closely pursued by the Enemy with Hopes of strong Assistance from the Inhabitants of Norfolk and Suffolk But these failing and indeed joyning with the Rebels contrary to their solemn Promises the Royallists were besieged in this Town no way tenable but by the rare Fortitude of the Defendants Cromwell the Welch Nor was Cromwell less successful in Wales Laughorn having been beaten at St. Fagons by Col. Horton with scarce half his Number Fifteen Hundred of his Men being killed and near Three Thousand taken Prisoners Cromwell besieged the Fugitives in Pembroke having first taken Tenby Castle and forced that of Chepstow by Col. Eure who slew the Governour in cold Blood The Rumor of the Scots Invasion greatly encreasing animated Cromwell to employ all his skill and force for the Reduction of this important Post The Garrison within was strong and the Place well fortified which he resolved however to attempt by Storm And falling on with great Courage was as bravely received and at length beaten off with great slaughter of his Men. After this not thinking it adviseable to expose his dismayed Souldiers to new hazards he resolves to gain that by famine which he could not effect by force Which being perceived by the Garrison they chose rather to surrender upon Terms than lanquish in the Toyls of a long Siege tho they saw a Prospect of a General Rising in the Kingdom and the certainty of the Scots Invasion But Cromwell knowing how precious time was offering the Souldiery and Inferior Officers very good Conditions he had this strong Place with the Three chief Leaders Laughorn Poyer and Powell delivered into his hands by these faithless Miscreants Nor was Sir John Owen more fortunate in North Wales being defeated and taken Prisoner by Colonel Mitton So that the whole Country being reduced to the Parliaments Obedience again Cromwell was at liberty to march against the Scots with all his Power The Earl of Holland defeated The Earl of Holland the Duke of Buckingham with the L. Francis his Brother the Earl of Peterborough and some others of Quality appeared near Kingston with Five Hundred Horse and some Foot but were instantly suppressed tho not without some bloody Shirmishes in one of which the Young and Generous Lord Francis refusing Quarter was barbarously slain by an unknown Hand Holland was taken in his flight at St. Neots by Col. Scroop where Dalbier sometime a Favourite of Essex's and a great Parliamentarian was killed in his Quarters But the Scots seem now to demand our Attention being advanced with a very numerous and well accoutred Army far into the Kingdom And here may be observed the Vicissitudes of the Times as well as of Affairs For the Scots whom the Parliament had formerly with great Endeavours and Charges allured to their Assistance and whom the War being done they had likewise twice dismissed with vast Rewards as Friends These same Scots the Faction being changed become Enemies and invading England again joyn Forces with the Royallists their now reconciled Friends against their sometimes dear Brethren of the Parliament Duke Hamilton upon the surrender of Pendennis Castle where he had been detained Prisoner by the King's Command being set at liberty was now General of this great Army consisting of Fifteen Thousand fighting Men to whom Langdale and Musgrave brought Three Thousand English which forces if God had not determined otherwise might have effected what they designed As soon as the King was informed that Hamilton commanded the Scots Army he too prophetically foretold the Fatal Issue of the Expedition as fancying him unfortunate or inconstant But Cromwell being come out of Wales with a victorious and disciplined Army and joyning with Lambert who had hitherto attended the Enemies Motion fell upon the main Body of the Scots within Two Miles of Preston in Lancashire and routed them by Skirmishes Cromwell defeats the Scots at Preston and beating up of Quarters without the Formality of a Battle Langdale and his English fought bravely but being neglected and no ways succoured were oppressed by the adverse Multitudes The Scots presumed perhaps upon their own Power and thinking to conquer by themselves and consequently reap the whole Advantage of the Victory as also the entire Honour of restoring the King if they had any such design abandoned them that fought so well and by this foolish precaution or presumption contributed to their own ruin Besides the Scots Forces either by Ignorance or Malice or Discord for Hamilton and Calander who was Lieutenant-General of the Army did not agree well were so untowardly marshalled that they could not all be brought to fight or assist each other by reason of the over great distance of their Wings whereby they were all defeated Bayly after sharp encounters with those who pursued him having recovered Warrington-Bridge delivered up himself and Four Thousand Foot to the Conqueror upon Quarter Major-General Midleton was intercepted with Four Hundred Horse and Hamilton himself General of the Expedition with Three Thousand Horse was taken without a Blow at Vttoxeter by the Lord Gray and Colonel Waite Very few returning by the way they came met with Monroe who followed Hamilton with a Supply of Six Thousand more but hearing of the Defeat returned with the other Fugitives back into Scotland Cromwell following in the Rear of these came to Edinburgh where joyning Forces and Councils with Argile by whom he had been invited they not only obliged the contrary Faction to lay down Arms but having summoned another Parliament condemned the late Expedition as unjust Scotland being pacified Cromwell secure on that side having also concerted with Argile concerning the Ruin of the King and Extirpation of Monarchy it self they also advised and agreed on the Form and Method of the future Regicide And so after sumptuous Treats and many high Expressions of Gratitude and Acknowledgments for his meritorious Services Cromwell returned into England All this while Colchester held out with incredible Courage and Constancy upon hopes of Relief from the Scots and not only content to defend themselves did extreamly annoy the Enemy by their frequent Sallies and Camisadoes They had consumed their Horses Dogs Cats and what else was no less abhorring to Nature but their hopes with the defeat of Hamilton being likewise spent they were forced to surrender Which they did upon no other Terms than Quarter for life to the Souldiery and Mercy to the Officers But Colchester surrendred how cruel the Mercies of these Scelerates were instantly appears for they had no sooner possest the Town but Three most Noble Persons Men of Eminent Valour and Loyalty the Lord Capell Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle to whom was added Sir Bernard Gascoyn but exempted upon the accompt of being a Stranger were sentenced to be shot to death by the Court-Marshal tho the War was done Sir George and Sir Charles were immediately murthered by Souldiers appointed for the Slaughter The Stone they fell upon being sprinkled with their Blood could
save that the Commissioners were forced to confess That the King for The King 's rare Wisdom they were commanded by their Masters to treat with no Body but his Majesty alone did excel in Sharpness of Wit in most accurate Vnderstanding of Things and in Quickness of Judgment That he also heard the contrary Objections and Arguments with unimitable Patience Unhappy only in this That he attributed more to the Advice of others than his own Opinion The Parliament had long since seized upon all the King's Castles Forts Arms Governments Ships Revenues Treasure and Ornament But to shew their Intentions for Peace they Denounce War with an Oath declaring They will not lay down Arms as long as the King had an Army under whose Protection Papists that is Royallists and such who were obnoxious to the Law might find Sanctuary Nay they came to that pitch of Boldness that they presumed by their own Authority to summon a National-Synod Where rejecting the ancient Forms of Councils they impower this composed of Presbyterian and Independant Clero-Layicks to establish Religion and the Forms for Government in the Church They also falsified the Great Seal by making another instead of that which was with the King and use it publickly Thus this Pacifick Tribe seeks for Peace and immolates to injured Majesty by rendering as much as in them lay the Differences irreconcileable But this Counterfeiting of the Great Seal was voted Treason by the Parliament at Oxford some time after The Earl of Newcastle in the North During these Traverses the Earl of New-Castle raised an Army in the North to whom the Earl of Cumberland joined himself On the other Side the Two Fairfaxes Father and Son were for the Parliament The first material Encounter they had was at Tadcaster where the Rebels were beaten the Royallists having forced them out of Town after which they also took Bradford But the Fairfaxes being afterwards recruited they took Leeds and Colonel Cholmley and Boynton routted and took Colonel Slingsby at Gisburg The Younger Fairfax gained also a notable Victory at Wakefield against part of Newcastle's Army but he did not enjoy the Sweets of it long for his Forces were afterwards quite broken by the Marquiss's who over-spreading the Country with his Power Victorious and having received great Stores of Arms Cannon and other Military Utensils with the Colonels Goring and King from Holland drove the Rebels quite out of the Field and shut up the Lord Fairfax Besiegeth Hull and his Remnants in Hull where he besieged him This was a fatal Oversight for if he had carried the War into the associated Eastern Counties humanely spoke he had not only added those Rich Provinces to his Victories but by intercepting the Contributions of Money and Men which those Rich Countries perpetually furnished the Rebels with put an End to the War it self and that without Blood The Queen Lands at Burlington Early in the Spring the Queen landed at Burlington with many Officers and Commanders of Note as also great Stores of Arms and Provisions for War In this Place and in her Quarters her Majesty underwent no less hazard than at Sea for an English Man of War coming then into the Bay fired into the Town with so much Fury that she was forced to abandon her Lodging and seek for shelter behind the Hedges But being received magnificently by Newcastle and with Honours due to so great a Princess she was attended by him to York Goes to York into which City she entered in Triumph her self being the most pompous part of the Show The Earl of Montross eminent for his Youth and Nobility and of high Esteem in his Country having deserted the Covenanters because he found them designing to Ruine the Church and Monarchy came accompanied with the Lord Ogelby and One hundred and Twenty Horse to wait upon the Queen at York where he informed her Majesty of the Covenanters Preparations in Scotland and that they would in a very little Time Invade England with a great Army Hamilton came thither also to salute the Queen and with his known Arts refuting Montross's Assertions prayed her to give no Credit to One so Young and Vain which she unhappily inclined to Sir Hugh Cholmley Governour of Scarborough with Three hundred Men came also in at the same Time returning to his Obedience to his Sovereign Which the Two Hothams seemed also to attempt though unfortunately so dangerous Rebellion is that it often Ruines those who would return to their Duty again The Marquiss of Hartford having Command of the Western Counties and assisted by the Lord Pawlet Sir Ralph Hopton Sir Bevil Greenville Sir John Stowell and others all eminent for Courage and Loyalty performed many great Actions On the other Side Major General Chudley and the Earl of Stamford were very Active But Hopton not to be named without an Epithet of Honour harassed these in several Encounters He routed Chudley at Lanceston beat him at Chafford and defeated both him and Stamford in a great Fight at Stratton Hopton defeats the Rebels at Stratton He took here One thousand and Seven hundred Prisoners besides many slain Thirteen Brass Cannon Seventy Barrels of Powder c. This Victory restored the Neighbouring Provinces to their Duty to the King and Hopton himself for his eminent Services was created Baron of Stratton where he had fought so bravely The Rebel-Chieftains fled to Exeter where they were besieged and forced afterwards to surrender to Prince Maurice Hopton after his Victory marched into Somersetshire encountring Sir William Waller a famed Champion of the Rebellion Fights Waller at Landsdowne at Landsdowne near Bath The Fight was brave contested with equal Valour and Obstinateness and continued till late in the Night The Enemy at length drew off into the Town leaving lighted Matches in the Hedges and Walls to amuse the Royallists behind them The Enemies greatest Loss was in their Foot and ours in that of the Noble Sir Bevil Greenville who with a Stand of Pikes had sustained the reiterated Charges of the Roundheads and repelled them He was a Person of no less Loyalty than Courage which made him equally lamented by the Brave as well as the Good The Rebels Loss was greater than ours as well in Officers as Souldiers though abundantly compensated by the Death of the said Greenville and the blowing up of our Powder fired as was believed by One of the Prisoners The General himself was much endangered being hurt by the Flame of it the which together with the Want it occasioned obliged him to shut himself up in the Devizes until he could be recruited with new Stores Waller intent upon Opportunities followed him close and block'd him up in the said Town where they were forced to use their Bed-cords for want of Match But the Siege lasted not long for the King admonish'd by the Danger these brave Men were in sent the Lord Willmott to whom was joined Prince Maurice the Earl of Carnarven
Fidelity to the King according to the Laws and their Zeal to the Established Religion according to their Conscience together with their Wives and Children The barbarous Vsage of the Loyal Clergy Ejected Plundred Spoiled and barbarously Consumed in Prison in Exile and with Hunger To relate all the Inhumanities committed against the Loyal Orthodox Clergy their Usurpations upon the Revenues of the Church and their Dilapidations and Ruines of the Houses of God in the Land would require a vast Volume and might deservedly employ a very good Pen which I purposely omit as wanting Ability and Leasure for so Great a Work The Scots being entred into England the Marquess of Newcastle for he had been made such for his Eminent Services marched with his Army to oppose the Progress of this new Enemy He had kept them at Bay for some time by frequent Encounters and Velitations till the taking of Selbie by Fairfax and Lincoln by the Earl of Manchester Both which especially the Latter being very numerous moved after him So that Newcastle unable to fight them all at once and lest he might be inclosed by their Three Armies retreated to York where he was surrounded and besieged by their United Forces The King being very sollicitous for the Safety of so good a Man and so good an Army sent Prince Rupert with great Forces to their Relief The Prince had some Time before relieved Newark having slain a Thousand of Sir John Meldrum's Men who besieged it and reduced the Rest to a Necessity though Six Thousand strong of parting with their Arms and Baggage High with these Successes he marches toward the North and taking Stopford and Leverpoole in his Way relieved the Illustrious Countess of Derby in Laâ—hame House where she had been long Besieged Bolton daring to defend it self was at the second Assault forced Eight Hundred of the Garrison most Townsmen being slain For relying upon their Numbers and Works they had not only abused the Prince by scurrilous Language but hang'd One of his Captains whom they had taken which occasioned this not undeserved Severity After this continuing his March he came without any Opposition to York where he joined with Newcastle the Enemy having raised the Siege upon his Approach with a Resolution to engage them The Besieged upon the Rebels drawing off did some considerable Execution upon their Rear but being secure had no mind to try the Hazard of the War any farther They had been wearied with a long Siege of Nine Weeks and supposing that their Deliverers were also tired with their long March thought it better to leave the Enemy to their own Dissentions for their Generals did not well agree about the Command in Chief than to occasion their Uniting by so hazardous an Adventure But the Prince fatally resolved and not thinking he had done enough in relieving the City if he did not also beat the Scots the only Obstacle to the King's Victories marched after the Rebels and found them drawn up in a Corn-field on the South side of Marston-Moor Four Miles from York The Enemies Three Armies contracted in One was commanded by the Three Generals The Battel of Marston-Moor July 2. The Two Fairfaxes Father and Son had the Right-Wing Manchester the Left and Leven the Main Body consisting all of Scots and each Division had his Auxiliaries and Reserves The Prince observing the Adversaries Order ranged also his Army in Battalia and reserving to himself the Left-Wing gave Newcastle the Right entrusting the Command of the Main Battel to Goring Lucas and Porter And as no Field since these Unhappy Wars did produce so Great Armies so none had been fought with greater Valour Rupert charg'd the Fairfaxes with so much Resolution that he broke them and the Scots their Reserves but pursued them to his own Ruine too far Our Main Battel did also repel the Scots But Affairs went otherwise in the Right the Mancesterians having routed the Royallists and not following them too far fell upon the Prince's and Goring's disordered Troops hindring them to Rally and quite dispersed them It is affirmed That the Three Rebel-Generals quitted the Field leaving to Cromwell Manchester's Lieutenant General the Honour of the Day for he keeping his great Reserve of Horse in a firm Body followed the Cavaliers so close that he hindred them to Rally and Embody again The Fight lasted from Seven till Ten at Night with great Courage and Slaughter on both Sides though the Victory fell to the Rebels as also the Cannon and Spoil of the Field There were Two of Newcastle's Regiments called his Lambs being old Souldiers who fell not unrevenged For the rest being fled they casting themselves into a Ring did alone resist Cromwell's Assaults nor could they however abandoned by their Friends and surrounded by their Enemies be broke until being shot at like Fowl at a Distance and overwholmed with showers of Bullets not then perishing without Slaughter of their Enemies scarce any of these miserable Bravo's escaping tho' worthy of a better Fortune The slain were computed at Eight Thousand the Slaughter made by Cromwell being compensated in that made by the Prince upon the Fairfaxians and especially the Scots being most animated against them His Highness being returned from his Pursuit too late rallying what he could of his dispersed Troops returned with his Remains into Lancashire whilst the Marquess retreating to York left that also and with his Two Sons and very many of his Principal Officers leaving England to its Dissentions and Tumults sailed for Hamburgh York surrendred July 23. The Royallists being thus dispersed York is again Besieged by the Three victorious Armies but wanting Powder wherewith they had furnished their Camp before the Fight the City was delivered up by Sir Thomas Glenham the Governour upon Honourable Terms most of the Northern Counties following her Fortune But the King was more successful in other Places especially where he commanded in Person Waller having lost his Army at the Devizes had raised another in London the Citizens that they might contribute to this Holy War defrauding their barking Stomachs of one Meal by the Week His first Exploit was the Recovery of Arundel-Castle sometime before taken by Hopton Being joined with Balfore and Hazelrig at Winchester not unmindful of his Defeat at the Devizes he did now in some Sort bravely revenge it upon Hopton himself at Branden-Heath near Alsford Branden-Heath Fight Mar. 29. the Lord John Stuart being mortally wounded in the Fight The Foot stood bravely to it at push of Pike till the Royallists being outnumb'red were forced to give Way The Earl of Forth having sent the Cannon away before to Winchester and that he might likewise save the Horse wheeled about with them to Basing and so to Oxford There fell of the Royallists in this Combat near Five Hundred besides the above-mentioned Lord as also Sir John Smith and the Colonels Sandys Scot and Manning The Rebels acknowleged scarce One Hundred of theirs slain besides
