroached upon the King they should presently break with them this Motion came chiefly from other Lords who would not come to that Meeting But it was answered that the King as he would not give Commissions for raising an Army in England till he knew the Parliament had first done it on their side so it was his positive Pleasure that his Party should not make the first Breach which the King judged so much for his Honour that no Consideration could move him to dispense with it yet these who made that Proposition were desired to lay down ways how it could be made effectual since it was Madness and not Courage to hazard the Ruine of the Kings Service and Friends without at least a likelyhood of being able to carry it through with some Success All things being examined it was concluded that the following Message should be sent to His Majesty which was set down in a Paper dated the 5th of Iune but because of the War in England they committed it verbally to a Trusty Bearer lest it had been intercepted A Convention was indicted by the Chancellour and such others of the Council as have signed His Majesties Letter thereabout with the Advice and Concurrence of the Committees for conserving the Treaty and Common Burdens to be kept at Edinburgh the 22th of June whereby it is conceived His Majesty suffers exceedingly in His Regal Authority in the Calling thereof without his Special Warrant A Proclamation for the Indicting thereof is likewise issued forth in His Majesties Name expressing a danger to Religion His Majesties Person and the Peace of this Kingdom from Papists in Arms in England which in that appears to be contrary to His late Declaration sent to Scotland Hereupon divers Noblemen and Gentlemen well-affected to His Majesties Service met at Edinburgh and after three or four days Debate considering the exigency of Time the present posture of Affairs and the disposition and inclination of the People of this Country did not conceive it fitting that His Majesty should absolutely discharge that Meeting which certainly would be kept notwithstanding of any Discharge from Him which would both bring His Authority in greater Contempt and lose more of the Affections of the People whereby the Power of His Majesties Servants would be lessened but rather that His Majesty should so far take notice of the Illegal Calling thereof and His Own Suffering thereby that the same remaining upon Record may be an evidence to Posterity that this Act of theirs can infer no such Precedent for the like in the future but afterwards His Majesty or His Successors may Legally question the same And that His Majesties Servants here may be better enabled and strengthened with the assistance of others of His Majesties faithful Subjects who truly and really intend nothing but the Security of Religion as it is here established and are altogether averse from and against the Raising of Arms or Bringing over the Scotish Army in Ireland whereby His Majesties Affairs or their own Peace may be disturbed they conceive it fit that His Majesty should permit this Convention to Treat and conclude upon such Particulars as may secure their Fears from any danger of Religion at home without interessing themselves in the Government of the Church of England And in respect that the Two Houses of Parliament have not sent Supplies for Entertaining the Scotish Army in Ireland whereby they may have some colour or ground for recalling them it is conceived necessary that this Convention should have a Power from His Majesty to advise and resolve upon all fair and Legal wayes for Entertaining the
receive of their Plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms We shall with the same sincerity reality and constancy in our several Vocations endeavour with our Estates and Lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms And to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms That the World may bear witness with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just Power and Greatness We shall also with all faithfulness endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindering the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any faction or parties amongst the People contrary to this League and Covenant That they may be brought to publick Trial and receive condign Punishment as the degree of their Offences shall require or deserve or the Supreme Iudicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient And whereas the happiness of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denyed in former times to our Progenitors is by the good Providence of GOD granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and settled by both Parliaments We shall each one of us according to our place and interest endeavour that they may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Vnion to all posterity and that Iustice may be done upon the wilful opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Article We shall also according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing And shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Vnion and Conjunction whether â—o make deâ—ection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this Cause which so much concerneth the Glory of GOD the Good of the Kingdoms and Honour of the King But shall all the days of our lives zealously and constantly continâ—e therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all â—ets and Impediments whatsoever And what we are not able our selves to suppress or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be fully prevented or removed And which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many sins and provocations against GOD and his Son Iesus Christ as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers the fruits thereof We profess and declare before GOD and the World our unfained desire to be humbled for our own sins and for the sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts to walk worthy of him in our liâ—es which are the causes of other sins and transgreâ—sions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfained purpose desâ—re and endeavoâ—r for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publick and in private in all Duties we owe to God and Man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a real Reformation That the Lord may turn away his wrath and heâ—vy indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in Truth and Peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty GOD the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great Day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his Holy Spirit for thâ—â— end and to bless our desires and proceedings with such success as may be deliverance and safety to his People and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of Antichristian Tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant To the Glory of GOD the Enlargement of the Kingdom of Iesus Christ and the peace and tranquility of Christâ—an Kingdoms and Commonwealths This was offered to the Assembly on the 17th of August The Censures that generally were passed on it and after it was publickly read Mr. Henderson being then Moderator had a long Speech about it Then it was read the second time and many of the most eminent Ministers and Lay-Elders were desired to deliver their Opinions about it who did all magnifie it highly and though the Kings Commissioner pressed a Delay till at least it were communicated to the King yet the approving it was put to the Vote and carried unanimously and they ordered the Lord Maitland the now Duke of Lauderdale and Mr. Henderson and Mr. Gillespy to carry it up to the Two Houses at Westminster On the same day it was also approved in the Convention Wise Obfervers wondered to see a matter of that Importance carried through upon so little Deliberation or Debate It was thougâ—t strange to see all their Consciences of such a size so exactly to agree as the several Wheels of a Clock which made all apprehend there was some first Mover that directed all those other Motions this by the one Party was imputed to Gods extraordinary Providence but by others to the Power and Policy of the Leaders and the simplicity and fear of the rest One Article of it was thought strange that one Government of the Church was abjured but none sworn to in its place for England this was not the fault of the Scots who designed nothing so much as to see Presbytery established in England But the English Commissioners would not hear of that and by that General words of Reforming according to the Word of God cast in by Sir Henry Vane thought themselves well-secured from the inroads of the Scotish Presbytery and in the very contriving of that Article they studied to out-wit one another for the Scots thought the next words of Reforming according to the Practice of the best Reformed Churches made sure game for the Scotish Model since they counted it indisputable that Scotland could not miss that Character Those of Scotland would have had Episcopacy abjured as simply unlawful but those of England would not condemn that Order which had merited so much Glory in the whole Christian Church therefore the second Article was so conceived that it might import only an Abolition of the present Model of England and it was so declared both in the Assembly of Divines and in the Two Houses of Parliament when they swore it The Scots either perceived not this Change or were
