in great Pomp. William Lenthal the Speaker of this House of Commons had at one time given him by this House six thousand pounds for his good services besides as Speaker he got two thousand pounds per annum and as Master of the Rolls three thousand pounds per annum more besides Sales of Offices And then he was for some time Chamberlain of Chester Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster worth to him one thousand two hundred and thirty pounds per annum and one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal worth fifteen hundred pounds per annum Buestrode Whitlock Commissioner of the Great Seal worth to him fifteen hundred pounds per annum and had two thousand pounds given him out of Mr. Minn's Estate Edmond Prideaux once a Commissioner of the great Seal worth to him fifteen hundred pounds a year Then by order of the Junto afterwards he was permitted to practise within the Bar as the King's Council worth to him five hundred pounds per annum was also Post-Master General worth to him a hundred pounds ever Wednesday night and his Supper the Earl of Warwick had the benefit of foreign Letters which was worth to him five thousand pounds per annum Oliver S. Johns Solicitor to the King afterwards made Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and was one of their Embassadors to Holland he had the passing of all Pardons upon Commissions worth to him forty thousand pounds he was called The Dark-Lanthorn-Man a knowing Man in the Laws and had the wit to keep out of danger being against the putting the King to death but a great Privado of Oliver's to whom he preferred his man Thurlo who was his Secretary when he went Ambassador and became afterwards Oliver's Secretaty of State he died at Utrecht in Holland since the King came in being favourably looked upon by his Majesty and honored for his parts Roger Hill a Barrester of the Temple of no Practice and little Estate till this Parliament had from the House the Bishop of Winchester's Mannor of Taunton-Dean worth twelve hundred pounds a year after the lives were out Humphry Sulway had given him the King's Remembrancer's Place worth two hundred pounds per annum Francis Rous was made Provost of Eaton worth six hundred pounds per annum and had a Colledge Lease worth six hundred pounds per annum more John Lilse a Barrester of the Temple was made Master of S. Crosses a place for a Divine worth eight hundred pounds per annum and afterwards one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal He was one of the King's Judges and stabb'd beyond Seas since his Majesties Restoration Sir William Allison an Alderman of York made Clerk of the Hamper worth a thousand pounds per annum and given to him Crab-Castle worth six hundred pounds per annum more belonging to the Archbishop of York Thomas Hoyle another Alderman of York was made Treasurer-Remembrancer in the Exchequer worth twelve hundred pounds per annum Tho. Pury first a Weaver in Glocester then a Country Solicitor had given him three thousand pounds and a place in the petty-Bag Office worth four hundred pounds per annum Tho. Purey the younger Son to the former was made Receiver of the King's Rents in Glocester and Wilts and ClerK of the Peace of Glocestershire worth two hundred pounds per annum and Captain of Foot and Horse who at the beginning of the Parliament was a Servant to an Attorney of Staple-Inn William Ellis made Steward of Stepney worth two hundred pounds per annum Miles Corbet at the bâ—ginning of the Parliament much in debt made one of the Registers of the Chancery worth seven hundred pounds per annum besides Chair-man for Scandalous Ministers worth a thousand pounds per annum one of the King's Judges and afterwards advanced to be a Judge in Ireland executed at Tyburn since the King came in John Goodwin made a Register of Chancery worth seven hundred pounds per annum Sir Tho. Widdrington a Commissioner of the Great Seal worth fifteen hundred pounds per annum Edward Bish made Garter-Herald in the place of Sir Ed. Walker worth six hundred pounds per annum Walter Strickland Agent in Holland for the two Houses of Parliament worth to him five thousand pounds Nicholas Love made one of the six Clerks of the Chancery worth two thousand pounds per annum Sir Gilbert Gerard was Pay-master to the Army had three pence per pound allowance worth sixty thousand pounds and Chancellor of the Dutchy worth five hundred pounds per annum John Selden had given him five thousand pounds John Bond Son of Dennis Bond made Master of Trinity-Hall in Cambridge Sir Benjamin Rudiard given him five thousand pounds Lucas Hodges made Customer of Bristol Sir John Hipsly given him two thousand pounds in money and made Keeper of three of the King's Parks Maribone Hampton and Bushy Parks Sir Tho. Walsingham had the Honor of Elsham To Benjamin Valentine given five Thousand pounds To Sir Henry Heyman 5000 l. Denzil Hollis 5000 l. Nat. Bacon 3000 l. John Stevens out of the Lord Astley's Composition 1000 l. Henry Smith made one of the six Clerks worth 2000 l. per annum Robert Reynolds given him 2000 l. besides Abbington-Hall and Lands worth 400 l. per annum Sir John Clotworthy was made Treasurer for Ireland John Ash given him out of Mr. Coventry's Composition 4000 l. out of Sir Edward Moseley's 1000 l. out of Mr. Phillips's 1200 l. out of Sir John Stowells 8000 l. and Chair-man at Goldssmiths-Hall John Lenthal Son to the Speaker made one of the six Clarks worth 2000 l. per annum Francis Allin once a Gold-smith made Customer for London Giles Green Chair-man for the Navy Francis Peirpoint had the Lands of the Arch-Bishop of York lying in Nottinghamshire William Peirpoint had 7000 l. given him and the Earl of Kingston's personal Estate worth 40000 l. John Palmer made Master of All-Souls in Oxford in Dr. Sheldon's place a Divine John Blackstone a Shop-keeper in New-Castle returned a Burgess and had 3000 l. given him out of one Gentlemans estate and out of others as much as made up 12000 l. a Colemeters place worth 200 l. per annum and the Bishop of Durham's Castle at Durham and Lands to great value Tho. Ceyley long a Prisoner for Debt made Recorder of Bridgwater To Mr. Scawen given 2000 l. Isaack Penington once Lord Major of London had 7000 l. given him and purchased good store of Bishops Lands Samuel Vassell 1000 l. given him Sir Will. Brereton had the Arch-Bishops Lands and House at Croydon Ed. Harvey a Silk man made a Collonel and had the Bishop of London's House and Mannor of Fulham Rich. Sulway a Grocer made a Collonel Joh. Ven a Collonel Governor of Windsor had 4000 l given him Phillip Skippon Serjeant Major General of the Army Major General of London and Governour of Bristol had 1000 l. per annum Lands of Inheritance given him Tho. Westrow had the Bishop of
of Clouts or in Show or a meer Duke of Venice Then their own Declaration printed and published shewed how well Arbitrariness thrived when they owned That their Votes were not to be questioned either by King or People That no Precedents could bound their proceedings That the Soveraign Power resides in the two Horses That the King hath no negative Voyce That a levying War against the personal Commands of the King tho he were present is not a levying War against the King but that a levying War against his Laws and Authority is levying War against the King which was levying War against them That Treason could not be committed against the person of the King otherwise then he was intrusted That they had power to judge of his Actions and whether he discharged his trust or not and that they were only judges of the Law Their Arbitrary putting to death of Yeomans and Boucher at Bristol and others at London for endeavouring to shew their Royalty to their King and Acting against them and their illegal Authority Voting and making a new Seal and breaking all the Kings old Seals Privy Signets of the King's bench Exchequer Court of Wards Admiralty c. Beheading of several persons by a Court martial against Law and Equity Putting Arch-Bishop Laud to Death after four years Imprisonment Their taking the Scotch solemn League and Covenant for the Extirpation of Episcopacy and the alteration of Religion â—sâ—â—blished by Law contrâ—ry to Law and according to their own illegal and Arbitrary proceedings With many more Acts of the same nature which plainly declared to all the World how far they had deviated from their first more plausible Pretexts But all this while I say by the Kings great Concession in yielding to pass that Act which wrought him so much Mischief they seemed to have a shadow of Power from the King and acted as an House tho contrary to the King the Laws of the Land the Liberty of the Subject and against Equity Conscience and Religion But now after the King had been delivered up to them from the Scots and that they had subdued all his Forces and Garrisons Ragland Castle in Wales being the last that held out for his Majesty then they shewed their power more manifestly and that their Intentions were to usurp the Regal Authority altogether having thus far tasted the sweetness of it and thrived in their Rebellion On the 4 th of June 1647. a Party of Horse under Cornet Joyce seized the King at Holdenby where he was under restraint by the Parliaments order and Carried him away to the Army and thence by them brought to Hampton Court about the middle of August where both the Parliament and Army make to him their several unjust Proposals after the insolent manner of Victors which the King could in no ways grant being contrary to his Conscience his Crown and Dignity At the same time the Independant Officers of the Army kept their chief Cabals at Putnâ—y where it was proposed among them That it was not safe for them nor the Kingdom to grant any Power to the King That it was not for them to set up a Power which God had determined to pull down That the power of Kings was grown a burthen to the Nation and that the reason of all their Distractions in their Counsels was from their Compliance to save that man of Bood and to uphold the Tyranny which God by their many Successes had declared against Where also Major General Harrison made a speech pressing them to the taking off the King Who having notice of these wicked Agitators Actions makes his escape from Hampton Court leaving a Letter behind him intending to get over to the Islâ— of Jersey but being in the Isle of Wight he put himself under the Protection of Collonel Hammond a Parliament man and Governour there who sending â—otice thereof to the Parliament they Vote That he should be continued in the Castle of Cowes That no Malignants shall stay in the Island That no Delinquent or Forreigner should be permitted to come to him without the Parliaments leave That five Thousand pounds should be advanced for his Accommodation and That tâ—eâ— would consider who should attend his Person In the mean time the Independent party of the Army cause a Mutiny which tho quelled by the Industry of Cromwel and his Son-in-Law Ireton yet it caused them to alter their Councels and to joyn with them against the Parliament and all accommodation whatsoever with the King The King sends a Letter to the Parliament from the Isle of Wight dated November 18. 1647. superscribed to the Speaker of the House of Lords to be communicated to the House of Commons In which he granted for Peace-sake the setling of Presâ—ytery for three years And the Militia in the hands of the Parliament during his Reign with a Proviso by Patent that then it should return again to his Successors And also that they should have the Choice of his Privy Councellors and desired earnestly to have with them a personal treaty in London After a long debate upon this Letter the Commissioners of Scotland also pâ—â—ssing them to comply with the Kings just desires on the 26 th of November they concluded That four Previous Acts should be drawn up and sent to the King to which if he would sign they Voted That they then would admit of a personal Treaty with him These unreasonable Proposals drawn into form of Acts were these First an Act for raising settling and maintaining Forces by Sea and Land c. In which they fully and wholly divested the King of the Militia his 〈◊〉 and Successors for ever and gave an unlimitted power to the two houses to raise what Forces they please for Land or Sea and of what persons they please and what Money they please to maintain them The second was that all Declarations Oaths Proclamations against the Parliament might be recalled or against all or any that adhered to them The third an Act that those Peers that were made after the great Seal was carried away from the Parliament might be made uncapable of sitting in the house of Peers And lastly That Power may be given to the two Houses to adjourn themselves as they think fit By these you may easily perceive to what height they were come of all unreasonableness These were presented to the King at Carisbrook Castle in the Isle of Wight on the 24 th of December 1647 by the Earl of Denby the Lord Mountague Lisle Goodwin Bunkley and Kemp Commissioners from both Houses of Parliament The King it may well be thought having no desire to dethrone himself and enslave his Subjects refused the Bills and desired to Treat personally sending them his reasons in Writing Whereupon Sr. Tho. wroth moves the House That the King who had Acted like a Mad man should be secured in some inland Castle with sure Guards That Articles of Impeachment should be drawn up against him That he should be wholly lay'd by
James's in woman apparel and landed safe at Dort in Holland and about the same time several Petitions came to the Parliament and especially one from the County of Essex which supplicate That the Army might be paid off and Disbanded and the King admitted to a personal Treaty Surry and the City of London followed with the like and the Affections of the People began to appear and were ready to fly to Arms. The Kentish men being up ten Thousand strong were routed by General Fairfax the Earl of Norwich who headed them with five hundred men crossed over the Thames into Essex and Sr. Charles Lucas joyning him with 200 thousand men they possessed themselves of Cholchester which became the seat of War and endured a famous Siege Also at the same time a part of the Navy revolted to the Prince who having attempted to help his Father in vain was forced to retire into Holland with his Fleet. Then the Earl of Holland the Earl of Peterborough and others Head a fresh Insurrection at Kingston upon Thames where they were routed the Earl of Holland taken and the Lord Francis Villers the Duke of Buckingham's Brother slain Affairs standing in this Posture the Scots are much displeased tho they had many fair Offers made them by the Parliament Concerning the Payment of money yet due to them and on the 24 th day of July they passed an Ordinance to establish the Presbyterian Government in England and Ireland under Classical Provincial and Parochial Assemblies to please them yet all would not do for they Voted in Scotland a War with England and published a Declaration wherein they propose That the King may come to London or to some of his Houses near with safety That those who had Carried him away might make Satisfaction or be punished for it That the Army under the Lord Fairfax might be disbanded That Presbytery be setled and Sectaries punished That all members of the House might be restored Upon this Berwick was surprised Forces came out of Ireland and many rise in the North for the King Carlisle is seized and their Forces increased under Sr. Marmaduke Langdale Sr. Thomas Glenham Sr. Philip Musgrave and others to the number of three Thousand Horse and foot Sr. Marmaduke Langdale is made their General And on the 13 th of July the Scots enter with an Army into England under Duke Hamilton with whom Langdale joyns and beats Lambert at Appleby Several places declared for the King and all things seemed in an hopeful way when Cromwell having quieted wales marches with his Army to Preston in Lancathire to give a stop to Hamilton who was about twenty Thousand strong with the English Lambert joyns with Cromwell and make up a Body of about twelve Thousand on the 17 th of August both Armies Face one another and the battel being begun on the English side after two hours dispute the Scots gave ground and were most fiercely pursued by the English and Totally routed multitudes of them being taken but Hamilton escaped to Nantwich with three Thousand horse where the Countrey being up in Armes seized upon most of them and at last Hamilton himself was taken at uloxeter by the Lord Gray of Grooby the Scots Ensigm Cornets and Colours then taken were afterwards hung up in Westminster Hall Sr. Marmaduke Langdale was also taken and Cromwell improving his Victory marches towards Monroe who was coming with a reserve of six Thousand Scots but upon Hamilton's overthrow had order to return into Scotland which they did but the Anti-Hamiltonian party in Scotland under Argile which were the stricter sort of Presbyters invited Cromwell into Scotland which the laying hold on to smooth his way he put forth a Declaration severely prohibiting any Souldier under pain of Death to take either Money Horses Goods Victuals or any other thing or any ways to abuse the People He put such a terror among the Scots that they all presently submitted and agreed to disband their Armies and to render up to him Berwick and Carlile which were in their Hands That a Parliament should be called in Scotland for the setling Religion and composing their differences and also that none that had been in the last Ingagements against England should be chosen of this new Parliament or into their general Assembly Thus having setled Scotland to his mind he returns into England Upon his Victory against Hamilton Colchester being driven to the utmost extremity was surrendred and the two valiant Gentlemen contrary to Faith given Sr. Charles Lucas and Sr. George Lisle shot to Death and the Earl of Norwich Lord Capel and others sent Prisoners to London While these things were in doing there had been some Attempts made towards the private murthering of the King which was made known to the Parliament who took some Examinations thereupon but nothing to any purpose done in it he being now look'd upon as a Tyrant and suffered openly to be so called daily with many other most opprobrious Speeches both against his person and Government which the Parliament took no notice of but had made an Order in April before That any three of their Committe-men at Darby House should have Power to Imprison and sequester all such as shall actually adhere to any that shall raise or endeavour to raise my Tumults or Insurrections or shall so much as speak or publish any thing reproachful of the Parliament or their proceedings so that you see they had tyed up mens Tongues from speaking against themselves without the least restraint of reviling their King and for every light Word a free born Subject of England was made an offender and lyable to be ruined at the Pleasure of three Arbitrary men of their Committee absolutely against that known Maxim of our Law Nemo imprisonetur aut disseisâ—tur nisi per legale judicium parium suorum No man shall be imprisoned or disseised of his Property but by the lawful judgment of his Peers that is by a jury of twelve men But what signified Magna Charta Petition of Right the Ancient Laws of the Land to these Men who had trampled the Imperial Crown under their feet and usurp'd more than ever rightful Monarch or the most Arbitrary of our Kings ever Claim'd And had raised upon the People for the maintainance of this unnatural War and towards the enslaving of themselves about three Millions of pounds sterling Per annum which was six times more than ever the most rapacious of our Kings had raised on the People besides the vast Incomes of the Kings revenue Sequestrations and Compositions About the third of August the Prince now our Soveraign sent Letters to the City Expressing his good affection to Peace and to the whole City and his Endeavours to vindicate his fathers Liberty and just Prerogative and Rights and to restore to the People their Laws Liberties and Property to free them from Bondage and to ease them of the Burthen of Excise and Taxes to settle Religion and to reduce all things