were they without hopes seeing the Cavaliers were so remote and dispersed But the King sollicitous for Oxford as also for Pomfret Castle which had been long besieged designed to relieve both and being nearest the City sent a strong Party of Horse with a great Number of Sheep and Cattel to its Relief and encamped with the rest of his Army upon Borrow-hill The Convoy having succour'd Oxford the Expedition of Pomfret by Langdale's Perswasion was resolved upon There were they who advised that the King should march Westward and join with Goring who had a very great Army and then with united Forces go directly for London supposed an easie purchase as being more than sufficiently distracted with Factions and the Terror of their Approach Whilst they were thus consulting News was brought that Fairfax having quitted Oxford was with his Army at Gilsburg but Five Miles off and that he had sent Ireton with a good Body of Horse to observe the Royallists who that Night falling upon the Rear of the Army quarter'd at Naesby did not only disturb it but carrying Terror with him forced the King out of his Quarters and to make haste to Harborow where the Van of his Army was lodged Upon this the King immediately called a Council of War where neglecting the Opinion of those who disswaded an Engagement and prudently advised a Conjunction with Goring they resolved to fight and because Fairfax followed them so close to turn upon him and offer him Battel The Battel of Naesby 1645 Jun. 14. And now the fatal Day the Eighteenth of the Kalends of July did appear by so much the more dismal because it ushered in under the Veil of Liberty the most insupportable of Tyrannies All Men's Eyes and Attentions were taken up with the Expectation of the Event of this decisive Day and Vows had been sent up to Heaven at Oxford and London for the Success of it since the Fate of the Kingdom seemed to depend upon it Monarchy and despised Majesty were to be vindicated on one Side together with Religion whilst the other contended for Anarchy and Vsurpation and a Liberty of doing Evil. It was told the King but falsly that the Rebels were retreating designing to shelter themselves in the associated Counties Whereupon Orders were suddenly given to march and least they might get away some of the heaviest Cannon were left behind that they might not retard their haste in preventing the escape of these pretended Fugitives But they found the Enemy drawn up upon the Advantages they had chosen in a plow'd Field near Naesby and ready to fight Though the Sight was surprising being unexpected yet the Royallists embattelling likewise their Army advanced towards then Both sides were full of Courage and desirous of doing well proposing nothing less than to overcome The Cavaliers Word was God and Queen Mary the other Side God with us The King took to himself the Care of his Main Battel The Princes Rupert and Maurice commanded the Right Wing of the Horse and Sir Marmaduke Langdale the Left The Earl of Lindsey and the Lord Ashley led the Battalions of Foot towards the Right and the Lord Bard and Sir George Lisle those to the Left In the Rear of the Foot stood Col. Howard's Regiment of Horse as a Reserve the Whole being closed up with the King's Guards and Prince Rupert's Regiment of Foot Nor was the Enemies Order or Numbers disproportionable Sir Thomas Fairfax himself with Skippon his Major General commanded the Foot Cromwell now Lieutenant General of the Horse and Col. Rossâ—ter newly arrived led the Right Wing and Commissary General Ireton the Left the Reserves being conducted by the Colonels Raynsborough Hammond and Pride With these Forces and a more than Civil Rage the Armies encountred both equally animated and of equal Desires and Hopes the Contest being for an Empire Rupert charged with his accustomed Valour and routed the Three outmost Squadrons of Ireton's Wing but suffering himself to be hurried away with the too great desire of overcoming pursued them to the very Town Ireton seeing the Prince past falls with the Remainder of his Horse upon the King 's next Brigade of Foot where being ill received he was hurt with a Pike in the Thigh and a Halbard in his Face and his Horse being kill'd under him he was taken Prisoner though presently released by the Victory of his Party But Affairs went otherwise in the other Wing for Col. Whaley after a rude Encounter on both Sides forced Langdale with Two of his Squadrons upon Prince Rupert's Men in the Rear where whilst he was rallying again he was quite dispersed by Cromwell who followed The Main Battel on both sides rushing upon each other with great and equal Fury fought with all the Incitements of Hope and Desire Pede pes densusque viro vir mutually exposing their Arms their Persons their Wounds They slay and are slain force and are forced But the Victory in all Probability had been the King's the contrary Divisions being forced up to their Reserves if Cromwell had not with his Troops fierce with success joining their Main Battel and charging the Royallists destitute for want of their Horse broke and routed them And yet there was one brave Battalion of Foot as that at Marston-Moor though charged often on all Sides by Cromwell which could not yet be pierced till Fairfax charging them with his Horse and Guards in Front and Rear at once at length defeated them worthy of better Fortune who maintained the Ground they stood on alive and covered it as if they still would keep Possession of it when dead The Princes were scarce returned from the Pursuit having lost much time in their vain Attempt upon the Carriages which were guarded with Fire-Locks and at length come though too late when they were forced with the King who had performed all the Parts of a Great Captain and now abandoned by his Fortune not his Vertue to leave the Field and an Entire Victory to the Rebels Fairfax did not think it safe to follow the Royallists without his Foot lest he might expose the Advantage he had got to new Dangers He therefore staid till they were come up being not above a quarter of a Mile behind and then opening his Horse to the Right and Left received them up betwixt the Interval and so marched as at the Beginning in Battle-Army against the Enemy The King notwithstanding he had lost all his Foot and his Cannon would have charged the Rebels Horse with his own which he had embodied before their Foot were come up but being over-perswaded by the desponding Courages of them about him and the Infantry approaching the Greatness of that Resolve vanished and he was obliged to secure himself by a timely Retreat towards Leicester whilst Langdale hastened with his towards Newark The Rebels Loss in those slain and wounded were esteemed near a Thousand amongst whom Ireton and Skippon were signalized by their Hurts the Marks of their Disloyalty There
Necessities he would not only consent to remedy all their just Grievances but remit his Right to Ship-money for ever though adjudged to him by all the Justices of the Kingdom Nor did he thus obtain his desires the Parliament opposing them not only declaring that Tribute to be illegal but were also dissolved if they had not been prevented by their Dissolution upon the point of voting against the War they so much abominated There were many good Men who were much troubled at this unexpected Dismission of the Parliament fancying that the Heats and Differences betwixt the King and his People might have been dispelled by the Continuance of the Assembly which seemed now on the other side highly exaggerated The enraged Commonalty exclaimed mightily against the Authors of this Counsel Some attributed it to Marquiss Hamilton the ambitious Son of a Mother wholly devoted to the Covenanters Others to the Earl of Strafford But the greatest Crowd would have it to be the Archbishop of Canterbury and to be revenged on him about five Hundred of the Apprentices and Rabble furiously assault his Palace at Lambeth though without Success But the true Authors were the subtle Contrivers of the following Rebellion For Sir Henry Vane one of the principal of them then his Majesty's Principal Secretary being ordered by his Master to move for a Supply of Twelve Subsidies with Power to descend to Eight he when the House by an Offer of Five nay Six were mentioned to advance towards a Complyance peremptorily told them that less than Twelve would not do whereby he not only irritated the Seditious but the more modest part of the Assembly which seemed to be his Design by the Effect The factious were not displeased with the King's Necessities The King's Necessities which they themselves did from time to time contribute to since there were no Subsidies to be obtained but upon Conditions ruinous to Monarchy it self or by exposing his best Friends and Ministers to their Rage and Slaughter And thus they constrained the King though unwilling to unusual ways of supplying his wants that they might thereby expose him to the Contempt and Odium of an irritated People But the King raised Moneys by other means his Council the faithful Nobility and Gentry His Friends contribute to his Supply the Judges but more eminently the Clergy who contributed a fifth of their Revenues whence it was called the Bishops War largely supplying him The Earl of Strafford subscribed 20000 pounds which the Duke of Lenox also did as likewise others proportionably except Hamilton who pretended Poverty though the Author of his Memorials against the current of the English Writers delivers that he also subscribed 20000 pounds Being thus furnished the King raises another Army and marches against the Scots but slowly not supposing them so forward who had already passed the River Tweed near Berwick The Earl of Northumberland was General and Strafford Lieutenant-General of the King's Army but they being both absent the Lord Conway General of the Horse commanded lying with 3000 Foot and 1200 Horse to keep the Passage of the Tine at Newburne Lesley the Rebels General desired permission to pass with his Army with a Petition to the King but being denied he attempted the Passage with Three Hundred Horse which were repulsed Hereupon he plies his great Guns with such Success that the English Lesley forces his Passage at Newburne being for the most part Raw and Unexperienced throwing down their Arms ran away Commissary-General Wilmot made stout Resistance with the Horse till over-power'd by Numbers he was forced likewise to retreat The Scots possessed themselves of New-Castle the same Day being abandoned by Sir Jacob Ashly who sunk his Great Ordnance in the River for haste whilst the whole Army retreated in much disorder towards York Two Days after they took Durham with the same Facility and putting the Northern Counties under Contribution forced them to supply their Needy Troops with Provisions and Moneys in abundance The King Summons the Peers to York Makes a Truce with the Scots The King streightned with these Pressures summoned the Peers to meet him at York by whose Counsel or rather Faction a Treaty was commenced and a Cessation of Arms concluded upon very dishonourable Conditions The Four Northern Counties being allowed the Rebels for their Winter Quarters and 850 Pounds per diem during the Truce for their Maintenance Nor could it be otherwise hoped for since Eleven of those Sixteen Lords which the King had appointed to treat with the Scots were either Principal Leaders or Assertors of the Rebellion in the following War It will not be from the purpose to mention what further happened in this Convention The Scots seemed to wonder that they appearing in Arms upon the Invitation of the English Lords none of them unmindful of the Favour had made any mention of it affirming they had not come without the invitation of their Letters The English Lords surprized with this Reproach assured them That they had made them no Invitation at all The Scots being highly moved with this denial produced an Instrument subscribed with most of their Hands which strangely surprised them until upon a strict scrutiny they found it to be an Invention of the Lord Savil's who had really sent them the said Invitation counterfeiting the subsigned Hands which being now discovered by his own Confession it was thought fit seeing the Cheat had succeeded so well not to publish it Strafford alone did dare to advise against this sordid Compliance with the Enemy urging That the Scots were to be forced back with Steel not Gold He further advised the King to grant them no Conditions unworthy himself or the English Nation Let him but give him leave and he would upon peril of his Head oblige them to return to their Country and Duty to their Prince again This vigorous Advice did so far irritate the Scots that they prosecuted the Author of it to Death On the other side Hamilton suspected to favour his Countrymen perswaded a Peace to which the rest of the Peers did also assent upon a supposition that a Parliament and an Agreement were the securest Remedies against the impending Evil. The Cessation being thus concluded the main of it was referred to the Arbitration of a Parliament Nov. 3. 1640. The Rebel-Parliament meets which the King had already summoned to meet at Westminster And this is that fatal Convention which by the Predominancy of the Puritans in it consummated their Impiety and Disobedience by ruining the most Apostolick Church under Heaven and Murthering the best Prince that ever swayed the English Scepter The King might have expected better treating from this Meeting seeing he did not call it to use his own Words more by others Advice and the Necessity of His Affairs than by his own Choice and Inclination who always thought the right way of Parliaments most safe for his Crown as best pleasing to His Subjects and People In the
been kept thus long by the Parliament to awe the King and now sufficiently Burthensom to the Kingdom the Parliament having served their Turn of them were to be sent Home The Scots dismissed and are now dismissed having exacted by Contibutions Rapines Spoils Gratuities and Stipend above a Million of Money from the English and their Representatives Posterity will certainly blush when they shall consider the inglorious Actions of their Predecessors in receiving and treating the rebellious and invading Scots as Friends which makes it manifest that their Coming was an Invitation not Invasion Nor would our grave Senators have honoured them with the Title of Dear Brethren or procured an Order to declare them faithful and loyal Subjects having been proclaimed Rebels by the King and that in all the Churches and Chapels upon a Thanksgiving day nor have contributed so largely to their Subsistance but that they had conspired with them and propogated their Councils by the same manner of rebelling For it would have cost less in Money and Honour to have forced them as Enemies out of our Borders than to retain them in England by a sordid Compliance as Friends By allowing them Quarters they impose a Burthen upon the Country which they ease by a Taxation upon the Subject But their Design had always been to keep the. Treasury low and involve the King in Debts which should necessitate him to agree with the Parliament for the ruining of Strafford the Extirpation of Episcopacy and the perpetuating of their own Session About this Time the Armies in England and Ireland were Disbanded the Noise of War ceasing with their Dismission But lest the Irish who had been raised against the Scots to the Number of Eight Thousand should attempt any Commotions the King had given leave to the Spanish and French Ambassadors to transport them for their Masters Service But that was opposed by the Parliament upon the earnest pressing of the Irish Commissioners who having now removed Strafford resolved to add to that Rebellion they had Designed by the Accession of those Common Souldiers The King goes into Scotland The King followed his Countrymen into Scotland where he not only confirmed the Concessions they had extorted in England but graciously conferred upon them whatsoever they demanded of him not considering that degenerate and ungrateful Persons are not to be obliged with any Favours whatsoever Nor was it in England only Oct. 23. 