from hence if he do not timely prevent it either by a Royal and considerable Strength or in his Wisdom think of some other way of effecting it and not to trust to the Power of His Party here And this our humble Opinion doth neither proceed from Fear nor Disaffection nor out of any Intention to desert Him or His Cause wherein we will spend the last drops of our Blood but really is our sense of the Condition of His Affairs here which we cannot conceal without betraying the Trust He hath reposed in us and which we will be ready to make appear to His Majesty whensoever He shall think fit to call us to an account at the hazard of losing His Favour and all that is dear to us About the end of October All are required to take the Covenant all the Lords of the Council received Letters from the Committee of Estates requiring them to come to Council against the second of November and sign the League and Covenant from which the Lords whom His Majesty had intrusted excused themselves not being well-satisfied neither about the matter of the Covenant nor the Authority by which it was imposed whereupon they were again summoned to appear upon the 14th of that Month to do it under the highest pains in case of Disobedience but they excused themselves the second time likewise All this while the Duke had been doing his utmost to engage his Vassals The Duke's endeavours for serving the King and the Dependers on his Family to a cordial Concurrence in the Kings Service and offered to divers of them if they would vigorously concur in it to dispense with great advantages he had over their Fortunes by his Superiorities But that County where his Interest lay was so prevailed upon by the Ministers that no endeavours could divert them from the Course that the rest of the Country were taking and so little could he prevail with them that all the Authority and Art he and his Brother used could not get the Commissioners to the Convention of Estates well chosen though he bestirred himself in it as much as was possible for beside the Clamours against him there came out at this time a Book under the name of The Mystery of Iniquity which was shrewdly but maliciously penned The design of it was to demonstrate that the King's Intentions ever since his Voyage to Spain had been for introducing Popery but to this old Slander was added a new damnable Calumny that the King had given Commission for the Massacre in Ireland under the Great Seal of Scotland in October 1641. when it was in the Duke's keeping and in the Custody of Mr. Iohn Hamilton who is by that Pamphleteer called the Scribe of the Cross Petition This was sent through all places and both preached and printed up and down Scotland and zealously infused into the Peoples minds amongst whom it gained belief which as it irritated them to more fury against the King so it drew the next share of the Odium upon the Duke whereby he was much disabled from doing the Service which he desired and designed with such a series of sad Trials was God pleased to exercise him almost all the days of his Life The Lords that were for the King met at Kelso Their Appointment at My Lady Roxburgh's Funeral was to be carried secretly as if their numerous Meeting had been only for gathering a great Company to solemnize it with the more Pomp according to the Ceremony used at Burials in Scotland The Duke took with him near two hundred Horse the half of them were Gentlemen and the rest were their Servants But when they came to the Funeral all that could be accounted of were about a thousand Horse but there were such Jealousies among them and they were so undetermined either what to do or who should Command and so little assurance had they of the Adherence of those who were with them that they parted without coming to any Resolution This Attempt gave a Crisis to the Covenanters Proceedings against them and therefore because they came not on the Day prefixed to subscribe the Covenant they were declared Enemies to God the King and the Country and it was resolved that at least they should be made close Prisoners of which the Duke was advertised by the Earl of Lindsay But this was not all the height of the Committees zeal The cruel Orders of the Committee against those who took not the Covenant for on the 17th day of November by another Act all their Goods were appointed to be seized on their Rents gathered up and their Persons to be apprehended wherever they could be found and a Commission was given to Souldiers to go take them warranting them to do it notwithstanding any Resistance was made securing them though they killed those that made Resistance Southesk was first wrought upon by those thunder-claps but the Duke and his Brother seeing all was past recovery in Scotland and there was no standing before this unparalelled Zeal prevented their severe Orders and went to Court so he and his Brother left Scotland in the end of November All this while his Enemies at Court had been with great Industry misrepresenting his Actions in Scotland and for this end made use of the forwardness of some Scotish Lords who were then at Court The Duke ill represented at Court yet the King's Affection to him and Confidence in him continued firm and unshaken till the end of September if not longer as appears by His Majesties Letter of that Date already set down But the miscarriage of Affairs in Scotland together with the Duke's absence raised some jealousies in the King's thoughts nor had the Duke any Friend at Court who had such credit with the King as to be able to justifie him and so Reports went current without contradiction But when Mr. Murray came up and Traquair after him they gave a truer representation of Affairs therefore to take off the weight of their Testimony they were charged with accession to the same Miscarriages and many things of a high nature were fastened upon the Duke And the miscarriage of Affairs in Scotland seemed to give good colours for casting all the blame of it upon the Unfaithfulness or ill-management of those who had his Majesties chief Trust in that Kingdom the usual fate of all Unsuccessful Ministers Many foul Slanders were cast on him and very scandalous and undutiful Discourses were laid to his charge And to crown all it was represented that he had set on foot a Pretension to the Crown of Scotland and designed to put all once into Confusion that so he might fish the better in those troubled waters This was the most bloody and pernicious of all the hellish Slanders his Enemies could invent and nothing could raise Jealousies in a Court like Stories of this nature wherefore they were confidently vented and it was said that after he and his Brother had betrayed the King's Service in Scotland