into their proper Channel This Letter was accompanied with others and a Declaration to the same purpose all which were Communicated to the Parliament But there in Requital it was vehemently urged by some That the Prince might be declared a Traitor and a â—ebel but others stood up and gave several Reasons too long here to rehearse to the Contrary and so it passed over at this time On the 7 th of August an ordinance passed for erecting a new Militia in every County and particularly for the County of Wilts Commissioners being named who had power to raise what men they pleased to Arm them and to fine defaulters ten pound a Man and twenty dayes Imprisonment and to levy four hundred pound a Week upon that one County besides the ordinary Taxes and free Quarter O brave Liberty and Freedom Whilst the Army were employed in reducing the Scots and Royal party Petitions were continually sent from several Counties to the Parliament all tending to â—he same effect the disbanding the Army easing the people of their Burthens and a personal Treaty with â—he King The City of London Petitions also for the â—ame and to have their imprisoned Citizens released â—hich were chiefly Aldermen Langham and Bunce and their Recorder â—lin The Lords had it seems not â—â—â—curred readily with the Commons in some of 〈◊〉 Votes upon which it was moved in the House to taâ—â— away the Lords negative Voyce So early Arbitrary began to shew it self in the highest degree nothing now seeming too great for the Commons For a câ—rtain lawyer undertook to make good That the House of Commons being the Representative of all the People had power to Act without the Lords for the safety of the People in case the Lords deserted their Trust Here was a ground lay'd for a future subverting the Foundation of all Parliaments and how well they improved this Doctrine we shall see hereafter The Lords and Commons had lay'd by the King and now the Commons were for laying aside the Lords and the next thing to be expected will be to see the Army and their Grandees to lay aside the Commons and to rule alone by themselves usurping both the Kings Soveraign and Governing power the Parliaments Legislative power and the Judges Indicative power and so Establish their Oligarchy or else it may be expected that one more powerful than the rest should usurp all the Power into his own hand and become a most absolute and Arbitrary Tyrant as it hapned to come to pass I cannot pass over another excellent mark of strange Arbitrariness against all Law and Right Moral as well as Civil in their sequestring the Estate of one Wall a Delinquent as they called him after his Death and taking it from his Wife and Children gave it to one of their Creatures who sued for the same tho it was argued against their unjust Proceedings That in the case of the highest Treasons and of Felony no man was Condemned after his Death because he was not then in being to Answer for himself and there could be no proceeding in Law against Non Ens Nay if a Fellon tho alive will stand mute he shall not forfeit his Lands because he wants Answer tho he loses his Life for Contempt of the Law Yet the Godly party prevailed and they bestowed the Sequestration of the said 〈◊〉 Lands tho dead on another with a Proviso that 〈◊〉 â—hould not be drawn into Example Cromwell gives the Parliament by a Letter to their Speaker an account of his Victories with Admonitions to them not to hate God's people who were as the Apple of his Eye and for whom Kings were to be reproved That they should fulfil the end of their Magistracy that all that would live quietly and Peaceably might have Countenance from them and that they who were implacable might be speedily destroyed out of the Land And to prepare the way for their Destruction they ordered That an Ordinance be Penned and brought into the House of Commons to try all such by Martial Law in the City of London as shall be found to Plot Design or Contrive any thing to endanger the Parliament or City Here again you may see all the Common Laws of the Land laid aside and Martial Law made use of in the Head City of the Land Which was then no Garrison and by order of these Parliamentarians and Assertors of the peoples Liberties Rights and Priviledges But however the Army being at a distance from the City subduing the Kings Friends and the Parliaments Foes the Independent Party in the House of Commons were not so prevalent but that the other Party took Courage and appearing began to come more of themselves encouraged by several Petitions out of the Countrey for a Treaty with the King upon which they became inclinable and begun to set themselves to that Pious work tho hindred all that could be by the Clamours Speeches and Behaviour of the Independants And thereupon the Earl of Middlesex Sir John Hippesly and Mr. Bulkley were sent to the King to let him know their Resolutions who returned related the Kings ready Compliance thereto as a thing he much desired upon which they Vote That the Votes of Non-Addresses should be repealed That the King might send for such Persons as were necessary for him in the Treaty That he should be in a state of Freedom That five Lords and ten Commoners be chosen Commissioners to Treat with the King at Newport in the Isle of Wight These Votes were sent to the King and Commissioners chosen for the Lords the Earls of Northumberland Salisbury Pembroke Middlesex and the Lord Say for the Commons were Lord Wainman Mr. Peirpoint Sr. Henry Vain the younger Sr. Harbottle Grimston Sr. Jo. Pots Mr. Brown Mr. Crew Mr. Bulkly Mr. Hellis and Mr. Glyn. Their Propositions were not much easier than their former to which the King gave very Satisfactory Answers conceding to many things for Peace sake against his Prerogative the greatest Difficulty being the business of Episcopacy which the King was unwilling should be wholly abolished And now it was very likely that the King and Parliament had agreed and a full peace had insued but in the mean time many Officers of the Army held their Cabals at Windsor where they were Contriving the Destruction of the King and the Dissolution of the Parliament which Cabals they also continued at London and other places under the name of Agitators in behalf of the Army These were framing a Government among themselves and drew up a Remonstrance shewing That they were the Body of the People of England That their Interest was the publick Interest of the People That the People were the only Competent Judges of their own safety That the supream Magistrates were the People Armed with supream Authority and with the Sword These persons concluded among themselves that some should be chosen out of the Army to represent the whole Body These not to exercise the Legislative power but only to draw
all Acts by Pretext of such Power were illegal and the adjudging any Person to death and Executing them was Treason and wilful Murther Thirdly That the said Commons had no power to make any great Seal of England and that all Commissions granted under their great Seal were illegal and all Proceedings in Law upon such Writs null and voyd to all intents and purposes Lastly That the denyal of the King's Title to the Crown and the plotting to deprive him of it and the setting it upon the Head of another was High Treason and within the Stat. 25 th Ed. 3. Ch. 2. as likewise their Subverting the fundamental Laws of the Land and introducing an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government was High Treason at the common Law c. This was all the Loyalists could do at present by these weak Indeavours to assert the Kings right and shew the people what Slaves they were become but this affrighted not these Men who in the next place February 1 st Vote That all such Members who assented to the Vote of the 5 th of December 1648. That the Kings Concessions were a Ground for the House to Proceed to a Settlement should not be admitted into the House until they had declared their disapproval of that Vote before they sit and that such as were now in the House should enter their dissent to that Vote being only those who had before Voted in the Negative The Lords were yet sitting but no notice taken of them by the Commons for having overthrown the Monarchy they now lay aside the Lords and therefore Vote them dangerous and useless Frebruary 5 th and so Voted them down with this Proviso That they might be capable to be Elected Knights of the shire and Burgesses and so sit among the Commons Three of them only so debased themselves viz. The Earls of Pembroke Salisbury and the Lord Howard of Estrick The rest of the Peers put forth their Protestation against these Proceedings of the Commons which came forth on the 8 th of Frebruary in which they asserted their own Priviledges and the fundamental Laws of the Nation disclaiming the Votes of the Commons for Erecting an high Court of Justice for the Tryal of the King and altering the Government Law Seal c. and against their Traiterous murthering their Soveraign and disinheriting the Prince the Lawful Heir of the Crown of England and also protesting against their Vote of the 6 th of Frebruary for the abolishing the House of Peers as destructive to the beings of Parliament the Fundamental Laws of the Realm and the Lives Liberties and Properties of the people whom they had made Slaves to their Tyrannical and Arbitrary Government But this affrights not the Commons and to keep the Lords from meeting the Army set a Guard at their Doors of their House and the House now proceeds to set up a Common-wealth and to abolish Monarchy and therefore they formed an Act intituled an Act for the Exheredation of the Royal Line the abolishing of Monarchy in this Kingdom and the setting up a Common-wealth which they ordered to be published in all places And to Vindicate these their most horrid Proceedings they had their Pulpit-Trumpeters who justified their Impious Acts in all places and John Godwin and Milton to write in their Defence of putting the King to death declaring in Print That the King suffered on just Grounds and according to his Demerits And now instead of one King these Common-wealth Rumpers set up forty Tyrants as a Committee of State But the people generally seemed displeased at this Alteration of the Government and Reineldson Lord Major of the City refused to publish their Act for abolishing of Monarchy for whâ—ch he was discharged of his Office and with two Aldermen sent to the Tower and Andrews was chosen in his stead upon this the Rumpers put forth a new Declaration to justifie their Proceedings calling them A Deliverance of the people from the Bondage that was brought in by the Norman Conquest and their Maintenance of the ancient Laws notwithstanding their Alteration of some forms of the Regality which ancient Laws might consist very well with a Republick and that they had only abolished their Abuses promising to establish a safe and firm Peace and to advance the true Protestant Religion the Encouragment of a Godly ministry and of Trade and the Maintenance of the Poor thorowout the Realm Then their Great Seal came forth having on one side a Cross and Harp for the Arms of England and Ireland with this Inscription â— The Great Seal of England And on the other side was the Picture of the Commons with these words In the first year of Freedom by God's blessing restored 1648. Likewise they caused a new Coyn to be minted and stamped their Money with a Cross and Harp instead of the King's Effigies with this Motto God with us Then they took away all Clauses in any former Acts for the taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and made them null and a new Oath framed and tendred to all that were to have any publick place of Trust and assumed to themselves both Judicial and Legislative power of the King and both Houses of Parliament and the Executive power they committed to a Council of State of forty Persons of the most Active men in the Army and others of desperate Fortunes Six of the Judges viz. Justice Bacon Brown Beddinfield Creswell Trevor and Atkins quitted their places not being able to bring their Consciences to Act under this Arbitrary and illegal power six other of them continued who were Justice Rolls St. Johns Pheasanâ— Baron Wild and Baron Yates To their new Council of State they gave Power tâ— Command and settle the Militia of England and Irâ—land Power to set forth Ships and such a Considerable Navy as they should think fit Power to appoinâ— Magistrates and stores for England and Ireland and tâ— dispose of them for the Service of the Nation Anâ— power to Execute all the powers given them for a whole Year to come They had two Seals appointed a great Seal and a Signet Cromwell was made Chaiâ—-man of this Committee and an Oath framed for eveâ—â— Member to take to be true to the Parliament as they termed themselves not to disclose their Secrets anâ— to adhere to the present Settlement of the Government 〈◊〉 a Republick without King or House of Lords Abouâ— this time the Officers of the Army at a Councâ—â— of War debated Whether they should not put to the Sword all that were of the King's Party to secure the Nation to themselves and it was carried in the Negative but by two voyces so near were they to a general Massacre And many Petitions came from several Counties that at least three of the most eminent of the King's party in each County might be put to Death to free the Land from Blood-Guiltiness Cromwell by this as you may perceive had gotten all the executive Power of the Kingdom into his own
Worcester's Mannor at Hartlerow Sir Arthur Haslerig had the Bishop of Durham's House Park and Mannor of Aukeland and 6500 l. in money given him Lord Gray of Grooby had the Queens mannor House Park and Lands at Hâ—ldenby Sir Will. Constable restored to Lands sold to Sir Marmaduke Langly worth 25000 l. Sir Will. Purefoy had given him 1500 l. Wal. Long 5000 l. given him Michael Oldsworth keeper of Windsor Park and had a share out of Sir Will. Compton's Office worth 3000 l. a year divided betwixt him and his Lord. Tho. Scot a Brewers Clark had Lambeth House Mr. Ashurst 1000 l. given him besides every Member of the House which was when full 516 Persons by their own order allow'd themselves 4 l. per. week a man which amounts to 110000 l. per annum They gave to Collonel Hâ—mond Governour of the Isle of Wight for his Table 20 l. a week a 1000 l. in money and 500 l. a year Land Collonel Mitton 5000 l. in mony Cornelius Hâ—lland a poor Boy and waited on Sir Hen. Vain when Comptrouler of the Princes House Made Commissioner for the Revenue of the King Queen and Prince Farmer of the Kings feeding Grounds in Buckinghamshire worth 2000 l. per annum at 200 l. per annum Rent Possessor of Somerset-house Keeper of Richmond House Commissioner for the Garrisons of White-Hall and the Mews an Office in the Mint which enabled him to give 5000 l. with his Daughter this was one of the Kings Judges Sir Hen. Vain Senior had the Bishop of Durham's mannor and Park at Evenwood and had given him 5000 l. and was Chair-man of the Kings Queens and Princes Revenue Sir Hâ—n Vain Junior a subtil Cunning pated Man a fifth Monarchy-man he was made Treasurer of the Navy worth 6000 l. a year Sir Tho. Trenchard given him 1200 l. He marries his Daughter to a Malignant gives security for the Payment of the portion being 1200 l. gets his Son in Law sequestred discovers the Debt and haâ—h it given him for his Fidelity to the State A new way to pay Portions Will. Bingham Governour of Pool had 1000 l. given him To Collonel Joh. Sydenham 1000 l. Joh. Glyn Recorder of London was Clark of the Polls worth 1000 l. per annum and afterwards Lord Chief Justice Joh. Bell an Apothecary beng intrusted with money was sued and said he could not answer without breach of Parliament Sir Walter Earl Collonel of Horse and Lieutenant of the Ordnance worth in times of Peace 1000 l. per annum in War 5000 l. per annum Alderman Atkins Treasurer at War Gregory Clemens a Merchant and one of the Kings Judges John Rowles had given him one thousand five hundred pound out of Sir John Worsenham's Estate Edward Ash a Woollen-Dâ—â—per Treasurer for the providing of Cloaths for the Irish Souldiers Sir John Danvers by a Parliamentary proceeding overthrew his Brothers Will and got the Estate worth 30000 l. Hen. Herbert given him 3000 l. and the Plunder of Ragland Castle To Fenwick 500 l. Gilbert Millingâ—on 1000 l. and Chair-mâ—n to the Committee of plundred Ministers To the two Darbys 5000 l. Robert Cecil Son to the Earl of Salisbury Collonel of Horse Serjeant Wild a Judge a 1000 l. given him after the Hanging of Captain Burley out of the Privy Purse and it is said he had 1000 l. more after the aquital of Mr. Rolf who was accused for an intention of murthering the late King Of the City several Aldermen Common-Councel and others who had great Benefits by this Parliament some of whom were of it John Warner Lord Major was one of the Treasurers of War and Treasurer of the receit of all Monies due upon the Ordinance of 3 d. August 1643. Treasurer of the loan money Purchased the Arch-Bishop of York's best House Castle and Mannot of Caywoood Sir John Wooleston Alderman Treasurer of War Treasurer for Plate Treasurer for loan Money Say-Master of the Mint Trustee of the sail of Bishops Lands Purchased the Bishop of London's Land at High-Gate Alderman Gibbs got seven or eight thousand pounds by melting the Plate and Bodkins at Guild-Hall one of the Treasurers for 20000 l. to pay the Scots a Trustee for Bishops Lands and Treasurer for Rents and Monies raised by them Alderman Fowks a Commissioner for the Customs refused to account upon Oath because of a tender Conscience Treasurer for the payment of Wagoners a Trustee for Bishops Lands and Controuler of their Accounts had first 200 pound per annum and after by their Additional Ordinance 300 per annum more standing Fee Alderman Pennington was Lieutenant of the Tower being intrusted with 6000 pound discovers it to the Parliament beggs it and had it granted Alderman Pack Commissioner for the Customs Treasurer at War and bought the Bishop of Lincoln's House and Mannor at Bugden Alderman Andrews Treasurer at War and Commissioner for the Customs Alderman Avery Commissioner for the Customs Treasurer for Sequestrations and Trustee for the sale of Bishops Lands Alderman Culham Commissioner of the Excise worth 1200 pound per annum Alderman Foot the same Alderman Edmonds the same Owen Roe Lieutenant Collonel and keeper of the Magazeen for stores Alderman Dothwick Treasurer at War With many more too long to be named They allowed for their Military Officers a Collonel of Foot 30 s. day a Lieutenant Collonel 15 s. a Major 9 s. a Captain 15 s. A Collonel of Horse 30 s. a day for himself and for six Horses 21 s. a day a Lieutenant Collonel 15 s. a day for himself and for six Horses 21 s. a Captain of Horse 24 s. a day and for six Horses 21 s. a day A Collonel Lieutenant Collonel and Major received their Captains pay beâ—â—des So that it was no wonder so many of the Parliament men got Commands in the Army It was thought that there was near twenty Millions shared in Lands Revenues Incomes and money amongst them To Bradshaw their President of their High Court of Justice the Kings House and Parks at Eltham was given and to Bultrode Withlock Greenwich Barksted Lieutenant of the Tower a poor Goldsmith bought at two or three years purchase as much Bishops Lands as cost 10000 l. Mr. Boon who they say had been a Tapster a Member of the House had given him 6000 l. To Harry Martin 3000 l. To Blackstone's Wife and Children 3000 l. out of the Earl of Nâ—w-Castle and Lord Withâ—rington's Estates and 500 l. to his brother Upon the General out of the Lands of the Duke of Buckingham's Estate and his Brothers the Lord Francis Villers 4000 l. per annum Clarendon Park bestow'd on the Earl of Pembroke 4868 l. to the Lord Lisle To Bradshaw more 2000 l. Land per annum and 1000 l. in money Cook for Acting the part of Attorny General against the late King had bestowed on him St. Crosses Hospital The new Park in Surry bestowed on the Citty that they might not want Venison Collonel Martin's account brought into the House