1641. The Irish Rebellion that Discord had displayed her Arts of Faction and Tumult The Irish following the detestable Example of the Scots who had attained by Arms what their Ambition had designed outwent them only in this That they Rebelled more bloodily 'T is strange with what industry so universal and so nefarious a Conspiracy was concealed which was scarce discovered but with the inhumane Slaughter of an Hundred Thousand Persons And it is scarce conceivable that those who were at the Helm of Government should be so negligent or supine as to suffer a Plot of this horrid Nature to gather to a Head and break out to the Infection of the whole Body Politick without any the least Discovery or penetrating into it Especially seeing his Majesty whose Eye was still awake for the Preservation of his People Mar. 16. had Cautioned the Lords Chief-Justices Parsons and Burlace of some dangerous Designs in agitation in Ireland and that Six Months before this fatal Eruption which His Majesty also signified to them he had been acquainted with from his Ambassadors and Agents in Foreign Courts Nor was the Information of Sir William Cole who certified them Twelve Days before it broke out of unusual Resorts and Concourses of suspicious Persons amongst themselves so despicable but that it ought to have been inquired into and such Means and Preparations should in common Prudence have been used as might have checkt any sudden Attempts or Insurrections whatsoever And truly the great Supineness and Security of the English in general did not a little contribute to their Ruine For they could apprehend no Danger considering the perfect Intelligence betwixt them and the Irish cemented by inter-Marriages and all other imaginable Ties of Friendship which seemed the more secure seeing the Catholicks were permitted the private Enjoyment of their Religion and had obtained not onely a considerable Abatement in their Subsidies but many advantageous Redresses from the King's Favour in all their Concerns so that they were at this present in a more flourishing Condition than they had yet enjoyed since their first Subjection In this Security the Irish Army had been disbanded but the Soldiery not disposed of according to the King's Intention and Promises to foreign Embassadors who for want of other Employment proved very assisting to the designed Rebellion by engaging in it But the Irish who had so often and for so many Ages endeavoured to vindicate their Liberty and shake off the heavy Yoke of the English thinking now the Occasion by the Death of Strafford Their Reaesons and the disbanding of the Army he had raised very inviting they eagerly laid hold on it hoping to emancipate themselves from the Slavery they groaned under or at least in Imitation of the Scots acquire by Arms as they had done new Immunities and Privileges But the main thing insisted upon was their Religion which had been derived to them by an immemorial Series of Ancestors and which they always adhered to with inexpressible Bigottry so that observing it to be extreamly persecuted in England and fearing the like Measure at Home it served for the main Pretence of their Rebellion Nor is it absurd to believe but that the Conspirators in England contributed equally to these Tumults as they had done before to the Scottish Commotions since * Clotworthy Pryn Parsons Loftus some of their Party affirmed That the Conversion of the Irish was to be effected with the Sword in one hand and the Bible in the other Ireland could not do well without a Rebellion to the end the Remnant of the Natives might be destroyed They would not leave a Priest in Ireland but extirpate their Superstition and Nation So that it was thought by many that the Irish were forced by the English by these Provocations to take up Arms that they might upon so plausible a pretext be intirely ruined and rooted out as Rebels and Traytors What other Reasons they gave as Oppression Grievances Privileges c. common to all Rebellions may pass as such but that they should pretend to vindicate the King's Prerogative by destroying it is only proper to them and those nefarious Regicides who did so naturally copy them But whatever were the Pretences of the Revolters it is but rational to believe they had never broke out but for the Prospect they had of a Breach which they could not but know from their Committee at London most whereof were Catholicks and many as the Lord Germanston c. prime Actors in the Rebellion betwixt the King and Parliament For they
descending Edge-hill in Battalia and very Chearful had a Sight of the Enemy who were busie in ordering their Army in the Valley below The King viewing of them being asked what he intended to do answered briskly I never saw the Rebels before in a Body I am resolved to fight them God and all good Men assist my Righteous Cause Prince Rupert commanded the Right Wing Lieutenant General Willmot to whom the Earl of Forth was added the Left and the Earl of Lindsey General of the Field led the Main Battel on Foot with a Pike in his Hand and each Division had their Reserves Essex who had Quarter'd at Keynton drew his Army into Battalia in the Vale saluting or provoking the Adversaries with Three great Shot and as many Shouts of his whole Army This Summons was answered by Two great Guns and being advanced nearer the King observed the Rebels Army to be drawn up as followeth Two Regiments of Horse composed the Right Wing commanded by the Two Colonels Balfore and Stapelton and the Lord Fielding had his Regiment in their Rear for a Reserve Essex commanded the Battel at first also on Foot as the adverse General and the Left Wing consisting of Twenty Troops of Horse was led by Colonel Ramsey a Scot. And now the Cannon began to play on both Sides but without any considerable Execution Prince Rupert charged Ramsey with so much Courage that he not only forced him from his Station but off the Field also and the Brigade of Foot next to them frighted with the Flight of their Horse and surprized with the Defection of Sir Faithful Fortescue who mindful of his Duty went over with his Troops to his Majesty threw down their Arms Colonel Essex who commanded them retiring to the Main Body But our Horse following the Chace too far and their Reserves commanded by the Earl of Carnarven and hurried with the same Violence suffered the Victory to slip out of their Hands by their too much eagerness to overcome For if they had charged their Flank bared of their Horse they had probably much incommoded them Essex was more cautious who sending Fielding's Reserve with others under the Command of Hurrey did much disturb the King's Foot destitute by the Absence of their Horse The Left Wing had not the same Success for Balfore had forced Willmot to a disorderly Retreat and breaking Two Battalions of Foot left naked by the Flight of their Horse on that Side opened a passage to the King's Standard The Foot by this were all engaged and the Fight growing very hot the Standard it self was seized on Sir Edmund Varney that carried it being Slain but it was recovered again by Sir Jo. Smith for which generous Act he was by the King the best judge of Merit Knighted upon the Place and honoured with the bearing of that Standard he had so bravely recovered The Earl of Lindsey was slain there having performed all the Parts of a great Captain and his Eldest Son hastning to his Assistance was taken Prisoner The Battel being restored by the Accession of fresh Supplies on the King's Side and the Evening approaching they left combating as if by consent both Sides being weary and the Rebels also in want of Ammunition Both Sides therefore rallying their shatter'd Forces drew up into Battalia as at the Beginning By this the Prince was returned who if he had not amused himself in that vain pursuit and Plundering of the Enemies Carriages at Keynton the War had been ended at this first Blow Essex was strengthened in the Field with Colonel Hamden's Regiment and presently afterwards by Colonel Hollis his Foot and the Lord Willoughby's Regiment of Horse who meeting Prince Rupert's Wing in the Lanes pursuing of Ramsey forced him back into the Field Although Essex was more numerous by the Addition of these Three fresh Regiments he did attempt no farther upon the King considering also that the Prince's Horse of whose Bravery he had had Experience were fresh and entire Night being come the King withdrew to the Hill from which he had descended where he lay all Night in his Coach with the Prince of Wales the Hopes and future Glory of our Nation the Camp shining with Fires The next Morning the King sent off his Foot towards Ayno and having stood sometime in Battel-array with his Horse did also follow Essex lay in the Field where he had fought and however recruited with the Accession of Three entire fresh Regiments attempted no farther upon the Royallists but retreating to the Banks of Avon under the protection of Warwick-Castle Essex retires to Warwick suffered the King to march whither he pleased The slain on both Sides were at first believed to amount to near Five Thousand though the Country by a stricter Enquiry affirmed they had not buried above a Thousand which is the more probable seeing Slaughters of this Kind are ordinarily magnified On the King's Side the General bravely performing the Duty of his Place as also that of a private Souldier was slain together with the Lord Aubigny and Sir Edward Varney who died in this Field of Honour The Rebels lost Colonel Essex who signalized himself by his Bravery Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey and the Lord St. Johns who being taken died of his Wounds Both Parties attributed to themselves the Honour of the Victory The Essexians said That the Field and Dead were left to their Disposal The Royallists likewise gloried that they had done what they designed by removing the Obstacles that hindred their March towards London The King continues his March adding farther That the Rebels however strengthned with Three Regiments durst not oppose themselves to the King's Passage the next Day And truly though the King's Forces were much shattered they grew accidentally more formidable than before to whom it proved no small Victory considering his Discouragements not to have been vanquished For many Eminent Persons who stood at gaze before seeing the Party equal ranged themselves now without difficulty on the better Side where their Duty and Inclination invited them How fair this Enemy behaved themselves in other things may be guessed by Letters taken amongst their Baggage in the Battel discovering the Treasons of one Blake in the King's Army Blake's Treason Punishment who daily gave Intelligence of what passed to the Rebels and particularly in what part of the Army the King fought that they might direct their Bullets with more Certitude at so Illustrious a Mark. Perhaps thus designing as they had Religiously affirmed to defend the King's Person But the unhappy Contriver of this nefarious Treason expiated his Crime with his Life being hanged on the next Tree O. Cromwell 's first Adventure I cannot omit what is affirmed of Cromwell then a Captain of Horse in Essex his Regiment who absented himself from the Fight He had observed from the Top of a Steeple in the Neighbourhood the Disorder of the Right Wing of their Army wherewith being greatly terrified he slipp'd down
for haste by the Bell-Rope and taking Horse ran away with his Troop for which Crime he had been cashier'd had it not been for the powerful Mediation of his Friends I mention this of this so famous Chieftain in the following Wars to shew how the Temperature of Body and Mind may by Use and Ambition be entirely altered The King takes Banbury-Castle c. The King continued his March having the Town and Castle of Banbury surrendred to him in his Way the Two Regiments of Foot and Troop of Horse which Garrisoned there putting themselves under his Majesty's Protection and Pay Broughton the Lord Say's House was also delivered and now the King with many Prisoners and Captive-Colonels entred triumphantly into Oxford Enters triumphantly into Oxford But he did not stay long there for Prince Rupert with a great Body of Horse swiftly moving up and down the Country infested all the Ways and Avenues to London on that Side and the King following with the rest of the Army assaulted and forced Brentford Hollis and Hamden's Regiments with part of the Lord Brookes's routed at Brentford breaking Two of the Enemies best Regiments there taking Eleven Colours and Thirteen Pieces of Ordnance which were sunk by reason of their Encumbrance in the adjoining River Many were slain and drowned and Five Hundred were made Prisoners but the King gave these their Liberty upon their Engagement never to bear Arms again against his Majesty But the Parliament loth to lose so many brave Men ordered Stephen Marshall a fierce Presbyterian Minister to absolve them from the Religion of their Oaths which he did with a more than Pontifical Authority The Consternation this blow occasioned filled the City with Terror They shut their Shops immediately upon the News and mustering their Trained-Bands and Auxiliaries joining with such Forces of their Army as were nearest Essex drew them all up in Battalia upon Turnham-Green Essex at Turnham-Green Three Thousand who lay at Kingston were also sent for for which their General was after blamed for abandoning so considerable a Post which might have distressed the King if made good For his Majesty having Intelligence of the numerous Strength of the Rebels and indeed wanting Bullets for a Skirmish lest he might be surrounded by them retreating over Kingston-Bridge abandoned as is said broke it down after him and having garrisoned Redding in his Way returned triumphantly to Oxford Whilst these Things were a-doing the City and the Two Houses apprehending the King's Advance had sent for Essex to whom they had given Five Thousand Pound as an Acknowledgment for his great Services at Edge-hill to hasten to their Succour But the King being gone the Citizens returned to their Labours and the Essexians to recruit their shatter'd Regiments with new Levies The King being come to Oxford The King returns to Oxford and Fortifies it and finding it a Place very commodious to make his head Quarters of it being in the Heart of the Kingdom and not far from London commanded it to be Fortified which the Rebels had seasonably omitted to do and surrounded with a deep Moat and Bulworks according to the Modern Practice which was done with all imaginable Diligence and Haste In the mean Time the War was carried on in other Provinces of the Kingdom with no less Courage and Vigour Not only the Towns and Counties but most of the best Families divided in their Opinions many engaging according to their Interest but most according as they affected the Parties But the various Battels Fights Velitations Sieges and the like as they deserve no Triumphs happening in a Civil War so they merit a better Description than is yet extant for they were for the most part eminent for Courage famous for Conduct and by so much the more severe in their Actings by how much the Parties were the more excited with the Opinion of doing well I do not therefore design to relate the whole War as being above my Force I will leave that Province to the Writers of Histories and content my self to describe the Chief Actions of it and those Things I my self for the most part saw but with designed Brevity Whilst the Armies were in their Winter-Quarters they were not so idle but that many Horse-Skirmishes Excursions Velitations Beating-up of Quarters and the like Feats of War were daily practised and that with various Success The King's Affairs had hitherto succeeded well considering his Circumstances although he never received any Advantage without Sorrow seeing it was gained from his Subjects And hence it was that as often as his Arms were Successful his Thoughts were intent upon Peace pressing and inviting the obdurate Faction to it by reiterated Letters and Messages though to no purpose for those Puritans relying upon the Assistance of their Brethren the Scots were wholly averse from it They had indeed formerly sent Propositions to the King at York but more severe than any Denunciation of War Several fruitless Attempts for Peace The Chief were That the Chief Officers of State should be of their naming and the Militia by Sea and Land at their disposing That the King should disband his Forces abandon his Friends and not dispose of his Children but by their Consent His Majesty did not refuse an Answer to these Demands although they seemed rather Impositions of Slavery than Peace which he sent by the Marquis of Hartford and the Earl of Southampton Two Eminent Noble-men with Command to deliver it in the House of Lords But being refused Admission they returned without having effected any thing Neither were the Mediation of the French and Dutch though offered by both how sincerely I know not accepted by the Houses who answered That they could not suffer that any Foreign Prince or State especially the French should interpose in their Affairs And to shew how little they valued the Monsieur his Coach was stopped and searched for Letters as he was passing to Oxford his Complaint of that Insolence being slurred over with a faint Excuse The Parliament would admit of the Scots their Brethren in Iniquity whom the King did justly reject as equally Rebels They had indeed formerly after the Battel of Edge-hill upon the King 's Advance with his victorious Army towards London apprehending his Approach sent Two Lords and Three Commoners to stay him under Pretence of treating which when they could not they seemed in Revenge upon his Majesty's Retreat to resolve to treat no more though afterwards upon the Instance of some of the more moderate amongst them they again sent Twelve Delegates to Oxford with Demands rather than Propositions the Chief whereof were Jan. 30. 1642. That his Majesty should Disband his Army Return to the Parliament Abolish Episcopacy Abandon the Militia to their Disposal c. The King on the other Side demanded His Revenues his Magazines his Cities Navies Fortresses c. and that whatever they had done contrary to Law should be Abrogated But nothing was concluded