Discontent Constructions which are not possible for him to make but obvious to malevolent humours That although you should not be suspected to be any ways accessory to disloyal Courses it will be said you are one of those who could have best hindred them That your Countrey and Friends may say you have deserted them in their greatest Exigences and that Differences may be reconciled betwixt His Majesty and His Subjects by the endeavours of others These Commands were both peremptory and obliging so that they could not fail of conquering all his Resistance and carrying his Obedience after them which were strengthened from the Letter he had at that same time from Her Majesty which follows Cousin THe account the King hath given me of your Aâ—fection for His Interest and those marks of it which from other hands have met me do so sensibly affect me that without any difficulty or scruple I do now entertain you with my Acknowledgments and Resentments of it before I have heard from you and I assure you of the satisfaction I shall ever have of the Continuance of it from you which I shall desire may be as intire and full as the Returns I shall study to make to you being resolved to lay hold on all occasiâ—ns by which I may discover my Friendship for you and to express the Esteem I have of your Friendship by all means that may depend on my cares which I shall imploy in giving you day by day new Proofs that I am and ever shall be Your affectionate Cousin and Friend HENRIETA MARIA R. St. Germanes 22th September Upon these Intreaties and Assurances he was made to change his purpose though he could not so easily part with his Melancholy thoughts which he expressed in this following Letter May it please Your Sacred Majesty THe Reasons You were pleased to offer to my Brother And writes to the King and Sir Robert Murray for diverting my Resolution of leaving Your Majesties Dominions at this time were I confess of strength enough to have fixed me in any place of the World where Your Majesties Service was concerned but now seeing Your Majesty hath honoured me so much as by Your Gracious Letter Your Self to shew me still Your dislike thereof how dare I dispute what Your Majesty thinks unfit and now Sir the Thoughts I formerly had of leaving as it were the World because I would not be a witness of what I feared Your Majesties Fall since as I conceive I could not be instrumental to Your Service or Preservation upon the Grounds Your Majesty went on shall be changed into a Resolution of being most miserable in Your Dominions if it shall not please God to deliver You out of those Difficulties Your Majesty is in for I take God to witness upon Your Happiness depends my greatest worldly Ioy how unfortunately soever I have of late been misunderstood And though I cannot promise my self so much good Fortune as to prove useful to Your Majesty yet I dare and do engage for a cheerful Willingness and perfect Fidelity in Your Majesties Service and trust that God in his Mercy will so direct Your Majesty as by timeously granting the now necessary and most pressing Demands of Your Kingdoms the great Evils will be prevented that threaten Your Sacred Self the Queens Majesty and Your Royal Posterity and likewise that of having any other Guard to attend Your Royal Person than such as shall be approved of by You or Your Majesties being necessitated to retire into Scotland vpon the return of the Scotish Army where I apprehend Your Majesties Entertainment will not answer Your Expectation nor prove at all advantagious to Your Service More I will not presume to say but shall really study in all things to serve Your Majesty and ever give such ready Obedience to Your Commands as becometh Your Majesties most faithful most loyal and most obedient Subject and Servant HAMILTON Kinneel 6th Octob. 1646. A day or two after His Majesty received this Letter He wrote the following Letter to my Lord Lanerick the Post-script whereof seems to relate to the Letter he had received from his Brother Lanerick BEfore now I had not matter to write to you and now I have so much that I shall say the less leaving this inclosed to speak for me But thus much I must assure you of that I have herein gone the utmost length as you call it to give all possible Satisfaction for upon my word one jot further cannot be gone by Your most assured real constant Friend CHARLES R. Newcastle 15th Octob. 1646. POSTSCRIPT Tell your Brother that it were a fault to him to trouble my Self in Complementing with him and indeed to either of you any ways to doubt but that you will make the best use you may of what I now send you for my Service The inclosed Paper is to be found among His Majesties printed Messages to the Two Houses and therefore it is not inserted here But the satisfaction the King had in the Dukes consenting to stay still in Scotland appears by the end of the next Letter he wrote to himself Hamilton THis is rather to perform my Promise to a Lady than that I believe it to be needful in respect of you for I know you naturally so much favour all my Friends and know so well the great Estimation I have of the Earl of Brainford beside what hath been told you concerning him by your Brother Lanerick by my Directions that I am certain without this you will favour his business what you can and since I am writing I must say that there is no particular Mans business wherein you can give me so much Contentment as this of which I need say no more but only that you will shew his Wife that my Recommendation to you of her Lords Affairs is real and hearty Nor can I end this without taking notice to you of the Contentment I had that my last Letter to you had the wished for operation for besides the obtaining my end which several ways is satisfactorily useful to Me I see that all men have not forsaken Reason or at least that I am sometimes in the Right as I am confident you will make appear the great Reason I have to be Your most assured real constant Friend CHARLES R. But to return to Publick Affairs the Duke at his coming to Scotland The Duke labours to engage Scotland for a Personal Treaty procured new Instructions to be sent to their Commissioners at London to press a Personal Treaty and that the King might be with Safety and Honour in England and that it might be declared that the Government of England should still continue according to the Fundamental Laws The chief business at Westminster was to be rid of their Brethren of Scotland wherefore they fell a-treating about the Removal of the Army and the Delivery of the Garrisons The Scots demanded five hundred thousand pounds Sterlâ—ng and of that Sum two hundred thousand pound
to depend upon His Settlement on his Throne they fell upon their Treaty with the Parliament But the Army was beginning to take off their Mask and change their Stile for having now seated themselves in the Power they begun to contrive how to execute what they had always designed which was the Ruin of the King and the Subversion of Monarchy And a new Party among them called the Levellers did avowedly own Principles contrary to all Order and Government so that there was great ground to apprehend Danger to the Kings Person My Lords of Lowdon Lauderdale and Lanerick represented to the King that if He would give satisfaction in the point of Religion he was Master of Scotland on what terms as to other things He would demand but without that they feared their Design of serving Him should meet with great Opposition yet they resolved once to rescue Him out of the hands of the Army or to perish in the Attempt and offered to rescue Him from the Army A little after this His Majesty being to hunt at Nonsuch the Earls of Lauderdale and Lanerick came thither on pretence of waiting on His Majesty accompanied with 50 Horse which struck no small terrour in the little Guard that was about the King whereupon these Lords told His Majesty that they were come to rescue Him from His Captivity and they with all these they brought with them were resolved to die at His feet wherefore they intreated Him to make His Escape But the King told them He had engaged His Honour not to leave the Army without giving them Advertisement and till He freed Himself of that He would die rather than break His Faith But the Leading men of the Army were now weary of the Kings being with them and wished to have Him in some secure Place under a good Guard whereupon they made reports be brought to Him that the Levellers were designing against His Life The King therefore called again the Earls of Lauderdale and Lanerick to Him some days before His Escape and told them He had freed Himself of the Engagement He had given not to leave the Army The King advises with Lauderdale and Lanerick what to do He therefore desired their Advice what to do The Earl of Lauderdale said things being driven to such extremities it was not safe to give Advice but would His Majesty suggest any thing he would with all candour deliver his Opinion about it The King first spoke of His Going to Scotland the Earl of Lauderdale said that except He resolved to comply with their Desires about Religion He might expect no better Usage from the Church-party there than He had met with at Newcastle Next the King moved His Going to London the Earl of Lauderdale answered that formerly that had been a safe Course but now the City was so over-awed by the Army that he durst not advise His trusting His Person to them for the Tumults there were already great and would undoubtedly grow upon His coming The King asked if He came was He sure of the Scotish Commissioners that they would stick to Him in Name of the Scotish Nation the Earl of Lauderdale answered that all of them to a man should wait on Him and own His Service at all hazards but without Instructions from Scotland they could do nothing as Commissioners but only in their own Names as His Subjects and they had great reason to fear the Church-party in Scotland would not