3 d. July 1649. his Arrears amounting to 25000 l. order'd him and 1000 l. per annum Land to be setled upon him and his Heirs To Collonel Feilder 1300 l. To Scobel their Clark once a poor Clark in Chancery and wrot for 2 d. a sheet a Pension of 500 l. a year and an Employment in the sale of publiâ—k Lands worth 1000 l. a year and 6 s. 8 d Fee for every Order taken forth More given to Bradshaw Somerhill belonging to the Earl of St. Alben's To the Lord Brohill 2000 l. I am afraid I have tyred my Reader in going about to enumerate the many Gifts they order'd one to another but tho I might name much more this may suffice to shew what this Parliament did with the Kingdoms monies to gratifie one another and to share the prey among themselves of the Kingdom who groaned under Taxes and of the Kings Queens Princes and Bishops Lands of Malignants Estates Composition Excise c. The like never was read in History and therefore you may not wonder that these men should be so unwilling to leave their Seats and disband but to sit to advantage themselves if they could By what you have read it plainly appears also what sort of men they were most of them or very many of them of the scum of the people upstarts of mechanical breeding sordid covetous Wretches Hypocrites pretending Religion and making Godliness their gain I have done with them and shall name but one or two more Dr. Dorislaus who was Kill'd in Holland had been formerly a poor School-Master in Holland whence he came to Oxford and read the History-Lecture there in which he then decry'd Monarchy was complained of and forgiven by the King's Benignity He then became Judge-Advocate in the King's Army against the Scots and had the like Employ afterwards against the King under Essex and then under Fairfax gaining well in his employment and by that of drawing up the bloody Charge against the King for which some Cavaliers some say Irish others Scotch-men in revenge of Hamilton's Death kill'd him His Wife and Children had allowances by the Parliament but I cannot here forbear to mention Haselrig's bloody proposition upon his Death who moved That six Gentlemen of the best quality Royalists might be put to Death in Revenge of Dorislaus to deter men from the like attempt hereafter This was a Rumper's Justice and may serve for his Character a blind Zealot furious hot-headed rash unjust and an hypocrite a great Commonwealths-man and an Enemy to Oliver Harison was a Fifth Monarchy-man a great Speaker after his Canting way acted with Cromwell till he saw he set up himself instead of King Jesus and his Saints such as himself then a stiff Opposer of Monarchy and would again have brought in Anarchy and Confusion a man of no extraordinary Parts but resolute and turbulent ever heading a faction and dyed impenitent adhering to his wicked Principles Lambert was a good Soldier had a great designing head Ambitious but outwitted by Cromwell of great Power in the Army and beloved by the factious Sectaries some have thought he was then a Papist for he prov'd one since and carried on the Jesuits designs Fleetwood was a person of a pretended great Devotion but of a secret and violent Ambition and it was thought glad of Richard's fall hoping to succeed but fool'd by Lambert as well as formerly by Cromwell and though General had not the resolution of a man in his place and therefore called the meek Knight Jones was a flattering Sycophant Desborow a sordid Clown Pride an upstart Dray-man Hewson a Valiant Cobler Whaly a Merchant Sir Henry Mildmay an unworthy Turncoat and Rebel The rest much of the same stamp They had their Clergy too of the same Cloth as the Post-Priest Vavasor Powel the Fool Cradock The Incendiary John Goodwin Love Jenkins of both sorts Presbyterians and Independents who served their turns to trumpet forth Sedition to the People and to extoll their Acts for which they shared in the prey But above all the rest was the notorious and blasphemous wretch Pander and Buffoon Hugh Peters and because he was Chaplain in Ordinary to two great Potentates Lucifer and Oliver Cromwell I care not if I give you a little larger account of the man His Father was a Minister of the Church of England living near Foy in Cornwales where his Son Hugh was born and bred up by him at School instructed well in the Principles of the Protestant Religion sent thence to Cambridge and admitted into Jesus College but was soon Expelled the University for his lacivious life He gets to London and there turns Player in Shakespear's Company usually acting the Jester or Fool but weary of that by means of a Gentleman he became acquainted with he got a Free-School with the Stipend of 24 l. a year at the Gentleman's dispose in Essex After some time this Pedant growing familiarly acquainted with a Gentlewoman near who liked his Drolling discourse and used to entertain him being one that had an Estate he so ordered his business that he one night surprised her in Bed and getting in to her had a Comrade that came and surprised them before the strugling Gentlewoman could get forth of his Arms who saluting them Man and Wife caused the trepanned Woman to avoid the shame to consent to marry him After this he takes Holy Orders and was by Doctor Mountaine Bishop of London Ordained Priest and Deacon giving the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to him which he took And now beginning to Preach he grows popular and was much applauded among the females whom he ever sought to please so that he got to be Lecturer of St. Sepulchres in London and continued there near Twenty years Here he turns Independent and his Wife being dead he lead so beastly and scandalous life that being detected and prosecuted at Law for many Misdemeanors he flyes over to Amsterdam where continuing the like pranks he goes at last to New-England where he Marries another Wife but that not keeping him Chast he began to grow odious amongst the Brethren and the Wars then breaking forth in England he returns and is entertained as a rideing Parson in the Army and at last becomes the Parliaments great Zany Preaching for the Cause and jugling the Women out of their Thimbles and Bodkins by which means he became Oliver's great Privado and with Ireton was admitted of the Cabal in contriving his late Majestie 's Death for which and his other good Services being a Col. under Oliver in his Irish Expedition he had given him 300 l. per annum out of the Lord Worcester's Lands in the Woulds in Worcester-shire and as they say the King's Library at St. James's and was Chaplain in Pay to fix Regiments But at last had a more deserved Reward an Halter being taken in Southwark was at last Executed for his Treasons and dyed like a Sot I shall conclude with him and now proceed to the second
was interwoven with the Laws and was most necessary to be assumed For that the Title ought to be accommodated to the Laws not the Laws to it as they must if he continued the name of Protector That new titles were ever suspected and that the name of Protector had still been unfortunate to the Kingdom and to themselves That it being given him by the Soldiers it smelt too much of Conquest That the Roman Empire never thrived so well but was alwâ—ys full of confusion under the titles of Consuls Dictators or Prince of the Senate as it did under the title of Kings untill Caesar came to settle the Empire they also lay'd before him the reasons for the changing the Title of Lord to King of Ireland in the time of King Henry the 8 th for the better and more regular Government of the Nation But their main Argument was drawn from the Statutes of 9 Edw. 5. and 3 H. 7. by which all persons were indemnified that took up Arms for the King in being and would be a great security to himself and the people to have it thus setled upon him by Act of Parliament But for all this for the Reasons aforesaid his fears surmounted his Ambition he at last gave them a peremptory Refusal telling them that it was against his Conscience and that he could not offend so many Godly men and Officers of the Army who had declared against the title and office of King but he desired that the Title of Protector and the Government by a single person might be confirmed by consent of this Parliament Upon this his refusal which was cryed up as a great Vertue and sign of his Humility the Parliament confirm him in his former title and dignity and an explanatory part to the Petition and Advice was prepared in respect of the Protector 's Oath his Counsels Members of the House of Commons and of the other House as they called it instead of the House of Lords which were to sit and to consist of 60 odd Lords of Cromwell's making The chief heads of the Petition and Advice were 1. That he should exercise the Office of Chief Magistrate under the Title of Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and to govern according to the Petition and Advice and that in his life-time he should appoint his Successor 2. That a Parliament should be called every three years at farthest and that it should consist of two Houses 3. That the Members of Parliament legally chosen should not be secluded the House but by consent of the House notwithstanding this he did not re-admit the secluded Members of this House which he had cast out 4. Shewed certain qualifications for the Members to be chosen 5. The power of the other House was declared 6. That no Law should be altered repealed or made but by Act of Parliament 7. That the constant yearly Revenue of the Army and Navy be setled and that to be a Million of Pounds Sterling and 300000 l. more for the support of the Government besides other Temporary supplies as the House of Commons should see necessary and fit 8. That the Protector 's Council should not exceed the number of 21 nor to be under 9 and 7 of them to be a Quorum 9. That the chief Officers of State to be chosen or approved by the Parliament 10. That his Highness should incourage a Godly Ministry 11. That the Protestant Religion should be professed and that he should cause a Confession of Faith to be made and that none should be permitted to reproach it or revile it by words or writings With some other matters of less importance With this the aforementioned Acts with an Act for Assessment of 60000 l. a month for three months Another Money Act for 50000 l. for England 6000 l. for Scotland and 9000 l. for Ireland with some others concerning Trade were presented to Cromwell to Sign by the Parliament To whom returning them many thanks he said That he perceived that among those many Acts they had made that they had taken great care to provide for the just and necessary support of the Common-wealth by those Bills for Levying of Money and understanding that it had been formerly the practice of the chief Governours to acknowledge with thanks to the Commons their care and regard to the Publick therefore he very heartily thank'd them and acknowledged their kindness therein And after he had signed these Bills and the Petition and Advice and Articles therein He told them That he had undertaken one of the greatest burthens that ever was laid upon the back of any humane creature and therefore he asked their help and prayers to God that he might have the divine Assistance for the discharging of this great trust And that for his part nothing should have induced him to have taken upon him this unsupportable burthen to flesh and blood but that he had seen in the Parliament a great care of those things that might make clearly for the Liberty of the Nations and for the Interest of such as feared God And if that the people were not thank full to them for their great care it would fall as a sin upon their heads With much more of the same nature This being done they prepare for the Solemnity of his Inauguration or Investure anew for though he was before solemnly inaugurated into the Protectorate as you have heard according to the Instrument yet it was thought fit that it should be done again for the greater confirmation of the business because the Articles of this Petition and Advice were different from the former Instrument For now there was to be another House and whereas before his Council was to name his Successor he had now power to doe it himself so that he was an absolute Monarch and might leave the Succession to his Son if he pleased A Committee being appointed for this purpose on the 26 th of June 1657 before a great assembly of people and with much more Ceremony than before he was installed in Westminster-Hall under a great Canopy of State in great pomp and much magnificence too long for me here to relate the Great Seal being carried by the Lord Commissioner Fiennes and the Sword by the Earl of Warwick The City Sword by the Lord Mayor Tichbourn all bare-headed The Dutch and French Ambassadors being also present The Speaker of the House of Commons presenting him with a Robe of Purple Velvet a Bible a Sword and a Sceptre making a Speech to him in presenting them Telling him that the Purple Robe was an Emblem of Magistracy and imported Righteousness and Justice The Bible containing the Holy Scriptures was Christ Veiled and Revealed and contained both Precepts and Examples for good Government The Sceptre not unlike a Staff was to shew he was to be the Staff of the poor and weak of ancient use for that the Scripture says The Sceptre should not depart from Judah and that Kings and Princes were called by Homer
Rocks Nor the People into the like Rebellion in seeking to avoid Arbitrary Government or some Shadows of it bring it upon themselves totally to the subverting the Monarchy and the Fundamental Laws of the Land To the intent then that they may see the difference between the happy Reign of lawful Kings and usurping Tyrants we have Collected the illegal Acts and bloody Persecutions of those Usurpers of Arbitrary Government the Rump and Oliver that by the matter of Fact the People may be convinced and deterred from thinking of Rebelling against their lawful Prince since 't is the only way to bring in Arbitrary Government whose most horrid Picture is display'd in the following History Arbitrary Government displayed to the Life in the illegal Transactions of the late Times IF we mount up the Hill of Time present and thence take a view on either hand lyes Time past and Time future or to come the latter is continually hidden in a Cloud and we are not able to take any Prospect of it unless by Divine or Prophetick illumination which tho certain is rare yet a wise man by looking back on Time past and Comparing the certain Effects resulting from several Causes may give a shrewd Guess of what is to come and thus from Experience he will pronounce that Fears and Jealousies betwixt a Prince and his people being wrought to the height will produce on the one hand Severity on the other Rebellion If the Prince gets the better of the People after they have run into actual disobedience it is not to be expected he should whilst he Lives slacken the Reins of his Power but by keeping them under extend it to the utmost of the line If the people thrive in their Rebellion the certain sequel is Usurpation Tyrannick and Arbitrary Government as hath been seen in several Ages and recounted in several Histories which we shall not mention our Design being to confine our Discourse to our own late Affairs and Transactions from the first setting up of the Rump in the place of Monarchy to the Restauration of our present Monarch whom God grant long to Reign If we look down from this Hill of Time presents thorow the Optick of History on Time past we behold the first Ages as in Landskip only not in a due Proportion being much lessened in Relation the middle Ages are more clearly viewed and lye open to discovery and are more largely Displayed in History but again the more near or next to the Mountain of Time present are also covered in a certain obscurity and as it were over-shadowed by the Mount of Time present that Truth is traced with a faint touch and usually things are not so clearly seen as at a longer distance But since every day renders the Prospect more clear We hope in this our short Relation of the late Usurpers and of their Tyrannick and Arbitrary Government to shew to the People a most lucid Picture of that dreaded Monster which they do and may most justly fear Arbitrary Government Fears and Jealousies fomented and heightned we may say begot it and Rebellion brought it forth for it was the foul Issue of our bloody Civil Wars It is not my task to write the Transactions between the late King and his Parliaments nor to draw forth a Scheme of that most unnatural War which robb'd England of it's Peace and devoured so many brave and valiant Subjects this hath been sufficiently and fully by several Pens already performed But I shall begin the rise of my Historical Collections from the time of the Exclusion of the greater part of the Members of the house of Commons called the long Parliament and when the Tail or Rump as they are called of the said Commons against all Law and Right usurped the Regal Authority of the Nation and placing it upon themselves Exercised a Tyrannick and Arbitrary Government with any shadow of legal Authority for altho it is not to be doubted that the bloody War commenced by the long Parliament against their sovereign Lord and King was illegal and unjust yet I say by that Bill passed by his late Majesty together with the Bill of attainder against the Earl of Strafford on the 8 th of May 1641. for the continuance of that Parliament and that it should not be Prorogued or Adjourned but by act of Parliament and on the 10 th of the same Month had the Royal assent gave them I say some Colour or shadow of Authority and extreamly inbroiled the Kings affairs The advisers to the passing of this Act are not certainly known some attribute it to the Lord Say others to the designing Marquess Hamilton who brag'd of it in Scotland as his Act but whoever they were it prov'd most pernicious to the King and seem'd to Authorise the Rebellion by his own Act. But before we enter upon the Actions of these Usurpers we shall only make mention of some preliminary Acts of illegal Arbitrariness of this Parliament before their Votes of Non-Addresses to the King and their sceluding their fellow Members and of their growing up to that perfection of Evil in taking upon them the Administration of the Government and of that unparallel'd-Murther of a great Monarch their soveraign Lord and King The first was under the Notion of maintaining the Protestant Religion their entring into a solemn Protestation or Association among themselves and also imposing it on the Consciences of all others who should bear any Office either in Church or State Secondly their raising men arming them and forming an Army and so running on into actual Rebellion against their Head and continuing that most Bloody War with so much Heat and Animosity hearkhing to no Treaties c. Next their flinging the Bishops out of the House and imprisoning twelve of them for asserting their Right only by a Protestation And which was absolutely against the Priviledges granted to them by Magna Charta and a lopping off one of the Estates of the Realm Then their putting a difference between the Kings person and his politick Capacity raising War against him in his own Name for as yet the Keepers of the Liberties of England were not thought of but the Style ran in the name of the King and Parliament making the King to fight against himself and to War with himself Next their illegal imprisoning their fellow Subjects and disseizing many of their free Holds for their Loyalty to their Prince and for not lending them Money to carry on their Rebellion and also putting to Death the Hothams all contrary to Magna Charta and the Liberty of the subject and full of Arbitrariness Next their endeavouring to perswade the People that the Soveraignty law wholly and radically in them and so effectually in the Parliament on House of Commons for they now began to be esteemed only the Parliament Then by their Endeavouring â—o take the power of the Sword out of their Soveraigns â—and and to put it into their own thereby to make him a King