and the Lord Byron excellent Persons all with Fifteen hundred Horse to their Relief Being advanced near the Town Battel of Roundway-Downe July 13. 1643. the Horse were drawn up upon Roundway-Downe in One entire Line save that a Forlorn-Hope advancing before the Body encountred and beat another of theirs up to their Army which stood in Battalia upon the Hill A Valley divided the Two Armies which by reason the Enemy kept their Ground and the Advantages of the Height they stood upon we were obliged to pass which was done with Resolution notwithstanding the continual Discharges of the adverse Cannon and in very close Order and charging their Horse most of them being Curiassiers we bore them before us broke and entirely routed them We had only Two small Field-Pieces which were also Discharged but once from a high Hill upon our Left Hand being guarded by a few Dragoons to give Notice to the Town of the Approach of their Relief The Enemies Foot notwithstanding the Flight of their Horse stood firm nor would be broken until they perceived our Foot marching out of Town who advanced but slowly for fear of Ambushes and then they threw down their Arms and dispersed but to little purpose being well nigh all kill'd or taken There were Eight hundred slain Two thousand taken Four Brass Pieces of Ordnance with all their Ammunition and great Store of Provisions besides Eight and Twenty Foot Colours and Nine Cornets of Horse The Loss on the King's Side was very small except that about Thirty young Gentlemen most Voluntiers whereof the Relater being sorely wounded in the Head and Right Hand was one being too far engaged in the Pursuit were taken and carried Prisoners to Bristol from whence they in a little time were relieved for that City being ill defended was surrendred by Colonel Fines the Governour to the conquering Army for which Act as savouring of Pusillanimity he was tried by a Court-Marshal But he had approved himself Valorous against the Unfortunate having cruelly hanged and murthered Robert Yeamans Yeaman and Bouchier murthered at Bristol and George Bouchier Two prime Citizens and eminent for their Loyalty upon Pretence of their Designing to deliver the City to Prince Rupert notwithstanding the King 's and the King's General the Earl of Forth 's Letters Admonitions and Menacing to the contrary Waller and Hazlerigg fled to Bristol but apprehending a Siege went thence to London to recruit and the Citizens out of the high Opinion they had of Waller easily consented to supply him At the same time of the Bristol-plot there was another Conspiracy discovered at London Mr. Waller by his ingenious Confession and the rare Eloquence of Ten thousand Pounds Chaloner and Tomkins at London saved his Life Chaloner and Tompkins more loyal and deserving a better Fate were hanged before their own Doors The King's Forces were very successful also in other Places though the Victory gained at Hopton-Heath where Gell and Brereton Hopton-Heath Fight Two of the Rebels Champions lost their Cannon and the Day was very dear for it cost no less than the Life of the most Noble Earl of Northampton who being unhappily fallen from his Horse amongst Concy-Borrows was barbarously murthered After this Prince Rupert joining his Forces with these thus destituted having forced Burmigham a very Receptacle of Sedition though with the Loss of the old Earl of Denbigh took Leichfield-Close The Lord Brookes a fierce Zealot of the Party against Bishops in the attempting of it before upon his Advance to it had inauspiciously implored a Sign from Heaven of the Divine Approbation of his Design for whilst he was ordering his Battery though compleatly armed a Bullet glancing near him The Lord Brooke kill'd at Leichfield shot him into the Eye and Brain upon St. Chad's-Day the Patron of that Cathedral Some time after Essex having recruited his Army besieged Redding and having repelled the Cavaliers designed for its Relief at Causum-Bridge had it surrendred to him by Fielding the Lieutenant Governour Sir Arthur Aston who commanded in hief being sore hurt They were startled at Oxford at this Surrender and there wanted not them who blamed Essex for not moving that way with his Forces now victorious But others again excused him fancying that he designed to put an End to the War by a Peace not a Conquest Taunton and Bridgwater fell likewise into the Rebels Hands On the other side Prince Rupert beat the Round-heads at Chalgrave Field where many of them of Note were kill'd and taken Prisoners Colonel Hambden one of the Five Members who commanded was slain in that very Field where he first rendezvouz'd his Men against his Sovereign Very many other Fights and Skirmishes happened with various Success in thâ— several Counties of the Kingdom which to 〈◊〉 â—rolixness I have designedly omitted or but slightly mentioned contenting my self to be particular in those only which seemed decisive as to the Fate of the Kingdom The Queen having raised an Army in Yorkshire and the neighbouring-Counties leaving a considerable Force with Sir Charles Cavendish for the Defence of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire marched with the rest consisting of about Four Thousand Men Six Field-pieces and Two Mortars towards the King The Queen meets the King at Edge-hill whom she met at Edge-hill not more famous for the Battel fought there than for this Royal Congress The Joy after so long an Absence was very great as may be justly presumed since the Passions of Affection and Esteem never appeared more eminent than in this Pair-Royal of Lovers And now with joined Forces and Desires they marched towards Oxford After the destroying of Sir William Waller's Army at the Devizes and the taking of Bristol the King was absolute Master of the Field The Marquiss of Newcastle having also ruined Fairfax at Bramham-Moor and subdued the whole North having shut up the Remains of the Enemy in a few Garrisons was likewise at Liberty to act what he pleased But the King contrary to his own Sentiments and Advice being overborn by his Council of War or rather betrayed by his Fate and the Perfidy of some pretended Friends omitting London the Head of the Rebellion miserably squandered that Time which was irrecoverable in the unfortunate Siege of Glocester whilst Newcastle amused himself about Hull Whereas if they had joined their Forces the Rebels having no Army then in the Field to oppose them he might not only have routed the pretended Parliament who were already upon the Point to dissodge but have given Law to that proud City the Source of the Rebellion and his Misfortunes But it seemed otherwise good to Providence and the Two Houses who were in a desponding Condition raised with this unhoped for Opportunity recruited their empty Regiments well nigh ruined with Sickness and Sedition with all imaginable Speed and alluring to their Assistance the City-Forces they not only relieved Glocester but raised their declining Cause to a Balance with the Kings But of these
in Order Essex marches to the Relief of Glocester Essex mustered his Army the Members of both Houses being present upon Hounsley-Heath which did not exceed Ten Thousand Men too weak for the Expedition they were designed but being much reinforced by the City-Auxiliaries and Trained-Bands marched that Night to Colebroke and so forward Glocester seated upon the Banks of Severne was with the Addition of some Works and the River esteemed strong Colonel Massey an active and vigilant Commander was Governour strengthened with Two Regiments of Foot and Two Troops of Horse who however vigorously attacked did no less vigorously oppose Force to Force Sallies to Assaults and Countermines to the Mines from without But in truth neither understood the Methods of besieging or defending as yet that Part of War being but in its Infancy amongst us But we must allow the Defensive to have carried it here seeing they held it out until the Arrival of their Succours The King being advertized of the Enemies Advance sent Prince Rupert with all the Horse to retard their March which he did by continual Excursions Velitations and forcing of Posts and Quarters At Stow in the Wowld the Prince drawing all his Horse in one continued Line upon the Side of the Hill made a very great Appearance On the contrary the Rebels march up the Ascent in Battalia Lieutenant Colonel Bayly with the City-Regiments were in the Left-Wing and Colonel Harvey with his Regiment of Horse and Two of Foot being some-what advanced in the Right the Prince sent a strong Party with orders to endeavour to get betwixt them and Home which being perceived Three Regiments more were presently sent to his Assistance the which with the Thunder of their Cannon obliged the Royallists after some skirmishing to retire to their Body which being composed only of Horse did also give way to this great Army which advanced upon them The King preferring the Blessings of Peace before the Triumphs of Victory sent a Trumpeter with Propositions to Essex who answered crudely enough That he had Orders to relieve Glocester not to treat which he also did the King rising from the Siege at his Approach and passing the River with a Resolution to fight the Rebels upon their return And this seemed another Omission The Siege of Glocester raised for if the King had fought them before they reached the Town he had probably either beaten them or impeded their Progress both or either of which would infallibly have obliged them to surrender Essex having relieved the Town his next Care was to preserve his Army especially the Londoners the Chief Strength of it which he in a great Manner did by his Surprizal of Cirencester where he found Store of Provisions which he much wanted The Royallists obstructing the Enemy in their Return upon every Occasion fell into their Rear upon Auburne Chase with all their Horse forcing it up to their Main Body They charged them a second Time with the same Success but having no Foot by the Advance of their Enemies and the Night they retreated with little loss save that of de Vieuville a French Marquiss The Rebels lost many as well slain as taken The next Morning the King's Army being drawn up near Newbury having the River on their Right-Hand expected the Rebels there The Battel of Newbury There was a little Hill Five Hundred Paces from the Town which the Cavaliers had possessed and fortified with Guns Essex perceiving it and having no other way to pass he himself with his own Regiment and C. Barclay and Holborne's Brigades attacks it bravely being as bravely received by the Royallists Stapleton with his own Regiment and that of the General 's Guards charging the Earl of Carnarven was repulsed but the Earl pursuing too far was kill'd by a Shot in the Head of his own Men a Person no less remarkable for his Fortitude and Fidelity to the King than for the Nobleness of his Extraction Prince Rupert valiantly charging the Right-Wing of the Rebels who were rallied again did again disorder them driving them to the Entry of the Lane by which they were come But the Cavaliers were forced to make as much hast back having been saluted with a Volley of Shot from the adverse Foot posted there and not without loss The King 's Right and the Enemies Left-Wing being hindred by Hedges and Inclosures fought only by small Parties and light Skirmishes Nor had the Foot though they fought stoutly any signal Advantages of each other the Earl of Brentford on the King's side and Major General Skippon on the Rebels behaving themselves with equal Courage and Vigilancy The Royallists had taken some Field-pieces which they were forced to quit again with loss The approaching Evening put an end to this bloody Contest and the King's Army rallied and drew up again as at first in the Field where they had fought with design to renew the Combat in the Morning which yet they did not being content to send Major General Harvey who had lately deserted them with a strong Party of Horse and Foot to fall in their Rear They had also stood in Arms all Night not retreating before the Morning at which time they were close followed and charged their Rear-guard commanded by Stapleton being forced up to their Foot with considerable Loss There were slain on the King's Side many eminent Persons as the Earls of Carnarven and Sunderland the Wise Lord Faukland and Colonel Morgan with others The Rebels also lost many but of no great Quality being most Plebeians And this was the End of the famous Expedition of Glocester wherein Essex and his Party had gained much Honour if they had not fought against their King Nor did the Royallists behave themselves less Valiantly though more Commendably as having the Better Cause The Rebel Parliament invite the Scots to their Aid The Men at Westminster being heightned with this Appearance of Success which carried more Noise with it by reason of the Loss on the King's Side of so many Noblemen whereas they had but few to expose they yet prudently considering the Equality of the Balance not over-confident in their own Strength invited the Presbyterian Scots to their Assistance and to oblige them the more strictly to their Party being not to be gained by the ordinary Stipend of Mercenaries they mutually oblige themselves by a Solemn League and Covenant contrary to all Laws Humane and Divine to extirpate Episcopacy and the Liturgy and to obtrude in their Places the Scottish Ecclesiastical Discipline built upon the Basis of Rebellion and Tumult Moreover Archbishop Laud retained hitherto in the nauseousness of a Prison was now as Strafford had been formerly to be immolated a Sacrifice to the Malice of these Hirelings and the Revenues of the Church to be divided amongst these Sacrilegious Confederates as will shortly appear This best of Princes might have expected better Things from the Scots as being his Countrymen as well as Subjects Nay he had heaped
of the Town of Newbury but being far short of the Enemy in Numbers he fortified the Avenues of it drawing up the rest of his Army in Spean-Field an opportune place betwixt the Town and the Castle Where he expected Prince Rupert who was absent with Three Thousand Horse and the Earl of Northampton who had relieved Banbury with a Thousand more When the Enemy saw they could not allure the Royallists to engage by Skirmishes and that they durst not attempt them without Manifest Danger they divide their Forces sending a good part of them with Waller Balfore and Skippon to Cheveley on the other side of the Town with Resolution to attack the King's Camp from both parts at once which accordingly they did and after a brave Fight both highly animated whilst the Royallists thought to revenge their Loss at Marston-Moor and the Roundheads theirs of Cornwall the latter prevailed insomuch that they forced the Cavaliers to abandon the Ditch and Nine Pieces of Ordnance Nor did the Fight end so until the Night and Darkness parted them There were slain on the King's side Three Thousand Men amongst which were Charles the Lord Goring's Brother St. Leger Trevillian and others The old Earl of Brandford was shot in the Head Sir Jo. Greenville Campfield the younger Walgrave c. wounded and amongst the Prisoners the brave Earl of Cleveland was of Chief Note Nor was the Slaughter much inferiour on the Rebels side theirs amounting to no less than Five and Twenty Hundred And yet we must not deny the Enemy the Advantage of the Fight by reason of the King 's going off by Night who leaving his Cannon and Baggage in Dennington-Castle marched without Interruption which shewed he was not vanquished though worsted with his Army to Wallingford and thence to Oxford Dennington-Castle bravely defended The Royallists being retreated the Essexians having swallowed the great Booty in their Thoughts besiege Dennington-Castle but not with the same Success for Boys the Governour having been thrice summon'd and thrice assaulted did as often reject and bravely repel those Insults of the Rebels preserving himself and the Treasure deposited with him until the King having brought back his Army from Oxford after some sharp Encounters did not only relieve the Place but also brought off his Guns possessing himself of Newbury a most convenient place for his Winter-Quarters The Members at Westminster being dissatisfied with the Proceedings of their Army appointed a Committee to examine their Errors and Omissions especially those that were committed since the Fight at Newbury and at the succouring of the Castle their Forces being double the Enemies in Numbers The Faction suspecting Essex to be either careless or discontented and that he did not act with the same Vigour as formerly apprehending him perhaps too much enclined to Peace for he had dared to write to the Parliament some time since to incline them to it or over-affectionate to the Nobility which they grew weary of were casting about though they did not seem to suspect his Fidelity how they might with least Noise for he was still very considerable for his Interest be rid of him Cromwell in his Narrative of the raising of the Siege of Dennington had aspersed Essex's Forces with some oblique Reflections which so transported him that he was resolved to vindicate his Honour with the Ruine of the Informer And for the more Security he closed with the Scots Commissioners as knowing them highly incens'd against them because of the profuse Liberty of Speech he had used in their Concerns Having therefore convened a private Meeting of choice Friends both he and the Chancellor of Scotland used all their Arguments and Elocution to prove him an Incendiary betwixt the Two Nations which they had further proceeded in if they had not been disswaded by the contrary Opinions of Maynard and Whitlocke whom he had called thither and advised with in this grand Affair But the Grandees at Westminster did not desist resolving not only to remove him but with him all the Presbyterians in Power Yet first to sweeten him and lest he might oppose their Design they vote him Ten Thousand Pounds per annum out of Delinquents Estates as a Testimony of their Gratitude for his eminent Services for the Commonwealth for the Independants growing rampant designed to get the Command of the Armies into their own Hands The Houses therefore voted pretending nothing of their own private Interest but all for the Publick That no Member of either House should during that War The self-denying Ordinance enjoy or execute any Office or Command Military or Civil which had been granted or conferred on them by either House or by Authority derived from them The Lords though often pressed by the Commons to pass this Ordinance could not be induced to do it not obscurely foreseeing their Design against the Nobility and most eminent Presbyterians nay some looked upon this Change in the Militia as the Grave of Monarchy and their Peerage And yet after some Time they so far concurred with the Commons that they assented to the List of Officers for the new Modelling the Army insomuch that they were thanked by the Commons and assured of their Affection and Support Cromwell only was exempted from this General Order being permitted by a particular Act to continue in the Camp The Command of the Army was conferred upon Sir Thomas Fairfax a Person thought obnoxious to the Artifices of every prevailing Faction and therefore approved of by the Suffrages of both Parties He was daring and no Self-seeker Constancy was attributed to his Natural Temper being Melancholy which was notwithstanding thought ductile where Religion was in Question and therefore Cromwell that famous Impostor in Godliness was given him for a supervising Lieutenant The Forces as if new raised were new mustered and modelled the Presbyterians being by various Arts dismissed of their Employments and the most zealous of the Independant Sectaries put into their Places And here we may also observe that the Clause for conserving the King's Person which was inserted in Essex's Commission was by Vote of the Lower House left out of that which was given to Fairfax and not absurdly it seeming superfluous to except him against whom you point a Hundred Thousand Darts It was now Winter and the Armies on both sides were in their Winter Quarters whilst the Houses were busie in modelling theirs especially in their Choice of Officers In the mean Time lest the Sword should be too sparing of Blood-shed the Ax likewise was to be glutted with the Effusion of it Sir Alexander Carew as also the Two Hothams repenting Hull Plymouth though too late of the Crimes they had committed by their Rebellion against the best of Princes would have delivered the Fortresses they had so unjustly detained to the true Owner again as an Expiation of their Offences but being intercepted they were Tried by a Court-Marshal for High-Treason and by Sentence thereof they were all as equally Guilty beheaded