own Him nor order them to do it Next the King spoke of His going to Berwick whereupon the Earl of Lanerick who till then had stood silent begged of His Majesty that for Gods sake he would follow that Motion for if He left England the Army would pretend He was deserting His Kingdom and so depose Him but Berwick was a strong Place which at that time lay ungarrisoned the Country about it was generally well-affected and so He might easily get a good Garrison to go in with Him and by that means he was near Scotland for the encouragement of those who resolved to serve Him This was also backed by Lauderdale and the King seemed fully resolved on it so they left Him of this the Author had his Information from the Earl of Lauderdale A few days after this His Majesty went to the Isle of Wight The King goes to the Isle of Wight and on the 16th of November sent a Message to the Parliament which is Printed with the rest of the Messages declaring the reason of His Going to that Place and inviting them to a Treaty As for Religion he insisted on His Judgment about Episcopacy as a Government settled by the Apostles but was content it should be limited so that the â—ishops should act nothing in Ecclesiastical matters without their Presbyters whereby they should be no burden to Tender Consciences and that they should be obliged to reside and labour and preach in their Diocesses Besides He continued His Offer for the Settlement of Presbytery for Three Years till things were freely debated and considered adding a Liberty to all Tender Consciences except Popish Recusants As for the Militia He offered to yield it up to the Parliament during His whole Reign and in other Particulars insisted on His former Concessions and some days after that he wrote what follows to my Lord Lanerick Lanerick AS My coming hither will be variously scanned so I believe that My Message to the Two Houses will have divers Interpretations for neither of which I mean to make any Apology and wrâ—tes from thence to Lanerick for honest Actions at last will best interpret themselves only I must observe to you that what I have sent to London the end of it is to procure a Personal Treaty for which if I have striven to please all Interests with all possible equality without wronging My Conscience I hope no reasonable man will blame Me. Nor am I so unreasonable as to imagine that this My Message can totally content My Own Party but for the end of it a Personal Treaty I hope that all the reasonable men on all sides will concur with Me as I expect your Scotish Commissioners should do though I know you must dislike many Passages in it And yet I must tell you that in substance it differs very little from My Message of the 22th of May. This I thought necessary to write to you that you might assure your fellow-Commissioners that change of Place hath not altered My Mind from what it was when you last saw Me. So I rest Your most assured constant Friend CHARLES R. Carisbrook 19th November 1647. POSTSCRIPT This is a safe Messenger wherefore you or any other of My Friends may write to Me by him desiring much to hear from you To this Letter the three Commissioners from Scotland wrote joyntly this Answer May it please Your Majesty The Scotish Commissioners write to the King YOur Message left behind You at Hampton-Court gave great hopes that Your Majesty was
Majesties Preservation on these or on easier terms yet it was long debated amongst them what the Consequences might be of engaging in so great a Work not only without Unanimity but with the Opposition of the Church and most of those who had been of greatest Eminence and Power during the late Troubles Wherefore they resolved to give very extraordinary Complyances to their Desires whereby they might either gain their Concurrence or at least mitigate their Opposition and determined to go a greater length than otherwise their Loyalties could allow of But the Church-men by the insinuations of Mr. Gillespie and others were possessed with an opinion of their bad Intentions and that their Resolutions if they were blessed with Success were to overturn all that had been formerly established and so they resolved not to be satisfied with any Security or Proviso they might grant believing that nothing they offered was really meant to be kept and that all they intended was but Cajolery therefore they determined to oppose them with their utmost Zeal and Industry A few dayes after the three Lords returned to Scotland the following Letter came to them from His Majesty UPon Saturday I received yours of the twenty fourth of January A Letter from the King and have written to Lee as you desired Let no reports of any Personal Threatning against Me stagger your Confidence of My Constancy nor hinder Scotland in what shall be best for Kingly Authority lose no time in your great and honest Designs for him who is Your most assured real constant Friend CHARLES R. Monday 7th February 1648. POSTSCRIPT I resolve within these two or three Days to write to you by a trusty Messenger however I hope not to fail by these ways you mention To which they returned the following Answer May it please Your Majesty THis day we received Your Majesties of the 7th Instant Your Letter to Lee we hope may be useful Our Resolution to serve Your Majesty cannot be shaken with which we will go through or perish The Clergy cannot be satisfied with what Your Majesty offers in Religion for the reason expressed in our last of the 15th yet we hope to engage them in the Work We wish Your Majesty could further enable us in that Particular as the only mean to procure Vnanimity In the mean time we will set up our rest on the procuring a speedy Engagement though without that we cannot do it so much to Your Majesties advantage Sir Marmaduke Langdale is come hither and our first care shall be to secure Berwick and Carlisle which ere this we had done if our Forces had not been at too great a distance scattered in their Quarters They have now Orders in private to draw together and we intend to act and speak both at a time POSTSCRIPT We want Arms and Ammunition exceedingly and do earnestly desire the Queen may be pleased to endeavour the supplying us from France and Holland speedily The Lord Chancellour though at first the most forward of them all for an Engagement Lowdon falls off to the Church-party yet was quickly wrought upon to abandon his generous Resolutions and not only turned over to the violent Church-Party but some Months after was made do Penance by a solemn Acknowledgment in the High-Church of Edinburgh for his sinful complyance with these unlawful Courses as they were termed Traquair played his old game a great while with both hands and studied to make a Reconciliation with some Lords of the Church-party if by any means they could have been engaged in the Design and Mr. Murray of the Bed-Chamber who was sent to Scotland from France treated also long with the Heads of the Church-party whom he thought more powerful in the Country and so more able to deliver the King but finding them so backward without positive Concessions about Religion and the Covenant he and the rest of these called the Kings Party were forced to unite with the Duke and his Friends The first thing was to engage all the Officers of the little Army then standing which was carried very successfully and their next care was to fix on one to command Those who united for engaging in the Kings Quarrel designed that David Lesley now Lord Newark should command the Army to be raised and he at first undertook the Service very cordially but some of the Church-men fell upon him very furiously and prevailed so far on others who had a great Ascendant over him that he being of an easie nature struck off and refused the Service Whereupon finding it necessary that a Person of Eminence and Integrity should command the Army They resolve the Duke should be General which he oposed much they resolved on making the Duke General which he opposed to a high degree saying that he was resolved to hazard his Life with the first yet he would decline all Command knowing with what Calumnies he had been aspersed and what Jealousies many had still of him as if his Designs were for himself and to the Kings Prejudice And many yet alive with whom he lived in the greatest Confidence know with what earnestness he pressed them to set their eye on some other Person but there were none to choose fit for the Trust wherefore it was agreed by them all that the Charge must be laid on him to which he submitted with great Aversion The Parliament meets in Scotland In the beginning of March the Parliament sate Their first trouble was from the Remonstrance which the Commission of the Kirk sent them