and that they would think of some other Government no matter what so it were not by Kings or Devils Then Ireton gravely and with his Protesting he spake the Sence of many thousand Godly men who had ventured their Lives with him in the Army said That the King in denying those Bills had deny'd his safety and protection to the People and that therefore they might justly and lawfully deny to yield him any further Obedience and that it was fit they should settle the Kingdom without him Then Cromwell at last after a long debate with an Hypocritical Face stood up telling them of the Valour Courage Resolution and readiness of the Army to stand by them and to Live and Dye with them and that therefore now the Parliament should by their own Power Rule and Govern the Kingdom and not expect safety any longer or any help from an Obstinate man whose heart God had hardened and therefore no more to be trusted for that his future Reign would become more insupportable and fuller of Revenge than Justice That else those men who had so long defended them would think themselves betray'd by them to the Malice and Rage of an irreconcileable Enemy whom they had subdued for their sakes and that dispair might teach them to seek their safety by some other means than adhering to them who would not stick to themselves and how destructive that resolution might be to them all he even trembled to think of and left them to consider This concluding Menace from that terrible Bug-bear very much overawed the House Upon this they came to Vote and the Questions being put they Voted No more Addresses or Applications should be made to the King carrying it in the Affirmative there being one hundred and forty one Yeas and ninety one Noes This was also assented to by the Lords and published Resolved by the Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament That no Application or Address be made to the King by any Person whatsoever without the leave of both Houses Resolved by the Lords and Commons c. That the Person or Persons that shall make breach of this Order shall incur the penalty of high Treason Resolved by the Lords and Commons c. That they will receive no more any Message from the King and do injoyn that no Person whatsoever do presume to receive or bring any Message from the King to both or either of the Houses of Parliament or any other Person Upon this comes forth a Declaration from the Army Among other things they declare That they are resolved to stand by the Parliament in these their Votes concerning the King and in what shall be necessary for the Prosecution thereof and for the setling and securing of the Parliament and Kingdom without the King and against him or any other that shall pertake with him The Parliament also after this put forth a publick Declaration about the beginning of February 1648. in which were many strange Invectives against the King and his Government raking in all the Errors thereof and remembring things done before his Reign They also endeavoured to have fixed on him the Murther of his Royal Father King James the Rebellion and Massacre of Ireland and other wicked and horrid Crimes lay'd to his Charge and almost in every bodies Mouth so that they were not only Content to take away the Government from their King and to usurp the Royal dignity but they went about to defame him and to Murther his Honour and Innocency even before they had agreed to take away his Life from his Person and to make him as odious as they could in the Eyes of all men to take off the Odium as much as they could from themselves for what they now intended to do viz. The murther of their Prince which began now to be designed by the prevailing Independent Party who had got the Army on their sides and overawed the rest However they could not carry things so but that their Intentions began to be seen altho they had procured Letters or Addresses of thanks from several Counties by their Agents for their Votes against the King yet for the most part the peoples Eyes being now every day more and more opened began to see what a Brat they had nourished up under the notion of Liberty whâ— being grown up to it's height proved that most dreadful Arbitrary they so much had feared insomuch that from Grumbling and Murmuring the City began to stir and in several other places as in Kent and in Wales under Lauhorn Poyer and Powell upon this the Commitee of Darby House was Impowred anew for the suppressing of Tumults and Insurrections The Insurrections were soon quelled tho not without Blood by the industry of Cromwel and Ireton and by the Permission of divine Providence The Scots by their Commissioners desired to know if they were excepted by the Parliaments Votes of Non-Addresses to the King which Message caused great debates and being yet fearful of disobliging them at last it was permitted â—â—em to make Addresses to the King which was not well â—â—ken by the Independent Faction in the Army But â—â—e King was now more straitly secured by Collonel â—â—mmond and he found not that Favour from him he â—â—d hoped for being the Brother of one of his belovâ—â— Chaplains Doctor Hammond His Servants were reâ—oved from him and he restrained within the Castle â—â—lls which begot a Pitty and Commiseration of his â—â—se in the breast of several Loyal Subjects within the â—â—nd and especially Captain Burleigh who had forâ—â—rly serv'd him in the Army and who now made an â—â—â—empt to rescue the King out of Hammond's hands bâ—t miscarrying he was taken and on the 10 th of Febâ—uary put to death at Winchester being tryed for High Tâ—eason by Serjeant Wild. Upon this his Majesty put foâ—th his Declaration which begot great Compassion in thâ— Hearts of all his Loyal Subjects throughout the Kingdom But yet they were not able to help him the Power being out of their Hands And he suffered a very close Confinement being sequester'd from the Convâ—â—â— of men which made him apply himself to a more â—â—â—e and blessed Converse with God as may be seen by his Excellent meditations in his Book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Pourtraiture of his Majesty in 〈◊〉 Solitude and Sufferings then wrot And now the Universities were purged for having thâ— Sword they resolved to have none of those Gownmâ—â— to plead Gospel for the Kings Authority and thâ—â—efore all such should be ejected that knew not 〈◊〉 against Conscience to preach and declaim of their 〈◊〉 to which end the Earl of Pembrook Chancellour oâ—â—he University of Oxford with others as learned as hâ—â—â—elf were sent to purge the University where they 〈◊〉 forth many learned and honest men under the 〈◊〉 of Ignorant and Scandalous by which means 〈◊〉 sent packing all such as were not for their turn â—â—ril the 20 th the Duke of York made his escape 〈◊〉 St.
up the Foundation of a Government which the people were to consent to which consent or Agreement of the People should be above Law That in the Agreement a day should be set for the Dissolution of the Parliament and this to be drawn up in a Remonstrance from the Army This was incouraged by Major general Harrison who urgged there could be no safety for them nor the Nation but by the cutting off the Kings Head and the thorowly purging at least if not the Dissolving the Parliament Upon this the Army now wholly at Cromwell's Devotion sends up a Petition to the Commons for Justice to be done on the King as a Capital Offender That the Prince of Wales and Duke of York be Summon'd by a Day and if they come not in to be declared incapable of the Succession and Government and if they come in to be proceeded against for Satisfaction That the Revenues of the Crown be sequestred That publick Justice might be done against the Actors in the late Wars against the Parliament That they may be paid their Arrears and the Country eased of free Quarters and lastly that a Period be put to this Parliament and care taken for the Electing of future Parliaments and that no King be admitted for the future The Army Entring the City The Rump dreggs of y e house of Commons Sitting after y e Army had turnd y e good members out Oliver seeking God whilâ— the King is murthered by his order Bradshaw the Taylor and y e Hangman keeper of the Libertyes of England This force being put upon the House and new moulded driving away all that were not for their turn besides many others for fear absented themselves the rest who afterwards obtained the name of Rump or Rumpers being the Relicks of a greater Body met again and submitting to the Power of the Army to please them Vote That no Message be received from the King on pain of Treason That the General should take Care of his Person and that a Charge of High Treason should be drawn up against him Having now fully concluded to destroy him Thus have we briefly drawn to your View the first Lineaments of an Arbitrary Government and Tyrannical Usurpation in very short Draughts shewing however the ways and means whereby these Men or Junto of Usurpers came by their Power and Authority overthrowing the very Foundation of our Ancient and most glorious Monarchy under the Notion of Liberty and setting up a Tyrannical Democracy or rather Oligarchy under the Regiment of a few selected Fellows who called themselves the Parliament and the Representatives of the Nation and in whom they pretend all Right of Power and Magistracy was to be placed The very shadow of all legal Power was now gone and this unparallel'd force put upon the Parliament in excluding the Major part of their Members by the Arbitrary will of Oliver Cromwel and his Mâ—â—midons contrary to all Law and Right took from them the very Name of a Parliament But they care not for that they shadow their impious Acts under that venerable Denomination and having now as they thought got into the Kingly throne by the power of the Army and the Sword imagined they should keep it when all this while not having the Command of the Army but being ridden by the general Officers thereof who designed as soon as they had done their work to pay them their Wages by dismissing them were but as the Cats foot made use of by the Monkey for the raking the Chesnut out of the Fire the benefit of which they intended to take themselves and this was the Murthering of their lawful Soverain whom they had deposed which was the next main Design driven on by the Independent Army and their Dromidaries this Junto of Men. We have seen these Men grown up into full Strength of Arbitrariness and got into the Throne of their Soveraign we will now proceed to Trace them by their Steps in the Exercise of this their Tyrannical Usurpation which we shall find to be according to the same unlawful Progress and to be of the same bloody Complexion for it is a certain Maxim That what Power is got by unlawful means must be kept by the same unlawful ways notwithstanding the specious pretences of Liberty and setling the Kingdom This Junto of Men being met and Voted as we have declared That no more Address should be made to the King nor any Message received from him they take Care in the next place having got into the Saddle to keep it and to make the World believe they had a right to it if they could for now an Ordinance was drawn up that the Lords and Commons of England do declare That by the Fundamental Laws of the Land it is Treason in the King of England to levy War against the Parliament This preparative in making the King a Transgressor and in placing the Supream Power in the People whose Representatives they were was in Order to their Design of Murthering the King This being sent up to the Lords who denyed to consent to it the Commons grow very angry and finding the Lords to be yet an Obstacle to their bloody Intentions they Vote That all Members of Committees should Act in any Ordinance by them made without the Lords Concurrance the People having by God the full power Originally in themselves and therefore what ever they enact is Law which passed Nemine Contradicente The Army still continuing their Guards upon the House keeping out any of those Members were not of their Party and imprisoning them they had much â—doe to make an House and sometimes it was Noon 〈◊〉 they could get forty men together without which iâ— could not be an House so very Scrupulous were these grand Hypocrites to keep up a Face of Authority in these minute Circumstances who in the great Fundamentals had broke in two all Bonds Obligations Oaths and Laws The Army now the Lords of all Garrison Black-Fryars and St. Paul's turning the house of God into a Stable and defiling it with Dung robbing divers Halls which they call'd borrowing of several sums of Money by their Saint-like Prerogative accounting the rest Egyptians In the mean time the secluded Members still imprisoned put forth a Declaration against this most horrid violence of the Army done to their Persons and to the Fundamental Laws of the Land the Rights of the People and the priviledges of Parliament this was dated 11 th December 1648. This being complained of to the House both Lords and Commons put forth a Declaration against it wherein they declare That the Declaration put forth by those Members of the House of Commons Excluded the House in which was these Words viz That all Acts Ordinances Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons made since the 6 th of December or hereafter to be made duering the restraint and forcible Seclusion from the House and the Continuance of the Armies force upon it are no way Obligatory but
having made way for the most horrid and Bloody design that ever was heard of the Motion is made in this usurping House to proceed to the Trâ—al of the King as a Capital Offender When the grand Impostor Cromwell stood up and said That if any man moved this upon Design he should think him the greatest Traytor in the World but since Providence and Necessity had cast them upon it he should pray to God to bless their Councells And so on the 28 th of December 1648. Thomas Scot brought in the Ordinance for the Tryal of the King being read and Committed three several times and all the Commissioners names inserted Consisting of divers Gentlemen and Soldiers This Ordinance being pass'd the Junto they send it up to the Lords House by the Lord Grey of Grooby together with their Vote formerly made Viz. Resolved c. That the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament do declare and adjudge That by the Fundamental Laws of the Realm it is Treason in the King of England for the time to come to levy War against the Parliament and Kingdom of England The house of Lords debate the matter and first the Declaratory Vote against which the Earls of Manchester and Northumberland with others spake and declared There was none nor could be any such Fundamental Law in England whereby the King could be a Traytor by leaving War against his People and that thus to declare Treason by an Ordinance when no law was extant to judge it by was most unreasonable Upon which the Lords cast out this Ordinance and Vote and adjourned themselves for seven days This proceeding of the Lords gave them no small trouble and stirr'd up the wrath of some of the Zealots who threatned to hang a Pad-lock on the Lords door and sending up to search their journal Book they found the Lords had made these two Votes That they do not Concur to the said declaratory Vote And Secondly That they rejected the Ordinance for the Tryal of the King Upon which these men resolving to be rid of the Lords as well as of King they Vote That they should Act without them as well they might according to their own Law That all Authority was sounded in the People and that they being the Representatives of the People all Authority lay in them Some of them were for Impeaching the Lords for favouring the grand Delinquent of the Land as they called the King And now to make all sure on their sides that they may Act legally On the 4 th of January they Vote That the People are under God the Original of all just Power That the Commons of England in Parliament assembled being chosen by and representing the People have the Supreme Power of this Nation That whatsoever is declared or Enacted for Law by the House of Commons assembled in Parliament hath the force of Law This makes clear Work and by this our Arbitrary Usurpers may do what they will and cut off their Kings Head according to their own Position legally what need of Kings Lords Laws Rights Liberties Properties or fundamental Government when the Arbitrary Consciences of such men may serve instead of all and conclude thereby all the People of England tho they declare against it