but fell unlamented by Reason of their Inconstancy Of the Hothams I have made some mention already And of Carew I will add this not unworthy to be noted which happened at the Tryal of the Earl of Strafford Sir Bevil Greenville a Person never to be mentioned but with Honour at the passing the Bill of Attainder said to Sir Alexander sitting then next him and both serving for Cornwall Sir pray let it not be said That any Member of our County should have a Hand in this Ominous Affair and therefore pray vote against this Bill But the other instantly replied If I were sure to be the next Man that should suffer upon the same Scaffold and with the same Axe I would give my Consent to the passing of it And wee have seen how truly and how circumstantially exact he foretold his own Fate Archbishop Laud murthered January 10. William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury followed next more truly lamented of all good Men. They had abolished the Book of Common-Prayer and the Liturgy as Preludes to his Fate and Function But not daring to hazard his Tryal by a Common-Jury for no Law could condemn him nor by the Peers as equally dubious he then was voted Guilty in the Commons House the Lords by an inauspicious Compliance sitting with them The Scots had formerly declared him an Incendiary and a publick Enemy upon which Accompt he had been thus long kept in Prison And now they demand his Life as a grateful Retribution for their Assistance which was also sacrificed to their Ambition and Fears Thus the Covenant betwixt both Nations was to be cemented with Episcopal Blood This Great Pillar of our Church as he had been eminent in his Life for Vertue was no less remarkable at his Death for his Piety He preached his own Funeral Sermon upon the Scaffold and that with a Countenance no less serene than his Mind which he was going to offer up to his Creator and far from that seeming Weakness as he then Prophesied which appeared in him when the Illustrious Strafford going that same way called to him for his Benediction Generous Spirits being no less affected for their Friends Sufferings and sometimes more than their own And thus fell this Good Man and Good Bishop by the nefarious Ambition of Pretended-Reformed Christians We must acknowledge that the Bishops fell by the Envy of the Presbyterians who stirr'd up the People against them as too seemingly imperious Not that they would have their Power abrogated for That they pretended to themselves being resolved to assert that of Archbishops in their National and that of Bishops in their Provincial Synods whilst every Individual Presbyter should exercise more than Prelatick Jurisdiction in his own Classis The publick Severity requiring more Blood the Lord Macquire and Macmahon Two Irish Noblemen Chief Contrivers in the Bloody Conspiracy in Ireland deservedly suffered the Gallows though not proportionable to their abominable Contrivance And yet these especially Macquire had been tampered with to accuse the King as an Abettor in this nefarious Rebellion which he yet generously enough disowned upon his Death Fortune as yet or rather Providence had not decided the Quarrel The War was unhappily prolonged and there appeared some Hopes of composing our Troubles by Treaty and particularly in that of Vxbridge The Treaty of Uxbridge The King as is already mentioned after his routing of Waller at Copredy-bridge and defeating of Essex at Lestithiel had sent Messages to the Parliament with offers of Peace which he now again renews from Oxford no less graciously than affectionately inviting them to comply with him in restoring these harassed Kingdoms to their former Tranquillity But it proved fruitless and all the King's Concessions how indulgent soever could effect nothing For the Demands of the Faction were so high and their Propositions so unreasonable that the King could not assent to them without ruining his Conscience as a Christian and his Majesty as a Prince For these modest Men did require The Extirpation of Hierarchy by the Abolition of Episcopacy and the Liturgy and the Introduction of Presbyters and the Directory in their stead They would divest the King of all his Power both Military and Civil And did press That the Nobles and such as had been true to their Duty should be delivered over to their Justice that is to Death to Imprisonment and Exile Which appeared so Inhumane and Tyrannical that it is abhorring to Sense and Reason whilst these nefarious Conspirators do not think that the King hath done enough in pardoning his Enemies unless he also betray his Friends By this it appeared how inclinable they were to Peace As also by their sudden breaking of the Treaty contrary to the King and his Commissioners Desires they did demonstrate that they were resolved to permit the Decision of the Cause to the Sword and to perpetuate themselves thereby in their Usurped Tyranny Shrewsbury surprized About this Time Major General Mitton surprized Shrewsbury betrayed to him being of very great Detriment to the King Scarborough and Weymouth were also taken which happening presently after the Treaty the Houses ordered a Day of publick Thanksgiving for these great Victories as being Evidences from Heaven of their Sincerity Sir Thomas Middleton had formerly beaten Colonel Marrow from the Siege of Oswestry Nor was he less fortunate at Montgomery He had surprized the Castle by Intelligence which by reason of the Consequence of its Situation being an Entry into North-Wales was again Besieged by the Lord Byron General of those Countries But Middleton with the Assistance of Brereton Meldrum and Sir William Fairfax with their conjoined Forces relieved the Place and after a sharp Fight The Fight at Montgomery routed the Cavaliers Fortune seemed at first to favour the juster Side by forcing away the Enemies Horse but changing the Rebels carried the Day The slain of the Royallists were at least Three Hundred and no fewer wounded though the Enemy scarce lost a Hundred except Fairfax and Symons And now Essex a no less Victory to the Independents as also the Earls of Denbigh Manchester and Warwick and the rest of the Chief Officers lay down their Arms resting Inglorious and only not neglected especially Essex who denied to give Peace to the Kingdom Essex discarded though invited to it by the King himself when it was in his Power And now retiring from Business he languished away the Residue of his Days in Discontent and an irksome Retreat BOOK III. The Continuation of the Irish Rebellion The Lords of the. Pale side with the Rebels Their Model of Government The Cruelty of the English in Ireland Ormond makes first a Cessation then a Peace with the Irish Delivers Dublin to the English The King vindicated from any Correspondence with the Irish Rebels Fairfax marches Westward recalled besieges Oxford The King relieves Chester Takes Leicester The Fatal Battel of Naesby described The King's Cabinet taken and published Fairfax relieves Taunton The
with most of his Garrison did such Execution upon them that he pursued them to Dundalk which he also took by Assault forcing O Neal to pass the River for his Security For all this the Enemies by the general Defection of the Nation grew so numerous that they threatned Dublin and filling the Villages and Country round extreamly obstructed their Markets and Commerce by their Cavalcades There were no less than Twenty Thousand reckoned in this Province of Lemster but they wanted Skill and Military Conduct so that they waged War with Numbers not Understanding Whilst the English who were but few and had received no great Assistance out of England did not only oppose but dared to provoke them beating routing killing and destroying them in well-nigh all the Encounters they had with them for being well armed well led and well disciplin'd they easily vanquished so effeminate and so unknowing and Enemy The Cruelty of the English in Ireland But as the Brittish were more brave so they were no less cruel than the Irish revenging the Barbarousness of their Adversaries with equal Inhumanity For they destroyed many Thousands of them ruining with Fire and Sword and pillaging all they met with reducing a well planted most fertile Country into a Solitary Desart whereby they did not only destroy the Natives but created to themselves irreparable Mischief and Desolation by ruining that which they should have subsisted with Hence grew those Wants upon them which they had occasioned and were now forced to combat a stronger Enemy than they had yet encountred as Hunger want of Pay Clothes and all other Nutriments of War Which they had in vain expected from the Parliament its self now Rebellious and so far from assisting them Their Necessities that they themselves seized upon the Money designed for Ireland taking a Hundred Thousand Pounds of it at once and employing those Regiments raised for that Service under the Lord Wharton to fight their own King as they did at Edge-hill in that unnatural Rebellion Seeing this they earnestly petitioned his Majesty for their Discharge or to be transferred to any other Warfare where they might contend with any Enemy but Hunger Ormond makes a Cessation with the Irish The King being thus daily sollicited by the pressing Miseries of his Subjects and seeing no other way to relieve or deliver them commanded the Earl of Ormond to make a Cessation with the Irish for a Year which he did and to send Three Thousand of the Protestant Army into England leaving the Garrison well provided to assist him to oppose the Rebellious Scots who then invaded him This Cessation was variously censured according to the Interest or Inclination of Parties Such who disapproved it cried out against the Transportation of the Soldiery pretending It would expose the Protestants that remained and be of too much Advantage to the Rebels But others more discerning and equal were of Opinion That it is always better to save a Citizen than destroy an Enemy It was the prime Interest of a Prince to preserve himself Ireland was not so formidable but when England was quiet it might be reclaimed by fair Means or by foul There was more Danger from the Puritans who threatned Ruine to Religion and Monarchy The Parliamentarians and Scots-Irish refused to be included in this Truce being supported with Money and Supplies out of England which was denied the Royallists by reason of their unshaken Fidelity to their King which neither the Threats nor Allurements of the now English Rebels could blemish or overcome Ormond now Marquess and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland improved this Cessation with much Prudence and Industry by a continued Treaty into a Peace which being proclaimed at Dublin and Kilkenny Then a. Peace he followed thither with Fourteen Hundred Men where he was received by the Supreme Council with due Respect and State who also surrendred the Government which they had thus long managed into his Hands But this Calm did not last long most of the Chief Towns and Great Officers as Preston and Owen Roe O Neal with others dissenting The Archbishop of Firme the Popes Nuntio not only protested against this Peace but adding the Thunder of Excommunication renewed the War with more violence than ever Ormond ran no small Hazard of being intercepted in his Retreat to Dublin where he was given for lost and therefore received with very extraordinary Joy by the People year 1646 The War had been continued betwixt the Dissenting Brittains and the Irish ever since the Cessation with various Fortune But now thinking that a fair Opportunity did present it self by the Absence of the English Army for the Conquest of the whole Kingdom they join all their Forces together and raised with some late Successes for Owen Roe O Neal had defeated Monroe and his Scots in Vlster slain above Five Hundred of his Men taken Five Field-pieces all his Baggage and Five Thousand Arms they besiege Dublin by Land The Nuntio dissents and besieges Dublin which was also block'd up by the Parliament-Ships now equally Rebels which lay before the Haven The Lord Lieutenant unable to resist so many Enemies and destitute of all hopes of Relief Ormond unable to preserve it delivers it to the English acquainted his Majesty with the present State of Affairs who seeing it impossible to defend the Place commanded him to deliver it rather into the Hands of the Parliamentarians than the Irish An irrefragable Testimony against the black Calumnies of the English Rebels who did not cease to accuse his Majesty of Intelligence with the Irish But it will not seem very strange to Posterity that the Miscreants of the Faction should endeavour to assassinate the Fame of this glorious Sufferer when they had already usurped his Authority and that all the steps they made tended to the martyrizing of his Person 'T is true their Brethren of Ireland pretended That they were owned and authorised by his Majesty and to amuse and engage the silly Crowd shewed them a fictitious Commission with a Great Seal affixed to it belonging to a Patent of the Lord Caulefield which Sir Phelim O Neal took together with the said Lord in the Castle of Charlemont Which he afterwards confessed at his Tryal and being urged further by the Judges to declare Why he did so deceive the People He repsied That no Man could blame him to use all Means whatsoever to promote that Cause he had so far engaged in Although this Sir Phelim had been the principal and bloodiest of all the Rebels yet before Sentence he was offered his Liberty and his Estate if he would prove he had had such a Commission from the King But he generously answered He could not and That he would not further burthen his Conscience by unjust calumniating the King The King vindicated from any Correspondence with the Rebels Being upon the Gallows and ready to be turned off one Peake and another came posting to the Place and crying
from both sides both Armies were at length engaged The Passage into the Town was barricado'd up The Fight at Torrington where the Fight was very sharp at push of Pike and Butt-Ends of Musquets but that being gained the Encounters in the Street were no less brave The Royallists had Twice repelled the Enemy and being as often beat back themselves were forced at length to quit their Ground to the more numerous Assailants Hopton in Person very conspicuous and well mounted brought up the Rear of his Horse but was not able to save his Foot whereof scarce Six Hundred escaped The Horse by Benefit of the Night and Knowledge of the Ways did well-nigh all save themselves by Flight Four Hundred as well Commons as Gentlemen were taken of which near Two Hundred were blown up with the Church Hopton had left Fourscore Barrels of Powder in it which being fired by Accident or by one Watts as it was said hired thereto for Thirty Pieces of Gold I will not determine But however it happened very many of the Rebels perished with it the Town was miserably shaken and Terror and Destruction were scattered every where by the Dreadfulness of the Noise and the Vibration of the Ruines of the Temple The Enemy following the Chace forced the Cavaliers over the River Tamar and advancing forwards beat Colonel Basset out of Launceston which they also possessed The Prince sails to the Isles of Scylly The Prince of Wales admonished by the frequent Misfortunes of his Party and seeing after this last Defeat no possibility of renewing the War took shipping at Truro And that he might with-draw himself from these barbarous and bloody Enemies to his Life and Fame and being attended on by the Lord Capel Lord Culpeper and Sir Edward Hyde since Lord Chancellor of England sailed to the Isles of Scylly and thence into France reserving himself by the Care of Providence for the signal Restitution of his enslaved Kingdoms to their former Glory Fairfax did not omit to improve this Opportunity of the Prince's Retreat by inviting Hopton by honourable Conditions to disband his Forces as being abandoned and left to himself The Greatness of the thing kept him in suspense for some Time It grieved him to the Soul to see his King and dearest Lord deprived of so many brave Men and such a gallant Body of Horse and that by his own Act. But to conserve them seemed morally impossible for there was no Help to be expected from Abroad and he himself shut up within the compass of Six Miles in the Streights of Cornwall surrounded by the Sea and a victorious hostile Army Nor did he know whither to go in case he had broke through the Ways being obstructed with Trees cut down and laid cross them on purpose the Passages every where kept with strong Guards and what was more dismal the King's Affairs were under such sad Circumstances and so desperate that we were deprived of the very Solace of Hope In this Extremity it was determined to lay by our now useless Arms and submit to the Necessity of our Fate A Treaty was therefore entered upon by Commissioners from both sides The Lord Hopton disbands bis Army who met at Tressilian-Bridge and after a great Contestation concluded a Dissolution of the Royal-Army The Officers each according to his Quality were permitted the Enjoyment of their Arms Horses and Equipage But the common Troopers were obliged to deliver theirs receiving every one Twenty Shillings in Lieu of them All had their Bag Baggage and Liberties secured to them and Permission to return to their Homes or to pass into Foreign Countries at pleasure The Army being disbanded and the Garrisons thereby excluded from all Hopes of Relief did likewise fall Exeter the Chief City of the West surrender'd upon honourable Terms Barnstable followed as also the remaining Garrisons upon Demand And now Fairfax having subdued the West marched with his victorious Army towards Oxford Whilst he is on his way it may not be from the Purpose to relate what happened in other Parts of the Kingdom Which I hitherto designingly omitted not willing to interupt the Progress of this Western Expedition Being content to deliver the greater Actions in their Order rather than to distract them with a regard to the Things themselves more than the Times they were acted in though that also will appear in the Margent After the Defeat of Digby and Langdale which we have mentioned the King had continued for some time at Newark until wearied with the Dissentions of his Party he was necessitated to depart The Lord Gerrard Sir Richard Willis Distractions amongst the Royallists at Newark and others had deserted his Majesty and the Princes Rupert and Maurice having capitulated with Poynts for Passes to go beyond Sea which was assented to by the pretended Parliament were upon the point of abandoning him The Dispute was about Digby who being accused by these Dissenters with more Fervor than Duty considering the Times found an Advocate of his Innocency in the King and Bellasis the Governour Hereupon his Majesty with Six Hundred Horse came to Oxford where being entertained with heavy Countenances and a lugubrious Accompt of Affairs he replied with undaunted Constancy That Three Years ago he had been in yet a lower Condition than at present The same God who from such despicable Beginnings had render'd him great and formidable did live and reign still to whose Goodness he also recommended the Care of his present abject Estate But however confident he seemed to be he was as is usual in great Calamities too much neglected by many And though he daily performed whatever could be expected from a brave and prudent Prince yet nothing succeeded by reason of the perpetual Distraction of his Nobles his Officers and Counsellours agitated by the Infelicities of the present Condition of Affairs or rather actuated by the secret Dispensations of Providence Nor was he long permitted to reside there Ashley beat at Stow. the Lord Ashley having been defeated and taken at Stow. He had drawn a Body of near Two Thousand out of several Garrisons evacuated for that Purpose which were the last Field-Forces that appeared for the King So that the Remains being forced to save themselves in their Fortifications were since there was no Success to be expected from Abroad easily divested of them also BOOK IV. The King leaves Oxford and goes to the Scots Army Hereford is surprized and Chester surrender'd Oxford besieged and taken The other Royal Garrisons follow Massey's Forces disbanded Contests with the Scots Their barbarous Vsage of the King They sell him He is imprisoned in Holmbey-House The History of the Scots Rebellion and valorous Actions of Montross Independency triumphant The Army mutinies and seize upon the King at Holmbey They court him but deal treacherously with him He flies to the Isle of Wight FAirfax had sent Ireton with a Body of Horse to hinder the Excursions of the Oxonians and to invest