against Association with Malignants and of the danger Religion was in which Paper they intended to have printed but with much difficulty this was stopped There were Commissioners sent down from the Two Houses with whom Mr. Stephen Marshal came for Justifying their Proceedings and keeping a good correspondence with the Scotish Nation and notwithstanding all the Injuries done by them last Year yet some of the Clergy and of the Lords of their Party were in a very good understanding with them But first of all the Carriage of the Scotish Commissioners in England was approved in Parliament next there was a Committee of Eighteen appointed for preparing business and to confer with the Commissioners of the Kirk for giving them satisfaction which was a long and slow Work On the 14th of March the English Commissioners complained that they heard there were Designs among some Malignants to seize Berwick which they desired these in Scotland would oppose whereupon the Parliament referred it to the Committee of Eighteen to see to the Security of the Kingdom in that Affair from which all the Members who were of the Church-Party dissented and against this Vote the Commissioners of the Kirk sent in another Remonstrance because they knew that Committee was so chosen that they would send Orders for the securing of Berwick On the 22th of March the Committee of the General Assembly commonly called the Commission of the Kirk gave in their large Paper consisting
that had been sent from Edinburgh but before I go further a little must be premised of the state of the Army and of those who commanded it The chief Officers of the Army The Duke was General of whom I find an old experienced Souldier who served under him passing this judgment His Conduct of Forces was as good as that of any under his Command without exception but it was his Fate I dare not say his Fault in Military matters as was his Masters in Political Affairs not to trust to his own Iudgment but to the Iudgments of others though inferiour as all the World knew to their own and to this Character all with whom the Writer ever spake who served in that Army did agree Calander's Character The Lieutenant-General was the Earl of Calander who was bred from his youth a Souldier in the Wars of Germany and the Low-Countries where he long commanded a Regiment of Scotish Foot and had gained deservedly the reputation of a man of great Courage and understood well the Dutch Discipline of War which he observed with a strictness that seemed not free of Affectation The promptness of his Deportment and the Authority he usually took on him being judged far beyond his skill in the Conduct of an Army he was made Lieutenant-General of the Scotish Army that went against the King under General Lesley Anno 1640 and joyned with Montrose and the other Noblemen and Gentlemen who signed the Bond mentioned in the account of that Year and from that time he continued for some Years in a great Friendship with Montrose which as it did alienate the Church-party from him so it set him at a distance from the Duke of whom he was ready both to receive and give ill Impressions Yet he having made great and constant Professions of Loyalty and having got himself to make a considerable figure among some Noblemen who were called the Kings Party a Conjunction with him being also earnestly recommended by the Queen in her Letters to the Duke he and some of his Friends though many condemned the choice were easily induced to such an opinion of the Reality of Calander's Loyalty and Military Conduct and Courage as to accept of him for Lieutenant-General of the Army though the Duke had no reason to have any confidence in his Friendship But as he left nothing undone to overcome all Obstacles that lay in the way of this loyal Expedition so he complied with divers things that were uneasie to him whereof this was none of the least because he would leave no ground for Calumny it self to charge him with Slackness in attempting to do this signal Service to God the King and his Country The Lieutenant-General was quickly observed to design a Faction in the Army for himself and to oppose all that the General suggested which he did so peremptorily that he usually pressed all his own Propositions with such warm Language as that the Kings Service was ruined if other Courses were followed and this never failed to over-rule the Duke and in effect he gave away almost his whole Power to him But if he expected little Friendship from Calander he had as much confidence in Middleton Lieutenant-General of the Horse who was a Person of great Courage and Honour and none had been more gallantly active in carrying on this Expedition than he was for which and other Great Services he was by His Majesty that now reigns created Earl of Middleton nor had he less assurance of Baylie Lieutenant-General of the Foot who had given many signal demonstrations of Valour and Conduct The Inferiour Officers stood all divided according as their Affections led them either to the General or Lieutenant-General and thus was the Army modelled The Regiments were not full many of them scarce exceeded half their number and not the fifth man could handle Pike or Musket The Horse were the best mounted that ever Scotland set out yet most of the Troopers were raw and undisciplined They had no Artillery not so much as one Field-piece very little Ammunition and very few Horse to carry it for want of which the Duke stayed often in the Reer of the whole Army till the Country-men brought in Horses and then conveyed it with his own Guard of Horse Thus the precipitating of Affairs in England forced them on a March before they were in any posture for it but now they were engaged and they must go forward an account whereof follows but not drawn as the former Parts of this Work have been from the Dukes Papers and little Notes he used to take on all occasions for if any of these were taken by him in this Expedition they were either destroyed by himself or fell into the Enemies hands when he was made Prisoner so that the Writer was forced to seek help from others for supplying this Defect and procured divers Relations from very worthy Gentlemen who were Eye-Witnesses or Actors in the whole Affair upon whose Informations he must rest and therefore offers them as follows UPon the Armies march to Carlisle Lambert drew back and we advanced to Crofton-Hall where we lay about eight or ten days The account of the March of the Army from thence we went towards Penreith but the Duke sent out a Party of some three hundred Horse who discovered the Enemies Main-Guard of Horse and gave the General notice of it who thereupon commanded the whole Cavalry to march purposing to fall upon the Enemy that very night and he sent orders to Baylie to hasten the advance of the Infantry A full discovery being made of the Enemy our Cavalry was drawn up in their view where expecting the advance of the Foot we stood in Arms till night but about midnight the Enemy drew off quietly Next morning betimes a great rain falling we advanced to a Bridge a mile beyond Penreith with design to engage the Enemy but missing our hopes were forced for our accomodation in Quartering to return to Penreith Next day my Lord Levingstoun commanding a Party of Horse discovered the Enemies Main-Guard within a mile of Appleby-Castle in Westmoreland consisting of about three hundred Horse of which having sent advertisement to the General he ordered the Army to march immediately towards the Enemy and Middleton commanded the Captain of the Generals Troop to charge who beat back the Enemies Horse into the Town of Appleby That evening our whole Cavalry made a stand for several hours expecting the advance of Langdale who being marched up did presently with his Foot engage with the Enemy into the Town till it was dark Our Infantry Quartered that night on the Moor near Appleby but before the next morning the Enemy marched away both Horse and Foot leaving only a Garrison in Appleby-Castle and did cut the Bridge so that it was impossible to follow for the rains had fallen in such abundance that the Waters were not to be forded whereupon we went to Kirby-thure in Cumberland where we lay three Weeks