and tho opposed by the King or House of Peers And thus notwithstanding the rejection of the Lords these Commons pass their Ordinance and declaratory Vote by the name of An Act of Parliament of the House of Commons which was never before heard of for the Tryal of Charles Stewart King of England This being objected to Hugh Peters that there was no President or Example for the Tryal of a King by a judicial Court he Prophanely applyed That there was never any President before the Virgin Mary of a Womans conceiving and bringing forth a Child without accompanying with a Man therefore they might walk without President for this was an Age to make Examples and Presidents There was yet one thing that passed these men which they had not foreseen which was That it was a very improper thing to make use of the Kings Seal wherein he is styled King of England c. by the Grace of God to seal a Commission against him for his Tryal They were now in hast and could not stay for a new one which they had not as yet thought on therefore it was concluded the Commissioners should proceed upon the Ordinance without any Commission under Seal and that every Commissioner should set his own Hand and Seal to the Instruments of their Proceedings All things being now in a readiness for the Tryal The King is taken from Hurst Castle and brought to Winchester thence to Farnham thence to Winsor and thence to St. James on the 19 th day of January And they had caused for the greater Solemnity of the Business their Serjeant Dandy who was appointed Serjeant at Arms to the Commissioners for the Tryal of his Majesty to proclaim it openly in Westminster-Hall with his Mace on Horse back with six Trumpets and several Officers attending all bare That the Commissioners were to sit to morrow and that all those who had any thing to say against Charles Stewart King of England might be heard This was done in like manner in Cheap-side and at the Royal Exchange The same day the House Voted their great Seal to be broken and ordered a new one to be made Upon this Mr. Prin sends to the Junto a Memento of their unpresidented Proceedings Complaining of the force and Violence put upon their fellow Members warning them from Acting Consulting or ordaining any Act or Ordinance without Concurrence of their fellow-Members being Arbitrary and against Law and that the secluded Members not only declared against such Proceedings but more especially against this horrid Act of theirs for the Tryal of the King shewing them That by the common Law and by the Statute of 25. Ed. 3. and all other Acts concerning Treason it is high Treason for any man to Compass or Contrive the Death of the King or his eldest Son tho never Executed That they were also bound to the Contrary by their Oath of Allâ—giance from which no Power could absolve them That they had in above an hundred Declarations and Ordinances in the name of the Parliament professed That they never intended the least hurt injury or Violence to the Kings person his Crown Dignity or Posterity with several other things very pressing and full as may be seen at large in the printed Paper but all was in vain for they were resolved on the Business tho they could give no kind of colourable Reason for their Actings This Memento was seconded with a Declaration and Protestation signed the 19 th of January by the said Prin and Clement Walker another of the secluded Members which ran very much after the same Tenure and absolutely Protesting against the Junto's Actings and Proceedings declared against the illegal Act of Erecting an high Court of Justice and usurping a Power against
all Law and without all President to try depose and bring to Capital punishment the King and to dis-inherit his Posterity c. But at the same time the Officers of the Army had contrived and ordered two Godly Petitions to be presented to them viz For the abolishing Tythes and the Repealing the Act for the Banishment of the Jews And now Oliver and his Privado Officers having brought their Work to this readiness are fasting and praying as hard as they can no doubt for the Success of it tho they put another Face on the matter and said it was for Direction and Counsel And now it was and not before that this great Usurper of the â—onarchy and Liberties of the people began to lay the great Design of steping into the Soveraignty and laying the Foundation of his Tyrannical reign by the Death and Murther of the King For the private Officers both from the King and his Friends and from the Prince himself in this exigent to save the Life of his Father were not small but he that now aimed at all would not be content with a portion of justly acquired greatness and perhaps he was not sufficiently assured of the Mercy of the Prince he had so highly offended as that he could be able to forgive all those great Crimes he was guilty of but that either himself or his Posterity might remember them to his Prejudice since all he was able to do towards his Majesties Restauration was but what in Duty and Conscience he was bound to do But what ever instiâ—ations he had besides those of the Devil he was not to be shaken tho attempted by a Kinsman of his and of his own Name who as reported was sent either from the Prince himself then at the Haguâ— or from the States of Holland with Credential Letters and a Blank sealed with the Kings and Princes Signets and confirmed by the States for Cromwell to write his own Conditions in if he would preserve the Life of the King This found him at his House recluse with his Privadoes at their Prayers as given out but to what God we may easily Imagine The business being urgent and the Kings Martyrdom approaching the Gentleman with some difficulty got to the private Speech of him to whom he very fully laid open the Hainousness of the Fact he was going about and what an Odium it was about to cast on the English Nation abroad and withal let him understand what Terms he had to offer him and that he might now make himself his Family and Posterity for ever happy and Honourable otherwise he would bring such an Ignoimny on the whole Generation that no time would be able to delete Cromwell after his canting way shifted it off from himself and put the Act upon the Army and Parliament declaring he had sought God very much in the Business but as yet had no return of his Fasting and Prayers about it therefore he desired till night to consider of it and promised that he should hear from him before he went to Bed and accordingly about Twelve or One of the Clock the Gentleman expecting his Answer he sent him word That he might return for he and his Officers had been seeking God and that now it was Resolved the King must dye this was but a night or two before the King's Murther On the 20 th day of January 1648. being Saturday these bloody Commissioners met called an high Court of Justice for the Tryal of the King who was brought before them and with much Patience and sometimes smiling he heard their long Charge but denying the Jurisdiction of the Court refused to plead requiring them to shew by what Law or Authority besides their unjust Usurpation or power of the Sword he was brought before them who were his Subjects I shall not trouble the Reader with any farther Relation of this Tryal it being at large so often printed nor with the Names of the Judges and Officers of this pretended Court it being to be had in every Booksellers shop I intending in these Collections only a brief Narrative of these Usurpers Proceedings that the World might behold the true Picture of Arbitrary Government and Tyrannical rule and not an exact Chronicle or History of those times tho I would not omit any Material thing that may give Satisfaction or Delight to the Reader I shall observe that as an ill Omen the Silver head of the King's Staff dropt off as the Charge was reading which the King wondring at and seeing none so Officious as to take it up he stoop'd himself and taking it up put it into his Pocket At his going from the Court looking very austerely about him without moving his Hat he pointed with his Staff to the Sword and said I do not fear that As he went along the Hall some Cry'd out Justice Justice and others God save the King On Sunday Cromwell Bradshaw and the rest of the Commissioners kept a Fast at White-Hall where preached Joshuah Sprigg whose Text was He that sheds-Man's blood by Man shall his Blood be shed Then Mr. Foxley whose Text was Judge not lest you be Judged Lastly Hugh Peters whose Text was I will Bind their Kings in Chains and their Nobles in Fetters of Iron And thus by their wicked application of the word of God they endeavoured to justifie their most Execrable Murther of their Lawful King There was by some who durst to do any thing against these Cruel and powerful men certain Papers scattered about in which were several Queries as Whether a King of three Kingdoms could be Condemned by one Kingdom alone without the Consent or Concurrence of the other Kingdoms Whether a King if try'd ought not to be try'd by his Peers And whether he could be said to have any such in his Kingdom Whether if a King were Tryable he ought not to be tryed in full Parliament of Lords and Commons Whether the 8 th part of the Members of the Commons meeting in the House under the force of the Army the rest being forcibly restrained from sitting can by any Pretext of Law or Justice erect a Court for the Tryal of the King And whether this could be properly called a Court of Justice without the great Seal of England Whether that those men who by several Remonstrances Speeches and Actions have publickly declared themselves Enemies to the King can either in Law or Conscience be his Judges when it is Exception enough for the basest Felon to any Jury-man to hinder him from being his Judge Whether this most illegal and Arbitrary Tryal of the King by an high Court of Justice may not prove a most Dangerous inlet to absolute Tyranny and bloody Butchery and every mans Life be at the Arbitrary will of his Enemies erected into a Court of Conscience without limits or bounds But words are nothing and these paper Arms tho furnished with the highest Reason could not move these obdurate Men who persisted in their bloody Business driven
on by the secret and forcible Machinations of Oliver and his Cabal The second day being Monday the 22 d. of January the Court met again and the Solicitor Cook urged extreamly for judgment against the Prisoner unless he would own the Authority of the Court which the King constantly denyed to do and offered his reasons against them but they would not be heard The 3 d. day being January 23 d. the King was brought again before the Court who had in the Painted Chamber the day before Resolved That the King should not be suffered to argue the Courts Jurisdiction and had ordered That in case he offer'd to dispute the Authority of the Court that the President should let him know that he ought to rest satisfied with this Answer That the Commons of England assembled in Parliament have Constituted this Court whose Power may not nor should be permitted to be disputed by him And that in case he should refuse to answer or acknowledge the Court the Lord President should let him know his Contumacy should be recorded But the King still persisted in the denyal of their Authority upon which the Clark reads Charles Stewart King of England you are accused in the behalf of the Commons of England of divers high Crimes and Treasons which Charge hath been read unto you the Court now requires you to give your positive and final Answer by way of Confession or denial of the Charge But the King told them he could not acknowledge a new Court set up contrary to the Priviledges of the People to alter the fundamental Laws of the Land The 4 th and last day was the 27 th of January 1648. where appeared about fifty six of those Commissioners who sate when judgment was given against the King by their President Bradshaw But the King having moved to be heard before the Lords and Commons in the painted Chamber promising after that to abide the judgement of the Court they withdrew for half an hour and returning they told the King This was but another denial of the Courts jurisdiction and therefore if he had no more to say they would proceed to Judgement Upon this after Bradshaw had made a long Speech endeavouring to justifie their Proceedings on this false point That the People are the supream Power whom the Commons represented he commanded the Clark to read the Sentence which was drawn up in Parchment in these words Whereas the Commons of England in Parliament have appointed them an High Court of Justice for the trying of Charles Stewart King of England before whom he had been three times convented and the first time a Charge of high Treason and other Crimes and Misdemeanors was read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England c. Here the Charge at length was read after which the Clark proceeds which Charge being read unto him as aforesaid He the said Charles Stewart was required to give his Answer but he refused so to do For all which Treasons and Crimes this Court doth adjudge the said Charles Stewart as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and a publick Enemy shall be put to Death by the severing his Head from his Body After this wicked Sentence passed by these Miscreants the King was had away to Sr. Robert Cotten's and thence to St. James's the rude Soldiers in his passage by them blowing Tobacco in his Face and one spit on it which he wiped off with his Hand-kerchief without taking notice of it But when he heard some of them to Cry out Justice Justice he said alas Poor Souls for a piece of Money they will do as much for their Commanders On the 29 th a Committee met in the paintâ—d Chamber to consider on the time and place of the Kings death which they ordered to be the next day before his own Palace Gate which was approved of by the Commissioners and a Warrant Signed and Sealed by them directed to Hacker Hunts and Phare and order that Marshal Nye Caryl Salway and Dell should attend on his Majesty and to administer to him spiritual help but the King would not be troubled with them and at his desire Doctor Juxon Bishop of London was admitted to Pray with him in private in his Chamber and to administer to him the Sacrament and his Children permitted to come to see him But John Godwin was also sent to be an over-looker of their Actions In the mean time the Junto Pen a Proclamation which they afterwards caused to be published making it high Treason for any man to proclaim or publish Charles Stewart the Son to be rightful Heir and Successor to the Crown of England after his Fathers death or any other of that Line King of England and that no man under Pain of imprisonment or other Arbitrary punishment which they should think fit to inflict shall Preach Write or speak any thing contrary to the present Proceedings of the supream Authority of this Nation the Commons of England assembled in Parliament The Sunday before the King dyed it is reported that some of the chief of the Army and Parliament tendred the King a paper to sign with promise of Life and some shew of a King the Power being wholly invested on themselves and was Destructive to the Fundamental Laws of the Land to the Religion established to the Liberties and Properties of the People one Proposition whereof was To continue the Power of the Sword to the Army and to have as a standing Force under the same general Officers forty Thousand Horse and Foot they to have the Choice of their own Officers among themselves by a Councel of War and to settle a constant Tax upon the People by way of a Land rate for the payment of the said Army and to be collected and levyed by themselves and a Court martial to be Erected of an exorbitant Extent and Latitude But his Majesty disdaining to read them all flung them aside and told them He should rather become a Sacrifice for his People and dye by their Hands than so to betray their Laws Liberties Lives and Estates the Church and Honour of his Crown and so to make all Slaves to the Arbitrary Will and Tyranny of an Army O Glorious Prince Oh height of Impudence of armed Arbitrariness See yet how they proceed on the 29 th of January the Junto Vote That it be enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authority of the same That in all Courts of Law Justice Equity and in all Writs Grants Patents Commissions Inditements Informations Suits Returns of Writs Fines Recoveries Exemplificationr Recognizances Processes and Proceedings at Law c. Within the Kingdom of England and Ireland and Dominion of Wales c. Instead of the Name Style or Title of King heretofore used should thence forward be used and no other than the Name Style or Title Custodes Libertatis Aâ—glie Authoritate Parliamenti The keepers of the Liberty of England by Authority of Parliament and the date of the Year of our Lord and no