relate what things were performed by the Royallists in Scotland and briefly to insert them in our Commentaries Which will be the less difficult seeing they are for the most part extracted out of the History of Montross writ in fine Latin by the most Reverend Bishop of Edenburg Doctor Wishart The Scots the cause of all our Evils deserve to be treated with a more severe style The History of Montross but that we find also even in this Nation several Persons of Honour and known Vertue who signaliz'd themselves by the Eminency of their Loyalty and Endeavours for the King's Preservation Amongst these Montross deservedly challenged the first rank who performed such stupendious feats of Arms with such slender means having neither Soldiers nor Pay to begin with that we may equally wonder that he undertook as that he effected them He had formerly been of the Covenanters Party in Scotland and was the first that led his Men over Tweed in the first Scotch Invasion But when he perceived that his Countrymen design'd not only the King's Ruine but that of Monarchy too he resolved to quit them He also wrote to the King to testifie his Obedience But his Letters were stole out of His Majesty's Pockets by some of his Bed-chamber and Copies of them conveyed to the Confederates as also notice of the King's Letters to Montross which were intercepted stitched up in a Saddle as had been notified This being perceived he resolved in Person to wait upon the King at Oxford Which he did and discovered to His Majesty the Counsels and Designs of the Confederates but in vain the Faction of the Hamiltons being too prevalent at Court which continued until the Scots did actually enter England The King then perceiving himself abused sent Hamilton Prisoner to Pendennis-Castle and at the same time sent Montross into Scotland as chief Governour of the same The King indeed had ordered the Marquess of Newcastle to furnish him with some Forces for the Expedition And Prince Rupert after the fatal Battel of Marston-Moor had promised him a Body of Horse but all came to nothing insomuch that he entred Scotland with only two Companions himself disguis'd in the habit and garb of a Groom and by swift Journeys came to the Banks of the River Tai where he lay close for some days in the house of Patrick Grimes his Kinsman a Person of great worth and Loyalty Here he understood how all the King's Friends had been suppressed by the tyranny of the Rebels The Marquess of Huntley had indeed raised a considerable Army but he quitted those Arms he had rashly taken up upon the first noise of the Enemies Trumpets saving himself by Flight Montross troubled with the misfortune of the Gurdons began to cast about how and by what means he might draw this brave and Loyal People to his Party that they might again try the fortune of War under another General In the mean time there was a rumour spread amongst the Shepherds who watched their Flocks in the Mountains though very uncertain of several Irish who being wafted over Some Irish Land in Scotland kept themselves in the Northern Highlands Montross fancied this possible and that they were of those Auxiliaries which the Earl of Antrim had promised a few Months before Which he also found to be true as well by Alexander Macdonnel's Letters who commanded them as by others from several of his Friends in the Mountains Having received these by accident he answered them as if he had been at Carlisle encouraging them highly with assurances that they should neither want Assistance nor a General Ordering them at the same time to descend with all speed into Athol Which they did with Joy upon the immediate Receipt of these Commands sooner than could imaginably be expected Montross who was scarce twenty Miles off with his Cousin Patrick habited like a Mountaineer and on foot surprizingly met them which also happened very opportunely they being in great danger of being destroyed For the Marquess of Argile followed them close with a great Army whilst the Low-landers attended them in the Plains where if they descended they could not escape being trod to pieces under their Horses Feet The Ships which had brought them over to take away all hopes of a Retreat were burnt by Argile Nor would the Atholians or others who favoured the King run any hazard with them they being strangers had no known Authority nor could produce any Person of ancient Nobility which the High-landers chiefly reverence to head them To this their number was small not exceeding eleven Hundred whereas ten Thousand were promised Montross heads them the Atholians come in to him with 800 Men. But Montross his Presence who was received by them as if dropt from Heaven seemed to compensate all these defects and in two days the Atholians to the number of eight Hundred and armed presented themselves with great Alacrity to Montross Being thus accompanied he the same day marched through the Fields of Athol towards Ierna with design to open a passage for his Friends and Supplies if any such should be stirr'd up with the fame of his undertaking before it should be shut up by the Enemy surprized perhaps with the novelty of the thing before they could rejoin their divided Forces Having passed the Tai the greatest River in Scotland he was strengthened by the accession of five hundred Men as also the Lord Kilpont and Sir Jo. Drummond with 500 Men. under the Command of the Lord Kilpont and Sir John Drummond They as well as others had been summoned by the Confederates to oppose the Irish as common Enemies but as soon as they heard that Montross did command they both without any hesitation for both tho' privately favoured the King's Cause joined Forces with him Heightened with these supplies he beat the Enemy consisting of six thousand Foot and seven hundred horse commanded by the Lord of Elchon and the Earl of Tullibardin at Tippermoor Montross had no Horse at all He therefore to prevent by reason of the inequality of their numbers being surrounded extended his Front as much as possible so that his Files being but three deep the first Rank was commanded to kneel The Battel of Tippermoor the second to stoop and the third where the properest Men were to shoot standing and all to fire at once and then to fall in with the Butt-ends of their Muskets and their drawn Swords All which was valiantly performed but they wanting Powder and not being well Armed they fought with such Weapons as chance furnished them with throwing Stones with such activity and animosity at the Enemy that they forced them first to give Ground then to run away The slain were reckoned at two Thousand and more taken Perth was surrender'd to Montross the same day where having rested three more he was informed that Argile was marching towards him with a strong Army He therefore re-passing the Tai encamped at Cupr in Angus lying then
as well-nigh always in the open Field Passing thence by Taodan he marched to Esk where he met with the old Earls of Arley with his Sons and a brave train of Friends and Attendants Here he had intelligence that the Lord Burgley was at Aberdene of Aberdene with design to draw the Northern Parts by Money or Force to join with him Which Montross understanding having passed the River Dee he found the Enemy drawn up in Battel Array near the City Burgley had two thousand Foot and five hundred Horse which he placed in the Wings and having chosen his Ground and planted his Cannon at the head of his Army expected the onset Montross had but fifteen hundred Foot for the Lord of Kilpont's Men were gone home to convoy the Body of their Lord who had been murther'd by one of his own Servants and very many of the Atholians were also returned loaden with Plunder after the Victory of Perth and not yet come up to the Army He also placed his Horse which were but four and forty in the Wings Adding some of his Foot to them who for their Agility and Strength were equal to Horses enjoyning them to have a care lest the Enemies Troops surrounded them Which they also valiantly performed for the Charge being given the Enemy was defeated slaughtered routed The Horse escaped for the most part but the Foot having no place to retreat to but the City fled thither But being closely pursued by the Conquerours entring Pell-mell with them the Streets were strowed with their slain Bodies Two days being allowed the Soldiers to refresh in Montross was informed that Argile was advancing with far greater Forces than formerly being also accompanied with the Earl of Lothan with Fifteen Hundred Horse He therefore left Aberdeen and marched to Kintor from whence he determined to lead his Forces to the Mountains and Places of most difficult access In order to this he buried his Cannon in the Earth and disburthened himself of his heaviest Baggage But the Enemy pressing on all sides he marched to Badenoth that he might be out of the danger of their Cavalry those Quarters being scarce passable for Horse The Enemy having left pursuing him he was surprized by a fit of Sickness which extreamly harassed him for some days but being recovered he marched again into Angus hoping either to force Argile tired with tedious Marches into Winter Quarters or to leave him far behind him Having traversed Angus and passed over the Grampian Mountain he came to Strath-bogy to invite the Gordons with his Presence to a Conjunction of Arms with him But in vain being opposed by the Marquess of Huntley who though he did not hate the King envied the glories of Montross too much to contribute to their greatness He went thence to the Castle of Favia which he took but being sharply attacked there by Argile and Lothan had much to do to resist their Power which he yet did by his own Vertue and the rare Valour of his Men. Many days being thus spent at Favia Argile got nothing with so great an Army but Infamy from his Friends and Contempt from his Enemy Montross baffles Argile who flies to Perth Sometime after Montross understanding Argile to be at Deucalidon without his Horse resolved to attempt him which coming to his knowledge Montross being as yet sixteen Miles off he commanded his Men to shift for themselves whilst he secured himself by his flight to Perth Montross being of opinion that an Enemy could be no where so advantageously assaulted as in his own Country flew with incredible speed and industry into Argile where having forced the Marquess to save himself again in a Boat he destroyed and filled the Province with Blood Slaughter Rapine and Fire Nor were the other Neighbouring Countries as Lorn and the rest that acknowledged the Dominion of Argile better used The Royallists having quitted these Quarters they at length met with Argile at Innerlock but charged him with such Fury that they broke their Ranks and pursuing with a great shout defeated them with a great slaughter killing above Fifteen Hundred upon the place Whilst Argile himself placed in a Boat and put off from Shore saw the ruine of his Men at a distance and without any share of the danger After this the Citizens of Elgin surrender'd their Town of their own accord at which time the Lord Gourdon The noble Lord Gourdon joins with Montross and eldest Son to the Marquess of Huntley a Person above all Commendation for the eminency of his Vertues left his Uncle Argile and came over to the King's Party with a very choice Squadron of Friends and Dependants Montross heightened with this accession forced Hurrey Commander of the Rebels Horse refusing to fight upon his Invitation to a Retreat and offered Bayly sent for purposely out of England to whom Hurrey was also joined by a Trumpeter the liberty of Battel But he replied That when he was disposed to Engage it should be by his own not anothers choice The Royallists marched forward to Deucalidon and designing to pass the Tai were upon the point of being ruined by a very mischievous accident which they could not forsee Lodowick Gordon who had born Arms at Aberdeen on the Rebels side had by the mediation of his Noble Brother his Brother Lodowick deserts the army which greatly distresses Montross been reconciled to the King's Party But now whether upon real or pretended Letters from his Father having privately seduced most of the Gordons to a defection carried them away exposing thereby his Brother and Montross to very imminent danger And truly it may be a question whether of these excellent Persons most hated this Perfidy Montross highly troubled with this defection thought how to secure the rest and immediately sent the weakest of them away with all his Baggage with Command to meet him at Brechin This done he with an Hundred and Fifty Horse which was all he had and Six Hundred nimble Footmen marched with incredible Speed to Taodun which he assaulted took and plundered He himself stood upon a Hill which overlook'd the Town when sudden news was brought him that Bayly and Hurrey were with Three Thousand Foot Montross's noble retreat from Taodun and Eight Hundred Horse within a Mile of the Place By that time he had got his Men out of the City which was not done without extream difficulty being scarce to be withdrawn from their Plundering the Enemy was come up within Musket-shot of him His Retreat was admirable wherein he shewed himself no less a worthy Commander than he had done in his former Victories Some advised the General to reserve himself for better times and secure himself by flight with his Horse and others under these desperate Circumstances were of opinion they should not perish unrevenged But he complying with neither instantly sent Four Hundred Foot before and commanding the other Two Hundred to follow he himself closed the Rear with his Horse
The Enemy discovering their number and seeing them so few divided their Forces and followed after them very eagerly not only coming up with them in their Rear and Flank but endeavouring to obstruct their passage to the Mountains The Rebels forlorn of Horse pressed hard upon Montross's Rear but his Foot facing about fired upon them and having slain the three foremost rendred the rest more cautious and the pursuit less hot The darkness of the Night put an end to these Skirmishes By this they were come near Aberbroth where Montross considering that the Enemy might have intercepted the direct way to the Hills with his numerous Horse commanded his Men to turn to the South-westward and march with all imaginable speed by which artifice and incredible toil he deluded his Pursuers slipping by them in the night and wheeling suddenly Northwards he passed the Esk not far from the Castle of Careston And having after some light Skirmishes and a continued March of threescore Miles without Sleep without Meat or any other refreshment gained the foot of the Mountains the Enemy at length left them retiring from their fruitless pursuit Being thus beyond their hopes come into a place of security Montross sent the Lord Gourdon as well to recal those Troops his Brother had debauched as also to augment them by new Levies which he also performed with great industry joining the General in Marr with a Thousand Foot and Two Hundred Horse Being thus inforced the Royallists defeated Hurrey with Three Thousand Foot and Five Hundred Horse at Alderna The Fight at Alderna and Alford where the Lord Gourdon was slain he himself hardly escaping with the Horse Nor was Bayly the most knowing of the Enemies Captains more fortunate at Alford where having left his Foot he also fled with his Horse which the most untimely fall of the noble Lord Gourdon contributed to a loss irreparable to the King and his Party and which cast such a damp upon the Victory that the Soldiers overcome with Sorrow wore the countenance of a baffled not conquering Army But Montross after this strengthened with a numerous recruit of High-landers and by the accession of the Earl of Aboyne who succeeded his Brother Gourdon and Arley who were come up to him with Three Hundred Horse resolved to penetrate into the inmost parts of the Kingdom as well to disturb the Enemies Levies in Fife as to dissipate the Convention of the States at Perth Being come into Fife the richest and most popular Province of the Kingdom he resolved to pass the Forth Which he also did four Miles above Sterling and marching forward encamped at Kilsythe The Rebels fierce with their multitudes thought that Montross's late Marches and his hasty passing of the Forth were the effects of his Fear not Counsel So that they resolve to attack him in that place he had chosen their chief care being to cut off all Retreats especially to the Mountains Montross's Army consisted of Four Thousand Five Hundred Foot and Five Hundred Horse the Rebels of Six Thousand Foot and Eight Hundred Horse But their fortune the same for the Royallists animated by the rare Valour of the old Earl of Arley who being sixty years of age did with his single Troop defeat Three of the Enemy's and dis-engaged a Battalion of Montross's Foot The Battel of Kilsythe too rashly advanced which