expecting the rest of our Forces who came up to us yet far short of the Numbers appointed by the Parliament of which there was wanting more than a third part so that in all we were about Ten thousand Foot and Four thousand Horse This is the true account of the Strength of our Army Turner who being our General-Adjutant did often muster the Infantry avers on his Honour they were no more and both Middleton and Lockhart did also assert there were not above Four thousand Horse so far short was our Number of what was appointed by the Parliament and generally given out to be the Strength of our Army We also waited for the Irish Forces which Monro had brought over In the mean while Langdale besieged Appleby and lest Lambert had faced about Turner was ordered to lie near him with two Brigades of Foot till the Castle capitulated which it did in a very few dayes Here I shall add a Letter of Sir Marmaduke Langdale's to the Earl of Lanerick written from this Place Langdalâ— 's Letter My most honoured Lord GIve me leave to give your Lordship many hearty and humble Thanks for your Favours and to beg so much trouble to you as to give your Brother Thanks for me who is as careful of me and all those under my Command as if they were his own furnishing us with Arms and Ammunition and upon all occasions with his own Forces to assist us All I can render to so great a Person considering my Condition is to be thankful and I hope neither my self nor none that joyn with me will ever be so ungrateful or ungracious as to forget his particular Favours besides the general good to the whole Nation wherein what we have or are like to enjoy is by his Endeavours with the hazard of his own Person and Friends and all they can call dear unto them These are Benefits can never be forgotten by Gentlemen whereof one with many more is Your Lordships most humble devoted Servant MAR. LANGDALE Appleby 1st August 1648. We next marched to Kendal and from that to Hornby where it was hotly debated whether we should march to Yorkshire or Lancashire The General and Baylie and Turner were for Yorkshire but Lancashire was resolved on which many blamed that County being so disaffected that little goâ—â— Intelligence was to be hoped for there whereas Yorkshire was well-affected but Calander and Langdale pressed it earnestly alledging it would ease our Friends and weaken our Enemies By this time the Irish Forces had come over The Irish Forces come over consisting of the number above-mentioned all well-trained and experienced Souldiers They met with some danger and difficulty in their Transportation for the Parliament of England apparently fearing by their utter neglect of that Army that some such Course would be taken by them sent two Men of War to guard the Passage betwixt Scotland and Ireland who intercepted about Three hundred Foot of Dalyel's Regiment whom they disarmed and kept two days but for want of Victuals were willing to dismiss them again The rest made use of small Vessels aâ—d the Night-time by which means and the narrowness of the Sea they arrived all safe albeit divers were chased upon the Scotish Shoar and as they landed in parcels they were ordered to march straight towards Carlisle But as they went through the Shire of Galloway and Stuartry of Kirkudbright they were unfavourably used for none of the Country-Gentlemen excepting one or two did own them so being left to themselves without any person to appoint orderly Quarters for them and being railed at from the Pulpits and Curses denounced against them and that whole Engagement cryed out to be unlawful and the Ministers in every Parish discharging their Parishioners to have any meddling with or accession thereto it was no wonder if Abuses were committed but nothing answerable to the great Clamours purposely spread abroad against them by those of that Country It was at Kendal in Westmoreland where Sir George Monro had the first Meeting and Conference with the Duke who was upon his March with the Army towards Preston in Lancashire Sir George and those with him followed upon his Reer to Kirby-Lumsdale near the Border of that Shire The Duke had a great mind to have joyned them to the Army for they were resolute and well-trained especially the Foot and he was well assured both of Officers and Souldiers but Monro had no mind to take Orders either from Calander or Baylie and this made Calander unwilling to bring them up He also saw that most of their Officers depended on the Duke and so he had no kindness for them therefore though the Duke pressed much the bringing them to the Army yet Monro was sent back with Orders from the Duke in writing to stay at that Place and wait for some Cannon coming out of Scotland and to conduct them to the Army but withall in case it should happen he were attack't by the Enemy not to Engage but to make his Retreat back to Appleby-Castle or Carlisle and there to secure himself till further Order As he stayed at that Village Sir Philip Musgrave and Sir Thomas Tilslie the one Lieutenant-General the other Major-General to Sir Marmaduke Langdale with two Regiments of Foot then raised in the Northern Counties joyned him Our March into Lancashire being concluded the Van was led by Langdale who undertook to provide Guides and Pioneers and to get us Intelligence but the want of this helped us to our Ruine for he was well-nigh totally routed before we knew that it was Cromwell vvho attack't us And here the Cavalry complaining of scarcity of Forrage in these Parts and thâ—â—â— Officers pretending a necessity to enlarge Quarters desired liberty to advance before the Infantry against which the General gave many Reasons yet to prevent a Mutiny he yielded to it not apprehending how near the Enemy was of which we were secure resting on Langdale's Intelligence which was only that one Ashton had raised two or three thousand Presbyterians together to stop our March and amuse us pretending it was because we came out of Scotland without the approbation of the Kirk Calander and Middleton went on with the Cavalry to Wiggan some Regiments of Horse being only reserved for a Reer-guard to the Infantry and we marched forward to Preston Preston fight Upon the day after our Army was thus divided being the 18th of August Calender got some hint of Cromwel's joyning Lambert Upon this Calander thought it fit to bring the Cavalry nearer the Infantry intending to go himself that night to the General whereupon some Regiments of Horse were drawn into the Moor near Wiggan and commanded to stay there till further Orders which late at night they got to return home to their Quarters then Calander went to the General and Middleton stay'd with the Horse which was the Ruine of the Army for all judged that Calander ought to have brought the Horse with him since he
could to the Army but he was first to go to Holland where he intended to stay some few days The Earl of Lauderdale had got Instructions from Scotland to go to the Prince of Orange and the States General to give them an account of their Affairs and to crave their Assistance in Money Arms Ammunition and Shipping to see also what Money could be borrowed upon the Publick Faith of Scotland for the prosecuting the Engagement and to desire from them the three Scotish Regiments that were then in the States Service and to settle a firm Alliance with them and from them he was to go to France with Letters to the Queen and to treat with the Queen Mother of France for the Assistance of that Nation according to the ancient Alliances between the Crowns of France and Scotland All these Instructions being communicated to his Highness he judged the Imployment might be of good use but would not let the Earl of Lauderdale leave him intending to carry him with him to Holland and was very well pleased that Sir Robert Murray was appointed to go to France in case the other went not yet he resolved to carry him along likewise to Holland Upon which the Earl of Lauderdale sent advertisement to Scotland to make ready for his Highness Reception This was done on the 20th of August and as the Prince was making ready the sad news of the Defeat of the Army was brought him so that Design vanished But in Scotland the news of the routing of the Army was received by the opposite Party with all the insultings of Joy they adding infamous opprobries to their Invectives Some observing that the Division of the Duke's Army which was its Ruin was on the 17th day of August the day in which the Covenant was first made which from thence some used to call Saint Covenants day this Conjuncture of Affairs was held a visible Declaration of Gods Displeasure for their breaking the Covenant and their Juggling in it by those who took upon them to expound all Gods Providences The Western Counties were commanded and animated to an Insurrection by the Lord Chancellour and the Earl of Eglinton together with their Ministers who came leading out whole Parishes with such Arms as could be had and when these failed with Staves and Pitch-forks and Sythes When the Resolutions for raising an Army were taken in the Parlialiament divers of the Nobility did dissent from them An Insurrection in Scotland the chief of whom were Lowdon who was then Lord Chancellour