by his Writ to confer with him as his Parliament Arduis negotâ—is or about urgent Affairs was Resolued 1 Hen. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 14.14 Hen. 4. Cook 4 th Institut p. 46. c. For it is not natural to suppose and impossible That the Lords and Commons should be a Parliament and make Acts and Laws without the King as for a Body to move and Act without an Head and therefore had there been any such thing intended to have been Enacted it was void because impossible for the Kings Royal assent could not be had after his Death and there is no Clause in the Act that obliges his Successor to Consent which clearly shews they never had any such intention at the making of this Act. And therefore on the death of the King all Commissions both of the Judges and others cease and all Proceedings determined tho the King is said to sit in the Court of the Kings-Bench in his politick Capacity which indeed never dyes so as to cause an Interregnum but other wayes as to the Continuance of Commissions Writs c. which must be renewed Consider also that if these men after the Death of the King could be a Parliament they must be so either by the Common Law and Custom of Parliaments which is clearly against them or by this Statute which as little Countenances them for they would then be another thing distinct from the Parliament which was summoned in the Kings Life for the Country had no Power to elect their Representatives but by the King 's Writ and therefore could receive no more Power from them than the Tenour of the Kings Writ granted which determining with the Kings Life their Representative-Power was also determined and by Consequence they could be no longer a Parliament If it could be thought they could be yet so by that Act then it follows That a Parliament by their Act might create another Parliament to exist after themselves were dissolved which is most absur'd and alters the Root and Foundation of all the Liberties of the Subject for they become no longer their Representatives but a Parliament by their own Act and it will never be thought that the people intended to entrust them with their Authority to change the Government and deprive them of their Fundamental Priviledges The Parliament cannot De jure do any thing against natural Equity quia jura naturae sunt immutabilia And also by the judgement of a Parliament this could not be being against the Law and Custom of Parliament for Ro. Parl. 42. E. 3. no 7. it is declared by the Lords and Commons in full Parliament upon demand made of them in the behalf of the King That they could not assent to any thing in Parliament that tended to the Disherision of the King and his Crown to which they were Sworn Now this Act of the 17 th of Caroli Primi is expresly against the Kings Successors Prerogative to call his own Parliament and therefore they could not make such an Act to the Disherision of his King and Crown A Parliament may be three ways Dissolved by the Declaration of the Kings pleasure or for want of entring their Continuances or by the Kings death whereby the Kings Writ which gives them their Authority is determined These words That this Parliament shall not be Dissolved unless by Act of Parliament is a general Negative which cannot extend to all Causes of Dissolution but have a respect only to that most usually hapning the Pleasure of the King till the pretended Grievances of the time were satisfied Now in all Times the judges have excepted particular Cases out of the general Negative or Affirmative Words of Statutes By the Star of Magna Charta C. 11. 'T is enacted That Common pleas shall not follow or be sued in the Kings-Bench which is a general Negative yet it is holden to be clear in Law That the King is not within these general Words and may sue in his Bench or any other Court at his Pleasure The Statute of Winchester is a general Statute That the Hundred c. shall make Satisfaction for all Robberies and Fellonies within the Hundred yet it is Resolved That the Hundreds shall make no Satisfaction for the Robberies of an House because the House was the owners Castle and he might have defended himself and preserved his Goods Besides this Clause in the said Act That all and every thing done or to be done for the Proroguing or Dissolving of this present Parliament contrary to this present Act shall be utterly voyd and of none Effect By which it appears That the cause of Dissolution which they intended to prevent was something that should consist in Action by the words Thing or Things done or to be done which words can only be applicable to an Actual dissolution by the Kings pleasure And the King's death is not a thing done but a Cessation of his personal being and of the Dependants thereupon And is not an Action but a Termination or Period So that it is most Clear these men could no longer by any the least Colour of Law or Reason pretend to sit and Act as a Parliament But alas What are Arguments to them who had usurp'd the Throne and Power of their Soveraign and had the vain and idle Hopes to keep it And to the strengthening themselves with all the Arbitrary and Tyrannical ways imaginable they proceed First they issue out their spurious Act before mentioned against proclaiming the King tho by the Law of the Land instantly upon the King's decease the imperial Crown of the Kingdom of England was by his inherent Birthright and by an undoubted Succession and Descent Actually vested in our now Soveraign eldest Son to the murthered King and next Heir of the Blood to his Royal Father and that before any Ceremony of Coronation as by Stat. of 1. Jacobi Ch. 1. And that all Peers of the Realm Majors Sheriffs and other chief Officers in all the Cities and Corporations of England are oblig'd by their places and Allegiance to proclaim him under pain of High Treason and forfeiting their City and Corporation Charters And notwithstanding the Junto's Prohibition there were several Proclamations printed and scatter'd about the City which proclaimed and asserted the Right of the Prince as next Heir to the Crown and by Birthright to be the lawful King of Great Britain c. Dated the 1 st of February Then also in like manner was privately scatter'd about another Paper in which were four Propositions briefly declaring That the House of Commons had no Power of themselves alone and without the Concurrance of the King and House of Lords to make any Act of Parliament Ordinance or to impose any Tax Oath Forfeiture or Capital Punishment on any Secondly That the few Members now sitting were no Court of Justice in themselves and could Erect no such Court for the Tryal of any person nor had Power to hear and determine any Civil or Criminal Causes and that
Hand and into the hands of his own Creatures of the Councel of State altogether ruled by him and therefore it may be wondred at that he did not immediately seize the Crown and set himself in the Throne which he now aspired to But things were not yet ripe and the subtil Fox found such a Levelling party in the Army which he saw must first be Crushed who would never indure it for they were for dividing and sharing all as a Land subdued by them among themselves and for owning no Authority but the Saints who were themselves These begin to rip up the Miscarriages of the Parliament and Cromwell to make them the more Odious puts them upon all Things he believed would make them so to the People and Army One of which was the new Erection of their most Tyrannical Court of Justice for the Tryal of some of the Lords and others whom they had still imprisoned for their Loyalty The first was Duke Hamilton who had invaded England as you have heard with him they at first deal gently hoping to have screw'd out of him the Names of some Eminent men in England that they thought might have invited him in But he either not able or willing in that point to give them Satisfaction and finding the Scots and Argile's party to hate him and to desire his Head he was Condemned tho he pleaded he had Quarter given him by Lambert upon Articles and would have given a hundred Thousand pound to save his Life After him was also tryed and Condemned the Earl of Holland and that most Noble and Heroick Peer the Lord Capel who had escaped out of the Tower but was retaken by means of a perfidious Water-man ever after hated for it He pleaded Articles of surrender but that was denyed him then he pleaded to be tryed at Common-Law put them in mind of Magna Charâ—a Petition of right and of the Fundamental Laws of the Land and that of right he ought to be tryed by his Peers urging them to shew a President of any such Tryal by an Arbitrary Court of Justice as they called it He talk'd to deaf Statues for he was too gallant a Man and too Active and Loyal to be permitted to Live On the 9 th of March these three Lords Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland and this Noble Lord much lamented were put to Death on a Scaffold in the Pallace-yard in Westminster by severing their Heads from their Bodies It is remarkable that this Lord dyed with much Courage and Christianity being nothing daunted at Death The Earl of Norwich and Sr. John Owen were pardoned by Vote of the House the Earl of Norwich having his Life by the casting Voyce of Lenthal the Speaker only Thus they proceed dipping their hands in Blood growing thereby more Odious to the People and about this time the Scots begin to stir and made a Protest against the Actions of the Parliament of England and on the third of February proclaim the King by the name of Charles the second at Edenborough by Lyon King at Arms. The Scotch Commissioners who had been long here were called home and at their departure they left an Expostulary Declaration putting the Junto in mind of all their Vows and Oaths in maintenance of the Kings Rights and defence of his Person and upbraided them with their shameful Abjuration and Infringment of them by their late horrid Proceedings This paper they Vote Scandalous and Seditious imprison the Messâ—nger who brought it and sending after the Commissioners secure them till the Parliament in Scotland send to justifie the Action and require their Commissioners being imprisoned Contrary to the Law of Nations upon which they were permitted to depart into Scotland and thus Jealousies of a breach began Troublesome John Lilburn an Active Leveller began now to stir delivering a Petition in the Names of many Thousand well affected c. with a Book intituled Englands new Chains discovered in which they find fault with many things done by this Junto and especially the Councel of State and with the erecting an high Court of Justice and altering the Fundamental Laws of the Land for Tryals by Juries Complain of the Excise and of several other things And after this another called a second Part of Englands new Chains which shewed the Hypocrisie and Perfidiousness of the Grandees of the Army and the Councel of State in Cheating all Interests King Parliament People Soldiers City Agitators Levellers c. Upon the back of this comes forth another Book called the Hunting of the Fox which spake against the Army and Councel of State set up by Cromwell and Ireton to erect a new Tyranny worse than the thirty Tyrants at Athens the Star-Chamber the High Commission or house of Lords c. These coming forth one upon the Neck of another shewed the troublesome Spirit that began to ferment in the Army which was now to be Purged as well as the Parliament had been or else Cromwell found he should not be able to work them to his ends And now he had an opportunity offerr'd him for Ireland being in a manner wholly lost excepting Dublin then besieged eleven Regiments were ordered by the Rump to be Transported for its relief by which means Cromwell hoped to purge out this Turgent humour of the Army But some of these bold Petitioners were seized and tryed by a Councel of War of which Barksted was President in which they were Cashiered the Army their Swords ordered to be broken over their Heads and to Ride with their Faces to the Horses Tails with Papers of their Crimes pinned to their Breasts at the head of the Regiments which Sentence was executed accordingly to the great Exasperation of the Army And not long afâ—er several Regiments began to Mutiny and to wear White Colours for distinction in their Hats which might have proved fatal to Cromwell's designs had he not with an undaunted Boldness at that time appearing in Person overawed them and causing two of them to be shot to Death before their Faces But this could not purge out the Humour which 〈◊〉 increasing two more of the Levelling Tribe were 〈◊〉 one of which was named Lockyer a Trooper shot in St. Paul's Church-yard but buried in great State by the 〈◊〉 Faction wearing green and black Ribbons in â—â—â—ir Hats And now the peoples Eyes daily began 〈◊〉 be opened finding what Keepers of Englands Liberties they had got The Regiments ordered to march at Salisbury make an Eruption alledging that this was a Trick to divide the Army and that they were not Mereenaries but took up Arms upon a righteous Principle of Government and therefore would not divide upon which several Regiments revolt and Collonel Scroop's laid aside their Officers and with Colours flying march'd to joyn Harrison's Regiment and Ireton's and Skippon's who had confederated But Fairfax and Cromwell by hasty marches with the whole Army follow them who at Burford in Oxford-shire made up about five Thousand Horse and Foot
with whom Cromwell by private Messengers held them in hand of a Treaty putting them in hopes of reconciling the Business without blows which made them neglectful till Fairfax and Cromwell fell upon them in their Quarters unsuspected their Horses being most at Grass at twelve a Clock of the night routed them and took about four hundred Prisoners of which only three were shot to Death the rest pardoned by Cromwell's Intercession to ingratiate himself with the Army One Thomson and two more dyed very Resolutely This business being over the General and Cromwell come to Oxford where they are feasted and made Doctors of the Civil Law And now the Army were fain to submit and accepted their Lots for going to Ireland which were these following Ireton's Scroop's Horton's and Lambert's Regiments of Horse Collonel Abot's of Dragoons And of Foot Collonel Eure's Cook 's Hewson's and Dean's to which were added three new ones Cromwell's Venable's and Phayer's Cromwell was made Commander in Chief with the Title of Lord Governour of Ireland and Fairfax was left at home to attend the Junto In the mean time the Keepers of the peoples Liberties were as fast as they could taking away the Lives of several Persons in several places whose Loyalty and Consciences had engaged them for their King as Lievtenant Collonel Moris and Cornet Blackborn who â—uffered at York the former having been Governour of Pomfret and one Beamount a Minister was hanged at Pomfret by Sentence of a Court Marshal Major Monday was shot to Death at Leicister Poyer a brave Gentleman in Covent-garden for the Welch Insurrection Sr. John Stowell and Judge Jenkins were arraigned at the Kings-Bench Bar as Traytors against the Government for their Loyalty to their King but they would not own the Courts jurisdiction yet they were not yet Sentenced but their Estates seized and Judge Jenkins kept long a Prisoner And that the people might the better see their Freedom and Liberty this Rump lay upon them a standing Tax of ninety thousand pound a Month for the maintenance of the Army these were the Persons who made such a stir about Ship-money The Lord Major of London Reynoldson is fined two thousand Pound for refusing to proclaim their Act for abolishing Kingly Government Then upon a report from the Councel of State they order The Kings's and Queens Lands to be sold Thirty thousand Pound to be taken out of it for the use of the Fleet and the rest to be distributed amongst the most considerable among them for Satisfaction of Losses sustained Thus they had killed and were now taking possession and several of the Kings Houses and Mannors were bestowed amongst them And besides this they had twenty thousand Pound a month out of the Fee-Farm Rents Now that the World might perceive what Liberty should be granted to the people they Order That no Minister in his Pulpit should meddle with State affairs and this in others was Oppression and tying up mens Consciencâ—â— But for all that new Lights as they called them increased and about this time one that was a Soldier came to Walton upon the Thames in Surry and in the Church-yard having a Candle and Lanthorn with him met the Minister and People coming out of the Church and told them he had a Vision and five new Lights were shewed him which they were to receive from him under pain of Damnation The first was That the Sabbath was abolished The second That Tythes were abolished Third That Ministers were abolish'd as Antichristian Fourth That Magistrates were abolish'd as useless and Fifthly That the Bible was abolish'd for Christ was come in the Spirit and Glory and so drawing a little Bible out of his Pocket he set it on Fire before them The War with Holland being now about to break forth the Earl of Warwick's former Commission is made voy'd and three Generals of the Fleet were made who were Popham Blake and Dean Before Cromwel's going to Ireland a Fast was kept at White-Hall where among the Militant Preachers Oliver stood up and in his Prayer he desired God to take off from him the Government of this mighty people of England as being too heavy for his shoulders to bear About this time also a third Book of John Lilburn's came sorth Called The Picture of thâ— Councel of State wherein he fully set forth all the illegal Arbitrary Violent and Tyrannical Proceedings of that Councel Lilburn Overton Walwin Prince and others had been before Clapt into the Tower intending to try them for their Lives Lilburn was ordered to be brought to the Kings-Bench Bar upon his Habeas Corpus but Cromwell sent to the Lieutenant of the Tower that he should not be brought who was obey'd not the Judges By which may be seen of what force the Laws were with them Then some thousands well affected Women petition the House in behalf of Lilburn but the Junto answered them He should be tryed by the Law for his Book called Englands new Chains discovered and they bid to go home and wash their Dishes Who reply'd they had neither Dishes nor Meat left This John Lilburn was tryed by a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer in October 1649. where he so notably pleaded his Cause shewed the illegality of the Parliaments Proceedings and so punctually cited all the Statutes and Laws of the Land in the behalf of the Liberties of the Subjects and so bafled the Judges the Attorney general Prideaux and their Councel that they could not Effect what they desired the taking away his Life upon an Inditement of High Treason put in against him but was found Not Guilty by his Jury to the great disappointment of his Enemies Their chief business now was to give one another Estates out of the Delinquents Lands as they called the Loyal Party whom they now sequester and made an Order That no Malignant or such as had been in Arms against them should come within twenty miles of London or go five miles from their own habitations Bishops and Deans and Chapters Lands sold and disposed to one another at easie Rates some got for three years Purchase for none but themselves would buy them About this time they send their Embassadors Oliver St. Johns and Walter Strictland into Holland for Satisfaction for Doctor Dorislaus who drew up the Charge against the King his being Assassinated in Holland by some Cavalier's but they were there affronted and forced to return Re infecta in great Discontent which exasperated our new States against the Dutch Ascham another of their Creatures was murthered also in Spain And tho the Dutch sent afterwards their Agent Myn heer Joachim with Complements and excuses our Junto could forget it and by it took an occasion to forgo their Friendship and prohibited their Fishing upon the English Coasts and the importing of any forrain Commmodities except in English bottoms or such as were of the Countrey whence the Commodities came This brought on the ensuing War commenced the next year between these two