gave such universal Courage to the whole Army that raising a great Shout they all ran upon the Enemy beat down such as resisted and ruined all scarce One Hundred of the Foot escaping The Arms Baggage and Spoils of the Field were the present reward of the Victors who lost only six Men whereas near Six Thousand of the Enemy fell that day Upon this the Confederate Lords fled out of the Kingdom and such who favour'd the King did no more scruple to discover themselves This Victory having produced a new face of things over the whole Kingdom reconciled the Cities and Provinces thereof to their duty to the King Which he had also maintained if the Horse which His Majesty had sent with the Lord Digby and Sir Marmaduke Langdale had as he hoped come up to him But these being dispersed as is said in England he found other Forces than those he expected thence For the Confederates upon the fame of his Atchievements had sent David Lesley with Six Thousand Horse who by their intelligence with the Earls of Trequair and Rosburg whom the King had unhappily trusted surprized and defeated him at Selkirk The Royallists surprized at Selkirk Montross leaves Scotland Yet did not so far oppress him but that he afterwards became formidable again But the King being in the Scots Army he was by his Majesty's Command forced to dismiss his Soldiers leaving his Country to the disposal of the Confederates It is now high time to return to Holmbey and take a view of His Majesty's Diversions in that wretched Solitude Amongst other things seeing he heard nothing from the Parliament he composed an Answer to the Propositions formerly sent to him Wherein besides many unexpected Concessions he promised To comply with the rest provided he were suffered to come to London But having no Secretary or Clerk to transcribe what he had writ he desired one from the Commissioners attending him otherwise he would himself scrible it over as well as he could This was rejected as soon as sent although he had assented to most and desired a Personal Treaty for the rest they being deaf to his demands and whilst he was thus earnest for Peace Vote him averse to it affirming moreover how falsely The King 's miserable restraint at Holmbey That he had never offer'd them any thing worthy their Acceptation or accepted of any thing they had presented to him In this extremity he turns to God and withdrawing himself writ those Divine Soliloquies which compose his Book spending that leisure time with Heaven which was not permitted him to employ with any he delighted in here below This Book as it surpasseth all other except the Bible in Piety Prudence and Eloquence of Style so it containeth a true and genuine discovery of the state of affairs and consequently fit to be read of all good Men and such who would be satisfied in the reality of our Transactions In the mean time the Pretended Parliament force away the miserable from the unfortunate For seeing the King's unhappiness and restraint had not so far divested Men of that Veneration they owed him but that many sick of that Disease called the Kings-Evil came to him to be healed the Novellists more out of envy than grounded in reason endeavoured tho' to no purpose by Declarations to divert the People from this pretended Superstition as they called it Although all the Kings of England have ever since the time of Edward the Confessor who received this Prerogative from Heaven made use of it with success The Rebels being now Masters of the King and Kingdom having supplanted the true Heir
requiring That the Treaty with the King might be renewed and the Army paid off and disbanded But their reception was very rude being beaten and plundered and slain by their Guards Insomuch that the Kentish-men having likewise framed a Petition for Peace upon the like usage by a Party of Horse and being threatned to have two harged out of each Parish that were Promoters of it and the rest sequestered they threw away their Paper and betook them to their Arms. The first appearance of an Insurrection broke out in the City of London being accidental not upon the King's Accompt The Parliament had piously voted down Holy-days abrogating all the Festivals of the Church having appointed one Day in every Month in lieu of them for Publik Recreations The Apprentices as usually had met in some Numbers in Moor-Fields on the 9th of April to play and divert themselves But this being Sunday moved the Zeal of some precize Schismatical Officers of the Trained-Bands who with their Guards would force them away but were themselves routed by the Boys with Stones and Clubs who also took their Colours from them and in a Childish Bravery marching into the Streets frighted Warner the then Mayor into his House and taking away a Drake from his Door Planted it at Lud-Gate nearest the Foe the Army then about White-Hall But Fairfax on the Morrow following ent'ring with some Regiments of Horse and Foot at Alders-Gate easily dispersed them though then numerous no Person of Quality undertaking their Conduct The Fame of this tumultuous Insurrection or rather Riot was quickly noised throughout the Kingdom which although strangled in its Infancy seemed to animate the oppressed populace to follow the Example whereby they might redeem themselves and Liberties from their impending slavery The Welch were the first that took up Arms under the Conduct of Major General Laughorn The Welch in Armes and the Collonels Poyer and Powell all Three formerly stiff Assertors of the Parliaments Jurisdiction But now being to be disbanded by Orders of the Council of War of the Army they refuse to obey And the better to secure themselves declare for the King acting by Commission and Powers from the then Prince of Wales Laughorn grew suddenly by the accession of Major General Stradling and others of the King's Party to a considerable Army esteemed Eight Thousand strong which rendered him Master of the Town and Castles of Pembroke and Tenby Sir Nicholas Kemish at the same time surprized Chepstow Castle and Sir John Owen another eminent Cavalier in North wales defeated and took the High-Sheriff of Caernarvan So that all Wales seemed at once to shake off that cruel Yoak they laboured under Nor were the preparatives for a War of the Kentish-men less considerable For As also the Kentishmen Rendezvouzing near Rochester they chose the Earl of Norwich then upon the place to be their General Very many Apprentices and reformed Officers and Souldiers flocked from London daily to them Insomuch that the Juncto terrified with the apprehension of what might happen restored to the City their Militia which they feared otherwise might be extorted from them hoping by this Confidence to render them more addicted to their interest Which also happened not upon sentiments of generosity but to manifest their aversness to oppressed Monarchy even then when it was in their Power to restore it Skippon being also readmitted to the Command of their Forces the Communication with Kent was interrupted by placing Guards upon the Passages of the River But the Clouds that threatned the fiercest storm gathered in the North where Sir Marmaduke Langdale Sir Charles Lucas and others having surprized the strong Town of Berwick Berwick and Carlile surprized and Sir Phillip Musgrave and Sir Thomas Glenham that of Carlile and raised considerable Forces to joyn with the Scots now ready to enter England seemed no less able than willing to effect what they pretended the King's Restitution Though it be true that the Scots-Declaration had so many untoward Restrictions in it that nothing but the Frank Loyalty of the Royallists could joyn with them Upon the first noise of the Scots arming many English repaired into Scotland which obliged them at Westminster by their Deputies to require the delivery of the chief of them as Incendiaries They named particularly Wogan who carried a Troop thither with Sir Thomas Glenham and others But the Scots refused it seeing it was not stipulated in the Treaties betwixt both Nations They not judging those to be Incendiaries between the Two Kingdoms but only between the King and England These Revolts and Preparations for a new War did strangely disquiet the pretended Parliament who thereupon reviving their Votes of 1642. declare That it appears that the King seduced by wicked Counsel though then a close Prisoner intends to make War against the Parliament Cromwell being dispatcht against the Welch with great Forces the Kentish Expedition was not thought unworthy Fairfax's Conduct He therefore marches with Six Thousand Foot and Two Thousand Horse against the Cavaliers who being fatally divided whilst they Fight singly by Parties they are all overcome Fifteen Hundred stout Men were sent to Maidstone Fairfax defeats the Kentish-men to oppose their Enemies Passage there who fought with so much Valour that after they had been beaten from the Avenues and Hedges they kept that Town firing from the Houses and Leads about the space of Six Hours with great slaughter of the Enemy So that it is believed if the Earl of Norwich had come up with the rest of the Army to their Assistance the Rebels might have been defeated that Day But he dividing his Forces sent half of them to Dover and himself marched with the rest to Black-heath and being denied a Passage through the City which had been promised him he Ferries and Swims his small Army over to the Isle of Doggs From thence he moved to Mild-end-Green But seeing none come out of London to his relief as he expected he himself with only Five Hundred the rest being upon the obstinacy of the Citizens slipt from him joyned with the Essexians at Bow under the Command of Sir Charles Lucas They all stay'd here some time to favour any Loyal Attempt that might be made at London until warned by the approach of Fairfax who having dispatcht Rich and Barkstead with their Regiments to reduce those Castles which the Kentish had taken towards the Downs had passed the Thames at Graves-End they were also forced to dislodge And marching further into the Country seized store of Arms and Ammunition in the Earl of Warwick's House at Lees and having surprized the Parliament-Committee at Chelmsford went thence to Colchester where the brave Lord Capell joyned them with some Horse And all of them received the Van of Fairfax's Army with such Gallantry at the Towns-end that they forced them to retire to their main Body with considerable Loss They had designed to march further if they had not been so
not be cleansed of it but continues still a Monument of this horrid Impiety with this Inscription engraved Hic jacent Car. Lucas Geor. Lisle a Fairfaxio mactati Capell was reserved for the Scaffold who afterwards suffered with no less Constancy and Greatness of Mind than his illustrious Colleagues now did as we shall see in the Sequel of this History Nor was it on Land only that the Sword did rage the Sea also had its Scenes of Blood and Horror for a great part of the Navy detesting the Tyranny of their Old Masters deserted them and revolted to the Prince of Wales The Revolt of the Fleet. Batten one of their prime Leaders having been dismissed by them returned to his Duty and joined his Highness with some more Ships The Sea-men had exposed Rainsborough their Admiral and a Turbulent Leveller by putting him on shore who was afterwards slain in his Quarters by a Party from Pomfret and now embracing the King's Party with universal Consent seemed resolved to expiate their former Rebellion by a Return of Duty and to merit their Pardon by the Eminency of their Services Prince Charles with the Duke of York his Brother who lately escaped from St. James's in Womans Cloaths Prince Rupert the Earl of Brandford the Lords Hopton Willmot Willoughby Culpeper and others of Name and Quality sailed from Holland with this brave Fleet consisting of Twenty Ships of War and came into Yarmouth-Road with design to attempt every thing that was possible for the Relief of Colchester But finding the distance from that City too great and the Shore and Passages possessed by the numerous Enemy his Highness sailed to the Mouth of the Thames carrying Terror and Force with him to awe the City of London But his stay there was not long the Castles of Deal Walmer and Sandwich requiring his Assistance which he attempted by landing Five Hundred Men who though they fought with extream Gallantry were yet forced back with great loss to their Ships again The Castles after this Defeat were immediately surrendered By this time the Earl of Warwick lately made Admiral again had equipt another Fleet in the River and having joyned that of Portsmouth resolved to fight the Prince which he yet delays for the present not only terrified with the Revolt of others but in some doubt of the Fidelity of his own Men. The Prince perceiving this courted the Earl with magnificent Offers to the Return of his Duty But he perfidiously constant persisted in his Rebellion and in recompense of his Services shall see himself disgracefully outed of all Trust and his only Brother the Earl of Holland beheaded for his late Return to his Obedience Some were of Opinion that the Royallists omitted an opportunity of fighting the Sea men being high in Heart and seemingly very Loyal and the Enemy supposed to waver tho the Event afterwards proved the contrary In the mean time the Prince seeing his Land-Forces every where defeated and the adverse Fleet growing daily stronger returned into Holland giving the Command of the Fleet to Prince Rupert But many of the Ships out of an innate levity of their Sailors leaving the Prince returned to their old slavery under Warwick whilst the rest continuing in their Duty stuck close to their New Admiral whose Actions and Adventures shall be hereafter related Some other Fortresses besides those already mentioned declared for the King as N. B. Tinmouth-Castle seized upon by Major Lilburn Scarborough by the Return of Sir Matthew Boynton the Governour to his Allegiance and Pomfret possessed upon the same score by Major Morrice Tinmouth indeed was retaken by Assault the Governour losing his Life with the Place Boynton got Terms not unworthy the Defence he had made and Morrice and being lost bravely exposed himself to save his Garrison Who tho he broke thro the Camp which was the Conditions he had articled for yet was afterwards taken and murthered under colour of Justice in cold Blood The Visitation of Oxford But before we proceed further in these Occurrences it may not be impertinent to take a Review of some Transactions in the entrance of this Black Year 1648. seeing they seem to tend to those monstrous Catastrophes it ended in The first thing our pious Reformers undertook was visiting the Vniversity of Oxford They had long since garbell'd Cambridge to their Interest and will now as much as in them lyes extinguish this other Luminary by removing its Candlesticks and ejecting all the Members thereof that were any ways notable for Learning Loyalty Piety or Obedience to the Church or State as established by Law The Earl of Pembrook being made Chancellor together with several Delegates of the Factious Clergy and some of the Laiety as good Divines as himself were appointed for this Service Which was performed with all the Rigor of an Inquisition none being spared from the Reverend Heads of Colleges to the hopeful Striplings of Sixteen And yet the entrance of this Year had thus much extraordinary in it in that it contributed to the Deliverance of the Duke of York out of the Hands of those worst of Rebels The Duke of York escapes into Holland being conveyed away in a Virgin-disguise and carried into Holland by Col. Bamfeild who afterwards aspersed the Honour of this Service by undutiful Intelligences But to return whence we digressed the Army with Cromwell being absent and in Scotland several Petitions from the Country the Captains Masters and Sailers as also from the City of London were presented to the Men at Westminister requiring with more than ordinary earnestness a personal Treaty with the King This did so far work upon the Presbyterian Faction in the House very jealous and apprehensive of the Power of the Independants that they resolved for their own preservation to make a Peace with the King And The Treaty in the Isle of Wight in order thereunto forthwith recalled their Votes of Non-Address and sent Commissioners with Propositions not much unlike the former with Power to make Peace allowing Forty Days for the time of treating They indeed permitted his Majesty the attendance of several Lords of his Council and Bed-Chamber many of his Servants some of his Chaplains some Lawyers and others But they refused the Assistance of any but himself in treating Nor was it truly necessary for it presently appeared that as he was a Prince of prodigious Parts so he seemed more than humanly inspired who could singly manage so weighty an Affair against Fifteen Commissioners Persons prejudiced and of great Subtilty and with that success that he made Converts of some of his bitterest Enemies and however unwilling forced their very Reason But they having no liberty to recede or any way to remit of the Rigor of their Propositions His Majesty out of his affection to Peace granted many things above their Desires being content to divest himself of most of his Regalities for his time and trust those insatiable Men with the exercise thereof
