Protector All the great Offices of the Common-wealth such as Chancellor Keeper of the Seal Governor of Ireland Admiral c. if they become void in parhament time to be supplied by their approbation or in intervals of parliament with the approbation of the Council The Christian Religion as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures to be the publick profession of the Nation and those that administer it to be maintained by the publick but by some way more convenient and less liable to envy than Tythes None are to be compelled to consent to the publick profession by fine or any punishment ever but only by perswasion and arguments None that profess Faith in Jesus Christ are to be prohibited the exercise of their Religion provided he do not quarrel with nor disturb others except the papists and prelatists who are debarr'd that License All Sales of Estates made by parliament to stand good All Articles of War to be made good And lastly the protector and his successor upon entring that charge to swear to procure by all means the peace quiet and welfare of the Common-wealth to observe these Articles and to administer all things in his power according to the Laws Statutes and Customs of England After this Dec. 16. 1653. the protector came from White-Hall to the Chancery Court at Westminster attended by the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal of England the Barons of the Exchequer and Judges in their Robes the Council of the Common-wealth the L. Mayor Aldermen and Recorder of London in their scarlet Gowns and many of the chief Officers of the Army A Chair of State being set the Protector stood on the left hand thereof uncovered till the Instrument was read which he subscribed in the face of the Court and then swore to perform as follows I promise in the presence of God not to violate or infringe the matters and things contained in the Instrument but to observe and cause the same to be observed and in all things to the best of my understanding will govern these Nations according to the Laws Statutes and Customs and to seek their peace and cause Justice and Law to be equally administred Hereupon he sate down covered in the Chair the Lords Commissioners then delivered him the Great Seal of England and the Lord Mayor his Sword and Can of maintenance which he instantly returned Then the Court rose and the Protector was attended back as before to the Banquetting House at White-Hall the Lord Mayor bare headed carrying the Sword before him where an exhortation being made by Mr. Nicholas Lockier one of his Chaplains the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Judges departed And thus was the Protector confirmed in this high Dignity tho' many of his Officers and former admirers were much discontented thereat but to command obedience the Council emitted the following Proclamation which was published in England Scotland and Ireland Whereas the late Parliament dissolved themselves and resigned their powers and Authorities the Government by a Lord Protector and successive elective parliaments is now established And whereas Oliver Cromwel Captain General of all the Forces of this Common-wealth is declared Lord protector of the said Nations and hath accepted thereof We have therefore thought it necessary as we hereby do to make publication of the premises and strictly to charge and command all and every person and persons of what quality and condition soever in any of the said three Nations totake notice hereof and to conform and subject themselves to the Government so established And all Sheriffs Mayors Bayliffs c. are required to publish this proclamation to the end that none may have cause to pretend Ignorance in this behalf The Protector began his reign with seeming serenity and when the different parties in Religion made their complaints to him against each other he usually told them That his power was no greater in the Nation than a Constables which was to keep peace and quietness among all parties And persuant to the power given him by the new Instrument he supplies the several Courts at Westminster with the ablest Judges and Lawyers and the City of London to shew their concurrence to this great change invite the Protector to Dinner at Grocers-Hall Feb. 8. being Ashwednesday the Streets were railed to Temple-bar the Livery men standing in their Gowns he was met at Temple-bar by Alderman Vyner Lord Mayor who delivered him the Sword and receiving it again bore it on Horseback bare-headed before him all the way After a Noble enterrainment he was served with a Banquet in the conclusion whereof he Knighted Sir Tho. Vyner and would have done the same to the Recorder Steel but he declined it The Hollanders being weary of the Wars which they had maintained with such little success and so great cost send commissioners to treat with the pretector for a peace between both Nations which at length was concluded both with the King of Denmark and the Dutch who were to pay the charge of the War money being very necessary in his new Government and in April following it was proclaimed with great solemnity in London the two Dutch Ambassadors making magnificent Treatments and Fire-works to demonstrate