and Argyle and now Lowdon upon the notice of the misfortune in England gave out Orders for raising the Western Counties and all others who would zealously own the Covenant against the late Engagement Those that were raised were at first commanded by the Earl of Eglinton and the Marquis of Argyle made all the haste he could to come down with his Highlanders the Earl of Cassilis was slowest with his men for though he had dissented from the Engagement yet he was long unsatisfied with the Tumultariness of the Insurrection but after some times consulting about it he came up to them at Linlithgow This together with the sad account of Affairs from England did not a little disorder the Committee of Estates who as they drew a few Troops that were kept in the Country for their Guard nearer them so were not well resolved what to do They looked on the business as desperate by the ruin of the Army in England Many in the Committee of Estates incline to yield to them and though it was easie to scatter the confused Bodies were coming from the West yet they apprehended that certainly they finding their own weakness would call for the Assistance of the English Army before which they knew they could not stand Most of the Committee were men of good Estates who apprehending certain ruin to their Fortunes were resolved to see to their own Preservation the best way they could Others were much addicted to the Ministers and though they had gone along with the Service notwithstanding the opposition of the Clergy yet now that they knew they were resolved to excommunicate all who were for the Engagement their hearts failed them Many of the Ministers did also represent to them and some of their Friends that their Designs being blasted by God why should they fight any longer against him and assured them that if they would lay down Arms and accommodate matters without Blood all should go well that they would all own the Kings Quarrel according to the Covenant but if on the other hand they persisted in their opposition to the Church the English Army would be called in which would undoubtedly destroy both the Country and them These things prevailed with most of the Committee of Estates But the Earl of Lanerick opposed all these Resolutions judging it base and dishonourable to treat with those Rebels and abandon so good a Cause because of a Misfortune He thought it therefore necessary to recall Sir George Monro with his Forces and secure themselves of Sterlin and St. Iohnstoun and then to raise all the North by which they might gather a new Army and the time of the Year told them that Cromwel durst not stay long in these Parts so that upon his going to London they might make themselves Masters of Scotland and force a new Army into England the next Year Yet in this he was almost alone and many of the Committee of Estates plied him hard especially with one Argument that if more Bloud were shed in Scotland their Enemies would undoubtedly revenge themselves on his Brother and then all the World would say his Ambition to succeed him had made him contribute to his Ruin But on the other hand the Ministers and their Adherents gave great Assurances that they should procure his Brother's Liberty if matters were packt up This being constantly pressed on him he yielded to be passive and let them be doing and so after some days Debate they resolved to prosecute the Engagement no more and to pack up the business if it were possible therefore they sent the Lords of Lee and Humby to the Western Forces who were come in their March the length of Hamilton to see what their Demands were and to propose a Cessation in order to a Treaty they also sent Orders to Sir George Monro to return to Scotland But here I shall stop a little to give account of the motions of his Army in England The account of the Irish Army Musgrave had got intelligence that Cromwel with his Army was upon his March to stop the Duke's progress and had advanced the length of Skipton-Castle in Yorkshire which Advertisement was instantly dispatched to the Duke at Preston and a small Party of about forty Horse was sent under the Command of one Galbreath to examin the truth of these Reports who returned with this Account That having concealed their Party within a Hedge near that Place some of them came to a
House of their acquaintance from which they sent a Servant to Skipton who brought them assurance of Cromwel's being there with an Army of about ten thousand men and that he had commanded those of that Garrison excepting a few to be ready to march with him next day Sir George Monro being thus informed sent Advertisement to Preston by divers Messengers of both Sexes but neither did this Intelligence nor any sent before ever come to the Duke's Army which is attested by many Persons of Honour then in Command there and indeed those of the Army rested wholly on Langdale's Intelligence But Monro considering that Skipton was equally distant from Kirbie Lumsdale where he lay and Preston judged that Cromwel's first Design was upon him which upon and in pursuance of the Duke's Orders he retired softly upon the way towards Appleby about fourteen miles back but the second day having notice that Cromwel had taken the road to Preston he returned to his former Station where he kept both Horse and Foot night and day in readiness Two days after that towards the morning a small Party of Horse sent out from the Watch upon the Preston-road were unexpectedly alaâ—med with the noise of Horse-feet as it were at a good distance but those were presently discovered to be the scattered Troops of the Duke's Army Some of them were Officers of Foot who as they declared were Commanded out from Preston to the assistance of Sir Marmaduke Langdale whilst he and Cromwel were engaged in a Hedge-sight but before they were able to give him relief Cromwel had forced them to retire and had got in after Sir Marmaduke betwixt them and the Town and so had separated them from the Duke's Army There were also some Troops of Horse who were the Rear-guard of whom mention was made in the account of the business of Preston in all about twelve hundred belonging to divers Regiments of Horse they were earnestly sollicited by Sir George Monro to stay with him till they should hear what had become of the Duke and his Army But they objected their Men and Horses were very weary and that there was a great want of Horse-shoes amongst them and so excused themselves and said they should only go to some of the nearest Villages where they might be refreshed but they went straight to Scotland through Westmoreland and Northumberland spoiling and plundering all these Counties as they past which made great out-crying and was charged upon the Forces Commanded by Sir George Monro who not long after followed them but very unjustly At Kirbie-Lumsdale Sir George Monro and the Gentlemen who were with him stayed a few days to learn the certainty of the Duke's Condition the reports whereof changed hourly but fearing the worst of the Duke and the danger of being surprized they retired to Kirbie-Steven and getting no certain advertisements of the Duke or his Army thought it fit to send for advice to Scotland and to be still drawing North-ward through Northumberland When they came to Morpeth Collonel Hamilton General of the Artillery came to them from Edinburgh with Orders from the Committee of Estates to take New-castle or at least to fortifie themselves where they were and attend the Duke's coming whose Army they still judged to be safe and that it was like he would return through Yorkshire but they got soon after that the certainty that the Duke's Army was wholly lost and that Cromwel with a great part of his Army was on his March to fall upon them Upon this they took their way for Berwick and met new Orders from Scotland giving notice of a great Insurrection in the West and thereupon requiring them with all possible speed to hasten to Cockburns-path where the Committee of Estates was to meet them They also ordered them to suffer none of the English Forces to come to Scotland with them which was executed at Berwick great Complaints being made by the English Gentlemen of that inhumane Usage Upon the way from Berwick it was told Sir George that he had need to look to himself and those with him since the Committee of Estates even after they had called for him to their assistance and were forced by the multitudes of Armed men drawing from the West towards Edinburgh to fly to him for Safety yet had passed an Act not to prosecute the Engagement any further and that they had entred already upon a Treaty with the other Party and had imployed the Lords of Lee and Humby to go to them with Propositions He reflecting