the Universality of Mankind for Quae Regio in Terris nostri non plaena Doloris did lament the undeserved Fate of this Prince Nay the outragious Faction it self did blush to approve the Infamy of so flagitious an Act. The Factions disapproving the Infamy of the Regicide impute it to each other The Presbyterians to shift the Envy of it from themselves threw it upon the Independants condemning upon the Stage what they had designed in the Tyring-room But whether out of true Sentiments of Repentance or that they could act no further let them look to that being equally Regicides in their Intentions though not in the Execution The Independants said That they only put to Death a Private Man and an Enemy The King had been long since killed by the Presbyterians as being despoiled of his Prerogative whereby he excelled others of the Militia wherewith he protected his Subjests and of his Freedom of Vote whereby he made Laws They also remembred How he had been divested and robbed of his Liberty as a Commoner of the Society of his Wife as a Husband of the Conversation of his Children as a Parent of the Attendance of his Servants as a Master Yea of every Thing that might render his Life comfortable So that there was nothing left for the Independants to do but to put an end to the Calamities wherewith this Man of Sorrow had been so cruelly overwhelmed and afflicted by the Presbyterians But who ever were the Authors of this Impiety we grieve at what they did which seeing it cannot be undone we may wish that the Memory of it may perish with them who designed and perpetrated so Hellish a Mischief Nor had the Scelerates of the Faction yet satisfied their Cruelty They were inhumanly barbarous to his Dead Corps Their Inhumanities after his Death His Hair and his Blood were sold by Parcels Their Hands and Sticks were tinged with his Blood And the Block now chipt as also the Sand sprinkled with his Sacred Gore were exposed to sale Which were greedily bought but for different Ends by some as Trophies of their slain Enemy and by others as precious Reliques of their beloved Prince It is certain that Cromwell to satisfy his greedy Eyes had caused the Coffin to be opened in White-Hall and did with his Fingers search the-Wound as if he had still doubted of the effecting of his Hellish Cruelty Nor did it suffice to have raged against him living and dead they will also for as much as in them lies kill his very Fame Which they endeavoured to do by the enslaved Pen of a needy Pedagogue one Milton Salmasius indeed had writ a Defence for the King but he being a Presbyterian as the other an Independant both very good Latin if we believe the Learned Hobbs and hardly to be judged which is better and both very ill Reasoning and hardly to be judged which is worst And thus both Houses as they had often sworn with hands lift up to Heaven did make him a Great and Glorious King by changing his Fading Crown which they had interwoven with Thorns into an Immortal and Incorruptible one They made him great indeed great in Suffering in Patience His Character and great in his Martyrdom Thus fell Charles the Great and Just Monarch of sometimes Three flourishing Kingdoms A great Example if any of both Fortunes The Best of Kings The Meekest of Men. His Countenance was Comely and Majestic He was Constant Valiant Pious Eloquent of infinite Reason and Reading His Integrity was entire and no Guile found in his Mouth His publick and private Vertues were eminent He had been born for the Good of Mankind if he had not fallen amongst Monsters not Men. The best of Princes the best of Men the best Parent the best Husband the best Master Famous for Patience for Piety for Chastity for Justice and of an unshaken Fidelity towards God and Man His Greatness only rend'red him Guilty being by the Suffrages of his most bitter Enemies worthy of Empire if he had not reigned The Royal Corps being embalmed and exposed for some Days to publick View at St. James's was afterwards delivered to Mr. Herbert And Funeral one of his Servants to be translated to Windsor He had earnestly solicited to have had it deposited in Henry VII's Chappel near to the Monument of King James But they refused it lest the Place as they said might be prophaned by the Superstitious Concourse of the People He was therefore carried â—o Windsor by the Direction of the Duke of Lenox the Marquess of Hartford and the Earls of Southampton and Linsey who had got leave â—â—om the Faction for the decent Enterrment of their â—ear Lord provided the Funeral-Charges did not â—xceed Five Hundred Pounds These Sacred Reâ—â—ques being then born by the Officers of the Garriâ—on attended on by the Four Lords were laid 〈◊〉 Henry VIII's Vault It is observable that â—â—ough the Air was serene when they set out â—efore they reacht the Chappel-Door the â—â—erse of Black Velvet which covered them was all White with Snow which seemed to fall to testify their Candor and Innocence But it troubled the Assistants that the Fanatic Governour would not permit them the Use of the Common-Prayer the Bishop of London attending there to do this Last Office to his Dearest Master So that he was interred with the Sighs and Tears of his Servants And thus Lam. C. 4. V. 20. the Breath of our Nostrils the Anointed of the Lord was taken in their Pits of whom we said Vnder his Shadow we shall live among the Heathen COMMENTARIES ON THE REBELLION OF England Scotland and Ireland PART II. BOOK I. The Regicides prohibit the proclaiming of the Prince of Wales They abolish the House of Lords and the Government by Kings Choose a Councel of State Displace and Fine the Lord Mayor for refusing to publish the Act for abolishing of Monarchy Declare they will-maintain the Fundamental Laws Erect a High Court of Justice Hamilton Holland and Capell condemned by it and murthered Several Acts of State The Scots proclaim Charles II. Some Actions of the Levellers The King leaves Holland and goes by Brussels into France The Duke of Gloucester banished Continuance of the History of Ireland The King at Jersey Prince Rupert Sails from Kinsale to Portugal Loseth his Brother Prince Maurice by a Hurrycane The King at Breda Treats and Concludes with the Scots Montrosse's unfortunate End Fairfax routed and Cromwell General His Actions in Scotland The Scots barbarous Vsage of the King They are defeated at Dunbar The King crowned at Schone He enters England The Battle of Worcester The King 's miraculous Escape CHarles the Martyr being removed by a Parricide black as its Authors as is declared in our former Commentaries the Regicides endeavour with the same Fury to supplant his Son Heir of his Diadems and Vertues in order to which they immediately after his Fathers Death The Regicides prohibit the proclaiming of the
returned to Cologn he found his Brother the Duke of Gloucester there lately arrived from France The King had been informed now he had been thrust out of England by the Regicides which they had done to save the Expence of his Maintenance and to Ship-wrack his Religion Besides it was supposed that Cromwell had designed his Removal for that some in his Council had moved his Assumption to the Crown as no ways obnoxious or prejudiced by reason of his Youth as is already mentioned 'T is scarce imaginable with what Constancy he defended his Religion however very young In so much that armed with Instructions from the Lord Hatton and Doctor Cousens he eluded the Assaults of Abbot Montague and the Marquess of Plessis the one employed by the Queen-Regent of France and the other by the Queen of England Neither the charming Pleasures of the French Court nor the Purple Dignities of the Church of Rome nor yet the extream Severities of the Queen his Mother who did not only refuse him his ordinary Sustenance but denied him the Solace of her Benediction were of strength to shake his Faith Which they yet would endeavour to force by shutting him up in the Jesuits Colledge if the King his Brother displeased with these Novelties had not sent the Marquess of Ormond to his Rescue and to bring him to Cologn to him which he did though not without Difficulty But nothing was impossible for this Great Man After this the King went to Franckfort famous for its Marts And in his Progress saluted the Queen Christina of Sweden at Koningsteyn Where after a Reception worthy Two such great Princes and some private Discourses the Duke of Gloucester and his Royal Sister did the same The Marquess of Ormond Earl of Norwich Lord Newburgh and others of His Majesty's Train being also admitted paid that great Princess the Respects due to her Highness The Queen continued her Journey to Insprug where after a splendid Reception from the Arch-Duke she made Public Profession of the Roman Religion The King leaving Franckfort with the universal Acclamations of the People and thundring of their Cannon went to Ments whither he had been invited by that Elector where his Reception was truly Royal. And after three Days Treat parting with the same Magnificence returned to Cologn Nor did his Majesty spend the Time idly whilst the Regicides triumphed in England He had already sent Embassies to all the Princes of Europe to desire their Assistance against his Rebels But with little success though the Cause were Common The French flourishing in Promises made a League with the Regicides The Spaniards though they seemed to grieve at the Murther of the King were yet the first that acknowledged and owned this rising Common-wealth The Grand Seignior corrupted with English Gold delivered Sir Henry Hyde the King's Embassadour at that Court against the Law of Nations into the Hands of the Parricides who Murthered him by cutting off his Head before the Exchange Swedeland was then in an unsetled Condition Portugal unable being attacked both by the Spaniard and Dutch in the Indies Poland was worried with her own Domestick Distractions Denmark was exhausted with the Treasure formerly lent to Charles I. Others indeed restified their good-wills by their Contributions as the Great Duke of Muscovy the Count of Oldenburg the Electors of Mentz and Brandenburg and some other Princes of Germany by the Earl of Rochester's negoriating at Ratisbone But what could this import to make a new and great War Whereas it scarce sufficed to defray the Charges of the Embassies The King then seeing no Hopes of his Restauration from abroad wisely sought a Remedy where the Wound was received from the Benevolence and Loyalty of his Subjects which the Eminence of his Vertues could not in Justice refuse him Neither was he any way wanting to himself but most intent upon all Occasions leaving nothing unattempted whereby he might raise his sinking Affairs He kept constant Correspondence with his Friends in England Caus'd great Disturbances to the Rebels on every side and exposing himself to the Danger did more than once incite the People to arm against the Usurpers He now kept his Court at Bruges in Flanders nearer hand having been invited by the Spaniards repenting their too early Compliments to the Regicides and supplied with 9000 l. per annum which Money was punctually repaid upon His Majesty's Restitution The Duke in the mean Time having recalled all the Kings Subjects in the French Service joyning them with those in the Spanish Low-Countries composed a considerable Body which he commanded with no less Honour than he had done in France although they were well nigh destroyed by the fatal Valour of the English Rebels at Mardike and the Battle of Dunkirk The Duke more illustrious by Misfortunes did not only for some time resist but retard the Progress of the Victors until oppressed by multitudes as is already said he was necessitated to comply with the Fate of the vanquished Cromwell dying soon after however a way seemed thereby to be opened to the Kings Restauration his Majesty received the News of it with remarkable Constancy and Calmness of Mind in no ways insulting though he saw his most Mortal Enemy extinguished in the Person of this Vsurper Cardinal Mazarin however averse to King Charles did at the same time congratulate the Queen his Mother upon the Hopes of her Sons Restauration since he was by the Death of that Tyrant delivered from his most implacable and successful Enemy The sudden Change in England followed by the Deposing of Richard and the Resurrection of the Rump and the other Innovations already mentioned which followed as they augmented the Hopes of the King at Home so they varied the Counsels of Princes abroad Which his Majesty applyed in as much as was possible to his own Use by Negotiations and Embassies But there being now a Treaty in Agitation betwixt France and Spain he would himself be present at it For if a Peace were concluded which was more than probable betwixt these great Princes it was but reasonable to suppose that they might spare some of their numerous Forces to assist an injured King their Ally by Blood and Common Interest And yet the King would rather reduce his Rebel-Subjects to Obedience by the Appearance of his Power than by the Use of his Forces In the mean time accompanied with the Duke of York his Brother and the Marquess of Ormond he hasted Incognito through France having saluted the Queen his Mother at Paris in his way to St. John De Luz where the Great Ministers of the Two Crowns were then in Treaty Don Louis de Haro upon Notice of the Kings Approach went to met and receive him Which he did alighting from his Horse and Embracing and kissing his Knees with as much Honour and Splendour as if he had been his Master the King of Spain The next Day his Majesty was visited by Cardinal Mazarin the other great Plenipotentiary who was
horrid a Design discountenanced the Credit of the Relator until verified by demonstrative Arguments which gave Opportunity to the Conspirators to withdraw themselves Yet some of them were taken as Howard Essex Russel Rumsey Sidney Walcot Hone Rowse and the Lord G. but he escaped out of the hands of the Messenger The Lord Russel and Collonel Sydney were both beheaded Walcot Rowse and Hone were executed at Tyburn and others in other places suffered the punishments due to such execrable Treasons The Earl of Essex the unfortunate Son of a good Father by his own hands prevented the Kings Clemency who could not shew the utmost of his Severity against a Son of my Lord Capels Of those who fled some obtained the Kings Pardon by their ingenious Confessions as Barber Blaney Bourn How Howard Rumsey c. Nor is it unworthy of Notice that scarce any of those who were executed did dye without confessing enough to demonstrate their Crime though not their Repentance Amongst the Fugitives the most considerable were Armstrong Ayloff Burton the Two Goodenoughs Brothers Gray Holloway Norton Nizbet Row the Two Rombalds Brothers Smyth Wade Tyley and Ferguson the Shame of his Coat and Calling a Canting Teacher and more cruelly wicked than all those he had endeavoured to mislead Sir Thomas Armstrong and Holloway being intercepted the First at Leyden in Holland the other at Mevis one of our Western Plantations and brought into England were both executed according to the Merit of their Crimes The Parricide designed thus in England against His Majesty and the Duke being discovered and prevented the Conspiracy in Scotland fell also as depending on it James Stuart Monroe Melvin Cockran Bayley Castares Spence Alex. Gordon Nezbet c. were the Chief of the Party acting in all Things by Agreement with Argile This perverse Son of a wicked Father had Demanded 30000 l. of the English to buy Arms engaging himself to make a powerful Diversion in his own Country Which he also effected as we shall see hereafter having procured Supplies by other means The Duke of Monmouth youthfully rash inconstant ambitious and hurried on with the Pretense of vindicating Liberty and Religion agitated now with the Guilt of his Crimes had also withdrawn himself But being proscribed and finding but little safety in a Retreat though it his best course to implore that Clemency which he had so cruelly offended Which he did by his Letters seemingly full of Ingenuity wherein he acknowledges his Crimes of Unfaithfulness against the King and of Ingratitude to the Duke bewailing what he had done and humbly supplicating Pardon for what was past With Imprecations of Vengeance upon himself if he offended any more or violated the Promises he then made of his future Fidelity The King the mildest of Princes moved with his Submissions answered him under his own Hand in these Terms That if the Duke of Monmouth would render himself capable of his Mercy it was necessary he should surrender himself into the Hands of Secretary Jenkins and should tell His Majesty all that he knew submitting himself as to the rest entirely to his Pleasure This peremptory Declaration of the King's Will extorted other Letters from Monmouth wherein he patheticalâ—y aggravates his Sorrow and Tortures of Mind for his failings against his Majesty Confessing that being fatally circumvented by the Enchantments of others he was drawn into their Design and precipitated into those Evils the Consequences whereof he had not suspected He declares that his Crimes appeared to him with so terrible an Aspect that he would rather dye than be tormented with their stings he therefore implores the King's Grace and Pardon which he did not desire but by the Mediation of his Royal Highness He further professes That he saith this seriously and sincerely not only submitting himself for this Time to the King's Pleasure but for his whole Life Concluding That he should be the unhappiest of Men until he were raised with a grateful and mild Answer The King after this 1683. Nov. 25. not questioning the sincerity of Monmouth's Conversion admitted him to his presence Where throwing himself at his Majesty's Feet he plainly and fully acknowledged himself conscious of all the Conspiracy except the Parricide discovering many things to the King which they had hitherto been ignorant of Monmouth being by the Intervention of the Duke restored to his Majesty's Favour as formerly obtained also the Favour not to be produced as a Witness against any Body which Grace had been formerly refused to the Duke of Orleance in France and that undoubtedly was the reason that his old Associates and Friends impudently gave out that he had discovered nothing of the Conspiracy but contrarily had vindicated the Innocency of those that had so injuriously suffered The King moved with so great Arrogance and perceiving that Monmouth did continue his Society with those who seduced his unwary Youth after some Admonitions he commanded him to publish in Writing what he had declared to himself and to the Duke his Brother Nor did he refuse it writing to the King in these Terms That he was informed that it had been reported of him as if he had designed to extenuate the late Conspiracy and traduce the Testimonies against them that suffered His Majesty and the Duke knew how ingeniously he confessed all Things and that he was not conscious of the least Evil against his Majesty's Life It grieved him however that he had so greatly countenanced the said Conspiracy He would publish this for his Vindication beseeching his Majesty not to look back but that he would please to forget those Injuries which he had forgiven It should be his Care for the future to sin no more or suffer himself to be misled from his Duty Yea he would spend his whole Life to deserve that Pardon which he had granted to his most Dutiful Monmouth But these Flourishes were no less fickle than short-liv'd For the unhappy Youth being bewitcht by the Artifices of wicked Men and his own Ambition broke that Faith which he had so solemnly promised to preserve inviolable For being foolishly perswaded That the Declaration he had so lately made was a Diminution to his Honour and might rise up in Judgment against him hereafter he redemanded it from his Majesty Who tender of his Good endeavoured to divert him from so preposterous an Attempt but being more obstinately pressed he in great Anger restored it him banishing him at the same time from his Court and Presence The King did not long survive this for being intercepted by a violent Apoplectic Fit he changed his Terrestrial Crowns for one of Glory being so universally lamented by the Good and leaving so great a Desire of him behind him that our Loss was in a Manner inconsolable He was succeeded by James Duke of York who was immediately proclaimed King But he was scarce setled in his Throne when the Hydra of Rebellion lift up her Head again out of the Lake of Schism and Faction BOOK