their satisfaction therein The Protector now sends his eldest Son Henry into Ireland of which he was made Lord Deputy soon after and General Monk was sent into Scotland Likewise the Lord Whitlock who was sent Ambassador by the last parliament to the Q. of Sweden had now a new commission sent him from the Lord protector in whose Name he continued the Treaty with that Crown and afterward finished it In March following Monsieur Bordeux was sent Ambassador to England from the French King and Sir Anthony Ashly Cooper Coll. Sydenham and Mr. Strickland were appointed Commissioners by the protector to treat with him so that he was owned abroad as well as at home King Charles was then in the French Court who finding that notwithstanding his own and his Mothers endeavours to the contrary the Treaty between France and England was vigorously prosecuted by Cardinal Mazarine and foreseeing that if the peace were concluded he and his party must be obliged to depart France he thought it more Honourable voluntarily to leave that Kingdom than to stay till he were forced out by a complement so the King with his Brother the Duke of York and his Cousins Prince Rupert and Edward retired to Chattillon a House of the Prince of Condes from whence soon after the King and Prince Rupert went into Germany and indeed it happened as they suspected for one of the Articles of the French King with the protector was That none of the Royal Family of England should reside in the Dominions of France In Feb. 1654. several persons were committed to the Tower about a conspiracy against the protector the chief whereof Sir Gilbert Gerrard Coll. John Gerrard his brother the E. of Oxford Mr. Philip Porter Mr. Vowell a School-master at Islington and in June following an High Court
called whereby they declare That no member of Parliament should bear Office in the Army or Garrisons but altogether attend the service of the House unless they had leave for so doing and that within forty days from the publishing thereof By which proceeding the Earls of Essex Manchester and Denhigh Sir William Waller Sir Philip Stapleton and divers others were dismiss'd after which they took care to recruit their Forces which were much diminished by sickness and the late defeat in the West and in a short time they mustered a compleat Army of twenty one thousand that is fourteen thousand Foot six thousand Horse and one thousand Dragoons over whom they constituted Sir Tho. Fairfax General who gave out divers Commissions to them who were then newly called Independants and among others Ireton was raised to be Commissary-General of the Horse who had newly married one of Cromwels Daughters and was as great a Politician as himself Upon publishing the fore-mentioned Ordinance which was in the year 1645 Cromwel who was then in the West-country in obedience thereto immediately returns toward London and having notice that General Fairfax was at Windsor he went to wait upon him by the way and take his leave of him but the Parliament were too sensible of his usefulness and conduct to discharge him and therefore the next morning as soon as he was risen a Commission was sent him to be Lieutenant-General of the Horse to the whole Army This alteration gave great hopes to the Royal party of future success against this new Army so many principal Commanders being laid aside and discontented and such a number of unexperienced Youths Listed but these expectations soon vanished for Cromwel by virtue of the dispensing power of the Parliament being still continued and advanced to so great a command to make it appear that they were not mistaken in their choice he instantly proceeds to action being sent by Fairfax with a flying party of Horse and Dragoons to intercept a convoy of two thousand Horse consisting of the Queens the Earl of Northamptons and Collonel Palmers Regiments who with some other Troops were marching to Oxford with a design to bring off the King and the Train of Artillery and to procure Recruits for the Army and so join with the Kings main mid-land Forces under Prince Rupert then about Worcester and the borders of Wales and then take the field In this exploit Cromwel was so extream diligent that with extraordinary celerity he met with surprized and routed them at Islip-bridge taking five hundred Horse and two hundred prisoners with the Queens Standard and many persons of Quality and pushing on his success having notice that Sir William Vaughan with three hundred and fifty Foot were marching toward Radcot-bridge he followed them taking their commander Lieutenant Coll. Littleton and two hundred other prisoners persuing the rest to Blechingdon-house where Collonel Windebank was Governour and in the height of his Victories summoned him to an immediate surrender or else to expect the utmost vengeance of an inraged Souldiery The Governour terrified with these threats and being over perswaded by some Ladies who were there come to visit his Bride he being newly married and having little hopes of relief from Oxford delivered up the House with all the Arms and Ammunition therein for which when he came to Oxford he was shot to death by sentence of a Council of War This Enterprize was