follow his design in marching for England and whilst Cromwell went about to set upon S. Johnston's that he might make himself Master of the Pass at Sterlin which he took after a days siege the King marches for England from Sterlin by the way of Carlile with about sixteen thousand complete This News gave Cromwell an allarm and immediately he dispatches a Messenger with Letters to his Masters in England to inform them of it and to comfort them believing they would entertain no pleasant thoughts thereat giving them an account of his successes and that they should have confidence in God and should improve the best they could what Forces they had in readiness and should raise more and not be afraid for the Enemy was heart-smitten and were in a desperate condition with such like stuff In the mean time he orders Major General Harrison and Collonel Rich who were on the Borders to attend the motion of the King's Army until he were able to come up to them with his Forces The Parliament notwithstanding his canting Leâ—ters began to be jealous of him and spoke big words against him which came to his ears and which he remembred afterwards to their cost In the mean time Lambert with about three thousand Horse and Dragoons is speeded after the King and presently after Cromwell himself follows the same day the King enters England which was on the sixth of August having departed from Sterlin the last of July On his entring into England he was proclaimed as he went and pardon offered to all sorts of persons excepting Cromwell Bradshaw Cook and some others the most immediate Murtherers of his Father At the same time a Party in North-Wales began to rise to joyn with the Earl of Darby but were broken and disappointed The King with his wearied Men on the two and twentieth of August comes to Worcester being beset before and behind by the new raised Forces Cromwell Lambert and Harrison The Militia of London and of several Counties flock to Worcester so that by that time Cromwell was come up to them they had formed an Army of forty thousand men or more The Earl of Darby brought to the King two hundred and fifty foot and sixty Horse and having raised about twelve hundred more in Lancashire and those parts he was engaged by Lilburn and routed and several persons of Quality taken By this time Cromwell had close begirt Worcester and the King's Party beheld themselves in a very bad condition hemm'd in on all sides with numerous Foes and now too late saw their error of not marching directly to London which was dreaded by the Junto and which was earnestly desired and expected by the Londoners who wanted only a fuller security of shewing their inclinations for the King being over-awed and hindered through fear from declaring But God did not see it good that the King should be brought to the Throne by any other hand than that of Peace and by his own Subjects of England intending to shew him a more immediate care of his miraculous providence in his preservation and that he might not be subject to the Presbyterians for their assistance nor beholden to them for his Crown he was resolved to bring him in after a more glorious manner Nothwithstanding the great disadvantages the Scots were in they were resolved with much courage to sell their lives as dear as they could and that the English should not find it an easie purchase The first considerable Engagement was at Upton Bridge on Fleetwood's side who was Lieutenant General of the Army where Lambert with five hundred Horse and Dragoons beat Collonel Massy who endeavoured to maintain it But the fatal day was on the third of September auspicious to Cromwell the last year in his fight at Dunbar It is not my design to draw you the Scheme of the Battel intending only in these Papers to shew more particularly things of another nature this Action has been sufficiently made known therefore I shall only very briefly mention it The Scots to give them their due and the little handful of English that were with them fought bravely and shewed great courage and resolution disputing every Field with their numerous Enemies and coming to the But-end of their Muskets and Push of Pike with them covering the Field where they stood with their Bodies The King in person charged in one of the Sallies from the Town shewing extraordinary Valour Conduct and Courage in which Charge Duke Hamilton Brother to the Duke that was beheaded was shot and died suddenly after of his Wound But towards the Evening the English charging most furiously with Cromwell in the head of them enter'd with the retreating Scots into the Town and possessed themselves of the Fort Royal Then it was the King with the Duke of Buckingham the Earl of Derby and some others and about sixty Horse fled being narrowly miss'd by Cobbet but the Foot falling to plunder the Town which they did with great barbarity kept out the Horse for fear they should share with them which favoured his Majesties Escape who got that night to White-Ladies where he was disguised and all the rest departing several ways he was committed to the fidelity of the Pendrills being in the disguise of a Wood-Cutter with a Bill in his hand and for some time lay hid in the Celebrated Oak in Boscobâ—l Wood thence conveyed to Mr. Whitegrave's at Mosely whence as a Servant to Mrs. Jane Lane he went to Bristol but missing a passage there after many signal Marks of God's Providence in his miraculous Escape at least fifty several persons having been made privy to it he at last with the Lord Wilmâ—t embarked at Brightemsted in Suffex and was carried over by one Tetersell Master of the Vessel who afterwards was a Captain of one of his Majesties Frigats and got safe to Diep in France to the great joy of all his Friends The Scots lost in this Battel about two thousand slain upon the place and in the pursuit and about eight thousand Prisoners very few of the Scots got back to Scotland being known by their Tongue and pick'd up in their return by the Country most of the Nobility and chiefest Commanders were taken and carried Prisoners to London with all their Ensigns many of the chiefest Prisoners of the Nobility were kept in Windsor-Castle till the King's Restoration the Colours were hanged up in Westminster-Hall and several of the common Soldiers sold to Merchants and sent away as Slaves to the Barbadoes and other Plantations Comwell himself in great triumph passes to London being met at Acton by the Speaker and Members of the Junto the Lord Mayor of London and Steel their Recorder who in a flattering Speech applauded his great Atchievments applying to him the words of the Psalmist To bind their kings in chains and their nobles in fetters of iron And now the way to the ambitioned Throne seem'd open few Obstacles remaining except the Junto themselves which he had made so
made up 300 but they fell again upon the same disputes notwithstanding the Recognition A little before their sitting down Oliver publishes several Ordinances of his own which bearing date before past as Authentick Laws and Ordinances by the Instrument one was for the payment of monies into the Treasury raised for the propagation of the Gospel in Wales Another for the turning forth of Scandalous Ministers that is such as had used the Common Prayer and had good Livings Another for making Souldiers free of Corporations Another for surveying the King's Lands and for doubling upon Deans and Chapters This was to let the Parliament see that he took the Actâ— made by himself by power of his Instrument as good and authentick as theirs Mark here whether the most arbitrary of our Kings ever assumed such a power and yet these are days of freedom and liberty Lambert was very busie in this Convention endeavouring tooth and nail to have the Instrument confirmed by them for that the Protectorship being made elective he himself stood most fair to be the next Candidate but finding they would not drive but began to be as unruly as Cromwell's German Horses that flung him out of the Coach-box he threatned them that he would call 4 or 5 Parliaments one after another but it should be done following Oliver's menacing steps to the Junto There were some Common-wealth Officers in the Army that had designed to have seised on Lambert but Col. Pride betray'd them who was privy to the business and Cromwell seeing he could doe no good with his Parliament assoon as ever the 5 months were out dissolves them and then he takes from these who had conspired against Lambert their Commissions and seises on several others Commonwealths men and Royalists among whom was Major Wildman who was drawing up a Declaration to shew the lawfulness of taking up Arms against Cromwell and of the Royalists there were Sir John Packington Sir John Littleton and others which he imprisoned for a new Conspiracy as he said against his Life and Sir Tho. Harris was taken having a design of surprising of Shrewsbury Penruddoâ—k and Grove at Salisbury and in several other places as at Hexam Moor in Northumberland and in Yorkshire where Sir Henry Slingsby was taken all their designs being beforehand betray'd to Oliver and many Prisons in the West were filled with the common sort of people from which and from the Tower and other places many of them were sent away to Foreign Plantations and sold for Slaves and many forceably carried away in Pen's Expedition to be knockt on the head by the Moors Thus he endeavoured to secure himself by a bloudy and arbitrary way of proceeding as all Tyrants are forced to doe Having thus supprest this Insurrection which he knew of beforehand and was prepared for several of the chief that were taken were brought to their trials the chief of which were Mr. Penruddock who was a Captain and Mr. Grove another Captain 16 more were executed of which 9 at Excester Both Penruddock and Grove when taken surrendred themselves to Vnton Crook upon promise of having their lives but what signifies such Promises with such Persons who never kept their Faith these were brave and active Loyalists and therefore must not escape out of the bloudy Paws of the Usurper They were both condemned at the Assizes at Excester being indicted for Treason against the Usurper and endeavouring the bringing in of their lawfull King Charles Steuart and on the 16 th of May 1655 were both beheaded in that City Mr. Penruddock at his execution spoke very boldly and with much zeal against the iniquities of the Times and told them among other things that Treason was in that Age become an Individuum Vagum like the wind in the Gospel that bloweth where it listeth And Treason was then what the Ruler pleased to make so and lighted upon whom he would have it And by this said he you may see what a condition you are in when you have no Law to protect you no Rule to walk by with many other bold Truths which made them suppress his Speech and forbid it to be published that they might conceil as much as they could their illegal and arbitrary Proceedings For indeed one of the Jury that found him guilty being demanded afterwards for what reason they brought in their Verdict guilty against Mr. Penruddock and Grove Answered That they had resolved to hang them before they saw them A pious Resolution His Judges were Lisle Glin Roles and Nichols who denyed to give him their advice in point of Law because they said they were Parties and if so as indeed they were it was contrary to all Law for a Judge being a party to sit upon the Bench. But these were lawless Times Some others suffered at Chard in Somersetshire one beheaded at Salisbury and 3 hang'd and thus this Insurrection was quash'd But not long after he crowded the Tower with many Persons of note Prisoners upon suspicion of having an hand in this Plot or Treason as he called it and among the rest were the Earl of Lindsey The Lords Willowby of Parham Newport Maynard Faulkland Lucas Petres Sir Frederick Cornwallis Sir Jeoffery Palmer Sir Rich. Wingfield and others too long to relate but these were never brought to any tryal but it was thought convenient to secure them though nothing appeared against them Cromwell now the Dominus fac totum beholding himself mounted in the Throne of the Monarchy makes Leagues and War and Peace abroad as he pleased and as we have said having made an impolitick Peace with France losing thereby the ballance he had in his hand and giving too much to that Growing Monarch he designs a very unjust War without any provocation against Spain having a thirst after that King's Gold and Treasure at St. Domingo in the West Indies But this design was kept very secret and a great Fleet was equipped to the wonder of his neighbours yet that he might not lose his wonted exercise of Hypocrisie he gives out that it is for the propagation of the Protestant Religion though besides the insatiate hunger of Gold he might have some politick Reasons to move him to this dishonest breach which might be by this means a getting rid of a great many of the troublesome Sectaries in the Army whom he found still pecking against his power and endeavouring to alienate the minds of the Soldiers from him But now he shewed his Art in draining them for this expedition whereby he might sit the quieter at home Venables was made Commander in chief of the Land-forces and Pen of the Sea being made General and on the 27 th of December set saâ—l from Portsmouth with about 10000 Men on the 28 th of January following they put into Barbadoes and on the 30 th of March sailed for Hispaniola where they Landed their Men without opposition but whether it were the imprudence and ill management of the Generals or that God resolved to
known and most agreeable Government to the people of England this was hotly pursued by the Court-party of the House which after several hot debates produced The Humble Petition and Advice of which â—e shall speak anon The horrible licentiousness of these times had ripened the birth of strange and monstrous Opinions and Heresies and all places swarm'd with these kind of creatures of an hundred different perswasions The Ranters grew numerous and committed their beastialities under the notion of Liberty of Conscience publickly turning debauchery and all manner of wickedness into a Religion some lying with their Wives or other women openly in the Market-place several both men and women running stark naked without the least rag to hide their shame about the streets and into Churches pretending a Command from the spirit for these Actions Then the Socinians encreased who denied the Divinity of Christ one Biddle being infamous for those Opinions and one Erbery once a Minister for Ranting Then the Quakers began to grow numerous under George Fox their head and so troublesome that they disquieted Oliver himself who liked not their Antiministerial principles But above the rest James Naylor was at this time remarkable who grew to that height of delusion and phrensie as to personate our Saviour and procured a divine worship or adoration to be given to him by some women attending him He had been formerly a Soldier under Lambert who stickled much to save him from punishment but the Parliament now sitting take the matter into their cognisance being sent up from Bristol where he was he appears before them with a composed countenance his hair hanging after the fashion of those pictures made for our Saviour and with a forked beard often answering the questions put to him with Thou sayest it He was accused of Blasphemy and for assuming to himself divine Honours he having had Hosanna's sung before him and such expressions used to him as the people of the Jews used towards our Saviour when he rode into Jerusalem a little before his Crucifixion He used several evasions but the House sentenced him to be both at London and Bristol publickly Whipt through both the Cities to stand in the Pillory to have his Tongue bored thorow and to be stigmatized in the forehead with the letter B for a Blasphemer and then to remain in Bridewell during pleasure which sentence was with great severity inflicted upon him and which he underwent with a more than ordinary patience and resolution The Parliament having made an Act for Preventing of Multiplicity of Buildings within ten miles of London and that every house within that compass built upon a new foundation should pay a years Rent to the Protector they fall upon the Petition and Advice In the mean time Cromwell designing the Succession of his Usurpation for his Son Richard begins to shew him to the World but that he might give Lambert no Umbrage of his Intentions he keeps him for some time in the Country in Hamshire where he had Married the Daughter of one Major with whom he had a plentiful Fortune Here he grows familiar and kind to the Royalists insinuating into them by his debonare Carriage and serving many of them in several requests to his Father endeavouring to get their good liking by his Civilities and afâ—able Disposition The first publick Honour done him was in making him Chancellor of Oxford which his Father had resigned for that purpose then he was Sworn a Privy-Counsellor and made a Colonel in the Army that he might have an Interest in all Parties and not long afterwards was made the first Lord of the other House after the re-meeting of the Parliament and stiled the Noble Lord Richard Cromwell to prepare his way had likewise his News-writer Marchiamount Needham who tells the people there is no everlasting principle in Government which is but a temporary expedient and that in the hazard of a Common-wealth the next shift might be made use of which was a King as most agreeable and necessary He had likewise an ill Poet Pagan Fisher who in a Rodomontado stile sung his Atchievements in Latin Verse together with the Vertues of the pious Bradshaw Oliver having prepared things for them as well as he could the Parliament proceed hotly upon the Petition and Advice which was their new Model of Government and with which on the 9 th of April 1657 the Parliament having desired a meeting with the Protector they wait upon him in the Banqueting-house at White-Hall where Sir Thomas Widdrington in a set Speech commended the office of a King as setled here ever since Christianity approved by our Ancestors agreeing best with our Laws and temper of the People a Model of which Government as most proper for the good and security of the Nation he there presented him with The old Fox returns That 't is a weighty Matter and therefore desired time to seek God in it for without his Assistance the charge would be too great for him to bear That the English were the best people in the world and therefore all tenderness imaginable should be shewed to them and nothing done without due consideration of their benefit with much more of the like nature The next day a Committee was appointed to attend him for his Answer which being delivered after a dubious manner they resolve to force it upon him and adhering to their Petition frame a Committee of near half their House to attend him both to hear and give satisfaction to his doubts and scruples in this case The chief of these were Whitlock Lord Chief Justice Glyn Lord Broghill Lenthal Lisle Philip Jones Fiennes Strickland Thurlo Sir Richard Onslow and Sir Charles Woosley And now it might be wondred at that Cromwell having this fair opportunity did not accept of this proffer so much urged no doubt but he most eagerly desired it yet was he so cautious and fearfull lest that like the Dog in the Fable he should snatch too greedily at the shadow of Royalty and should lose the boundless power or substance of his Tyranny or in seeking to fortifie his title lose his tenure for he well understood the temper of the Army and that by the means of Lambert who began to smell out his design and fearing to lose the Succession promised him was ready to Mutiny which if he should lâ—se he were undone knowing all his title was maintained by the power of their Swords and that therefore he must wear such title as they please or would be contented with therefore considering that it would not be safe for him at this time to accept it he was forced with reluctancy to put it off to a more convenient season Many meetings and debates however they had about it and many Arguments held Pro and Con between them The Committee alledged that the title of King had been confirmed by Parliaments for above 1300 years and that neither the Person or Name of King had been displeasing to them That it