on these News and the Orders he had received not to let any of the English Nation cross Tweed The Irish Army returns to Scotland thought there was no more intended but to make use of him as an Engine for a safe off-coming but though Argyle sent his Brother to him inviting him to his Party with great offers yet he rejected that Proposition and hasted forward to Cockburns-path where he found no body He lay a night or two there and got Orders to march to Hadingtown where the Earls of Crawford Glencairn and Lanerick met him who had got together some of the scattered Troops belonging to the Regiments that had left the Duke at Preston And at Gladesmoor all the Forces were put in Order which upon Rendezvous were above three thousand Horse and two thousand Foot from thence they advanced to Musselburgh near which a Party of seven or eight hundred Horse of the Western Army were come from Edinburgh to view the fields They upon discovery of the March of the Forces from Gladesmoor retired leaving a Troop at the Bridge who at the approach of sixteen Horsemen run away in all haste and so escaped with the loss of some few that were taken Prisoners These Earls lodged that night at Inneresk and agreed next day to march by Edinburgh upon the South-side to shun the danger and Straits of the way by Leith which was beset by that new Army from the West though Monro offered with his Forces to clear the way to them but the greatest part of the Committee were resolved not to engage in blood The Western Army was now some way modelled and Commanded by the Earl of Leven as General David Lesly as Lieutenant-General and Robert Montgomery and Sir Iohn Brown as Major-Generals Some of the Ministers were earnest for fighting not doubting but their Enemies would fly before them but the Military men understood well enough their own weakness and therefore would not engage All this while the Lords of Lee and Humby were very diligent posting night and day betwixt those in Edinburgh and the Committee of Estates to mediate an Accommodation betwixt both Parties but hitherto without any effect The Committee of Estates took their way by Pentland-hills where they lay that night next day they did march by Collingtown and Christorphen and so towards Linlithgow purposing to hinder the Conjunction of some new additions of Forces from the West led by the Lords of Cassilis Kirkubright
The shortning of our days is an Evil wholly depending on Opinion for if men did now naturally live but Twenty years then we should be satisfied if they died about 16 or 18. We call not that Death immature in any who live to Seventy and yet this Age is as far short of the old Period before and since the Flood as he who now dies of eighteen is of Seventy Let us still be ready for it and it cannot come too soon for let us die young or old still we have an Immortal Soul and do lay down our Bodies for a time as that which was the Instrument of our Sorrow and Trouble and the Scene of Sickness and Diseases let us not then fear that which rids us of all these for by fearing it we shall never the more avoid it but make it the more miserable to us Fanius who killed himself for fear of Death died as certainly as Porcia who eat burning Coals or Cato who tore out his own Bowels To die is necessary and natural and may be honourable but to die poorly basely and sinfully that alone is that which can make a man miserable for no man can be a Slave but he that fears pain or fears to die to such a man nothing but peaceable times can secure his Quiet for he depends upon things without him for his Felicity and so is well but during the Pleasure of his Enemy a Thief or a Tyrant but blessed is he who willingly resigns his Soul and Body into Gods hands as unto the hands of a blessed Creator and Redeemer O Blessed Iesus thou didst die for me grant that I may with Ioy submit unto thy Summons when thou shalt call me to Death for thou art my Advocate as well as my Iudge and camest into the World to save sinners whereof O Lord I acknowledg I am the greatest but thy Mercies are infinite O God of Mercy and God of all Comfort with much mercy look upon the sadness and sorrow of thy Servant my Sins lie heavy upon me and press me sore by reason of thy hot displeasure my Miseries are without comfort because they are the punishments of my Sins my Sin hath caused my sorrow and my sorrow doth not cure my Sin and unless thou for thy own sake and meerly because thou art good pity me I am as much without Remedy as without Comfort Lord pity me let thy Grace refresh my spirit let thy Comfort support me thy Mercies pardon me and let not my portion be among helpless and accursed Spirits for thou art good and gracious and I throw my self upon thy Mercy suffer me never to let my hold go anddo then with me what seems good in thy own eyes I cannot suffer more than I have deserved and yet I can need no Relief so great as thy Mercy is for thou art infinitely more merciful than I can be miserable Lord make me the object of thy Mercy both in my Life and in my Death if even this day thou shalt think fit to remove me from this valley of miseries either by the violent hand of this merciless Enemy or any other way which in thy Providence thou hast ordained when my Soul shall go out from the Prison of this Body may it be received by Angels and preserved from the horrour and amazements and the surprize of Evil Spirits and be laid up in the Bosom of our Lord till at the day of thy second Coming it shall be reunited to the Body which is now to be laid in the dust yet I hope shall be raised up in Ioy to live for ever and behold the Face of God in the Glories of our Lord Iesus who is our Hope our Resurrection and our Life our Blessed and ever-Glorious Redeemer to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen In these Exercises he continued till it was almost morning and then he threw himself down on the Bed where he did not lie above two hours when he was called on to make ready and assoon as he was Dressed and Armed he waited on the King into the Field The Dukes Regiment charges gallantly at Worcester-Fight The Account of that Engagement is not here to be offered since nothing belongs to this Work but that wherein the Duke was concerned His Regiment was commanded to charge a Body of Horse and Foot that stood near two peece of Cannon not far from the Severn but there were two great Bodies of Foot standing on each side of the Lane through which they were to go and these firing on them as they pasâ—ed they received great Loss but having got through the Lane there was no coming to the Enemy who stood in a close Ground but through aGap in the Hedge through which theLieutenant Collonel with a very inconsiderable Number Charged and the Enemy gave ground and left the Cannon in their hands the Horse retiring to Hacker's Regiment who came up and Charged and was gallantly received by the Lieutenant Collonel and the Dukes Regiment but some Foot brought to line the Hedges on their Flanks Fired so on them that they were forced to retire The Duke being near the Kings Person and observing all that passed inquired who they were and being told it was his own Regiment His great Valour he thought it unworthy of him to be too far from Danger when they were so put to it and galloped all alone from the King to the place where they were where he found them retiring and did all he could either by words or threatnings to make them keep their Ground But the Enemy did still bring up more Foot and Fired uncessantly on them and most of the Officers were either wounded or had their Horses killed under them particularly the Lieutenant Collonel who had all the while Charged very gallantly had his Horse shot under him and so they were beaten back The Duke himself keeped in the Reer with such as were in a Condition to wait on him to the great hazard of his Person and gave signal demonstrations of a high Courage but the Enemy following him close in great Bodies he commanded some Foot to make good the Hedge against them and rode up and down among them and encouraged them to stand and die for the Service of their King and the Honour of their Country An. 1652. and did several times Charge down to the Hedges so that all were astonished at such daring and unusual Valour But the Enemy pressing on he rode again with his Pistol in his hand to the Hedge where he received the fatal Shot that quite disabled him He is wounded His Majesty hearing of the extreme Danger he exposed himself to in these Charges and knowing well how great a loss he would suffer if so brave a Commander and such a wise and faithful Counsellor were killed sent once again to call him away from that Hazard he was in but he choosed to prefer