reckoned as a happy Omen of his future success in his new honour and the prudence of the Parliament magnified in continuing so deserving a commander in the Army who to secure his reputation resolved upon a more dangerous attempt to reduce Faringdon-House of which Sir George Lisle a person of Invincible courage was Governour and a Garrison which had been of great advantage to the King To effect this considerable service he took six hundred of M. Gen. Browns Foot at Abington with which he instantly storm'd the place but was as stoutly repulsed and forced to retire with the loss of fifty of his Soulders and in his retreat was attackt by a party of L. Gorings Horse lately come from the siege of Taunton who gave Cromwel the first check he had yet met with taking three colours and Major Bethel prisoner and then returned to the siege at Taunton At this time Fairfax had order to march to the relief of Taunton and Cromwel was left behind with Brown to watch the motions of the Kings Army at Oxford who were then ready to take the field and to prevent them from joining a brave body of Horse that were coming out of Worcester-shire under the command of the Princes Rupert and Maurice But the Royal Army was grown so potent that Cromwel durst not attempt either to fight or hinder their march so that Fairfax was presently remanded and ordered to lye before Oxford to oblige the King to secure that place and upon advantage to fight him when Intelligence came that the King having joined the two Princes and raised the siege of Chester beleaguered by Sir William Brereton was now marching toward the Associated Counties wherein lay the strength of the Parliament whereupon Cromwel was ordered with all speed to secure the Isle of Ely as being a Frontier to the rest of the country But the King went and sate down before Leicester and soon took it which so alarm'd the parliament that they instantly dispatch'd Orders to Fairfax to rise from Oxford and seek out and fight the Kings Army who as he writ to his Queen was then in a more hopeful condition than during the War Fairfax obeyed this Order and Cromwel being recruited with six hundred Horse of the Association came to join the Army then marching toward Northampton The General had information that the King had Quartered his Foot and Carriages upon Burrough-Hill near Daventry as if he intended there to expect him but it was only to tarry till the twelve hundred Horse sent as a Convoy to the Cattel taken within Leicester and Northampton-shire for relief of Oxford were returned designing afterward the reduction of Pomfret-castle in the North and all the other places lost since Marston-Moor and if Fairfax followed him to have fought him with the first advantage which he could not do so conveniently where the Parliament had their Garrisons But Cromwel soon disappointed this project by whose counsel Ireton was dispatch'd with a Detachment of Horse to take an account of the posture of the Kings Army with Order that if they marched Northward he should skirmish and employ them in the Rear till the whole Army could arrive and ingage The day before the Battel the General marched to Gilsborough five miles from Burrough-hills from whence the Royalists their Hâ—â—â—e being come back from Oxford were bending their course Northward and the next Night the King was extreamly surprized to find Ireton give an alarm to his Quarters at Naseby from whence about eleven a clock the King departed speeding to Harborough where
with a potent Army Lambert was sent before to suppress Glemham and Langdale who with their Forces being about three thousand retired into Cumberland and Westmoreland expecting to join with the Seets which they did and fell upon Lambert at Appleby forcing him to retire out of the Town but Cromwel having received all necessary supplies from the Parliament came and joined him and observed the motions of D. Hamilton being both but eight thousand six hundred men against the Scots and English Army of twenty one thousand who were marched into England as far as Preston in Lancashire where Cromwel resolved to fight them his forlorn ingaging them first with two hundred Horse and four hundred Foot and he himself leading up the main body in the best posture the place would admit being a dirty lane and inconvenient for Horse where after four hours dispute he put them to the rout whom the Conquerours persued through Preston and having cleared the Streets followed them as far as Warrington about twenty miles killing many in the chase and taking Lieutenant-General Baily prisoner with the greatest part of the Scots Army granting them only Quarter for their Lives Three thousand Scots were slain and ten thousand taken prisoners with above one hundred colours and all their Baggage Duke Hamilton finding the service too warm retreats over the Bridge with a good party of Horse and Foot but Cromwel ordered his men to fall in among them pell-mell with their swords drawn at which desperate courage the Scots being amazed betook themselves to flight and the Duke with a body of Horse got to Utoxâ—â—â—r where he was taken prisoner by the Lord Grey and about three thousand Horse with him Langdale was also taken by a