foundation and that the consequence had been confusion if he had not done it That there were no hereditary Lords or Kings setled the power consisting in the two Houses and himself and that God would judge between them and him God was his witness that there was a seeking of a new settlement in the Army that he spake not to those Gentlemen meaning his Lords or what they would call them but to them the Commons that advised him to that place yet that instead of owning him some of them must have they did not know what And that they were running the Nation into confusion again by their intention of devising a Commonwealth that some of the people might be the Men that might rule all and that those things were not according to God and according to Truth pretend what they would it was a playing a game for the King of Scots if he mought call him so and therefore he thought himself bound before God to doe what he meant to prevent it God was his witness he told them what was true the King of Scots had an Army at the water-side ready to be Shipt for England and that he had the knowledge of it from an eye-witness That they had not only been endeavouring to pervert the Army to draw them to a Commonwealth but some of them while sitting had been listing of persons by Commission from Charles Stuart to joyn with any insurrection that should be made that if this was the end of their sitting and that if these were their carriages concluding he thought it high time to put an end to their sitting and therefore by the living God he declared to them that he did Dissolve that Parliament To which many of the Commons cry'd out Amen And thus ended this Parliament crossing and vexing Oliver to the heart for he expected more supplies of Money Oliver having thus dismist this Parliament and rid himself of that fear begins to fortifie himself against the Royalists who had indeed formed a new Plot for the bringing in their King but were betray'd by Willis and one Corcar a Minister of Sussex who had been long employed by Cromwell for that purpose The Royalists were glad the Parliament was dissolved for they feared a Commonwealth much more than Cromwell not that he was less Tyrannical or had used them more favourably but for that the other sort of Government had rendred it self formidable and was in danger to have been more permanent than Oliver's Kingly Protectorship could for they believed as they well might that King Oliver would never be long endured by the people whose eyes must needs be opened and see that he was got into the Throne and exercised the same power and far more than the Kings of England ever did and whom they had flung out only to make way for a Tyrant and that they would never suffer a man of their own quality and rank thus to play the King amongst them and to be their Lord without endeavouring to fling him out Besides they found Lambert and the Army so much disgusted that they would rather have ventur'd all than not to have seen the downfall of Cromwell so that the Royalists thought all things to be favourable to their design But Cromwell having timely notice of all things by his Agents among them he takes care to prevent them and sending to his right hand Tichbourn Lord Mayor causes him to double the City-Guards and to make great changes in the Militia turning out all he suspected and presently seizes on Sir William Compton the Earl of Northampton's Brother Mr. Russel the Earl of Bedford's Brother Sir William Clayton and many more The Marquess of Ormond who on the design had lain hid for some time in London hardly escapes his hands Also he seizes on Mr. Mordant the Earl of Peterborough's Brother Mr. Manley Mr. Baron Mr. Stapely Mr. Mansel Mr. Woodcock Mr. Carent Mr. Jackson and one Mallory who was thought to be a decoy to the rest being pardoned after Condemnation And now to give more terror to the Royalists Cromwell resolves again to new dye his hands in Blood by the old Arbitrary and Tyrannical way Up goes the High Court of Justice and its bloody President Lisle who on the 25 th of May 1658 sat Cromwell had pickt out two Eminent Men to begin with one Lay-man Sir Henry Slingsby imprisoned ever since the West-Rising and one Clergy-man the Reverend Dr. Hewet Sir Henry Slingsby was accused though falsly to have endeavoured to betray Hull whilst a Prisoner there and for holding Correspondence with Charles Stuart for which he was Condemned for a Traytor and sentenced to be be-headed which Death he suffer'd on Tower-hill on the 8 th of June following though great application to save his life had been made to Cromwell by his Nephew and Cromwell's Son-in-law the Lord Faulconbridge but the Tyrant was inexorable having before-hand with Thurlo resolved on the Death of these two men The next was Dr. Hewet who was accused before the same Court for Conspiring against the Government and holding intelligence with the King But the Doctor Demurred to the Jurisdiction of the Court citing divers Law-Cases and giving many Reasons against their authority desiring them to evince to him the legality of their Court and he would plead to his charge But this they would not nor were able to doe and whilst he disputed with them they took the advantage of demanding his Plea three times after which though he then desired it seeing they would record him a Mute they would not admit for being designed for slaughter had they admitted him to plead he would have escaped them for want of Witnesses which it seems failed them at that time The Doctor had an Eloquent Tongue was of great esteem and abilities and Preached long at St. Gregory's where he sometimes could not forbear to deplore the misery of the Kingdom so that Cromwell had a particular desire to rid him out of the way as a most dangerous man and took this occasion to doe it upbraiding the Doctor with very bitter and unbecoming language when he was brought before him to be examined However though he was Condemned as a Mute yet he had the favour to be beheaded and suffer'd the same day with Sir Henry Slingsby where he prayed almost an hour with great zeal and fervour of spirit having his head severed from his body he dyed with much Christian Magnanimity The next that came to his Tryal was Mr. Mordant who at first denied the Jurisdiction of the Court but was by his friends at last perswaded to plead and was quitted by one voice only for very fortunately Col. Pride being taken with a fit of the Stone went off the Bench to the saving his life Then Mr. Woodcock and Sir Humphrey Bennet were tryed and acquitted Mallory confest was condemn'd but not executed Then Mr. Carent was try'd and acquitted Mr. Henry Frier was condemned by them but when going to be executed in
Palace their broad roots are tost Into the air So Romulus was lost New Rome in such a Tempest mis't her King And from Obeying fell to Worshiping On Oeta's top thus Hercules lay dead With ruin'd Okes and Pines about him spread Those his last fury from the Mountain rent Our dying Hero from the Continent Ravish'd whole Towns and Forts from Spaniards rest As his last Legacy to Brittain left The Ocean which so long our hopes confin'd Could give no limits to His vaster mind Our Bounds inlargment was his latest toyle Nor hath he left us Prisoners to our Isle Under the Tropick is our language spoke And part of Flanders hath receiv'd our yoke From Civil Broyles he did us disingage Found nobler objects for our Martial rage And with wise Conduct to his Country show'd Their ancient way of conquering abroad Ungratefull then if we no Tears allow To Him that gave us Peace and Empire too Princes that fear'd him grieve concern'd to see No pitch of glory from the Grave is free Nature her self took notice of His death And sighing swelâ—'d the Sea wiâ—h such a breath That to remotest shores her Billowes rol'd Thâ— approching Fate of their great Ruler told Vpon the late STORME translated out of Mr. Waller's fine Piece of FLATTERY THen take him Devil Hell his Soul doth claime In Stormes as Loud as his King-murthring Fame His cheating Groans and Teares has shak'd this Isle Cleft Brittains Oakes for Brittains funerall Pile Now at his Exit Trees uncut are tost Into the Ayr So Faustus once was lost Rome mist her first so London her last King Both kill'd then wept and fell to worshiping We in a Storme of wind our Nimrod lost King'd him then Sainted him then cursâ—d his Ghost In Oeta's flames thus Hercules lay dead In Worcesters flames he on his raving Bed He some scraggâ—d Oakes and Pines from Mountains rent This stole two brave Isles from the Continent Ravishâ—d whole Towns and that his Spanish Theft As a curs'd Legacy to Brittain left The Seas with which our hopes God had confin'd The Devil made too narrow for his mind Our Bounds enlargement was his greatest toyle He made our Prison greater than our Isle Under the Line our enslav'd crys are spoke And we and Dunkirek draw but in one Yoke From broyles he made he best could dis-engage From his own head diverts our purchas'd rage And by fine State-art to his Country show'd How to be Slaves at home and Theeves abroad Confederate Usurpers quake to see The Grave not under th' power of Tyranny Nature shrunk up at this great Monster 's death And swell'd the Seas with much affrighted breath Then to the Bounder'd Shore her Billowes roll'd Th' approching fate of Europes troubles told ENGLAND Still freshly lamenting the Loss of her KING with several of her Dearest CHILDREN which have been beheaded hanged and shot by O. CROMWEL and the Long-Parliament In a Brief Collection of the remarkable Passages that have happened to this Land from the year 1640 to the year 1660. IN sixteen hundred thirty nine we then Did think and say we were unhappy men Because that we in many years before Had not a Parliament nay I 'le say more We then did murmur and we did complain Of many pressures we did them sustain Ship-mony then a burden was unto us O Lord these taxes we cry'd will unto us This coat and conduct mony is unlawfull Lord sent a Parliament to make us joyfull Shall we be made such slaves unto the will Of such a King that seeks out lives to kill And our estates will take away by force Yea our Religion which of all is worse A Parliament Lord send us was the song Of rich and poor the old and eke the young Well God did hear us and into the heart Of our late King did put it to his smart To call a Parliament as I remember For to begin the third day of November Which is now nineteen years ago compleat And doth sit still with grief we may repeat Then presently the Taxes down were voted Which were so great as I before have noted Star-chamber then and high Commission Court Were then put down t is true what I report Then did the King grant unto them to sit In Parliament so long as they thought fit And then for a Triennial Parliament An Act was made mistakes for to prevent Then joyfull were we this same news to hear Rung Bells made Bonfires as it did appear But now behold consider and look back And see how we have been put to the wrack For first a hundred thousand pound was rais'd To give the Scots at which we were amaz'd For their good service done some time before This recompence they had then for their lore Besides in sixteen hundred forty six Just twice as much the Parliament did fix And give unto them ' cause they should deliver The King unto them the like I think was never Thus was the King by our dear Brother sold For no less mony than before was told Likewise an hundred thousand pound scarce less Was raisd the Irish Rebells to suppress And after that above three thousand pound Was raisd for Souldiers which was quickly found And listed were to fight against the King What think you now was 't not a goodly thing The fifty subsidies were raisd beside Pole mony also which men did deride And other Sums of money freely given Tot set out Ships for Coals they were so risen Then did they order every one to bring His Plate to Guild-Hall to the very Ring Bodkin and Thimble brought to maintain the cause All which was done and that with great applause And those that would this order not obey The twentieth part of his Estate must pay Such was the greedy Appetite of those Who seem'd our Friends but I think were our Foes Besides all these yet see how great vast sums From every Hall and Corporation comes And other places which if I should name 'T would add no glory to them nor good fame Then was there not a far more worse device Laid on our Backs a thing call'd the Excise For we Excise did pay for meat and drink And all things else that they upon could think Besides at Brainford when there was a fight We sent the Souldiers with such great delight Cart-loads of victuals with great store of Cloaths With Shirts Shoos Hats and many a pair of Hose And mony too by some was freely given By those who thought thereby for to gain Heaven All which was done as they said with intent To bring the King unto his Parliament And make him glorious and a happy King This was the cry though they meant no such thing Likewise in sixteen hundrrd forty three The Parliament did order there should be The worth in mony of a good meals meat For every one that was i' th house did eat For half a year together it was paid Oh was not this a very gallant traid Likewise in sixteen
hundred forty five 'T was ordered also every man to give A penny a week of every Family For one whole year together 't is no lye And this was sent poor Ireland to relieve If those that order'd did not us deceive Then after this they laid on us great Taxes To hew us down as if it were with Axes And sixty thousand pound a month a year They made us pay as it did well appear And some years ninety thousand every month was paid For a whole year together undenayed Besides a hundred twenty thousand pound Was paid a month by all a whole year round All which to many millions doth amount Far geater than the wit of man can count And whosoever did not pay his Seasement Was either plunder'd or prison'd without releasement And by such means some thousands are undâ—ne And knew not how or which way for to run And children likewise are made fatherless That knew not how their wants for to express With multitudes of widows that none knows The number of them or their wants disclose Besides the maimed that want hands or feet And wounded so 't would grieve one for to see 't And yet besides the thousands that are slain Which can't be numbred for it is in vain Then burning houses followed out-right With castles wasted and demolish'd quite And Towns and Cities are by wars undone The souldiers spoiling all that they had won And every place is so impoverished For want of trade to buy the people bread The Churches likewise they were much defaced And made like stables wherein horse were placed They took away the vessels every one And ornaments I think they left not one Thus did the Churches their privileges lose And sects and errours were brought in to choose And God's true worship it was laid aside And in blasphemies they did take a pride And toleration of such things that 's evil Was given them the like did not the Devil Thus have you heard the truth of things in brief And yet not half nor do I think the chief Of what they did in twelve years time they sat But if you 'll mind the next shall tell you what The first beheaded on the Tower Hill Was Earl of Strafford sore against his will Sir Alexander Carew was the second That lost his head for so it must be rekon'd And Captain Hotham after him succeeded His Father also next day after bleeded The Bishop then of Cantorbury next That was beheaded after he preach'd his text But now my heart doth fail the next to tell That lost his life since which we ne're were well O Gracious God was ever such things known A King so kill'd by subjects of his own May that accursed act of killing Kings Drink deep the dregs of the infernal stings Lord Capel next Duke Hamilton another The Earl of Holland also was the tother These three together at Westminster were headed For being true to 'th King this Parliament did it Next Collonel Andrews and then Sir Henry Hide Both on Tower-Hill were headed and there dyed And Captain Bushel in that very place Was headed there when he had run his race Next Mr. Love and Gibons in one day Were both beheaded of a truth I say Loe here 14 to 'th dozen in 12 years Beheaded were by these sad Parliamenteers Besides what others in far remoter places To us unknown who never saw their faces Next you shall know how many we have seen Hang'd in the City and shot to death have been First Challoner and Tomkins in one day Were hang'd in London this is truth I say Tomkins at Fetter-Lane tother at the Change Thus did their madness round about us range About some four months after was another Hang'd at the Change whose name I mean to smother And then another whose name I forgot At Westminster was hang'd for I know what He was a Spy they said came from the King And he must suffer therefore in a string The next in order though not he himself Was Sir Johns Greenevils picture foolish Else That hanged was at the Exchange for why Cause he left us and to the King did fly Then Poyer Pitcher Lockier went to th' pot These three at several times to death were shot All these near London and near thereabout Were hang'd and shot to death which they found out Besides all others throughout the Land If 't could be knowen we should amazed stand They haâ—ing sat twelve years then commeth Cromwell And turns them out which Act it doth please some well But he his part doth play as did the rest And fals to heading hanging like a Beast The first was Gerard that did feel the smart Of his keen Axe which went unto the heart Next Doctor Huit in that very place With Henry Slingsby Knight of comely grace Both in one day but who can tell for what 'T was never known nor never we shall that Then Mr Vowell was hangd at Charing Cross And Marston also hangd to his friends loss But after all comes Betterly on the stage Who in Cheapside was hangd in Cromwell's rage And afterward his bowels burnt in fire ' Cause they against him He said did conspire And then another hang'd was in Tower street And at the Change another we did seeâ—t These eight by Cromwel in the City dy'd But God doth know how many more beside Were hangd and headed within these three Nationâ— Of whom I cant make any true relations POSTSCRIPT FRom the 3 November 1640. to the 20 April 1653. when Oliver Cromwel turned out the long Parliament there hath been 29 Thanks giving days for several victories obtained by them against the King and at least 15 days of Humiliation besides the monthly Fasts which was once a month for very neer 8 years being cast up together is at least 90. which in all make 105. And from the time of their turning out to the 25 December last 1659 there hath been 10 Fasting days and 6 Thanksgiving days so that the total number of the Fasting days to the 25 Decemb. last is 15. and the Thanksgiving days are 35. In the late wars hath been killed above 100 Lords and Knights above 400 Officers besides the common Souldiers above 1000 Ministers put out of their places and died of grief FINIS He was to have been made Earl of Essâ—â—e and Knight of the Garter his Sâ—n of the Bed-chamber to the Prince Ireton â—ord Lievtenant of Ireland 1640. 14 May 1641. 23 Decemb. 1641. 1 Jan. 1644. 2 Jan. 1644. 10 Janv. 1644. 30 Jan. 1648. 9 March 1648. 22 Aug. 1650. 4. March 1650. 29 March 1651. 22 Aug. 1651. 5 Jul. 1643. 19 July 1650. 28 Nov. 1643. 1 Apâ—il 1644. 1 March 1643. 29 De. 1648. 21 Ap. 1649. 27 Apr. 1649. 10 July 1654. 8 June 1658. 10 July 1654. 10 Aug. 1654. 7 July 1658. 9 July 1650.