Parliament Captain Conspiracies by land though over the whole Kingdom seemed not enough but the Sea likewise revolted from the Parliament divers of the chief Ships in the Royal Navy in June 1648. set the Vice-Admiral Rainsborough ashoar declaring they would serve the King and P. Charles now coming from Holland with twenty sail of Ships and two thousand men The Parliaments Vice-Admiral joined with them and the D. of York who had made his escape from London being also aboard At which the Parliament were much disturbed and sent to the E of Warwick to command the remaining Navy which he readily undertook but his brother though no souldier by commission from the Prince assembles five hundred Horse and Foot about Kingston-Heath depending on the affections of the Citizens having with him the D. of Buckingham his Brother L. Francis Villiers and the E. of Peterborough but Sir Michael Livesey and others soon dispersed them The L. Francis Villiers was slain and the L. Holland flying with the remainder of his Horse to St. Needs was altogether subdued Dalbeer and some other Gentlemen slain and himself taken prisoner At the same time Rossirer obtained a great Victory over one thousand Horse who were pillaging the Country out of Pomfret-castle About the end of August Warwick was with a good Fleet in the River of Thames when P. Charles with a great Navy of twenty stout Men of War came up the River and commanded him to take down his Flag and yield Obedience to him as chief Admiral by the Kings Commission Warwick refused yet declined fighting in that narrow channel expecting to be joined by the Portsmouth Fleet commanded by Sir G. Ayscough which the Royalists reported was revolted also but though most of the Mariners were inclined to the Prince yet Sir George by his prudent managery at length confirmed them in their Obedience to the Parliament and failing by P. Charles in the Night brought all his Ships safe to the E. of Warwick who now resolved to ingage the Prince but finding he was gone back to Holland for want of provisions he followed him soon after with the whole Fleet to Goree upon that coast Cromwel after he had given that great defeat to Hamilton following his Victory marches toward Scotland to assist Argyle and Levens against the Forces of Monroe and Lanerick and to give them an account what was become of Hamilton but upon his approach without effecting any thing they withdraw their Forces back into Scotland and Cromwel in his way reduced Berwick and Carlisle into the Parliaments power Before he entred Scotland he Rendevouz'd his Army on the banks of the Tweed and caused proclamation to be made at the head of every Regiment That no man upon pain of death should take from the Scots either Cattel or Goods without Order He then marches directly toward Edinburgh to consult about the affairs of both Kingdoms many of the Scots Nobility and Gentry were sent from the Committee of Estates to meet him who after congratulatory Orations made conducted him to Edenburgh where Argyle Leven and other Lords treated him and the rest of the English commanders with a magnificent banquet in the Castle Thanks were given by the Ministers to Cromwel who was by them stiled The preserver of Scotland under God many of these having denounced the wrath of God against that Army of Hamilton which by the success they now thought fulfilled Such also was the Testimony of the Committee of Estates written to the English Parliament concerning Cromwel Presently after the Forces of Monroe and Lanerick were disbanded and all others except fifteen hundred Horse and Foot under the command of Leven for settling the Kingdom It was also decreed by the Committee of Estates and Assembly of the Hirk for preservation of Religion and brotherly love with the English Nation That no man who had joined with Hamilton in the late Invasion of England should be chosen for the new Parliament which was then called or into the Assembly of the Kirk as being enemies to Religion and both the Kingdoms A strange and sudden alteration this was That the English Army which but a year before were by the Kirk party of Scotland called a bundle of Sectaries and reviled by all manner of opprobrious names should now be acknowledged by the same Scots to be the Instruments of God and Vindicators both of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland And this great change in the Council of Scotland had been more to he wondred at if the change that then happened in the English Parliament were not much more surprizing for who can imagine that Cromwel for vanquishing a Scotch Army by which the Nation was delivered from plunder and many other mischiefs should be acknowledged there the preserver of Scotland and that the same Victory of his against the Scots should please the Presbyterian Scots for Religion sake and for Religions sake displease the Presbyterians in England for the face of the English Parliament was now suddenly changed and the Voâ—es that had passed the year before of making no more addresses to the King were annulled and made void upon which they had published a Declaration of the reason and necessity of their proceedings New addresses are now made to the King with more